Back in 2009 Ventnor girl, Hannah George, was dubbed “Britain’s funniest woman” by The Sun newspaper.
Nine years later and Hannah has since gone on to shine in the world of comedy, picking up awards for her screen-writing skills and releasing her own comedy shorts.
‘Drunk Women Solving Crime’
From next month, Hannah launches a new, true crime podcast series, featuring guests ranging from comedians Katherine Ryan and London Hughes, to indie singer Nerina Pallot and lead vocalist of T’Pau, Carol Decker.
Launching on the Acast platform on 5th September, ‘Drunk Women Solving Crime’ is a weekly comedy series, created and alternately hosted by Hannah, author/comedian Catie Wilkins and comedian/writer Taylor Glenn.
What is it?
The premise of the podcast is an exploration of true crime in a three-part format: exploring a crime the guest has experienced; unravelling an historical crime in a quiz style round; and solving a crime a listener has submitted – all after enough alcohol to take the edge off and sometimes, cause a little slurring.
Producer Amanda Redman, who hails from a 20-year career in radio, says
“We wanted to add a fun twist to the true crime craze, and tapping into the wealth of female talent in the UK plus adding some generously-poured cocktails brings a fresh take to the genre.”
Conceived in a pub
Not surprisingly, the concept for ‘Drunk Women Solving Crime’ was conceived in a pub, where the three co-hosts started brainstorming ways to unravel the twists and turns of true crime cases, while also sharing personal experiences.
Catie says,
“Over drinks we started sharing our own experiences of being victims of crime – and as women, there was plenty to talk about! – then in turns we looked up historical crime cases and started quizzing each other on whether we thought the perpetrator was male or female, where the crime had taken place, what century it had occurred– that sort of thing.
“It was so much fun trying to ‘solve’ the crimes, and it got funnier the more tipsy we became.”
Women biggest consumers of true crime
Taylor, who is originally from the US and a former psychotherapist, says,
“I’d stumbled upon some articles looking at how women are the biggest consumers of true crime, and that scientists were theorising that engaging with real crime stories paradoxically makes us feel more in control.
“There’s definitely something powerful about being allowed to find the humour in our own vulnerability.”
There are always surprises
Hannah adds,
“We knew from the first episode with Katherine Ryan that we were really onto something.
“Each guest brings something different to the table and there are always surprises, be it someone’s outrageous personal story or their secret drunk sleuthing skills.”
Personal crime stories
The personal crime stories have ranged from the time Katherine Ryan was catfished by an inflatophiliac whilst working at Hooters, when Hannah Warman fell asleep in an Uber and was driven around London unconscious and made to pay £70 for the privilege, or Nerina Pallot’s childhood home being stormed by armed police to arrest a lodger suspected of drug trafficking.
Dive right in
Drunk Women Solving Crime aims to target female and male listeners across a wide age range, and its guests reflect this, ranging from Wolfblood star Louisa Burnham-Connolly to Carol Bridgestock of popular crime writing partnership RC Bridgestock, who has over 20 years of police experience, and featuring guests from across the creative industries.
Amanda explains,
“We wanted to feature a diverse range of talented women, from comedians to musicians, writers and radio DJs.
“You never know who’s going to be the best drunk detective.”
Drunk Women Solving Crime is available on Acast and iTunes from 5th September 2018 with a new episode released every Wednesday.
