Searching for Soldier Dad: 1. Love story
World of Secrets
BBC
4.7 • 765 Ratings
🗓️ 20 April 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why don’t I have a father? Cathy is 10 years old when she starts asking questions. The secret her mum Maggie is forced to reveal changes everything.
Years later, when lawyers and a geneticist turn up in their hometown in Kenya to take DNA samples, Maggie hopes they can help her finally learn the truth.
Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.
Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.
Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Josephine Casserly Sound design: Tom Brignell Executive producer: Matt Willis Commissioning senior producers: Katy Davis and Anne Dixey Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.1 | Can I just say? |
| 0:07.6 | You're about to listen to a BBC podcast. |
| 0:10.0 | It's such a wonderful listen. |
| 0:11.7 | So nice. |
| 0:12.5 | There are loads more like it on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:14.8 | Different paces, different heights, the roof is buckling. |
| 0:17.9 | Where you can also listen to live sports commentary. |
| 0:20.2 | It's right foot goes for goal. |
| 0:21.6 | And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories. |
| 0:27.7 | The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession. |
| 0:31.2 | And she's had to live with that. |
| 0:32.8 | So if you love sport, a passion, it's almost like a religion. |
| 0:35.8 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:37.8 | Sort of expecting that every week now. |
| 0:40.8 | Episodes of World of Secrets are released weekly, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 0:45.8 | But if you can't wait, you can listen to the full series right now, first, on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:54.6 | When Cathy is a little kid, she sees what's there and barely notices what's absent. |
| 1:01.0 | Her mum is the centre of her world. |
| 1:04.3 | The thought of a dad doesn't even cross her mind. |
| 1:08.1 | I've never really had like a dad, so to know what that feeling is to actually miss. |
| 1:13.3 | You can't miss something that you've never had. |
... |
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