In 2005, Nicola Rayner was working in Buenos Aires and remembers being alerted to the threat of rogue taxi drivers upon arriving in the country. What Nicola didn’t realise is that she would later find herself in the exact situation she had been warned about.

In this week’s podcast, Rayner tells the story of the night a taxi ride quickly turned into an abduction and how she narrowly escaped. “I remember going to open the door, thinking suddenly that I needed to get out of the situation, “ she tells listeners, before sharing the chilling details of how the ordeal unravelled.

Later in the episode she discusses how the experience left a long lasting effect on her mental health, although the true impact of the trauma didn’t emerge until her physical health had improved. “I was so focused on the physical recovery that there wasn’t room to absorb the physiological effects”, she says, explaining how certain situations would trigger panic attacks. “I was constantly on red alert and seeing dangers where there were none.”

Nobody Told Me… I’d be abducted at gunpoint with Nicola Rayner is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast.

Listen back to other episodes in the Nobody Told Me series including YouTube influencer Lucy Wyndham-Read’s story of loss and determination to Kadeena Cox’s amazing journey from suffering a stroke to winning Paralympic gold. Plus, our very own Commercial Editorial Director Susan Riley opens up about the impact losing both her parents has had on her life.