The New Gurus

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Bonus Episode: Gigachads And Sigma Wolves

20230509

After The New Gurus was released, there was one question Helen Lewis was asked far more than any other: why are so many gurus men? Stuck for an answer, she journeys into the world of the Manosphere - home to 'Gigachads' and 'Sigma Wolves'.

Joining Helen on her journey is a reporter who once got (consensually) punched by the world's most Googled man, Andrew Tate, plus the former Love Island contestant and now successful podcaster, Chris Williamson. Helen also takes to the mat to find out why three of her original subjects - Sam Harris, Joe Rogan and Russell Brand - all studied the same hardcore martial art.

What do men want? The answer, it seems, is very long podcasts.

Producer: Tom Pooley

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Helen Lewis enters the Manosphere.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

The Birth Of The New Guru

20221219

20230404 (R4)

In 2011, some mourners at Steve Jobs' memorial service were confused by his final gift to them - a book called Autobiography of A Yogi. Others understood his message perfectly - the Apple founder had spent his entire life searching for his own guru. Instead, by creating the iPhone, he became one. But did Jobs' personal quest for enlightenment also help create the modern guru?

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Did Steve Jobs' quest for enlightenment create the modern guru? Helen Lewis investigates.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Taking The Urine

20221220

20230411 (R4)

Will Blunderfield grew up, he says, an unhappy, unhealthy kid. Now he feels great as a `wild naked man` who drinks his own urine.

Across the world, wellness is a multi-billion pound industry, even though some of its practices are unproven, extreme or even harmful. So why are so many people unimpressed with what 21st century medicine can offer them, and turning to internet gurus instead?

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

How did the son of a doctor end up rejecting modern medicine? Helen Lewis finds out.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Fitter Happier, More Productive

20221221

20230418 (R4)

As an author, broadcaster and journalist, Helen Lewis is drowning in deadlines. Join her race against the clock to see if productivity gurus can help her optimise her workflow, change her habits, and consume entire books in 15 minutes.

That is, if she can stop checking her phone long enough to pay attention.

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Helen Lewis is drowning in deadlines. Can a productivity guru sort out her life?

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

White Women's Tears

20221222

20230425 (R4)

The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement brought renewed interest in corporate diversity gurus. But Regina Jackson and Saira Rao were ahead of the curve, pursuing their own unique anti-racist education programme.

Tired of talking to individual white women about their racism, they decided to invite a group of them for dinner, and confront them with their bias and bigotry. There was one rule - no crying.

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Dinner time. A dozen white women. A discussion of racism. And one rule - no crying.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Gazing Into The Abyss

20221226

20230502 (R4)

In 2018, a New York Times article anointed a group of taboo-breaking intellectual provocateurs as the 'Intellectual Dark Web'. David Fuller was one of those who found this loose grouping of dissident gurus like Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan and Sam Harris intoxicating - enough to leave the mainstream media and start his own YouTube channel.

But, four years on, he is left wondering - where did it all go wrong?

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

David Fuller was enthralled by Jordan Peterson. So how did his guru let him down?

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Daygamers And Daydreamers

20221227

At Oxford University, fellow students remember Tom Ralis as a quiet, nerdy biology student who played percussion in the college orchestra. But even then, he had one ambition - to become a guru.

He reinvented himself as Tom Torero, a pick-up artist who approached women in the street for dates - a practice known as `daygame`. His transformation led to tragedy.

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Nerdy student Tom Ralis reinvented himself as a seduction guru. It ended in tragedy.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Bitcoin Fc

20221228

When Peter McCormack made a fortune investing in Bitcoin, he knew exactly how to spend it - buying his local football team. Helen Lewis travels to the ground of Real Bedford FC, where you can buy a half-time bacon butty in Bitcoin, to hear whether McCormack's faith has been shaken by the 'crypto winter'.

How are McCormack and other crypto gurus like Layah Heilpern keeping the faith as the price of Bitcoin tumbles?

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Helen Lewis meets the Bitcoin guru from Bedford who bought his local football team.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Prophets Of Doom

20221229

Jessica Lanyadoo thinks civil war is coming she has seen it in the stars. But it isn't just astrologers who think we're living through an age of upheaval. Peter Turchin, a Soviet-born professor who studies historical cycles, has already seen one political system collapse in his lifetime. He calls this decade the Turbulent Twenties.

Could our collective anxiety explain the rise of the new gurus?

The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world.

Written and presented by Helen Lewis

Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley

Story consultant: Geoff Bird

Original music composed by Paper Tiger

Sound design and mix: Rob Speight

Editor: Craig Templeton Smith

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Does collective anxiety explain our new age of gurus? Helen Lewis looks to the future.

Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	Bonus Episode: Gigachads And Sigma Wolves	20230509		After The New Gurus was released, there was one question Helen Lewis was asked far more than any other: why are so many gurus men? Stuck for an answer, she journeys into the world of the Manosphere - home to 'Gigachads' and 'Sigma Wolves'. Joining Helen on her journey is a reporter who once got (consensually) punched by the world's most Googled man, Andrew Tate, plus the former Love Island contestant and now successful podcaster, Chris Williamson. Helen also takes to the mat to find out why three of her original subjects - Sam Harris, Joe Rogan and Russell Brand - all studied the same hardcore martial art. What do men want? The answer, it seems, is very long podcasts. Producer: Tom Pooley Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith Original music composed by Paper Tiger A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Helen Lewis enters the Manosphere. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
01	The Birth Of The New Guru	20221219	20230404 (R4)	In 2011, some mourners at Steve Jobs' memorial service were confused by his final gift to them - a book called Autobiography of A Yogi. Others understood his message perfectly - the Apple founder had spent his entire life searching for his own guru. Instead, by creating the iPhone, he became one. But did Jobs' personal quest for enlightenment also help create the modern guru? The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Did Steve Jobs' quest for enlightenment create the modern guru? Helen Lewis investigates. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
02	Taking The Urine	20221220	20230411 (R4)	Will Blunderfield grew up, he says, an unhappy, unhealthy kid. Now he feels great as a `wild naked man` who drinks his own urine. Across the world, wellness is a multi-billion pound industry, even though some of its practices are unproven, extreme or even harmful. So why are so many people unimpressed with what 21st century medicine can offer them, and turning to internet gurus instead? The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds How did the son of a doctor end up rejecting modern medicine? Helen Lewis finds out. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
03	Fitter Happier, More Productive	20221221	20230418 (R4)	As an author, broadcaster and journalist, Helen Lewis is drowning in deadlines. Join her race against the clock to see if productivity gurus can help her optimise her workflow, change her habits, and consume entire books in 15 minutes. That is, if she can stop checking her phone long enough to pay attention. The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Helen Lewis is drowning in deadlines. Can a productivity guru sort out her life? Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
04	White Women's Tears	20221222	20230425 (R4)	The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement brought renewed interest in corporate diversity gurus. But Regina Jackson and Saira Rao were ahead of the curve, pursuing their own unique anti-racist education programme. Tired of talking to individual white women about their racism, they decided to invite a group of them for dinner, and confront them with their bias and bigotry. There was one rule - no crying. The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Dinner time. A dozen white women. A discussion of racism. And one rule - no crying. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
05	Gazing Into The Abyss	20221226	20230502 (R4)	In 2018, a New York Times article anointed a group of taboo-breaking intellectual provocateurs as the 'Intellectual Dark Web'. David Fuller was one of those who found this loose grouping of dissident gurus like Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan and Sam Harris intoxicating - enough to leave the mainstream media and start his own YouTube channel. But, four years on, he is left wondering - where did it all go wrong? The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds David Fuller was enthralled by Jordan Peterson. So how did his guru let him down? Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
06	Daygamers And Daydreamers	20221227		At Oxford University, fellow students remember Tom Ralis as a quiet, nerdy biology student who played percussion in the college orchestra. But even then, he had one ambition - to become a guru. He reinvented himself as Tom Torero, a pick-up artist who approached women in the street for dates - a practice known as `daygame`. His transformation led to tragedy. The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Nerdy student Tom Ralis reinvented himself as a seduction guru. It ended in tragedy. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
07	Bitcoin Fc	20221228		When Peter McCormack made a fortune investing in Bitcoin, he knew exactly how to spend it - buying his local football team. Helen Lewis travels to the ground of Real Bedford FC, where you can buy a half-time bacon butty in Bitcoin, to hear whether McCormack's faith has been shaken by the 'crypto winter'. How are McCormack and other crypto gurus like Layah Heilpern keeping the faith as the price of Bitcoin tumbles? The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Helen Lewis meets the Bitcoin guru from Bedford who bought his local football team. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.
08	Prophets Of Doom	20221229		Jessica Lanyadoo thinks civil war is coming she has seen it in the stars. But it isn't just astrologers who think we're living through an age of upheaval. Peter Turchin, a Soviet-born professor who studies historical cycles, has already seen one political system collapse in his lifetime. He calls this decade the Turbulent Twenties. Could our collective anxiety explain the rise of the new gurus? The New Gurus is a series about looking for enlightenment in the digital world. Written and presented by Helen Lewis Series Producers: Morgan Childs and Tom Pooley Story consultant: Geoff Bird Original music composed by Paper Tiger Sound design and mix: Rob Speight Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds Does collective anxiety explain our new age of gurus? Helen Lewis looks to the future. Helen Lewis meets the new gurus promising us enlightenment in the digital world.