File on 4 Investigates

BBC Radio 4

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In their own words

News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.

As heard by us

Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026

It turns personal testimony, official procedure and documentary evidence into precise accounts of where public safeguards fail.

File on 4 Investigates starts with a person caught inside an institutional failure, then widens the frame until rules, enforcement and public consequences come into view.

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

An Amsterdam medicine run makes 'just follow the rules' harder for you to say.

Press play if you want

  • to hear why a family risks bringing cannabis home for their child's seizures
  • to see a beauty treatment's sales pitch meet a council prohibition notice
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Best episodes of File on 4 Investigates

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Are white working class girls falling behind?Apr 14, 2026

A careful school story about white working class boys, girls' attendance, and the pressures inside one Oldham academy.

The episode follows a familiar argument about white working class boys, then settles into Royton and Crompton Academy in Oldham, where staff are trying to spot students who need extra help.

Sunshine and Secrets: The hidden side of IVFMar 31, 2026

A fertility investigation that turns a family doubt into a broader question of trust and regulation.

A walk with James opens into a hard, uneasy question about fertility treatment, donor trust, and what happens when an IVF clinic may have got something badly wrong.

Cannabis Kids: The parents breaking the law to help their children with epilepsyJan 14, 2025

A tight account of parents crossing borders to get cannabis-based medicine for a child with severe epilepsy.

The episode tracks parents traveling to Amsterdam and back to get cannabis-based medicine into the UK for their daughter with severe epilepsy.

Cannabis Kids: The parents breaking the law to help their children with epilepsy

A calm, hard report on families pushed into illegality by epilepsy treatment gaps.

This episode tracks parents who say they have been driven to smuggling cannabis-based medicine for a child with severe epilepsy, because the treatment they believe keeps seizures under control sits outside the law.

The dangers within the cosmetic beauty industry

A hard look at cosmetic treatment risk, weak oversight, and the cost when warnings arrive too late.

An unsettling case study in how a fast-growing cosmetic treatment can outrun the people meant to police it. This episode follows the spread of liquid Brazilian butt lift procedures and then stays with the death of Alice Webb, asking plain questions about training, consent, and…

Podcasts like File on 4 Investigates

Episodes

  1. 1

    Abortion on Trial: The Nicola Packer Story

    ·38m
  2. 2

    The battle for hearts and lungs: Transplants in trouble.

    ·38m
  3. 3

    Fight on the Right: The MAGA Civil War

    ·38m
  4. 4

    Bogus self-employment - who pays the price?

    ·37m
  5. 5

    No CCTV: When train attacks go unrecorded

    ·38m
  6. 6

    Can boxing look after its own?

    ·37m
  7. 7

    Is the answer to the NHS bed crisis virtual?

    ·38m
  8. 8

    Missing Billions

    ·37m
  9. 9

    I accused a policeman of rape but I ended up on trial

    ·38m
  10. 10

    Thin on Information? Hair loss drug Finasteride

    ·38m
  11. 11

    No Win No Fee... No thanks?

    ·38m
  12. 12

    Can cash grants help end homelessness?

    ·38m
  13. 13

    Firefighting's forever chemical legacy

    ·38m
  14. 14

    An unholy row over bishop accused of bullying.

    ·38m
  15. 15

    Multi-Cancer Testing - Hype or Hope?

    ·38m
  16. 16

    The IT bug that's caused chaos in the courts

    ·38m
  17. 17

    Chemsex: Hidden Pleasures, Hidden Harms

    ·38m
  18. 18

    High Stakes: Gambling in the armed forces

    ·37m
  19. 19

    Abused for Our Food

    ·37m
  20. 20

    Youth Justice: The project keeping young offenders out of custody

    ·38m
  21. 21

    Swiped. Inside London's phone theft epidemic

    ·37m
  22. 22

    Inside the Migrant Hotel

    ·38m
  23. 23

    A Prison Inspector Calls

    ·37m
  24. 24

    Sex Offenders: The Long Way Back

    ·37m
  25. 25

    Domestic Abuse: Beyond the Checklist

    ·38m
  26. 26

    Rivers of Lead

    ·37m
  27. 27

    My Faulty Knee Replacement

    ·38m
  28. 28

    Trip Shocked

    ·37m
  29. 29

    We Are Not a Conspiracy School

    ·38m
  30. 30

    Car finance

    ·38m
  31. 31

    The Invincible TikTok Gurus

    ·38m
  32. 32

    File on 4 Investigates: Stalker in the Church

    ·38m
  33. 33

    Adult Gaming Centres

    ·38m
  34. 34

    The Ketamine Trail

    ·37m
  35. 35

    The Carbon Offset Trap

    ·37m
  36. 36

    Introducing Shadow World: The Smuggler

    ·4m
  37. 37

    Sunshine and Secrets: The hidden side of IVF

    ·37m
  38. 38

    Chemical Control: Drugged and Raped by My Husband

    ·37m
  39. 39

    Anatomy of a Firetrap

    ·37m
  40. 40

    Hell and High Water: Are we ready for the floods?

    ·39m
  41. 41

    What’s Happening to Your Vet Bills?

    ·39m
  42. 42

    The Tyre Scandal

    ·43m
  43. 43

    Femicide

    ·42m
  44. 44

    Locked up: Woman held in mental health facility for 45 years

    ·38m
  45. 45

    Generation K: Kids on Ketamine

    ·43m
  46. 46

    Abramovich, the Yachts and the Tax Dodge

    ·43m
  47. 47

    Bad Medicine: Inside the hospital trust at centre of a police investigation

    ·43m
  48. 48

    Escaping Anna

    ·37m
  49. 49

    The abuse survivors calling on archbishop of York to resign

    ·42m
  50. 50

    The International Student Scandal

    ·43m
  51. 51

    The Asylum Business

    ·43m
  52. 52

    The Labour Market: Women who have babies outside the NHS

    ·43m
  53. 53

    The rise in prison recalls

    ·38m
  54. 54

    Lucy Letby: The Killer Questions

    ·38m
  55. 55

    After the Riots

    ·38m
  56. 56

    Invisible Souls

    ·42m
  57. 57

    The Priest and the Pay-off

    ·43m
  58. 58

    Something in the Water: The Secrets of Camp Lejeune

    ·43m
  59. 59

    The Child Rescue Con

    ·43m
  60. 60

    Ghost Houses

    ·43m
  61. 61

    On Trial: Protestors versus the Law

    ·43m
  62. 62

    The Final Battle: Veterans fighting for compensation

    ·42m
  63. 63

    Sick of Waiting: The children struggling to get operations on the NHS

    ·42m
  64. 64

    Detained and Restrained: Britain's Vulnerable Kids

    ·43m
  65. 65

    Long Covid: Mind Over Matter?

    ·38m
  66. 66

    Teams and Regimes: Sportswashing in Football

    ·38m
  67. 67

    Caught on Camera: The special school staff who abused kids

    ·37m
  68. 68

    Lasting Legacy: What went wrong at a Hull funeral home?

    ·37m
  69. 69

    Slimming Groups and Eating Disorders

    ·42m
  70. 70

    Degraded by Deepfakes

    ·43m
  71. 71

    No Place to Call Home

    ·38m
  72. 72

    Investigating Employee Assistance Programmes

    ·37m
  73. 73

    The Trouble with Parenting

    ·38m
  74. 74

    A Coal Town Mystery

    ·37m
  75. 75

    When Abortion is a Crime

    ·37m
  76. 76

    A Plan to Kill - The Murder of Brianna Ghey

    ·37m
  77. 77

    Ireland's Far Right Riot

    ·38m
  78. 78

    Bailiffs Behaving Badly

    ·38m
  79. 79

    Lethal Weapons: The Blank-Firing Guns Converted to Kill

    ·37m
  80. 80

    Second Class Citizens: The Post Office IT Scandal

    ·37m
  81. 81

    Doctor of Deception

    ·37m
  82. 82

    The Murder of Brianna Ghey - A File On 4 special

    ·35m
  83. 83

    Uninsurable Planet

    ·38m
  84. 84

    Shoplifting and organised crime

    ·38m
  85. 85

    Whistling in the Wind: The NHS doctors sacked after raising concerns

    ·38m
  86. 86

    Artificial Intelligence: The Criminal Threat

    ·38m
  87. 87

    Lost in Translation

    ·37m
  88. 88

    Disability and the Adult Industry

    ·38m
  89. 89

    The Anatomy of a Fraud

    ·38m
  90. 90

    Wilko Town

    ·38m
  91. 91

    Bankrupt Birmingham

    ·37m
  92. 92

    Security Threat: Sham training courses risk public safety

    ·37m
  93. 93

    The Great Replacement

    ·37m
  94. 94

    The Dark Side of Ballet

    ·37m
  95. 95

    The Crooked House

    ·37m
  96. 96

    Hospital abuse caught on camera

    A documentary investigation into a father's repeated journeys to the psychiatric hospital where his son was a patient.

    ·37m
  97. 97

    Adoption: The Blame Game

    An investigative documentary exploring the crisis faced by adoptive parents and the legal helpline that supports them.

    ·38m
  98. 98

    Gig Economy: The Ticketing Business

    An investigation into the Oasis reunion ticket sale, focusing on dynamic pricing and touting that left fans paying inflated prices.

    ·43m
  99. 99

    The dangers within the cosmetic beauty industry

    Hidden gem

    This episode looks at the rise of liquid Brazilian butt lift procedures and the risks tucked inside their polished marketing.

    ·43m·2 clips
  100. 100

    Cannabis Kids: The parents breaking the law to help their children with epilepsy

    Hidden gem

    The programme begins at Luton Airport.

    ·43m·2 clips
  101. 101

    Are white working class girls falling behind?

    Hidden gem

    The episode starts by asking whether the debate has stayed too long on white working class boys.

    Apr 14, 2026·37m·2 clips
  102. 102

    Sunshine and Secrets: The hidden side of IVF

    Hidden gem

    Anna Collinson starts with James, a boy born through IVF to a same-sex couple using an anonymous sperm donor.

    Mar 31, 2026·37m·2 clips
  103. 103

    The battle for hearts and lungs: Transplants in trouble.

    A documentary episode following a lung transplant surgery, detailing the procedure and the patient's journey.

    Mar 24, 2026·38m
  104. 104

    Fight on the Right: The MAGA Civil War

    This episode analyzes President Trump's return to power and his promises to slash government, impose tariffs, deport migrants, and expose the deep state.

    Mar 10, 2026·38m
  105. 105

    Bogus self-employment - who pays the price?

    An investigation into workers being wrongly classified as self-employed, exposing a legal loophole affecting thousands on government contracts.

    Mar 3, 2026·37m
  106. 106

    No CCTV: When train attacks go unrecorded

    Feb 24, 2026·38m
  107. 107

    Can boxing look after its own?

    Feb 17, 2026·37m
  108. 108

    Is the answer to the NHS bed crisis virtual?

    Feb 10, 2026·38m
  109. 109

    Missing Billions

    Feb 5, 2026·37m
  110. 110

    I accused a policeman of rape but I ended up on trial

    Jan 27, 2026·38m
  111. 111

    Thin on Information? Hair loss drug Finasteride

    Jan 20, 2026·38m
  112. 112

    No Win No Fee... No thanks?

    Jan 13, 2026·38m
  113. 113

    Can cash grants help end homelessness?

    Dec 30, 2025·38m
  114. 114

    Firefighting's forever chemical legacy

    Dec 16, 2025·38m
  115. 115

    An unholy row over bishop accused of bullying.

    Dec 9, 2025·38m
  116. 116

    Adoption: The Blame Game

    Nov 28, 2025·38m
  117. 117

    Multi-Cancer Testing - Hype or Hope?

    Nov 25, 2025·38m
  118. 118

    The IT bug that's caused chaos in the courts

    Nov 11, 2025·38m
  119. 119

    Chemsex: Hidden Pleasures, Hidden Harms

    Nov 4, 2025·38m
  120. 120

    High Stakes: Gambling in the armed forces

    Oct 28, 2025·37m
  121. 121

    Abused for Our Food

    Oct 22, 2025·37m
  122. 122

    Youth Justice: The project keeping young offenders out of custody

    Oct 7, 2025·38m
  123. 123

    Swiped. Inside London's phone theft epidemic

    Sep 30, 2025·37m
  124. 124

    Inside the Migrant Hotel

    Sep 22, 2025·38m
  125. 125

    A Prison Inspector Calls

    Sep 16, 2025·37m
  126. 126

    Sex Offenders: The Long Way Back

    Sep 2, 2025·37m
  127. 127

    Domestic Abuse: Beyond the Checklist

    Aug 26, 2025·38m
  128. 128

    Rivers of Lead

    Aug 19, 2025·37m
  129. 129

    My Faulty Knee Replacement

    Aug 12, 2025·38m
  130. 130

    Trip Shocked

    Aug 5, 2025·37m
  131. 131

    We Are Not a Conspiracy School

    Jul 29, 2025·38m
  132. 132

    Hospital abuse caught on camera

    Jul 15, 2025·37m
  133. 133

    Car finance

    Jul 8, 2025·38m
  134. 134

    The Invincible TikTok Gurus

    Jun 30, 2025·38m
  135. 135

    File on 4 Investigates: Stalker in the Church

    Jun 29, 2025·38m
  136. 136

    Adult Gaming Centres

    Jun 17, 2025·38m
  137. 137

    The Ketamine Trail

    Jun 10, 2025·37m
  138. 138

    Introducing Shadow World: The Smuggler

    Jun 3, 2025·4m
  139. 139

    The Carbon Offset Trap

    Jun 3, 2025·37m
  140. 140

    Abortion on Trial: The Nicola Packer Story

    May 27, 2025·38m
  141. 141

    Chemical Control: Drugged and Raped by My Husband

    May 13, 2025·37m
  142. 142

    Anatomy of a Firetrap

    May 6, 2025·37m
  143. 143

    Hell and High Water: Are we ready for the floods?

    Apr 29, 2025·39m
  144. 144

    What’s Happening to Your Vet Bills?

    Apr 15, 2025·39m
  145. 145

    The Tyre Scandal

    Mar 25, 2025·43m
  146. 146

    Femicide

    Mar 11, 2025·42m
  147. 147

    Locked up: Woman held in mental health facility for 45 years

    Mar 4, 2025·38m
  148. 148

    Generation K: Kids on Ketamine

    Feb 25, 2025·43m
  149. 149

    Abramovich, the Yachts and the Tax Dodge

    Jan 28, 2025·43m
  150. 150

    Cannabis Kids: The parents breaking the law to help their children with epilepsy

    Hidden gem

    Elaine Gennard and Graham Levy travel from Luton to Amsterdam to buy cannabis based medicine for their daughter Fallon, who has severe epilepsy.

    Jan 14, 2025·43m·2 clips