Blackballed With James Di Fiore
321 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingBlackballed is what other outlets refuse to be - non-combative and open to virtually anyone in politics, media, and entertainment. Host James DiFiore doesn't believe in words like platforming, and will interview some of the most controversial guests without allowing the conversation to derail.
Blackballed is what journalism used to be. Welcome to the conversation.
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Episodes
Cheri Di Novo
October 20, 2022 23:56 - 57 minutesCheri Di Novo is as tough as they come. She started out on the streets in the 1970s selling LSD from her bible, then became a successful businesswoman in the 80s and 90s, before becoming a public servant in the early 200s. She is also a Reverend and officiated the very first legalized gay marriage in Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
David Wallace
October 20, 2022 00:18 - 1 hourDavid Wallace has seen it all. He is a former political fixer who recently blew the whistle on himself in order to expose the nefarious antics of the cult known as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. He is also the architect of the leaked dossier known as the #klondikepapers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt Le Tissier
October 19, 2022 18:36 - 53 minutesMatt Le Tissier was a formidable footballer for the Southampton Football club in the UK. Today, he is a formidable critic of the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Le Tissier talks to James about his opinions re the pandemic, the Big Pharma vaccine rollout, and his views on The Great Reset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
MASIA ONE
October 18, 2022 15:35 - 1 hourMASIA ONE is a veteran hip hop artist who hails from...well, everywhere. She has roots in Malaysia, Canada, Jakarta and all over southeast Asia. She is also a dope emcee, and an entrepreneurial spirit. But her greatest gift is how she embodies hip hop culture, without even trying. She IS hip hop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cheryl Hope & Lane Admiraal - Ex PBCC Cult Members
October 17, 2022 18:42 - 1 hourCheryl Hope and Lane Admiraal are both survivors of the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Today they are encouraging other victims to leave the cult and begin new lives. We will also discuss the hundreds of cult-owned businesses in North America, and why Amazon has a partnership with the PBCC despite their anti-gay, anti-women agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emm Gryner - Author/David Bowie Bandmate
October 14, 2022 00:09 - 1 hourEmm Gryner is one of those people who has a slew of top tier gifts and talents. She is a singer/songwriter, and the author of the book 'The Healing Power of Singing - Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life (What Touring with David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching the Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alex Fesiak - Heart of the World Ukraine
October 13, 2022 10:43 - 1 hourAles Fesiak is an IT professional who had found himself in the middle of a volunteer project to help get much needed equipment to the front lines in Ukraine. He joins James to talk about how this has helped countless people, the emotional experience of helping his fellow countrymen and friends, and what he has learned by stepping up into this altruistic role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Peter Tatchell - Gay Rights Activist
October 12, 2022 18:04 - 44 minutesFor 55 years, Peter Tatchell has been traveling the world and putting himself in the line of fire for one issue - gay rights. He was the subject of the Netflix documentary Hating Peter Tatchell and joins James to discuss his ongoing activisim Putin's homophobic policies, and why the Monarchy is no longer relevant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Najjah Calibur - FIFA World Cup Ambassador
October 12, 2022 00:28 - 1 hourNajjah Calibur is one of the most all-around talents in Canada. He's a singer/songwriter, and emcee, and was just named the official FIFA World Cup Host and Ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anne Schwartz - Jeffrey Dahmer author
October 08, 2022 00:55 - 1 hourAnne Schwartz has the distinction of being the reporter who first broke the Jeffrey Dahmer story in Milwaukee. She is also the author of Monster: The True Story of the Jeffrey Dahmer Murders, and was featured in the new Netflix documentary Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
John Spencer - Ukraine/Russia War Update
October 07, 2022 03:29 - 57 minutesJohn Spencer is an urban warfare expert and the author of the critically acclaimed book 'Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War. He joins us to give his expert opinion on the current state of the conflict in Ukraine, and why Russia is almost certainly on the brink of losing the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Michael Geist + Dean Blundell
October 06, 2022 23:54 - 51 minutesDr. Michael Geist is Canada's foremost expert on Internet Law and Policy, and is a fierce critic of Bill C-11, the Trudeau govt's internet censorship bill. He joins James, along with Dean Blundell, to talk about the details of the bill and why the government seems so determined to pass it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Paul Atkinson
October 06, 2022 00:29 - 1 hourPaul Atkinson became a viral sensation during the convoy protest after he stood up to protestors outside of his home, becoming known as the Blue Jacket Guy. He now co-hosts the True North Eager Beaver podcast and is easily one of the nicest and smartest people James knows. James and Paul discuss politics, mental health, politics, and music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Senator Leo Housakos
October 04, 2022 23:29 - 38 minutesSenator Leo Housakos is a staunch conservative Senator, but he has something in common with many progressives in Canada - he is against curtailing the rights and freedoms of online users, both as individual users and independent digital producers. Bill C-11 would give the CRTC sweeping powers over user generated content, and the government is ac ting like it would do no such thing...even though it says it will right in the legislation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...
Reality Winner
October 03, 2022 19:02 - 1 hourReality Winner served 5 years in prison for leaking classified documents detailing Russian interference in the 2016 election. She was made an example by the Trump administration and not pardoned despite Trump himself commenting on how harsh the sentence was. Reality is now a cross-fit trainer and is looking at other issues to attach herself to in order to keep fighting against government action and inaction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mental Health Check Up
September 30, 2022 00:08 - 1 hourMental health is the second pandemic, or at least James seems to think so. He invites regular listeners of Backballed, along with top digital strategist/entrepreneur George Easton, to discuss the toll this pandemic, and also the state of the world we currently live in, on our collective mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Spencer Rice - aka Spenny
September 22, 2022 00:40 - 1 hourSpencer Rice is known for his hilarious TV show Kenny VS Spenny, but these days he is all about politics. Spenny gives his two cents on living in a polarized society, the toxic impact of social media, and what the blowback might be if Trump is not allowed to run for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Caryma Sa'd - The Death of Queen Elizabeth
September 09, 2022 00:43 - 1 hourAdvocate, lawyer, and political cartoon creator Caryma Sa'd returns to Blackballed to talk about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarchy, UFOs/aliens, her most recent political cartoons and the issues that inspired them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Caitlin Erikson & Christina Hutchinson
September 08, 2022 00:59 - 58 minutesCaitlin Erikson and Christina Hutchinson were former students from thre Saskatoon Christian Centre Academy, now known as the Legacy Christian Academy. Both former students and others have made allegations of abuse against the institution. Tonight they tell their stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Classified
September 07, 2022 02:45 - 1 hourNot many rappers have had the type of longevity that Halifax rapper Classified has enjoyed, especially in Canada. Classified joins me to talk about his acoustic album Retrospected, the upcoming tour, and the tragedy of losing his friend, fellow Nova Scotian and battle rap champion Pat Stay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eric Alper
September 03, 2022 02:59 - 1 hourNobody tweets like Eric Alper. Many of his followers begin and end the day on one of his positive or nostalgia-generating musings. He joins James to talk about music's cultural imprint, the difference in how we consume music from one era to the next, and how our tendency to establish an emotional connection to music remains intact. Eric's ability to paint a compelling picture to demonstrate an affinity with the artist and the fan is worth spending the hour listening to this episode. Learn mor...
David Wallace and Richard Marsh
September 02, 2022 00:35 - 1 hourRichard Marsh is the ex member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church who was hunted down by the cult after blowing the whistle on an alleged NHS scam in the UK involving a PBCC company. David Wallace is the guy the cult hired to hunt him down. Gerald Chipeur is the former lawyer for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the former General Counsel for the Conservative Party of Canada, and the PBCC attorney who hired David Wallace to hunt down Richard Marsh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Maxime Bernier
September 01, 2022 00:39 - 1 hourMaxime Bernier is the leader of the People's Party of Canada and the most controversial politician in the country. Since the pandemic Maxime has been traveling coast to coast delivering a message of liberty to supporters in response to the Trudeau Government's mandates/regulations. Will the backlash against Trudeau be enough to earn the PPC seats by the time the next election arrives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stephen Maher
August 31, 2022 01:21 - 29 minutesStephen Maher is an award-winning journalist and author. He is also a contributing editor at Macleans Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lane Admiraal - Ex Member of the PBCC Cult
August 26, 2022 23:52 - 44 minutesLane Admiraal is a former member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. He was excommunicated from the cult in 2008 and has alleged horrible abuse from its members, as well as a serious accusation of an illegal, anti-gay petition sent to MPs in Canada when gay marriage was being decided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jacky Hart - Ex member of the PBCC
August 25, 2022 14:08 - 46 minutesJacky Hart is an ex member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, not to mention played a role in trying to get the charitable status removed from the PBCC in the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cheryl Hope & Richard Marsh
August 20, 2022 02:30 - 1 hourCheryl Hope rejoins James to discuss the ongoing police investigation into the man she accused of assaulting her when she was a child, and how her interview unleashed a tidal wave of various accusers claiming they were also abused by members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Update on the Plymouth Brethren Cult
August 19, 2022 22:39 - 51 minutesFor the past two months, Blackballed has been the only networking to extensively cover the culture and abuse of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. This episode will get listeners up to date on how a couple of interviews exploded into a trend among the cult's ex members. Now that it is widely known within the PBCC, James talks about the next steps in making the PBCC a household name for being a dangerous, unaccountable cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michael Bachelard - Author of Behind the Exclusive Brethren
August 17, 2022 00:58 - 1 hourMichael Bachelard is a deputy editor for Australia's The Age, and also the author of the compelling 2008 book Behind The Exclusive Brethren. SHOW LESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Corinna Cohn - Trans Activist
August 12, 2022 00:03 - 1 hourCorinna Cohn is a trans activist whose views set her apart from the status quo. In this episode we try to navigate the waters of gender activism, and the tropes that come with it, in order to find both common ground and a way forward that is inclusive for everyone, including the diversity of opinion within the trans communities. SHOW LESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michael de Adder - Political Cartoonist
August 09, 2022 23:25 - 1 hourMichael de Adder talks about being a political junkie, an artist, and why he doesn't watch The Simpsons anymore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dave Troy -
August 08, 2022 17:11 - 1 hourDave Troy is an investigative journalist who has painstakingly detailed the history and present day alliance between religious extremists and corporate fascists in the USA and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Richard Marsh & his uncle, Richard Marsh
August 04, 2022 17:53 - 45 minutesFriend of the show Richard Marsh joins us with his uncle, Richard Marsh. Both are ex members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ron Fawkes
August 04, 2022 00:31 - 1 hourRon Fawkes was once the leader of the Australian Plymouth Brethren Christian Cult. He is now one of their fiercest critics, and has a message for members currently trapped inside the PBCC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ryan Jespersen
August 03, 2022 00:19 - 1 hourPodcast host and tv/radio veteran Ryan Jespersen joins James to discuss religion, politics, and the emergence of magic mushrooms as a therapeutic drug. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ashely Lindley - Heinous Cases
July 28, 2022 00:36 - 49 minutesAshley Lindley joins James to open up about being the estranged daughter of a man convicted of murder; how it has shaped her as an adult, if there are long-lasting impacts, and if she will ever forgive him for what he did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Carmen Drever - Ex Exclusive Brethren Cult Member pt2
July 27, 2022 00:35 - 58 minutesCarmen Drever is the granddaughter of former Plymouth Brethren Christian Church leader James Symington, and she is speaking out against the cult she had been a part of since birth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Carmen Drever: Ex Member of Plymouth Brethren cult
July 22, 2022 00:04 - 46 minutesCarmen Drever was like royalty in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Her grandfather was James Symington, a former Universal Leader of the cult. Carmen talks to us about what it was like inside the cult, how she left, and why she is worried about the young people still inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Caryma S'ad on Rebel News hit piece
July 21, 2022 18:04 - 45 minutesLawyer Caryma S'ad has the unique ability of making ideologues angry, sometimes without doing or saying anything at all. Rebel News used Caryma as a political prop in their hit piece against the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an organization with skeletons and a penchant for being as extreme as the groups they target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt Cundill
July 19, 2022 00:33 - 52 minutesMatt Cundill is largely considered one of the most innovative minds in the podcast industry. Matt helps us understand how both industries co-exist, and his excitement for being a part of a podcast renaissance, where creators are making decision independent of big outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Heinous Cases - Karla Homolka
July 17, 2022 00:10 - 42 minutesCriminal defense lawyer Rob Kivlichan joins host James Di Fiore in the inaugural episode of Heinous Cases as they go over the Karla Homolka plea deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ex Member of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church - Dennis Wragge
July 16, 2022 16:41 - 1 hourEx members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church live very difficult lives. They live between wanting to see their families, and not wanting them to feel the blowback of having a relative excommunicated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dean Blundell
July 13, 2022 06:43 - 1 hourDean Blundell joins James to discuss the uniqueness of the podcasting format, how he still hates anything to do with politics, and how religion is weaponized via politics and public relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rob Davis on Patrick Brown
July 10, 2022 16:17 - 52 minutesRob Davis is a conservative consultant who has a few issues with the removal of Patrick Brown's leadership candidacy. He helps us understand the politics behind it, and why the lack of transparency could actually hurt the Conservative Party of Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dismantling Patrick Brown
July 09, 2022 00:19 - 33 minutesPatrick Brown had already been unceremoniously removed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in 2018. This time he was vying to become leader of the Conservative Party of Canada when he was disqualified. James goes over the reasons why he was ousted, and whether or not any of the candidates can claim to be running a clean campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Janja Lalich & Richard Marsh
July 08, 2022 00:52 - 1 hourDr. Janja Lalich describes the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church as "the most dangerous Christian cult on the planet." She along with Richard Marsh joins us to discuss what escapees face when they attempt to leave cults like the PBCC, and how society is ill-equipped to deal with these types of nefarious groups. We also touch on how Canadian politicians like Stephen Harper and Pierre Poilievre seem to be beholden to the group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Richard Marsh on PBCC Sex Crimes
July 01, 2022 00:30 - 1 hourThe Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is an organization with many skeletons, including an assortment of heinous sexual crimes against children. In this episode, ex PBCC member Richard Marsh helps us understand the culture of secrecy and loyalty inside the church and how that translates into child victims who never see justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cheryl Hope
June 30, 2022 01:22 - 1 hourCheryl Hope was once a member of the cult-like religious group, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. After years of being an ex-member, she is ready to come forward to share her story of abuse at the hands of Alan Drever, an elder of the PBCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
THRUST
June 27, 2022 23:49 - 43 minutesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Caryma Sa'd
June 24, 2022 12:40 - 39 minutesCaryma Sa'd returns to Blackballed to give her account of an assault that took place in Kensington Market in Toronto. Her political work has made her a target among the anti-Trudeau crowd. Should Caryma be concerned her coverage of this pandemic and post-pandemic politics is making her unsafe in public? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices