The Spy Who Outran the KGB | Before Gordievsky, and the Secret War Inside Britain - with Author Tim Tate | 4
The Spy Who
Audible
4.6 • 891 Ratings
🗓️ 16 December 2025
⏱️ 38 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
How did the Soviet Union infiltrate so many of Britain’s institutions? Investigative journalist Tim Tate dives into the dark underbelly of British-Soviet relations—uncovering a world where the Kremlin’s influence had already seeped into the heart of Britain’s highest echelons of power long before Oleg Gordievsky ever arrived. In conversation with spy writer Charlie Higson, Tim also reveals a shocking paradox: Gordievsky’s intelligence eased Cold War tensions, but after his exposure paranoia was sent spiraling out of control on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Wonderry Plus subscribers can binge full seasons of the Spy Who early and add free on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. |
| 0:09.2 | Mom and Dad. Mom and Mom. Dad and Dad. Whatever. Parents. Are you about to spend five hours in the car with your beloved kids this holiday season? Drive an old Granny's house? |
| 0:19.8 | I'm setting the scene. |
| 0:22.8 | I'm picturing, screaming, fighting. |
| 0:27.0 | Back-to-back hours of the K-pop Demon Hunter's soundtrack on repeat. |
| 0:28.8 | Well, when your ears start to bleed, |
| 0:32.1 | I have the perfect thing to keep you from rolling out of that moving vehicle. |
| 0:33.6 | Something for the whole family! |
| 0:35.1 | He's filled with laughs. |
| 0:36.5 | He's filled with rage. |
| 0:39.2 | The OG Green Grump, give it up for me. |
| 0:45.0 | James Austin Johnson as The Grinch. And like any insufferable influencer these days, |
| 0:50.7 | I'm bringing my crew of lesser talented friends along for the ride with A-list guests like Gromk, |
| 0:54.2 | Mark Hamill, and the Jonas Brothers, whoever they are. |
| 0:56.1 | There's a little bit of something for everyone. |
| 1:00.5 | Listen to Tis the Grinch holiday podcast wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:14.8 | From Wondery, I'm Charlie Higson, spy novelist, actor, comedian, and this is The Spy Who. |
| 1:21.7 | Thank you for joining us for our final episode of The Spy Who outran the KGB. |
| 1:29.0 | Oleg Gorgevsky wasn't just a spy. He was one of the Cold War's most audacious double agents. |
| 1:34.2 | A man whose betrayal of the KGB re-shaped the geopolitical landscape. |
| 1:37.6 | As the Soviet Union's chief spy in London, |
| 1:41.7 | Gorgievsky secretly worked for MI6 for over a decade, |
... |
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