November 5, 2025 • 8 mins
It began as a whisper: Paul is dead.
But the deeper investigators dug, the clearer it became… they’d been listening to the wrong word.
This is the lost BBC report that uncovers the real story — Paul is Fred.
A haunting, hilarious mockumentary full of suspicious accents, unhelpful witnesses, and an unstoppable married couple who somehow saw everything.
The mystery that fooled a generation… and a parody that’ll fool you twice.
(A 100% spoof episode of Jonny’s Dead Air Podcast — listener discretion and a sense of humor advised.)
Written by Jonny Hartwell
Voiced by Jonny Hartwell
Music Credit: Reel World Audio.
A iHeart Radio Production
DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains discussions of sensitive topics...Listener discretion is strongly advised. While the stories you’ll hear are rooted in real events, not every detail is strictly historical—some moments are dramatized with creative license to bring the narrative to life. Please keep this in mind as you listen.
Jonny’s Dead Air Podcast
Written, hosted, and produced by Jonny Hartwell.
A production of iHeartRadio Pittsburgh.
Thanks for listening—and for keeping the light on.
But the deeper investigators dug, the clearer it became… they’d been listening to the wrong word.
This is the lost BBC report that uncovers the real story — Paul is Fred.
A haunting, hilarious mockumentary full of suspicious accents, unhelpful witnesses, and an unstoppable married couple who somehow saw everything.
The mystery that fooled a generation… and a parody that’ll fool you twice.
(A 100% spoof episode of Jonny’s Dead Air Podcast — listener discretion and a sense of humor advised.)
Written by Jonny Hartwell
Voiced by Jonny Hartwell
Music Credit: Reel World Audio.
A iHeart Radio Production
DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains discussions of sensitive topics...Listener discretion is strongly advised. While the stories you’ll hear are rooted in real events, not every detail is strictly historical—some moments are dramatized with creative license to bring the narrative to life. Please keep this in mind as you listen.
Jonny’s Dead Air Podcast
Written, hosted, and produced by Jonny Hartwell.
A production of iHeartRadio Pittsburgh.
Thanks for listening—and for keeping the light on.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And welcome in. I'm Johnny Heartwell and here's another minisode
of Johnny's Dead Air podcast, a production of iHeartRadio. Yet
It's The year was nineteang sixty nine. The nation had
just discovered colored television in the moon and paranoia in stereo.
(00:21):
Tonight we returned to an investigation the BBC never authorized,
denied funding for, and then accidentally broadcast during the song's
of prize. I'm Jonathan Wilmerding Heartwell the third and this
is script sixteen and a half Paul is Dead, a
BBC investigation that spiraled out of tune Act one the
broadcast It wouldn't die. And so it began, as many
(00:44):
British controversies do, with a student and a tape machine
borrowed without permission. When played backwards, the student wrote Revolution
number nine clearly says Paul is dead. Within hours, the
rumor spread faster than instant coffee. America wept and sobbed,
and cattlewalled. Bridge simply put on the kettle. Here now
(01:05):
a pompous academic Barclay explaining backmasking. Big masking is it
the recording technique where a message or sam is intentionally
recording in reverse on an audio track, making it intelligible
only when the recording he's playing backwards. So do I
get paid for this? Enter the first of our two
(01:28):
recurring eyewitnesses, Mortimer and Margaret blythe Wimbley. OHI we were
the artway bags outside Abbey Road Studios that night. Saw
the boat a rise away, whoosh past the zebra. Oh yeah,
miss me, Chip's boy whisker.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Oh yes, I told him, Margie, that driver looks after
so famous. He said, don't be dead, love, It's just
another beetle, and then buying chips.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Oh gospellline hair creaming peaches.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hair creaming paches.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
It was for true the blyseweent miraculous here present at
nearly every key event in this saga. Historians attribute this
to either lock, a divine intervention, or a scheduling aer
at Thames Buses. Now, Barclaire, what else have you deduced?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Forensic analysis of the heavy road photo obviously reveals Paul
McCartney's barefoot, which is.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Obviously the ancient Egyptian symbol of death or perhaps sandals.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Oh maybe he was off to the beach, how bless him.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Thus the Polly's Dead myth was born headlines screamed, and
record spawned backwards, and somewhere deep in cornwall, a kurtle
began to whistle. Ak two faulty playback half a century
lay to our science fights back artificial intelligence, cleverer and
cold and considerably a less musical re examines the faithful phrase, Barclaire,
(02:54):
what have you discovered?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We slowed the tape by by one point seven per
so the fries it changed from dead to something cut
closer to him.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It did, well, what is it? It's an It's Fred Fred. Yes,
I'm afraid so interesting, A single syllable capable of an
undyingly legend. Re enter our witnesses, Mortimer and Margaret Blin,
Saint John Wood. Right, so we'll stand outside to be right,
(03:27):
you know, and they play this tape backwards.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
In there goes, oh, he ain't dead, he's Fred, And
Maggie she says, oh I did. I said who's Fred?
And you said he's alive? I said, how good for him?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
We clapped right then the engineer choked our a bourbon biscuit.
All terrible business. Linguistics propose miss transcription, a damaged tape
hands on, Perhaps cockney interference conspiracy theorist, propose something else,
a cover name, a name for the replacement. Oh agree, next,
(04:05):
how that will be nice? Three? The fred reveale A
records point to a single man, Frederick macarth Andee Laurie Driver,
an amateur basis and resident of Turel, Cornwell. He said
he did a fair impression of the beetle Bloke and
(04:25):
he thought he would be taking the mick. Turns out
he was taking the tour. The BBC team arrives at
Fred's bungalow and Gull's screech. But we can't afford sound
effects for our poor and Mortible's Willie. I mister mcarthaney,
is it true you replaced Paul McCartney? Who now are
I wouldn't say, replies more more student, He was tired, tired, yes,
(04:49):
and I had of an He produced a half new
base with a cornwall conny Fair second. Riztiger In demonstrated
from his version of Hey Jude, Hi afraid.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Don't make it bad seeing a sad song. They make
it better to see. I wrote that you know, coincidence
or confession? You know as other eyewitnesses Mortimer Marrett blythe
right eas Sussex.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh, of course someone stop by layby for petrol, say
he were delivering emotions in law in Manchester.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Oh, yes, lovely men, I thought, I kept calling himself
Fred of Heart and gave me a record smelled of
diesel and peaches like.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Four murders in the key of f Okay, Marclay? What
else have you discovered it?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Soon after the tragedy strikes us, John Lennon was shot
in New York and George Harreton, who was stabbed in
his own home.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Two crimes at two letters.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
J and G and F and you get F J
G an unplayable chord.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Do you think that's a coincidence? I don't. Oh, I
think not. What else has the BBC discovered? Well? Both
men mentioned Fred in interviews. John said Freddie's a good lad.
George said I'd like a bit of Fred in my tea.
The patterns are undeniable. You know, are consultants in East
London Mortimer and Margaret Blaine. Oh. I told his orgin,
(06:15):
I say, oh, check his hands for guitar strings golf.
He didn't listen.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Oh, but he had those nice eyes though, like like
a guilty poodle.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Police files show guitar string liga chairs teen stained fingerprints
and a note reading simply let it be Fred. Act
five the proof. How he's going to prove it? I
wouldn't that be lovely? Act five the Proof. BBC announces
(06:50):
the final evidence, a forgotten demo that is simply called Fred.
Me doo Marclay, What have you found?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The spectrum areflace. Obviously you see the extra consonant after
mark twelve. Yeah, it's right there. It's pretty obviously it's
pure Fred residence. By the way, am I getting paid?
Speaker 1 (07:09):
He? Now it's Mortimer and Margaret appearing again, but this
time they want to be called Harold and Hattie. Blinkers
holding the master tape in a tesco box. Found it
right behind over. Oh it was me Aunt's bingo numbers. Oh,
I played it myself.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
It said I'm the Fredericks cuckoockachow.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Oh terrified. The cat documents leaked from the Ministry of
Cultural Continuity red subject verified is Fred public stability maintained
longly of Continuity for fifty years. We believe Paul was
tad In, but it was merely fred In dangerously alive
to this day, Sir Paul denies everything, claiming to be
(07:47):
simply himself, Yet red art detects a fade heartbeat beneath
of cornwall soil shaped like a bass clef and a
precisely at three or seven am. If you play hate
you backwards, A voice giggles and says, take a Fred's
song and make it better oilmns. Yeah, oh yes, love,
that's our friend. He was always so musical, bless him.
(08:09):
Perhaps perhaps Paul is dead, Perhaps Fred is Paul, or
maybe it's just all been playing the wrong way round.
You know what they say, Oh bledye, Life goes on.
Do you smell pages? I hope you enjoyed Script sixteen
and a half. Paul is dead at BBC Investigation. I'm
(08:31):
Jonathan wimberedin heart weather. Third, do you thank you so
from so much for listening
And welcome in. I'm Johnny Heartwell and here's another minisode
of Johnny's Dead Air podcast, a production of iHeartRadio. Yet
It's The year was nineteang sixty nine. The nation had
just discovered colored television in the moon and paranoia in stereo.
(00:21):
Tonight we returned to an investigation the BBC never authorized,
denied funding for, and then accidentally broadcast during the song's
of prize. I'm Jonathan Wilmerding Heartwell the third and this
is script sixteen and a half Paul is Dead, a
BBC investigation that spiraled out of tune Act one the
broadcast It wouldn't die. And so it began, as many
(00:44):
British controversies do, with a student and a tape machine
borrowed without permission. When played backwards, the student wrote Revolution
number nine clearly says Paul is dead. Within hours, the
rumor spread faster than instant coffee. America wept and sobbed,
and cattlewalled. Bridge simply put on the kettle. Here now
(01:05):
a pompous academic Barclay explaining backmasking. Big masking is it
the recording technique where a message or sam is intentionally
recording in reverse on an audio track, making it intelligible
only when the recording he's playing backwards. So do I
get paid for this? Enter the first of our two
(01:28):
recurring eyewitnesses, Mortimer and Margaret blythe Wimbley. OHI we were
the artway bags outside Abbey Road Studios that night. Saw
the boat a rise away, whoosh past the zebra. Oh yeah,
miss me, Chip's boy whisker.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Oh yes, I told him, Margie, that driver looks after
so famous. He said, don't be dead, love, It's just
another beetle, and then buying chips.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Oh gospellline hair creaming peaches.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hair creaming paches.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
It was for true the blyseweent miraculous here present at
nearly every key event in this saga. Historians attribute this
to either lock, a divine intervention, or a scheduling aer
at Thames Buses. Now, Barclaire, what else have you deduced?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Forensic analysis of the heavy road photo obviously reveals Paul
McCartney's barefoot, which is.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Obviously the ancient Egyptian symbol of death or perhaps sandals.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Oh maybe he was off to the beach, how bless him.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Thus the Polly's Dead myth was born headlines screamed, and
record spawned backwards, and somewhere deep in cornwall, a kurtle
began to whistle. Ak two faulty playback half a century
lay to our science fights back artificial intelligence, cleverer and
cold and considerably a less musical re examines the faithful phrase, Barclaire,
(02:54):
what have you discovered?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We slowed the tape by by one point seven per
so the fries it changed from dead to something cut
closer to him.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It did, well, what is it? It's an It's Fred Fred. Yes,
I'm afraid so interesting, A single syllable capable of an
undyingly legend. Re enter our witnesses, Mortimer and Margaret Blin,
Saint John Wood. Right, so we'll stand outside to be right,
(03:27):
you know, and they play this tape backwards.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
In there goes, oh, he ain't dead, he's Fred, And
Maggie she says, oh I did. I said who's Fred?
And you said he's alive? I said, how good for him?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
We clapped right then the engineer choked our a bourbon biscuit.
All terrible business. Linguistics propose miss transcription, a damaged tape
hands on, Perhaps cockney interference conspiracy theorist, propose something else,
a cover name, a name for the replacement. Oh agree, next,
(04:05):
how that will be nice? Three? The fred reveale A
records point to a single man, Frederick macarth Andee Laurie Driver,
an amateur basis and resident of Turel, Cornwell. He said
he did a fair impression of the beetle Bloke and
(04:25):
he thought he would be taking the mick. Turns out
he was taking the tour. The BBC team arrives at
Fred's bungalow and Gull's screech. But we can't afford sound
effects for our poor and Mortible's Willie. I mister mcarthaney,
is it true you replaced Paul McCartney? Who now are
I wouldn't say, replies more more student, He was tired, tired, yes,
(04:49):
and I had of an He produced a half new
base with a cornwall conny Fair second. Riztiger In demonstrated
from his version of Hey Jude, Hi afraid.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Don't make it bad seeing a sad song. They make
it better to see. I wrote that you know, coincidence
or confession? You know as other eyewitnesses Mortimer Marrett blythe
right eas Sussex.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh, of course someone stop by layby for petrol, say
he were delivering emotions in law in Manchester.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Oh, yes, lovely men, I thought, I kept calling himself
Fred of Heart and gave me a record smelled of
diesel and peaches like.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Four murders in the key of f Okay, Marclay? What
else have you discovered it?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Soon after the tragedy strikes us, John Lennon was shot
in New York and George Harreton, who was stabbed in
his own home.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Two crimes at two letters.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
J and G and F and you get F J
G an unplayable chord.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Do you think that's a coincidence? I don't. Oh, I
think not. What else has the BBC discovered? Well? Both
men mentioned Fred in interviews. John said Freddie's a good lad.
George said I'd like a bit of Fred in my tea.
The patterns are undeniable. You know, are consultants in East
London Mortimer and Margaret Blaine. Oh. I told his orgin,
(06:15):
I say, oh, check his hands for guitar strings golf.
He didn't listen.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Oh, but he had those nice eyes though, like like
a guilty poodle.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Police files show guitar string liga chairs teen stained fingerprints
and a note reading simply let it be Fred. Act
five the proof. How he's going to prove it? I
wouldn't that be lovely? Act five the Proof. BBC announces
(06:50):
the final evidence, a forgotten demo that is simply called Fred.
Me doo Marclay, What have you found?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The spectrum areflace. Obviously you see the extra consonant after
mark twelve. Yeah, it's right there. It's pretty obviously it's
pure Fred residence. By the way, am I getting paid?
Speaker 1 (07:09):
He? Now it's Mortimer and Margaret appearing again, but this
time they want to be called Harold and Hattie. Blinkers
holding the master tape in a tesco box. Found it
right behind over. Oh it was me Aunt's bingo numbers. Oh,
I played it myself.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
It said I'm the Fredericks cuckoockachow.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Oh terrified. The cat documents leaked from the Ministry of
Cultural Continuity red subject verified is Fred public stability maintained
longly of Continuity for fifty years. We believe Paul was
tad In, but it was merely fred In dangerously alive
to this day, Sir Paul denies everything, claiming to be
(07:47):
simply himself, Yet red art detects a fade heartbeat beneath
of cornwall soil shaped like a bass clef and a
precisely at three or seven am. If you play hate
you backwards, A voice giggles and says, take a Fred's
song and make it better oilmns. Yeah, oh yes, love,
that's our friend. He was always so musical, bless him.
(08:09):
Perhaps perhaps Paul is dead, Perhaps Fred is Paul, or
maybe it's just all been playing the wrong way round.
You know what they say, Oh bledye, Life goes on.
Do you smell pages? I hope you enjoyed Script sixteen
and a half. Paul is dead at BBC Investigation. I'm
(08:31):
Jonathan wimberedin heart weather. Third, do you thank you so
from so much for listening
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