Living a lie: discovering my dad faked who he was

Living a lie: discovering my dad faked who he was

Author: BBC World Service January 12, 2026 Duration: 44:20

Joanne Briggs had always thought of her dad as a bit of a superhero. But he was hiding a dark secret.

She only saw him a couple of times a year during her childhood in the UK, but that was because Professor Michael Briggs was off travelling the world being a very important scientist. Or at least that was the story she grew up to believe. It was only in 1986, when Joanne was 23, that she first got a glimpse of who he really was. The Sunday Times newspaper exposed him as a scientific fraud, leaving his reputation in tatters. Two months later, he was dead. Joanne chose to close the door on this mysterious and destructive period of her life. But 34 years later it unexpectedly reopened, and led her on a journey through multiple lies and deception, towards a better understanding of the man she thought she knew. Joanne Briggs has written a book about her father: The Scientist Who Wasn't There.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Anna Lacey

Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice


There's a particular kind of curiosity that strikes in a crowded street or a quiet cafe, a sudden awareness of the countless unseen narratives unfolding all around us. Lives Less Ordinary, from the BBC World Service, is built on that very human impulse. Each episode is an invitation to step through a door you might normally walk past, offering an intimate and often surprising portrait of a single person. The stories you'll hear are drawn from a global tapestry, focusing on individuals whose paths defy simple categorization-whether by choice, circumstance, or sheer force of character. This isn't a series about fame or obvious achievement, but rather about the profound journeys that happen outside the spotlight. You might meet a former spy navigating civilian life, a gardener cultivating peace in a conflict zone, or someone who rebuilt their world from a single, shattered moment. The production carries the depth and sensitivity of documentary storytelling, blending personal journals with rich soundscapes that place you right beside the subject. Listening to this podcast feels less like consumption and more like a genuine connection, a reminder of the resilience, eccentricity, and quiet drama woven into the fabric of ordinary days. It’s for anyone who believes that everyone has a story worth hearing, especially those we rarely get to listen to.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Lives Less Ordinary
Podcast Episodes
The prisoner who was forced to celebrate a World Cup victory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:06
Miriam Lewin was never much interested in football. Growing up in Buenos Aires, she cared far more about politics than the team her family supported. But in 1978, when Argentina won the World Cup, she found herself among…
My father and the curse of the golden egg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:23
Serena Kutchinsky was 10 years old when her jeweller father Paul unveiled his masterpiece to the world: a giant, golden, diamond-encrusted egg. Paul had recently taken over the family business, the celebrated London jewe…
I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:11
After an undiagnosed case of pre-eclampsia caused catastrophic brain damage and amnesia, Samina Ali returned home from hospital to begin a long recovery.At 29, she found herself relearning the basics of daily life – how…
I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:19
When Samina Ali gave birth to her first child in California in 1999, what should have been a joyful moment quickly turned into a medical emergency.An undiagnosed case of the pregnancy disorder pre-eclampsia led to multip…
Could a sitcom save a man from death row? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:36
Juan Catalan was facing the death penalty for a murder he didn’t commit. There was one man he thought could save him: US comedian Larry David. On 12 May 2003, Juan attended a baseball game that he would later say saved h…
I was kidnapped by North Korea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:26
In the 1970s and 80s, a spate of mysterious disappearances were reported along Japan’s coast. One of those was 19-year-old nurse Hitomi Soga, who was walking with her mother when they were kidnapped. She was blindfolded…
I was forced to rob my own bank, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:52
Many years after he’d held a gun to her daughter’s head, Michelle wrote to Robert Ortiz seeking closure. It took him years to write back – and then they met.In 2000, Michelle Renee was at home with her seven-year-old dau…
I was forced to rob my own bank, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:56
In 2000, armed men burst into Michelle Renee's home and held her child hostage while she was forced to rob her own bank. None of them could have predicted what happened next. Michelle Renee was at home with her seven-yea…
Kangaroo Dundee: I gave it all up to become a ‘kangaroo mum’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:12
Chris 'Brolga' Barns fell in love with joeys and became a kangaroo 'mum'. He rescues orphaned baby kangaroos, or joeys, carrying them around in a pillowcase to mimic their mum’s pouch. While working as a tour guide in th…
I'm a champion boxer, but couldn't tell my mum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:15
Ramla Ali's family fled Somalia and settled in the UK; she then went from overweight bullied child to champion boxer and model who later brought the sport back to her homeland.Ramla Ali was a baby when her older brother…