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SPYSCAPE

True Spies takes you inside the world's greatest espionage and detective operations. Our hosts Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Sophia Di Martino, Daisy Ridley and Rhiannon Neads talk to the real spies behind the missions. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would you do in their position? We explore and investigate real life thrillers, mysteries and crimes - stories that prove truth is stranger than fiction! These stories cover lies, murder, theft, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. You’ll meet experts from the top intelligence agencies including FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6 (SIS), KGB, GRU, Mossad and many others. You’ll discover characters who spied because of money, ideology, coercion or just plain old ego. And, if you’d like to dig deeper into the world of secrets, and test your own secret intelligence skills, head over to spyscape.com for articles, games, experiences, puzzles and videos.

For episodes first and ad-free, subscribe to Spyscape+ at: plus.Spyscape.com
A Cup & Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Music: Nick Ryan.

True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics

National security journalist Zach Dorfman returns to True Spies with the tantalising tale of one of the War on Terror's most secretive undercover operatives. Known only by his pseudonym, this CIA spy delivered intel directly to the highest echelons of power - and paid a heavy price for his success.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley.
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The Spy With No Name | CIA

What can drive an ordinary person to extremist ideology? 

Hear from former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, Mubin Shaikh, on his current work as a Counter Extremism Specialist. He delves into real world cases of those who succumb to extremist ideology, why it happens, and his challenging work trying to bring people back.

From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies Debriefs: Mubin Shaikh on the Psyche of an Extremist

In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of Mubin Shaikh, an Islamist extremist turned undercover agent for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. 
Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover would be blown. 
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: Undercover Jihadi | CSIS

The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.
In our ninth round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on lessons drawn from intrepid cyber-cops, nuclear double-dealers, crafty codebreakers and more.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 9

Journalist and author Steve Vogel unravels the unlikely tale of George Blake, the cunning Cold War double-agent who betrayed one of the most ambitious wire-tapping operations of the 1950s - and made a name for himself as one of spycraft's greatest escapologists.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. 
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Digging for Gold | Cold War

Do you know about the rising threats posed by transnational repression?

Hear from Bob Dougherty, veteran of 26 years as a CIA undercover operations officer. Today, Bob works as an instructor for multiple government agencies, increasingly speaking on the dangers of transnational repression; the intimidation, harassment, or other human rights abuses perpetrated by countries on their own people beyond their borders.

From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies Debriefs: Bob Dougherty on transnational repression

In this classic episode of True Spis, undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. 

In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. 

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: The Nuclear Superhighway | CIA

International Relations journalist and author, R.T Howard, reveals the tensions, subterfuge and devastating errors that marked the first Cold War. 

In the 1920s and 30s, the Allies waged an intelligence war against a rising star in global politics - Adolf Hitler. Young intelligence agencies tried in vain to penetrate the Nazi's veil of secrecy. In this episode, you'll hear three stories from this turbulent era - and learn the lessons of the past.

From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. 
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Spying On The Reich | Historical

Former CIA counterterrorism analyst, hunter of Bin Laden, author and proud mother - hear from the fantastic Gina Bennett in this week's Debrief.

Bennett authored the earliest warnings of today’s terrorism trends including the 1993 report that foreshadowed the danger of Osama bin Laden. Hear her current prescient predictions for what she is calling the new paradigm for national security, and how this will affect the U.S, and nations around the world...

From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies Debriefs: Gina Bennett on the new paradigm for national security

In this True Spies Classic, CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, Gina had to fight to have the threat he posed taken seriously. Would YOU trust your gut? 

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: Blinking Red | CIA

Author Henry Hemming tells the twisting tale of two very different British spies operating in Northern Ireland during the 30-year conflict known as The Troubles.

In Part 2, Frank Hegarty and Freddie Scappaticci are drawn ever deeper into the violent world of the Provisional IRA - and soon, there'll be no turning back.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.

Henry Hemming is the author of Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Espionage, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland (Quercus Publishing, 2024)
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Four Shots in the Night, Part 2: The Spymaster's Dilemma | Northern Ireland

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