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The Guardian launches today (Friday 23 September). ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ a new six-part podcast series exploring the case of Matthew Hardy, a man who for more than a decade stalked women online, wreaking havoc on their lives and the lives of their friends and families.
Hardy’s harassment often started the same way, a fake profile posing as a young woman with a simple message: “Hey man can I tell you a secret?”
The Guardian’s first ever stand-alone true crime podcast series, hosted by Guardian journalist Syrin Cale, examines Hardy’s relentless campaign of fear through exclusive and deeply personal interviews with his victims and people who knew him.
Find out how the story ends – all six podcast episodes are available to listen to from today (23 September) on theguardian.com/audio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and all other podcast apps of choice. Listen to the podcast trailer for a preview.
Sirin Kale, Guardian journalist and podcast host, can I tell you a secret? said:
“I’ve written about the chase my whole career and thought, perhaps naively, that there was very little that could shock me. The Matthew Hardy case is one I’m still struggling to wrap my head around even now. How did Hardy manage to last so long and torture so many people? What motivated him to do it? And most importantly for his victims – is he likely to stop? We explore all these questions and more in Can I Tell You a Secret?
Nicole Jackson, Head of Audio, Guardian News & Media, said:
“Podcasting is an integral part of the Guardian and how we tell our stories. We produce hit shows every day, always experimenting with new ideas and genres. can i tell you a secret is a great example of original Guardian journalism being shared in a new and impactful way. The podcast will tell listeners what happened to some of the women cyber-stalked by Matthew Hardy, the impact it still has on them, as well as trying to understand why Hardy behaved the way he did and whether more could have been done to stop it.”
can i tell you a secret is based on original investigative journalism by Guardian journalist Sirin Kale.
The Guardian has been producing podcasts for over a decade. We are currently one of the UK’s leading podcast producers, with a combined podcast network enjoying millions of listens every month.
Guardian podcast global monthly listening has increased by over 60% over the past two years (February 2020 – March 2022). So far this year, we’ve launched brand new podcasts Weekend and Women’s Football Weekly, a revamp of Politics Weekly UK and Politics Weekly US and a third series of hit show Comfort Eating with Grace Dent.
can i tell you a secret Sirin Kale reports. The series is produced by Lucy Howe and executive produced by Charlotte Pritchard and India Rakusen. Original music and sound design by Axel Kacoutié, Guardian Creative Director of Sound. Commissioning Editor is Nicole Jackson, Head of Audio at the Guardian.
If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this podcast, there are services available to offer advice and support, including Paladin, Protection Against Stalking and the National Stalking Helpline.
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For more information, please contact media.enquiries@theguardian.com.
Notes to the editors
In January 2022, Matthew Hardy pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence and harassment after breaching a restraining order and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Cheshire Police believe it is the “longest sentence ever given for stalking”. Hardy was granted leave to appeal the sentence.
Matthew Hardy is autistic and his defense argued that autism influenced his guilt. This was covered during the series and the Guardian consulted with the National Autistic Society and autism rights group Highland due to sensitivities surrounding portrayals of autistic people in the media. The Guardian is grateful for their input.
About Guardian News & Media
Guardian News & Media (GNM) publishes theguardian.com, one of the world’s leading English-language news websites. Non-UK traffic now accounts for around two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience. In the UK, GNM publishes the Guardian newspaper six days a week, first published in 1821, and the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, The Observer.
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