Emily Brown
You've probably seen conspiracy theorists online, but have you ever encountered one in real life? Well Dom Joly has.
In fact, the comedian and Trigger Happy TV star has had run ins with a number of people who believe all sorts of conspiracy theories - from hidden tunnels underneath airports to 'fake' coronavirus vaccines.
As he continued to pursue his love of travel, Joly actually went looking for people who believe conspiracies to help form the basis of his latest book, The Conspiracy Tourist.
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Joly decided to travel across the globe to confront some of the wildest conspiracies out there, telling UNILAD: "I think it was mainly to do with lockdown... People went a bit crazy, and went down algorithmic rabbit holes, and started having some really weird ideas.
"And I realised that conspiracies used to be fun. They used to be funny. Like, is Elvis alive and working in a chip shop? And now, it seemed that conspiracies were becoming a bit more dangerous."
Having seen some of the potentially more harmful conspiracies that were starting to rear their head, like claims that Covid 'wasn't real', Joly wanted to meet the people behind the theories to see if they 'really believed' what they were saying - or if they were 'just doing it for clicks'.
One of the 'weirdest', albeit arguably less harmful, conspiracies that Joly faced in his research was the 'flat Earth' theory.
Pointing out that the curvature of the Earth is visible to the human eye if you're up high enough, Joly struggled to get his head around the fact that people still 'wouldn't agree'.
He decided to try and challenge the belief when he met a flat Earther, who believed our planet to be a flat square with four corners.
According to the theory, one of the 'corners' of the Earth is located in Newfoundland, on Fogo Island.
Joly explained: "I took one of them on a road trip to the 'edge of the Earth'. And we looked off this cliff, and there was no drop [into nothingness]."
Not satisfied with the scene presented before him, however, the man then made Joly get into a fishing boat and go on a further hunt for the edge of the Earth.
When they still failed to find it, the flat Earther then accused the fisherman of 'going round in circles'.
Not only that, but he claimed they were being paid to do so by none other than Bill Gates.
It seems those who believe the theories always have an answer for why they don't pan out, but Joly said it 'didn't really bother' him because he's 'not scornful of conspiracists'.
Having created an alternative Instagram account and showed interest in some of the biggest conspiracy-peddlers, Joly knows how much misinformation believers can be presented with.
"I can see why it's so easy to start to believe that stuff, because that is your reality," he said. "And my reality on my [regular] Instagram page must look as odd to them as theirs does to mine. And I don't think people realize that yet. We live in parallel universes."
With the stronghold of conspiracies in mind, Joly made clear he has a 'lot of time for people' who have managed to change their mind after falling down the rabbit hole.
He also has an understanding of why people become wrapped up in conspiracies, as he explained: "I think conspiracy theories happen often in times of economic and social unrest... because I think what happens is, as humans, we really are very logical people, we like order.
"And when stuff is chaotic, and big things happen, like 9/11, or Covid, and your life gets thrown in the air, we really don't like it. We try and find patterns. And conspiracy theories give you patterns. They give you reasons for why things have happened."
It makes sense, though Joly expressed belief that conspiracies theorists get 'the wrong end of the stick' when it comes for finding someone to blame for this chaos - largely as a result of the few who come up with the theories in the first place.
"I don't mind anyone believing conspiracy theories," he said. "What I hate are the grifters who know it's rubbish but use it to make money. And they're the problem."
"There's loads of proper people to go for. But they end up- I mean, we're attacking doctors at the moment. What the f**k is that about?," Joly continued, before pointing out that he's met 'a lot of people in power' and has come to realize that 'they're not massively impressive people'.
"They can't even run a parking system or get the trains to run on time," he pointed out.
"So the idea that they're running some sort of satanic global tunnel conspiracy?- I don't know. I mean, maybe I'm completely naive, but I'm not."
The Conspiracy Tourist by Dom Joly is out now (£22, Robinson).
Dom Joly: The Conspiracy Tour 2024 stage show tickets available at domjoly.tv Dom will also be speaking at Destinations - The Holiday & Travel Show at Olympia London on Saturday 3rd February at 4pm all about his new book. Tickets: www.destinationsshow.com