Jessica Biel’s Iron Ocean Productions & ATTN: Set ‘The Lost Olympians’ Podcast At Audible

EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Biel is moving into podcast production.

Iron Ocean Productions, the production company Biel runs with Michelle Purple, has teamed up with ATTN: to produce a three-part series about legendary swimmer Lesley Cairns for Audible.

The Amazon-owned audio platform has ordered the series, which also marks the first podcast produced by digital media firm ATTN:, which was founded by Matthew Segal and Jarrett Moreno in 2014.

The Lost Olympians tells the story of Cairns, one of the best swimmers in the world, whose chance to compete on the world stage was stolen by the political forces of Apartheid in 1970’s South Africa. Interwoven throughout Lesley’s story is the history of the construction of Apartheid and how the effects of the devastating policies still ripple through society today.

The series is narrated by Patrick Cairns and executive produced by Biel and Purple for Iron Ocean, Segal and Moreno for ATTN: and Matt Fabbri and Patrick Cairns for 1310 Productions.

Iron Ocean previously produced a TV series, Limetown, for Facebook Watch, which was based on a podcast. Last year, the company struck a two-year first-look deal with Paramount Television Studios.

“We are excited to continue creating female driven content and to launch Iron Ocean into the podcast world with this incredible story,” said Jessica Biel.

“We are so proud to be working with ATTN: and Audible to bring Lesley’s story to life and to share it with listeners around the world,” added Michelle Purple.

Separately, ATTN: and Audible are also collaborating on a second podcast, Bizarre History

Bizarre History is an eight-part audio series that takes listeners on a journey through history to explore the origins of favorite pastimes, cultural traditions, and societal norms and examines how they became commonplace – and what they say about our society and culture today. From the surprising origin of the Caesar salad in Tijuana to the connection between Hollywood’s Golden Age and the development of waterproof mascara, Bizarre History will uncover the untold stories about the most ubiquitous, and often overlooked items, in everyday life.

“For the past six years we have used short and mid-form video to tell interesting and important stories everywhere from Instagram to TikTok to streaming and broadcast,” said ATTN:’s Segal. “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Audible and Iron Ocean in the podcast space and know this story, with its compelling historical and justice themes, will resonate deeply with listeners.”