Episodes
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In the summer of 2022, journalists Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin were in Romania filming a documentary about Andrew Tate and his social media influence.
Tate, who had made a name for himself spouting misogynistic content online appeared invincible, but his empire was about to crumble.
As concern about his content began to mount, the controversial influencer was banned from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for violating community guidelines on dangerous individuals and hate speech.
But a social media ban was the least of his problems. Back home in London, as Shea and Tahsin continued their investigation into Tate and his business operations, the sinister truth about his webcam industry and his ‘War Room’ began to reveal itself.
In June 2023, Tate and his brother Tristan, along with two Romanian women were formally charged with rape, sex trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. He is currently under house arrest in his compound in Bucharest.
In this episode, (part two), Shea tells Bernice Harrison about the women from Tate’s past who decided to speak out against him and how his fans have reacted to his latest string of charges.
Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate’s Manosphere is out now.
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In 2019, before Andrew Tate became the household name he is today, documentary makers Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin decided to tell Tate's story and investigate his social media influence and cultural impact. Much to their surprise, the 'king of toxic masculinity' allowed them into his world. But as they delved deeper into his empire and uncovered the sources of his income, their investigation soon turned into a criminal one and something much bigger than Shea and Tahsin could ever have imagined.
In their new book, Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate’s Manosphere, they recount their investigation into the former kickboxer, the shocking allegations made against him, and the backlash they faced from Tate and his followers when their documentaries aired.
In the first of two episodes on Andrew Tate’s toxic world, co-author Matt Shea talks to Bernice Harrison about Tate’s background and the influence of his narcissistic father, American chess player Emory Tate. He also examines Tate’s mass appeal and the space he occupies within the ‘manosphere’.
Shea details his visit to Tate’s compound in Romania and explains what happened inside the private ‘War Room’ event, which followers of Tate paid five thousand pounds to attend. Though they were granted access to film the exclusive gathering, their relationship with Tate didn’t last long.
Episode two will be out tomorrow.
Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate’s Manosphere is out now.
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Since 2007 the Press Up hospitality group has been a key and highly visible player in Dublin’s social scene with super-stylish restaurants, popular nightclubs and bars and a cinema.
Founded by old schoolfriends Matt Ryan and Paddy McKillen jnr it changed the face of dining out in the capital, growing fast by developing its own restaurants and buying existing, successful operations including Wagamama, Elephant and Castle and Wowburger. The group also built a large property portfolio.
But its borrowings were onerous and in a debt-for-equity restructuring, Cheyne Capital, a London-based finance house that was owed €45 million took control of the business. Cheyne is injecting €20 million in fresh capital into the group.
For 18 venues, it’s business as usual. But three high-profile brands that operate several venues – Wowburger, Elephant and Castle and Wagamama were quickly placed in receivership with the announcement this week that the long-established and hugely popular Wagamama chain is to close with immediate effect.
So what happened? And what will happen now to the rest of the group’s venues and its 935 employees? Irish Times business editor Ciarán Hancock explains.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week has been the deadliest for Lebanon in decades after sustained air strikes by Israel. Fears are growing for an all-out war between the two sides as the Israeli Defence Forces prepare for a possible ground incursion. It says its targeting Iran-backed Hizbullah and its arsenal of weapons. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the militant group has hidden missiles and rocket launchers in ordinary homes and has warned Lebanese civilians to leave if they want to save their lives. But who or what exactly is Hizbullah, why is Israel attacking its northern neighbour and where does this fit into the broader geopolitical tensions of the region? Sky News' Middle East correspondent, Alistair Bunkall, joins Bernice Harrison to explain the origin story of the Lebanese militia and political movement.
Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Government was forced to admit that it is dropping its controversial plans to introduce hate speech laws after the move was revealed by Irish Times political correspondent Jack Horgan-Jones at the weekend.
But why? The long talked-about new Bill passed easily through the Dáil in 2023 and was expected to be rubberstamped by the Seanad.
However fissures began appearing early in the Bill’s gestation and disquiet became loud enough for the Government to take notice.
Looking at the long history to replace the 1989 hate crime legislation, Horgan-Jones says the family and care referendums this year were the tipping point: the moment when the Government got nervous.
He also explains what comes next for the Government’s plans to legislate against hate.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
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This week Alexander McCartney from Newry, Co Armagh, will be sentenced in Belfast for what has been described as one of the “worst cases of catfishing” to ever come before the courts.
Earlier this year, McCartney pleaded guilty to over 50 charges of blackmail and multiple offenses of possessing indecent images of children. The former student also pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a 12 year old child, who he had blackmailed online but had never met.
In this episode from March 2024, Bernice Harrison speaks to Irish Time Northern Correspondent Seanín Graham about the charges against McCartney and how the global 'catfishing' investigation led police to his house in rural Armagh.
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Attending the UN Assembly in New York on Sunday, President Michael D Higgins accused the Israeli embassy in Dublin of “circulating” a congratulatory letter he wrote to the newly elected president of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian in July.
His comments were interpreted as an accusation Israel deliberately leaked the letter.
The Israeli embassy issued a statement, calling it a “baseless accusation” and “potentially slanderous”, marking a new low in relations between the Israeli ambassador and President Higgins.
On Monday evening President Higgins met the press again in New York and denied he meant Israel leaked anything, while doubling down on other criticism.
Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray was there. She explains how events unfolded that overshadowed the Irish Government's presence at the UN.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
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“Scans rarely show the cause of low back pain,” says Prof Kieran O’Sullivan, chartered physiotherapist and head of the school of physiotherapy at the University of Limerick. He points out that so-called “abnormal findings” on scans such disc bulges, disc degeneration and arthritis are common and normal for most people without pain, especially as they get older.
So why do some people experience back pain when others don’t? O’Sullivan says 90 per cent of lower back pain is caused by a combination of physical and non-physical factors including poor sleep, relationship or family stress, job dissatisfaction or financial pressures.
It’s finding ways first to understand the cause of the pain and then ways to treat it that’s the key to successful management.
O’Sullivan talks to In the News about how to understand your lower back pain and what to do about it.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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What links an Australian app designer, a global police sting and this week's drugs bust in Wexford? A Dublin gang known as 'The Family.' Gardai say the group is now the primary drug trafficking cartel in Ireland after the Kinahan's network was dismantled. It's alleged to be involved in the multi million euro seizure of guns and cash in Dublin and Wexford earlier this week. The tip off came via Australian authorities which had infiltrated the Ghost messaging app. The encrypted software created by 32 year old Sydney man, Jay Je Yoon Jung, was the platform of choice for much of the Irish criminal fraternity. Security and Crime Editor Conor Lally explains how the Australians hacked into the app, how it was used in Ireland and analyses how gangs here might react.
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan
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At least 26 people are dead and thousands injured following the simultaneous detonating of pagers and walkie talkies in Lebanon. Israel is believed to be behind the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, which were designed as much to cause a macabre spectacle as they were to kill Hizbullah fighters. Hannah McCarthy reports from Beirut for The Irish Times. Security analyst Colin P. Clark of New York’s Soufan Center looks at why Israel made this move.
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan.
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A record 10,600 Irish people emigrated to Australia last year, according to the Central Statistics Office; the highest number since 2013. With its year-round sunshine, high wages and laid back lifestyle, it’s not hard to understand the attraction. Push factors in Ireland include the diminishing hopes of home ownership for many young people. But Australia’s economy is slowing down and property prices in Sydney are even higher than in Dublin. Irish Times columnist and returning emigrant, Brianna Parkins, outlines the Instagram V Reality of moving down under.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
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Washington correspondent Keith Duggan reports on what we know about the second attempt on the life of former US president Donald Trump in a matter of months. Who is Ryan Routh, the man who has been arrested after fleeing the scene of the alleged assassination attempt and charged with gun offences? And will this incident make an impact on the election?
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The UK government has ordered a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, the Belfast solicitor shot dead in 1989 by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in collusion with British forces.
But why now? His family, led by his widow, have for 35 years pressed Westminster for a public inquiry to get to the truth of why Finucane was killed and to reveal the true extent of the collusion of the British state in his murder.
For decades, successive UK governments had resisted a campaign by the family for a full public inquiry into the killing.
London correspondent Mark Paul explains the timing – and the reaction to the announcement.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan
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An Garda Siochana has a serious retention and recruitment problem.
The Commissioner knows it, so does the Minister for Justice but despite public commitments to reach enrolment targets, ongoing recruitment campaigns and changes to admission criteria, efforts to increase the size of the force to the Government benchmark of 15,000 continue to falter.
There are now fewer sworn Garda members than at the start of last year.
Why? It’s a well-paying public service job, it offers career variety and progression and it offers the possibility of retiring with a full pension at 60 or even earlier.
Crime and security editor Conor Lally tells In the News the many reasons why encouraging citizens to join up is an uphill battle and what it means for policing in the State.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kamala Harris needed a win on Tuesday night's US presidential election debate. After an initial honeymoon period as Democratic nominee, her campaign on the ground was running out of steam. Now she and Donald Trump are neck and neck in the polls of key battleground states. All he had to do on Tuesday night was keep his cool and stick the script provided by advisers. Instead, he made a string of rambling statements that ranged from the baseless to the downright absurd. But given how polarised the country now is, the victor of the debate depends on viewers' own political allegiances. So how much of a difference will the performances have in the minds of Americans? Can Harris' debate win do anything to change her trajectory? Irish Times Washington Corresondent, Keith Duggan, reports from Philadelphia where the debate was held.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan.
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Is an award of €13 billion a big win or an embarrassing loss? The European Court of Justice (ECJ) court yesterday said that the European Commission was correct in 2016 when it ruled that Apple owed Ireland €13 billion in tax relating to underpayments during 2003-2014.
The ruling represents a heavy legal defeat for Apple and the Irish Government – and a major win for the EU.
But how did it get to the point that Ireland had to go to Europe to defend a tax arrangement with a multinational?
Irish Times columnist Cliff Taylor explains how a big pay-day for the Government is also a reputational hit, with the court’s clear and final verdict that Ireland broke the rules and offered illegal State aid to Apple. And he looks at how to spend it.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
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Former British nurse, Lucy Letby, is serving 15 life sentences for the murder and attempted murder of 14 babies. All of the infants were under her care when they were killed between 2015 and 2016. This summer her case was thrown out of the Court of Appeal. And yet doubts remain amongst a cohort of people who believe she may have been wrongly convicted on circumstantial evidence. Bizarre interventions on her behalf include that of the former Brexit Secretary, David Davis, on Good Morning Britain last week. Families of the victims say they are dismayed certain elements of the 10 month trial have been taken out of context and fuelled with misinformation. So why exactly do Letby's supporters believe she should walk free? We speak to miscarriage of justice investigator, David James Smith, who sat on the UK's Criminal Cases Review Commission between 2013 and 2018.
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Last Wednesday, a 14 year-old American student walked through the doors of his highschool in Georgia and opened fire. Terrified students and teachers ran for shelter as Colt Gray took aim, killing four people and injuring many others. The teenager, who was apprehended at the scene, used a lightweight semi-automatic rifle, a type of gun that’s become associated with school shootings.
Two days later, his father Colin Gray was arrested and charged with manslaughter and second-degree murder. This is not the first time that parents of a school shooter have been charged. Instead of addressing laws on gun ownership, US prosecutors are increasingly going after the parents of mass shooters – but will it make a difference?
Guest: Emma Long, Associate Professor of American history and politics at University of East Anglia.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sinn Féin has published its plan to solve the housing crisis.
Party spokesman on housing Eoin Ó Broin says A Home of Your Own, is “comprehensive, detailed and fully costed”.
The headline figure is that 300,000 homes will be built in five years; a mix of social, affordable and private homes. The plan costs €39 billion.
The document is nearly 110 pages long so In the News asked Irish Times economics analyst Cliff Taylor to go through it and explain the details.
He also answers the key questions – is it visionary and could it work?
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Hundreds of primary, secondary and special schools run by religious congregations have been named for the first time as having complaints of child sexual abuse. The scoping inquiry was set up in the wake of revelations in 2022 of historical cases at Spiritan-run schools. Its author has recommended a full Commission of Investigation be set up to provide accountability for survivors. The report recommended every school in Ireland should be covered by the inquiry's terms of reference. Irish Times contributor, Patsy McGarry, was the paper's Religious Affairs Correspondent for 25 years. He explains the latest developments, what will happen next and questions whether religious orders will pay redress to survivors, when so many have refused to compensate other victims.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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