TRIGGERnometry Podcast Summary

Episode: They Tried To Cancel Me But Now I'm Free – Mike Graham
Date: February 8, 2026
Hosts: Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster (Matt = Francis)
Guest: Mike Graham

Episode Overview

In this candid episode, journalists and commentators Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster sit down with radio and TV presenter Mike Graham for his third appearance on TRIGGERnometry. The discussion centers on Graham's high-profile departure from Talksport/News UK, accusations of racism surrounding a controversial Facebook post, shifts in media culture, the evolution of British society, and the growing popularity of alternative media. Graham speaks openly about his personal ordeal, the state of national discourse, and why, despite everything, he's optimistic for the future and embracing his freedom as an independent creator.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Facebook Post Controversy & Graham’s Departure

• Background: Mike Graham recounts the Facebook/Instagram post—racist in tone and content—that appeared on his accounts (03:31). He firmly maintains he did not create or post it, deleted it immediately, yet faced escalating demands from News UK to submit his personal devices for forensic review.
  • "It was a bit of a racist comment...but I didn't post it. I was made aware of it on Monday, the 20th, I think, of October, and I looked at it and thought, Christ, I don't know what that is. So I just deleted it." — Mike Graham (03:31)
• Company Response: Despite his cooperation in showing cache and logs, the company pressed for deeper access which he—and his lawyers—felt was excessive and unsafe.
  • "As soon as I started talking to lawyers, they were like, don't give them your phone under any circumstances. You don't work for them. I'm an individual contractor." — Mike Graham (04:53)
• Outcome:
  • Graham claims he wasn't formally fired or suspended but was not invited back, and News UK issued what he felt was a “pretty brutal” statement suggesting non-cooperation.
  • "They put out a statement, which was pretty brutal...after 18 years...they were gravely concerned that I didn't want to help them out with their inquiry..." — Mike Graham (12:35)

2. Shifts in Media, Culture, and Workplace Politics

• “Wokism” in Media:
  • Graham and the hosts point to a cultural change in major UK media organizations, where “wokists” and younger, progressive staff now wield more influence, leading to self-censorship and professional risks for dissenters.
  • "The business of media is absolutely riddled with wokists...it's what's happened to Talk Sport." — Mike Graham (09:15)
• Profit vs. Activism:
  • There’s puzzlement over why companies undermine profitability by catering to activist minorities over mainstream audiences.
  • "You just look at talk radio now. It's been undeniably damaged by you leaving...doesn't make any sense from a business point of view." – Konstantin (13:05)

3. Rise and Promise of Independent Media

• New Opportunities:
  • Graham expresses excitement and surprise at his rapid success on YouTube, reflecting on the arrogance of mainstream media and the “punk rock” origins of his own show.
  • "We've got nearly 6 million views in full five weeks. We've got 128,000 subscribers...the reaction has been amazing." — Mike Graham (17:00)
• The End of Gatekeepers:
  • Traditional media’s lock on “who gets heard” is crumbling.
  • "The big platforms, the big mainstream media organizations, they used to have this lock...It's not really the case anymore." — Matt (17:32)

4. Decline of Newspapers & Journalistic Traditions

• A Lost Era:
  • Graham charts newspapers’ loss of political sway, decline of working-class journalism roots, and dominance of out-of-touch, over-educated urbanites.
  • "It was a very working class job to be a newspaper reporter...You didn't go to Oxford...You were tradesmen." — Mike Graham (24:12)
• Centralization & Irrelevance:
  • Local news, regional representation, and gritty coverage have been replaced by “managed decline.”

5. National Identity, Immigration, and Social Change

• Transformation of London (& Beyond):
  • Graham and the hosts stress a radical demographic and cultural shift, particularly in London, with implications for integration and identity.
  • "It's different because it is now full of people from somewhere else and it didn't used to be...Whereas in New York, all the immigration...was people who wanted to be American. In now, I think in London...we've got these communities which are not British and they don't want to be British." — Mike Graham (52:59 & 55:14)
  • "I can walk through the entire supermarket, spend about 30 minutes there, and not hear anybody speaking English." — Mike Graham (53:00)
• Integration vs. Mass Immigration:
  • They argue for the importance of selective, careful immigration, critiquing the UK’s failure to foster the shared identity seen in the American “melting pot.”
  • "If you choose very carefully the types of people that you allow in, if you're very selective...It's perfectly possible for people who come here to integrate. What is not possible is for millions and millions of people to come in the space of a few years..." — Matt (63:07)
  • "Every country in the world would be up in arms if they experienced the scale and speed of immigration we've seen." — Mike Graham (64:07)

6. Cost of Living, Net Zero, and Disconnect with Ordinary People

• Elites vs. Regular People:
  • There’s a criticism of how the political class and upper middle class remain preoccupied with “net zero” and ideology, while ordinary people struggle with food and energy costs.
  • "Most people in this country do not care about net zero. That is a preserve of the upper middle class..." — Konstantin (33:11)
  • "You know, things that used to be...a packet of pasta for 50p, it's now like 1.25...the weekly shop has gone from 100 quid to 200 quid." — Mike Graham (33:45)

7. The Political Landscape: Fractures & Reform

• Fractured Left and Right:
  • Graham sees both main parties as exhausted, with “the left” fragmented (Greens, Labour, etc.) and the right (Tories, Reform) in turmoil.
  • "Labour are basically finished, Keir Starmer is an out and out liar...watching Douglas Alexander with you, you just think you don't know what you're talking about...The Conservative Party ruined Britain." — Mike Graham (43:35, 45:43)
• Rise of Reform Party & Small Parties:
  • There’s guarded hope that new parties like Reform and the Greens could offer a more reflective, plural politics, but skepticism over their effectiveness.
  • "If Reform manages to bust open the two party system, who knows what happens after that?" — Mike Graham (51:47)

8. Media Courage, Self-Censorship, and Establishment Consensus

• Risk-Averse Journalism:
  • Graham views the mainstream as populated by highly educated but risk-averse journalists, unwilling to challenge received wisdom.
  • "Everybody...has had a better education...no doubt they're smarter than me, but there's no courage or balls." — Konstantin (65:46)
  • "People are frightened to be seen as wrong. The establishment is now left wing." — Mike Graham (66:37)

9. The UK as a Managed Decline and Problems of Welfare

• Welfare State Woes:
  • Welfare is seen as overgrown, discouraging work for both native Britons and newcomers.
  • "The welfare system has encouraged more and more Brits not to work. It's also encouraged more and more immigrants to come here...We're going to be the biggest G7 country for spending on welfare." — Mike Graham (64:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I always say, ideology is how you know what to think about things you don't understand." — Matt (31:01)
• "We've got nearly 6 million views in full five weeks. ...The reaction has been amazing." — Mike Graham (17:00)
• "I was moving the station further and further to the right every single morning. I was pissing all over Keir Starmer every single day. And they didn't like it. Downing Street used to complain about me all the time." — Mike Graham (11:35)
• "In America...you want to come to America, you become an American...That doesn't happen here. And I think that's a problem." — Mike Graham (60:40)
• "Most people in this country do not care about net zero...I talk to ordinary people...what they're concerned about is they can't afford to buy meat." — Konstantin (33:11)
• "The only system that works, it may not be perfect, is capitalism. Can't do it any other way." — Mike Graham (73:58)
• "If you want a bunch of mediocrities...But that's what we've got..." — Mike Graham (78:17)
• "You lose something when you have that amount of immigration come in because that sense of community, that social cohesion changes. It dies..." — Konstantin (58:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03 – Mike recounts initial events of the Facebook post incident.
• 03:31 – Details on the racist Facebook/Instagram post and company’s reaction.
• 09:15 – ‘Wokism’ in media, and internal culture shifts.
• 13:33 – Talksport’s original ‘punk rock’ days and political direction.
• 16:03 – Transition and rapid growth on YouTube.
• 24:12 – Reflections on the decline of newspaper culture.
• 31:01 – On ideology and climate policy skepticism.
• 33:11 – Disconnection of elites from real economic concerns.
• 43:35 – Labour, left-wing fragmentation, and political decline.
• 51:47 – The UK’s potential for party-political change and the SNP example.
• 52:59 – London and national social change due to immigration.
• 60:25 – Disappearance of Cockneys and the dilution of British identity.
• 66:37 – Leftward drift of the establishment and risk-aversion.
• 73:58 – Capitalism’s endurance over rent-controls and interventionist policy debates.
• 78:17 – Problem of political (and public sector) mediocrity due to underpaying top talent.

Conclusion

Mike Graham’s account is both personal and polemical. He frames his cancellation and exit from Talksport as emblematic of a larger transformation—where media is more “woke”, less courageous, and increasingly out of step with average people. While unsparing in his criticism of both left and right, Graham is energized by his move to independent media and sees hope in new political voices, even as he is bracing about the rapid transformation of British society, the demise of old institutions, and the risks of silencing dissent.
His final reflections touch on everything from Iran and global conflict to the failings of public sector leadership, offering a blend of cynicism, nostalgia, and pragmatic optimism for the future outside the bounds of traditional media.

Where to Find Mike Graham

• YouTube: The Mike Graham Show
• Substack: microgramshow.com

For extended listener Q&A with Mike Graham, head over to the Trigonometry Substack.