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Agatha Christie's shocking disappearance in 1926 gripped the nation. Lucy Worsley unpicks the mystery and reveals the profound influence this episode had on Agatha's writing.

On the evening of 3 December 1926, Agatha Christie left her home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in her Morris Cowley. The next morning, the car was found abandoned, balanced precariously on the edge of a quarry. Ten days later, Agatha was discovered in a hotel in Harrogate, claiming to have lost her memory.

Lucy Worsley delves into this traumatic watershed moment in Agatha's life. She visits the key locations, from the chalk pit where Agatha crashed her car to Abney Hall, the grand house where she took refuge (and which would inspire several of her books). Lucy reveals connections between Agatha's real-life experiences and her novels, and uncovers new evidence about Agatha's mental health and the cutting-edge psychiatric treatment she went on to receive.

Available now

59 minutes

Signed Audio described

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Lucy Worsley
Executive Producer Alexander Leith
Producer Rachel Jardine
Director Rachel Jardine

Broadcasts

  • Fri 2 Dec 2022 21:00
  • Fri 2 Dec 2022 23:05
  • Wed 7 Dec 2022 00:15
  • Fri 30 Dec 2022 13:30
  • Thu 28 Dec 2023 12:30
  • Thu 28 Dec 2023 13:30
  • Sun 24 Mar 2024 10:50
  • Sun 29 Dec 2024 11:55
  • Tue 18 Mar 2025 08:00
  • Sat 26 Jul 2025 19:00
  • Sun 27 Jul 2025 02:45
  • Fri 24 Oct 2025 21:00