The Diary Of A CEO · 2025-01-02 · Steven Bartlett (host), Anna Lembke

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45 claims checked against research: 3 contradicted 2 overstated 4 needing context 29 supported 2 corroborated online 5 unverified

Contradicted by research

1:03:20 Steven Bartlett (host)contradictedmoderate

From 1996 to 2008, participation in ultramarathons increased by 1,676%.

"from 1996 to 2008, participation in ultramarathons has increased by 1,676%." (said at 1:03:20)

The speaker misstates the timeframe of a widely cited statistic from a large-scale analysis of ultramarathon participation by RunRepeat and the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU). That report found that ultramarathon participation increased by 1,676% over a 23-year period from 1996 to 2018 (from 34,401 participations in 1996 to 611,098 in 2018), not over the 12-year window from 1996 to 2008. While historical analyses of ultramarathon racing confirm substantial exponential growth during 1977–2008, the specific 1,676% figure applies to 1996–2018.

context: Historical Analysis of Participation in 161 km Ultramarathons in North America (The International Journal of the History of Sport 2010) · cited 259x in the literature
"Participation trends in 100 m (161 km) ultramarathon running competitions in North America were examined from race results from 1977 through 2008. A total of 32, 352 finishes accounted for by 9815 unique individuals were identified. The annual number of races and number of finishes increased exponentially over the study period." (abstract, results, passage verified)
openalex full study (doi)

1:57:15 Anna Lembkecontradictedlow

Women are substantially more vulnerable to love addiction or pathological relationship dependency than men.

"Women, however, are much more vulnerable to love addiction, which is also real, right? The pathological, compulsive falling in love with partners and then getting into these relationships that are really dramatic and not healthy" (said at 1:57:15)

The claim that women are substantially or "much more vulnerable" to love addiction compared to men is not supported by psychiatric and empirical literature. "Love addiction" is not an officially recognized diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-11, and systematic reviews highlight an absence of standardized epidemiological data. Furthermore, recent empirical studies evaluating psychological vulnerability models (such as impulsivity, psychological distress, and emotion dysregulation) for love addiction show structural invariance across genders, and meta-analytic evidence indicates that associations with key drivers like anxious attachment are not uniquely higher in women (and can be stronger in male-predominant samples).

contradicts: Is love passion an addictive disorder? (The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse 2010) · cited 140x in the literature
"There are no recognized definitions or diagnostic criteria for "love addiction"... There are no data on the epidemiology, genetics, co-morbidity, or treatment of love addiction." (abstract, results)
pubmed full study (doi)
contradicts: Problematic Love Behaviors and Correlated Factors: A Systematic Review with Subgroup Meta-… (Archives of sexual behavior 2026) · cited 1x in the literature
"Conversely, the link between LA and anxious attachment was stronger in samples with a higher proportion of men." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)
contradicts: Psychological Distress, Motor Impulsivity and Love Addiction: The Mediating Role of Emotio… (Psychological reports 2026)
"multigroup analysis confirmed that the structural model was strictly invariant across genders." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)

2:10:26 Steven Bartlett (host)contradictedlow

80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February.

"Do you know that 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February?" (said at 2:10:26)

The claim that 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February is contradicted by published longitudinal research tracking resolution adherence. While an 80% failure figure is widely circulated in popular media, prospective cohort studies show significantly higher early success rates. In a prospective study following New Year's resolvers over six months, 46% of participants were continuously successful at the six-month mark (Norcross et al., 2002). An earlier multi-year tracking study similarly found that 77% of resolvers maintained their pledges through the first week, with 19% maintaining continuous success after two years (Norcross et al., 1989). Because nearly half of resolvers maintain success through six months, the failure rate within the first month or two (by February) is substantially lower than the claimed 80%.

contradicts: Auld lang syne: success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Ye… (Journal of clinical psychology 2002) · cited 79x in the literature
"Resolvers reported higher rates of success than nonresolvers; at six months, 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful compared to 4% of the nonresolvers." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)
contradicts: The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts. (Journal of substance abuse ) · cited 67x in the literature
"Seventy-seven percent maintained their pledges for 1 week but only 19% for 2 years." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.