EP41 | Soldiers, Scams and Sisterhood | Coleen Greenwood and Karen Crear | Local Heroes Podcast

This week, Chris and Dan meet sisters Coleen and Karen, two remarkable women who turned one of Britain’s most shocking romance fraud cases into a story of strength, survival, and hope. For years, they were caught in the lies of Greg Wilson - a conman who called himself “James Scott”, a supposed firefighter, devoted fiancé, and local hero. Behind the uniform was a man living multiple lives, manipulating emotions, stealing money, and weaving an astonishing web of deceit.

Coleen and Karen open up about discovering the truth, the media storm that followed, and how they fought back against victim-blaming, online abuse, and trauma. They share how they reclaimed their story through bestselling books (Playing with Fire, Healing from the Burns), the hit BBC podcast Love Bombed, and a new screenplay now in the works. It’s an extraordinary conversation filled with honesty, humour and heart.

From police investigations and courtroom revelations to late-night breakdowns, cancer battles, and ultimately the courage to rebuild their lives, Coleen and Karen talk about what it takes to survive the unthinkable - and how to find laughter again in the darkest places.

Powerful, warm, and surprisingly uplifting, this episode explores how two sisters turned deception into defiance and used their voices to help others recognise the red flags of coercive control and emotional abuse.

After everything they’ve endured, it’s the laughter that lingers. By the end of the chat, talk of fake wedding menus, pulled pork flashbacks and Greggs sausage rolls becomes something more than small talk. Even after betrayal, heartbreak and public scrutiny, Coleen and Karen can still share a joke, raise a smile, and reclaim their story on their own terms. It’s proof that humour can heal, and that even the darkest chapters can end with coffee, cake, and a good laugh.

Trigger warnings: romance fraud, coercive control, emotional abuse.

Proceeds from Coleen and Karen’s books support Women’s Aid.

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