Swingers cover art

Swingers

Swingers

Written by: BBC Radio Wales
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Swingers tells the story of Ruth - a woman who joined a Swinging website and ended up having degrading sex with strangers more than 100 times.   Ruth thinks she is not alone, that there are women all over the UK like her and so she decided to tell her story, using her full identity, to investigative journalist Catrin Nye. 

Ruth says that she never wanted to join the swingers website - but did it to please her husband who had been slowly persuading her for more than a decade to try swinging. She ended up having sex with strangers in lay-bys and filming it for her husband. She ended up pregnant by a stranger and giving oral sex to another man while bleeding from an abortion.    In this podcast Catrin pieces together Ruth’s story and asks what it tells us about sexual consent, pressure in relationships, and the swinger community. She digs deep into the online world of Fab Swingers - the website Ruth and her husband used. Catrin discovers countless crimes across the UK linked to the swinging website and speaks to a man who admits to having sex with women who he thinks were pushed into it.   She considers the police response to Ruth, the law and whether swinging can be a cover for abuse.    This is a story told in full honesty. It’s the trickiest investigation of Catrin’s career, but one she also feels must be told.

(C) BBC 2026 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 6. Black Mirror

    6. Black Mirror
    Jun 16 2026

    After 18 months of swinging, Ruth has a moment of recognition while watching Black Mirror. With support from friends and domestic abuse services, she secretly prepares to leave her marriage. Now, in her garden, Ruth reflects on freedom, fear and why she chose to tell her story.

    If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

    Presenter: Catrin Nye Writers: Catrin Nye and Jamie Bartlett Exec Producer: Kavita Puri Series Producer: Ruth Mayer Commissioner: Bridget Curnow Sound Design: Ivor Manley Title Track: David Wrench Researchers: Emily Parsons and Liv Facey Production Management Assistant: Daisy Carol Production Manager: Mandy Osborne

    All the WhatsApp Messages you hear are voiced by actors.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • 5. The Messages

    5. The Messages
    Jun 16 2026

    Ruth’s messages sometimes appear enthusiastic - but at other times she says she is scared, traumatised and wants to stop. Solicitor Rachel Horman-Brown explains why messages in controlling relationships cannot be read in isolation. Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal reflects on the challenges around issues of consent in the justice system.

    If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

    Presenter: Catrin Nye Writers: Catrin Nye and Jamie Bartlett Exec Producer: Kavita Puri Series Producer: Ruth Mayer Commissioner: Bridget Curnow Sound Design: Ivor Manley Title Track: David Wrench Researchers: Emily Parsons and Liv Facey Production Management Assistant: Daisy Carol Production Manager: Mandy Osborne

    All the WhatsApp Messages you hear are voiced by actors.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • 4. The Club

    4. The Club
    Jun 16 2026

    At a swingers club near Liverpool, Catrin sees a world that’s meant to be built around rules. Experienced swingers explain how the lifestyle can strengthen relationships - but also how pressure can creep in. In another development FOI data reveals hundreds of police reports mentioning the website Ruth and her husband used - FabSwingers.

    If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

    Presenter: Catrin Nye Writers: Catrin Nye and Jamie Bartlett Exec Producer: Kavita Puri Series Producer: Ruth Mayer Commissioner: Bridget Curnow Sound Design: Ivor Manley Title Track: David Wrench Researchers: Emily Parsons and Liv Facey Production Management Assistant: Daisy Carol Production Manager: Mandy Osborne

    All the WhatsApp Messages you hear are voiced by actors.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
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