Stripping Off with Matt Haycox

The Most Explosive Confessions of 2025 (Katie Price, Ant Middleton, James Haskell & More)

• Matt Haycox

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We’re ending 2025 the only way Stripping Off knows how: with the most shocking, honest and controversial moments of the year in one episode.

From Katie Price’s Priory breakdown and hostage ordeal, to Lady Victoria Hervey defending Prince Andrew and calling the infamous photo “fake”, this compilation is everything the tabloids hint at – without the spin. You’ll also hear Andrea Jenkyns MP on cancel culture and Israel–Gaza, James Haskell on sexuality and toxic masculinity in rugby, Ant Middleton on population control and wokeness, and Ian Waite on Strictly Come Dancing’s safeguarding mess.

This is the highlight reel that proves why Stripping Off exists: no PR lines, no safe answers, just the truth.

You’ll hear about:

  • Fame, breakdowns and money from Katie Price.
  • Death threats, protests and political fallout with Andrea Jenkyns.
  • Sexuality, homophobia and “toxic masculinity” in sport with James Haskell.
  • War zones, woke culture and population control with Ant Middleton.
  • Behind-the-scenes reality of Strictly Come Dancing with Ian Waite.
  • Royal scandals, Prince Andrew and the “fake” photo with Lady Victoria Hervey.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:42 – Trailer
2:09 – Katie Price
9:58 – Andrea Jenkyns
15:08 – James Haskell
21:50 – Ant Middleton
27:45 – Ian Waite
32:18 – Lady Victoria Hervey
40:16 – Outro

Subscribe to Stripping Off with Matt Haycox on your favourite podcast app and leave a review if you want more brutally honest conversations in 2026.

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Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe to Stripping Off with Matt Haycox and leave a ★★★★☆ review on Apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout – it really helps others find us!

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome back to Stripping Off with me, Matt Haycox. It's the show where we peel back more than just a PR line and we occasionally get ourselves into a little bit of trouble. And this year we have had some serious names on the podcast. We've stripped it back with Katie Price, with MP Andrea Jenkins, with James Haskell, with Ant Middleton, with Ian Waite, with Lady Victoria Harvey, and many, many more. From reality TV, Royal Circles to Parliament, rugby pitches, dance floors on war zones. These are the people who've lived lives that your average keyboard warrior could not cope with for five seconds. And today's episode is a best-of compilation from all of this in 2025. The most outrageous stories, the moments that would make their PR cry, the bits where the mask slipped, and you actually got to see the person behind the headlines. Now, a quick reminder we've split the channels. So if you're wondering why you're not seeing these on my main YouTube anymore, it's because we finally decided to stop confusing everyone. Stripping off has got its own YouTube channel and its own podcast feed now. This is the home for TV personalities, athletes, singers, MPs, socialites, and a little bit of scandal too. Gossip, controversy, behind the scenes, and maybe a little bit of business thrown in. So if you're watching on YouTube and you haven't yet subscribed, stop lurking. Hit subscribe, click the bell, and if you're listening on the audio, make sure that you follow this podcast wherever you are. You want more uncensored stories in 2026? This is where you'll find them. Right, let's get into it. Here are the biggest stripping off moments of 2025. Katie Price, Andrea Jenkins, James Haskell, Ant Middleton, Ian Wait, Lady Victoria Harvey, and more than a few things that the tabloids would love to clip. Let's roll it.

SPEAKER_00:

Had a breakdown, come through it, survived everything after because I hung myself.

SPEAKER_03:

Unfortunately, woke politics has reached the military.

SPEAKER_04:

It's quite uh a shock and surprise that these allegations have been thrown around.

SPEAKER_06:

That Prince Andrew Virginia photo, there's literally over 50 things wrong with that photo.

SPEAKER_02:

You were single, because when you came out and we last spoke, you then just got with Carl.

SPEAKER_00:

It was the first time then. Yeah, that was the first time I'd come you'd been in. Um it's all the same thing, pressures of like them saying about the bankruptcy, and it's the worst place to be in because they are horrible. The way they word letters, this and that, the pressure. You got this amount of days to pay this amount, this amount, and then you get more bills, more bills. And the thing is, when you're when you're someone like me, if I don't go to work, no one can replace me. I am the product. And I hate that word, but I realise I'm a product. I have been to people. I've realised people weren't my friends. They're like, use me as a product, what they can earn money from, and then they don't care. So when you're in a situation like that, you realise who's really your friend and who's not. So I had to get rid of a lot of people around me. So I had the breakdown, had all my I was in there five weeks, both times, five weeks, and it's really hard in the priory. It's I think people just think you just sit in there and do nothing. You don't, you go to your lessons. When I say lessons, they're all time. I don't know. Have you ever been in the prior or anything like that?

SPEAKER_02:

No, I I don't know anyone of that, so I've never never read. Right.

SPEAKER_00:

So basically, when you're in there, you get a time, you so you see the consultants, therapists, so they find out what courses are right for you.

SPEAKER_02:

Um so everyone in there goes on something different, because they're all right.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so you've either got addiction or general, basically, or they've got if you're anorexic, you know, they have all different things. So I was general, and general are people mainly who've got PTSD. And it's like it is like how you see the films, you all sit in circles and you hear each other's stories. Ones who want to talk, some don't, because they just haven't even got the energy to talk or you'd be talking before that, wouldn't you? I did talk a lot in there, yeah. But yeah, you get to learn about validation, self-worth, assertiveness. They get to the root, they go into your brain to find out your triggers, what's triggered you off to get in this situation. I mean, it's so interesting. Art therapy. Art therapy is you walk in the session, and every time it's different, they might say, right, in the next 10 minutes, I want you to draw or put down on paper what's going on in your head today, like that. And you get loads of different sizes of papers, colours, pens, chalks, felt tips.

SPEAKER_02:

And then do they analyse that then?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, what's on your brain? And I remember this particular picture, I chose an A3 size paper and the quarter of it, I drew a line down it, and I put all stick men like falling with no faces, and then above each one, I put who were my my problems. It's so like media, police, social, manager, like and some of the ex's names, because they were the ones who were causing that in my brain. And then the other side, I drew a palm tree, sunshine, all my animals, the kids, all smiley faces, sunshine, because that's what I wanted. But at the moment, I'm dealing with that bit. That was what was on my mind, and the how they analyse it, because that's why I was in there, it's weird how they do it. And then another time I did art therapy, a different, but you have to style it with a door, you have to draw a door, and I drew my front door. So I suppose it's working towards now, if there's any bills, pressure, anything like this. At the end of the day, it whether it's bad or not, if you communicate, that's that's the key. If as soon as you ignore things, that's when it becomes a problem. So always communicate and then they know you're still there, not ignoring, so the problem doesn't get worse. You've just got to communicate. If you're in a bankruptcy or anything, you set up a payment plan, do all this. Because at the end of the day, there's so many people in this bankruptcy, and it's so annoying that the media every day, bankruptcy Kate, bankruptcy Kate. It's like, yeah, we get it. She's in a bankruptcy, so many people get in a bankruptcy, just let me get on with it.

SPEAKER_02:

And you mentioned the media. I mean, obviously you've got I can't stand.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't care if they don't ever write about me again. I think they're so cruel. They mentally abuse me, and they just pick, pick, pick, pick. I can't remember a positive story they've ever written on me, ever. I can't, couldn't even tell you.

SPEAKER_02:

Did they not used to? I mean, I can't remember 15, 20 years ago. Oh, it was different.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, it wasn't that it was good, it was playful. Um, I used to have such a good relationship with the media, and it was fun, fun times that was. But now, the past 15 years, it's been horrific. And it's just getting worse and worse. I honestly, I can't, I could not tell you a good story they've ever written about. I couldn't even, I can't even remember when that was. That's how bad it is. And I'm like, what do I do that's so I haven't murdered anyone, I've done nothing wrong. I'm a girl that's been in this industry, which is a hard industry to be in cutthroat, this and that, you know, had a breakdown, come through it, survived everything after because I'd hung myself and I woke up from it because I just didn't want to be here anymore. And I did. I woke up because a few years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, really? I didn't know.

SPEAKER_00:

And then I went in the priory because I just didn't want to be here because the media and everyone was just on my case.

SPEAKER_02:

Is that the only time you've tried you've had to read it?

SPEAKER_00:

So that's why now I'd never let myself get in that place. So I have to look after my head. That if I know I can't do something, like go to a court to be ridiculed for the media to write about me. I I I know what I can take at the minute, the pressures, this and that. So I want when I go to work, I want to work and be me, not sit there stressed, lie, and I just want to be me. Whereas before I was suffering inside, but I'd be like, yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. When I wasn't inside, I was crying, saying, No, I'm not alright. I need help, I need help. I don't want to be in that situation anymore. So I always speak out about how I feel. So now I control everything I do. No one controls me, I'm no one's product, I'm loving what I'm doing, and I've it's never been better. It's like, yeah, like the reset button. And I've been like this now, what, for a couple of years, year and a half, and it just goes to show when your mindset is set, like good path again, focus, like it does work. But only you can do it. No one can tell you to do it. You have to do it, and you have to prove it to be, you have to turn up. You can't have excuses, you're not turning up for work, or do you know what I mean? You have to prove it and be on form, basically.

SPEAKER_02:

So, what's actually actually happened though? Because obviously I take everything I'd say in the print press with a pinch of salt. So the first time we met, yeah, was gonna you were just about to maybe, and then you did have what was your first bankruptcy, I think, then.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, apparently I'm in another one. I didn't even know about that. I read that in the paper.

SPEAKER_02:

But but the but when you say apparently you are, are you saying that the press are talking shit?

SPEAKER_00:

Are you saying that I didn't even know about that one? I just know I'm in one.

SPEAKER_02:

Are you in it though?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I just know I'm in one. I only read that I'm in another one, so I only knew that last week. So I've got to deal with that because I've I've had no letters about it.

SPEAKER_02:

What do you have around you as as professional advisors? Because it's good, obviously that you know I don't anymore. Why? Because look, and I I feel I became noise and annoying for them.

SPEAKER_00:

So at the end of the day, they can't help solve it. So it's like if there's a bill to pay, I've just got to do a payment plan with them and they find out what you earn. This they might want to take a percentage of what you earn. So I'm I've got to get back to them and sort all that back out. But I'm I'm not ashamed of it. I'm I've turned a leaf around. I've come out of a really bad, dark place, and the way my brain's connected now, it's like it's okay. You can deal with it, it's fine. It's not the end of the world, you're not dying, you've still got your family, you've still got your friends, you've still got your house, my house is safe. Everyone's always like, oh, my house is good. My house is safe.

SPEAKER_02:

What's your view on the on let's say the woke situation of today and and where where has that come from from a political perspective? You know, why why is everything getting softer and softer and why are these bonkers concepts being you know bit being being allowed to perpetuate? I I I found out there a few weeks ago actually. Uh my my daughter goes to school up in Leeds, yeah, and their deputy headmaster is now a deputy headmistress.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02:

But it's worse than that. It's not it's not that he's transgender, is he likes dressing up as a woman. And sometimes he comes in dressed as a woman, that's we do. And sometimes he doesn't. So we can't even make his fucking mind up. I mean, absolutely bonkers. Um and but I mean that isn't even scratching, it's scratching the surface of the stuff we've got.

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, where's it come from? I think it's this whole left-wing student type movement. Um, and and it's just got common sense has gone out the window, hasn't it? And we're on this common lack of common sense, wokey bandwagon now. And this is why there's the fight back. I mean, is it?

SPEAKER_02:

But the politicians, the politicians who do support it, which I guess is more than not. Is is that is that because they believe in it too, or they just think, oh, this is another route to votes if I if I agree that it's okay to identify as a tree that I'm gonna do.

SPEAKER_05:

It's more left wing. Yeah. So in the political spectrum, it's going to be the Lib Dems, the Greens, and the Labour. It's it's more them than Conservatives reform who believes in all this craziness. And it's been going on. I remember um being a candidate back in 2013 and being lobbied by organisations wanting um regarding the trans rally um for them not to put agenda on a passport. And I disagreed with that because I mean the security element, it's it's it's crazy to me. And so it's there was a good 10-year lobby there and to get to this stage where we are now. But but to me, um, Matt, I don't care what adults do, um, you know, behind closed doors, etc., as long as it doesn't involve animals or children. Um, but I don't want this pushed on my child. I've got a seven-year-old child, Matt, and I don't want to confuse him. Let children be children. And so it's this whole thing, it's gonna get worse in schools because the conservatives, um, again, um it's civil servants at every level, it's every public sector organization, it's so wokey. And and I'm not a feminist, I'm a meritocrat. I don't care whether we had a cabinet full of men, it's about actually having the people with the right skills, isn't it? And and all this positive discrimination, which has been, I mean, it started Joe and the blaze, isn't it, with human rights, et cetera? And God knows why I voted for him at the time. I was one of the ones' problem for voting for him, I think. But so it's been going on decades, this. And I think unfortunately, um, like during the Brexit years, I mean, I don't know how you voted, Matt, um, but I voted to leave and I was quite a big Brexit campaigner because I believe in freedom. You get labelled a bigot, a racist. Um, and you've got to be very strong to stand up to these. And God, the amount of abuse, I mean, I've had seven death threats, Matt. I've got CCTV at my own home because of idiots like this. I've had people email me saying they want my child to be raped by hammocks and and murdered. Uh so you've got to be strong to stand up to this crazy culture.

SPEAKER_02:

How are those kind of things dealt with? You know, um, so w when when when you're in a um an MP position and you get death threats or you get things said about the children, what what what's the process you go through?

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, I personally think it's quite politicized, and I didn't want to see these uh uh elected mayors, which was a political position who's in charge of our police. And I mean for example, I know um some Labour MPs in Yorkshire who have had far better support than I have being a Conservative MP when stuff like this and theirs is mild in comparison to what I've sort of gone through. And I'll give an example of um I had a constituent who lives a mile and a half from where I live, and I'm divorced, so alone with my young seven-year-old child. And that's why I've got CCTV. And I got 70 emails in three months, which is only like 12 weeks, um, telling me I needed to buy a stab vest, saying I've got a devil child. And these are the same person. Yes. The emails started getting more and more familiar as if he knew me, and there was sexual content in there, um, there was uh quite violent content, and the police didn't do anything. So I had to go to the Speaker of the House of Commons, I had to go to Pretty when she was home secretary to get the police to even act on it. And all he got was just a caution. He said, Oh, I hate the Tories, I was bored. Middle class guy, not even a student in his bedroom. This is a middle class guy, better house than I've got. Um, all these fast cars, he's got a bow. He just hates the conservatives. And he got let on.

SPEAKER_02:

I was just I was just about to talk about uh homophobia in sports. Yeah, and I mean a lot, you know, the there's there's a a lot uh more being talked about it in in in all in all sports now, and I think from a personal perspective, I think I think you've got a got a brother who's gay. And um, so yeah, I guess you can you can probably answer it from from both sides of the table. I mean, yeah, how how how much of a problem is it? I mean, I'm and I guess I'm asking that more from the player's perspective.

SPEAKER_03:

It's hard because you know, you asked about race, racism and and homophobia and stuff, all the things in right. I mean, I just didn't didn't see it, right? You know, and not I'm blind to it or pretend I didn't see it. I just, you know, was you know, what was homophobic language used? Yeah, of course. But but most of homophobia became has become common parlance. But just in bands, yeah, but it's a bit I don't I don't I don't like well, because you know, band has become an excuse just to be a prick to everyone. And it's like I just, you know, and I I sort of perpetuated, used to joke about it, and like, you know, um someone nicknamed me the Archbishop Bant once. We played it. I just don't, I don't adhere to that because I think it's I think it's now, you know, everybody uses it. And I think, you know, I sit some have been having a chat with the lads and having a laugh. I think homophobic language, you know, you see it with kids, oh that's gay, this is gay. There is no nothing negative about being gay, but yes it is used as a negative word. So I think you've got to you've got to work hard to change those things. You know, I would say that in a change room when we heard people say, you know, um neg like bad words like the you know, not the F word, but the F word in regards to to homosexuality, we would stop and correct you'd go, no, no, no, we're not, you don't use that. And you try to do better um and you think better. I didn't see um I mean if you'd have been gay, would you have had any would you have been gay? I would have fucking cashed into the back of it. I mean, I would have come out and I would have been a shiny exact, you know what I mean? Like I think it I think if I but yeah, I mean I I don't the only way I could ever equate it is if I it's hard enough being yourself, right? It's hard enough waking up every morning and coming to terms with who you are and what you do. Imagine waking up every morning and wanting to be someone completely different and then and having to pretend you're not, and that'd be a nightmare. So I've always said I would always want any teammate to have come out and been, or not come out, but just live their life and not had any shames. I think it's sad that we have to come out. Why, what why do you have to admit you're into anything? Like I, you know, why do you have to come out and go, I'm a homemade? I didn't come out and go, I'm straight. I didn't come out and go, I'm I'm into this, I'm an arse man. I fucking, you know what I mean? I just I just I just didn't you just don't come out and say that. You know, I I've got you know I've got leather fetish or whatever like I don't come out and tell them all the what the proclivities I have. And I feel sorry for people who have to do it. But we are in that world where, you know, since there's been, you know, ancient Greece, thousands of years before that, since there's been two women and two men, they've been sleeping with each other and sleeping with men. And it's been going on for fucking, you know, thousands of years since man's been around, since women's been around. And to pretend it hasn't is bollocks. To pretend it's against uh God is bollocks, God doesn't exist. I just all this stuff is such man-made, oppressive nonsense that are just there that to deal with stuff that people don't feel comfortable with. And I think, no, I think if gay, if I had gay teammates, would it have been a problem? Absolutely not. You know, does everybody get shit for everything? Yeah, you know, I get shit for my hairline, shit for my teeth, shit for my chat, shit for my dress sense, you know, would you have got shit for shit for being gay? Probably. Would you get, you know, is that a bad thing? No, I I don't think so. But do we as a society we need to be better at, you know, because imagine every time you hear the word gay, it's used in a derogatory term like that's gay, this gay. You'd be like, oh, I don't want to be associated with that. And that's why you change stuff. That's why you change stuff. You know, race as well, you know, everyone is equal. You know, just because you've got a different skin tone, it doesn't, you're not better or worse than them else. Well, and the way people have been treated, people have been treated for hundreds of years, it is no good. Do we need to be better? Yes. I think in rugby, we're actually really accommodating. You know, I I I keep working in corporate worlds now and speaking in corporates, and they're all trying to do this like EDI, was it quality, diversity, inclusion? I mean, I I mean I mean I didn't, we never had to do any of that because we had. If you were good enough, you're there. So with a gay straight, person of colour, whatever, you were always in a team. I never had to learn about quality diversity. Could there have been more women involved in rugby? Yeah, but it's a fucking it was a male dominated sport and it's a pretty ruthless environment. I'm not saying women couldn't have been there, but it just didn't naturally progress into that. You had female masseurs and female um uh sort of physios. Did you need female coaches? No, but women's rugby wasn't that wasn't that big. Do you would would women's coaches now could make a crossover to men's rugby? Yeah, 100%. But did we need more quality? No, I don't think so. Um did we need more diversity? Not really. Every team I had had Pacific Islanders, um, South African, um, people from all over the world. And inclusion, we're all inclusive. It's a team sport. So I I now go into corporates where I have to be very careful of what I say because everyone's fucking tripping over themselves to try to eradicate years of oppression and everything else. I spoke at a builders event and um I made some jokes about some stuff and it and they went down. I got some complaints and stuff because they're now trying to pretend everyone at the top of the building game trying to pretend that, you know, that um that they're more inclusive and diverse. And it's like, well, I you need to tell the buildings, builders on the building site because nothing they've they've noticed. They're not getting the memo between here. I'm not saying building sites are bad, but you know, it's just funny how everybody's trying to pretend that their shit doesn't stink and they're all better than they are. Whereas a sportsman, the leveller was, were you good enough? Were you a good team man? That's all that mattered. Doesn't matter where you're from, what colour you are, what your sexuality is. Were you good enough? Were you a good team man? Were you a helping team? And that's the only way I equate things in life. And that's the only thing I see with anybody. That's what matters. I don't give a fuck what who you sleep with, what colour you are, whatever it is. If you're a good lad, a good woman, and a good person, that's all that matters. And I mean that's the way I base everything on.

SPEAKER_02:

Let me hit you with a mad stat. You are probably not subscribed. Seriously, 58% of the people who listen to this podcast every single week do not hit that subscribe button. That is more than half of you. So let's fix this right now. The goal here is super simple. We grow the podcast, we bring in bigger guests, and we give you even more no bullshit, actionable insights to level up your business and to level up your life. And with business, you set smart goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Well, here's one for you. Let's get 58% down to well below 50% in the next three months. So please do me a quick favour. If this podcast has ever given you one good idea, one piece of advice that's helped you or helped your business, then hit that subscribe button. It takes a second, it costs nothing, and it means that I can keep bringing you even bigger and better guests, giving you even bigger and better insights. Go on, do it now. I'll wait. Done? Perfect. Great choice. Let's grow this together. We spoke a while ago about uh like the uh the corporals uh you know giving uh you know giving real shit to the to the new new people and the trainees. Uh I mean uh how is how is that uh let's say behaviour? Uh has it changed at all in today's more woke world and you know, let's say politically correct world? I guess A has it changed, and B, therefore are the soldiers of 2023 uh less tough than the ones of 10 or 15 or 20 years ago? Uh I would say that yes.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, unfortunately, um woke politics has uh reached the military at the very top level as well. Um which is sad to see and unfortunate to see because I think you know within that special forces remit it should be special forces only. You know, um years ago they started allow allowing um non-badged special forces officers into into the headquarters of of the you know the special forces and therefore bringing their sort of non-special forces ways, and that was sort of like that was sort of like the the the start of the demise of of the special forces becoming a bit woke. Um and then thereafter it was the uh yeah outside having an influence on on the military, and then the military having an influence. So it was a bit of a knock-on effect. Um but it really depends who's in charge um of you know of the organisation. Yeah, but yeah, unfortunately wokeness has has has got in everywhere. It seeps in all you know, you leave leave a door open, you leave a crack open, it's gonna seep in no matter what. Um so you've just gotta learn to to ignore it and um and you know surround yourself with with like-minded, motivated people who aren't looking to be offended, who aren't looking for excuses, who don't feel entitled, who just wanna be there to to do the job and be the best at what they do.

SPEAKER_02:

Do you do you find that it's it's typically let's say you know the power the powers that be that are having it forced on them as opposed to wokeness or snowflakiness or whatever you want to call it, from the people, you know, from from your peers, because I guess I'm thinking ultimately, you know, these guys joined the army, knowing what the army is, they they didn't join the army to say, hey, stop shouting at me.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, the power, the power of the hierarchical structure goes beyond any public government, any military organization. Um so it's definitely peer pressure. Um you know, pressure to conform, and pressure um pressure to to uh to go along with the media narrative, should we say, or or the the world narrative that's being run by a few people that sit at the top. It's definitely being pressured from the top all the way down. And uh if you don't adopt in certain ways, then um organizations are shut down, organizations are uh are being pulled of funds, organizations are being are being uh uh what's the word I'm gonna fall? Are being um are being targeted really. Are being you know forced to forced to take on these rules and regulations, otherwise they're they're they're gonna suffer. So it's definitely a huge peer pressure from the top, from the the top all the way down. It just doesn't seep in, you know, from the sides. It's it's it's it's it's trickling from the top down.

SPEAKER_02:

And I mean, like, you know, we're in a time, uh I mean a lot of period where you know the alpha males and you know um uh are frowned upon, cancelled, you know, what words are like toxic masculinity, toxic and masculinity are being used. I say they're being used, I can't I can't even say it. Um I mean I mean how how how how is that impact on you? How how how has it changed?

SPEAKER_01:

What you know what it's absolute nonsense, it's absolute nonsense. I don't take any notice of it. Toxic masculinity, Carl. I think there's more toxic femininity than the you know than there is toxic masculinity. Um but listen, no, I don't know, don't agree with either of those um words. It's it's just their way of of uh demasculising you, isn't it? Strong if strong men stand together, then you become a threat. You become you know in intimidating, you become a problem. And if they can break that down and and and take that away, then you become less of a threat. And all it all it is is is is divide and conquer, isn't it? They try and divide all these groups, you know, black, white against white, uh you know, trans against non-trans, vaxxers against non-vaxxers, you know, covid because covers against conspiracy, whatever it is, there's uh they're trying to splinter these groups into smaller and smaller and smaller groups. So ultimately we we police ourselves, we we argue with ourselves.

SPEAKER_02:

But do you think it's done for control or do you think it do you think it's done for media to give angles?

SPEAKER_01:

It's done for control. Yeah, it's it's population control. Led by led by who? Wouldn't you like to know? It's um yeah, led by by a few companies that sit at the very, very top that control the governments, that control the banks, that control the worlds um control the world. And um you know, you don't have to dive too deep into it to realise that you know the world is one big stage. It's one big stage and we are being control. When I talk about population control, it's population control on overpopulation, population control on making sure that we don't, you know, we don't we we don't get too powerful, that we don't stick together, you know, population control in and keeping people in the system, keep keeping people in jobs, you know, taxing people to the to the hilt so they can never really make it in life.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh there's been some strictly scandals recently, very very recently. I mean I I'm I'm terrible with the names, but Giovanni Panis and uh Graziano De Prima. Do you know those guys? Well, there's a link, they're both Italian.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh yeah, a little bit of advice. Don't don't book Italians anymore. Did you know them personally or or or did you want to? I know both of them. I'll be honest, it's quite a shock and surprise that that these allegations have been thrown around because certainly in my time on strictly, I never experienced anything like that. You know, uh we I mean there was times when I fell out with my partner, yes, and and there was times when um there was even like a lot of shouting matches going on, but it was for good reason. There was no, it wasn't, you know, in any work situation, it doesn't matter what it is, even if it's TV or whatever, there has to be a level of of respect and uh and there's certain lines that have to be drawn, surely. I think one of the problems here is that um as a pro dancer, um, we certainly weren't given all of the safeguarding rules or the rules that we should be sticking to as far as with our celebrities.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think how to behave.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, how to behave. I mean I I know how to behave. But if if you're not given safeguarding rules and all of those things, then then how are they know how much to push them? What what is what is uh offensive or abusive if if you're pushing your celebrity to do something? How hard do you are you able to push them? Um because obviously there's been in the past I have pushed celebrities, um, and and and that's just to get the best out of them. But I would say that was it was done in a way which was just to you know bring the bring out the best in them, you know. I mean, some people will say the way the pro talks to their celebrity, but it is it is like a teacher-pupil scenario at the end of the day. I suppose it's just uh, you know, now that situation has arised, then obviously there's got to be a lot more safeguarding and a lot more um uh we we need to know what the rules are.

SPEAKER_02:

When these kind of situations occur, how do strictly in the producers or the people behind the scenes you know deal with it? Because I know uh uh w one of the two guys I mentioned, there's a there's like an ongoing investigation at the moment, isn't it? I mean, how how do they conduct these investigations? Is it I guess like a like you're doing a corporate business where they get the different celebs in, get the different dancers in? And they would interview them.

SPEAKER_04:

Interview ask questions. I would presume. Unless it's all filmed, but it's your word against theirs, really, isn't it? But yeah, if there's a if there's a running theme throughout all of those celebs, then you know it's it's quite, you know. But then you know, if you've got somebody, if that's pro has got somebody who's really good, and then they've got somebody who's really bad, the the the teaching method is gonna be very different. Because one gets it in five minutes, the other one takes five days to get it, you know, and it that's hard. That's harder to to cope with. But I guess it's the way you cope with them.

SPEAKER_02:

In terms of the partner, when you have a partner, that's like it's almost like a dance marriage, is it? Like you know, you you're not you don't chop and change. It's not like I'm doing this concert, this competition with you, I'm doing this with you. You pick a partner, you train together, you compete together, you are you are a team. Well, exactly that.

SPEAKER_04:

I mean, we we danced together for 10 years, and we were like a team, we were like brother and sister. I mean, it is it is I mean, now I look back, I think it's funny because like on Strictly, everybody dances with everybody. The pros mix around and dance with somebody different each year, and and it's not quite so um you don't have to specifically dance with one person, and a lot of the pros have uh tried to do that because they tried to make their name on their own rather than having that dance particular dance partner, you know. I've always had quite long-term dance partners, um, even on strictly I danced with Camilla Dallarat for quite a while, and then then I danced with Natalie Lowe, and those were my main partners. So uh I think it's something which you know is from the dance world and you don't chop and change.

SPEAKER_02:

So we can't have Lady V here without talking about uh about some some royal gossip and some some some some juicy things, but uh to uh I guess to to warm us up on that, uh you um quite famously dated Prince Andrew for uh for a time a while back.

SPEAKER_06:

Um I don't really want to go into that part so much, but um he you know he is a friend, and I have been pretty much the only person defending him publicly um in the whole uh fake photo scandal. Virginia Jufre.

SPEAKER_02:

As in the photo that comes.

SPEAKER_06:

So I really want the person who recently um went into detail about the Kate Middleton photo that they found, you know, was heavily edited. I mean, I didn't even, for me, I didn't even see that as it was edited right away. That Prince Andrew Virginia photo, there's literally over 50 things wrong with that photo.

SPEAKER_02:

And I've been a bit out of touch with all this for a while. So uh forgive me if this is common knowledge now.

SPEAKER_06:

So is it is it is it um a publicly stated thing that it's a fake photo or you know Ghillane has has said in her interview a year ago, she said there's actually over 50 things wrong with it. Um I've also found that amount. I have a witness that is coming forward soon, and I have a whistleblower as well who is on a gag order until May. But once that comes off, like the gloves are off. Like, you know, the public will be able to learn a lot more about the truth behind it.

SPEAKER_02:

And what would the origin of that photograph be?

SPEAKER_06:

So I'm actually in contact also with the real photographer, but he was scared to come out for a long time because obviously, like it's a criminal offense, really, what he's done. And because he does have a um uh he was he was in prison for something really stupid that happened to him, but you know, he has uh that on his record, and so he's been very nervous. But um we plan to get that out. I have this guy, George Tonks, who's the whistleblower. So as soon as his story comes out, I will bring in the photographer. Who why is he gagged? He is gagged because he's being silenced because the US courts are very corrupt. And he's literally the whistleblower in this FBI case that is happening at the moment.

SPEAKER_02:

And what do you suggest the the agenda is? As in, you know, who who's who who's leading it, you know, who's up.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, it was Epstein at Epstein and Virginia, but um, you know, I mean, this was literally like an attack on the royal family um that was premeditated, and Prince Andrew was like, he has been the scapegoat for this whole thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Has he and Jeffrey fallen out prior to this thing?

SPEAKER_06:

I don't think so. I think uh, well, I mean, at the time, like this was premeditated. Like this happened in back in 2001. Um, and they were still friends, you know, after that. But the girls I have investigated complete con artist lies. So, you know, it just kind of makes you think, well, like obviously Jeffrey Epstein, he definitely like he he definitely played the field and he, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Did you know Jeffrey?

SPEAKER_06:

I did, yeah. I I knew uh I only knew I knew him through Ghlenn Maxwell, but I think she has been treated completely unfairly as well.

SPEAKER_02:

And did you I mean when when you when you said no as in like a little bit or you spent a lot of times there gathered?

SPEAKER_06:

I mean I knew her like we had a lot of friends in common.

SPEAKER_02:

Not sorry, uh Jeffrey.

SPEAKER_06:

Oh, Jeff Jeffrey?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I said yeah, did you know Jeffrey?

SPEAKER_06:

Oh no, I yeah, I mean I knew him through her. Okay, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

But did I mean did you ever did you see stuff?

SPEAKER_06:

I mean, the only thing that I thought was weird was when I stayed in um one of the apartments and like and I had this like weird sensation, like I felt like I was being filmed or something. But besides that, I went to dinners that were totally normal. I never saw girls that are underage. Um, you know, he he was kind of like that guy that you see in Saint Tropez at lunch, you know, in one of the popular places with a bunch of like good-looking people around them. Like that was what it looked like. Um but I think the timing of it all, it was it was cleverly timed, you know, by the lawyers that this story would come out during Jubilee, so they would just pay her off and be done with it. And you know, that isn't how it turned out. Like it's been, you know, ongoing. And you know, I'm hoping like in the next few months he can be completely Prince Andrew can be exonerated from all of this.

SPEAKER_02:

Is his low profile being pure purely off the back of this, is it?

SPEAKER_06:

Um well he he just wants we've got to, you know, get through the next few months basically. Um, but a lot will be revealed end of May, um, when my witness will be off a gag order.

SPEAKER_02:

And you I mean you use the words a lot like my witness or my you know, I'm doing this. I mean, uh is is this in the capacity of a friend of Andrew? Have you got some official?

SPEAKER_06:

The whistleblower guy is is uh is a guy who's in based in Chicago. Have never haven't actually met him in person. We've just been talking for about a year and year and three months or so. Um he is the person that has the evidence on that Virginia lied. And Maria Farmer lied about a lot of it as well, and it will help Galen.

SPEAKER_02:

But but your your role in this is just as friends of those two.

SPEAKER_06:

For me, it's just like I just want this whole thing to go away. Because, like, you know, originally I did some interviews for a couple of networks. I can't even remember which ones I've done. I've done so many at this point. And I didn't want to get too close to it because it's very hard, you know, with this Me Too movement, it takes like a lot to stand up to it and go, actually, no, they lied because you know you're gonna have everyone after you for saying that. And in 2019, on Piers Morgan's show at the time when he was doing The Breakfast Show, I said, I thought, I think that photo looks fake. And I said about the girls saying they don't, this is not girls that are trafficked. Like for me in my head, knowing stories of trafficking, like traffic, girls that are trafficked are literally chained up and like beaten and put in a cage and you know, raped all day long. They're not girls like on a yacht drinking champagne, getting flown in, and like, you know, these girls were all like hookers, basically. They're all hookers. Um, Sarah Ransom, like I found her original agency that she was at with her agency pictures and everything. Like, they're cool girls. Um, they're not sweet little innocent girls. They knew exactly what they were doing. And actually, none of them were even living in Epstein's house in New York. They all had boyfriends and they all had their own apartments. They could come and go as they wanted. So there was no like forced anything.

SPEAKER_02:

I'll be interested to see how it all plays out. And we'll do it.

SPEAKER_06:

I just I literally just want my life back because it's got to a point where it really did take over my life. Um, and you know, I'm literally. Living in this weird bubble with few of us knowing like the truth. And it's like it gets hard for me sometimes to actually like talk to people in like real life because we're living in this like weird bubble.

SPEAKER_02:

If that lot does not convince you that this podcast is criminally underrated, then I don't know what will. Massive, massive thanks to Katie Price, to Dame Andrea Jenkins, James Haskell, Ant Middleton, in wait, Lady Victoria Harvey, and everyone else who's come on and stripped off. Not literally, unfortunately, with some of them, but emotionally, politically, and reputationally. We've had gossip, we've had tears, we've had opinions that will get most people cancelled before they got back to the car park. But underneath all of the headlines, there's a pattern. They've all taken hits. They've all been judged, they've been written off and dragged through the press. But they're all still here. You don't have to like them, you don't have to agree with them, but you can't say that they're not interesting. So if you want more of this in 2026, more big names, more unfiltered conversations, then do the basics, please. Subscribe to the Stripping Off YouTube channel and follow this podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever it is that you listen. I'm Matt Haycox, this is Stripping Off. Happy New Year.

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Matt Haycox

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