Filthy Ritual
5.0/5
Critic Rating
This is a story about a scam. But this isn’t any old scam. At the turn of the 21st century, set in one of London's most wealthy suburbs, Hampstead, Juliette D'Souza wreaked havoc on a number of people's lives. She became filthy rich, and one of the most prolific con women in British history. Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, the soulmates behind the hit true crime podcast, Redhanded, are on the case. They speak to the reporters who travelled to Suriname to track Juliette down, one of Britain's leading shamans and the victims who came together in search of justice...
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Jun 18, 2023
"Filthy Ritual is a doozy... kudos to the co-presenters Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, of the podcast RedHanded, for reshaking this money tree to bring listeners an eye-popping tale."
Score: 5
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times • Jun 4, 2023
"Filthy Ritual pulls off the feat of leaving the listener stunned at people’s gullibility while feeling sympathy for those who were conned. While they bring the same sardonic humour and rapport from that series, this feels more rigorous, as they conduct lengthy interviews with the major players. Were Filthy Ritual a work of fiction, you would likely think it too far-fetched. As it is, through Bala and Maguire’s clever storytelling, it is a wonderfully addictive series that delves into themes of class, wealth and coercion and, despite the larky tone, is also underpinned by tragedy. It is, by some distance, the best podcast I’ve heard this year."
Score: 5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • Apr 21, 2023
"...six-part, binge-tastic series.This is a gripping show, excellently produced. Maguire and Bala worked with Novel, the brilliant storytelling audio production company, on Filthy Ritual, and it’s great to hear them move from scripted in-studio narrative out into the real world, to conduct interviews and wander around Hampstead ponds in search of shamanic enlightenment. Recommended."
Score: 5
Hannah Verdier • The Guardian • Apr 20, 2023
"It’s gossipy, intriguing and a cautionary tale of how D’Souza infiltrated polite society and conned it."
