ORIONEWSDiary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett is amplifying dangerous well being misinformation on his number-one ranked podcast, a ORIONEWS investigation has discovered.
Latest claims from visitors – together with that most cancers could be handled by following a keto food plan, reasonably than confirmed remedies – have been allowed by the Dragons’ Den star with little or no problem. Consultants have informed us failing to query these disproven claims is harmful as a result of it creates a mistrust of typical drugs.
In an evaluation of 15 health-related podcast episodes, ORIONEWS World Service discovered every contained a mean of 14 dangerous well being claims that went in opposition to intensive scientific proof.
Flight Studio – the podcast manufacturing firm owned by Mr Bartlett – mentioned visitors have been provided “freedom of expression” and have been “completely researched”.
The podcast launched in 2017 specializing in entrepreneurship and enterprise. It soared in recognition as figures comparable to influencer Molly Mae and Airbnb founder Brian Chesky shared their ideas for achievement.
However prior to now 18 months, Mr Bartlett has concentrated extra on well being, with visitors offered as main specialists of their fields. Their views obtain little problem.
The interviews are additionally posted to Mr Bartlett’s YouTube channel, which has seven million subscribers. Since this content material shift final 12 months, its month-to-month views have elevated from 9 million to fifteen million.
Mr Bartlett informed The Instances in April he anticipated his podcast to make £20m this 12 months, primarily from promoting.
YouTubeWe seemed on the 23 health-related episodes launched between April and November this 12 months, truth checking – with 4 medical specialists – 15 which contained doubtlessly dangerous claims.
The specialists we spoke to have been most cancers analysis professor David Grimes, public confidence in healthcare professor Heidi Larson, NHS diabetes adviser Dr Partha Kar and surgeon Dr Liz O’Riordan.
We recorded dangerous claims as recommendation that, if adopted, may result in adverse well being outcomes.
In that eight-month window, some visitors billed as well being specialists shared correct info, however most have been spreading deceptive claims. These included:
- Anti-vaccine conspiracies, stating that Covid was an engineered weapon
- Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, autism and different issues could be “reversed” with food plan
- Proof-based treatment is “poisonous” for sufferers, downplaying the success of confirmed remedies
Podcasters might declare they’re sharing info, however they’re really sharing dangerous misinformation, says Dr David Grimes from Trinity School Dublin.
“That is a really totally different and never empowering factor. It really imperils all our well being,” he says.
Podcasts within the UK should not regulated by the media regulator Ofcom – which units guidelines on accuracy and impartiality. So Mr Bartlett is just not breaking any broadcasting guidelines.
In a July episode, Mr Bartlett spoke to Aseem Malhotra, a physician who turned recognized throughout the pandemic for spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines.
Within the episode, Dr Malhotra says the “Covid vaccine was a internet adverse for society”. Evaluation by the World Well being Group exhibits that it saved many lives throughout the pandemic.
On the finish of the episode, Mr Bartlett, who doesn’t have a well being background, justified the airing of the discredited views, saying he aimed to “current a number of the different facet” as “the reality is often someplace within the center”.
He added that: “Concepts from the suffragettes, Gandhi and Martin Luther King have been additionally acquired equally horrifically… so we now have to be humble that an thought which may be essential might set off us, however it will possibly’t be censored.”
In response to our investigation, Dr Malhotra informed the ORIONEWS he “utterly settle for[s] that there are nonetheless some individuals who disagree with [his views]” and mentioned that “doesn’t imply that they’ve been debunked”.
In most of the podcast episodes, the visitors claimed to know a easy resolution to well being points which they believed mainstream establishments have been hiding from the general public. They typically additionally marketed their merchandise on the podcast.
Most cancers researcher Dr Thomas Seyfried appeared on the podcast in October. He’s a proponent of utilizing the ketogenic food plan, a food plan low in carbohydrates and excessive in fats, to deal with most cancers.
However Dr Grimes informed us medical doctors warned sufferers in opposition to limiting their food plan whereas present process most cancers therapy.
“You possibly can doubtlessly and really realistically get very, very, sick and have a a lot worse well being final result than should you adopted really useful recommendation out of your oncologists,” he mentioned.
Within the podcast, Dr Seyfried additionally prompt radiotherapy and chemotherapy solely improved sufferers’ lifespan by one-to-two months, evaluating fashionable most cancers remedies to “medieval cures”.
Mr Bartlett didn’t react to this declare.
Most cancers Analysis UK statistics present that UK most cancers survival has doubled prior to now 50 years. Within the US, the most cancers demise fee has declined 33% since 1990, due to fashionable remedies.
Dr Thomas Seyfried informed us he “stands by the statements that he made within the interview”.
The options these visitors are providing are interesting to listeners as they really feel tangible and are available with out the uncomfortable side effects of pharmaceutical medicine, says Prof Heidi Larson, an skilled in public confidence in healthcare.
“However they [the guests] are method overstretching. It sends folks away from evidence-based drugs. They cease doing issues that may have some uncomfortable side effects, regardless that it may save their life.”
Cécile Simmons, from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, a suppose tank specialising in disinformation analysis, believes such a content material will help to develop audiences.
“Well being-related clickbait content material with scary titles does rather well on-line with the algorithm amplifying that,” she mentioned.
Mr Bartlett has dabbled in doubtful well being claims earlier than.
In January, on ORIONEWS Two’s Dragons’ Den – the place aspiring entrepreneurs pitch enterprise concepts to 5 multimillionaire traders, together with Mr Bartlett – he invested in “Ear Seeds”, acupuncture beads positioned within the ear which falsely declare to remedy persistent fatigue situation myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
After complaints, the ORIONEWS has since added a disclaimer within the episode and on iPlayer, stating the “Ear Seeds” should not supposed as a remedy, and medical steerage must be adopted for ME.
A spokesperson for the ORIONEWS declined to remark.
He’s additionally an investor in Huel, a meal substitute firm – and Zoe, which sells a personalised diet programme involving the usage of blood sugar screens.
“He has monetary stakes in well being and wellness firms. And after you have monetary pursuits, you could have then the additional curiosity in specializing in well being and diet,” says Ms Simmons.
Two Fb adverts that includes Mr Bartlett have been lately banned by the Promoting Requirements Authority (ASA) for selling two Huel and Zoe merchandise with out disclosing he was an investor.
Founders of each firms have beforehand been invited as visitors on The Diary of a CEO podcast.
A spokesperson for Flight Studio, Mr Bartlett’s manufacturing firm mentioned: “The Diary of a CEO [DOAC] is an open-minded, long-form dialog… with people recognized for his or her distinguished and eminent profession and/or consequential life expertise.”
They heard a variety of voices, they mentioned, “not simply these Steven and the DOAC staff essentially agree with”.
The ORIONEWS investigation had reviewed a “restricted proportion of visitors” out of the practically 400 broadcast to this point, they added.
