Diary of a CEO Host Stephen Bartlett has been criticized by a leading health expert for sharing harmful health information on his podcast that could put cancer patients at risk.
Guests on the podcast, which receives 15 million views a month, claimed that cancer can be treated with a keto diet and that COVID-19 vaccines are a “net negative for society.”
But experts have accused the Dragon’s Den star of failing to question these disproven claims, thereby leading to a lack of trust in conventional medicine.
Associate Professor David Grimes, a public health and cancer researcher at Trinity College Dublin, warned that following the recommendations of self-styled gurus could lead to “worse outcomes” for cancer patients.
“You could potentially and very realistically get very, very sick,” he said.
Meanwhile, Professor Heidi Larson, an expert on public trust in medicine, accused the podcast of “driving people away from evidence-based medicine”.
‘[Patients] “Don’t do anything that might have some side effects, even if it might save your life,” she said.
The damning comments were made as part of a BBC World Service investigation into the accuracy of health information featured in Barrett’s CEO Diary Podust.
CEO host Stephen Bartlett’s diary comes under fire for sharing harmful health information on his podcast that could put cancer patients at risk
The broadcaster analyzed 23 episodes of health-related podcasts and found that 15 episodes contained an average of 14 harmful claims that are contrary to scientific evidence.
The 32-year-old entrepreneur, who is said to be worth around £70 million, gave the misinformation a go-ahead with “little challenge”.
Podcasts in the UK are not regulated by media regulator Ofcom, so Mr Bartlett was not in breach of broadcasting rules.
One episode aired in July was flagged for featuring “discredited” views and featured controversial doctor Aseem, known for taking an anti-coronavirus vaccine stance on social media. It included an interview with Dr. Malhotra.
In the podcast, Dr Malhotra said the Covid-19 attack, which is credited with saving at least 1.6 million lives in Europe alone, was a “net negative for society”.
At the end of the episode, Bartlett defends his decision to air Malhotra’s outlandish views, saying that the aim was to “present some of the other side” as “the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle”. He said he did.
Another episode that has come under fire is an October article featuring health advice from Dr. Thomas Seyfried, an American professor of biology and genetics based at Boston University.
In February, the personal trainer branded Stephen Bartlett the “biggest source of misinformation on the planet” and accused the businessman of “platforming a charlatan” on his podcast.
Dr. Seyfried is a proponent of the ketogenic diet (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan), which he claims can help treat cancer.
In addition to suggesting that eating this way can prevent and even treat the disease, he compares modern cancer treatments to “medieval treatments,” saying that radiation therapy and chemotherapy can help patients They claimed it would only extend lifespan by one to two months.
Professor Heidi Larson commented on the BBC’s findings, saying the guests were “over-exaggerating” scientific facts known to be true.
It turns people away from evidence-based medicine. They stop doing something that might have some side effects, even if it might save a life. ”
This is not the first time Barrett has come under fire for promoting questionable health information.
