Gene Simmons joins Andrew Gold for a completely unfiltered Heretics interview about KISS, celebrity politics, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Israel, fame, sex, money—and the first 29 years of his relationship with Shannon Tweed, which he now sees very differently. The KISS co-founder and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer explains why he believes the public should ignore political advice from entertainers—including himself. He takes aim at celebrity activism, discusses Kylie Jenner, Javier Bardem, Bruce Springsteen and Billie Eilish, reveals why he abandoned the Democratic Party, and warns that Los Angeles and New York are in deep trouble. But the most revealing moments are personal. Gene discusses being abandoned by his father, the terrifying childhood night that taught him to rely on himself, his extraordinary self-belief and why he says fame gave him permission to behave in ways an ordinary man never could. He also addresses the stories about 4,800 women, admits how his behaviour affected Shannon and their children, and responds directly to an explosive accusation involving his late KISS bandmate Ace Frehley. Along the way: Donald Trump, Mike Tyson, Margaret Thatcher, antisemitism, Israel, Islam, capitalism, the nuclear family, Gene’s infamous tongue—and how KISS became “Disney without the overhead,” selling everything from condoms to caskets. This is Gene Simmons as few interviews capture him: funny, combative, candid and completely unfiltered. Subscribe to Heretics for more fearless, long-form conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. CHAPTERS 0:00 Gene Simmons Arrives—and Asks Why We’re in “the Ghetto” 2:20 “Ignore Celebrities”: Kylie Jenner & Javier Bardem 6:34 His Father Abandoned Him: The Poverty That Shaped Gene 10:56 Donald Trump, Democracy & Britain’s “Flawed” System 15:09 Why Gene Abandoned the Democrats—LA & New York in Trouble 19:22 Trans Politics, the Nuclear Family & Why Musicians Should Shut Up 23:31 Billie Eilish’s “Stolen Land” Claim—Then Religion Gets Explosive 29:07 Hollywood’s Israel Problem & 6,000 Years of Antisemitism 33:35 Judaism, Humanism & Why Gene Simmons Loves Himself 37:15 The Childhood Night That Changed Him—and Mike Tyson’s Secret 41:31 “Stop Complaining”: Gene’s Brutal Formula for Success 46:25 The Infamous Tongue, 4,800 Women & Sex Addiction 52:02 “Didn’t It Hurt Shannon?”—His 29-Year Reckoning 57:16 Gene Simmons Answers Ace Frehley’s Explosive Accusation 1:01:43 Armie Hammer, Islam, Extremism & Britain’s Grooming Gangs 1:05:39 Jesus, Galileo & the Heretics Gene Simmons Admires #GeneSimmons #KISS #Heretics #AndrewGold #RockAndRoll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Feltz has spent more than thirty years at the heart of British television. I built Heretics outside it. We began by agreeing that television had become sanitised. Within minutes, she was asking whether I was ashamed of myself. What follows is a collision between two very different ideas of public conversation: one prioritises care and responsibility; the other prioritises bluntness and freedom. You decide which one the future belongs to. Sub to her new show here: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaFeltzYouTube Following the sudden end of her Channel 5 programme, Vanessa reveals how Paramount pulled the plug, why terrestrial television is losing its audience and what decades in British broadcasting taught her about censorship, controversy and the shrinking space for unscripted opinions. But the agreement doesn’t last. A throwaway remark about Loose Women becomes an accusation of misogyny and ageism. Vanessa explains why she deplores my decision to interview Katie Hopkins, questions whether controversial figures deserve a platform and reveals whether she would invite Woody Allen into her home. Then, after Vanessa asks what I have said that made me unacceptable to mainstream television, the interview takes its most dramatic turn. We clash over transgender identity, pronouns, detransition, compelled speech and whether genuine compassion means affirming somebody’s identity—or being willing to tell them something they do not want to hear. At one point, Vanessa calls me “nasty”. Shortly afterwards, she announces that she has lost the will to live. But the arguments are only half the story. Vanessa also speaks with startling honesty about growing up with parents who rarely expressed love, being made to feel grateful to any man who chose her and why she has never sustained a successful relationship. She opens up about the cruelty she experienced over her weight, starving and dehydrating herself before televised weigh-ins on Celebrity Fit Club, the gastric band that became embedded in her liver and why she wishes Mounjaro and Wegovy had existed before she underwent gastric bypass surgery. There are also extraordinary stories involving Madonna, Katie Price, Woody Harrelson, Jeff Goldblum, The Big Breakfast and the famous guests who behaved very strangely after climbing into bed with Vanessa. Was Vanessa defending kindness and responsibility—or the instincts that made mainstream television frightened of real conversation? Was I defending honesty and free expression—or simply being provocative for its own sake? Watch until the end and decide for yourself. The way the conversation concludes may surprise you. Subscribe to Heretics for long-form conversations in which insiders, survivors and dissidents reveal the hidden rules of powerful people and institutions—and how those rules affect you. CHAPTERS 0:00 “Are you ashamed of yourself?” 3:54 Why mainstream television is dying 7:59 One joke turns the interview against Andrew 12:32 Is offensiveness ever “just a joke”? 18:15 The parents who rarely expressed love 21:59 Why Vanessa always needed to be chosen 25:09 Why Vanessa deplores Katie Hopkins 30:48 Vanessa discovers she was voted one of Britain’s worst people 35:18 How she avoided the internet until 2020 38:27 “What have you said?” The gender clash begins 42:36 What does it really mean to be a woman? 46:18 “You’re just being nasty” 50:10 When “just be kind” stops being simple 55:40 The weight-loss operation that went horribly wrong 59:03 Starving herself before a televised weigh-in 1:03:21 Why one slice of cake changes everything 1:07:19 Vanessa’s YouTube reinvention—and the stars in her bed #VanessaFeltz #Heretics #AndrewGold #FreeSpeech #BritishTV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patricia Heaton says Hollywood became so hostile to dissent that she helped build a private network of 2,000–3,000 insiders - before the IRS asked for its members’ names. In this Heretics interview, the Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle star tells Andrew Gold why “Hollywood’s dead”—and what changed inside its comedy writers’ rooms. Patricia reveals how a small gathering involving Gary Sinise, Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight and Ben Shapiro grew into Friends of Abe, Hollywood’s secret community for conservatives, libertarians and independent thinkers. Follow Patricia on X here: https://x.com/PatriciaHeaton And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciaheaton Andrew first heard Patricia Heaton discuss Hollywood’s writers’ rooms with Dave Rubin on The Rubin Report. Here, they go further: from jokes being rejected as offensive and diversity requirements affecting hiring to Patricia’s Catholic faith, her pro-life beliefs and the people who allegedly refused to work with her. Patricia also challenges Andrew’s atheism before they debate October 7, Israel, antisemitism, Hollywood activism, radical Islam, immigration and the political future of America. Can Hollywood ever produce another timeless sitcom like Everybody Loves Raymond—or has fear permanently changed comedy? Subscribe to Heretics for more honest conversations with the insiders, survivors and dissidents challenging powerful institutions. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Hollywood’s secret club: the explosive preview 1:06 Patricia Heaton says “Hollywood’s dead” 6:40 Why classic comedy couldn’t be made today 9:54 The joke young writers called “homophobic” 14:46 Diversity rules inside Hollywood writers’ rooms 19:04 Being Catholic and pro-life in Hollywood 23:03 Friends of Abe: Hollywood’s secret conservative club 26:06 3,000 members, IRS scrutiny and career backlash 32:06 Patricia Heaton challenges Andrew’s atheism 38:00 October 7 and Hollywood’s silence 42:00 Did the West learn the wrong lesson from 9/11? 45:48 Why is Israel held to a different standard? 49:58 Andrew’s terrifying Jerusalem chase 53:04 Is activism Hollywood’s latest status symbol? 56:04 From sitcom fame to a warning about freedom 59:25 Christianity, Islamism and closed communities 1:02:25 Mamdani, political violence and the far left 1:05:38 Can America reverse course? #PatriciaHeaton #EverybodyLovesRaymond #TheMiddle #Hollywood #Heretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Charles Manson merely a cult leader—or used the CIA’s MKUltra mind-control program? Investigative journalist Tom O’Neill spent 20 years examining Charles Manson, the Manson Family and the murders of Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. His acclaimed book, CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, challenged the accepted Helter Skelter story. In 2026, Tom was called to testify before the United States Congress about MKUltra and the files he uncovered. -- Get Tom O'Neill's book Chaos: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chaos-Truth-Behind-Manson-Murders/dp/1786090627 -- Tom explains why Manson repeatedly escaped prison despite serious parole violations—and reveals the disturbing connections between Manson, the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic and psychiatrist Louis “Jolly” West, a secret CIA contractor involved in LSD, hypnosis and mind-control experiments. We discuss: • Whether Charles Manson was a CIA asset, informant or unwitting experimental subject • The original MKUltra documents Tom discovered after “turning every page” • Sidney Gottlieb, Jolly West and attempts to replace real memories with false ones • Evidence that the CIA gave Congress altered information about MKUltra • How Manson used LSD, hypnosis and psychological conditioning on his followers • Whether MKUltra succeeded—and whether similar programs could still exist today • What a congressional staffer allegedly told Tom about UFOs, UAPs, recovered crafts and recovered beings • Tom’s night inside Marilyn Manson’s house • Private dinners with Peter Thiel • Joe Rogan, Kamala Harris and the political cost of refusing difficult conversations Tom is careful to distinguish between what the documents prove and what remains an extraordinary—but increasingly difficult to dismiss—theory. Do you believe Manson was deliberately used, experimented on, or simply protected as an informant? Let us know below. Subscribe to Heretics for investigations into cults, government secrets, institutional power, hidden history and the stories powerful people would rather you ignored. #CharlesManson #MKUltra #CIA Chapters: 0:00 Congress Reopens MKUltra 7:50 The Files That Survived 13:24 Was Manson a CIA Experiment? 20:34 Someone Needed Manson Free 27:55 How Manson Programmed His Followers 31:18 Replacing Real Memories With Fake Ones 35:35 Did MKUltra Ever Stop? 40:06 Secrets Hidden From Presidents 41:51 What Congress Really Knows About UFOs 45:35 Recovered Crafts and Beings 47:14 Secrets That Require Therapy 48:44 Could Aliens Really Reach Earth? 50:42 Why Democrats Skipped the Hearing 52:15 Psychic Spies and Uri Geller 55:31 Inside Marilyn Manson’s House 59:07 The Tape Too Dangerous for the Phone 1:02:01 Marilyn Manson’s Taylor Swift Obsession 1:05:17 Dinner at Peter Thiel’s House 1:11:02 Kamala Harris’s Joe Rogan Mistake #CharlesManson #TrueCrime #Conspiracy #CIA #MKUltra #MansonFamily #DarkHistory #HistoryExposed #Heretics #AndrewGold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kanika Batra says her psychiatrist scored her 33 out of 40 for psychopathy. She also says she set someone on fire - and that the worst thing she has ever done cannot be discussed because “there’s no statute of limitations.” In this unfiltered Heretics interview, Andrew Gold sits opposite the former beauty queen, author and viral sociopathy creator to discover what life is really like without emotional empathy, guilt or remorse. --- Follow Kanika: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KanikaBatra TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ogkanikabatra Website and book: https://kanikarose.com --- Kanika explains her diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), commonly associated with sociopathy, and why she describes herself as an extreme psychopath. But can a psychopath genuinely love? Can you recognise one by looking into their eyes? Which of Kanika’s smiles is real - and what weakness would she exploit to manipulate Andrew? They discuss: * Kanika’s psychopathy score - and why 32 out of 40 is so extreme * The disturbing things she says she did as a child• Who she set on fire and what she felt afterwards * How sociopaths imitate emotion, empathy and remorse * The difference between a psychopath, sociopath and narcissist * How Kanika would psychologically manipulate Andrew * Whether psychopaths can experience love• Fake smiles, unblinking eyes and the physical signs she looks for * Her controversial Sociopathic Dating Bible * Why she adopted a different personality for her TikTok audience * Which celebrities and political figures she believes are psychopaths or narcissists * Her unexpected involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew story Kanika Batra - also known online as Kanika Rose - has built an audience of more than 670,000 people across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, generating over 37 million views with videos about sociopathy, dark psychology, manipulation, narcissism, dating and power. She has also appeared on LADbible’s Honesty Box, discussing what it means to live without empathy, guilt or remorse. Kanika’s descriptions of her own experiences - and her opinions about the psychology of public figures - are her own and should not be treated as clinical diagnoses or medical advice. #KanikaBatra #Psychopath #DarkPsychology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood legend Rob Schneider (SNL, Deuce Bigalow, Grown Ups) joins Andrew Gold in the desert. in this deep dive, Rob reveals why he’s choosing to stay in "Siberia" rather than conform to the new authoritarianism of the film world. From secret phone calls with A-list stars who are too afraid to speak out, to his famous (and surprisingly touching) confrontation with Robert De Niro, Rob pulls back the curtain on the "blacklisting" happening behind the scenes. We explore the "politics of envy," why critics have always had it out for him, and the emotional toll of being "canceled" by his own family. This isn't just about movies—it's a conversation about the collapse of Western institutions, the rise of "suicidal empathy," and why Rob believes that "silly is king" in a world that has lost its sense of humor. Whether you’re a fan of classic SNL comedy or you’re here for the "heretical" truth-telling, this interview is a must-watch. 00:00 The Hollywood Blacklist: Who’s Really in Control? 04:40 The Politics of Envy: James Cameron & The Titanic Backlash 08:45 The Secret Discussion with Jerry Seinfeld at SNL 50 11:15 Why the Studio System is Collapsing in Real Time 13:30 Was Senator McCarthy Right? The New Blacklist 16:25 The Usurpation of Movements: From Rights to Grifts 19:10 Why Hollywood Executives Fear for Their Beach Houses 24:50 Selective Outrage: The Hamas Massacre & Celebrity Silences 28:40 The "French Model" vs. The American Typecast 31:55 Why English Actors Are More "Honest" About the Money 34:55 Richard Dreyfuss and the Reality of Winning an Oscar 39:00 The Status Trap: Why Hollywood Stars Are So Fragile 42:30 Adam Sandler’s Loyalty in a Career of "Siberia" 46:20 The Saskatchewan Benefit: Jokes That Got Me Banned 51:25 Secret Calls: The A-Listers Who Agree with Me in Private 53:20 The Daughter I Lost: Forgiveness & The Family Divide 58:30 Finding Faith: How Christianity Changed the Game 01:05:50 Why Dave Chappelle is the Modern Prophet 01:11:30 John Cleese, Silly Icons, and the Future of Comedy #RobSchneider #Hollywood #CancelCulture #AndrewGold #Heretics #AdamSandler #JerrySeinfeld #FreeSpeech #Comedy #HollywoodUnfiltered #Interview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Roman Yampolskiy is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Louisville, where he has spent over a decade researching AI safety, superintelligent systems, and artificial general intelligence. He is widely credited with coining the term "AI safety" in a 2011 academic publication and is listed among the top 2% of most-cited researchers in the world. He is the author of AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable (2024), a book that lays out his case for why advanced AI systems cannot, by definition, be brought under lasting human control. He is a signatory of open letters calling for government regulation of AI development on par with nuclear weapons. Support my guest: www.romanyampolskiy.com youtube.com/c/RomanYampolskiy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this exclusive conversation, Katie Price sits down with Andrew Gold to set the record straight on the headlines that have defined her for decades. From her complex relationship with the press and the reality of living with body dysmorphia to the truth behind the kidnapping of her husband in Dubai, Katie holds nothing back. She discusses the heavy toll of fame, her experiences with betrayal, and the unconditional love she has for her son, Harvey. This is Katie Price as you’ve never seen her before—vulnerable, resilient, and ready to reclaim her narrative. Chapters 00:00 - The "Famous" Persona vs. The Real Katie 04:06 - Why Headlines are Designed to Destroy 07:34 - Acting "Dumb" to Survive the Industry 11:58 - The Truth About My Body Dysmorphia 13:01 - An Origin Story of Trauma 20:04 - Counting the Surgeries: What Went Wrong? 25:17 - Is It an Addiction? 33:32 - The Kidnapping: What Happened in Dubai? 43:34 - The Ultimate Betrayal on the Beach 56:29 - Life with Harvey: The Challenges and the Joy 1:01:03 - Dealing with Dwight York’s Absence 1:04:47 - The Dark Room: My Breakdown and Recovery 1:12:15 - Revenge, Regrets, and Eurovision 1:18:24 - A Different Life: If I Never Got Famous #KatiePrice #AndrewGold #Heretics #Documentary #Fame #MentalHealth #HarveyPrice #Interview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this compelling episode of Heretics, I’m joined by the "Skeptical Environmentalist" himself, Bjorn Lomborg, to dismantle the current narrative surrounding Net Zero and climate policy. While the world is often told that the transition to green energy will be cheap and easy, Lomborg presents a starkly different reality: a plan that could cost trillions, lead to de-industrialization, and effectively demand that you become poorer to save the planet. Follow Bjorn on X: https://x.com/BjornLomborg Check out his website: https://lomborg.com Find his think tank: https://copenhagenconsensus.com We dive deep into the data they don’t want you to see—from the surprising statistics on heat versus cold deaths to the hidden costs of wind and solar. Is the current panic actually leading us toward a political and economic catastrophe? And if Net Zero is physically and politically impossible, what is the real solution to our environmental challenges? If you're tired of the alarmist headlines and want a rational, data-driven look at the future of our planet, this is an episode you can't afford to miss. Chapters 0:00 The hidden cost of Net Zero 2:12 The truth about heat vs. cold deaths 5:12 Why we aren't "boiling" (and the truth about infrastructure) 7:02 Will climate change make us poorer? 10:55 Are we helping or hurting Africa? 15:00 Why a $100 Trillion plan will only change 0.1°C 17:40 The lie about "cheap" wind and solar 20:05 We aren't actually transitioning (The Wood Prop Paradox) 25:00 How innovation (not taxes) solves pollution 27:40 The battery backup fantasy 31:25 Why elites love bad climate spending 33:10 Fourth generation nuclear: The real solution? 36:55 How energy ended slavery 43:00 Why the media only reports the worst news 46:30 The 2040 "Film" is going to break 51:50 Why we must stop the panic #BjornLomborg #ClimateChange #NetZero #Economics #Sustainability #Heretics #AndrewGold #EnergyPolicy #Environmentalism #Innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Andrew Lawrence reveals the stories behind his three biggest cancellations and the price of pushing comedy beyond accepted limits. He revisits the online firestorms that followed his most controversial jokes - including the Euro 2020 penalty tweet that reportedly cost him around 30 tour dates and the Liverpool parade joke that triggered another wave of outrage and venue bans - and asks whether anything should remain off-limits in comedy. Support my guest: https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewLawrenceComedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices