The Preston Davey case reveals how systemic failures in child protection systems, including missed warning signs and institutional biases, can lead to tragic outcomes, while the BBC's declining public trust highlights broader concerns about media credibility and the challenges of maintaining impartial news coverage in an era of political polarization and financial pressures.
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Niall and AJ week 4 Preston Davey Morder, Vegans and Politicians are Fools
Added:[music] [music] >> Welcome along to the weekly round up and not suitable for broadcast. Myself, my good friend A.J. Walsh joins me. A.J., hi. How are you?
>> Hello Niall, how are you?
>> What are you looking for?
>> Sorry, I I was trying to see if I could adjust the volume.
>> What, can't you not hear me or something?
Should I shout? Should I Do you want me to shout?
>> Oh, no. Oh, oh, please don't shout. No.
>> Okay. All right, I'll go I won't shout.
Okay. How's your week been so far? It's been a pretty hectic week as far as news is concerned. Of course, we had the end of the Belfast carry on last week. And then a lot more stuff that we're going to come to. But, how's your week been?
>> Yeah, my week's been fine. Yeah. How has yours been?
>> Yeah, it's been good. Yeah, you've been reading the see because people don't know this, but you read news. So, you know, so the more news that makes you kind of busier, doesn't it? I imagine like the World Cup has kind of got you busy and all that kind of stuff.
Do you know much Do you know much about football or are you just bluffing?
>> Sports is not my forte. I'm bluffing my whole the whole way through. I had to I had to do the coverage of the Iran match the other night. Um, but luckily there was some political stuff going on as well. So, I was able to uh sort of mix it up a little bit. Um, because yeah, it's sports not my thing.
>> And you not interweave them like, "And tonight, as you know, Iran were playing whoever they were playing. Speaking of Iran, Donald Trump has just signed a 10-point deal with Iran." Do you Do you like interweave them?
>> [laughter] >> Funnily enough, that's exactly what I did. I was like, "Meanwhile, Donald Trump" That's That's exactly what I did.
>> [snorts] >> Um, because I was doing the overnight on whatever night that was. But, they all roll into one. It was Monday night. Um yeah, so that's exactly what I did. I interweaved Donald Trump and the Iran match in together.
>> Speaking of Donald Trump, by the way, you know, as you know, there's a peace plan in in process, right? And um so that they And Donald Trump, by the way, said if they don't agree with the plan or they don't stay on the plan, he'll bomb them, right? So So I think they will, to be honest with you.
Uh the Strait of Hormuz is back open again. Oil has gone down back into about like What was it? $84 a barrel? It was 130. So we're going to see the price coming back down a bit. But here's the thing. Here I just got to notice the price coming down. It'll come down to about 160, 170 over the next, you know, few days, couple of weeks, maybe. And then all of a sudden, the government, you know, the duty the discount they gave us going back, you know, to try and contain the price there about two two or three months ago, that's all going to go back on again. So it's going to go back up to about 182 euro. While those bollocks >> saying? There's a difference.
>> Yeah, but they're on holidays. They They're going to be on their summer holiday cuz these are like kids. You got to remember, politicians are like kids.
They take like 6 weeks off in the middle of the summer. 3 weeks off for Christmas. So they'll be on These bollocks is they are on holidays.
>> hard, Niall. They need a break.
>> I know. I suppose they do work hard. I seen Simon Harris saying he looked very He looked like he needed a sleep.
>> Yeah. He was tired.
>> Yeah. And that other smarmy each of Patrick O'Donovan. We'll come to him, by the way. We're going to talk about smarmy Patrick in a bit later on. But on a serious note, what we want to talk about first, of course, is one of the biggest stories of the week, both in the UK and I suppose it really dominated the headlines across the UK, but certainly over here we were talking about it as well. This is the story of Preston Davis, 13-month-old baby, who was savagely beaten, abused, sexually abused, and murdered ultimately. And the individuals, the scumbags, responsible for this um obviously were found guilty. This is Jamie Varley and his partner John McGahern. Uh Fazakarly, I don't even know how to pronounce his name. I couldn't care less, anyway. Yeah, Fazakarly.
>> Fazakarly is what I was saying.
>> Oh, okay. Fazakarly, Fazakarly. Anyway, the two of them and found guilty. One of murder, sexual abuse, and making images indecent images. The other one of allowing it to happen essentially and also being involved in sexual abuse as well. They released the video yesterday of the I don't know if you saw this, the body cam footage from the cop in the hospital the night he died. The poor baby died. And this Jamie Vardy fellow doing the best Hollywood acting I've ever seen on the ground pretending to be upset and crying. Only upset because they hadn't got their little play toy anymore that they were abusing for 13 months. Imagine being that poor child and what that child went through.
I hope those bastards stay in jail for the rest of their lives. But this this story like it really resonated with so many people across Britain.
>> I mean it's it's absolutely horrific.
I was there I was actually working the night that that story broke with the with them been found guilty.
Luckily I didn't have to read through all of the details, but one of my colleagues did and she was like just don't just do not read that story. Like that that there's what to say, but don't read any more into it. It's absolutely disgusting. Absolutely horrific. It raises so many questions on so many different levels.
Since the since we since I found out about the case I've been looking into more about the the mother the biological mother of the baby.
>> She was in jail.
>> the biological family. She was >> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> For murder?
>> Pardon me?
>> She was in jail for murder I think or manslaughter.
>> she was in jail for murder, yeah. When she was 14 years of age herself and another girl tortured and killed a pensioner and I'm put her in a wheelie bin.
>> Wow.
>> I mean horrific crime, awful crime, but that was when she was 14 and she did her time for that. And since then she spent time going in and out of jail. On one of her releases from jail, that's when she became pregnant with this young baby, Preston Davis.
And the grandmother, so the the mother's name is Sarah, her mother, the grandmother of the baby, was unfortunately suffering with breast cancer the at the time that the baby was born, so was unable to take care of the baby.
>> She did offer to She did offer to anyway, didn't she? But they wouldn't allow her because she had cancer.
>> Yeah, but she also said that she wasn't well enough at the time. I was reading it in a Telegraph um article. Um so yeah, so she she wasn't well enough to take care of the baby. She does have the older sibling, as far as I know. There's an older sister. Um and she does have custody of that child. Um but after she got the all clear with the cancer, she said, "I'm fine to take the baby back now." And they wouldn't allow >> So so where So where where was Preston at this stage? He was in foster care, I assume, at that time.
>> care. So he was in foster care and then went for the full adoption over to these two monsters.
>> Animals. And and the foster parents tried to stay in communication because obviously they had an interest in the child because they'd raised the child, you know, from a very young age.
>> The foster parents also they they kept in touch with uh the biological family and they sent photos and they There was phone calls. There was contact. Um the grandmother, the biological grandmother, begged the foster family, "Would you be able to to take to keep the baby for another little while just until I'm better?" And they're like, "We We can't because we're tied into a certain time frame. We're just foster parents." And that's what happened. Um the grandmother she did say that she wasn't happy about the child going to two men because she's very traditional and she didn't want She didn't >> And then she knows Joyce in the matter.
I mean I'm I don't know how the adoption process works.
So so So as a mother, let's say you had a baby tomorrow you want to put him for adoption. Do you have no choice in takes the who takes the baby?
>> As far as I know, no. Um it depends >> I suppose it would depend on on the custody. Like if I was choosing to give the baby up for adoption, I'd say that I could I that I would be allowed to choose or have some sort of say in where the baby goes. But obviously the situation there, the mother's in jail and there's nobody else to to mind the baby, so >> So here's the thing. The The foster parents tried to keep in touch with Jamie Vardy and his sick partner, right? They they tried to keep in touch, but they distanced themselves from the foster parents. So they wouldn't allow anybody They started distancing themselves from a lot of people, I believe, neighbors who had concerns. And there were so many opportunities missed. And that was the headline of one of the papers, eight opportunities missed or 10 opportunities missed. The baby ended up in hospital on a few occasions with bruises, and staff noticed bruises. They were even reported to the police, and the police did nothing about it. Um and >> the the baby was only with them for a short amount of time. So with it's within a small short time frame that the baby was brought to hospital that many times, which is red flags, red flags.
>> broken arm. You know what I mean? A broken arm, yeah, and bruises all over.
>> Bruises, yeah.
>> but the police did nothing. And the suggestion during the week I was watching one news program with David McAlinden.
And they were saying the suggestion, this goes back to to Henry Novak, that this DEI training that the police and the authorities are almost afraid to intervene if they have a slight suspicion that something is wrong in case they're accused in this case of homophobia. Or you know, racism in another case or whatever, the same with Henry Novak, racism.
So this kind of DEI training that they're kind of afraid to intervene in case they get accused of something. Now I did have one commentator on the show during the week who said that a baby should never be given to two men.
I I don't know whether you I mean I I always think the best place for a child and I'm going to get slammed for saying this, is a traditional family. A man and a woman. I know there's dysfunctional There's traditional families out there, and I'm sure there are loving same-sex parents out there, too. But I always think the best outcome for a child is with a male and a female role model.
And and and when you're picking, so why not give the child that?
>> Well, what I personally think is that if at all possible, if there's any possibility at all that a child should be with its birth mother. Um I mean, there's there's I you wouldn't even be able to able to begin to count the amount of families that are single mother families. So, you know, I'm I'm not too fussed about whether or not there's a father father figure around. Obviously, I it is important, but the important thing to me is that a baby is with its its mother.
And that makes me then question whether or not we should imprison mothers and keep them away from their children. I think that there should be something put in place so that that mothers are able to stay with their children with their babies until a certain age. I mean >> I I No, I don't know about that, AJ. I mean, if you want to be the mother of a child, then just don't commit criminal acts and you won't go to jail. That You know, this idea that that you shouldn't send somebody to jail just because they happen to be a mother.
That's a bit That's discrimination.
>> saying don't send them to jail. I'm saying that there should be mother and baby units. There should be there should be facilities to accommodate that.
>> I mean, they do they do they do let babies go to jail with mothers for I think the first year of their lives or something like that. Whatever. Up to a year or 6 months, whatever it is. I'm not too sure. Natural or the dog asylum.
>> And there's not enough resources for for it to happen in every case. But in this instance, the mother would have liked to have the child.
But it was it she wasn't able.
>> I Yeah, I I understand in this case and I probably agree with you in this case cuz the child would have been better with the devil than rather than being with these two agents, right? But in saying that, I I don't know if it's the right place to raise a child as in a jail cell. I just don't know if it's the Clearly, it isn't the best place to raise a child.
>> Not the best, but it's it's better than other options. Um and I just think that it's I would rather see a child being raised a baby being raised in a in a prison situation with with the biological mother than anywhere else.
>> Let me ask you a question.
I've got a baby here, okay? Baby is 13 months old, a year old.
And I have two couples of equal stature, equal jobs, equal finances, nice house, loving parents. They're both You know, they're loving parents. They're not murderers. They're not abusers.
And I have one baby.
Who am I giving it to? A mother and a father or two men?
>> I can't answer that because I'm not a social worker. I don't know.
>> Why won't you answer?
>> Well, because I >> Are you afraid to answer? Is that Is that what it is? I'd give it to the mother and father. I'd give it to the man and woman. Sorry.
I have I have no disrespect to the gay couple. I'm sure they're lovely.
>> Yeah.
That would probably be my preference.
>> Well, then just say Well, you see, but this is the problem. You won't say You wouldn't say that. You're afraid to say that.
>> Yeah.
>> And I think this is the problem when we came to this particular child. It wasn't out of badness, but I believe that the authorities and the people responsible were afraid to say anything because, again, of the DEI training, you know, and maybe I may be perceived as being, you know, homophobic if I say something.
Look, most, you know, gay couples are perfectly fine human beings and and loving human beings to a young baby. But at the end of the day, these two weren't. So, you just have to call it out.
Anyway, speaking of TV and moving on very swiftly. And by the way, the sentence again is for that is very soon.
I hope they get I'd like to see them get what they got. There was a couple in the UK or in America did the same thing.
To two boys. Um a gay couple in America and they both got a 100 years jail sentence.
100 years. I hope these two [ __ ] I know they can't do that in Britain, but I hope they get the maximum whatever it is in Britain they can get. Both of them. I don't I don't care that one is not responsible personally for the death, but he allowed it to happen and he was also involved in the sexual abuse of the baby.
>> I'm sure they will. And and I'm sure that the the prisoners in wherever they go will >> Well, look after Oh, yeah, they'll be nice to them. They'll look after them.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Okay, so now the BBC, right? Now Here's the thing about the BBC, right?
And I'm so disappointed because if you go back 30, 40 years ago, even 20 years ago, the BBC was looked up to as this wonderful news service. The world service Remember BBC World Service? You know, the BBC was a reasonably conservative organization.
Um they were factual. They were always the top top of their game. We trusted the BBC, right? Then all of a sudden they kind of went, "We better get the left going here, you know, we're kind of pandering too much to the conservatives." So, but then they went too far and they became the wokest organization in the world. And now they they're now starting to lose massive amounts of money. I keep saying this, go woke, go broke. They have to save 500 million. Look at what they're they're chopping. Did someone Did I hear somebody saying they're dropping BBC Radio 4? There's going to be major changes. Loads of programs are going to be dropped uh including things like uh what do you say? Uh the live weekend breakfast show on on Five Live, The World Tonight, and Money Box Live, uh Crossing Continents, and what it says here they're also reviewing future in television radio channels with suggestions that BBC 2, 3, and 4 all face major changes and possible mergers.
In other words, they might drop some of them. So, massive changes in the BBC and that's before Donald Trump even sues them.
>> I know, it's crazy. And the majority of cuts are within the their news coverage on their news service. Um I mean, already they don't do they don't do news through the night anymore. They used to. Um there used to be obviously journalists there 24/7. Uh but now everything at nighttime is all BBC World Service. It's been like that for a few years. Um so, they've been they've been sort of quietly making these cuts and now it's like, "Right, okay, here we go.
Boom." Um so, I don't know what's going to happen with the BBC. I mean, for a very long time, like you say, it's been the propaganda arm of the government.
So, it's it's weird to see what's happening and I don't know what's going to become of of the BBC because they're saying that the um the uh the fees the licensing fees it's not the model's not working anymore.
>> Well, it's not just that. It's the quality of people working for them. You know, over the last 20 years they've employed woke people and people who are literally manipulating stories. We seen that with Nigel Farage 2 weeks ago when they literally changed the words he said. We see it with the the incredible um attempts to discredit Donald Trump um during the January um what they call the insurrection at the time. Um and they intentionally Yeah, well, they intentionally edited Let me like me taking a clip of you saying something here and putting it together with another clip to make it sound like you're saying something completely different. Like that's intentional. To do something like that. It's horrendous.
You know, and that's the BBC. You I'd expect that from some >> Yeah, but these are only the times that we know about.
These are only the incidents that have been sort of oh, figured out, you know.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
Well, they're they're in court to I believe it's Donald Trump in Florida is that next year sometime. He's suing them for what? A billion or something ridiculous like that. I mean, if he wins that, they're in serious trouble.
Serious trouble. And he could. I don't know, he could win it. I don't know. I don't know much too much about the whole that whole process works. But they're in serious trouble. Would you listen Do you listen to the BBC? Well, I mean, when you look over news now, what do you listen to yourself? I don't listen to the >> No, I don't ever listen to the BBC, actually.
Um I Like I read quite a few of the of the papers. Uh but if I'm going to watch the news on the TV, it's Sky News.
>> Mhm. Well, actually, >> Um I I then I listen to LBC quite a bit.
>> Yeah, I I kind of you probably guessed I listen to GB News quite a lot.
>> Yeah, you do. I know you >> But I But I also watch Sky News, too, to get a different version of the same story. And the reason I do that is because they always say, you know, there's there's two lies and a truth in the middle somewhere, you know what I mean? So, I I I normally listen to both and then I kind of work it out for myself. In relation to trusted media, we had our own media minister politics Mar O'Donovan.
He's a smarmy little fellow, isn't he?
You know what I mean?
>> I don't mind him.
>> It's Yeah, all right. He sparked huge amount of controversy by telling Gript that the role of his department in commissioning a man is to ensure that people get their news from trusted news sources rather than those who thrive on fake news. So, he said supporters say misinformation is growing a growing problem. Well, I mean, our critics say a question who who gets to decide what qualifies as trusted news source. So, I put up a tweet which went quite well and asked him, was I one of the people on his list of trusted news sources? I doubt it somehow or another. So, who's what's he saying? RTE are trusted news?
They've made huge mistakes in the past.
They come up with the biggest [ __ ] That whole thing there during the three days of good weather where they had poor little George, I'm very worried about George, by the way, because the weather hasn't been too good, so there's nothing really for him to do. But, apart you know, talking about climate change, doomsday George. So, but in saying that, so RTE, you've been guilty, I believe, of misinformation. And yet, he he would call them the trusted news. So, who's trusted news? Who are they?
>> I I think it's a it's more just about the the misinformation at the moment with social media and everything, you know? I mean, you can't you can't certainly can't say that RTE are a trusted news source. I don't think anybody would say that, would they?
>> They're biased. Well, they're biased.
>> Yeah.
>> But, you but he he actually accused them of bias himself only a month ago over the protest. Do you remember?
>> Yeah, so where is this coming from now?
Yeah, where is this coming from now? I I do think it it more comes down to the whole thing with social media and, you know, the with riots and stuff like that and the inciting violence and things. Um, and people are just are believing what they read on social media. Um, and I the there is a place for a public service broadcaster like a 100%.
>> I think so, yeah. I really do. I really do, but I just don't think it's been run properly and that that's what we're left with. We're left with RTE.
>> But, but no matter who runs it, it's going to be run badly. Be- And And I And I say that kind of flippantly because you've human beings running in you know, a company, you know? And it doesn't matter how impartial you want them to be. They're human beings. So, if you've got a bunch of lefties, you know, because you have diversity programs in your workplace, and you've got a bunch of lefties in there, you're going to get lefty angles on stories. And that's what's happening in RTE. You've got a bunch of lefties who we saw that, but you know, when they were all out protesting and everything else the RT staff. So, that you've got a lot of lefties working in there. So, when you have lefties, no harm to them. It's just human nature. They're going to put a lefty spin on a story. We see it all the time in RT. Donald Trump is the bad man by default. Anything after that is a bonus. But, by default, he's a bad person. And that's the way they start on their shows.
>> Yes, yes, it is. And it is. And I I don't know the answer is. I don't know how to make it left less left. Sorry, less lefty-ish.
But, it's but I I definitely I do feel strongly that there is a a place for a public service broadcaster.
>> Well, maybe each news department should have to have, you know, two heads of news. One who's a left and one who's a right. You know, I don't know. Maybe that that's the proper way of doing it.
Then we get a balanced story, you know what I mean? I don't know.
>> Yeah. I mean, I just I think that the the whole thing with journalists being impartial anymore is out the window.
>> Mhm.
Well, I I don't claim to be impartial, by the way. I've never claimed to be impartial in my life.
>> I know that.
>> I've been I've been accused of it once or twice, isn't it? But, I've never >> [laughter] >> I mean, look, I the type of show I do, of course, it's an opinion type of show.
So, you know, I mean, you know, you worked on it for long enough. And you had the trouble getting the guests on.
I'm not going on his show. You're mad.
>> [laughter] >> I used to I remember I I used to say to AJ, "We need a couple of lefties for tonight." They won't come on with you, Nile.
>> No.
>> [laughter] >> He's a he They used to think you were a right-wing nut job. That's what I was told by one or two.
>> Okay.
Him? No. I remember the funnier the funnier one was I don't know whether you were working that night or it was a Jane. I can't remember. But, I was in the station, so it must have been Jane.
And there was a guest coming in. I won't say what it was for. I don't want to identify them, right?
>> I remember I've heard this story. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Go, go.
>> So, I said, "After the break, we're going to be talking to XYZ about Y." And uh we'll be back with you after this break. I went you know, to shake her hand. Because "I I'd always just do that as a matter of courtesy. I go out to, you know, the little waiting area. I go, "Hi, you doing? Yeah, we're going back on in a second. I'm Niall. How you doing?" And she looked at me. Didn't wouldn't shake me hand. I put me hand out. And she went, "Oh, I didn't know it was you."
And I went, "Yeah." "Oh, no, I thought Carol of the Callaghan was on." And I said, "Right now, it's not. It's me.
It's my show. It's tonight with this show." And she went, "Oh, no, I won't be going on. I'll see you. Bye." And I She ran out the door. Straight out the door.
And I wouldn't mind. The odd part of it actually was I was on her side. Whatever I I can't tell you what the argument was or what the debate was. It was about legislation that was coming at the time.
I was actually on her side.
So, she she would have had any really easy ride. And she would have got good promotion for her campaign or whatever it was she was doing. Because I was actually on her side. And she just walked out.
She wouldn't even shake me hand. She was a horrible horrible person.
>> Yeah, she clip-clopped down the stairs.
She had heels on. I remember when you were telling me that.
>> Yeah, I mean I've had some weird experiences like that. I remember one night I was in TV3. Another person who is with government, but I won't say who it is, right? And we all go into the green room. Everybody goes into the green room.
I remember Ian Paisley was there that night, I think, as well.
And I walked in, you know, and you know, Ian in fairness shook me hand, and you know, even though we don't get on, he'd still be pleasant enough to >> Yeah, he'd be still pleasant enough to you. You know what I mean?
And then a woman turns around to me, looks at me, goes, "You wear a wig, don't you?"
And I looked at her and I said, "Is there something wrong with you?"
>> Oh my god.
>> And and everybody kind of looked around and >> [ __ ] >> You know what I mean? Is he going to burst her? But that's she said like I go, "Is there something wrong with people?" Like she was just And she was horrible to be on the show as well. As well as a few other people over there at the years on that particular show. She was horrible But I mean, people people are just bonkers. Anyway, sorry. I was going off on a tangent there.
>> No, no, no, no. It's a good story, though. Like what the hell? Yeah, it's in the book.
>> It's in the book.
>> It will be in the book, yeah.
>> It'll be in the book.
I might even name her in the book.
Because technically it's not defamation if it's true.
>> No, it's not. Yeah. And you've witnesses.
>> I've witnesses. Yeah, I think it was a I can't remember there maybe wasn't there.
I can't remember there there was a couple of politicians there it was in the green room.
Yeah.
Anyway, by the way, just let people know I tell it's not a wig.
It is [laughter] a glove. I did not lose all my hair when I was nine. It's hair replacement. It's not a wig. It doesn't come off. Anyway.
>> [laughter] >> Let let me Another thing is well, okay, so the UK social media ban for children that has been all over the news this week. And initially most people thought this is a great idea protecting children. But the problem is because we don't trust politicians, we don't think it's a good idea after all because everybody's going to have to be verified so as we can protect children. And people go on and say, "Oh, no, this is too much control. They want our passports. They want to verify our age."
And then you have school teachers coming out, "Kids won't be able to revise on YouTube anymore." And then you got other people going, "Why are they not banning Blue Sky?
Why everything else except Blue Sky?"
Did you find that weird, by the way?
>> Oh, that is so strange. Yeah, that is weird cuz do you remember you tried to go on Blue Sky at one point?
>> [laughter] >> And you had to come off it.
>> The abuse I got. Sorry, I was on it for 5 minutes and I got the abuse I got was terrible.
>> an hour I think it was and then you were like that. [laughter] >> Couldn't be bothered with >> They still hate me over there. They're massive lefties.
>> I mean they're worse. They're they're more toxic than the right to be honest with you. Unless you unless you agree with them. They're just like it's a place where everybody just agrees with each other. You know what I mean?
Because they're all a bunch of lefties.
You know what I mean? I'm off to Blue Sky. This is me last tweet.
>> [laughter] >> And I'm going, "Yeah, piss off." So, there was a who was it? It was a Gavin Reilly or somebody else again. Off to Blue Sky. But they leave their accounts open on Twitter. I said, "If you really mean what you're saying, close your account on Twitter."
>> account.
>> Delete the account and then get rid of all your, you know, 90 or 100,000 followers or whatever it is if you really mean and you really, you know, want to do that. Go over to Blue Sky where nobody's listening to you.
>> [laughter] >> Oh, except your buddies, your lefty buddies. But but yeah, sorry, where was Oh yeah, so the balance social media, do you think it's a good thing?
>> I do. Oh, I do. But and I'm only looking at it as a parent's point of view with kids and, you know, two of them are teenagers. I absolutely hate social media. It is the scourge of this generation.
Um and I've often felt really, really, I don't know, really victimized that it's been my responsibility to monitor my child, what they're doing on their phones, what they're doing on social media.
>> Oh, they are children.
>> When I've grown up without When I grew up without this, I have no idea of the dangers, I have no idea of anything like that, but it's all my responsibility.
I'm a bad parent if my kid happens to get a Snapchat account that I don't know about. You know what I mean? It's it's ridiculous. I think it should be banned.
I don't think you should be allowed on these things until you're 16. They fry your brain. It's brain rot, absolutely.
I'm all for it. I don't care if they want my passport, you can have my passport. You can have my >> [laughter] >> social security number, whatever the hell. You can have it all. I don't care.
Just get my kids off it.
>> Jaysus, totally. The fire right will hate you.
>> It's so >> [laughter] >> It's so difficult for me to try and stop my kids because they just keep finding ways around it, you know? And I'm They're not allowed. They're not allowed to do this. They're not allowed to do that. And they still There they are, they're on [ __ ] Snapchat and it's it's it's been an absolute nightmare.
It's been probably the worst part of parenting for me, young like sort of young teenagers and preteens.
It's awful.
>> I mean, I agree with it in principle, but I do understand if we lived in a different world, I'd be delighted with it.
But we live in a world now where there's a huge lack of trust in government and I'm starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist, where, you know, I believe we are heading down some sort of Orwellian path, where I do believe governments want more control, particularly the EU, want more control over with the EU digital wallet and all that kind of thing. So, I I do believe I I think protecting children is one thing and I agree with it.
But how we get there and how we do it maybe supporting parents more. You said, you know, it's your respons- it's you know, it can't all be your responsibility. Well, it is. You have the kids. You know, and I understand what you're saying.
>> But I don't understand it. We don't understand the dangers. It wasn't around when I was a kid, you know? So, I just >> you know, you have a duty. There's like my parents saying, "I don't understand what music Niall is listening to when I was 6 15 years of age." You know, that's not my responsibility cuz I don't understand the music he's listening to.
>> Oh, I'm not saying it's not my responsibility. I'm saying it's just it's been incredibly difficult. Like, really, really difficult. And to I I I monitor my kids' phones. I've got blocks on my kids' phones, and it's still seeping in, you know? And it's There's that I can't control that, you know?
It's It's impossible.
>> What's the worst one, by the way, for your for your kids? Cuz I've got a 16-year-old stepdaughter, so I kind of I'm into human and and probably the worst one is Snapchat.
>> Oh, yeah, it is. I think definitely, without a doubt, Snapchat is the worst one. So, none of them are allowed on Snapchat, and TikTok is off. They're all awful. But I mean, it's not only that.
It's not only the dangers and, you know, the grooming and the, you know, you they don't know who they're talking to, that kind of thing. It's not only that. It's just the absolute mind-numbingness and brain rust that happens. Whereas, they they the their concentration spans are gone, you know?
We have the the Wi-Fi goes off here in the house at a certain time at night, so that the kids are not on their phones after a certain time. They're not on any any devices. But even at that, I notice a difference in them.
And they have they have friends that don't have any limits or anything, you know? They're they're allowed to go on whatever.
>> So, so there's no way your kids are sitting there at 3:00 in the morning, you know, with the light on under the pillow or whatever.
>> No. No, definitely not.
>> Yeah, I think I think that's a big mistake by parents. I I think, you know, when they're very young, when I say very young, when they're, you know, 11 to kind of 14, 15 years of age, you need to take the phone off them at night.
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah.
>> Cuz cuz they're not willingly going to hand it up, but you do need to take it off them. Or have a rule, leave it outside the door. Just leave it outside the >> leave it outside the door. That's what we do.
>> Okay. Well, well, at least you're taking it. Well, then well, then you are being responsible. So, don't >> I am trying my best. That's what I'm saying, Nile. And I just feel like I I'm trying my best with trying to juggle absolutely everything else as well. And it's still seeping in. The it's still there. This it's it's toxic. It's awful, honestly.
>> Well, well, here's the other thing I want to say. The teachers were given out during the week on UK TV saying the children won't be able to study because they can't revise. I don't I I and I absolutely but here's the thing. Here's the thing. The teachers are wrong because this generation of children are less academic and have a lower IQ than the previous generation. And the reason for that is is because they're now using social media, ChatGPT, all this kind of stuff. They don't have to remember anything anymore. So, they're using this as a crutch now to learn. Whereas before we had to learn other ways. I mean, I'm just as academic and I'm sure you I'm assuming you are, too, as your own children. So, I mean, we managed to do it without all of that. So, surely they can manage to >> Like my my son, he got his study list for his exams that are coming up. He's only in year eight, so that would be about the equivalent of like second year in Ireland. Um and he got his study list and it's all online. And I'm there I gave him I got him pens. He had his A4 pads and everything, you know, for his revision. I'm like, "Right, you know, da da da." No, no, it's all online. I'm like, "No, there's a pen.
There's a pen. Use it." I am honestly like it's every single thing is online.
Every single thing. And if the teachers are going to complain about that, they need to find a different way. Like, where's the books? Where's the pens?
Where's the copy books? Where's the pens?
>> it teachers getting lazy? Do Are teachers getting lazy, too? Is that it?
Or is that more work for them? I don't know. Is it more work for them nowadays because >> I don't know. I don't know. I I I I doubt it's more work for them because I I'd say this is all, you know, just there their resources that are there.
They don't have to do anything.
>> Mhm.
>> So, it's saving on the printing, isn't it? You know the way they print them off study sheets and stuff like that.
>> So, that it looks like now Micheál Martin has kind of hinted that the EU, while the Irish have the presidency are going to do the same thing. He's kind of hinted that you know the an EU wide version of the same thing.
And obviously the British law is a lot stricter than the Australian law.
There's also talk in Britain in relation to this legislation which comes in November that those over the age of 16 and under the age of 18 will be banned from romantic apps. I'm assuming that means like a grinder and tinder.
But I think I think is tinder not already over 18? Anyway, and AI bots chat apps and other things like >> You mean chat GPT?
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever romantic bot chat apps that I don't know. I said I said to her I said to her because I had no idea like you had no idea what they're talking about. And she knew she knew immediately. And she's 16. She knew immediately what apps I was talking about. You know what I mean? She she knew the names of them all. You know what I mean? Now she's not using them obviously but she knows the names of them. You know, but it's amazing that they're far advanced to us when it comes to social media because they know everything about it, you know? Although she's delighted she's 16 so she's escaped it. Anyway, >> [laughter] >> in relation to I suppose finally, I had an interesting email today we discussed on the show and I thought it was fun.
And this was a husband wrote in to us that his wife decided six months ago to go vegan.
And now she's encouraging the children to do the same. She now won't buy meat or dairy products at the shop. If he wants them he has to go down and get them himself. He said every time we go out, every time we have dinner, every time we sit down to talk, it's ruined by her waffling on about you know protecting animals and saving the planet. And he said it's driving him mad. Absolutely mad. He said at at the start he was willing to support her but now she's trying to turn the kids into vegans, turn him into a vegan. And he's kind of saying either she goes or I'm going to I'm getting sick of this.
I mean what should he do? A lot of people probably said he should have sold grow his head of balls and chuck her out of the house.
>> [laughter] >> For being a vegan? I think just if he perseveres, it won't last long cuz I went vegan and I lasted six months and I was like >> That's the average by the way. According to the research that's the most people try and become vegans between 16 and 24.
>> Mhm.
>> And I believe they last 6 months is the average time. It's a fad. It's just a fad.
>> It's actually a cult.
>> I was vegan for 6 months and I was obsessed. I was obsessive. And the kids were vegan, everybody was vegan, we were all vegan.
Um, and then I >> Did you make the kids vegan? Well, you obviously did make the kids vegan because you're the mother.
>> I Yeah, like I didn't force it on >> Shame on you, AJ. Shame.
>> it upon them, but >> force, but here's the dinner, kids.
Carrots, onions, lentils, and rice. And they're going, "We had that yesterday, Mom." Yeah, but it's falafel we wanted as well there a few. There you go.
>> [laughter] >> Falafel and hummus.
Um, but yeah, I got to a point where I ordered a burger on Deliveroo. I sat in my hallway and I ate it. I was like, "Oh my god."
And that was it. That was it then.
>> I'm sure because you hadn't had meat in ages, I'm sure your system didn't handle the burger very well.
>> I actually I felt so good after it. I felt so good. I realized how weak I had felt for like 6 months.
>> [ __ ] the animal.
>> YEAH, I WAS >> [laughter] >> I GOT I literally I every time I stood up I was seeing stars. I was like, "Oh Jesus Christ."
>> [laughter] >> Yeah, I was a bit like So, yeah, so give her give her 6 months and it'll all be over.
>> Yeah, but he said she's at it 6 months now. I You know, you'd have to throw her out of the house. I think vegans are weirdos. I honestly do believe they're weirdos. They ruin every party, you know what I mean? I was I remember years ago I had a I was at a barbecue, a friend's barbecue, and this one was a vegan, and all she did was moan about the smell, moan about why he didn't have a separate barbecue to cook her food on because she didn't want it cooked on the same barbecue that the meat was cooked on. I said to that guy, "Ah, get out of here.
Just go home, you clown. It's not even your house." So, it wasn't even her house. Somebody else's.
>> But they're just such a nuisance.
They're so >> really are. And they they know everything. They know everything about everything. They are honestly the most toxic group of people cuz I was in all the Facebook groups and they were horrendous. Like they were horrendous.
And you know what? They I they they care so much about animals, they don't give a [ __ ] about humans. They don't care. They don't care. They couldn't give a [ __ ] >> Oh, well, I won't say anything about the share ball. Yeah, I get you.
>> Huh?
>> No, it's like that joke, you know, that I managed to say the joke, you know, that that the captain of the plane has a heart attack and the stewardess or cabin crew comes running out and she goes, "Can anybody fly a plane?" And somebody in the back stands up and goes, "No, but I'm a vegan."
>> [laughter] >> That's my two years.
Honestly, they they want to announce that they're vegan.
>> Yeah.
>> No no matter what's going on.
>> Yeah, I remember one of the girls working uh it was before you started in the job.
One of my ex assistant producers. She announced one day, "I'm a ve- I'm going vegan." And I said, "Why?"
She said, "I don't know. Some of the girls in the college are doing it. It kind of seems cool." I said, "What? What are you going vegan for?" "I don't know.
I'll just try it out for a while."
Why you I mean, why do you want to like why do people want their body to suffer?
Because this whole idea that, you know, meat will kill you and give you cancer completely untrue unless you're not doing it in moderation. If you're milling back the steaks, I'm sure it's going to be damaging to your health. But the idea that you have to spend days working out what you're going to eat with lentils and tofu.
>> It's really difficult it is. Yeah.
>> the other thing is I was on the EU today, by the way, coincidentally have banned um EU-wide the use of terminology meat terminology for vegan food. In other words, you're not like you know when you go to Tesco's and you see the vegan vegan sausages, the vegan rashers, vegan turkey breast. You're not allowed to use the names of meat on vegan food anymore.
Because I think they're kind of turning against the whole vegan thing. It was kind of I think about five years ago it was a big deal. There was a lot of people going down that route, but it didn't last long. And and >> Yeah, it was it was and it was a sort of yeah, I'd say between about five and 10 years ago it was very popular to become vegan.
>> thing was a big affair. Remember the gluten thing? That was big for a gluten-free.
>> Yeah, gluten. Yeah.
>> I had a restaurant tour come on the radio at the time and he says me, "Now, it's got so bad at a girl in the day and she asked for gluten-free water." I said, "Would you [ __ ] off?"
>> [laughter] >> Gluten I mean, don't get me wrong, there's celiacs that have to eat gluten-free food, right?
>> Yeah.
>> And you know, and that's really difficult. I have a friend of mine who's a celiac and it's really difficult when they're buying bread, biscuits, whatever it is or anything that contains gluten.
But, like these people going on, "Oh, I have I'm allergic to gluten." No, you're not. And the other one was nuts. There are genuine people with those allergies, but there are people who claim they're allergic to nuts and they're not.
>> Do they?
>> Oh, yeah.
>> do that?
>> It's like Remember when you were a kid, you wanted to be the kid with the broken leg so everyone would pity >> I wanted to get cold sores. There was kids in my class that had cold sores. I was like, "Oh, I wish I had a cold sore."
>> Oh, no.
>> Oh, no.
>> I mean, I can live with glasses or a broken arm or something, but not cold sores.
>> Oh, yeah. I wanted cold sores. I wanted a broken arm. Yeah, oh, yeah. I wanted herpes.
>> [laughter] >> I never got it, though, thankfully.
>> Yeah, but that's the same with the gluten-free thing and and the nuts the nut allergy.
>> yeah.
>> Yeah, oh, no. I can't have that. I'm I'm allergic to nuts. No, you're not allergic to nuts. You know? [laughter] >> What are we, six?
>> Yeah. Or or you know, the doctor say, "Okay, I'm going to give you an antibiotic." "I'm allergic to penicillin." "Yes, I'm allergic to penicillin." Seemingly, something like 80% of people who say they're allergic to penicillin are not actually allergic to penicillin. They got a reaction from something else and you know, the doctors are always saying, "Please get yourself tested." You can do a test, the little pin test or whatever it is. See here.
>> Okay, yeah.
>> Yeah. Because penicillin is vital sometimes to get rid of you know, uh bacterial infections. And people say, "Oh, I'm allergic to penicillin." No, you're not allergic to penicillin. Most people are not allergic to penicillin or any of those other things. Anyway, >> Yeah.
>> It's been It's been entertaining. You look after those kids.
And [laughter] hopefully, I don't know. Talk to the husband about the the herpes. I don't know. Maybe you can take it up off him or something.
I By the way, did you ever get a cold sore?
>> Never I cold sore.
>> I've never had a cold sore in my life.
I've never had a cold sore in my life.
>> Me neither.
>> Yeah. [laughter] Never.
Now, I got I got some gadgets on my chin. They're going back a few years ago, which left a teeny little hole.
Yeah.
And it >> Yeah.
>> I've got a hole. And what is it?
I don't know what that >> It's people who are listening to this, by the way, or not watching us, can't see you pointing to your chin. You just said I got a hole.
>> on my lip, I [laughter] have a hole. I think I had had a spot or something, or maybe a bee sting or something.
>> Yeah, I have a hole there. It's a little there. I can't remember a little hole.
And it never really filled in.
>> [laughter] >> Well, that's it for talking about holes this week. Um We'll be back next week at the same time and the same place next Friday. Thank you very much, Aideen AJ. Please say it.
>> Thanks, Niall.
>> The multi-award-winning [snorts] Niall Boylan Podcast. Listen live on Facebook, YouTube, and all the usual live stream services. [music] To get in touch, just WhatsApp or text 085 100 2255.
The Niall Boylan Podcast. They told me to shut up. Available for download from all your usual platforms.
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