Extraordinary Stories

Feb 19 2025 45 ep. 32 mins 207

Extraordinary Stories Podcast artwork

Immerse yourself in a different world, every week, as host Emma Gillespie and guests dig deeper into the truth and tragedy of some of the world’s most remarkable women. From Ita Buttrose to Charlotte Dawson to Amanda Bynes.....Extraordinary lives, told by extraordinary people. Welcome to Extraordinary Stories.

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"What REALLY Happened When I Confronted Belle Gibson"

Feb 19 2025 52 mins

In 2015, Australian con woman Belle Gibson was living the dream. Her app The Whole Pantry was hugely popular and she was about to launch a book of the same name. With hundreds of thousands of followers online, Belle had become a celebrated wellness influencer who'd overcome terminal cancer and had cured herself with healthy eating and holistic therapies. But it was all a

The True Story Behind Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar

Feb 05 2025 32 mins

Belle Gibson fooled not only her hundreds of thousands of followers, but the most prestigious book publishers in Australia, the tech giants of silicon valley and even her family and friends into believing she was something she was not: sick. If today, her name is synonymous with the weighty infamy of a notorious scam, there was a time before that, when she was celebrated as an insp

‘I Told You I Was Trouble’: The Amy Winehouse Story (Part 3)

May 26 2022 34 mins

[Part 3 of 3] A month before Amy Winehouse’s death, her performance at a music festival in Serbia was resoundly panned. She was intoxicated for the whole world to see, but the silver lining of what would be labelled 'the worst gig of her career' meant she didn’t have to go on tour. It meant Amy, and those who loved her, had their hopes pinned on a chance for Amy to get better a

‘I Told You I Was Trouble’: The Amy Winehouse Story (Part 2)

May 19 2022 29 mins

[Part 2 of 3] After a celebrated album with her debut, Frank, and with that distinct voice and sound, Amy Winehouse got very famous, very fast. Everyone wanted a second album, but Amy had entered a whole new world. On this episode, we’ll hear how Amy’s very private struggles with mental health and addiction became headlines for a relentless tabloid culture. And, in one of the m

‘I Told You I Was Trouble’: The Amy Winehouse Story (Part 1)

May 12 2022 28 mins

[Part 1 of 3] You can recognise it in an instant, that iconic voice and a candid style of songwriting beyond her years. The sound of Amy Winehouse was a sound unheard of since the days of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. But the name ‘Amy Winehouse’ seems to be as synonymous with talent as it is tragedy. On this season we’ll dive deep into the life of Amy. From her rise to fam

The Disappearance Of Peng Shuai (Part 3): But Will She Ever Be Free?

May 05 2022 34 mins

[Part 3 of 3] In the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the world began to wonder how and if Peng Shuai would be used in the games, and whether the IOC was going to have anything to say to the Chinese Government about their silencing of the tennis star. So how did the Chinese propaganda juggernaut shift its attention to the global sporting stage? And what happens when the inte

The Disappearance Of Peng Shuai (Part 2): Proof Of Life

Apr 28 2022 29 mins

[Part 2 of 3] For three long weeks in November 2021, the tennis community, news organisations, and human rights advocates the world over had one question; Where Is Peng Shuai? In the aftermath of a Weibo post detailing allegations of sexual assault against one of China’s top political figures, concerns for Peng Shuai's freedom were escalating swiftly. Then suddenly, proof of life

The Disappearance Of Peng Shuai (Part 1): The Tennis Star Who Vanished

Apr 21 2022 27 mins

[Part 1 of 3] It was after 10 pm, on November 2nd, 2021 when 35-year-old Peng Shuai - China’s beloved global tennis star - sat down and began typing. Truncated sentences of an open letter, detailing an affair and sexual assault involving one of China’s highest-ranking political figures. It took only a few minutes before the post had amassed thousands of shares, likes, and comme

What Happened To Amanda Bynes? (Part 2)

Apr 11 2022 37 mins

[Part 2 of 2] From 2013 until just a few weeks ago, Amanda’s Bynes life was controlled by a conservatorship, governed primarily by her mum, Lynn. In the wake of Britney Spears’ bombshell revelations about her own conservatorship, the #freebritney movement turned its attention to Amanda. Knowing what we now know about conservatorships and how they can be manipulated, why did it

What Happened To Amanda Bynes? (Part 1)

Apr 11 2022 39 mins

[Part 1 of 2] She was the queen of Nickelodeon, beloved by teens of the noughties. But just as her movie career was taking off, something happened to Amanda Bynes. In this two-part series, we’re looking back on the life and career of Amanda Bynes before, during and after things got out of control.We’ll dive into the paparazzi culture that hounded and taunted young Hollywood sta