Steven Bartlett accused of amplifying dangerous health claims on his podcast | Podcasting

Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett has been criticised by well being consultants for amplifying dangerous well being misinformation on his No 1-ranked podcast, probably placing most cancers sufferers in danger.

The Dragons’ Den star is dealing with questions after visitors on the podcast put ahead unfounded healths claims, for instance that most cancers may be handled by following a keto food plan.

Well being consultants warned that the assertions may have critical penalties for individuals who have been severely sick and discouraged listeners from following among the recommendation.

On Friday, an investigation by the BBC World Service discovered that visitors have been confronted with little or no problem. Specialists informed the BBC that failing to query these disproven claims was harmful as a result of it created a mistrust of standard drugs.

In an evaluation of 15 health-related podcast episodes, the broadcaster discovered every contained a median of 14 dangerous well being claims that went in opposition to in depth scientific proof.

Nonetheless, Flight Studio, the podcast manufacturing firm owned by Bartlett, stated visitors have been provided “freedom of expression” and have been “totally researched”.

The podcast, launched in 2017, has 7 million subscribers. Final 12 months, its month-to-month views elevated from 9 million to fifteen million.

Within the eight-month window analysed by the BBC, some visitors billed as well being consultants shared deceptive claims together with anti-vaccine conspiracies, stating that Covid was an engineered weapon, that poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, autism and different problems could possibly be “reversed” with food plan and that evidence-based remedy is “poisonous” for sufferers, downplaying the success of confirmed remedies.

Heidi Larson, an professional in public confidence in healthcare, informed the BBC: “They [the guests] are approach overstretching. It sends folks away from evidence-based drugs. They cease doing issues that may have some unwanted side effects, although it may save their life.”

In an episode in October, Dr Thomas Seyfried informed Bartlett that the therapy of most cancers could possibly be helped by following a keto food plan, the BBC stated. He in contrast trendy most cancers remedies to “medieval cures”.

In one other podcast episode in July, physician Aseem Malhotra stated the “Covid vaccine was a web destructive for society.”

A spokesperson for Flight Studio maintained that every visitor episode was totally researched previous to fee.

“DOAC presents visitors freedom of expression and believes that progress, progress and studying comes from listening to a spread of voices, not simply these Steven and the DOAC workforce essentially agree with,” they added.

They stated the BBC had checked out solely 15 episodes of practically 400 printed so far.

“For any reporting to concentrate on lower than 4% of episodes with a particularly restricted proportion of visitors – a few of whom have featured on the BBC – to create a broader, and in our opinion, partial narrative is disappointing, deceptive and admittedly, disingenuous,” they added.

In August, two vitamin adverts on Fb for food plan app Zoe and meals substitute complement Huel that featured endorsements by Bartlett have been banned by the promoting watchdog for being “deceptive”.

Bartlett praised the merchandise in three sponsored posts shared on Fb in February and March. Nonetheless, the Promoting Requirements Authority (ASA) claimed that the adverts have been deceptive as they didn’t make it clear that Bartlett was an investor in Zoe and a director of Huel.