Pod Insights British Scandal April Ashley | Becoming April | 1 About this episode A pioneering trans woman's fight for recognition begins in 1960s Britain. April Ashley has broken free of her childhood as a boy in the Liverpool slums to become a stunning fashion model through groundbreaking surgery in Marrakesh. She's young and beautiful, and she's caught the eye of aristocrat Arthur Corbett. But her secret - that she was born a boy - is about to blow up, triggering a scandal that will shape transgender rights for the next half century.
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0:00 Alice Levine? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Just a warning before we begin. Some of the terms you'll hear in this episode were in common usage at the time the story takes place. We've used them because they're in keeping with how our main character self-described, but we acknowledge that they could be considered outdated today.
0:27 Matt Forde? Hi, Alice.
0:29 Alice Levine? You all right?
0:30 Matt Forde? Hmm, I've just been doing a lot of thinking about my life, about my career.
0:33 Alice Levine? Oh, that's big.
0:34 Matt Forde? Yeah, I think I'm kind of done with comedy and podcasts.
0:37 Alice Levine? What?
0:38 Matt Forde? I, I want to be an actor.
0:41 Alice Levine? A thesp?
0:41 Matt Forde? A proper thesp.
0:42 Alice Levine? Okay, that is a bit of a 180, but I mean, sure. You know, like, you have to have range for that.
0:49 Matt Forde? Yeah, I've got range. I can prove it.
0:52 Alice Levine? Okay, fine, let's try this. I want you to be a disillusioned army major who's returning home from the front.
0:58 Matt Forde? I mean, I fought for this country. I believed in it. But look what's happened now. Was it worth it? My god.
1:05 Alice Levine? Okay, that was moving. What about a young widower who's come into some money?
1:13 Matt Forde? I'll miss her so much. I just want her back.
1:18 Matt Forde? But the money will help, I suppose. Maybe in a few years I could meet someone else and get a bigger house.
1:22 Alice Levine? I just feel like there's so much behind that. I can tell you've done the work. That's incredible. And what about a debutante catching the eye of a soon-to-be lover?
1:30 Matt Forde? Oh, hello. Aren't you... something? I like to put lots of pauses in.
1:36 Alice Levine? No, I can see that.
1:37 Matt Forde? Dramatic pauses.
1:38 Alice Levine? Your signature style, I suppose. I mean, I was ready to tear you down, but that was actually amazing. And I've obviously seen you do stand-up and see you do Scandal, so I really, really think you should quit your day job.
1:51 Matt Forde? You seem a bit eager.
1:52 Alice Levine? Definitely. Do it now.
2:02 Alice Levine? March 1970, Forestmere, Hampshire. Thirty-five-year-old April Ashley walks up to the horses in the paddock, holds out some pieces of apple, and glances nervously around her. She's only been at this health farm for a few days, but it already feels like a mistake. No one's spoken to her since she got here.
2:23 Matt Forde? They are horses.
2:26 Alice Levine? What does she expect? People won't even look her in the eye, but that's not what bothers her. Right now, she's terrified someone will tip off the press that she's here. She pulls her shawl around herself. She's lost two and a half stone in the last few months. She hasn't felt as weak as this since she was a child, in hospital with malnutrition.
2:49 Alice Levine? She makes her way to the dining room, sits alone at a remote table, lets her eyes flick around to see if anyone's watching her, starts to pick at her food, but she has no appetite. She's about to leave when she hears a man's voice behind her. April! Her body tenses. April Ashley! She turns and stares at a large man with his belly hanging over his belt. If he's a reporter, there's no notebook, no camera. She braces herself anyway for a barrage of questions, but he snarls at her, a look of disgust on his face.
3:28 Alice Levine? Bloody freak! Why don't you get back into some trousers? She freezes in the sudden silence, forces a sardonic smile. Why don't you just concentrate on fitting into your own? He slams down a newspaper in front of her, then storms off, muttering under his breath. She picks it up, looks at the headline. The sex-change gold digger and the aristocrat. She looks at the photo of herself underneath and starts to shake. Moments later, she's back in her room. She sits on the bed, stares at the newspaper,
4:05 Alice Levine? then tears it up and throws it in the bin, clicks on the radio for some distraction. It must be like waking up and finding out you've married April Ashley!
4:18 Alice Levine? She clicks off, lies on her bed and curls into a ball. She's spent her whole life running away from ridicule, building a life where she could be accepted, admired even. And now here she is, the most hated woman in the tabloids, the punchline of the joke, alone and in hiding. She closes her eyes, sees a brief image of herself as a small child, surrounded by angry faces. "Look at ya, what are ya, freak?" She opens a drawer, reaches for the vodka she smuggled in. Her eyes fall on a bottle of antidepressants. She picks them up, tips some into her palm.
4:59 Alice Levine? After everything she's been through, the bitter fights and court battles, the constant glare of the press, she needs some peace. She catches sight of her gaunt face in the mirror, her eyes wide with fear. She's spent her whole life becoming April Ashley, and right now, she has to decide. Is this really how it ends?
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6:19 Alice Levine? From Wondry, I'm Alice Levine.
6:21 Matt Forde? And I'm Matt Ford.
6:22 Alice Levine? And this is British Scandal, the show where we bring you the murkier stories that ever happened on these odd little isles.
6:29 Matt Forde? British scandals come in many shapes and sizes. Some are about money, some are about sex, they're all about power.
6:35 Alice Levine? But when we look at scandals a bit closer, they turn out to be stranger, wilder, just plain weirder than we remember.
6:42 Matt Forde? So we're journeying back to ask who's to blame for what happened.
6:45 Alice Levine? And when the dust settled, did anything really change?
6:59 Alice Levine? With all due respect, Matt, I have decided that things are a bit bloody shabby around here. It's time for us to smarten up, project an air of sophistication, a little je ne sais quoi.
7:09 Matt Forde? Is this about my football shirts again? Because I stopped wearing them.
7:11 Alice Levine? This is what I'm talking about, wearing them. If we'd just worked on your diction a little, swap your kind of tenet super for a champagne flute, I think we could be a bit classier, regal even, dare I say.
7:22 Matt Forde? Yeah, but it's just not who we are. I mean, I grew up in a inner-city council estate, you're not exactly posh.
7:28 Alice Levine? Wow, okay. I suppose what I'm saying is you just need to take a leaf out of our next protagonist's book. She was born a boy in a Liverpool slum, and she went on to become a top model at the heart of the high society scene in Paris, Marbella, London. She was the epitome of elegance. When I say that, she had that kind of old Hollywood glamour, a knockout beauty, a kind of Audrey Hepburn meets Elizabeth Taylor, and her name was April Ashley.
7:53 Matt Forde? Okay, I know I'm not exactly Mr Fashion, but I have to admit, I haven't heard of her.
7:58 Alice Levine? I appreciate your frankness. Neither had I, until our listener, Kim Erin Cowley, hi, Kim, wrote in to tell us about her excellent suggestion, if you have one, [email protected] . We absolutely should have heard of her, though, because this series is going to blow your mind. April was a pioneer, someone who had gender reassignment surgery way back in 1960, and a woman who truly lived on her own terms.
8:24 Matt Forde? Okay, so where's the scandal?
8:26 Alice Levine? Well spotted. Well, like so many women before her, she had atrocious taste in men. And when she left one of them, he set out to ruin her in the divorce courts. It became this huge scandal, and actually, the outcome had all of these unforeseen consequences. It set the stage for a question that we're still discussing today. The question of what is a woman?
8:47 Matt Forde? This sounds brilliant. I'm in.
8:49 Alice Levine? Contractually, yes, you are. This is episode one, Becoming a April.
8:56 Alice Levine? Thirteen years earlier, November 1957, Paris. Twenty-two-year-old April checks the address in her hand as she hurries along the dimly-lit street. She can't quite believe she's escaped London. It's been a hideous few years. Between her abusive family and a horrendous spell in the navy, not to mention electroconvulsive therapy to cure her condition. It's a miracle she's still alive, let alone here.
9:25 Alice Levine? But she's on her way to a cabaret club, where she's been promised transsexuals aren't only accepted, but revered. She knows if she's really going to make it, she needs this job. And to get that, she needs to look her best. She smooths down her satin slip, tucks a lock of dark glossy hair behind her ear, checks her delicate features in her compact, and pushes open the door to Le Carousel. Inside, the air's thick with expensive perfume and cigar smoke. She's never seen so many diamonds and furs. It's like another world.
10:04 Alice Levine? Mesdames et messieurs, je vous présente Coxinelle! She stares, open-mouthed, as a voluptuous blond woman in a feather headpiece and a diamond-encrusted basque poses dramatically to the music. She's transfixed. She's used to be wigged and painted dames in London. But Coxinelle is more than she could ever have imagined. She's never seen a more beautiful woman.
10:34 Alice Levine? As soon as the gold lame curtain comes down, she pushes her way backstage. She wants to find Coxinelle, tell her how brilliant she was. Madame? A small, stocky man stands in front of her. He takes the cigar from his mouth. This area is private.
10:51 Speaker 04 Performers only.
10:53 Alice Levine? Her heart thuds as Coxenel sweeps past her, disappears into a dressing room. April takes a breath, steps forward.
11:01 Speaker 04 Good, I didn't come here to spectate.
11:05 Alice Levine? April fixes her eyes on the man's beady face as he stares back in confusion.
11:10 Speaker 04 I want to perform onstage.
11:14 Alice Levine? Her throat tightens as he takes a drag of his cigar.
11:17 Speaker 04 Can you sing, dance?
11:21 Alice Levine? She blinks down. She can't do either, but she looks back at him, tips out her chin.
11:28 Speaker 04 I always let the audience decide that.
11:32 Matt Forde? Is that a no?
11:33 Alice Levine? I'm gonna push you for an answer.
11:35 Matt Forde? I don't think it's my place to say. Why don't you decide?
11:41 Alice Levine? Her blood beats against her eardrums as his eyes narrow and a thin smile forms. He looks down at her breasts.
11:50 Speaker 04 Are they real?
11:51 Matt Forde? I let the audience decide.
11:54 Alice Levine? April started developing breasts in her teens. Everyone called her George back then. Her family were horrified. She tries to silence her mother's voice in her head.
12:05 Speaker 04 Boys don't grow tits. It's not natural.
12:09 Matt Forde? Hang on, so born George but actually did naturally develop breasts?
12:15 Alice Levine? Yes, so April, George then, didn't go through the expected stages of male puberty. She didn't develop facial hair. She sort of learnt how to make her voice sound like it had broken and was deeper, but that never happened naturally. And yes, she developed breasts.
12:33 Alice Levine? April starts to instinctively cover them up, then stops. Instead, steps forward, proud.
12:41 Speaker 04 Yes, some of us just win the genetic lottery. Tomorrow, twelve noon. Come back here, I will give you a try.
12:51 Alice Levine? She stares at the posters on the wall, at the acts in their feather boas and high heels. It's a world away from the dark, dingy Liverpool docks where she grew up. But in her gut, she knows, this is where she belongs. All she has to do now is impress Monsieur Laskin. And then she can shine as one of Le Carrousel's girls, just like Coxenel.
13:22 Alice Levine? A few days later, Le Carrousel. April stands in the wings, smooths down the long black gown she'd borrowed from one of the other girls. It's her first night in front of an audience, and she needs it to go well. She takes a deep breath, as Bambi, a wasp-waisted blonde, curtsies to the audience, then runs towards her.
13:44 Speaker 04 Good luck, April.
13:46 Alice Levine? She swallows hard and walks onto the stage. The lights are almost blinding, so warm she's worried her makeup will run. She looks down at the table nearest the stage, sees a striking woman sipping champagne, and freezes. It's Marlena Dietrich.
14:05 Matt Forde? From Vogue by Madonna. That's the only way I know her. Bridgette Bardell, Dietrich and DiMaggio.
14:11 Alice Levine? Great, now we have to pay for that. Those cost two grand. But you are absolutely right. So this is the Hollywood legend, star of silent films. She's a German-American actress, but really, what she's best known for and remembered for is being an absolute diva. The original diva, maybe. One of the ways that that was demonstrated was she refused to go anywhere unless she was lit from above to get a real accent on those cheekbones.
14:37 Matt Forde? But she's right. There's nothing worse than being lit from below. Dietrich was way ahead of the curve.
14:44 Alice Levine? She feels a thrill course through her body. She blinks out at the silence.
14:50 Speaker 04 Get on with it.
14:51 Alice Levine? She glances at Monsieur Laskin, sees his red, angry face frowning at her. She nods at the orchestra in the pit, then pushes her leg through the slit at the side of her dress, peers over the top of a chiffon scarf. She's invented a routine based on Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl from the wrong side of the tracks. But as she starts to sing, she starts to worry she's made the wrong choice.
15:17 Matt Forde? I could have danced all night. Whoa. Someone's been having lessons. I think you sang that really well, and I'm not just teasing.
15:28 Alice Levine? Oh, God, no, I know I did.
15:31 Matt Forde? You must have done a school talent show, are you saying?
15:33 Alice Levine? No, I never did. I suppose I'm just blooming later in life.
15:37 Matt Forde? It is a slow bloom, but we will get there. That could be the album, Slow Bloom. Alice Levine, Slow Bloom. Just one petal.
15:46 Alice Levine? Just a molding... Poppy.
15:52 Alice Levine? She winces, she's paranoid her Scouse accent is cutting through and her voice starts to crack. She closes her eyes, concentrates on the music, lets herself get lost in it, twirling the scarf seductively around her body. Which I'm also doing now, just for the audience to know, just because it helps us sometimes get in character. I know it's slightly uncomfortable for you, Matt, but...
16:15 Matt Forde? Well, that's my favourite Rupert the Bear scarf.
16:18 Alice Levine? It's not quite the same when it's not chiffon.
16:20 Matt Forde? Odd seeing it used like that.
16:24 Alice Levine? Then she spins delicately on her high heels, strikes a pose and pouts.
16:38 Alice Levine? For a moment, there's not a sound. Her heart thuds. She wants to run.
16:47 Alice Levine? Then she hears it. A thundering applause as the audience jumped to their feet. She flings out her arms, curtsies over and over, soaks it all up. She's never felt a thrill like it, never been so sure that this is where she belongs. In the dressing room, the other acts crowd around and congratulate her. Bambi squeezes her hand.
17:13 Speaker 04 Oh, April, you are fantastic.
17:16 Alice Levine? She makes her way to Coxanelle, breathlessly asks her.
17:20 Speaker 04 Did you watch? What did you think?
17:23 Alice Levine? Coxanelle stares into the bulb-lit mirror, fixes her lipstick, then looks her up and down.
17:30 Speaker 04 Oh darling, I certainly know where to go when I need someone to make me look subtle. Try Eliza Duless.
17:40 Matt Forde? This is more like it. This is more the authentic performing arts experience. People crowding round. They'd all be going, "Look at her. Come on. Scarf works so hack. It's so 55. This is 57."
17:55 Alice Levine? Yeah, the backbiting. This must feel very familiar to you as a comedian on the comedy circuit. Not that different, I imagine, to Berles clubs in Paris in the 50s.
18:03 Matt Forde? No, and I'm very much in the Coxanelle vibe. I'm a real bitch when people come off stage.
18:09 Alice Levine? April reels back, crushed. Feels the familiar stab of rejection as Coxenell swings her hips and walks off. She slumps down, blinks at herself in the mirror. For a moment she sees her scared fifteen-year-old self, running away from home, desperate for somewhere to belong. All she's ever wanted is to be seen as a woman, to be treated as a woman. And for the first time, she's found a place where that version of herself feels possible.
18:43 Alice Levine? So from now on, April Ashley won't let anyone take that away from her, ever again.
18:57 Alice Levine? Eighteen months later, Cote d'Azur. April blows a kiss at the men hanging out of their cars whistling at her. Then heads into the Carlton Hotel. Makes her way through the golden marble foyer and up to the sunny terrace to meet Bambi. She's here to drum up publicity for La Carrousel's new club at Cannes. But Bambi leans towards her, her face full of concern. But Coxenell's been missing for four weeks straight. April pushes on her sunglasses, shrugs. She couldn't care less about Coxenell. In fact, it's been great without her. She's taken her spot as the headline act.
19:36 Matt Forde? One word: motive.
19:40 Alice Levine? Don't worry about her. Let's reel these boys in. She raises her glass to a group of men at a nearby table, who instantly swarm around her. She smiles as they flirt, tell her and Bambi how stunning they are. She catches Bambi's eye. Sips her dry martini as one of the men asks why a beautiful English girl like her is in Cannes. She hesitates. Here's Bambi jump in and say they're performers in a show. One of the men turns to April.
20:11 Speaker 04 What kind of show?
20:13 Alice Levine? Monsieur Laskin has given strict instructions: to draw men in, tell them about the show, then hit them with the big reveal that La Carrousel's performers are all male-born.
20:25 Alice Levine? But she can't say she's a man. She doesn't feel it's right. It's just not true. She's about to pull Bambi aside, tell her she refuses to be treated as some kind of novelty act. But before she can, she hears her friend reply. Nous sommes garssons. The men go quiet. Her heart thumps. One of the men leans forward, leers at her. These look real. He grabs her breast. She pushes him off, tears in her eyes, jumps up and rushes out sobbing. She can hear the men jeering and laughing. A few seconds later, Bambi's at her side. April, come back out. They were only having fun.
21:10 Matt Forde? Hmm, it was assault.
21:12 Alice Levine? It's very, very assault, yeah. I mean, if you think about the conversation in 2025 about the risk to trans women, this is the 1950s, so being gay is illegal. Being transsexual or transgendered would put you in such unbelievable danger. You imagine through her life, whether it was her family, people at school, random men here that she's talking to, she wouldn't have known when somebody would turn or when somebody would be angry or aggressive because of who she is. So you must have felt like your days were numbered. She looks at Bambi, but she can't speak. Despite everything, she knows she will never be seen as a woman.
21:57 Alice Levine? She runs out, tears blurring her way, heads straight for her apartment and books the first flight back to Paris.
22:08 Alice Levine? The next day, she walks into the club, heads into the dressing room. But she stops dead. Coxenelle is perched at her dressing table. She's dressed in a pink glittering gown with a blue mink around her shoulders. She looks fabulous. The others crowd around her, asking her where she's been. April watches her lap up the attention before she holds up her hand and announces.
22:35 Speaker 04 Girls, I've had the operation. No more meat and two veg for me. From now on, it's caviar.
22:45 Alice Levine? April is stunned.
22:47 Speaker 04 "Operation?"
22:49 Alice Levine? She stares at Coxenelle in confusion. One of the other girls pipes up. "She went abroad, April, to Africa, almost died." April's heart almost stops. She's heard rumours in the club that such a thing was possible. Dangerous, but possible. But she never imagined she'd meet someone. April's vision starts to blur and then narrow as an idea forms. If she too had the operation, if it's really possible, then Monsieur Laskin, everyone, they'd all have to treat her as a real woman. She grabs Coxenelle's arm.
23:28 Speaker 04 "Where did you go, specifically? What was the doctor's name?"
23:33 Alice Levine? But Coxenelle smiles.
23:35 Speaker 04 "You've just lost your top spot, April."
23:38 Alice Levine? Then adds,
23:40 Speaker 04 "And I don't want your blood on my hands."
23:44 Alice Levine? She watches Coxenelle saunter off and vows. Whatever it takes, she'll get the name of that surgeon. And nothing will stop her.
24:00 Alice Levine? One month later, Club Taboo, Paris. April smooths down her Chanel dress, sips her champagne, and watches as couples kick out on the dance floor. She checks her watch. Coxenelle promised to meet her here two hours ago, but she hasn't shown. April's barely been able to sleep since she got the idea of the operation in her head. She needs that doctor's name. She grabs her clutch bag, is just about to head back to her bedsit, when she hears a piercing laugh behind her. It's Coxenelle, surrounded by a table of admirers. She's been there the whole time. She marches up to her table.
24:42 Alice Levine? Everyone falls silent as she plants her hands on her hips, stares at Coxenelle.
24:48 Speaker 04 "Are you going to give me the name, or not?"
24:52 Alice Levine? Coxenelle crooks her finger, draws her in.
24:56 Speaker 04 "Find your own miracle worker."
25:00 Alice Levine? April stares into Coxenelle's cold eyes, feels tears spring to her own. She can hardly breathe. Before she can stop herself, she slaps Coxenelle's face and storms out.
25:16 Alice Levine? Next day, she sits in the dressing room, tries hard not to cry. She can't face the show without a drink. She grabs a bottle of champagne left by one of the punters, stares down, starts to down it as Bambi puts her head around the door. "April, you're on."
25:36 Alice Levine? She staggers onto the stage. Her head feels light, her feet too heavy to move. She looks down into the orchestra pit. Distorted faces stare back at her. For a moment, they look like the kids who tormented her when she was small. The walls seem to close in. The ground suddenly looms up towards her as she staggers forward, falls into the pit, and blacks out. Twenty minutes later, she sits huddled in a corner, her head in her hands, as Monsieur Laskin yells at her. When he's gone, she looks in the mirror, takes in her tear-stained face. Then something catches her eye in the reflection: Coxenelle's handbag.
26:19 Alice Levine? She glances at the door, turns and races across the dressing room, starts rooting around, looking for in a dress book, anything. She looks up, but no one's there. Then, she catches sight of a letter in the front pouch. She unfolds it. Her eyes widen as she sees the name and address of a doctor. Her stomach tightens. "Doctor Buro, Casablanca."
26:48 Alice Levine? "Be careful, April." She jumps, startled, then lets her shoulders relax when she sees Bambi. "Be careful, April." She lets Bambi take the letter from her. "She nearly died. You might not survive this." April nods, but she's already made up her mind. She's going to have that operation, even if it kills her.
27:24 Matt Forde? It's a real insight into how strongly she felt about her own body and her own identity, that she was prepared to take the risk of death in order to live in the body that she felt most comfortable in.
27:37 Alice Levine? Yes, we're joining her at a point in her life where she sort of found sanctuary in the club, but her life to this point was full of torment and trauma. I mean, she would pray every night as a child to God to make her a girl. She's felt this way for so long. And even when she presented as more masculine, she wasn't accepted. When she's presented as a woman, she's also faced abuse. So this operation represents to her a chance to live the life that she always thought she was supposed to have.
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29:16 Alice Levine? Mai 1960, Casablanca. 49-årig George Burroughs kör sin vinsurvskärlighetskärs och växer sin bord till själv. Han torkar en djup nöjd när en vand skräver. Han känner att språen skräver sin röntgårdig röntgård. Han vill stå här allt dagen. Men han har en ny patient från Paris i dagmorgon. En stund sen, han förbereder sin linjens jätte. Han skickar upp steg i sin Casablanca klinik. Han ökar den varm luften. Han har heregått efter att han har mört sin morokanska hälsa. Och efter att han blev stråkad för att göra illegala abortions i Frankrike. Han har alltid haft en skeptismer mot moralpolicering. Han kan inte förstå dubbel standarderna.
30:01 Alice Levine? Och sociala hippocris. Sitt patient är några av de mest bravaste och mest förevarande han har mört. Och i verkligheten, han vill sin arbete. Han vill svåra med medikals orthodoksi.
30:17 Alice Levine? En del minuter sen, han sitter på motsatt en glamourös människa i en Chanel-sut. Han torkar i sin delikat, armen形的瞳孔. Full lipp och långa råder. Hon är stundig. Han vill hjälpa, men i stället torkar han en djup nöjd. Och skräver då rörelsen. Madam, jag bara gör vaginalplastik. Jag är förlåt, men jag kan inte göra dig en man. Han ser honom rådera råderen och låter en liten glädje. När hon antar, huvudstödet är husky. Honas engelska akcent är formell och klippad. En man är det sista jag vill vara, doktor Burroughs. Jag har prövat att vara en ung under ett barn.
31:03 Alice Levine? Goden gjorde inte det miracles. Jag hoppas att du kommer. Sitt båda röder skickas upp. Han har aldrig haft en patient som feminin som hon. Han skannar sin röntgård och huvud. Hon kan vara en undergående ung. Jag ska förklara. Prozedert är... ny. Han vill inte låta honom gå. Under alla kläntor som har kommit till honom, hon kanske är det fall han har upplevad. Men han behöver vara transparent. Öppen. Du skulle vara min nöjd patient. En guinea pig. Är du redo för det?
31:41 Alice Levine? He slides over a folder of photographs, watches her eyes widen as he explains exactly what the surgery entails. Once I have done, it is irreversible. And far more painful than you could imagine. Blood loss is a real danger. She raises an eyebrow,
32:03 Alice Levine? slides the photographs back to him, tells him that as a teenager, she was hauled into a psychiatric hospital, given electroconvulsive therapy, and pumped full of hormones to make her more masculine. Every jolt of electricity was like being punched unconscious. Nothing could be as bad as that, believe me.
32:26 Alice Levine? He feels his mouth slacken. He's heard so many horror stories from patients over the years. He shakes his head now at the ignorance of other medics, but he has to make the risks clear. You only have a 50/50 chance of surviving this.
32:45 Alice Levine? She looks at him with steely determination. I wouldn't want to live anyway. He takes a deep breath, nods. Be here tomorrow morning at seven.
32:58 Alice Levine? When she's gone, he lets out a long breath. He hasn't lost a patient on the table yet. But this operation is a massive risk, a combination of his talent and a smattering of good luck. He'll use every bit of skill he has and make April Ashley the case he's remembered for.
33:25 Alice Levine? Six months later, Madame Signon's modeling agency, London. April grips her handbag as Madame Signon's small blue eyes bear into her. It's been six months since her operation, and it hasn't just transformed her, it's made her complete. For the first time in her life, her body looks right. So much so that she's returned to London to prove to everyone, most importantly herself, that she's got the star quality it takes to be a model. She tries to sound confident as Madame Signon starts firing questions at her. "Where did she work before this? Who for?" She feels her pulse quicken. She can't possibly say she was at Le Carousel.
34:09 Alice Levine? She swallows hard, pastes on a smile. "I did some modelling in Paris, for Chanel." She watches Madame Signon fold her arms. "An English girl working for Chanel? Why haven't I heard of you?" April feels the smile on her face freeze. "Stand up, please." She towers over Madame Signon, stares straight ahead as the older woman circles her. She's changed her name by deed poll from her birth name, George Jamieson. She's legally April Ashley. But right now, she's worried that Madame Signon has somehow worked out she's a transsexual. She feels a bead of sweat break out on her top lip
34:52 Alice Levine? as Madame Signon takes a step back and looks her up and down. Then turns away.
35:00 Alice Levine? "Shut the next girl in, on your way out."
35:04 Alice Levine? Two hours later, April slumps into a worn armchair in her tiny bedsit in West London. Puts her head in her hands, tries not to think about her disastrous day. She's just about to run a bath when her phone rings.
35:20 Alice Levine? "Are you free tomorrow, Miss Ashley? A department store in Croydon needs a model for their evening gown." She hears her breathless voice say yes. She hangs up, lets out a whoop of joy. She can't believe it, her first modelling job.
35:36 Matt Forde? "And in Croydon!"
35:39 Alice Levine? "Paris, Milan, Croydon!" "Some of the best couture comes from Croydon, Matt, and you're just showing your ignorance." She's going to knuckle down, work hard, and do everything she can to become the most successful model Madame Signon's ever had.
36:00 Alice Levine? 1961, a few months later, fashion fair, central London. I swear you would have been Matt in 1961.
36:08 Matt Forde? I might have been there, looking for some England shirts and jeans. You got anything with the Three Lions on it, mate?
36:14 Alice Levine? Do you have anything machine washable?
36:16 Matt Forde? I do wonder if I should make more of an effort clothing wise, but then I think, well, who would that be for?
36:21 Alice Levine? Well, it would have to be for you.
36:22 Matt Forde? I know, but if I'm not bothered, then...
36:23 Alice Levine? Okay, for me.
36:24 Matt Forde? Okay, okay. If it brightens your day.
36:28 Alice Levine? April holds her breath, looks down at the neatly cut hair of Hubert de Givenchy as he fusses around pinning the gown she's wearing. It's her first big catwalk show, and she's trembling with nerves.
36:42 Matt Forde? So she's in the big leagues fast.
36:43 Alice Levine? Oh, this is a serious gig, and she's really flavour of the month. She glances at the other models. They're all chatting with each other, half naked. She's still anxious about her body, and she hasn't made any friends here, not like at Le Carousel.
37:01 Alice Levine? A few seconds later, she's gliding down the brightly lit runway. She keeps her head still, her eyes straight ahead. When she turns, she pushes her hips forward, pauses, gives a haughty look, then glides back. A man with a mop of dark hair leans forward, whispers something to the elegant woman next to him. They both frown at her. Her heart thuds. Has he seen something about her? Something that's given her away? She dips behind the curtain, lifts her arms as a team of dresses carefully unfurl the gown from her body. She's naked, starts to panic they'll see her scars. Someone puts a swimsuit in her hand. She quickly pulls it on.
37:46 Alice Levine? Feels her heart pound as she steps out onto the catwalk. The couple have gone. She turns, pulls down her sunglasses to pose, and almost faints. They're chatting to Madame Signon. She catches the man's eye. His gaze is intense. Her whole body goes cold. She tries hard not to stumble as she walks back.
38:11 Matt Forde? There must be so many conflicting feelings for April here because on the one hand, she's so self-aware of her body and of what people might think about her as a result of that. And on the other hand, she wants to be a model. So she's also posing in front of people in a swimsuit.
38:28 Alice Levine? Yes, exactly. She knows that if people find her out, and by being a model, that hugely increases that risk. But she also has hopes and dreams that she wants to fulfill. And so, one thing would be having this operation and then hiding away. But that's not a full life, is it? She's got to pursue things and try to achieve. A few minutes later, she's in the dressing room, peeling off her lashes, when Madame Signon marches in. She's with the couple. April jumps to her feet, ready to defend herself, when Madame Signon cuts her short. This is Elsa Garland, editor of Vogue, and David Bailey, her photographer. They'd like you to do some work for the next edition.
39:12 Matt Forde? Whoa. Even I've heard of David Bailey. Probably the most famous fashion photographer of all time.
39:18 Alice Levine? No, I think you're right. I think he's probably shot for Vogue maybe more times than anybody else. So if this is somebody who's headhunting you, this could be your break. She lets out a gasp of relief. Of course. Yes. What an honour.
39:37 Alice Levine? Next day, she stands in front of a bank of lights, takes off the robe covering her swimsuit, then peeps from underneath a wide-brimmed hat as David moves around her taking shots. Someone throws a beach ball. She catches it, laughing. That's it. Perfect. This way for me, April. She shifts from one pose to another, smiles as he tells her how natural she is.
40:01 Speaker 04 You could be a bloody film star.
40:03 Alice Levine? She giggles.
40:04 Speaker 04 I can't act.
40:06 Alice Levine? He lowers the camera.
40:08 Speaker 04 You're acting right now, love.
40:10 Alice Levine? She feels her eyebrows raise. He's right. She's been performing for years. So why not be a movie star? After all, when she was a kid in Liverpool, she never dreamed she could be doing a job like this. She closes her eyes and lifts her face to the warm lights. She's only been a model for a short while, and she's already at the top of her profession. In a few days, she'll be on the front cover of Vogue, the job every model in the world wants. She'll be envied and copied by women up and down the country. She beams at the camera, gets a surge of elation. She never thought she could be as happy as this.
40:54 Alice Levine? Finally, she's living the life she always wanted. She's going to enjoy every single minute of it. And nothing in the world can stop her.
41:15 Alice Levine? A few months later, Le Caprice Restaurant, London. Forty-two-year-old Arthur Corbett smooths down his thinning hair and shakes his glass at the waiter to bring him a drink. He's on his fourth double whisky, and he's determined to get as drunk as possible.
41:31 Matt Forde? He's also going to get terrible acid indigestion. I mean, the sweet burn of whisky is very nice.
41:37 Alice Levine? Lovely.
41:38 Matt Forde? But you've got to pace yourself on that stuff.
41:40 Alice Levine? What are you doing, a glass of milk in between?
41:42 Matt Forde? Just a saucer of milk. And a tin of tuna.
41:46 Alice Levine? Why did you assume I meant a cat's dinner when I said a glass of milk? A saucer of milk, a saucer!
41:54 Matt Forde? It's just, I don't drink milk. So I just...
41:57 Alice Levine? Unless it's in a saucer.
41:58 Matt Forde? I only really see cats drink it these days.
42:01 Alice Levine? It's gone wildly out of fashion. Actually, we'll have all the farmers on complaining. It's still a very key drink.
42:09 Alice Levine? He catches his reflection in the gilt-framed mirror, takes in his thin, bony face and dark, bushy eyebrows, then looks down at the letter from his father, Lord Roalyn. He's asked him to look after their Kilmanock estate while he carries out duties as the governor of Tasmania and chief scout. Arthur throws the letter aside. He's got no interest in stuffy old family duty. He's got enough of that with his wife and kids. Tell me about it.
42:39 Alice Levine? Oh, will they never stop?
42:42 Matt Forde? Well, they didn't come out of me, did they? Fair's fair.
42:46 Matt Forde? Another double whisky, please, mate.
42:48 Alice Levine? And a tin of tuna.
42:51 Alice Levine? The tin of tuna at Le Caprice is famous.
42:56 Alice Levine? He's just about to order another drink when the whole restaurant falls silent. Everyone staring at the woman who's just walked in. She's tall, stunningly beautiful, dressed in a Chanel suit with a small bag delicately hanging in the crook of her elbow. He should look away, but he can't stop staring. He lights a cigarette and catches her eye. He grabs a passing waiter, sends a bottle of champagne to her table, watches her raise an eyebrow at him. He can feel his pulse race. He straightens his tie, smooths down his hair and walks unsteadily to her table. He holds out his hand, then hesitates.
43:40 Alice Levine? He doesn't want to give her his real name yet, not until he knows all about her.
43:46 Speaker 04 I'm Fred.
43:49 Alice Levine? He watches her smile. April.
43:54 Alice Levine? He's almost breathless. She's even more beautiful up close. He's sure he's seen her before, but he can't for the life of him remember where.
44:04 Alice Levine? He launches into his best stories, how he was a war hero, awarded the quad de guerre for bravery. He goes on how he's in line to be a baron.
44:14 Speaker 04 As soon as the old peter pops his clogs.
44:17 Alice Levine? He watches her suppress a smile, tilt her head. Then it hits him. He shuffles forward.
44:24 Speaker 04 I remember you. You performed at Le Carrousel. I saw your Eliza Doolittle. Bloody marvelous.
44:32 Alice Levine? Her eyes widen as she looks around the room, startled.
44:37 Speaker 04 Please keep your voice down.
44:39 Alice Levine? But his heart races. He shuffles forward, his eyes blazing with excitement, drops his voice.
44:46 Speaker 04 My wife and I are having some problems. She's just caught me dressing up in her clothes.
44:54 Matt Forde? This guy's chat up lines are all over the place.
44:57 Alice Levine? He waits to see if she's shocked, but she holds his gaze, raises an arched eyebrow.
45:03 Speaker 04 Were they a good fit, darling?
45:07 Alice Levine? He grins, shuffles closer, tells her his real name is Arthur Corbett.
45:13 Speaker 04 Can I see you again?
45:16 Alice Levine? She smiles at him, tips her head slightly, thanks him for the champagne, grabs her handbag, and glides off. He leans back and lights a cigarette. She's going to make him work hard. All the better. He briefly thinks about his wife and kids, pushes it to the back of his mind. He's finally found someone who won't judge him. He's got his sights set on April Ashley, and he won't stop until he has her.
45:52 Speaker 06 A dark night, a quiet house, but inside, danger was lurking.
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46:08 Speaker 06 I should have stuck to rom-coms.
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46:23 Speaker 06 Hi, I'm Kenya Barris.
46:24 Speaker 07 And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.
46:30 Speaker 06 We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.
46:37 Speaker 07 And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard...
46:46 Speaker 06 Legendary writer David Sedaris and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say? I would. Listen to season one of The Unusual Suspects wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for a free trial audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing to Apple Podcasts.
47:20 Alice Levine? Two months later, northern Italy. April tightens her headscarf. She pushes up her large sunglasses and looks down at the sheer drop below. She's heading to a nightclub in Milan to see the famous stripper, Pekki DiOzlo. Right now, though, she's wondering if this trip was a good idea. Arthur's driving around the narrow, twisting roads like a maniac.
47:44 Speaker 04 For goodness sake, Arthur, slow down. I bloody well mean it.
47:50 Alice Levine? He grins at her, then changes gear and speeds up. He's such a contrarian. She gazes out at the glittering sea. He's been showering her with jewelry, taking her out to boozy lunches and expensive nightclubs. She takes off her headscarf, feels the wind shake her hair loose, and lets herself enjoy the ride. Five hours later, she heads into the nightclub, takes off her gloves as Arthur orders a bottle of champagne. He slides a small gift box across the table.
48:25 Speaker 04 I was going to give this to you later. I think you should have it now, though. Sorry for my bad driving, darling.
48:32 Alice Levine? It irks her that Arthur always buys his way out of trouble. But she takes the box, opens it. Her eyes widen as she takes out a diamond bracelet.
48:44 Alice Levine? She's about to let him fix it to her wrist when she feels a hand on her shoulder.
48:49 Speaker 04 April, darling, what a gorgeous surprise.
48:53 Alice Levine? She turns to see a handsome man in a well-cut suit. Her heart skips. At first she thinks it's one of the London fashion crowd. The last thing she wants is to be spotted in a place like this. But when he grins, she realizes. It's Johnny, one of the punters from Le Carousel. She flings her arms around him, smiles as he tells her.
49:16 Speaker 04 You look stunning. Get your filthy hands off her.
49:21 Alice Levine? She spins, horrified, as Arthur lunges for Johnny. The whole club falls silent. She hears her own choked voice say. Arthur, what the hell are you? But he bursts into tears and storms out. She can feel everyone's eyes boring into her. Her cheeks burn with humiliation. She knows she'll be gossiped about for months for this. She apologizes to Johnny, then dashes out to Arthur. She's determined to make him come back and apologize. Instead, she watches, horrified, as he jumps in the car.
49:58 Speaker 04 You can make your own way back to London, you slut.
50:06 Alice Levine? She watches the taillights disappear, tears filling her eyes. She's shocked. Until now, Arthur's been all rich, easy charm. She's horrified by this side of him, and she isn't going to put up with it. No one is going to dictate her life, especially a spoiled man with a jealous, controlling temper. From now on, Arthur Corbett is history.
50:38 Alice Levine? Three weeks later, a TV studio, London. April smiles down at the bar of plain chocolate, snaps off a piece, then gazes into the studio camera as she puts it in her mouth. It's her fourth take, and she hates dark chocolate. For those luxury moments alone. Cut! She looks up as a man walks in with a huge bouquet of flowers. Her shoulders drop. It's Arthur. He's been turning up everywhere since he abandoned her in Milan.
51:11 Speaker 04 April, my darling, I can't forgive myself. I'm in perfect turmoil.
51:18 Alice Levine? He holds out the bouquet, his head bent. She snatches it, snaps. For goodness' sake, Arthur, you look like a whipped dog. She watches him glance up at her, then back at the floor.
51:31 Speaker 04 At least let me take you to dinner tonight.
51:34 Alice Levine? She purses her lips. No, but you can give me a lift home. Half an hour later, they pull up outside her new Kensington flat.
51:45 Alice Levine? He hops out, opens her door.
51:48 Speaker 04 How about dinner tomorrow?
51:51 Alice Levine? She picks up the bouquet. I've got plans.
51:57 Alice Levine? An hour later, she pours herself a glass of champagne and grabs her script. She's fully booked as a model for the next six months. She's even got a small part in a Bob Hope and Bing Crosby film, and she wants to be fully prepared. Her heart sinks. She pads down the hallway in her stocking feet, gets ready to blast Arthur. But it isn't him. A tall man looms over her, rain dripping off his hat. April Ashley. Something in the tone of his voice chills her. She tries to close the door, but he stops it with his foot, holds out a card between his two fingers. George Easton, reporter for The People. Do you know someone called Thomas Robinson?
52:41 Alice Levine? April's blood runs cold. She knows exactly who it is. Her mind flashes back to their teens in Liverpool, their first experimental nights on the town dressed as women. Tommy was the only other boy as desperate to be a girl as she was. Her throat tightens. She shakes her head, hears herself mutter. I'm sorry, I don't recognise that. But Easton cuts in. You might know him as Little Gloria. Her heart pounds. She tries to close the door again, but he snarls at her. Is it true you used to be a boy? Her body turns to ice, her head spins. For a moment, she thinks she might faint. Her grip on the door is gone.
53:26 Alice Levine? Easton pushes his way forward. He's saying something about giving her side of the story. But all she can hear is her own blood pulsing in her ears. She looks up at Easton and realizes her whole life is about to come crashing down. And nothing short of a miracle can stop it.
53:56 Speaker 06 Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spent her life exposing powerful people. Then, in 2017, she was killed in a car bombing. I'm Stephen Gray, and for the past nine years, I've been trying to find out who wanted her dead. That search took me to Malta through secret companies, organized crime, and eventually to one of the island's richest and most powerful men. Now, after years of waiting, his trial has finally happened. But when the verdict came in, the case took a turn that almost no one had expected. In a brand new update to the multi-award winning podcast Who Killed Daphne? I'm returning to Malta to find out how we got there and where the search for the truth goes next. Listen to the new episode of Who Killed Daphne wherever you get your podcasts.
54:41 Speaker 06 And you can hear the full six-part investigation from the beginning ad-free with Audible. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app and by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
54:55 Speaker 06 In the summer of 1881, US Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greeley and 24 other men embarked on an ambitious scientific mission to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. But despite several triumphs of discovery, the men would soon face tragedy. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American History Tellers. We take you to the events, times and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles and our dreams. In our latest series, after Adolphus Greeley and his men arrive at their destination more than 1,000 miles above the Arctic Circle, they get to work collecting scientific data and exploring the frigid landscape. But when resupply ships fail to reach them two summers in a row, they're forced to set
55:38 Speaker 06 out on a desperate search for rescue, and not all of them will make it home. Follow American History Tellers wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American History Tellers: Greeley Arctic Expedition early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
56:01 Alice Levine? From Wondery and Sammz dot audio, this is the first episode in our series, April Ashley.
56:07 Matt Forde? A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research.
56:14 Alice Levine? If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read April Ashley's Odyssey by Duncan Fallowell and April Ashley. Inside Out: The Extraordinary Legacy of April Ashley by Douglas Thompson. And Bonjour Mademoiselle by Jacqueline Kent and Tom Roberts.
56:29 Matt Forde? If you've got a scandal you'd like us to cover, be like Kim and get in touch. BritishScandal at wondery.com.
56:35 Alice Levine? Always be more like Kim. British Scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine.
56:39 Matt Forde? And me, Matt Ford.
56:40 Alice Levine? Written by Karen Laws. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Rich Evans. Our engineer is Jai Williams. For Sammzdat, our producer is Redsey Bernard. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Dashilis Zetina. For Wondery, our senior producer is Theodora Leludis, and our senior managing producer is Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne and Marshall Louis.
57:27 Speaker 06 And there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and The Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead. The president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes
58:10 Speaker 06 of A Great Book with Barack Obama ad-free right now, plus access each audiobook discussed in the series. Download the Audible app today.
58:24 Speaker 06 There are books that change how you see the world, and there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and The Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead. The president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.
59:08 Speaker 06 Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of A Great Book with Barack Obama ad-free right now, plus access each audiobook discussed in the series. Download the Audible app today.
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