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UnHerd

Freddie Sayers from online magazine UnHerd seeks out top scientists, writers, politicians and thinkers for in-depth interviews to try and help us work out what’s really going on. What started as an inquiry into the pandemic has broadened into a fascinating look at free speech, science, meaning and the ideas shaping our world.

Due to popular demand here is a podcast version of our YouTube — available to watch, for free here or by searching ‘LockdownTV’.

Enjoy! And don't forget to rate, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers speaks with journalist and author of new book Apple in China, Patrick McGee – who was the Financial Times’s principal Apple reporter from 2019 to 2023 – about the man at the centre of Apple’s China story: CEO Tim Cook.

On August 1st, Cook quietly became Apple’s longest-serving leader, overtaking Steve Jobs — a milestone that came days before a high-profile White House appearance in which he warmly praised Donald Trump. The move was widely seen as a calculated bid to secure political goodwill as US–China tensions threaten Apple’s business.

Before becoming CEO, Cook built Apple’s vast Chinese supply chain — training millions of workers and investing billions in infrastructure — giving the company unmatched manufacturing power but also a deep reliance on China’s authoritarian system. Now, McGee says, he is scrambling to shift production elsewhere while navigating Washington politics. His book, Apple in China, charts how Cook’s choices drove Apple’s rise — and its vulnerabilities — as speculation grows over his future and who might replace him.

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Tim Cook: Genius or villain?

UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers interviews renowned evolutionary biologist Professor Richard Dawkins about the enduring biological differences between men and women — and why recognising them remains essential in the face of growing ideological pressure. Dawkins lays out the evolutionary and genetic foundations that distinguish the sexes.

He addresses the growing influence of gender ideology and the way it has infiltrated scientific institutions, education, and public discourse. From the redefinition of sex to the silencing of researchers, Dawkins warns that a once-clear understanding of biology is being sacrificed to political orthodoxy — and makes the case for defending scientific truth against the encroachment of dogma.

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Richard Dawkins: Why men and women are different

Journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon and UnHerd US Editor Sohrab Ahmari discuss the MAGA pivot against Israel in recent weeks and the reasons for waning support for Netanyahu's war from the American Right.
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DEBATE: Is Israel’s war in Gaza moral?

Philosopher and UnHerd writer Kathleen Stock joins Freddie Sayers to discuss one of the strangest and most revealing cultural moments of the year: the rise of Bonnie Blue, the OnlyFans pornstar at the heart of a new documentary that's turning heads and raising questions about sexuality, morality, and the future of sex.

Stock — a former professor of philosophy, a leading critic of gender ideology, and a regular UnHerd contributor — agreed to watch the Bonnie Blue documentary at a screening and return with her reflections. In this wide-ranging conversation, she and Freddie delve into the deeper meaning behind the phenomenon: What does Bonnie Blue say about us? Is this just porn, or is it something more — a symptom of a culture in moral decline?

They explore the lasting wisdom of Roger Scruton, whose warnings about the separation of sex from beauty and meaning now feel prescient. They also consider the implications of the Online Safety Act, censorship, the state's role in regulating sexual content, and whether we’ve lost the language for intimacy, mystery, and erotic imagination.

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Kathleen Stock: Should we morally condemn Bonnie Blue?

Freddie Sayers interviews renowned physicist and author Lawrence Krauss to explore how culture wars and ideological issues threaten science and his new book The War on Science—an anthology of essays from leading scientific thinkers including Jordan Peterson, Richard Dawkins, and Peter Boghossian, examining how academia and scientific institutions are increasingly under siege from within.

Krauss lays out how “woke” ideology, DEI policies, and campus cancel culture are eroding the foundations of open inquiry, with contributors offering alarming insights from across disciplines—from medicine and biology to physics and philosophy. He discusses high-profile incidents like the recent antisemitism scandals at Harvard, arguing they reflect a broader intellectual crisis gripping universities.

The conversation then shifts to the political backlash, particularly on the American right. With Donald Trump and other conservative figures now sceptical of academia altogether, Krauss raises concerns that the pendulum may be swinging too far the other way—threatening funding, trust in scientific institutions, and the space for real reform.

From ideological capture in the lecture hall to political overreach in Washington, Krauss and Sayers dissect what’s driving this war on science, why it matters, and what’s at stake if both sides keep escalating.

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Lawrence Krauss: The new war on science

Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Patrick Christys, GB News journalist, fresh from his reporting on the ground in the Calais migrant camps, to probe their volatile dynamics and the escalating UK migration crisis.

Christys recounts his experience posing as a migrant to expose how, reportedly, easy it is to contact people smugglers orchestrating illegal Channel crossings, revealing a hostile environment rife with confrontations, a charity he says is allegedly facilitating crossings, and the stark accessibility of trafficking networks, raising urgent concerns about French authorities’ inaction and the role of NGOs in this chaotic situation.

Turning to the UK, Christys unpacks the mounting tensions surrounding migrant hotels – with officials calling the situation a “powder keg” and government fearing of a “summer of riots”. With protests flaring, most recently in Epping and Canary Wharf, and public frustration growing over strained resources, he examines the deepening divide fuelled by polarised rhetoric and distrust in political leadership. From Calais camps to British streets, Christys highlights why the migration crisis risks sparking widespread unrest, what’s at stake if tensions erupt, and what can be done to stop it.

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Patrick Christys: Is Britain facing a 'summer of riots'?

UnHerd’s Florence Read sits down with Todd McGowan – philosopher, film theorist, and author of Pure Excess, Capitalism and the Commodity – to dissect the new Superman film and its deeper political, philosophical, and psychoanalytic currents.

As Hollywood leans heavily on superhero franchises, and remakes and adaptations of all sorts, they question whether Superman embodies a "stuck culture," where studios’ risk-averse, profit-driven strategies stifle cinematic innovation. Todd probes whether this trend signals a decline in bold, original art, contrasting it with the provocative visions of directors like David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese, the latter of which criticised superhero films as “not cinema”, they explore if genres, like horror, have taken up the mantle, delivering the confrontational, cathartic experiences superhero films often lack.

Todd finds merit in the new Superman, praising its execution and thematic depth, and reveals why superhero films reflect broader cultural tensions, what’s at stake for cinema’s future, and whether bold auteurs can still break through the noise.

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Philosopher Todd McGowan: Can Superman save our dying culture?

Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Helen Thompson – Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century – to dive into the high-stakes geopolitics of rare earth elements.

As China tightens its grip on the global supply of these critical minerals—vital for everything from electric vehicles to military tech—the West scrambles to catch up. Helen unpacks how China’s dominance, built through strategic foresight and control of refining, has left the US and Europe vulnerable. From trade wars to green energy ambitions, they explore whether the West can break free from China’s chokehold or if a rare earths crisis is looming.

Helen reveals why rare earths are the hidden battleground of global power, what’s at stake if the West loses, and whether the moon holds the keys to the future.

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Helen Thompson: Rare earths - the next war?

Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, interviews journalist Michael Tracey to unpack the recent Jeffrey Epstein files news, and the use and proliferation of conspiracy theories.

The Trump administration’s hyped-up promise of explosive Epstein revelations, including a “client list,” has fallen flat. The Department of Justice and FBI now confirm there is now list and Epstein’s death was indeed suicide, pushing back against years of wild speculation. Michael examines whether Trump, JD Vance, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino, naively, or cynically, fuelled Epstein conspiracy theories – namely, that “Epstein didn’t kill himself”, and more – to rally their base, only to now face flak for either hiding the truth or admitting there was nothing to reveal.

Freddie and Michael draw parallels with the JFK files, where declassification also disappointed, offering little new insight. Touching on Israel, UFOs, the military industrial complex, they explore how Trump’s administration has leaned into conspiracies for political gain and now faces the fallout when the “truth” underwhelms.

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Michael Tracey: Jeffrey Epstein and the end of the conspiracies

Freddie Sayers, Editor-in-Chief of UnHerd, interviews George Arison, CEO of Grindr, tracing his remarkable journey from growing up in the Soviet Union to leading the world’s largest dating and hookup app for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. Openly gay, Arison shares insights into his personal life with his partner and family, reflecting on how his background shapes his leadership at Grindr. The conversation dives into Grindr’s pivotal role in transforming the hookup and dating scene for gay men, its ongoing evolution, and its future direction as it adapts to the changing needs of its users, particularly as gay relationships increasingly embrace traditional aspirations like marriage, partnership, and family life.

The interview explores the shifting dynamics of gay culture, questioning whether gay men are becoming more conservative in their life goals, seeking settled lives with husbands and children, and how Grindr is responding to these trends. Arison and Sayers also tackle the evolving politics of gay men, contrasting the U.S. and UK landscapes, with a focus on the surprising absence of openly gay Republican elected officials despite strong LGBTQ+ representation within the broader party and voter base. With a humorous nod to the alleged Grindr app crash during the Milwaukee RNC convention—prompting former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to quip, “Grindr is for Republicans”—they discuss the pro-gay stance of Donald Trump’s administration, potential threats to LGBTQ+ healthcare, and the broader representation of gay men in Western politics.

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Grindr CEO: Are gays behaving more like straights?

UnHerd's Freddie Sayers meets with Andrew Sullivan, to discuss what he got wrong about Donald Trump
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Andrew Sullivan: What I Got Wrong About Trump

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