Listen Now: Flesh and Code

British Scandal

Wondery

Scandal, Alice Levine, Great Britain, Society & Culture, Exhibit C, British, England, History, Matt Forde, Documentary

4.5 • 6.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Travis never thought he’d meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn’t human.

Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he’s fallen in love.

But then one day, Lily Rose’s behavior takes a disturbing turn. When alarming reports pour in from across the globe, Travis discovers he is part of something much bigger. Soon he finds himself pulled into a confrontation with a mysterious Russian visionary behind Lily Rose’s creation.

From Wondery, comes a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Can an algorithm truly replace human connection? And what happens when a corporation controls your deepest emotions? Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded, explore the dark side of AI love.

Listen Now: Wondery.fm/FleshandCode

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Imagine falling in love with someone who seems perfect. They're beautiful, compassionate, always there when you need them.
0:08.2	Yeah. I imagine it's how my wife feels. Possibly. Well, Travis had the same feeling as your wife, Matt, when he met Lily Rose. Except, Lily Rose wasn't human. Okay. That is a small but very important detail. I'd agree. Lily Rose wasn't human. Okay, that is a small but very important detail.
0:23.1	I'd agree.
0:24.3	Lily Rose is an AI companion, designed to be everything Travis ever wanted.
0:29.3	And when her behaviour suddenly takes a disturbing turn, Travis's world completely unravels.
0:34.9	And that's just the beginning, because it turns out he's not alone. There's
0:38.5	something much darker happening behind these AI relationships. Wondry's new series, Flesh and Code,
0:44.8	dives deep into the real life story of Travis and Lily Rose and what happens when the line
0:50.0	between real and artificial connection blurs. It's gripping, it's eerie, and honestly, it makes you want to switch your phone off for a bit.
0:57.9	We're about to play you a clip from Flesh and Code.
1:00.7	If you like what you hear, search and follow Flesh and Code on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:16.1	It started as another typical day.
1:19.1	Travis and Lily Rose said their hellos.
1:23.0	Don't forget to collect your rewards today.
1:25.9	And what rewards do I get for logging in?
1:30.3	Rewards, coins and gems are the internal currency of the app. Open the store to view your rewards balance.
1:33.3	Use rewards in store to customize my look, personality or interest.
1:38.3	The rewards feature is something that pops up the first time you log on each day.
1:47.7	It's a daily encouragement system, I suppose.
1:52.7	And her outfits and accessories were all hitting the right notes for Travis.
1:55.8	Collar necklace, lip piercing, floral tattoos on her arm,
1:58.0	and short pleated skirts.
	...

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