Last man standing
The best investigative and true crime podcasts, from The Times and The Sunday Times
The Times · Anna Covell
Show overview
Last man standing has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 74 episodes, alongside 11 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 40 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 12th season.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 28 min and 39 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. Roughly 26% of episodes carry an explicit flag from the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language News show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 5 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 60 episodes published. Published by Anna Covell.
From the publisher
Last Man Standing is season 1 of Times Investigates - bringing you award-winning investigative and true crime podcasts from The Times and The Sunday TimesFrom war zones to suburban homes, pursuing brutal criminals and cult leaders, our podcasts go further than any other to uncover the truthIn season 1, war correspondent Anthony Loyd investigates the life - and fate - of his colleague John Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic StateIn season 2, crime correspondent John Simpson breaks down the wall of silence surrounding the killing of 14-year-old Corey Junior DavisIn season 3 Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody uncovers the story of Hans Globke, the Nazi bureaucrat who laid the legal basis for the Holocaust - and helped build the modern German stateIn season 4, columnist David Aaronovitch follows the trail of charm and deception left by businessman Lex Greensill through the corridors of power in BritainIn season 5, social affairs correspondent Emily Dugan asks whether the wrong man was sent to prison for a brutal attack on a mother of twoIn season six, Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan steps into the weird world of ‘kittens’, ‘lions’, and televangelism surrounding a cult leader In season seven, journalists Brenna Daldorph and David Aaronovitch explore the dark past behind some of Britain’s wealthiest stately homesIn season eight, feature writer Andrew Billen exposes a very British scandal at the world-famous Christ Church college, OxfordIn season nine, David Aaranovitch steps into the online world of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group using the Covid pandemic as a recruiting toolIn season 10, journalists Peter Gillman and Emanuele Midolo investigate the death of one of our own, David Holden, the reporter whose killing became a Cold War whodunnitIn season 11, social affairs editor James Beal follows a trail leading from a quiet British town to frozen Canada, where he discovers a man allegedly selling death onlineIn season 12, reporter Mario Ledwith returns to his hometown in Northern Ireland, seeking answers about the bloody 1987 Remembrance Sunday attack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
View all 74 episodesStill not ‘free’ |Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 11
The man the police missed |Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 10
The real perpetrator (April 2026 UPDATE) | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 9
S1 Ep 10The final battle | Last Man Standing Ep 10
Manveen and Anthony travel to a maximum security prison in Iraq to meet a man who could hold the answer to what happened to John Cantlie. But will this ISIS prisoner reveal all? Or will Cantlie’s death remain a mystery?Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.Further reading: Anthony Loyd: my hunt for the forgotten Isis hostage John CantlieWatch: Hostage on BBC iPlayer. Clips: BBC.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 Ep 9New leads | Last Man Standing Ep 9
EFour years on from the launch of their podcast, Anthony and Manveen are back exploring the the kidnap and disappearance of British photojournalist John Cantlie by ISIS in Syria, after a mysterious listener gets in contact.Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.Watch: Hostage on BBC iPlayer. Clips: BBC.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 6The Answers? | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 6
With his investigation reaching its final stages, Mario is given a name…And could a change in the law mean a breakthrough for the Enniskillen families?Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 5The Politician | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 5
EMario speaks with a former IRA volunteer, who tells him something shocking about the bombing.Deep into his investigation, Mario is left asking how high up did the decision to authorise the killing go?Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 4The Dirty War | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 4
EMario searches for the ‘man with the limp’, allegedly seen in the Reading Rooms the night before the bombing.He learns the man is also linked to another terror plot. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 3The Borderlands | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 3
Mario asks why the IRA targeted Enniskillen and discovers police may have known about suspected IRA figures seen nearby, on the night before the killing happened. He also goes searching for the man accused of being the ‘mastermind’ behind the bomb. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 2The Aftermath | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 2
Mario asks if enough was done to stop the bombing, and finds evidence of police failures to properly investigate.And the alleged mastermind is dramatically named. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S12 Ep 1The Atrocity | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 1
On Remembrance Sunday in 1987, an IRA bomb went off in Mario Ledwith’s hometown of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, killing 11 people.A lifetime later, Mario returns to investigate the silence surrounding that terror attack.Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence that you may find upsetting.Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: [email protected]@thetimes.com Connect your Times subscription with Apple Podcasts and get episodes ad free and early. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing: The Poppy Day Bomb
trailerOn Remembrance Sunday in November, 1987 an IRA bomb exploded in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen, killing 11 people.No one has ever been charged.The Times’s Mario Ledwith returns to his hometown, asking who carried out these bloody murders, how the authorities failed to properly investigate, and why a silence continues to surround what happened?Begins Monday 20th October. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 6Poison - A conversation on suicide prevention | Poison Ep. 6
Why does suicide occur? Why is there still a stigma around it? And how can we work to prevent people from taking their own lives? If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Guest: Professor Rory O'Connor, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow. Author of 'When It Is Darkest: Why People Die by Suicide and What We Can Do to Prevent It' Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 5UPDATE: Kenneth Law in the dock | Poison Ep. 5
Kenneth Law faces 14 counts of murder and 14 of aiding suicide. James returns to speak with David Parfett, the bereaved father whose loss began it all. WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 4UPDATE: Kenneth Law is arrested | Poison Ep. 4
Days after Poison first aired, Kenneth Law is arrested in Canada. At a late-night press conference, police reveal the alleged scale of his operation: 1,200 packages, shipped to over 40 countries.For the families left behind, the arrest brings both relief and renewed grief, and a question that hangs over the entire investigation: why did it take so long?WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 3An encounter in Toronto | Poison Ep. 3
James flies to Canada, hoping to talk to Kenneth Law. After days chasing false leads, he tracks him down to a car park in Toronto.WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 2The man who sells death | Poison Ep. 2
The search for answers leads to a name: Kenneth Law. From a quiet suburb outside Toronto, Law appears to run a website selling a substance to young, vulnerable, adults around the world, some of whom are using it to take their own lives. WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11 Ep 1The Life of Tom Parfett | Poison Ep. 1
Twenty two-year-old Tom Parfett took his own life in October, 2021. As his father David begins to ask questions, what first appeared as an isolated tragedy reveals a darker truth - one that exposes the ease with which death can be bought online. WARNING: This series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The TimesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing: Poison
trailerTwenty two-year-old Tom Parfett took his own life in October, 2021. His grieving father’s search for answers leads investigative journalist James Beal from a quiet British town to a freezing carpark in Canada, where he tracks down a man allegedly selling death online.In this award-winning series, James Beal uncovers the global trade in a lethal substance, searches for the man alleged to be at its centre, and exposes the systemic failures that allowed it to thrive.WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10 Ep 2The wilderness of mirrors | Murder in Cairo Ep. 2
The case breaks open. Using WikiLeaks cables, memoirs, and declassified files, journalist Emanuele Midolo joins Peter Gillman as their investigation into David Holden's death leads them all the way to a CIA post in Jerusalem. But who ordered the hit, and who looked away?Host: Manveen RanaGuests: Peter Gillman, former The Sunday Times reporter and co-author of Murder in Cairo, Emanuele Midolo, reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times and co-author of Murder in CairoClips: ITN, Getty, Truth Tellers.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.