Experts warn his Diary of a CEO platform spreads misinformation that could endanger vulnerable patients
Steven Bartlett, the Dragons’ Den star and host of the Diary of a CEO podcast, is being scrutinised by health experts for spreading potentially harmful health misinformation through his widely listened podcast. The programme, which is ranked number one in its category and has 7 million subscribers, has recently come under investigation for promoting unproven and misleading claims.
The BBC World Service highlighted concerns after analysing 15 health-focused episodes. The investigation found that each episode contained, on average, 14 false or misleading claims that contradicted established scientific evidence. Among these claims were suggestions such as cancer being treatable by adopting a keto diet, Covid-19 vaccines being harmful, and evidence-based medication being “toxic” for patients.
Experts warned that such assertions risk undermining trust in evidence-based medicine, particularly for vulnerable patients with severe illnesses. Heidi Larson, a public confidence expert in healthcare, pointed out to the BBC: “They [the guests] are way overstretching. It sends people away from evidence-based medicine. They stop doing things that might have some side effects, even though it could save their life.”
Dr Thomas Seyfried, a guest on the podcast in October, compared conventional cancer treatments to “medieval cures” while endorsing the keto diet as a potential treatment strategy. Another guest, Dr Aseem Malhotra, stated during a July episode that Covid-19 vaccines were “a net negative for society.”
Flight Studio, the production company behind Diary of a CEO, defended Bartlett, claiming that every guest is thoroughly researched before their interviews are recorded and that guests are granted “freedom of expression.” The studio added that the BBC’s investigation, which only analysed 15 episodes, represents a tiny fraction of the nearly 400 episodes published to date. They dismissed the BBC’s findings as “disappointing, misleading, and frankly, disingenuous.”
Despite this, Bartlett’s involvement with health products has also faced scrutiny. In August, two sponsored Facebook advertisements for diet app Zoe and food replacement company Huel—both endorsed by Bartlett—were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for being “misleading.” The ASA cited that the ads failed to disclose Bartlett’s financial ties to both companies, including his role as an investor in Zoe and a director of Huel.
The controversy surrounding Bartlett’s podcast and his business endorsements underscores concerns about the responsibility of influential figures to uphold accuracy and evidence-based guidance, particularly when discussing topics that can impact public health.
