New podcast for Joanne McNally

Investigating the scandal of... Furbys!

Joanne McNally has turned investigative journalist for a new BBC podcast looking in to the scandal of.. Furbys.

The comedian, who admits she loves conspiracy theories, will be looking into rumours that the 1990s curly toy, which interacted with children, was in fact a listening device which posted a threat to the world order.

McNally previously hosted a four-part BBC podcast on the Avril Lavigne Replacement Theory – rumours that the Canadian singer died in 2003 and was replaced with a body double – as well as hosting the hit podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me with Vogue Williams.

She said: ‘Top up your glass of Pinot and get ready, because I’m back! I’ve moved on from Avril Lavigne – there’s a bigger mystery in town. This time I’m investigating a story of global espionage, life and death, and cuddly toys.

Furby ‘The Furby we all know and love was actually accused of being an international spy. They were barred from airplanes, removed from hospitals, and banned from US classified buildings.

‘Fear not people, I will leave no stone unturned in my pursuit of justice! This spying scandal goes right to the top, so that’s where I’m going."

The first two episodes of this six-part podcast series will land on BBC Sounds on Wednesday next week with a new episode following each week.

During the show she puts a call in to the US Pentagon and takes a trip to Menwith Hill - the UK's secretive listening station in North Yorkshire. She'll track down Furby collectors and people with some personal anecdotes of what their Furbys could do, and meets a real-life spy.

As the investigation evolves, the Irish comic asks what other devices might be spying on her – her phone, her smart speaker and TikTok? She'll also unearth some stories of how global listening has caught out infidelity, exposed wrongdoing and solved a murder.

She will be joined by comedy friends including Joe Lycett, Roisin Conaty and her sidekick Gearóid Farrelly.

Joanne McNally Investigates Did Furbys Spy on Us? is a What’s The Story Sounds production. It was commissioned by Louise Kattenhorn for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

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Published: 3 Sep 2024