From boy to man he was the king of pop music. But for 30 years a reputation under attack. He said he was misunderstood. His actions harmless. Faking It Special s1e4: Michael Jackson
‘It’s car crash television, it really is … You’re watching this person holding hands with a twelve-year-old boy, and you just think, what the hell is going through your mind?’ ibid. Kerry Daynes, psychologist
Santa Barbara 2003: Facing fourteen charges and fighting for his career and reputation, Michael Jackson pleads not guilty. ibid.
Despite Michael Jackson’s bombshell revelation that he did share his bed with young boys, he was fiercely defended by his fans. ibid.
‘On balance, taking behaviour alone … The scales are tipping well in favour of Michael Jackson telling the truth about not abusing children.’ ibid. Cliff Lansley
‘Latoya goes on television and throws Michael under the bus.’ ibid. Kerry Daynes
‘Once he started on that road to altering himself, I think he became addicted.’ ibid.
‘When I watched the Leaving Neverland documentary, I think that the overall story that these men give is actually very very compelling.’ ibid.
Grace Millane, a much loved daughter who vanished on the other side of the world. Faking It Special s1e5: Grace Millane
Caught on CCTV: the last hours of a Tinder date; the innocent young woman who knew nothing about his [Kempson] violent past. ibid.
Jesse Shane Kempson: From the start there were signs of deception … The officer was on to him … His was the last comment on her Facebook page, and he looked like the man seen with Grace on CCTV that night … This is someone who wants to appear cooperative but we’re seeing indications that he’s struggling. ibid.
The photos revealed a very different picture of Kempson’s apartment: multiple blood splatters on the carpet. ibid.
The face of a serial killer. The words of a psychopath. ‘Ted Bundy was driven by a need to kill. It was the most rewarding enjoyable part of his life.’ … With at least 30 known victims, his crime and character continue to fascinate. Faking It Special s1e6: Ted Bundy
He seems to be enjoying this cat and mice game with the officers … ibid.
The epitome of the Hollywood psychopath. ibid.
Seattle, Washington State, 1974 and a killer is on the loose: Young female students are disappearing at the rate of one a month. ibid.
Ted Bundy is in custody: he’s been linked to killings in five states, and is enjoying his notoriety so much, he even invites TV crews into his prison cell. ibid.
‘He goes on to develop very dysfunctional relationships with women, but it’s not the full story. His grandfather was somebody that he said he identified with and he respected. Now, if this is true it’s telling became his grandfather was a bully: he dominated his family and he dominated them with violence.’ ibid Kerry Daynes
‘When we see [five] rapid blinks together, it gives us an indication that someone is thinking hard … He’s experiencing emotional load … One of the indicators of deception.’ ibid. Cliff Lansley
On social media he came across as a doting father and a devoted husband. But behind the perfect family image, a secret rage was building, one that would lead to the most horrific crimes imaginable … The all-American dad who killed his pregnant wife and two young daughters. Faking It Special s1e7: Chris Watts
As Watts made his appeals, police delved further into the state of his marriage. ibid.
Watts later told police he’d put all three bodies in his truck then driven them to the oil plant where he worked. ibid.
Once upon a time he was the king of glam rock. Known throughout the land, his quirky rebellious image was used to market everything from tinned soup to breakfast cereals. 26 hit singles, 20 million record sales, a pop icon. Faking It Special s1e8: Gary Glitter
The truth that was hidden for forty years. His embarrassing deceptions exposed. And outright lies examined. ibid.
‘I look at the clip [Clunk Click, 1974] of Gary Glitter and his close friend Jimmy Savile and it makes my flesh crawl … This is a prime-time children’s programme.’ ibid. Kerry Daynes
Behind the scenes Glitter preyed on young fans who bought tickets to see him. ibid.
It was at this store in Bristol where Gary Glitter was arrested after images of child pornography were discovered on a computer he had taken in for repair. ibid. BBC news
Glitter flew ten thousand miles away to the far east, to Cambodia and then Vietnam, immediately prompting suspicions. ibid.
Gary Glitter was found guilty of six charges: attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and having sex with a girl under thirteen, and jailed for sixteen years. ibid.
Jussie Smollet, star of one of America’s biggest TV dramas. Singer, activist, and apparent victim of a violent hate and horrific crime … Was the truth even more disturbing? Faking It Special s1e9: Jussie Smollett
The Hollywood star exposed as a hoaxer. ibid.
From teenage students to Jihadi brides. The world’s most barbaric terror group and a schoolgirl recruit now desperate to come home. As Shimima Begum fights to return to the UK, debate continues to rage. Should we forgive? And can we afford to forget? Faking It Special s1e10: Shamima Begum
‘She is probably lying.’ ibid. Cliff Lansley
‘I don’t think that she is sorry. But she has been through a process of brainwashing. This is what the end result of brainwashing is.’ ibid. Kerry Daynes
‘R Kelly is a predatory rapist with dozens of victims over thirty years.’ Faking It Special s1e11: R Kelly, Jim DeRogatis, DiscoveryPlus 2023
When he makes a claim … I didn’t do it; his body is saying he did. ibid. Cliff Landsley
My God, if this is what he’s like with everyone watching him, with the cameras, what the hell does he do in private? ibid. Kerry Daynes
He’s not even trying to hide his interest in underaged girls. ibid.
R Kelly Sex Cult: Girls Held Against Their Will. ibid. article
He’s trying to play the victim but there’s no genuine emotion. ibid.
A string of federal charges … He was found guilty of all charges. ibid.
First their father was seen as a hero. Then suspicions grew. Faking It Special s1e12: Mick Philpott
Ten seconds in, the performance of fake sadness is on. ibid. Cliff Lansley
We’re ten years on now and yet this case still shocks. How can someone play so fast and loose with their children’s lives? ibid. Kerry Daynes
Mick Philpott arranged a press conference but said no questions would be allowed. ibid.
He never once mentioned those six children. ibid. observer
The child whose murder shamed a nation. And the adults who filled his life with torment. A suburban house of horrors. And a story concocted by a dad and step-mum how dissected frame by frame. Faking It Special s2e1: Labinjo-Hughes, Arthur, Discovery 2023
The shocking death of a young British mother. Her husband’s desperate plea. And his failure of words. A murder that fuelled protests against domestic violence and sparked suspicion against foreigners. Faking It Special s2e2: Caroline Crouch
‘He’s trying to create the impression of sadness by hooking his fingers into the corners of his eyeballs.’ ibid. Cliff Lansley
11 May 2021: Police arrived at the luxury house north of Athens to a devastating scene. In the main bedroom they found the lifeless body of a young woman. Her name Caroline Crouch ibid.
We’re talking Clockwork Orange levels of violence and sadism here. ibid. Kerry Daynes
Caroline was 15 when they met and he was 28. ibid.
How had Babis managed to call the police when he was tied, blindfolded and gagged? ibid. Commentary
He asked for an ambulance … He didn’t know at this point he needed an ambulance. ibid. Dawn
Those diary entries charted the history of their relationship. ibid. Kerry
A spirited young woman documenting a dream road-trip across the USA. Projecting this sunny image of the perfect life. Faking It Special s2e3: The Murder of Gabby Petito
A search across American on the road and online. What happened to Gabby Petito gripped the world. ibid.
Sometimes scratches on a perpetrator is all that you will see when a women has been subject to non-fatal strangulation. ibid. Kerry Daynes
Utah police made the bodycam footage public. ibid.
A beautiful mum bludgeoned to death in her own home. And a supposedly devastated husband with a strange taste for the limelight. Grieving partner or brazen liar? Faking It Special s2e4: Joe O’Reilly
If we look at his hands, he’s reliving the moment where he was actually in the bedroom. ibid. Cliff Lansley
We’ve got all these indicators clustering within about five seconds that make him prime suspect number one. ibid.
The father who killed six of his children and tried to lame someone else. Faking It: Tears of a Crime s1e1: Quy & Philpott, Discovery 2017
A fatal blaze and a bizarre media appearance: the couple who tried to cry for the cameras. ibid.
Derby, May 2012: At four in the morning fire roars through a family’s home. ibid.