Rarely has there seemed a more confusing time to be a man. In an era of profound social and political shifts, old 'certainties' about masculinity have been swept away, leaving a vacuum that – for some – has been filled by a sprawling and sinister collection of online subcultures. This is the ‘manosphere’, a world of paranoid conspiracies, aggressive misogyny, and radical authoritarian-right politics. In this year’s Holyoake Lecture, the acclaimed journalist James Bloodworth will take us on an astonishing personal journey into its darkest corners.

Based on the powerful reporting in his book, Lost Boys, James will share what he learned by going undercover in these worlds, enlisting in a bootcamp for ‘alpha males’, accompanying modern-day Hugh Hefners as they broadcast their jet-set lifestyles to millions of followers, and dissecting the cultural influence of figures like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate. Moving from the absurd to the deeply unsettling, he poses urgent questions for our time: What does the emergence of the manosphere say about our society? Why are so many men susceptible to the beliefs these groups promote? And what can be done about their pernicious encroachment upon our shared social and political life?

This Holyoake Lecture will be an essential guide to the contradictions of contemporary masculinity – and a vital exploration of one of the most troubling phenomena of our time.

About James Bloodworth

James Bloodworth is a journalist and author whose work focuses on politics and social affairs. His writing has appeared in publications including The Times, the Guardian, the New Statesman, and the Wall Street Journal. He is known for his compelling brand of undercover reportage, which formed the basis of his 2018 book, Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain. The book, which was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, saw him working in an Amazon warehouse and as an Uber driver to expose the realities of the gig economy.

His first book, The Myth of Meritocracy, was published in 2016. His latest, Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere, is the result of a five-year investigation into the subcultures of toxic masculinity and is the basis for this 2025 Holyoake Lecture.

About Felicity Hannah

Felicity Hannah is a freelance print and broadcast journalist, specialising in consumer affairs and personal finance. She regularly presents BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money and R4’s Money Box Live, as well as appearing as a commentator across TV and radio. Hannah regularly writes for The Times, Independent, Mirror, and many other publications. In 2020 Hannah was named Broadcast Journalist of the Year at the Headlinemoney Awards. She is a patron of Humanists UK.

About the Holyoake Lecture

The Holyoake Lecture explores an aspect of politics or contemporary social or political issues, especially as it relates to secularist and humanist issues, including liberalism, democracy, social justice, feminism, anti-racism, LGBT rights, or equality. The Holyoake medallist has made a significant contribution in one of these fields.

The lecture and medal are named for the 19th-century humanist George Jacob Holyoake, who, among many other achievements, coined the word ‘secularism’ and was a lifelong progressive political activist.