5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell is back with the third series of his award-winning podcast Different.
Produced by Audio Always, the podcast will drop weekly from Wednesday, November 22 and feature interviews from a range of guests, all aimed at exploring what makes them so extraordinarily different.
Robert Mazur, a former under-cover federal agent who operated in the deep underworld, kicks off the first episode with stories of how he acted as a high-level money launderer for members of the Columbian drug cartels.
Mazur, who’s story was eventually adapted into the 2016 film The Infiltrator, starring Bryan Cranston, said: “I changed the course of many people’s lives. I ruined many people’s lives. It was a knock-on effect. If I was one of them, I’d want to kill me. They did want to kill me. They still do. I’m not very popular.”
Mazur goes on to talk of how he dreams of a ‘normal’ life: “I may just decide to come out. It’s really kind of stressful. What can I say? ‘I’m sorry about that? Let’s get on with our lives.’ I’d just like to not have to live the way we presently do. I’d like to live the way my neighbours live.”
Other guests set to grace the new series include Katy Morgan-Davies, the daughter of a cult leader who was locked up for 30 years, Zac Ebrahim, the son of one of the men charged with the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing and Joseph Parris, a New York barber and wig maker whose library of stories includes the fact that he was Frank Sinatra’s long-standing barber.
Different won Gold in the Interview category for Campbell’s conversation with Jenny Pearson, the daughter of his abuser, from his time as a student at Edinburgh Academy, at this year’s British Podcast Awards.
The host said: “I am so delighted to be bringing back another series of our award-winning podcast, Different. Loyal listeners should know by now that I love talking to people from all walks of life and listening to their remarkable stories. From Frank Sinatra’s long standing barber, to an undercover agent who laundered money for Pablo Escobar’s infamous cartel, a daughter born into her Father’s cult and a son to one of the men who planned the World Trade Centre bombing in 1993, this series is full of ear catching real-life stories and I can’t wait for you to hear them.”
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Lead Commissioning Editor, Richard Maddock, says: “To win the gold in this year’s British Podcast Awards illustrates just how unique and impactful ‘Different’ is. Nicky is a master of his craft and one of the country’s best interviewers. In ‘Different’, he takes us on a journey to understand the lives of extraordinary people. We are really proud of this podcast, it not only entertains the audience, but has changed people’s lives.”
