Esther Ghey launches new podcast exploring the dangers of the internet

Parents vs The Internet is a new 10-part podcast series hosted by Daily Mail journalist Liz Hull and Esther Ghey.

The audio series aims will aim to explore the effect that screen time is having in children’s wellbeing and offer tips to parents on how to protect their kids online.

The first episode, which was released this morning, Monday, introduced the concept of the show which has been inspired by Esther’s campaigning work in the wake of the murder of her daughter, Brianna.

Brianna was brutally murdered by two teenagers, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, in Culcheth Linear Park in February 2023.

During the trial that it was revealed that Jenkinson, who was 15 at the time, had been accessing the dark web from her mobile phone and watching horrific videos online.

Brianna, who was 16, had also been accessing worrying content online while struggling with her mental health.

Esther with her daughter, Brianna

“I wish Brianna’s final years were much happier and that she enjoyed the final years of her life, and I think that life is so short that we mustn’t waste it,” Esther said in the first episode.

“I think that if I can change how things are for young people and improve the mental health of young people then that will be Brianna’s legacy.”

In the wake of tragedy, Esther bravely began campaigning for mindfulness training in schools across the UK, as well as tough restrictions on mobile phones for children.

“This is because of the things that Brianna would have been searching online, such as self-harm, and also because of the things that her killers were orchestrating on their phones as well,” Esther continued.

“If any of these words would have been flagged up earlier with the parents, then this wouldn’t have happened.”

Liz Hull was present in court throughout Jenkinson and Ratcliffe’s trial to report for the Daily Mail.

The pair are now hoping that the podcast will offer advice to parents about the dangers of the online world by speaking with a variety of guests.

Esther and Emma have been working together on campaigns in Warrington

The first guest was Emma Mills, headteacher at Birchwood High School where Brianna and Jenkinson were both students.

“Brianna was a student that you don’t forget very easily, that’s for certain,” Emma told Esther and Liz.

“She was a very determined young lady, she had a strong sense of who she was. She’s very much missed at Birchwood by a lot of people.”

The podcast episode goes on to discuss the partnership and friendship formed between Emma and Esther and their impressive campaigning across Warrington.

“There are good things that have come out of such a horrific tragedy, and one of them is that I’m glad to call Emma my friend now as well,” said Esther.

“The amount of support and the amount of work that Emma’s put into all of these issues, like it’s absolutely outstanding and just a really great example of someone going above and beyond.”

As part of the campaign for better mobile phone safety for children, Emma has spearheaded a campaign called Disconnect to Reconnect.

The campaign aims to promote the use of monitoring apps on children’s mobile phones, and 57 schools across Warrington have signed up to ‘Pledge to Protect’.

Emma has been leading the Disconnect to Reconnect campaign in schools across Warrington (Image: Birchwood High School)

Emma also shares in the episode that mindfulness lessons will now be inbuilt in the curriculum at Birchwood High School.

Mindfulness is a cognitive skill which can help people build mental resilience and anxiety by helping people be present and aware of their mind, body and surroundings.

Peace and Mind UK, Esther’s Community Interest Company, has spread mindfulness training across Warrington with the help of a GoFundMe set up in collaboration with the Warrington Guardian.

The fundraising page has now raised nearly £90,000 and has helped put teachers in Warrington through Mindfulness in Schools Project training.

“That’s not down to me, that’s thanks to the generosity of the public and I think it just shows the amount that we’ve raised in such a short amount of time as well shows that people feel that something needs to change, that we need to do something,” said Esther.

Parents vs The Internet episodes will be released weekly on podcasting platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.