Fluoride, pasteurised milk, bottled water, vapes - if you wanted to control society using liquids, where would you even start? Michelle and Jamie take the long-running fear that “they’re putting something in the water” and run with it, unpacking how everyday substances became vessels for anxieties about government power, health, trust, and who gets blamed when things go wrong. With the groundwork laid, Jamie and Michelle shift from analysis to invention, designing a product they'd want to introduce to the market given half a chance and a budget.

Flouride is Poisoning Us with Jamie Macrae

Cleopatra collides with the Sydney Opera House as Michelle and guest Edward Spence spin a playful theory linking ancient curses, lost royalty, and one very suspiciously musical landmark

Made Up Conspiracy: Cleopatra & the Sydney Opera House with Edward Spence

We might be living in a simulation - but if we are, wow, whoever's running it is doing an astonishing amount of admin. Michelle is joined by longtime friend and game designer Edward Spence to take the simulation theory seriously and start stress-testing it, from the computing power needed to render the universe to the number of writers it would take to storyboard a single human life. As the conversation unfolds, reality begins to resemble a sprawling writer’s room, complete with NPCs, branching storylines, personality archetypes, cheat codes, and the occasional mid-season rewrite. What emerges isn’t proof that none of this is real, but a growing appreciation for just how much coordination, labour, and narrative intent would be required to fake it.

We Live in a Simulation with Edward Spence

Michelle and guest Tristan Bernays have a big task: fuse Oprah and the Titanic into a conspiracy so outlandish it practically winks at you from the depths. The result is a cheeky, free-wheeling detour where big feelings, bigger billionaires, and bottom-of-the-ocean ambitions collide.

Made Up Conspiracy: Oprah & the Titanic with Tristan Bernays

Santa survives because we all agree to keep the magic alive. In this episode, Michelle and Jamie take that agreement seriously and start asking what would need to happen behind the scenes for Santa to actually function at scale. The North Pole quickly falls apart under scrutiny, giving way to discussions about supply chains, labour, secrecy, alternative bases, franchising models, and whether it would be easier to hide Santa in a rainforest, on a cruise ship, or in plain sight. By the time they’re done, Santa’s less a jolly loner and more a CEO with a staffing crisis and a very tight delivery window.

Santa is Real with Jamie Macrae

In today’s made-up conspiracy, Michelle is joined by guest Lucy Foster to dream up how and why Beyoncé is linked to the Eiffel Tower.

Made Up Conspiracy: Beyonce & the Eiffel Tower with Lucy Foster

Michelle and her guest, writer/director Lucy Foster, pull apart the classic rumour that Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen under Pirates of the Caribbean and the idea that Frozen was named to bury “Walt Disney frozen” in search results. How did film about sisters accidentally became the internet’s greatest SEO distraction theory? The pair dig into what cryonics actually involves, whether living forever is even worth it if your people don’t come with you, and all of the people who have to be in on it to make it work.

Walt Disney is Cryogenically Frozen with Lucy Foster

Michelle and Dr. Leila Nashef attempt to stitch together a conspiracy between Albert Einstein and Coca-Cola, quickly landing on the idea that a teenage Einstein invented the drink before the recipe was stolen by an ominous early Big Soda. From there, the theory accelerates until, by the end - they’ve conjured a version of Einstein who isn’t just a physicist but a human drinks dispenser.

Made Up Conspiracy: Einstein & Coca-Cola with Dr. Leila Nashef

In this episode, Michelle and playwright Tristan Bernays pick apart the conspiracy theory of Tartaria - the super-civilisation that supposedly spanned the globe, built every great monument, harnessed free wireless electricity, lived in perfect peace, and then mysteriously vanished from history. Together they wander through its odd claims: giants, world fairs repurposed as cover-ups, and the idea that an exhausted, overstretched 20th-century world quietly decided to erase an entire utopian empire. What follows is part historical improv, part sociological musing, and part joyful chaos as they ask the only sensible question: if Tartaria was so perfect, what on earth did it do to make the whole world agree never to speak of it again?

Tartaria was Wiped Off the Map with Tristan Bernays

Making your conspiracy dreams come true

Ever heard a conspiracy theory so wild you couldn’t help but ask - who’s pulling the strings, what would it take, and could anyone actually make it happen? Michelle has, and she’s bringing her sharp curiosity (and a guest) to find out. Each episode of The Conspiracy Consultants unpacks a different theory, testing its logic, logistics, and sheer audacity. It’s part thought experiment, part comedy, and all the fun of wondering “what if?” without needing a tinfoil hat. Follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/conspiracyconsultants/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> Hosted, researched and edited by Michelle Barnette, with scripting support by Anna RyderCreated and developed by Chris Harding for <a href="https://www.whalesongmedia.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Whale Song Media</a>Music by <a href="https://www.nicolejohnsonpianist.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nicole Johnson</a>Artwork by Luke Galloway for <a href="https://www.spacefacefilms.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Space Face Films</a>

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