Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they discuss W.T. Stead's Victorian journalism scandal, the Maiden Tribute, and his shocking methods. Stead was one of the most controversial figures of the 19th century, a crusading newspaper editor for the Pall Mall Gazette who set out to change the world. He's most famous for his explosive 1885 exposé, "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon," which uncovered the horrifying scale of child sex trafficking in London. To prove his story, however, Stead used methods so extreme they landed him in prison and divided the nation. With guest historian Dr. Bob Nicholson, presenter of the BBC podcast Killing Victoria, this episode explores the life of a man who was equal parts moral crusader and sensationalist showman. From his pioneering undercover work and the scandal that made him famous to his bizarre later life as a spiritualist who claimed to speak with the dead, the conversation uncovers the truth behind the legend. In an ending you couldn't make up, we also discuss Stead's final, dramatic chapter: his death aboard the Titanic. Edited by Tim Arstall. Research by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Video Edited by Anna Brant. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #AfterDark #WTStead