Piers Morgan Uncensored - Piers Morgan Uncensored: Ukraine Dam, Elle Brooke, Wim Hof

Episode Date: June 6, 2023

On tonight's episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, Piers talks about the atrocities happening in Ukraine as a Ukrainian dam is destroyed with Piers asking, Is this the turning point in Europe’s bloody... war? Piers is joined by Only Fans influencer Elle Brooke to find out if being naked is part of a feminist act of empowerment and Piers is joined by Wim Hof to talk all things wellness. Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored at 8 pm on TalkTV on Sky 522, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237 and Freesat 217. Listen on DAB+ and the app.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 I'm Piers Morgan. Uncensored tonight, Ukraine says Russia built up a major dam, unleashing a biblical flood which threatens a nuclear plant. The UK kills it a war crime and as Ukraine begins a massive counteroffensive. Is this the turning point in Europe's bloody war? Also tonight, only fans has become a multi-billion dollar business, now with the record three million users, most of them selling soft porn photos to followers. Is it feminist empowerment or just downright immoral? We'll debate that with one of his biggest stars. Plus, the legendary Wim Hof, better known as the Iceman,
Starting point is 00:00:34 is a wellness guru to the stars, says he can fix all our problems, but it's a well-being, anxiety, and pain management. I think of a few people today they could have done with a bit of that. So I thought I should talk to him. He joins me live. Live from the news building in London,
Starting point is 00:00:55 this is Piers Morgan Uncensored. Well, good evening from London. Welcome to Piers Morgan Uncensored, far away from the breathless talk of misbehaving TV presenters. and attention-seeking reality stars and whining members of the royal family. Something remarkable is happening in Ukraine right now.
Starting point is 00:01:12 Russia's little neighbor, with an army half its size, was supposed to fall under the Kremlin's rule in three days. Every expert told us Ukraine would be pounded off the map. And for a while, that's how it looked. Russian troops surged across the border from three directions. Bombs pounded shelters for refugees, maternity hospitals, residential buildings, in town after town.
Starting point is 00:01:34 Russian flags were hoisted up as symbols of a genocidal conquest. They turned Ukraine into a living hell. But a hell of a lot has changed. Ukrainians fought back against the Russians, facing tanks in tractors, repelling the invaders with now legendary bravery. Western arms poured in, and Putin's war machine is falling apart. We're now hearing a lot about Ukrainian counter-offensive, and it's worth thinking about what that actually means.
Starting point is 00:02:01 It means Ukraine is no longer just defending. itself, pinned against the ropes, taking the blows. It's now ready to begin punching back. It's fighting. It's on the front foot. And it's ready to take back its country in the way that President Zelensky has always vowed it would. We are not prepared to exchange or trade the territory of the independent state of Ukraine. We have no right for this. First of all, we are the government because this land belongs to Ukrainian people. Ukraine has every right to fight for every inch of its territory.
Starting point is 00:02:39 A lot of experts say there's no way this ends without them giving up sways of their country to the Russians, to Putin's barbarians. But why should they? How would we respond if Russia did this here to our country? Well, we know what we did when Adolf Hitler tried to do that. Don't we? Why have we forgotten? Do we not learn the lessons from history
Starting point is 00:03:01 when dictators try and rampage their way through Europe, seizing democratic sovereign countries. Ukraine has to win this war, has to win it for freedom and for democracy, and we have to help them do it. And it has to win this war on its terms, not Vladimir Putin's. Today, another reminder of why a massive explosion destroyed a huge dam in southern Ukraine,
Starting point is 00:03:26 unleashing a biblical flood that will cost more lives and even threatens a nuclear power plant. It looks a lot like another lunatic act from a terrorist state that's getting ever more desperate and dangerous or fearful of the counteroffensive. The only way we stop things like this is by bringing an end to the war. And that, for us, for America, for the other allies,
Starting point is 00:03:49 means that we support and back Zelensky and Ukraine to finish the job. Well, joining me now is Yuri Sack, he's advisor to Ukrainian defense minister, and by General Mark Kimit, the former Assistant Secretary of State for political and military affairs. Welcome to both of you.
Starting point is 00:04:04 Yuri Saki, let me start with you. How crucial is this phase of the war that we're now entering with the much vaunted counter-offensive and how damaging is this incident today with the dam? Thank you, Piers. And I would like to start by expressing deep gratitude to the United Kingdom,
Starting point is 00:04:25 to the British people for the support that we have been receiving from your country since day one of this aggression. your leaders have come to support us in person. We have received tanks. We have received ammunition. We have received multi-launch rocket systems from the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom have been the driving force behind the formation of the fighter jet coalition.
Starting point is 00:04:46 So we are thankful for that. Now, as to your question, of course, we have been preparing for the next stages of our the occupation campaign. For a long time, we have been receiving military support from our allies. and what is happening, what is beginning to happen now, the front is beginning to move. Russians continue to suffer setbacks on the battlefield in some places which have become legendary by now,
Starting point is 00:05:12 like the city of Bahmoud, which is entirely pulverized by the Russian artillery, but Russians are leaving from there as well, and we are advancing little by little. Faced with this lack of military success, a terrorist regime, which is what it is, the Russian terrorist regime, what they're doing, they continue the campaign of terror. So they continue to terrorize Ukrainian cities with a massive missile strikes.
Starting point is 00:05:39 Just last night, we had a massive missile strike, 35 cruise missiles. But fortunately, thanks to the air defense systems we have received from our partners, they've all been shot down. And at night, they have blown up the dam, which create the flooding. More than 80 villages and small towns are now underwater. The water levels have risen in some places up to 10 meters. We have no idea how many people this flood will take away because we, of course, right now cannot access these surgeries and we will have to wait until the water comes down.
Starting point is 00:06:15 The reconstruction of the dam is impossible. It is damaged beyond repair. We have proven evidence that the explosives have been taken there by the Russian terrorists, by these war criminals. And this is why we are calling now an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. And look, we are confident, we are aware that Russia, the terrorist state, has a seat on the Security Council, but still we think it is important for us to bring this issue to the attention of the international community because one of the possible outcomes has been the threat
Starting point is 00:06:46 to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizia, the second largest nuclear power plant in Europe. luckily for now there is no immediate threat. Okay. Thank you for that. That was an extraordinary account of what's been going on. Thank you. I want to bring in General Kim, from a purely military point of view, general, where are we in this war?
Starting point is 00:07:08 How prepared are the Ukrainians for this counteroffensive? And I guess the overriding question, can they win? Well, first of all, it's remarkable how strong the character and morality the Ukrainian forces are. Everybody thought this would be over in a matter of weeks. It's now been 16 months. And 16 months, now the great event to come is the counteroffensive that nobody would have ever anticipated. But one has to question if there is a sufficient amount of equipment that has been provided to the Ukrainian armies to achieve President Zelensky's war termination goals. And that's what we need to talk about is what does Wynn mean? If Wynn means that all of the
Starting point is 00:07:55 Russian forces are pushed out of both Ukraine and the land inside the Crimea that belongs to Ukraine, I don't think we provided enough equipment up to this point. But I do believe that there is sufficient capability for the Ukrainians to conduct a significant counteroffensive against the Russians that would, number one, prove to the Soviet, prove to the Russian forces that they have been defeated, prove to the West that this is a good investment and we need to provide more and more equipment, and also put the Ukrainian forces in a position
Starting point is 00:08:33 that perhaps not this counteroffensive, but a subsequent counteroffensive would get closer to President Zelensky's war termination goals. Otherwise, I would be afraid that the West would be pushing the Ukrainians to a premature set of negotiations which would just turn this into a frozen conflict and reward Putin for his aggression. Yuri, when I was in Ukraine interviewing the president and the First Lady, I was struck by when I spoke to ordinary people in the street,
Starting point is 00:09:03 old, young, male, female, whoever I spoke to, the absolute unity of resolve that the president should not seed an inch of Ukrainian land. In fact, they wanted to go and get it. back Crimea and other parts of the country that have been taken by Vladimir Putin. You know, what is your message now to Vladimir Putin? If he's watching this, what is your message to him and his military about that question? Would Ukraine ever do you think seed an inch of land?
Starting point is 00:09:38 My message to the Russian military would be something that our president, Mr. Zelensky, has said so many times, surrender or be destroyed? the only two possible outcomes for these war criminals. They are already degraded by the Ukrainian army. They are demoralized. We are seeing they are deserting the battlefield. By now we have killed more than 210,000 Russian soldiers on the battlefield and the news spreads. And this is why we're seeing the beginnings of the civil war in Russia, you know, all these movements, the partisans in the Belgrade region. So this is my message to the soldiers, to the terrorist number one, the leader of Kremlin, I would say, begin rehearsing your speech
Starting point is 00:10:24 when you will be standing in the docks of an international war crimes tribunal. Because this war criminal has already had one indictment issued against him. And after today, I think somewhere now, as we speak, another one is being written. So the leader of Kremlin and his clique, they will all stand trial. Now, as for Ukrainians, you know, we will continue to fight because we understand at the level of our DNA, that this is a war of our survival. This is a historical chance for us to once and for all resolve this issue. Russia, this war has begun not in February 2020. It began not even in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and started the war in the east of Ukraine. This is something that Russian, this genocidal maniac and monster was trying to achieve
Starting point is 00:11:10 for centuries, destroyed the Ukrainian identity, destroyed the Ukrainian culture, and destroyed us as a nation. This will never happen. I'll give you my word for this. General Kim, briefly if you don't mind, but what is the importance of this war now to the rest of the world? Are people like China, Iran, other countries watching to see what happens here? Would a victory for Putin unleashed just yet more hell around the globe from people like those countries who would feel emboldened, perhaps attack Taiwan and so on? How significant is this now? I think you're exactly right. If they see aggression go rewarded, they have no reason to be deterred, no reason to stop. I think the first issue would be that, as you say, China would do an unprecedented attack into Taiwan. You'd see other dictators around the world revive their own personal aspirations for lands outside of their country. So as the defense advisor said, we must show Putin that the will not be rewarded for this illegal, aggression.
Starting point is 00:12:15 General, thank you very much indeed. And Yuri Sack, thank you both very much indeed for joining me. I appreciate it. Well, I'm joining the studio by the political journalist Ava Santina. Well, the journalist, Quentin, he's more than a journalist. He's a legend. He's a Fleet Street icon. Desperate old hack.
Starting point is 00:12:29 A political journalist, a thespian right. I mean, you're everything, aren't you? A bit of everything. An all-rounder, both of journalism. Too much. Quentin, what do you... I mean, I'm always very inspired when I hear the Ukrainians talk. There's not something about them that is just inspiring, that resolve, the iron determination.
Starting point is 00:12:49 People weren't expecting this to be going on now. They thought Russia would roll them over. No, no, indeed. On the face of it, this dam's destruction is very bad news for the Ukrainians. But psychologically, I think it tells us something about the Russians. We used to talk about a scorched earth policy. This is a drenched earth policy, if you like. But the scorched earth policy, that that business of destroying a country as you are retreating.
Starting point is 00:13:10 And it shows that the Russians mentally are in retreat, and it shows that they're giving up on the idea of taking more of Ukraine. And Henry Kissinger made a good point last week. He said that the Russians have basically already lost because, or Putin has already lost, because the West no longer fears that Russia will attack another European country. And I think that's a pretty shrewd point. The Russians have lost strategic purchase as a deterrent sense. And, I mean, look, putting politics aside, both Boris Johnson and Rishishishina and, of course, very briefly, Liz Truss.
Starting point is 00:13:46 We have been, as a country, emphatically behind the Ukrainians. Impressively so, I think. Yeah, I mean, but importantly, that's because Europe has so much more to lose than Putin has to gain, realistically. I mean, you know, if Russia were to take that land, what does that say for, you know, who we are as the Western world? And look, you know, this dam, I actually do think it's a lot more important that perhaps we've, lady claimed to. I mean, you think of the human effect of what's happening right there. All of those emergency services are going to be drawn to the area.
Starting point is 00:14:16 That's a dam, the water of which, you know, cools the energy supply unit nearby. Think about all the people who've lost their homes today. All these villages being consumed. It's happened. The water also was used for irrigation of the
Starting point is 00:14:29 field, so it's more bad news for food prices, maybe. I want to segue to something much more trivial, but interesting nonetheless. Michael Sheen, one of the great Welsh actors. He's found it very hard to accept when Welsh characters are not played by Welsh actors and has criticised what he calls posh stars casting working class roles. Now, we did a bit of research into Mr Sheen. I think we've got some of his roles here, which we can show you. Let's have a
Starting point is 00:15:02 look. It's a VT. As far as I'm concerned, the first thing he can do for me is to chuck all your medals and all your caps and all your pots and all your pounds into the biggest flipping dustbin you can find Belaar is alive after all isn't that wonderful I love a happy ending you bad angels well to recap we found 10 he played brian clover yorkman ternie bera scott david david englishman h masters americans Sigmund Freud a Czech, Nero and Italian, Hamlet, Adain, Mozart and Austrian, Jesus Christ, a Palestinian. His Hamlet wasn't very good. But I rest my case, Quentin.
Starting point is 00:15:49 He's a good actor, though. He's a good actor, but I think... But there's another point. He's a great actor that can play all these parts. I don't scream when I hear a Welshman playing Tony Blair in a Blair accent. What's he on about? I think Michael is being what the Welsh would call a pillog. What is that? Pillock. Do I need to call up?
Starting point is 00:16:06 And, I mean, it's a ludicrous proposition. really, because actually, it's very self-defeating. There are very few Welsh parts in world drama. So he may be doing himself out of a job. Because if only Welsh can play Welsh, that means, you know... Eval, what about this point about posh stars cast in working-class roles? Is there a point to that? Yes.
Starting point is 00:16:24 This is a reverberating debate, isn't it? Should only disabled actors play disabled roles and so on and so on? What about the posh the working class part? The point is representation. So this whole Welsh argument is silly. But the point being that if you grow up in a small village in Wales, you don't have access to getting into acting. You don't have the transport links.
Starting point is 00:16:42 You don't have the money to go into it. Perhaps that maybe children who've been born into London. Two words for you. Two words for you. And they were words of a man. I had a wonderful 40-minute private chat with at a dinner party the other night. Michael Kane. You don't get a more working class actor than Michael Kane.
Starting point is 00:17:01 150-something movies he told me he's made. Playing, you know, often... I don't know if I could name one. Michael Kane? Do you not sure I get it? I don't know if I go. Harry Palmer. Do you know what?
Starting point is 00:17:12 That is actually, I've sent people out for less than I have. And ban them. You might get a suspension. One of our greatest ads, I mean, Michael Kane. Great. My point being that he was telling me about his, you know, he didn't get any fancied. He's a great screen persona, isn't he? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:17:28 But a working class boy who's ever been a barrier for him. How many years can you name, realistically? And do you know what the problem is with these actors, though, is that they go to private school, they get into acting, and they pull the ladder up for everyone else. go, no, I've had it, and I'm posh, but, you know, no one else can't. I actually can't tolerate you sitting here any longer for not knowing who Michael Cain is
Starting point is 00:17:45 or not even understanding he's how great is angry. But I think we're through all this class stuff. I mean, this is such... Aren't we... aren't we through to all of this stuff? I used to be a dustman. Would I be able to play a dustman on screen? No. You were a dustman? I was a dustman once. That's a staggering bombshell. But I would not be able to play a dust. Hang on. You've got to drop this bombshell. Quentin Letts. I was a dustman in Bista. What? Oxfordshire.
Starting point is 00:18:09 literally a bin man. Yeah. In the days when there were metal bins full of ash. Really? What was the most disgusting thing you ever had to deal with? I can't remember anything disgusting.
Starting point is 00:18:20 I just smelt for about two weeks after I had to hold me. Terrible. Have you got any weird little things in your back catalogue? I was a delivery driver. I used to drive a white van. That used to really impress people.
Starting point is 00:18:32 You were a white van moment? I was a white van delivery driver for years. And you still don't know Michael Cain's movies? Yeah. Dirty rotten scoundrels, the Italian job. Alfie, I mean, for goodness sake, he's one of the greatest actors ever.
Starting point is 00:18:46 It's quite right. You're going. That's the end. You, out of the studio, you're being censored. Quentin, great to see it. Ava, not so great. Lost on your reputation. Welcome back to Pierce Morgan Unsensored.
Starting point is 00:19:02 It really is going to get a bit uncensored here. Only fans have become a digital phenomenon. There's 190 million users and 3 million. so-called creators who mostly use the space to upload X-rated photographs and videos of themselves for their subscribers. And it's big business, very big business, raking in $5 billion a year. Well, Ellie Brooke, who makes six to seven figures per month on the site, describes it as empowering. But after years of fighting back against the objective use of women in newspapers, magazines, and as cheerleas and sport, isn't it just, well, a bit of a backward step?
Starting point is 00:19:38 Well, joining me now is OnlyFans creator. Elle, Brooke. Hi. I did ask you and then got it wrong, didn't I? Yeah. I'm the host of the Blair White Project, Blair White, over in the state. So welcome to both of you. All right, Elle.
Starting point is 00:19:49 Now, tell me about yourself. Yeah. What were you before you did this? I was a law student. And now I'm a TikTok group. A university? Yeah, University, University of University of New Southampton. Did you graduate?
Starting point is 00:20:02 No, no, no. I dropped out to do OnlyFans because I was making a lot of money. So I was like, why am I doing reading? Starting to be a lawyer? Yes. And then you start doing OnlyFans while you're at university. Yes. What made you get into it?
Starting point is 00:20:14 Because I saw how much money other people were earning. And I was thinking, hey, I can do this too. And then it turns out I'm pretty good at getting my clothes off. And I was like, this is a career for me. Now, see, okay, look, I've nothing against you. I don't, I'm not taking a moral view here, right? You can do what the hell you like if it's legal. I'm just disappointed that someone like you.
Starting point is 00:20:32 He's obviously got a great brain. Yeah. Training to be a law student at university. decides to pack it all in to just take your clothes off for perfect strangers on OnlyFans. Why? Because I wouldn't have made loads of money as a solicitor anyway. I would have earned money, yes, but I earned that in two weeks now. And I've earned that for a...
Starting point is 00:20:53 How much do you make? I mean, how much do you make? Maybe like double that. Well, I won't get into what I earn, but what do you earn? I earn a lot of money. Well, give me a number. Well, I don't want to give a specific number, but I'm zero. 0.01 on OnlyFans, so I'm as top as it gets.
Starting point is 00:21:10 What does that mean? It means you are the best of the best. 0.01% of... Best of the best of what? Any fans creators in monetary terms. Why are you so good? Because I'm really good looking. Right.
Starting point is 00:21:23 And original. We're certainly not shy, are you? No, I know I'm good at what I do. I'm not going to harangue for being cocky because that would be ridiculous coming from me. But, all right, well, let me go to Blair here. I mean, Blair, look, on the face of it, isn't this really what feminist
Starting point is 00:21:37 empowerment's all about a woman in control of her body, doing what she wants with it, making a huge amount of money. Isn't it entirely down to Elle what she decides to do? It absolutely is up to Al to do whatever she wants to do in her professional career. And I don't have any issue with adults doing what they want, entering sex work. However, unfortunately, I think the way in which OnlyPand is often discussed in public makes it out to be this quick get-rich scheme. It reeks of a pyramid scheme. young girls find themselves following this fool's gold rush and not really understanding the consequences of it. So here's some information that I feel like young girls should arm themselves
Starting point is 00:22:16 with. The average registered only fan creator makes only $180 a month. That's the average. So we're not discussing L in that, obviously, but that is the average. Making about $2,500 a month puts you in the top 1%, which adds up to $15 an hour, which is the same or less than McDonald's pays. So oftentimes these young girls find themselves, you know, entering sex work, thinking that it's going to be financially, you know, beneficial for them, and they end up making less than a fast food worker, but they still take on the entire stigma of being involved in sex work, and oftentimes can't find employment afterwards.
Starting point is 00:22:48 So my only issue is people doing these things without having, you know, themselves armed with the information. And I think everyone should know what them together. Yeah, I mean, look, you make some good points. I mean, what do your family think of this? I mean, there must be incredibly disappointed, surely, that you backed in a potentially really successful career as a lawyer to do this. My dad is dead and my mum is on my payroll.
Starting point is 00:23:09 My family are fine. Your mom's on your payroll? My mom's on my payroll. In what? Admin. What does that mean? Just behind the scenes work. She doesn't do anything rude or anything.
Starting point is 00:23:20 So she loves you doing this? Well, she doesn't praise it at the pub. Like, woohoo! My daughter does only fans. But she's supportive. She knows that I'm over 18. I can do what the hell I want. And she knows that, you know, her views can't.
Starting point is 00:23:31 like impact my life. What is she going to do? You're grounded because you do Only fans. Like, what the hell is? It's 2023. People can do what the hell they want. No, no.
Starting point is 00:23:39 Don't get me wrong. I totally subscribe to that. And we, the show's... Oh, you subscribe. I don't subscribe to you. But I haven't bestowed you that honour yet. No, but the... Look, I think this show's called Unsensitive.
Starting point is 00:23:50 You can do what hell you like. I don't care. But I'm just curious about you being someone who embarked on a law career was obviously very bright. Went to university. He packed it in just for money to be effectively an online stripper. I mean, that's what you do, right?
Starting point is 00:24:08 Way worse than an online stripper. What do you mean way worse? Online stripper is just, you know, naked. I do things that are way more grotesque than that. Just pornography? pornography, anything. But it's all within what I want to do. And I absolutely love it.
Starting point is 00:24:21 And I'm really good at it. You know, I could be a good lawyer, yes. But also, am I good at doing other things on video on camera? How would you feel when you want to have kids yourself? Well, I mean, that's... I don't really want kids right now. But you will, how old are you? 25.
Starting point is 00:24:35 Right, so you will do at some stage, probably, right? Maybe. When you do, you're going to be proud that you have your little ones and they look at you and go, didn't you want to be a lawyer, Mommy? What happened? Can you go, here, but look at all my stuff. They can cry in a Ferrari. You see, there will be, I know there will be people watching this.
Starting point is 00:24:55 It's younger people cheering you on. Yeah, girl, you go well. And there are other people going, what are you? What are you sounding like? You sound awful, grotesque. It's like, why go down this road? You obviously could be doing something so much better for the world than this, couldn't you? No, I've been so, like, sexually open since I was at school.
Starting point is 00:25:19 And if you met anyone in my year group, they would be like, you were absolutely made to do this. And I think if you put your mind to something, then you can absolutely achieve it. And, like, look at me with a little bit of good looks and hard work, you can come a millionaire. Blair, look, you know, the pale devil's advocate, Blair. I mean, look, you know, I saw you rolling your eyes, but the bottom line is she's making millions doing what she enjoys doing.
Starting point is 00:25:42 Clearly very popular. I mean, who are we to be too prudish about it, frankly? It's nothing to do with Elle, but I think it's important to state that it's not just about having good looks and a little bit of work ethic, because oftentimes, like I just said, you could be incredibly good-looking and only fans and only bring in $180 a month and still take on the entire stigma doing sex work.
Starting point is 00:26:03 So while it's important to say that everyone can do what they want, we do have to acknowledge that Elle is the exception, not the rule. And oftentimes these young girls, sometimes on their 18th birthday, are being misled into joining the site that completely demolishes any prospects of future employment for them. And often statistically, any chances of having relationships. A lot of OnlyFans girls are actually regretting being on the website coming forward and saying they can't get a job now and they can't get a date. and they never even made the money to justify doing it.
Starting point is 00:26:31 I'm so happy for Elle, but that's the exception to the rule. Okay, yeah, let me ask you on that point. I mean, do you have a man or not? You want a man? No, I'm single at the moment. But can I just point out that people fail at jobs all the time? Like, just because you didn't make it as an actor, do you regret being an actor? Like, so many companies go busk.
Starting point is 00:26:48 And like, what point is stupid to me? If you fell at only fans, you've done porn. Sorry? I said, but if you fail at McDonald's, you didn't flip a burger correctly for a customer. If you fail at OnlyFans, there's videos and pictures of you having sex or being naked on the internet forever. There's much worse consequences. You make that choice. It's not like loads of people fail.
Starting point is 00:27:07 No, I know, but you should make the choice armed with the information. But you should be arms with the information is what I'm saying. You do make a choice absolutely. Honestly, we've got to wrap it up. What does it say about society where a bright young woman like you? Yeah. Right? Decides to abandon a career in a fantastic career as a lawyer to do this just because it's,
Starting point is 00:27:29 making you money online. What does it say about the way society's gone? That I'm successful no matter what I do. I'd be successful as anything. Are you proud of it, though? Yeah, of course I am. Of course I am. More than you would be.
Starting point is 00:27:42 Only fans, I boxed, I have a big social presence, I have everything, and Only Fans was my gateway to become this influencer that I am now. Who wants to be an influencer, really? Who wants to? Have you met any, maybe not only fans, but any kid at school, they want to be influenced. I find all influences as pretty shallow people.
Starting point is 00:27:58 I've got to be honest, because they think they're great influencing on people, but most of them aren't. They're a bad influence. I feel like now you've been to platform. You're kind of an influencer. Really? Yeah, I'd say so. I don't know. You can have any views online and post them on your own influencer.
Starting point is 00:28:12 That's true. That has me as you. That's true, but I see myself as a journalist. It was a career I always wanted to do. You would have been a lawyer if you hadn't taken this path. I reckon I'll interview again in 15 years. Yeah. And you'll say, you know what, peers, you were right.
Starting point is 00:28:26 I'll pick you up in my baguati. Okay. Well, it'll be one or the other. Thank you for coming in. Elle, appreciate it. I appreciate you joining me. Thanks for having. Over the last few years,
Starting point is 00:28:43 the worldwide wellness industry has exploded in popularity and profitability. Today's estimated to be worth around $4.2 trillion a year. But if you thought it was all about Gwyneth Paltrow's intimately scented candles or supping kale smoothies while adopting the downward dog,
Starting point is 00:28:58 then my next guest is here to put you right. Wim Hof is the Dutch lifestyle guru whose radical extreme cold therapy method has made him a Sunday Times bestselling author and motivational speaker to millions, more importantly, in a world of snowflakes, he's promised to freeze the fear
Starting point is 00:29:13 by putting ice in our veins is surely needed more than ever. I'm thrilled to say the ice man joins me now, but welcome to Piers Morgan Nusensit Wim. Thank you very much indeed for joining me. Thank you, Piers, for having me on your conversation. Thank you. Well, I'm kind of fascinated by you
Starting point is 00:29:31 because it was a few quotes you came out with. You said, we are, as a society, have become snowflakes. Doctors prescribe too many pills, treating symptoms like anxiety and depression, but not the cause. Connection with nature is profound. Cold water is the remedy. Exercise, connection with the natural world is paramount. We're addicted to phones, iPads, laptops and machines,
Starting point is 00:29:54 despite dopamine, but is futile and makes us miserable. Tech has made us weak. And when I read that, I was like, hallelujah, that somebody with a big following with influence is saying what is clearly ever more obvious. Yes, and it is so. We have abstracted through our technology, and I welcome technology, but I welcome biological technology of the human body even more, how to maintain and activate and create and guarantee. our own happiness, strength, and health. We lost that connection with us. So I came up with a way to tap into the deeper physiology
Starting point is 00:30:43 and endorse it by scientific scrutiny by comparative studies. So there is no speculation about it. They injected us, a group I trained into this method in four days, and they were able to withstand a endotoxine that is an E. coli bacteria injected into the veins, and they were able to bring down these symptoms whereas 16,000 others could not. And now suddenly 12 people trained by me in four days were able to bring down to suppress the inflammation caused by a bacteria. And that is revolutionary. It shows that we lost the connection with our deeper systems inside,
Starting point is 00:31:40 which is the immune system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, and we have no control over that anymore. And now I have shown, by going into nature, then going through science, showing it in groups that we are able to retrieve a deep connection with our systems and at command are able to exercise power over that what makes us sick, depressed and lack of energy. You know, it's fascinating.
Starting point is 00:32:16 And I've got to say, quite an increasing number of friends who go and do this wild water swimming, you know, freezing cold and jump in and they swear by it. They think it's been really good for their mental health. It's been good for their physical health. So I definitely sense a lot of people are trying forms of this. What's interesting to me, Zem,
Starting point is 00:32:37 is how you really got into this. And the sort of pivotal moment in your life came through utter tragedy where your first wife took her own life. She was suffering from schizophrenia, took her own life. And you were left with your four children. and it inspired you to really go down this road of ice cold as a form of therapy for you. How important do you think that was for you in getting over that appalling tragedy? Back then there was no other remedy in my life.
Starting point is 00:33:13 I had little money for kids alone and a wife, she was the love of my life. So you are heartbroken. emotionally you are in agony. It goes around, around. I had no control over that, but I remember to go into the cold. The cold makes you stop thinking. It just breaks the loop of the emotional agony,
Starting point is 00:33:42 and that directly gave me relief. Just a little time without being into that loop, was able to bring about this healing from the inside. So, of course, I went on doing this all the time since 95, and I did it very consciously, because I had to bring up four kids alone with little money. The cold, I tell you, Pierce, the cold and the breathing techniques, they gave me all the bloody energy to make a warm nest for my children,
Starting point is 00:34:20 and make me able to process all the emotional agony. And now I say what back then, all the psychiatrists did not know, I am working right now with the best psychiatrists of the world to show that we are so much more capable to tap into our emotional agony and learn to process trauma. We got him. We got him. And I want to bring it.
Starting point is 00:34:49 And therefore, I thank you for me, bring it through your show to so many people. Well, I think honestly, I think it's a really interesting. And never mind nothing else. You've broken 21 Guinness World Records, including, I'm going to read some of these out, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle, barefoot in shorts, swimming underneath ice for 66 meters, hanging on one finger at an altitude of 2,000 meters. climbing the highest mountains in the world while wearing again only shorts,
Starting point is 00:35:24 and standing on a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes. Now, apart from the fact that you're clearly, well, you're different to the rest of us, is how I put it politely. Which of those was the hardest? The hardest is where it was most impressive. Every time I do a world record, I am ready to take on. fully 100% of my body and mind. I know how to do that. I learned how to climb without gear, steep walls. I learned to trust myself, breath hold, and swim 60, 70, 80 meters under the ice,
Starting point is 00:36:10 just breath hold and in shorts. Things like that, you cannot do if you don't do it with a full confidence and trust and control, So my twin brother, my identical twin brother, is absolutely not able to do what I do. Do his body is the same as me genetically. But I am very able to do it. So I saw if you train your body, you are able to do what in science physiologically is thought impossible. I've got to jump in because I wanted to end by actually enacting your work. We found a member of the Talk TV team, Lauren, who is a massive fan of yours,
Starting point is 00:36:57 and we thought if you're such a big fan, we'd strip him down and chuck him in to an ice bucket at the top of our building. So Lauren, as a tribute to Wim Hof, and thank you, Wim, very much indeed, for coming on Piersburg and Unsensored. We have a very uncensored member of Talk TV's team about to ice himself, hopefully, not to death. Take it away, Lauren. Cheers, Piers. Good luck. Lauren, breathe deep. In control.
Starting point is 00:37:29 You. Lovely. Wait, how long do we leave him there? Two minutes until muscularly he is totally at ease. Then the job is done. Leave him five minutes until total paralysis sets in. He's not had the best of years here, so it's the only punishment to understand. I think it will not happen.
Starting point is 00:37:55 Lauren, you're in good sport, but you've had a very good year. Thank you very much indeed for joining me. I appreciate it. Welcome back to Piersburg and our censor. The PGA tour and LiveGolf just entered a shocking, unprecedented and very unexpected merger.
Starting point is 00:38:19 After a year of bitter dispute, legal action, disruption to the men's game and questions surrounding human rights, the two sides today suddenly announced they're going to be best friends. PGA's commissioner has described a union's historic day for the game, having previously seen,
Starting point is 00:38:34 Savage-lived golf are selling out to what he saw as a brutal Saudi regime. The tour has long had a monopoly on elite golf and led the stinging criticism of the breakaway Saudi tour. So has it sold out and why? I'm joined now by the American sports journalist Clay Travis and the human rights lawyer and former Lees United Manninger director, David Hague, welcome to both of you. Now, David, I want to play you a clip. This is Jay Moynihan. He's a commissioner of the PGA. This is what he said when he was asked directly about Fury.
Starting point is 00:39:04 from the relatives of victims of 9-11 about the LivTor being funded by Saudi Arabia. This is what the PGA Commissioner said at the time. 9-11 families United sent a letter to the representatives of Phil, Dustin, Bryson, Reed and others, quote, expressing their outrage towards the golfers for participating in the new league. I think you'd have to be living under Iraq to not know that there are significant implications. And I would ask, you know, any player that has left or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA tour? I mean, it's pretty breathtaking, isn't it, David?
Starting point is 00:39:50 We're now in a place with the same Jay Moyni, is saying, this is now the greatest thing since sliced bread, having taken a lot of bread from the Saudis that he was so furious about. Absolutely. Absolutely, and good evening. And I think it's going to be very difficult for him to come back from that. And, you know, I speak from personal experience, as appears, as you may remember, I mean, 10 years ago, I brought effectively Islamic money from state-controlled Islamic investment bank into Leeds United.
Starting point is 00:40:19 And as the Leeds United fans know full well, that did not end well. It ended with flights of trying to ban alcohol from football clubs and all sorts of very terrible things and poor results on the field. So I speak from experience in that. and obviously now work in human rights defending the very people that people like Saudi in the UAE, torture and abuse. So I think it's a shocking situation. And it's not just about one club.
Starting point is 00:40:47 It's not just about football. It's not just about golf. But where does this end? Is this yet another stop on a very dangerous road to control of sport by the wrong people? Okay. All right. Well, that's a question a lot of people are asking. Clay, I've got to say my reaction to all this.
Starting point is 00:41:05 I'm a big golf fan. No lot of the golfers. No Phil Mickelson quite well. No Rory Macquarie well. Seen both sides of this debate raging away. And I read a piece of The New York Post when it was all bubbling away last year saying, I think there's a stinking hypocrisy at the heart of the PGA position. They go and have tournaments in China, for example, without banning an eyelid.
Starting point is 00:41:25 Many of the sponsors do huge business in the Middle East, including Saudi. So the whole debate to me was always about money. power and control. It was never really about morality. Oh, 100%. And that's why I never had any issue with the decision that Phil Nicholson made or the decision that you would see happening with Brooks Kepka. Look, those guys were trying to make the most money. And the people who I think have the most right to be angry right now, Tiger Woods reportedly Pierce turned down $750 million. Rory McElrude turned down hundreds of millions of dollars. Justin Tom. And now the PGA itself is going to take the money that they decried as blood money and tried to connect to 9-11.
Starting point is 00:42:11 If I'm Jay Monaghan, I don't know how I face all those guys and look at them and say, why is it okay for us to take the money? But you individual golfers who did it who have far less resources than we do, you were somehow a pariah? And I'll also mention this. Do you know Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State Peers, is on his way to Saudi Arabia right now. If you're in America or anywhere around the world, wouldn't you want to criticize a guy like Joe Biden for giving a fist pound to Muhammad bin Salman and begging for him to decrease the price of oil?
Starting point is 00:42:41 The government's going over there and begging for Saudi Arabia to have an impact. Why in the world do we care more about what Phil Mickelson does in terms of how he makes money? I think this has always been right. I've got to say, I found the way Phil McCasum was vilified, absolutely pathetic, actually. But I also have to say that I also thought
Starting point is 00:42:59 someone like Rory McElroy did it from a position of being principled and being honorable. He wanted to support his tour. And he will be feeling. Yeah, but he'll be seething tonight, I'm sure. I mean, he must be. Apparently, they all found out at the same time literally like a couple of hours ago. Bang. So how this guy, this is the thing, David Hague, I mean, I don't know how Jay Moynen stays as commissioner.
Starting point is 00:43:24 How can you evoke the memory of the victims of nine of the last? as a reason not to do business with Saudi Arabia and then literally jump into bed with the Saudis? I mean, how can you do that? You can't. And, you know, his position is untenable going forward. There's no way that he can now publicly represent an organisation that owned him,
Starting point is 00:43:46 but he's vilified quite rightly. And so I imagine his tenure will not be long-lived going forward because it's a complete hypocrisy. And, you know, at the end of the day, it's the question that we all need to ask ourselves is do we want politics and religion controlling world sport? And I think... Let me jump in on that.
Starting point is 00:44:04 I have a problem with that. And I'll come back to you, Clay, on this. I love sport. A good friend of mine is Christiana Rinaldo who went to Saudi Arabia and is playing football out there. He loves it. A lot of big football stars are going out there,
Starting point is 00:44:16 possibly his great rival, Messi, we know Ben Zamaris and others. There's a really big league being built. They love their sport in Saudi Arabia. When I was in Qatar for the World Cup, the number of Saudis over there loving it. why shouldn't they be allowed to invest and enjoy sport like we do? And if we're all going to get very moral about this,
Starting point is 00:44:36 you know, the UK, the US, the what I would consider, the illegal invasion of Iraq and so on, are we so pure, are we so morally perfect, that only we can host sporting tournaments or invest in sport? Look, all of us on some level work for billionaires. So the idea that you're going to somehow arbitrate whether you're allowed to work for this billionaire or not, I think is fundamentally wrong.
Starting point is 00:45:01 And yes, I think, look, these guys have relatively short shelf lives to make the most possible money. And again, that's why I come back to Tiger Woods and Rory McElroy. They're the guy free right now because PGA and Live are merged. They turn down hundreds of millions of dollars, money that they'll never make back. I think, Clay, we've run out of time, but I think the fallout from this is going to be big. Watch the space. Clay, great a thought to you. David, thank you very so much.
Starting point is 00:45:28 Appreciate it, guys. Whatever you're up to, keep it uncensored. Good night.

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