Thrill Seekers, Episode 6: Back to Earth

It's not you — the internet really does suck. Novelist, blogger and noted internet commentator Cory Doctorow explains what happened to the internet and why you're tormented by ads, bots, algorithms, AI slop and so many pop-ups. Spoiler alert: it wasn't an accident.In Understood: Who Broke the Internet, Doctorow gets into the decisions made by powerful people that got us here, and most importantly, how we fix it. More episodes of Who Broke the Internet are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/zfenPs

Joanne is back Canada… she has something she really needs to tell Avril. After months of digging – Joanne has finally tracked down the source of this rumour.SO Avril DEFINITELY didn’t get replaced. That just wasn’t true. Which is great… but it does beg the question, who WAS Melissa?Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Joanne was beginning to come to terms with the fact that this might all be nonsense. She turns her sights on who started this conspiracy. Where did it come from?Joanne speaks to experts in online rumour spreading. She hears some extraordinary stories about how lies have gotten completely out of hand and become widely believed (to devastating effect.) Perhaps whoever started this had no idea it would go viral. We really should think more carefully about what we write on the internet…Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Joanne and her producer Sophie set up a war room with all of the evidence about Avril being replaced layed out. Her clothing, height, make up, song lyrics, voice.. it’s all there – being held up to the light. Joanne lines up some experts to prove once and for all if the Avril story is true.Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Avril’s career hit something of a bump in the road. At one point she appeared to fall off the radar completely, all while the rumours about her being replaced were swirling.Can a fake death story literally kill your career? One man who knows is Dave Benson Phillips. He was a children’s TV presenter, on a path to great things. Until… he died. The TV offers dried up. His theatre tour got canceled. The impact on his life was immense. And Dave’s not the only one. Joanne hears about death rumours for Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus…the list is endless. What can this tell us about the Avril theory?Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Joanne arrives in Napanee, Ontario – Avril’s hometown. She plunges into Avril’s early career. The young superstar-Avril was under a lot of scrutiny and pressure. Was she itching to step out of the spotlight?Plus, Joanne learns body-doubles ARE a thing, and not just in the movies. Joanne chats with celebrity pal Joe Lycett – and he agrees having a body double would get them out of all sorts of engagements they don’t really want to do.Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Joanne LOVES conspiracy theories… and there’s one she can’t get out of her head. Is it true that Avril Lavigne died, and was replaced by a body double? Joanne digs deep into the rumour mill, and the more she reads, the more she finds herself believing it.Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Joanne McNally LOVES conspiracy theories… and there’s one she can’t get out of her head. Is it true that Avril Lavigne died, and was replaced by a body double? Joanne digs deep into the rumour mill, and the more she reads, the more she finds herself believing it. Available wherever you get your podcasts on February 3, 2025.Split Screen: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? is a 6-part series produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC.

Space Cadets: where are they now? We learn how the contestants struggled to adapt to life after the show. We bring them together after 20 years, to finally reflect on how the show permanently warped their beliefs about the world around them.

Four cadets are sent to space and have a profound experience as they view the Earth from above. Back on the ground, producers scramble to find a satisfying end to the series, faced with a growing feeling that the reveal could be traumatic.