How to watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' online — stream the 'Our Lives' special from anywhere

Ioan Lord and Al Tansey stand in a dark, rocky shaft wearing headlamps in Secrets of the Lost Mines
(Image credit: BBC)

Their fascinating, hair-raising exploits, excavating abandoned Welsh mines in search of long-buried stories and artefacts, have earned Ioan Lord and Al Tansey – respectively a steam train worker and dairy farmer by day – a 40,000-subscriber YouTube channel, and now a TV special, for which they'll undertake their most ambitious expedition yet.

Here's how to watch "Secrets of the Lost Mines" online from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free.

"Secrets of the Lost Mines" dates, time, channel

"Secrets of the Lost Mines" airs for free in the U.K. on Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. GMT (3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT) on BBC One.
WATCH FREE — BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free

The 30-minute special sees Ioan and Al return to their Everest, the sprawling, multi-level 'Museum Mine', as they've nicknamed it, after all of the relics they're yet to unearth. For years, their efforts to explore its labyrinth of tunnels were frustrated by a blockade, but they've now cleared a new pathway.

Informed by hours of meticulous research conducted at the National Library in Aberystwyth, Ioan believes it's a treasure trove of Victorian artefacts, and also the former worksite of one of his ancestors.

In their own words, they want to make sure the people who lived, worked and died in these mines, in appalling conditions, are remembered. Read on to find out how to watch "Secrets of the Lost Mines" online, on TV and from anywhere.

How to watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' free online

BBC OneFriday, November 17:30 p.m. GMTstream for FREE on BBC iPlayer

"Secrets of the Lost Mines" will air on BBC One on Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. GMT. It's been available to stream for FREE on BBC iPlayer since August 16.

Both BBC One and BBC iPlayer are free with a valid TV licence.

You don't have to miss it if you're a Brit exiled abroad because you can unblock BBC iPlayer with a VPN. We'll show you how to do that below...

How to watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' from abroad

Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), "Secrets of the Lost Mines" should be available to Brits no matter where they are. The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you find yourself. Our favorite is NordVPN.

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There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 5,000 servers, across 60 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend.

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Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. and want to view a British service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and watch the show. Head to BBC iPlayer to watch "Secrets of the Lost Mines" online and on-demand.

How to watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' around the world

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Can I watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' in the U.S.?

There are currently no plans to air "Secrets of the Lost Mines" in the U.S. but if you are a Brit across the pond for work or on vacation you can catch the show by using a VPN such as NordVPN.

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Can I watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' in Canada?

There's no confirmed broadcast slot for "Secrets of the Lost Mines" in Canada yet, but if you're you're usually based in the U.K. but are visiting Canada, you can still catch the documentary by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.

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Can I watch 'Secrets of the Lost Mines' in Australia?

Similarly, there are currently no plans to air "Secrets of the Lost Mines" in Australia, but if you're Down Under from the U.K., you can catch the show by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.

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Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about technology, sport and politics for a wide range of publications including TechRadar, What Hi-Fi?, The Independent, Trusted Reviews, and Newsweek. These days, he focuses mainly on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: live TV and penny-pinching. When he's not attending a top-flight English soccer match, you can find him perfecting his table tennis skills.

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