REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana - Cambridge Five: The Spy Scandal That Broke M16

Episode Date: June 24, 2025

They were charming, brilliant, and deeply embedded in the British establishment — but they were also secretly working for the enemy. Later dubbed the Cambridge Five, this ring of Soviet spies passed government secrets to Moscow right under British Intelligence’s nose for decades. But when two of them suddenly vanished in 1951, suspicions erupted into one of the biggest espionage scandals in history, shaking the British and American intelligence communities to their core.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterFollow Redacted: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/redacted/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to redacted, declassified mysteries early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Just before dawn on May 26, 1951, two men stood on the deck of a ship approaching the French coast. One was Donald McLean. He was a high-ranking British diplomat who led the American department in the British Foreign Office. The other was Guy Burgess, an officer in Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6.

On the surface, nothing about this seemed suspicious. Burgess had told friends he was taking a vacation. McLean, however, hadn't informed anyone about his departure and was expected back at work after the weekend. Through the early morning mist, Burgess watched the French port city of Saint-Malo come into view. Despite the open sea air, he felt the walls closing in. He pulled a flask from his coat pocket, his hands shaking as he took a long swig of whiskey. As the ship docked, McLean signaled that it was time to go. The two men descended the gangplank with the rest of the passengers. A crew member reminded them to return within

a few hours before the ship's departure. Burgess smiled and nodded, but he knew they had no intention of coming back. A few hours later, armed with false passports and new identities, they boarded a train bound for their real destination, Moscow. The next Monday in England, British intelligence erupted in chaos. Two of their most senior agents had just defected to the Soviet Union, and one had been just hours away from being arrested. MI6 had spent that very weekend building their case against Donald McLean, convinced he was a Soviet spy.

But their operation crumbled when both McLean and Burgess vanished. Safely behind the Iron Curtain, Burgess wondered how long it would take to discover who had warned them. MI6 had no idea that it was Kim Philby, their own former counterintelligence chief, and a Soviet spy all along. Listen to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Cassie DePeckel, host of Wondery's podcast Against the Odds. In our new season, it's August 3rd, 1991. A cruise ship sails into a brutal storm off South Africa's wild coast and soon starts flooding.

But with no leadership in sight, the ship's entertainers take charge, leading a desperate evacuation before Oceano sinks. Listen to Against the Odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. ["Against the Odds," by Luke Lamanna plays.] From Ballen Studios in Wondery, I'm Luke Lamanna, and this is Redacted, Declassified Mysteries, where each week we shine a light on the shadowy corners of espionage, covert operations, and misinformation to reveal the dark secrets our governments try to hide. shadowy corners of espionage, covert operations, and misinformation

to reveal the dark secrets our governments tried to hide. This week's episode is called Cambridge Five, The Spy Scandal That Broke MI6. In the 1930s, Europe was reeling from the Great Depression and political extremism. Hitler had seized power in Germany, the Spanish Civil War had erupted, and Joseph Stalin's dictatorship tightly controlled the Soviet Union. Amid this turmoil, young men attending the prestigious Cambridge University in England were choosing sides.

Among them was Kim Philby, a brilliant student from a privileged background. As fascism rose in Europe and millions remained unemployed, he became convinced that capitalism had failed. The Soviet Union seemed to offer a powerful alternative with its promise of economic equality. At Cambridge, Philby found others who shared his convictions, but they were united by more than just communist ideals. The students were all from upper-class families, with spotless reputations and high-level connections. Each had a future waiting in the highest reaches of Britain's government.

But someone else saw their potential too. The Soviets recognized these young radicals as ideal recruits for their spy network. Philby, along with Guy Burgess, Donald McLean, John Carencross, and Anthony Blunt, would infiltrate British intelligence, using their elite positions as cover to help keep them undetected for decades. The men would become known as the Cambridge Five, and over the years they would hand Moscow some of the West's most closely guarded secrets, including U.S. atomic research and details of CIA operations. But none proved more damaging than Kim Philby. His deception from deep within the ranks

of British intelligence would become the most notorious betrayal in spy history. On February 24, 1934, 22-year-old Harold Kim Filby stood inside Vienna's City Hall holding the hands of his bride, Lidzi Coleman. Fresh from Cambridge, Filby had arrived in Austria in the fall of 1933 on an idealistic mission. Horrified by the rising tide of fascism in Germany, he was eager to join the city's underground resistance. That's where he met Litzy, a passionate radical whose political beliefs matched his own.

As Philby and Litzy worked together for the revolutionary socialists, they fell madly in love. But when Litzy's activism landed her on the Austrian police's wanted list, Philby saw only one solution – marriage. As his wife, Litzy could leave the country thanks to his British citizenship. So right after their city hall ceremony, they made a quick escape to England, allowing them to continue their work. And Litzy told her new husband she had big plans for his future.

A few weeks later, on June 1st, Philby sat on a bench in Regents Park in London, waiting for someone to show up. Litzy had set up the meeting and said it could change his whole life. When he pressed her for details, she wouldn't give him the man's name. But Philby found himself thrilled by the cloak-and-dagger secrecy. After waiting for several minutes, a stocky man with curly hair stopped in front of Philby. In a thick Eastern European accent, he introduced himself as Otto. This was the friend Lytzi wanted him to meet.

Philby was impressed with Otto's deep knowledge of Marxist theory and Soviet philosophy. The two men shared a vision for a better world and a fierce determination to resist the Nazi threat. But Otto probed Philby's commitment to communism. He wanted to know if Philby would join the cause for peace, even if it meant putting himself in danger. Philby responded with enthusiasm, even expressing interest in joining the Communist Party. But Otto had a different proposition.

He asked if Philby would like to become an undercover agent. He would train Philby in the basics of spycraft, how to leave secret messages, how to spot and lose a tail, and how to figure out if a telephone was bugged. With his heart pounding, Philby agreed to spy for the Soviet Union. They sealed the arrangement with a handshake, and Otto gave Philby his first assignment. He needed to identify other communist friends from Cambridge, especially those who might make good recruits. In the months that followed, Philby identified Donald McLean and convinced him to join the cause by the end of the summer.

Guy Burgess would follow the next year, and by 1937, the KGB had also recruited Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross. They were the cream of Britain's ruling class, and now they were working as Soviet spies. Six years later, in April 1940, Kim Philby sat in the tea room of London's elegant St. Eamon's Hotel. He was about to have the most important job interview of his life. He'd been working as a foreign correspondent for the Times of London, playing the role of a respected journalist. As part of his cover, Philby cut off contact with his old left-wing social circles and publicly embraced conservative politics.

But the entire time he'd been feeding information to his Soviet handlers, and recently Moscow had asked for more, they needed him inside British intelligence. If Philby was successful in the interview, he would be working for MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, and granted access to the country's deepest secrets. He knew he was almost guaranteed the job, given his connections. But as he sipped his tea, Philby silently rehearsed his answers to potential questions. Yes, he'd spent the last few years as a war correspondent reporting from Spain and France. Yes, he'd briefly been interested in communism

at Cambridge, but that was all behind him. And no, of course he hadn't had contact with any Soviet intelligence agents. That would be treason. A few minutes later, a woman strode in. Marjorie Maxey was the head of MI6's Section D, which specialized in covert paramilitary operations. She would determine whether Filby was right for the job. There was someone else with her, Guy Burgess, Filby's friend and fellow Soviet spy who was already working at MI6. They exchanged glances, and Filby smiled.

He knew Burgess had already vouched for him, and so had the deputy head of MI6. They exchanged glances and Philby smiled. He knew Burgess had already vouched for him and so had the deputy head of MI6, who happened to be an old friend of Philby's father. By the end of their meeting, Philby had the job. Maxie said he was exactly what MI6 was looking for. Philby couldn't believe how easy it had been. All those rehearsed answers barely mattered. Because he had the right connections, Philby was about to walk straight into the heart of British intelligence. A year later, in 1941, Kim Philby stood on a train platform in London holding his briefcase.

World War II was in full swing, and his life had changed dramatically since that fateful day seven years ago when he'd first been recruited as a spy. He was now working in MI6's counter-espionage section assigned to the Iberian peninsula. His personal life had transformed too. He had split with Litzy a year after they married, and now he had a family with Eileen Fuerz. She was a more suitable partner for his new position. As the daughter of a respected British family, she helped solidify his image as a trustworthy member of the establishment. MI6 never questioned his living arrangements, just as they'd never questioned his past.

Philby's train car arrived and he boarded, scanning each compartment until he found a vacant one. Two stops later, he slipped off the train and caught another one heading in the opposite direction. Philby did this several more times, moving between trains and buses, to ensure he wasn't being followed. Finally, he emerged in a small park in London. He spotted a man on a bench and sat down next to him.

Then Philby handed him the briefcase. Its contents would prove invaluable to Moscow. Though the Soviet Union was now fighting Hitler alongside Britain, it was still considered an untrustworthy ally. Some intelligence about Nazi Germany was officially shared between the two countries, but other secrets were kept much more closely. Inside that briefcase, Philby had gathered crucial information for the Soviets, Britain's plans for spying on them, the lies they wanted to feed its dictator Stalin, and intercepted messages spelling out Nazi Germany's next moves in their fight with Russia. And most importantly, there was a list of everyone who worked for British intelligence

along with important details. Their likes, their dislikes, and all their fatal flaws had been meticulously compiled and copied by Philby himself. He nodded to the man, and they walked away in opposite directions. Outwardly, Phil B maintained a casual stroll, but he was fighting the urge to look over his shoulder. If anyone discovered that he was sharing secrets, he could be put to death for treason.

We acting bad, bad, bad, bad. We ain't trying to hurt nobody. For decades, he was untouchable. But now it's all coming undone Sean combs the mogul as we know it is over he will never be that person again even if he's found not guilty of these charges. I'm Jesse Weber host of law and crimes the rise and fall of Diddy the federal trial a front row seat to the biggest

trial in entertainment history, sex trafficking racketeering prostitution allegations by federal prosecutors that span decades and witnesses were finally speaking out. The spotlight is harsher the stakes are higher and for did he there may be no second chances. You can listen to the rise and fall of did the federal trial exclusively with wondering plus join wondering plus in the one to react Spotify or Apple podcast right now.

Hey, I'm Cassie to pack all the host of wonder is podcast against the odds in each episode we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who live to tell the tale. In our next season, it's August 3, 1991. A Greek cruise ship, the Oceanos, sets sail into a brutal storm off South Africa's wild coast. Soon after, disaster strikes. A breach in the hull knocks out power and floods the ship, but instead of helping, the

senior officers abandon their posts. With no leadership, the entertainers must step up and lead a desperate evacuation to save hundreds of lives before the ship sinks beneath the sea. Follow Against the Odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge the entire season ad-free right now only on Wondery+. Several years later, on a cool night in 1947, Kim Filby walked through a field in Turkey close to the Georgian border. The world had changed dramatically since the war ended in 1945. Though the Allies had defeated Hitler, a new Cold War had begun.

The Soviet Union was emerging as the greatest threat to the West, and Philby's position within MI6 made him the perfect weapon. Philby had convinced the agency to make him station chief in Istanbul. There he would oversee British efforts to help Georgian exiles fight back against Soviet control of their homeland, but his real mission was to ensure these operations failed and to hand the rebels over to Moscow. That night, two young men walked beside him in the darkness, both 20 years old and from an exiled Georgian community

in France. Philby had recruited them as rebels for a secret operation code named Climber. He could sense their fear as they edge closer to the Georgian border. They stopped and Philby gave his recruits one final briefing. The two would cross into Georgia, establish radio contact with the anti-Soviet rebels,

and set up a secure communication network. This would be MI6's first step in supporting the resistance. If they succeeded, they'd be heroes who helped free their homeland. But if they failed, MI6 would abandon all operations in Georgia, and their country's chance for freedom would die with them. The young men nodded nervously. They said they were ready. Philby handed them the last of the supplies they would need for their mission—radios,

gold coins, and two guns. He saluted them and sent them on their way. Philby then watched them cross the border and head for a grove of trees. The young men tried to stay in the shadows, but Philby knew it was useless. Soviet forces were waiting for them, just as he had planned. Within seconds, gunfire pierced the silence. One of the young men was hit and collapsed, dying instantly. The other managed to avoid getting shot, but his luck was short-lived. Soviet forces dragged him away. Philby knew he would likely be tortured before being killed.

Philby vanished back into the night, already composing his report to MI6. He'd need to mask any of his own satisfaction while explaining to them how the mission had failed. Though a disaster for British intelligence, it was a triumph for Moscow. But even as Philby savored this victory, someone was closing in on his secrets. Later that year in Washington, D.C., Meredith Gardner sat hunched over his desk in the Department of Defense. He was a linguist and codebreaker and led the Venona Project, a counterintelligence

program intended to decrypt Soviet communications. Gardner and his team combed through countless telegrams intercepted from the Soviet Union and tried to crack a code many experts considered unbreakable. They'd been at it for three years with no luck. A cryptanalyst dropped a fresh stack of telegrams on Gardner's desk. He sighed and started the tedious process of going through them. As he studied one of the new messages, something caught his eye.

A sequence of code he thought he'd seen before. Gardner scrambled through piles of old telegrams until he found it, an identical string of encryption from years earlier. Someone in Moscow had reused this code. Their mistake now gave Gardner his first real chance to crack the Soviet system. He spent the next several months working painstakingly to decipher the code, and when he finally broke it, he rushed to deliver his findings to his supervisors. What he discovered would shake Western intelligence to its core. Some of the messages were from the Soviets'

main counterintelligence agency, the KGB, and the recipients were Soviet agents managing spies operating across the globe, including right here in the United States. Four years later, in June of 1950, Meredith Gardner shook hands with MI6's new Washington, D.C. station chief. As Gardner led him through the Venona Project's office, he explained how his team had continued their work, decoding hundreds of Soviet telegrams

and uncovering an extensive network of KGB spy operations. They'd recently discovered messages about two British spies codenamed Homer and Stanley. According to the decrypted cables, Homer had been leaking secrets directly from the British Embassy in Washington back in 1945. It was more difficult to tell what Stanley had done, but it was clear he was a government insider. Gardner said that they hadn't figured out their real identities yet, but he was sure they were close to cracking them. The MI6 chief listened intently to this bombshell intelligence, studying the messages with professional detachment. Then he simply

asked if he could return to monitor any new discoveries. Gardner agreed, impressed by the man's calm despite hearing such shocking news. What Gardner couldn't know was that his visitor that day, MI6's new station chief, Kim Philby, knew exactly who Homer was. He was Donald McLean, Philby's old Cambridge friend who he had helped recruit as a Soviet spy. And Stanley was Philby himself. In late May of 1951, Kim Philby slid into a red booth at a Chinese restaurant near the

British Embassy in Washington, D.C. He scanned the dining room and gauged the background music. It was just loud enough to mask conversation. Since learning about the Venona project a year earlier, Philby had maintained his cool facade. But paranoia gnawed at him, and now the hammer was about to drop. Philby glanced up and saw Guy Burgess weaving toward his booth. His MI6 colleague, also stationed in DC, was already drunk at midday.

Philby pursed his lips. If Burgess wasn't careful, he could become a liability. Once Burgess sat down, Philby lowered his voice to deliver the bad news. U.S. intelligence finally made a breakthrough identifying the Soviet spy codenamed Homer. They had decoded a message from 1944 that indicated Homer had a pregnant wife staying in New York City. There was only one British embassy employee from that time who fit the description. It was Donald McLean, their mutual friend from Cambridge who worked for the Foreign

Office. Between 1944 and 1948, McLean had proven invaluable to Moscow. From his position in the British Embassy, he had passed along confidential messages between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, and later between their successors. Even more critically, he had revealed the closely guarded progress of America's atomic bomb development. Philby watched his friend's face drop.

Then Burgess pulled out the flask he always kept in his pocket and took a long pull. When he spoke, his voice shook uneasily. He said McLean would surely crack once he was interrogated. Then they'd come for him and Philby too. Philby reassured him. He'd already spoken to their Soviet handlers, and they had a plan. Tomorrow Burgess would leave for England and warn McLean. McLean would defect to the Soviet Union. Burgess would then return to the States and back to his routine. Burgess took another nervous sip and nodded.

Philby issued one final warning. Under no circumstances could Burgess defect with McLean. One spy's escape could be contained. But if Burgess disappeared too, the trail would lead straight to Philby and Moscow's entire network of secret agents. Today is the worst day of Abby's life. The 17-year-old cradles her newborn son in her arms. They all saw how much I loved him.

They didn't have to take him from me. Between 1945 and the early 1970s, families shipped their pregnant teenage daughters to maternity homes and forced them to secretly place their babies for adoption. In hidden corners across America, it's still happening. My parents had me locked up in the godparent home against my will.

They worked with them to manipulate me and to steal my son away from me. The godparent home is the brainchild of controversial preacher Jerry Falwell, the father of the modern evangelical right and the founder of Liberty University, where powerful men, emboldened by their faith, determine who gets to be a parent and who must give their child away. Follow Liberty Lost on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You know those creepy stories that give you goosebumps? The ones that make you really question what's real?

Well, what if I told you that some of the strangest, darkest, and most mysterious stories are not found in haunted houses or abandoned forests, but instead in hospital rooms and doctor's offices. Hi, I'm Mr. Ballin, the host of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, and each week on my podcast, you can expect to hear stories about bizarre illnesses no one can explain, miraculous recoveries that shouldn't have happened, and cases so baffling they stumped even the best doctors. So if you crave totally true and thoroughly twisted horror stories and mysteries, Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show. Listen to Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries on the Wondry app or wherever you get your

podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free right now by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Kim Philby gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove through Great Falls Park in Virginia. It was early June, 1951, just days after sending Guy Burgess to warn Donald McLean about his blown cover. But instead of simply delivering the warning, Burgess had done exactly what Philby told

him not to do. He'd panicked and defected to the Soviet Union with McLean. The discovery sent shockwaves through the British and American intelligence communities. Philby knew he would soon face intense scrutiny over his connections to both double agents, but figured he had two options, run or stay and hold his ground. But he knew the odds were stacked against him. The newspapers were relentless in their speculation about a third man who must have tipped off both spies, and everyone knew Burgess had been Philby's

close friend. Philby pulled over and got out of the car, slinging a duffel bag over his shoulder. He made his way toward a grove of trees, then knelt and examined the contents of the bag. A camera, some film, a small shovel, and documents full of sensitive information. Every shred of evidence he possessed that tied him to the Soviets. He grabbed the shovel and began to dig. For a moment, he considered contacting his Soviet handlers.

They could arrange his escape to Moscow, just as they had for Burgess and a clean. A new identity and a new life would be waiting. But as he buried the evidence, he thought about his years of dedication to the communist cause. His conviction had never wavered. He still believed it was humanity's best path forward. To run now would mean surrendering everything he'd worked for. Philby got back in his car. As he turned onto the expressway toward Washington, he made his decision. He was going to stay and face whatever came. On June 14, 1951, Philby entered MI5's interrogation room in London. He'd been summoned

back from Washington two days earlier to face questions about Burgess and McLean. Though he worked for MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, it was MI5, the domestic security service, that would question him. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. One mistake could reveal not only his knowledge of his colleagues spying, but also his own role as a double agent. He found Jack Easton, his co-worker at MI6, and Dick White, the chief of MI5, waiting for him. Easton began the interrogation with an air of apology. He recognized Philby as one of the top men in MI6 and seemed uncomfortable with the whole business. Easton assured Philby that they didn't suspect him of betraying his government.

To Easton, his only fault was being close friends with the charming drunk who had deceived him. But Dick White, from MI5, was far more suspicious. Filby worked to deflect White's questions about his past, starting with his first wife, Litsie. He didn't deny she had been a communist, but he said he fought hard to change her mind, and he insisted that he'd never join the party himself. His answers grew more defensive as he tried to explain the Georgian border incident that took the lives of anti-Soviet rebels.

Despite years of rehearsing for this kind of interrogation, Philby found himself stammering through his answers. White informed Philby that MI5 wasn't alone in their suspicions. The CIA was also convinced he was a spy. Then White delivered some crushing news. Washington had cabled that morning with an ultimatum. Either MI6 dismissed Philby, or their relationship with American intelligence would end. Philby had denied everything, but he left the interview uncertain of his fate. After days of deliberation, the solution from MI6 proved surprisingly lenient. They would force Philby to resign quietly and give him a generous severance package.

The deal was simple, leave without protest, and the matter would be swept under the rug. Philby agreed and resigned in the summer of 1951, but by that point his betrayal had been staggering. As head of MI6's Soviet counterintelligence section, he had protected Moscow's spy networks while exposing British operations. His position had given him access to the most sensitive intelligence about Western operations against the Soviet Union, information he passed directly to Moscow. Philby could hardly believe his luck. He was saved by the lack of concrete evidence against him,

at least for now. Over a decade later, on a warm August night in 1962, a former MI5 officer named Victor Rothschild was at a party in Israel. He was catching up with an old friend from London named Flora Solomon when the name of another acquaintance came up, Kim Philby. Flora said that she was shocked to hear Philby had been hired to write for a British paper. She said they must know he was a communist. Victor was startled and asked how she knew that. She revealed that back in the 1930s, Philby had tried to recruit her to secretly work

for the communist cause. She remembered clearly how passionate Philby had been about communism. Victor assured her he would report this to MI5 when he returned to London. Since Donald McLean and Guy Burgess' defection to Russia, British intelligence had been searching for a third spy within their ranks. While suspicion had long fallen on Philby, Flores' testimony could be the first tangible proof of his continuing communist activities, and possibly the key to uncovering more. On January 12, 1963, Kim Philby walked up the stairs to an apartment in Beirut, Lebanon.

He'd been living there for nearly a decade, following his forced resignation from MI6 and spending some time in London. Though he'd rebuilt his life, even remarrying and returning to journalism, his spying continued. Using his position as a journalist, he was able to continue gathering intelligence for Moscow. But money was tight, so when the new MI6 station chief asked to meet, Philby felt hopeful. Maybe they'd finally take him back. He knocked on the apartment door, but the man who answered wasn't the station chief. It was Nicholas Elliott, an MI6 officer Philby had known since 1940. Philby kept calm, but he knew this wouldn't be a friendly chat. Elliott waved him in and got straight to the point.

MI5 had been digging into Filby's past. It had started with Flora Solomon's testimony about Filby trying to recruit her in the 1930s. Now combined with testimony from a Soviet defector and a fresh examination of Filby's career, they had strong evidence that he was a Soviet spy. They knew Philby was the third man who had tipped off Donald McLean and Guy Burgess back in 1951. Philby's response was immediate and practiced, total denial. He feigned disbelief that his friend could doubt him after all these years.

Elliott erupted in fury. Philby had betrayed not only their friendship, but his family and his country too. He told Philby he had two options. Admit to being a spy, confess everything he knew, and get immunity from prosecution. Or he could keep denying his freedom and lose everything. His passport, his citizenship, the ability to work or open a bank account. His life would effectively be over. Philby chose his response carefully. Over glasses of brandy, he admitted to spying for

the Soviets, but only in the 1930s, long before joining MI6. Then for the next four days, he revealed just enough to seem cooperative, while never telling the full truth. He was buying time, while he plotted his escape. As Eliot pressed him to take the immunity deal, Philby saw it for what it was, another kind of prison. MI6 would force him to betray his communist ideals and he'd spend the rest of his life under their control. He needed to

contact his Soviet handlers, but Eliot was watching his every move. Then Philby caught a lucky break. Eliot went to Africa and, for unknown reasons, hadn't arranged any surveillance. Philby seized this opportunity to contact his Russian handlers. They told him that on January 23rd, a man would walk by his apartment. If he was carrying a book, everything was set for him to flee to Russia immediately. If he held a newspaper, it would signal they needed more time to plan his escape. On the 23rd, Philby sat on his balcony, staring out through the rain. Finally, he spotted a man in the distance, walking down the road. Philby leaned

forward and saw what he'd hoped for. The man was holding a book. Philby rushed out of his apartment, telling his wife he'd be back in a few hours for a dinner party. Instead, he got in a waiting car and headed for the harbor. From there, he boarded a ship that took him to his new life in Moscow. Word soon spread about Philby's defection. The betrayal by MI6's former counterintelligence chief sent shockwaves through British intelligence. Since Philby, Burgess, and McLean had all attended Cambridge University, the press dubbed it the Cambridge Spy Scandal.

But there were more secrets that would take almost two decades to surface. Nearly 17 years after Philby fled to Russia on November 15, 1979, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher spoke before the House of Commons. She confirmed what a recent newspaper article had exposed. Anthony Blunt, the royal family's art curator and a Cambridge alumnus, had been a Soviet spy. Even more shocking, Blunt had confessed this back in 1964 in exchange for immunity from prosecution. For 15 years, many in the government, including the royal household, had known of his treachery, yet allowed him to keep his prestigious position.

The British public was stunned. Not only had Blunt passed sensitive information and names of British agents to the Soviets, potentially getting them killed, but their own government had covered it up to avoid embarrassment, and many wondered what other secrets the government was hiding, if they could hide such a profound betrayal that long. In 1981, they got an answer. Margaret Thatcher revealed yet another spy, John Cairncross, who was also recruited from Cambridge. From his position at the code-breaking center, Bletchley Park, he had passed decoded German

messages to Moscow, giving the Soviets advanced warning of Nazi military operations. Like Blunt, his role as a double agent had been hidden from the public for 15 years to avoid embarrassing the government. In the end, consequences caught up with all five Cambridge spies, in one form or another. After Kim Philby arrived in Russia, he lived under house arrest for nearly a decade, distrusted by the very people he'd served for years. Guy Burgess and Don McLean both died in exile in Russia. Anthony Blunt was stripped of his positions and his knighthood and died three years later.

John Cairncross was forced into exile in mainland Europe, but was eventually allowed to return to England before his death in 1995. The Cambridge Five scandal permanently shook British society. The revelations, spread across decades, exposed not just the extent of Soviet infiltration, but also the government's willingness to hide uncomfortable truths. The British public was left wondering how many lives had been sacrificed to protect the reputation of the establishment. Follow redacted, declassified mysteries hosted by me, Luke Lamanna, on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're looking to dive into more gripping stories from Ballin Studios and Wondery, you

can also listen to my other podcast, Wartime Stories, early and ad-free with Wondery Plus. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify today. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey. From Ballen Studios in Wondery, this is Redacted, Declassified Mysteries, hosted by me, Luke Lamanna. A quick note about our stories. We do a lot of research, but some details and scenes are dramatized.

We used many different sources for our show, but we especially recommend A Spy Among Friends, Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben McIntyre, the article Kim Philby and the Age of Paranoia by Ron Rosenbaum for the New York Times, and the article, MI5 and MI6 Cover-Up of Cambridge Spy Ring, Laid Bare in Archive Papers by Richard Norton Taylor in The Guardian. This episode was written by Nina Mohan.

Sound design by Ryan Patesta. Our producers are Christopher B. Dunn and John Reed. Our associate producers are Ines Renikay and Molly Quinlan-Artwick. Fact-checking by Sheila Patterson. For Bollin Studios, our head of production is Zach Levitt. Script editing by Scott Allen. Our coordinating producer is Samantha Collins. Production support by Avery Siegel.

Produced by me, Luke Lamanna. Executive producers are Mr. Bollin and Nick Witters. For Wondery, our senior producers are Laura Donna Palavota, Dave Schilling, and Rachel Engelman. Senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. Managing producer is Olivia Fonte. Executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louie. For Wondery. 20 years ago, on July 7, 2005, the 7-7 bombings rocked London. My first memory was of flying through the air. The use of suicide as a means of attack, that was something which we never saw. I'm Thomas Small, the co-host of Conflicted, a podcast about radical Islam. In this special

documentary series, we'll tell you the story of 7-7, as you've never heard it before, from the inside. And to tell that story, I've got some help from my old friend and the co-host of conflicted ex-Al-Qaeda terrorist turned MI6 spy, Amon Dean. I actually encountered three of the perpetrators of 7.7 in late 2002. Binge all episodes of 7.7 The Inside Story exclusively and ad-free right now on Wondry+.