Episode 262: Julie Maughan and Chris Hines - Dirty Business

In this episode of Looking Sideways, I speak to Julie Maughan and Chris Hines about Dirty Business, the recent Channel 4 drama exposing the state of the UK’s water industry since privatisation, and the real-life tragedy at its centre. The story of eight-year-old Heather Preen, who died after contracting E. coli following a sewage spill on a Devon beach, forms the emotional core of the series, and is what really makes this such a powerful piece of storytelling. Because what Dirty Busines s does so effectively is remind you that behind all of this - the corporate failure, the regulatory collapse, the wholesale extraction of profits, the outrageous cynicism - there are devastating, long-lasting human consequences. Julie, Heather’s mother, has spent nearly 30 years campaigning for justice. Alongside environmentalist Chris Hines, she has worked tirelessly to hold those responsible to account and bring national attention to the issue. In this essential, riveting conversation, we explore Heather’s story, the long-term impact on her family, and the wider context: how the UK’s water system reached this point, why it has been allowed to continue; and what it reveals about privatisation, regulatory failure, accountability, and public apathy. This is an urgent look at an issue that affects us all, and what might be the most emotionally impactful and important episode of Looking Sideways I’ve ever recorded. Don’t miss it. -- To find out more about what I do, you can sign up as a subscriber to my Substack newsletter here . There's a brilliant community and much more than just the podcasts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

You can listen to Episode 262: Julie Maughan and Chris Hines - Dirty Business online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 262: Julie Maughan and Chris Hines - Dirty Business is an episode from Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast by Matt Barr.

This episode is 110:33 long.

This episode was published on Apr 6, 2026.

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