Heretics | Andrew Gold

Simon Schama shares some of my concerns about political Islam - so why won’t he accept my conclusion about America’s new Muslim leaders?Historian Simon Schama joins me, Andrew Gold, on Heretics to debate Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed and a question with consequences beyond America: are we underestimating political Islam, or letting our fears run ahead of the evidence?I challenge him on a possible double standard over theocracy. He challenges me on what would actually prove my suspicions. But when he asks what I would do about it, the conversation takes a different turn.We discuss multiculturalism, the progressive left, Israel, antisemitism and whether education can tackle fundamentalism. Schama also shares a childhood memory that reveals a disturbing chapter of British history.Watch through before deciding whose argument you find stronger—and tell us where you disagree. Subscribe to Heretics for more conversations that test what we believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Sloss was warned that speaking out about Russell Brand could cost him his career—so why did he do it? And who else was involved? Follow Daniel Sloss here: https://www.instagram.com/danielsloss Check out his live shows: https://danielsloss.com/tour The comedian joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to discuss the Russell Brand documentary, the rumours he heard on the comedy scene since he was 19, and the people who tried to talk him out of speaking publicly. But was Brand the only comedian he was hearing stories about? Sloss explains why his stand-up show X made staying silent feel hypocritical. Andrew challenges him on Brand’s intelligence, grooming gangs, media bias and religion—and asks how much anyone should risk by speaking up. Then the conversation gets personal: Netflix success, the loneliness of touring, alcohol, cannabis and recovery. Why didn’t the love of an audience help Sloss like himself—and what is the one thing he doesn’t want to pass on to his son? Subscribe to Heretics with Andrew Gold for more conversations like this. Would you risk your career to speak out? Tell us in the comments. Recorded before Russell Brand’s trial. The opening includes an update on the verdict. #DanielSloss #RussellBrand #Heretics #AndrewGold #ComedyPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurence Fox says Benedict Cumberbatch won’t look at him. Then he tells me what happened with his own brother… The Lewis actor joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to discuss the political expectations inside the acting industry—and why he believes actors have “two scripts”: the one they perform on screen and the one they must repeat to keep working. Laurence describes his encounters with Benedict Cumberbatch, the pressure on his cousin Emilia Fox to answer questions about him, and the divisions within his famous acting family. He also opens up about missing acting and the moment he decided he could no longer keep being fake.We revisit his BBC Question Time appearance, the Meghan Markle controversy and the backlash that followed. We discuss Robert De Niro, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hollywood politics and the double standards Laurence sees in celebrity activism. Plus, Laurence explains how he devised his Oxford Union envelope stunt—and reveals why the battered acting award he brought into the studio carries a story about an old friendship.What does refusing to follow the script cost an actor: work, friendships, family—or all three? Should an actor’s political opinions affect whether they get hired? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to Heretics for more interviews exploring free speech, cancel culture and what happens behind the public image. #LaurenceFox #AndrewGold #Heretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I told Young Bob I thought Britain was finished. Then I asked how far he’d go to save it… Young Bob joins Andrew Gold for a revealing interview about English identity, mass immigration, Christianity and Britain’s future. From Charlie Kirk-style campus debates to his support for Restore Britain, the 18-year-old activist explains his political beliefs—and where he thinks Reform UK is going wrong. What makes someone English: ancestry, culture or generations of belonging? What would remigration and mass deportation actually involve? And what happens if people refuse to leave? Bob describes six arrests, the impact of attacks and threats on his family, and why having an identical twin makes his public life even more complicated. He also discusses autism, loneliness and the support he has found in his fiancée, faith and community. Our conversation takes a deeply personal turn before we tackle abortion, the pro-life argument and how becoming a parent can challenge your convictions. Where do you agree with Young Bob—and what would you challenge him on? Let me know in the comments, and subscribe for more interviews. #YoungBob #AndrewGold #UKPolitics #EnglishIdentity #CharlieKirk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five family members murdered. One disputed phone call. Could Jeremy Bamber be serving life for a crime he didn’t commit? --- Matthew has recently faced homelessness. If you’re able to help, you can support Matthew via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MatthewJSteeples). Sharing this episode and leaving a supportive comment would also mean a great deal. --- Matthew Steeples joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to examine the White House Farm murders, Jeremy Bamber’s conviction and the evidence Matthew believes demands a fresh investigation. In 1985, five members of the Bamber family were killed at their farmhouse in Essex. Jeremy Bamber was convicted the following year and has consistently maintained his innocence. But a disputed account of a 6:09am emergency call raises an unsettling question: if Bamber was outside with police, who could have been calling from inside? How did an apparent murder-suicide become a murder conviction? Why does the silencer remain so fiercely contested? And what happened to evidence that might have helped establish the truth? We explore Sheila Caffell’s story, Julie Mugford’s testimony, questions about Essex Police’s handling of the crime scene, and the investigation by The New Yorker’s Heidi Blake, discussed in the Blood Relatives podcast. Matthew explains why he changed his mind about the case—and why he believes the fight over Bamber’s conviction is far from over. Could this be a miscarriage of justice? Or do the doubts fall short of overturning the verdict? Which detail deserves the closest scrutiny: the phone call, the silencer or the handling of the crime scene? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe to Heretics for more conversations with Andrew Gold. #JeremyBamber #WhiteHouseFarm #TrueCrime #MatthewSteeples #Heretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood insiders tell Adam Carolla: “I agree with you, but don’t out me.” What are they afraid would happen if people found out? Comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to discuss the private dissent behind Hollywood’s public politics. From sitcom and late-night writers’ rooms to conversations on set, Carolla explains why he believes political conformity is a business decision—and why some people quietly agree with him while asking him to keep it secret. Subscribe to Adam's show: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdamCarollaShow1 Who gets hired in Hollywood? What happens when someone reveals they voted for Donald Trump? And how much of the entertainment industry’s public moral certainty comes from conviction, career pressure or fear of being blackballed? The conversation then turns to Los Angeles and California’s decline. Carolla gives his verdict on homelessness, rising taxes, housing regulations, Gavin Newsom’s COVID restrictions and the California exodus. He explains his controversial “gynofascism” theory, while Andrew challenges him on authoritarianism, immigration and the changing identity of London and Europe. They also explore liberal elites’ distance from everyday life, the politics people take with them when they move, and Carolla’s argument that modern comfort is costing us practical skills and independence. From AI to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell, the discussion ends with a question: can California recover—or is it time to leave? Subscribe to Heretics with Andrew Gold for candid interviews about free speech, power, politics and the ideas people hesitate to discuss publicly. What do you think: how much does Hollywood’s public image reveal about what people inside it actually believe? #AdamCarolla #AndrewGold #Heretics #Hollywood #FreeSpeech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She asked an American organ buyer whether someone had been killed for his pancreas—then he turned the question back on her… Mariana van Zeller, the Peabody and Emmy-winning investigative journalist behind National Geographic’s Trafficked, joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to discuss organ trafficking, murder for hire and the hidden networks profiting from human suffering. From an armed hitman in Los Angeles to an American buying a pancreas on the black market, Mariana shares what happened when she confronted the people inside these criminal economies. We discuss whistleblowers killed after exposing corruption, a doctor who said he worked for a cartel, and the questions organ buyers would rather avoid. The conversation also covers Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew and the treatment of powerful people—as well as a disagreement about human nature: are people born evil, or do systems create monsters? Mariana then reveals the human trafficking behind “pig butchering” crypto scams, the captives forced to scam strangers, and the celebrity impersonators who manufacture romance for money. What happens when the person trying to steal your savings is also a victim? Subscribe to Heretics with Andrew Gold for more interviews exploring power, secrecy and human behaviour. Which part of Mariana’s account surprised you most? Tell us in the comments. #MarianaVanZeller #OrganTrafficking #Trafficked #AndrewGold #Heretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the West has already crossed the point of no return - and we haven’t noticed? Andrew Doyle joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to explore the fall of Rome, the future of Western civilisation, and the warning signs Britain and America could be missing. Get Andrew's book The End of Woke: https://www.amazon.co.uk/END-WOKE-Culture-Expect-Counter-Revolution/dp/1408723980/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 Follow him on X: https://x.com/andrewdoyle_com The comedian, writer and broadcaster begins with something much closer to home: former friends in comedy and theatre whose behaviour left him questioning whether the culture war had changed them—or whether he had ever really known them. From the Roman Empire and Christianity to immigration, gender ideology, free speech and censorship, we examine what happens when a society stops believing in the values holding it together. Why do people you once understood suddenly seem to inhabit a different reality? Would you recognise a civilisation collapsing around you? And is America better protected than Britain? But Doyle’s warning about what we might do to “save the West” could be the most unsettling part of all. #AndrewDoyle #Heretics #FallOfRome #FreeSpeech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ammon Hillman says the evidence is in the Bible. So I ask him to show me… Follow Ammon: https://www.youtube.com/@ladybabylon666 Following his viral appearances on the Danny Jones podcast, Dr Ammon Hillman joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to explain his extraordinary claims about Jesus Christ, ancient Greek and biblical translation. I wanted to understand how he reaches those conclusions—and whether he could back them up. We examine his interpretation of Jesus’ arrest in Mark 14:51–52, his claim about the meaning of “Christ”, and his arguments about Hebrew, the Septuagint and the origins of the Old Testament. Along the way, we get into ancient drugs, Greek mystery religions, Lucifer and demon possession. I question his claims about both Christianity and Judaism. Giving someone a fair hearing doesn’t mean sharing their beliefs—and this conversation includes plenty of pushback, disbelief and unexpectedly funny exchanges. As it goes on, even my nose becomes part of the discussion. Hillman is a classicist, author of The Chemical Muse and the creator behind Lady Babylon. But what happens when I ask him to take me from the ancient words to his most controversial conclusions? Which argument would you most want him to substantiate? Tell me in the comments, and subscribe to Heretics for more unusual guests, challenging questions and conversations you won’t forget. #AmmonHillman #AndrewGold #Heretics #AncientGreek #Bible #Jesus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gregg Hurwitz says your nervous system is being hacked. And once a system learns your weaknesses… International bestselling Orphan X author Gregg Hurwitz joins Andrew Gold on Heretics to explore mind control, social media manipulation and the hidden forces shaping what you believe. Follow Greg here: https://x.com/GreggHurwitz From his startling claims about TikTok, pupil tracking and biometric data to troll farms operating hundreds of devices, Hurwitz describes how platforms, foreign regimes and political opportunists exploit human psychology. Why would Russia, China and Iran want to fuel BOTH sides of a culture war? And how many of the accounts influencing your opinions belong to real people? Drawing on his research inside mind control cults, Gregg explains how fear, conformity and algorithms can change our perception of reality. We also explore the psychology of liberals and conservatives, psychopaths in politics, censorship, Charlie Kirk, and the unsettling parallels with George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. Who decides what appears on your screen—and what happens after it captures your attention? Join the discussion below and subscribe to Heretics for more conversations with Andrew Gold. #GreggHurwitz #AndrewGold #Heretics #MindControl #SocialMedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices