Steven Bartlett is facing growing criticism, with many complaining that the tone of his hit podcast, The Diary of a CEO, has shifted from thoughtful self-improvement to something far darker.
And now, even his fellow celebrities seem to be turning against him, including Oti Mabuse, Vicky Pattison, Ulrika Jonsson, and Greg James, who have all commented in agreement on a viral TikTok criticising Bartlett.
Since 2017, the 33-year-old entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star has built a vast audience by positioning himself as a calm, thoughtful interviewer, exploring topics such as burnout, anxiety, and success in business and personal life with a soft-spoken, therapeutic style.
For years, that approach helped the podcast stand apart from louder, more aggressive voices in the male self-help space.
But recent episodes have prompted accusations that Bartlett is amplifying misogynistic ideas without sufficient challenge, with critics warning that their presentation as measured and non-controversial makes them especially insidious.
The latest backlash was sparked by an end-of-year episode featuring lifestyle podcaster Chris Williamson, in which the pair discussed declining birth rates.
During the conversation, women’s independence, access to contraception and changing social expectations were framed as potential explanations for why fewer people are having children.
Williamson went further, suggesting that an ‘anti-family’ attitude among women was to blame, singling out a TikTok creator who had listed reasons she does not want children and seemingly mocking her decision not to become a mother.
The exchange quickly circulated on social media, where many listeners – and now a growing list of celebrities – accused the podcast of belittling women’s reproductive choices and reducing complex social issues to cultural grievances about feminism.
Online creator Shabaz Ali has emerged as one of the more prominent voices calling out the podcast’s direction.
In a widely shared video, he argued that The Diary of a CEO now offers ‘manosphere ideas a ring light and a hug,’ warning that its measured tone makes harmful narratives seem reasonable rather than extreme.
‘This podcast used to be about mindset, trauma and growth,’ Shabaz said. ‘Now it feels like women are being blamed for men’s problems.’
The controversy goes beyond one episode. A resurfaced clip from an earlier interview with psychiatrist Alok Kanojia has also reignited anger, after Bartlett asked whether society should ‘put systems in place’ to ensure lonely men or self-described incels can find partners.
The discussion, critics say, treated women as an abstract solution to male dissatisfaction while failing to acknowledge consent or autonomy.
Shabaz continued, addressing the controversy in his video, saying: ‘This is why a lot of people have called him like a Trojan horse, right, because it isn’t the same as Andrew Tate standing up there shouting and screaming. This has got a therapy vibe to it.’
His criticism was met with an outpouring of support from high-profile figures, many of whom said they were former fans of the podcast.
Dancer and television personality Oti Mabuse commented that Bartlett was ‘so disappointing,’ adding that she had once loved the show.
Reality star Vicky Pattison praised Shabaz’s video as ‘insightful’ and echoed the sense of disillusionment, while Ulrika Jonsson added a simple ‘Amen.’
Others, including Ferne McCann, Sara Cox, and The Traitors finalist Charlotte Chilton, also publicly backed the critique with emoji responses and likes.
Radio 1 presenter Greg James was blunt, suggesting the podcast had been ‘hurtling’ in this direction for some time.
He continued, commenting: ‘What’s everyone’s favourite episode? Mine is the one where an “expert” claimed autism could be reversed through diet. Oh and the one that said Covid was an engineered weapon. Neither claim was challenged. Great stuff.’
Of course, this isn’t happening in a vacuum. Amelia Whitworth, Head of Policy, Campaigns & Youth at Plan International UK told Metro: ‘Misogyny has long been embedded in our society, but we’re now seeing a surge in online content that claims to speak to men’s issues while actually promoting harmful attitudes.
‘This content taps into very real fears and anxieties that boys and men may experience, then twist them to push misogynistic ideas that ignore – or outright dismiss – the challenges women face.
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‘What was once confined to fringe corners of the internet is increasingly entering the mainstream. It’s deeply worrying to see these narratives go unchallenged on one of the country’s most popular podcasts.’
Dr Ján Michalko, Research Fellow in the Gender Equality & Social Inclusion team at ODI Global think tank, also echoed these sentiments when speaking to us, saying: ‘It is important that all influencers and content creators who have millions of followers consider carefully the material they put on social media.
‘Platforming ideas that undermine women’s autonomy and rights, even if they come from the words of other people, does have an impact because they reach millions of people, including men who are looking for guidance about what it means to be a successful man in this day and age.’
Long-time listeners have also expressed similar concerns online. On Reddit, former fans described feeling increasingly uneasy as discussions about men’s loneliness drifted into speculation about managing reproduction and relationships at a societal level.
One user noted that conversations framed as ‘big ideas’ often ignored women’s perspectives entirely, while another said the podcast’s refusal to meaningfully interrogate guests felt like complicity.
As Whitworth points out: ‘This isn’t happening in isolation. It comes alongside a well-funded, influential global pushback against the rights of women and girls. This movement seeks to preserve inequalities by limiting women’s agency and bodily autonomy, including through attacks on reproductive rights. Often, this is framed through rhetoric about family values, which is then used as a tool to restrict women’s freedoms.’
These criticisms are compounded by broader questions about responsibility. In 2024, a BBC investigation found that The Diary of a CEO had amplified harmful health misinformation, including anti-vaccine narratives and unsupported claims that certain medical conditions could be reversed through diet.
A spokesperson for Diary Of A CEO told Metro: ‘The Diary Of A CEO is a long-form, conversational podcast designed to explore the perspectives and experiences of its guests in their own words. Inviting a guest is an act of inquiry, not endorsement. Steven Bartlett does not adopt the opinions of his guests, nor is the format intended to pass judgment on personal viewpoints.
‘To suggest that a host is responsible for every view expressed by a guest is a fundamental misunderstanding of the long-form interview format.’
Regarding suggestions that the podcast has anything to do with the ‘manosphere,’ a spokesperson said: ‘DOAC features guests from across the entire political and cultural spectrum. In recent months alone, guests have included Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and a yet-to-be-published conversation with Zohran Mamdani. The podcast’s archive is a matter of public record and disproves this claim instantly.’
But for many exasperated listeners, that defence doesn’t quite feel like enough. As the backlash grows, many say the issue is not freedom of speech, but the consequences of repeatedly platforming harmful narratives under the guise of fact and reason.
As Dr Michalko put it: ‘As there has been a resurgence of voices advocating for traditional and harmful gender norms, any content that questions women’s autonomy can contribute to shifting what we normalise as people’s rights and roles in society.
‘Influential figures should approach their social media content with care, understanding that we are in a context of increasing online and offline misogyny, at the same time as women’s rights, especially their reproductive rights, are politically targeted around the world.’
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