My Deepfake Nightmare

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***s”. 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. _____________ 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? _____________ 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… _____________ Finally, our record of the month is James Blake’s new one: aptly enough, called Trying Times… _____________ If you’ve got a letter for Olly, a relationships question for Alix, or a challenge for Ollie, please head to our website (where you can also donate to the show 🙏): https://modernmann.co.uk And/or you can join our Discord here. _____________ Thanks for listening - and we’ll see you on May 10th. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Cheryl Bennett, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, James Blake. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026.