A Very British Cult
4.7/5
Critic Rating
The sinister life coaching company that takes over your life. Catrin Nye investigates. As the story hots up, they fight back, and there's a surreal final showdown.
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Apr 23, 2023
"Over eight pacey, rigorously researched episodes, Catrin Nye tells the jaw-dropping story of Lighthouse International Group...This compelling tale also has a heroine...and exploited victims who share galling, hard-luck accounts of being set against family, financially exploited and even urged to come off their meds by breathtakingly confident but unqualified charlatans. Unlike so many podcasts it culminates in a grippingly satisfying showdown. I relished this show — beautifully scored by Phil Channell — for exposing a more sinister side to “experts” peddling actualisation. …"
Score: 5
Rachel Cunliffe • New Statesman • Apr 19, 2023
"The BBC podcast series A Very British Cult is dark and gripping This deep dive into a supposed life-coaching organisation is an explosive listen. A Very British Cult starts darkly, and gets darker...is full of shocking allegations from beginning to end...what’s most terrifying about Nye’s exposé, co-written with Jamie Bartlett...is how quickly ordinary people with happy, normal lives can get drawn into a world that gradually starts to consume them."
Score: 4
James Marriot • The Times UK • Apr 14, 2023
"A Very British Cult is extra creepy because we can hear all the footage of what happened — every single mad call has been recorded because Waugh believes his teachings must be preserved. Waugh certainly isn’t very positive. On the recordings he comes across as a nasty, coarse character. Lighthouse feeds on our culture’s exultation of capitalism and business."
