What It Was Like

I Was Missing for 33 Years

28K views · 8h ago · 17:17

ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE What It Was Like is a weekly podcast where real people tell the stories of the most extraordinary moments of their lives, in their own words. Survival, crime, mystery and the moments that changed everything. New stories every week.

Topics: A happy adoption, but no medical history · The news story that sent him to · "Hawaii, male, missing 33 years" · The photo that looked just like him · "Who does this look like?" · Calling the police about his own disappearance

My Manic Life as a Bipolar Art Forger | What It Was Like

2.3K views · 4d ago · 1:03:30

In 1980s New York, Andy Behrman was an art dealer forging his clients’ paintings. He was also living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, which he believes fueled his criminality and eventually landed him in prison. On this ep, Andy talks about his eternal hunger for more and how mania both enhanced and ruined his life.

📚 Book mentioned: Buy the book

I Spent 20 Years Catching Art Thieves (Preview) | What It Was Like

748 views · 4d ago · 13:37

Hosted on Acast. See ( for more information.

📚 Books mentioned: Buy the book · Buy the book

Years Later, I Discovered the Truth About My Abduction | What It Was Like

7.1K views · 1w ago · 1:13:04

In 1983, 11-year-old Kristine Conyers was abducted at gunpoint by a serial killer. She survived, but those four hours changed her life. It’s a story about the ripple effect on her family, and how she realised the crime was premeditated in ways she didn’t understand as a child. Kristine tells us how she’s lived with the trauma, and why the Me Too movement and the Cornell University rape case has emboldened her to come forward. Hosted on Acast. See ( for more information.

I've Spent Decades Helping Abused Children Heal (Preview) | What It Was Like

1.5K views · 1w ago · 10:20

This show often features people who’ve survived unimaginable horrors as kids, which begs the question: how do people move on? In this episode preview we put this question to Al Killen-Harvey, a clinical social worker who has spent decades helping abused and neglected children rebuild their lives. We talk trauma healing, how he carries his clients’ stories, and why he’s optimistic about the future. Learn more about Al’s organisation: The Harvey Institute (

I Was Held Captive in This House for 11 Years | What It Was Like

768K views · 1w ago · 22:35

Michelle Knight (also known as Lily Rose Lee) was 21 when she accepted a ride from her friend’s father. She was 32 when she finally escaped his house, along with two other women. In this episode, Michelle recounts what 11 years in captivity did to her body and mind, how she survived, and what she learned about resilience.

Topics: Held captive for 11 years · A ride from a friend's father · "You're going the wrong way" · "You'll never see home again" · Chained to the wall for two months · Locked in the basement

When the Captain Abandoned Ship, the Musicians Took Charge | What It Was Like

2.3K views · 2w ago · 1:13:15

In 1991, cruise ship performers Moss and Tracy Hills found themselves on a sinking ship. As the MTS Oceanos floundered, passengers waited for the crew to take charge. Finally, Moss and Tracy stepped in, and ultimately rescued over 500 passengers. On this ep, Moss tells the story of becoming an accidental hero. Hosted on Acast. See ( for more information.

I Got Stuck on a Cruise Ship When COVID Hit (Preview) | What It Was Like

1.6K views · 2w ago · 8:30

Hosted on Acast. See ( for more information.

The Strange Story of Tasmania’s Ninja Cult | What It Was Like

2.8K views · 3w ago · 56:29

Through the 1990s, a group of men in Australia’s southernmost state began training as ninjas. It was a kind of proto-manosphere that slowly became part cult, part domestic terrorist cell. They stole explosives, stockpiled guns, and plotted to kidnap local businessmen, until their leader was murdered in 1997. On this ep, Journalist Claire Sullivan walks us through this bizarre and forgotten saga.

How Cults Take Over Your Mind And How to Escape (Preview) | What It Was Like

1.4K views · 3w ago · 10:19

Guest: Ingo Michehl

Get in touch with Ingo at Balance With Ingo ( Hosted on Acast. See ( for more information.

My Stalker Locked Me in a Bunker | What It Was Like

310K views · 3w ago · 26:19

In 2022, Samantha Stites was abducted by Christopher Thomas, a man who had been stalking her for more than a decade and had secretly built a soundproof bunker to hold her. Samantha, a social worker and therapist, had one way out: talk him into letting her go.

Topics: Kidnapped by my stalker · Meeting him at a college Christian group · Roses, a love poem and being followed · He shows up again · He finds me in my hometown · Getting a 6-year protective order