Bad People

Murderers. Fraudsters. Internet trolls. This is a podcast about people who do terrible things, and the science of humanity’s dark side.

Series producer: Louisa Field Artwork: Kingsley Nebechi Music: Matt Chandler Editors: Anna Lacey and Martin SmithAcademic Consultants for The Open University: Dr Ailsa StrathieDr Sarah LaurenceCommissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.

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Recent Reviews
  • silly 20
    Love
    I really love this podcast ❤️😊
  • Doodler haha !!
    NOOOOO I’m so sad 😕
    I love this podcast. My favorite that look forward to every week. I’m so sad that it’s over 🥹 pls don’t go !!!!!
  • W13n2023
    My favorite podcast
    I wait for you every week. Such a great partnership!
  • our 5 kids
    Love the show!!
    The topics are always interesting and Dr. Shaw takes the topic on interesting turns. Sophie adds so much to the show, from the funny takes to their opinion.
  • Westportv
    Loose the comedian please
    One of the pod casters undermines the quality of the podcasts - the comedian? - she behaves as if she is not very smart and adds too many really annoying comments.
  • Jessicahms
    Baby Snatchers
    NOTE: I base this review on a single episode, Baby Snatchers, and it should be understood in those limited terms. I hadn’t listened before but I came upon this episode about a famous capital murder case; I am interested in the issues around the death penalty in the USA, & this case in particular, & so I pressed play. The episode begins with the two presenters discussing how they would like their funerals to unfold, which was unexpected & felt sort of flippant & offhand, but okay, it’s not my podcast. We then moved on to the case itself, & the tone remained offhand. Far from being averse to the use of humor to make hard topics easier, I think it’s a great tool; here though, it felt misplaced & lacking in judgment & respect. Wherever you sit on this horrific crime & the subsequent execution of its perpetrator, it felt to me that it was treated with sophomoric levity. (My own position is that the death penalty is utterly wrong, morally & actually, & I oppose it in all circumstances, but it exists & we need to talk about it.) It seemed to me to be tasteless & made more so by the numerous warning about its content; the producers & presenters understood the seriousness of the topic. It also lacked much real analysis, again, odd. Anyway, to each her own. Again, I based this review on a single episode and therefore it should not be considered as applicable to the show in general.
  • Staycg9579
    Great entertainment!
    I’m a true crime junkie! I’m really enjoying the podcast. Sofie is the best!!! I laugh out loud every episode. I think the two of them have great chemistry and work very well together. I look forward to hearing Sofie’s take on things every episode. I also think they have a different approach and topics that aren’t always discussed which is a nice change from other crime podcasts. I really want Sofie to be my bestie. Can you tell I love Sofie?!!!
  • DawnzaLilla
    Bad
    If you’re looking for a legal education with strong feminist bias this for you. Not me.
  • SharonClaire
    Interesting subject but…
    These two young ladies are far to woke for me. Referencing toxic masculinity and condemning responsible Americans who own firearms for self protection. Plenty of better crime podcasts out there so I’m moving on.
  • Jess&Luna&Max
    I’m crushing🥰 on this podcast and the hosts!
    I love everything about this podcast. If you are wanting to listen to something that makes you think, teaches you something new, makes you laugh, but also narrates some horrific crimes… this is for you! Thank you so much to everyone who works on this podcast! You are truly some beautiful and amazing humans!
  • Lulah614
    Woman vs Women
    I enjoy the podcast, especially Sofie. But am I the only one who gets annoyed at Julia’s use of “woman” when referring to multiple WOMEN?? She also needs to be more accepting and gracious when Sofie expresses a difference of opinion.
  • Elbybara
    I listen for Sofie Hagen
    I’ve listened to the first 7 episodes. I adore Sofie Hagen’s sense of humor; in every episode so far, she’s made me laugh out loud. I also love both Sofie and Julia’s accents. I’m not a big fan of how Julia Shaw presents herself. To me, she comes across as self-righteous, strangely naive, and lacking in self-awareness. Science and evidence are cool, but there’s a sort of contempt for anything that she doesn’t have personal knowledge about. There are plenty of other academic disciplines (and research) that would conflict with her views. I’d love to see a broader understanding of and appreciation for other perspectives/fields of study (maybe the podcast improves with time). 4 stars: 2 for Sofie, 1 for the accents, and 1 for getting to learn some things.
  • hillbillysteve
    Dumb
    Take this racist garbage off the internet
  • Stags2008
    Great podcast
    Awesome podcast! Interesting stories! On a side note, what is the dating app discussed in the “Uncivilized Cruelty” episode?
  • JennieD.Mommy
    A million times, thank you
    Thank you thank you thank you. From a fat mom who puts off necessary care and lives with this stigma while trying to project a positive body image for her children. This latest episode is amazing. Thank you so much.
  • rt66lady
    Episode X
    What did I just listen to? No, really what just happened
  • NotTheWife
    Good Content, but…
    I like the content, and Sofie. However, Julia tends to cut Sofie off and always dismisses their opinion. I understand that Julia is the trained professional, but there’s a way to convey your knowledge without belittling another person.
  • Chucojen
    Structure seems off
    Good information and quality hosting. However the narrative structure seems a bit off. Maybe lacking momentum or pacing. The sidebars are distracting from the main topic rather than supporting of it.
  • ajgir
    My dark HAPPY PLACE
    Ms. Sofie and Dr. Julia, I have listened to every single one of your episodes at this point. I work in admin and sometimes it gets very monotonous, and your podcast keeps me going…. I cannot stress this enough. I might have a crappy meeting or a bad phone call, but I think to myself, “it’s all good, I get to listen to Sofie and Julia after this”. I have laughed and cried throughout this series. Some of the topics have hit very close to home, while others have given me a new understanding and empathy for people I have previously judged. Every episode I feel like I am simultaneously at a very interesting book club and a super fun dinner party… if that makes any sense. I felt the need to write something to you both because today I listened to the episode about assisted suicide. It was very intense, but at the end Sofie listed all of the reasons to stay alive, and it honestly made me tear up. I am not even suicidal but it made me want to live more than I already am living. (Reason #11?.. giving this podcast a 5-star rating hehehe). Thank you to you both for doing this podcast, making yourselves vulnerable and sharing your personal experiences. You cover topics that NEED to be addressed and society will benefit from conversations like these. Thank you for making me laugh and teaching me things. Can’t wait to see what topics you cover in the future! Sincerely, Anni - a super fan from Boston, USA :)
  • Aio1972
    Interesting and entertaining
    I like the chemistry between the two hosts. Works well and the topics are fascinating.
  • duekenhfieinsjrutkkj
    Almost a 5
    I enjoy this podcast. The content is great. I love the topics discussed and the way they are dissected. The hosts are also great, however, their dynamic is a bit off. Julia has a tendency of cutting off or dismissing Sofie, which is uncomfortable to hear. Sometimes Julia can be downright mean. If Julia learns to check herself and leave her ego at the door, this podcast could easily rise to a 5.
  • Blazinbootsjazz
    Way to make me think
    Well dang I thought I had a pretty good grasp on what I thought about “Bad” people. Julia really makes me pause and wonder! While Sophie makes me laugh. Two wonderful people and a great series to get into! 🖤
  • Lasanily
    One of my favorites!
    I really love this podcast. It seemed to take a few episodes for the hosts to find and develop their rhythm, but they have a great dynamic now. I always forward to Sofie’s wit and Julia’s thought provoking perspectives.
  • Amber Smiles
    Not bad at all🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
    Listened to the 1st episode today about the Night Stalker. I enjoyed both these women and what they each brought to the podcast! You learn something while also enjoying some comedy. As a podcaster myself, I know how important it is to leave a good review when you come across a podcast you enjoy. I’m the host of the Professionally Silly podcast! I love to support other awesome amazing female podcasts! Keep up the awesome work!!!!😎🙌🏾
  • crazykaycee
    LOVE
    A wonderful, different type of True Crime podcast. I love the use of psychology, science, research, and Sofie’s irreverence are a delightful addition to true crime and I highly recommend!!!
  • jake 414
    Sexist towards men
    This is directed towards the comedian. Sexism goes both ways. Describing women murderers with “cute names” and claiming that men probably told them to do it is pure upmost sexism. When you confront a killer of a man you always say “monster” (which they are, the same as women that murder). You always down men for everything and in one clip claimed “women usually are good at everything they do”. What an ignorant claim.
  • moviemistress
    Excellent and informative.
    I love this podcast. Unlike other true crime podcasts they talk specially about the physiology behind the crimes. It’s a lot more about the ‘why’s’ than about the crimes themselves. Very enjoyable and easy to listen too. I wish the episodes were longer. The hosts are charming and fun. The negative reviews shock me - If you want deep gritty true crime talk then this isn’t the podcast for you, this is much ‘lighter’.
  • Turuhat
    Meh
    Given that this podcast is hosted by a comedian and a psychologist, it’s notable that it is neither funny nor particularly interesting from a medical or scientific point of view. I am a big fan of true crime as well as investigative podcasts but this one is just boring and annoying.
  • favedress
    Love Sofie Hagen and true crime!
    Love Sofie Hagen and true crime! The psychologist leaves something to be desired.
  • Regina Phelange85
    On the fence
    I will continue to listen, but there’s something I can’t put my finger on. Also, as important as understanding is and as it is stressed in this particular episode, it’s also important to understand where the people of the town were coming from in the Bulger case. What the boys did was beyond horrific, especially for their ages. While I don’t think they should have been destroyed, I understand how people could have had little empathy for them given what they did.
  • kimbsy
    Enjoyable listen!
    I don’t understand the negative reviews. I enjoy this podcast a lot. It presents the cases in a light-hearted way, and I enjoy hearing the psychology behind it. If you want a heavy-hitting investigative podcast, there are already plenty of this out there. I don’t believe that was their intention, and I appreciate a different approach. I love all of the cute Danish sayings that get thrown in too! ❤️ I’ve adopted the phrase “picking fuzz from my naval.” 😂
  • mspandzaphoto
    Stories underdeveloped
    I like the hosts, but the stories and subjects are underdeveloped. Needs more meat on it’s bones.
  • jennypaper
    so much potential, so disappointing!
    Why is the comedian more astute about human psychology than the psychologist?
  • Andyhayes
    Disappointing
    This podcast is all about themselves.
  • PodcastOponions
    Good podcast
    Two smart women. The podcast just need a little bit of salt. Less personal stories/jokes maybe ?
  • bravormike
    Distasteful
    The way they talk about murderes as charming people is sickening!
  • Mantis79
    Boring!!!
    Two hosts chatting and stretching time is just about the worst listening out there.
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