Unscripted with Spencer Lodge

Trigger Warning: this episode talks about sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and slavery. 12 million people have watched the documentary “Caged until Broken: Life for Mumbai Prostitutes” - a series where one woman goes undercover to give voices to women who have been silenced, hidden, and exploited as human commodities. Every year, NGOs estimate that between 12,000 to 50,000 children are trafficked into India alone, and that does not include domestic trafficking within the country. This is a worldwide issue that is often overlooked. I am privileged to be speaking with the creator of that documentary, Hazel Thompson. She is a photojournalist and filmmaker who has shed light on a dark and hidden sub-culture of slavery and sex trafficking for almost two decades. Her book, “Taken” has highlighted the experiences of young girls forced into prostitution. Her work on social justice and human rights is widespread and essential to awareness for these women, children, and their stories. In this episode, Hazel shares her experiences of investigating the red-light district Kamathipura, in Mumbai, India. She touches on the stories of women and young girls who have been exploited in the sex industry, and the larger global implications that go unknown to people every day.  

My guest this week is known as ‘Belfast’s Slumdog Millionaire’ and is one of Britain’s most notorious gangsters. Having spent 23 years as a career criminal and serving 15 years behind bars as a category ‘A’ prisoner, Stephen Gillen has since transformed his life and is now a successful media entrepreneur, global coach and has dedicated his life to improving the lives of others. Recently nominated for a SUNHAK International Peace Prize in May 2020, Stephen is now involved with the production of an upcoming film that will document his experiences and transformation with the aim to inspire others and prove that anyone can find their purpose, despite any circumstance.

My guest this week is the King of Network Marketing, Eric Worre. As president of his $200M company, Network Marketing Pro, and author of the best-selling book "Go Pro: 7 Steps to Becoming a Networking Marketing Professional", Eric teaches millions of people around the world how to be successful in the world of multi-level marketing. In this episode, Eric addresses the negative perceptions of Network Marketing, the most common challenges multi-level marketers face, and shares his advice for those who want to thrive in the industry.

I am joined this week by an outstanding gentleman whose story I am sure will inspire you to respond differently to life’s challenges, both big and small. At the age of 34 following 14 days of ‘man-flu’ symptoms, Alex Lewis’ life changed forever. After being admitted to an Intensive Care Unit, Alex was diagnosed with Strep A, leading to septicaemia, which prompted doctors to give him just hours to live or a 3% chance of survival. Remarkably Alex survived, but his illness resulted in the amputation of all four limbs and an experimental surgery to reconstruct his lips and nose. Alex’s story was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary “The Extraordinary case of Alex Lewis”, and received wide attention in the media. Despite his seemingly terrifying and somewhat harrowing experience, Alex has used his hardship to challenge his limits and break the barriers of his disability, completing some of the most exhilarating and extreme physical challenges that were deemed impossible for an amputee. Emphasising the importance of gratitude, the power of a positive mindset and the desire to progress despite any circumstance, Alex shares how he now lives a life that he never imagined possible. 

Trigger warning: This episode contains conversations about human trafficking, sexual abuse, pornography and child exploitation. Recent statistics have suggested that reports of human trafficking have nearly doubled since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is becoming clear that the various legislative efforts designed to tackle this very real problem are simply ineffective. As a result, nearly half a million children are reported missing in the USA every year and there are an estimated 20-40 million human slaves currently being exploited.   The global state of human trafficking is now at crisis level and my guest this week, Harvard graduate and Homeland Security Investigator Amy Storer, works tirelessly to battle this $150 billion industry. Having previously held positions at Washington D.C Headquarters and the Office of the White House Liaison, Amy now dedicates her time to exposing the predators who exploit both adults and children in the most horrific crimes against humanity. In this episode, Amy shares her insights into the dark and harsh realities of human trafficking and explains why QR codes may be the answer to preventing exploitation.

Over 60 million people binge-watched this week's guest in 2020 when she appeared in the sensational Netflix documentary "Tiger King." As the series unfolded, the world was introduced to Carole Baskin - the quirky and cheerful CEO of Big Cat Rescue. Despite her negative portrayal in the show and the hurtful lies that were spread, Carole continues to fight tirelessly for new legislation to prevent the exploitation of exotic cats in the US and worldwide. I’m absolutely honoured to speak with this phenomenal activist who having once cared for up to 200 wild cats in her Tampa-based not-for-profit sanctuary, shares her recent efforts to pass a bill to end cub handling, the conservation work she's been up to since appearing on Tiger King, and bouncing back after harsh criticism. To find out how you can support Carole’s mission to end the abuse of big cats in captivity and prevent the extinction of big cats in the wild, head to BigCatRescue.org. Enjoy the episode, all you cool cats and kittens!

This week I am joined by an absolute legend in the world of motor racing - former Formula One Grand Prix driver, David Coulthard MBE. David was the longest contracted driver for McLaren, retiring in 2008 with no less than 15 Grand Prix victories, earning him brand ambassadorships with industry leaders including Red Bull, Mercedes and IWC. Since then, David has utilised his experience as a race car driver to achieve transitional success, with efforts in presenting, commentating and journalism and most recently as co-founder of Whisper Films - one of the UK’s fastest-growing TV production companies. Join me as I chat with this legendary sportsman about the importance of a positive mindset, maximising your opportunities, and creating your own definition of success. 

My guest this week has pioneered a new approach in the research of the end-of-life experience using the relevance of sleep experiences as a framework. To improve the quality of hospice care worldwide, Dr Chris Kerr - CEO and Chief Medical Officer for The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, New York, has utilised his years of extensive research to validate the powerful dreams and visions that many of his patients experienced. His research was the subject of his acclaimed book release ‘Death is But A Dream’, as well as his TEDx Talk, which received over 3 million views and led him to be featured on the recent Netflix documentary “Surviving Death”. Dr Kerr talks about his ongoing research, which hopes to bring comfort and meaning to the dying process, discover its impact, and explain how it can help enable post-traumatic growth. Join me as I speak with this astounding Physician, who shares his journey exploring these patient experiences and pre-death dreams.

This week’s guest is none other than record-breaking mountaineer and elite soldier Nirmal Purja MBE. With a humble upbringing in Nepal, Nimsdai had an early desire to become a Gurkha in the British Military. After achieving this, Nimsdai set his challenges higher, becoming the first ever Gurkha to serve in UK Special Forces (SBS) unit, which led to his interest in Mountaineering. Nimsdai now holds a coveted MBE title and 10 Guinness World Records – most notably for climbing the world’s 14 highest summits in under 7 months, an achievement that defeated a previous world record of 8 years. Now, Nimsdai is speaking with me about his bid for the K2 Winter ascent to claim one of the last remaining grand prizes in mountaineering, a feat regarded by so many, for so long, as impossible. In this inspiring episode, Nimsdai explains his motivation to complete the K2 summit in winter, his experience of writing his recent book ‘Beyond Possible’ and how his positive mindset has helped him achieve the impossible.

With over 25 year’s experience combatting issues such as counter terrorism, personal and cyber security and working as a bodyguard for the Hollywood elite, my guest this week is Security specialist Will Geddes. In this week’s episode, Will gives us a specialized and focused insight on the world of Cyber-crime and how to avoid falling victim to it, how to protect your personal security both online and in the real world, and how to protect your children from the dangers of Social Media, Cyber-bullying and the Dark Web. As Director of the leading Specialized Human Threat Management company ICP, and referencing his best-selling book release “Parent Alert: How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online”, Will’s wisdom and inside knowledge ensures that in this ever advancing digital age, you can begin your year with confidence and in the safest way possible.