Kyle Risi

Author Archive

Kyle Risi

Host and writer for The Compendium podcast.

106 total103 episodes3 blogs

Artwork for Frida Kahlo: Pain, Politics, and the Self-Portraits That Made an Icon

2 December 2025

Episode 140

Frida Kahlo: Pain, Politics, and the Self-Portraits That Made an Icon

A young artist survives unimaginable pain and transforms it into paintings so bold and intimate they redefine what art can be. This episode explores Frida Kahlo’s turbulent life, from the accident that reshaped her body...

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Artwork for Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

25 November 2025

Episode 139

Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

A luxury music festival in the Bahamas collapses into chaos, leaving celebrity hype, empty promises, and bewildered guests in its wake. This episode unpacks the rise and ruin of Fyre Festival, from Billy McFarland’s glos...

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Artwork for The Mushroom Murderer: Erin Patterson’s Deadly Family Lunch and the Trial that Shocked the World.

18 November 2025

Episode 138

The Mushroom Murderer: Erin Patterson’s Deadly Family Lunch and the Trial that Shocked the World.

A family lunch ends in three deaths, one near miss, and a swirl of suspicion as police uncover a tale stranger than fiction. This episode examines the Mushroom Murders, where Erin Patterson’s Beef Wellington laced with d...

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Artwork for Space Cadets: How A British Reality Show Convinced Contestants They Were In Space

11 November 2025

Episode 137

Space Cadets: How A British Reality Show Convinced Contestants They Were In Space

A reality show convinces its contestants they’ve been launched into space, creating one of the strangest deceptions in British television history. This episode revisits Space Cadets, the 2005 Channel 4 hoax that used fak...

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Artwork for Reeva Steenkamp: The Night Oscar Pistorius Pulled the Trigger

28 October 2025

Episode 135

Reeva Steenkamp: The Night Oscar Pistorius Pulled the Trigger

A rising sports icon shoots his girlfriend through a locked bathroom door, leaving a nation divided over intent, truth, and justice. This episode revisits the killing of Reeva Steenkamp, tracing Oscar Pistorius’s rapid a...

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Artwork for Princess Diana Part 3: The Final Year, The Fatal Chase, The Last Goodbye

14 October 2025

Episode 133

Princess Diana Part 3: The Final Year, The Fatal Chase, The Last Goodbye

A princess spends her final year hunted by cameras, torn between private love and public myth, before a fatal chase changes the world forever. This episode follows the last chapter of Diana’s life, from her quiet relatio...

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Artwork for Kony 2012: How Social Media Tried to Stop a War

7 October 2025

Episode 132

Kony 2012: How Social Media Tried to Stop a War

A viral video promises to stop a warlord, igniting global frenzy before collapsing into scandal, backlash, and one very public unraveling. This episode revisits Kony 2012, charting how a polished campaign about Joseph Ko...

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Artwork for Princess Diana Part 2: The Truth Behind Her Divorce from Charles and the Royal Fallout

23 September 2025

Episode 130

Princess Diana Part 2: The Truth Behind Her Divorce from Charles and the Royal Fallout

A princess fights for autonomy as her marriage collapses, navigating scandal, heartbreak, and a public image she could no longer control. This episode traces the turbulent years leading to Diana’s divorce from Charles, e...

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Artwork for Anni Dewani: Honeymoon Murder and the Corruption at the Heart of South Africa

16 September 2025

Episode 129

Anni Dewani: Honeymoon Murder and the Corruption at the Heart of South Africa

A honeymoon turns deadly in Cape Town, triggering a case of murder, corruption, and conflicting testimonies that still divides South Africa. This episode retraces the killing of Anni Dewani, from the staged hijacking in...

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Artwork for Princess Diana Part 1: The Royal Romance That Was Over Before It Began

2 September 2025

Episode 127

Princess Diana Part 1: The Royal Romance That Was Over Before It Began

A fairy-tale romance unravels almost instantly, leaving a young woman trapped between duty, loneliness, and a love story that was never built to survive. This episode traces Diana’s early life and whirlwind engagement to...

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Artwork for [Revisited] House of Gucci: A Tale of Glamour, Greed, and Grudges

19 August 2025

Episode 125

[Revisited] House of Gucci: A Tale of Glamour, Greed, and Grudges

In this episode of the Compendium, we’re clutching our pearls as I tell Adam all about the tumultuous saga behind the House of Gucci. From the ambitious beginnings of Guccio Gucci to the tragic murder of Maurizio Gucci....

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Artwork for [Revisited] The Titanic Part 1: The People, The Passions, The Legend!

5 August 2025

Episode 123

[Revisited] The Titanic Part 1: The People, The Passions, The Legend!

In this episode of The Compendium, we're jumping back onboard the highly requested Titanic! This is the first episode of our two-part series, where we delve into the ambitious conception of the RMS Titanic and the enduri...

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