“I just felt numb. It's false, but how can one person scream ‘it’s not true’ to 200,000 people that don't know me?”
Cheryl Bennett doesn’t follow politics.
But when her colleague said he was standing in local elections, she agreed to help deliver leaflets.
Within days, doorbell video footage was circulating online, in which Cheryl could be seen calling prospective voters “f***ing P*kis”.
Cheryl had never said such words, but wasn’t sure anyone believed her.
After being posted by an independent candidate for West Midlands mayor - ‘TikTok lawyer’ Akhmed Yakoob - the deepfake went viral, receiving over two million views across TikTok, Facebook and X.
Cheryl was sent death threats. Police were sent to her house to arrest her. She was forced into hiding. Her career as a PE teacher was put on hold. And, even after the video was proven to be an AI distortion, she is still feeling the consequences years later.
In her first podcast interview, Cheryl tells Olly how her world turned upside down - all because she did a favour for a friend…
Content warning: racist language, suicidal ideation.
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Cheryl Bennett and Olly Mann, March 2026
Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for prediction betting - in which users buy and sell "Yes/No" shares on a variety of weird and wonderful real-world outcomes.
How much money can a Mannfan make with a $100 trade? How do services like Kalshi and Polymarket differ from conventional trading markets? And why aren’t they legal in the UK?
Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out our Feedback form, or join our Discord.
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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a Mannfan whose libido has RISEN following the death of his wife.
It may seem counter-intuitive that an intense and devastating bereavement would leave you feeling horny - but it’s a well-established phenomenon, known to counsellors as ‘Widow’s Fire’!
With the help of Nicky Wake, founder of Chapter 2 (a dating and community app designed specifically for widows and widowers), Alix discovers the world of post-grief sex…
• WAY Widowed and Young support network for bereaved partners under 51: https://www.widowedandyoung.org.uk
• Widow’s Fire app - no-strings erotic intimacy for widowers: https://www.WidowsFire.dating
If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future edition, head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.
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Finally, our record of the month is James Blake’s new one: aptly enough, called Trying Times…
Thanks for listening - and we’ll see you on May 10th.
In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show with your beer money and/or reviews!
