Listen

Description

Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillion, who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes.

Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat. Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax.

With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker.