The true story of a dolphin sex scandal in the North of England in the early 1990s is the subject of a new Wondery podcast.<\/p>\n
“Hooked on Freddie,” from transatlantic production company Blanchard House, is set to launch on the platform on Sept. 19, with the first three episodes available on that day.<\/p>\n
It tells the story of animal rights activist Alan Cooper, who developed an unusually close friendship with a wild bottlenose dolphin (nicknamed Freddie by locals) when the mammal appeared in Amble Harbour, in Northumberland, in the mid 1980s. <\/p>\n
But after feuding with an animal trainer at a local marine park, Cooper found himself accused of molesting Freddie. By 1991, Cooper was facing criminal charges of sexually assaulting a dolphin — setting off a tabloid storm. It took the jury just an hour to clear him unanimously of the charge, but the unfounded accusation ended up changing the course of Cooper’s life.<\/p>\n
The six-part podcast series is hosted by Becky Milligan (“The Home Babies”), who first covered Freddie’s appearance in the North Sea as a student journalist. Milligan, who once swam with Freddie herself, draws on original interviews from the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as new reporting — including interviews with both Cooper and the animal trainer who first accused him — to tell the tale.<\/p>\n
Laurence Grissell (“The Californian Century”) exec produces the series with additional production by Seren Jones.<\/p>\n
“It’s unbelievable what happened here,” said Rosie Pye, co-founder and creative director at Blanchard House. “Everything about this story will have you hooked! Working with Wondery to bring the show to life has been a real joy. We have four shows out this year, each extraordinary in a different way, and we can’t wait to share them with listeners.”<\/p>\n
Among the shows released by Blanchard House in 2023 are a new true crime series, “Agatha Christie and the Dandelion Poisoner,” from “The Shrink Next Door” host Joe Nocera.<\/p>\n