7NEWS’ smash hit investigative journalism podcast, The Lady Vanishes, has been put on hiatus due to an outpouring of new case leads and renewed pressure on government officials.
               
So far, The Lady Vanishes has generated over 2.5 million global listens, millions of page visits to its dedicated 7NEWS website, and amassed a growing Facebook community of 5,000+ followers.
 
 Executive producer, Alison Sandy, says “While true crime podcasts are incredibly popular in Australia, The Lady Vanishes is a first-of-its-kind in that the investigation is playing out in real time with incredible help from the general public.
 
“We are chasing new leads, putting pressure on the NSW Police through the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to release unredacted documents, and following up with the NSW Coroners Court to get further facts and clarity behind the case,”
 
Sandy adds. “Much of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our podcast listeners, who have sparked a renewed interest in the case.”
 
The Lady Vanishes’ hosting and distribution partner, Acast, agrees the podcast has been an unprecedented success globally and is part of a new wave of podcasts that are starting to redefine investigative journalism in Australia.
 
Content Director at Acast, Guy Scott-Wilson, says “Interest in The Lady Vanishes’ case shows that the power of podcasting is real. The nature of podcasting has allowed us to follow this investigation in real time, driving the public participation needed to gather new evidence and hopefully solve the case. It’s great to see investigative journalism finding such a natural home in podcasting, and it makes for really compelling content with audiences all over the world.”
 
While the official podcast is on hiatus, weekly BONUS: Conversations episodes will continue to be published, featuring in-depth interviews and additional content with guests tied to the case.