The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 1: Get Back Down Here Off Your High Horse

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

Show Notes

In the years leading up to Derek’s conviction, his victims sometimes came forward to the media about their experiences. But when they did so, the reaction from the public wasn’t always sympathetic. In bonus episode one, Anna takes a closer look at the stigma that surrounds romance fraud with journalist Rachel Monroe, who covered Derek’s sentencing for The Atlantic back in 2018. In this four part mini-series, we take a deep dive into our archive of never before heard interviews, to take a closer look at the key themes that underpinned Trust Me Babe. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org. To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/ The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today!

More from The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

Oct 19, 2026

During the early AIDS crisis, one man was wrongly branded “Patient Zero.” As airlines began hiring male flight attendants, fear and homophobia converged around Gaëtan Dugas, turning him into a symbol of blame. This episode exposes how flawed science and stigma created a myth with lasting harm. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

Oct 12, 2026

The fight reaches its climax as stewardesses race to win support for a new union. With careers and futures on the line, Nell documents the high-stakes vote that will decide it all and the lasting legacy these women leave on labor rights and women’s work. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

Oct 5, 2026

Frustrated with their male-dominated union, a group of stewardesses consider a radical idea: forming their own union. Nell follows secret meetings, whispered alliances, and mounting risks as the women decide whether to stay loyal or gamble everything on independence. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

Sep 28, 2026

As stewardesses push for dignity at work, everyday encounters expose how deeply power and sexism run in the airline industry. From union politics to moments of personal reckoning, Nell traces how one stewardess is forced to confront the cost of following the rules and the courage required to break them. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ You heard archive from an NBC special Report called The Teamsters Union Power, a clip from an ABC News story on Loving v Virginia and a CBS report celebrating the first ATM.

Sep 21, 2026

In the 1960s, marriage could cost a stewardess her job. As a result, United Airlines flight attendant Celeste Brodigan lives a double life, hiding her husband from management. When the truth is discovered, the airline begins watching her every move until Celeste stands up for herself and her marriage, sparking a wider rebellion across the industry. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ You heard archive including chanting from the documentary The March by James Blue, a news clip from AP on the Civil Rights Act Of 1964, The National Airlines Commercial: "Fly Me", and a clip from NBC’s Hunter Brinkley Report.

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