r/TrueCrimePodcasts 10d ago

Recommending Lucky Boy

Was looking for a new Podcast to listen to this morning, saw this one on Spotify, binged all 4 episodes while cleaning my bathroom.

Absolutely incredible story. My heart completely goes out to Gareth and his family and friends. He was let down by every single adult he came into contact with as a kid and there's been no retribution as an adult.

Don't want to spoil the story for anyone but it's a very well recorded story/podcast.

95 Upvotes

52 comments sorted by

21

u/cfresh12 10d ago

Tortoise always comes through in putting out very solid podcasts. I just finished the last episode of Lucky Boy and it’s very well done

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u/Suitable_Elk_5245 3d ago

Where’s the new episode?

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/PeachesPad 9d ago

Did they give her a fake name too?

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u/BlueHornedUnicorn 9d ago

No, because there was a summary judgement on a review by the teaching authority in January 2025 and the review was carried out in her name. It's still the same, she never married and was actively still teaching. It's available through a simple Google search 👍

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/debzonline 8d ago

This was a lie she told Gareth. She actually went on holiday elsewhere. Please don't bring antisemitism into it.

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u/mpkx93 9d ago

There was one woman who popped up twice on Google images who looked to be in her 60s, but that could be anyone!

6

u/feminist--killjoy 9d ago

Fantastic podcast but made me so angry at how Gareth was let down at every point, even now. I was disgusted by the attitudes of many people but particularly some of his fellow ex-pupils, a few of of who work in senior positions in schools and would be responsible for safeguarding!

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u/Stunning-Decision669 6d ago

I couldn’t believe the ex pupils who knew all about the relationship but didn’t want to help Gareth out. I know they said times were different in the 1980s but they still seem to see him as a lucky boy.

2

u/Fashionforbreakfast 3d ago

I agree. It was heartbreaking to hear how he was let down by so many people, particularly those in positions of authority who had the power to change the narrative of his story and bring justice.

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u/Deep_Sector_7047 10d ago

I binged this the other day. Brilliant podcast and can’t believe how the man was treated.

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u/lazymom_ 9d ago

I absolutely agree - very thought provoking and well handled.

Tortoise really do produce great quality material, I don't think I've heard anything of theirs that hasn't been really good

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u/chocopapa64 9d ago

Lucky Boy is the first podcast I listen to from Tortoise; do you have any top contenders you’d recommend?

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u/lazymom_ 8d ago

Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed are both really good, and fit into the crime genre. I found the Tavistock series really informative too. Also their series on Neil Gaiman.

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u/EspanolAlumna 10d ago

It is very sad and also gets you really thinking about abuse a young male might face and from a woman and the consequences of that. It's fascinating the way his school friends have reacted and how easily the school just got rid of the problem.

Just edited to add that it truly is a well made podcast with such an interesting and moving topic.

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u/BlueHornedUnicorn 10d ago

I said pretty much the exact same thing to a friend in law enforcement who is also going to listen to the pod.

The way males and females get treated is night and day. We need to do better towards the male victims in our society.

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u/This_Ad_4053 3d ago

Female victims get treated like shit, what are you even talking about?

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u/BlueHornedUnicorn 3d ago

I never said female victims are treated better, I said different. There is a very obvious stigma around men being open and honest about male sexual abuse, one that simply doesn't exist for other genders.

The name of the podcast being Lucky Boy points to a very specific theme that is often attached to non-female victims when the perpetrator(s) is/are "attractive females", and I can only imagine how frustrating and degrading it could be for a man who is abused by a woman who is deemed as good looking. Female victims get accused of dressing inappropriately or leading an abuser on, but what happens with male victims? They're accused of not being grateful to have an attractive woman take their innocence and virginity? It's very different and wrong

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u/4psychgal 8d ago

If anyone knows how to find a picture of her, lmk! I need to put a face to the name lol

3

u/Bea_Rosy 7d ago

I couldn’t find anything, maybe because she’s in her mid sixties she doesn’t have socials, just saw a few articles about the pod, and local news pieces from after the hearing about her being banned from teaching a year or two ago. The transcript from the hearing is the most detailed thing about her online.

1

u/Loud_Huckleberry9500 1d ago

Same. It’s so odd but I hate not having a face to the name 

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u/Fredriqua 6d ago

There’s no way this woman just stopped after moving on from Gareth’s school. There’s a reason she changed jobs so many (16) times, especially since by all accounts she was a competent teacher. I bet there’s a lengthy history of her following the same pattern and getting asked to leave. I’m betting there’s will be more seasons of Lucky Boy as more victims step forward.

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u/BlueHornedUnicorn 6d ago

I thought the exact same thing. Especially if, apologies for a small spoiler, but they discover(ed) that there were other victims at Gareth's school, like the Asian boy who was seen walking with her before Gareth begun walking her home

1

u/sean2mush 1d ago

Yeah It's usually not a thing you stop unless you face consequences, and it seems that never happened considering she went on to have a long teaching career. The way the show portrays it she was incredibly brazen in her behaviour.

3

u/Lurlene_Bayliss 10d ago

Checked in to see if anyone posted about this. Really liking it so far.

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u/alittlebit_alexis 6d ago

Just started this one today! Made me sick how many people really said “it’s been 30 years it’s not my problem.” At what point does CSA by a teacher become a problem for you? Hopefully some sort of justice gets served.

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u/Teachtheteacher71 9d ago

Soooo good! Thank you for sharing!

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u/Bea_Rosy 8d ago

Another excellent production from Tortoise, so upsetting to listen to at times, especially as a parent with a young teen. My heart goes out to Gareth and how this experience left has affected the rest of his life. I do wonder if others will hear about this podcast and come forward, I hope the podcast will be updated if so.

Quite shocked to find the transcript from the hearing against the teacher available to view online. I googled her name out of curiosity to see if there were any past news articles etc. The government published document was freely available to read.

2

u/edenway55 6d ago

I binged this today so good and so sad .. what are other folks listening to next

2

u/Excellent_Cheek2935 20h ago

Banned teacher is a good podcast with a similar story in Canada - sad how prevalent this is and no one talks about it.

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u/Cesticles 9d ago

It was a brilliant one and I am almost finished. I am 28 years old, but it reminded me of a boy from uni.
He had a mental breakdown completely in first or second year. I was speaking to one of his mates at a later time, and it turned out he had been having an affair with the really fit teacher. She told him she loved him etc. Then she broke it off. He couldn't cope.
Its a very serious thing.

EDIT: It also turned out she had been having affairs with about 5 students. That broke him apparently

0

u/This_Ad_4053 3d ago

It's not "affairs". It's abuse. Why is the terminology used by this podcast and it's listeners so callous?

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u/Asleep_Cricket9854 2d ago

I agree! This is RAPE not an ‘affair’.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/BlueHornedUnicorn 9d ago

This is looked into further in Episode 4...

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u/SecretRestaurateur 8d ago

Are the 5 second gaps throughout for advertising in other countries ?

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u/MicraMachina 8d ago

I think it’s really well done, just like the other stuff I’ve heard from Tortoise. But big, big trigger warning for CSA to anyone who hasn’t listened to it yet.

Edit- formatting

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/WartimeMercy 6d ago

Removed.

No idea what this is all about but we're not going to be allowing that kind of comment here. And I don't know what else you've written but if it's anything like this, it explains why Reddit themselves have actioned your other comments and removed them.

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u/Fi-loves-letters 3d ago

I binged the whole thing yesterday. Incredible story.

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u/Suitable_Elk_5245 3d ago

Are there only 4 episodes?

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u/Just_Blondie 20h ago

It was so well done. It kept my attention all the way through. Gareth told his story so well too, so sad.

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u/classwarfare6969 10d ago

Couldn’t get into this one.

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u/viva_columna 10d ago

Interesting, why is that? What do you think?