For centuries, Europe’s most celebrated opera singers had voices that sounded almost supernatural — powerful, soaring, and unlike anything audiences had ever heard before.

They were known as the castrati.

From the sacred choirs of the Vatican to the grand opera houses of Europe, these singers became some of the biggest celebrities of the 17th and 18th centuries. Kings invited them to royal courts. Fans travelled across countries just to hear them perform. Some became astonishingly wealthy and famous.

But behind those extraordinary voices was a secret far darker than most audiences realised.

In this episode of The StickyBeak, Monika O’Hanlon explores the strange and unsettling history of the castrati — how the practice began in Renaissance Italy, why thousands of boys were drawn into the system, and how a handful rose to become global superstars like Farinelli.

You’ll also hear about the last surviving castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, whose early 1900s recordings remain the only surviving example of what these voices actually sounded like.

It’s a story about music, fame, ambition… and the uncomfortable lengths societies will sometimes go to in pursuit of beauty.

This episode was brought to you by Tüt, toilet lid stickers to zhuzh up your toot. Because every throne needs a crown.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/tutdeco/

🎉 Big news! The StickyBeak will be returning to two episodes a week!

• Wednesdays: Your regular deep dive into the weird, wonderful, and wonderfully strange stories from around the world.
• Mondays: A brand-new episode all about YOUR stories — the wild, funny, and outrageous confessions you send in.

Got a story to share? Be a StickyBeak and submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK_D0b6Cp7WAKDq4thfd4EZNrXJPba1C2r9VZkxptxbYmJtA/viewform! 🦜

Got an Idea for the Podcast?

I’d love to hear from you! If there’s a topic you’d like me to explore or someone you think would make a great guest, flick me a message.

EMAIL: thestickybeakpodcast@outlook.com

INSTAGRAM: @thestickybeakpodcast

TIKTOK: @thestickybeakpodcast

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/listen.with.mon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In October 1989, a brutal killing on the banks of the Brisbane River shocked Queensland.

Within days, newspapers around the world were running the same chilling headline: “The Lesbian Vampire Killer.”

But how did a tragic crime become a global media sensation?

In this episode of The StickyBeak, Monika O’Hanlon revisits the infamous case of Tracey Wigginton and the murder of Edward Baldock — exploring the events of that night, the rumours that followed, and the headlines that turned a shocking crime into one of Australia’s most sensationalised stories.

This episode looks beyond the label to examine how media narratives can shape public perception — and how some headlines take on a life of their own.

Listener discretion advised.

This episode was brought to you by Tüt, toilet lid stickers to zhuzh up your toot. Because every throne needs a crown.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/tutdeco/

🎉 Big news! The StickyBeak will be returning to two episodes a week!

• Wednesdays: Your regular deep dive into the weird, wonderful, and wonderfully strange stories from around the world.
• Mondays: A brand-new episode all about YOUR stories — the wild, funny, and outrageous confessions you send in.

Got a story to share? Be a StickyBeak and submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK_D0b6Cp7WAKDq4thfd4EZNrXJPba1C2r9VZkxptxbYmJtA/viewform! 🦜

Got an Idea for the Podcast?

I’d love to hear from you! If there’s a topic you’d like me to explore or someone you think would make a great guest, flick me a message.

EMAIL: thestickybeakpodcast@outlook.com

INSTAGRAM: @thestickybeakpodcast

TIKTOK: @thestickybeakpodcast

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/listen.with.mon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crop circles have appeared overnight for decades — vast geometric patterns pressed into fields, from rural England to regional Australia. Perfect spirals. Massive fractals. Designs so precise they seem almost impossible.

Are they proof of alien life? Elaborate hoaxes? Or something far more human?

In this episode of The StickyBeak, Mon explores the UFO sightings, the famous Stonehenge formation that stunned the world, and the quiet confessions that changed everything.

Because even if crop circles are made by human hands… the mystery surrounding them refuses to disappear.

Aliens, hoaxers, mass belief — and the enduring question: are we alone?

This episode was brought to you by Tüt, toilet lid stickers to zhuzh up your toot. Because every throne needs a crown.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/tutdeco/

🎉 Big news! The StickyBeak will be returning to two episodes a week!

• Wednesdays: Your regular deep dive into the weird, wonderful, and wonderfully strange stories from around the world.
• Mondays: A brand-new episode all about YOUR stories — the wild, funny, and outrageous confessions you send in.

Got a story to share? Be a StickyBeak and submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK_D0b6Cp7WAKDq4thfd4EZNrXJPba1C2r9VZkxptxbYmJtA/viewform! 🦜

Got an Idea for the Podcast?

I’d love to hear from you! If there’s a topic you’d like me to explore or someone you think would make a great guest, flick me a message.

EMAIL: thestickybeakpodcast@outlook.com

INSTAGRAM: @thestickybeakpodcast

TIKTOK: @thestickybeakpodcast

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/listen.with.mon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.