The tide turns.
In this episode, Sarah follows the unraveling of IntSAR from the inside out. As members begin to compare notes, stories collide, loyalties shift, and those once closest to Admiral Peter Cowell start to ask the questions they’d long avoided.
Through verified WhatsApp messages, testimony, and recorded conversations, The BADmiral pieces together how the so-called “Admiralty” fractured — revealing a pattern of emotional manipulation, financial confusion, and eroding trust. This is the moment the crew begins to steer their own course.
Peter Cowell was contacted for comment during the production of this series. At the time of publication, no response has been received.
All accounts and opinions in this series are those of the participants, based on their own experiences. Allegations are always attributed to their sources. The story is told in the public interest to examine how trust, belief, and ambition can intertwine.
🔎 Themes: investigative journalism · manipulation · trust · power dynamics · veterans · whistleblowers · human psychology
All episodes of The BADmiral are available now — stream them ad-free and with bonus content:🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Join on Patreon
Follow @conmunitypodcast on Instagram for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and ongoing developments.
Subscribers also get access to exclusive seasons & bonus content including:
🎙️ The Tonka Trilogy – bonus season to Conning the Con
💰 Klooghless – The Long Con – full series ad-free + video extras (where available)
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for videos from all Sarah Ferris Media podcasts → YouTube.com/@SarahFerrisMedia
The BADmiral is Season 2 of CONmunity Podcast (from Sarah Ferris Media) — an independent investigative true-story series exploring trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.
🌐 SarahFerrisMedia.com
🎙️ Explore our other shows:
Stop the Killing — with former FBI agent Katherine Schweit
Watching Two Detectives — true crime told by those who solved it
Guilty Greenie — sustainability without the guilt trip
Klooghless – The Long Con — an award-winning investigation into New Zealand’s largest financial deception
The Bravery Academy — stories of courage and resilience
✳️ Now part of CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con) — from Sarah Ferris Media, telling true stories that explore how belief and ambition intertwine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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51:21
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51:21
S2 | E8 — THE SILENT MUTINY
Loyalty can hold a crew together — until it doesn’t.
In this episode, Sarah uncovers what happens when insiders within IntSAR begin to quietly question the leadership and promises that first inspired them. Through private recordings, WhatsApp messages, and first-hand testimony, the story turns inward: a mutiny not of ships and sailors, but of trust and truth.
As one key figure steps forward to speak, Sarah pieces together how belief begins to break — and how manipulation can keep even the sharpest minds anchored in place.
Peter Cowell was contacted for comment during the production of this series. At the time of publication, no response has been received.
All accounts and opinions in this series are those of the participants, based on their own experiences. Allegations are always attributed to their sources. The story is told in the public interest to examine how trust, belief, and ambition can intertwine.
🔎 Themes: investigative journalism · manipulation · whistleblowing · loyalty · group psychology · veterans · trust
All episodes of The BADmiral are available now — stream them ad-free and with bonus content:🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Join on Patreon
Follow @conmunitypodcast on Instagram for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and ongoing developments.
Subscribers also get access to exclusive seasons & bonus content including:
🎙️ The Tonka Trilogy – bonus season to Conning the Con
💰 Klooghless – The Long Con – full series ad-free + video extras (where available)
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for videos from all Sarah Ferris Media podcasts → YouTube.com/@SarahFerrisMedia
The BADmiral is Season 2 of CONmunity Podcast (from Sarah Ferris Media) — an independent investigative true-story series exploring trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.
🌐 SarahFerrisMedia.com
🎙️ Explore our other shows:
Stop the Killing — with former FBI agent Katherine Schweit
Watching Two Detectives — true crime told by those who solved it
Guilty Greenie — sustainability without the guilt trip
Klooghless – The Long Con — an award-winning investigation into New Zealand’s largest financial deception
The Bravery Academy — stories of courage and resilience
✳️ Now part of CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con) — from Sarah Ferris Media, telling true stories that explore how belief and ambition intertwine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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46:22
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46:22
S2 | E7 — LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS
When secrets start to surface, even the strongest alliances can begin to crack.
In this episode, Sarah turns her focus to those inside IntSAR who began to question what they’d signed up for. Private messages, quiet conversations, and shifting loyalties reveal a turning tide — one where silence is no longer sustainable.
Through first-hand testimony and verified correspondence, The BADmiral explores how doubt spreads within a tight-knit group and what happens when speaking out means risking everything. This is the moment the currents begin to change.
Peter Cowell was contacted for comment during the production of this series. At the time of publication, no response has been received.
All accounts and opinions in this series are those of the participants, based on their own experiences. Allegations are always attributed to their sources. The story is told in the public interest to examine how trust, belief, and ambition can intertwine.
🔎 Themes: investigative journalism · whistleblowers · loyalty · communication · manipulation · trust · group dynamics
All episodes of The BADmiral are available now — stream them ad-free and with bonus content:🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Join on Patreon
Follow @conmunitypodcast on Instagram for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and ongoing developments.
Subscribers also get access to exclusive seasons & bonus content including:
🎙️ The Tonka Trilogy – bonus season to Conning the Con
💰 Klooghless – The Long Con – full series ad-free + video extras (where available)
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for videos from all Sarah Ferris Media podcasts → YouTube.com/@SarahFerrisMedia
The BADmiral is Season 2 of CONmunity Podcast (from Sarah Ferris Media) — an independent investigative true-story series exploring trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.
🌐 SarahFerrisMedia.com
🎙️ Explore our other shows:
Stop the Killing — with former FBI agent Katherine Schweit
Watching Two Detectives — true crime told by those who solved it
Guilty Greenie — sustainability without the guilt trip
Klooghless – The Long Con — an award-winning investigation into New Zealand’s largest financial deception
The Bravery Academy — stories of courage and resilience
✳️ Now part of CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con) — from Sarah Ferris Media, telling true stories that explore how belief and ambition intertwine
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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38:53
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38:53
S2 | E6 — THE PARASITE IN THE HULL
A ship without a captain can drift — but what happens when someone new quietly takes the helm?
In this episode, Sarah investigates how IntSAR evolved through three distinct lifespans: its founding as a small charitable company, its transformation under Peter Cowell’s leadership, and its sleek modern relaunch years later. Each version carries the same crest, motto, and mission — but behind the surface lies a changing cast of characters and unanswered questions.
From archived websites and corporate filings to interviews with those once involved, The BADmiral explores how legitimacy can be borrowed, how old structures can hide new intentions, and how the line between purpose and pretense can blur at sea.
Peter Cowell was contacted for comment during the production of this series. At the time of publication, no response has been received.
All accounts and opinions in this series are those of the participants, based on their own experiences. Allegations are always attributed to their sources. The story is told in the public interest to examine how trust, belief, and ambition can intertwine.
🔎 Themes: investigative journalism · organisational history · veterans · leadership · identity · legitimacy · humanitarian aid
All episodes of The BADmiral are available now — stream them ad-free and with bonus content:🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Join on Patreon
Follow @conmunitypodcast on Instagram for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and ongoing developments.
Subscribers also get access to exclusive seasons & bonus content including:
🎙️ The Tonka Trilogy – bonus season to Conning the Con
💰 Klooghless – The Long Con – full series ad-free + video extras (where available)
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for videos from all Sarah Ferris Media podcasts → YouTube.com/@SarahFerrisMedia
The BADmiral is Season 2 of CONmunity Podcast (from Sarah Ferris Media) — an independent investigative true-story series exploring trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.
🌐 SarahFerrisMedia.com
🎙️ Explore our other shows:
Stop the Killing — with former FBI agent Katherine Schweit
Watching Two Detectives — true crime told by those who solved it
Guilty Greenie — sustainability without the guilt trip
Klooghless – The Long Con — an award-winning investigation into New Zealand’s largest financial deception
The Bravery Academy — stories of courage and resilience
✳️ Now part of CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con) — from Sarah Ferris Media, telling true stories that explore how belief and ambition intertwine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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37:55
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37:55
S2 | E5 — THE TALENTED MR COWELL
The deeper Sarah investigates, the more versions of Admiral Peter Cowell she uncovers. Online profiles, official-looking biographies, and a growing trail of uniforms and honours paint a picture that keeps shifting with every click.
In this episode, Sarah traces how Cowell’s public image evolved — from early job titles to later claims of international rank — and examines the psychology behind reinvention. How does a story take hold, and why do so many accomplished people accept it at face value?
As new evidence emerges from emails, websites, and interviews, Sarah starts to see how credibility can be built one carefully placed detail at a time.
Peter Cowell was contacted for comment during the production of this series. At the time of publication, no response has been received.
All accounts and opinions in this series are those of the participants, based on their own experiences. Allegations are always attributed to their sources. The story is told in the public interest to explore how trust, belief, and ambition can intertwine.
🔎 Themes: investigative journalism · identity · credibility · veterans · leadership · belief · trust · true story
All episodes of The BADmiral are available now — stream them ad-free and with bonus content:🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Join on Patreon
Follow @conmunitypodcast on Instagram for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and ongoing developments.
Subscribers also get access to exclusive seasons & bonus content including:
🎙️ The Tonka Trilogy – bonus season to Conning the Con
💰 Klooghless – The Long Con – full series ad-free + video extras (where available)
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for videos from all Sarah Ferris Media podcasts → YouTube.com/@SarahFerrisMedia
The BADmiral is Season 2 of CONmunity Podcast (from Sarah Ferris Media) — an independent investigative true-story series exploring trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.
🌐 SarahFerrisMedia.com
🎙️ Explore our other shows:
Stop the Killing — with former FBI agent Katherine Schweit
Watching Two Detectives — true crime told by those who solved it
Guilty Greenie — sustainability without the guilt trip
Klooghless – The Long Con — an award-winning investigation into New Zealand’s largest financial deception
The Bravery Academy — stories of courage and resilience
✳️ Now part of CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con) — from Sarah Ferris Media, telling true stories that explore how belief and ambition intertwine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
🎙️ CONmunity Podcast (formerly Conning the Con)
From Sarah Ferris Media
When your gut says something’s off… do you follow it?
Welcome to CONmunity Podcast, the investigative true-story series that explores trust, belief, and the fine line between ambition and illusion.Each season follows a different real-world investigation — told through the voices of those who lived it, questioned it, and tried to make sense of it.
Season 1 (Conning the Con) followed my sister and me as we uncovered one of New Zealand’s most audacious relationship deceptions.Season 2 (The BADmiral) unpacks the rise of a global humanitarian organisation called IntSAR and the extraordinary claims surrounding the man who led it.Over eighteen months of reporting, I’ve traced how veterans, ex-law-enforcement, and humanitarians were drawn in by a vision that promised purpose and service — and how difficult it can be to see what’s real when hope is the hook.
Independent, empathetic, and grounded in firsthand testimony, CONmunity brings listeners inside complex human stories — without assigning guilt, but always asking the questions that matter.