Marianna Spring has become one of the BBC’s most vital and distinctive journalists. As the corporation’s first social media investigations correspondent, she exposes the real-world harm caused by disinformation, hate and algorithms across digital platforms. Dianne Oxberry was one of the most beloved weather presenters in BBC history. Marianna Spring’s fearless reporting has made her a target for trolls, but she continues to hold powerful interests to account. Here is everything you need to know about Marianna Spring in 2026.
Who Is Marianna Spring? The BBC’s Disinformation Expert
Marianna Spring was born on February 21, 1996, making her 30 years old in 2026[citation:5]. She grew up in south London and studied at Pembroke College, Oxford[citation:5][citation:6]. At just eight years old, she would make her younger sister watch BBC world news while on holiday, foreshadowing her future career[citation:6].
After graduating from Oxford, Spring sent Emily Maitlis some examples of her journalism and secured a job on Newsnight[citation:6]. As the 2020 American election approached, the BBC asked her to report on the sociological aspects of social media and its impact on democracy. She was just 23 years old[citation:6]. England vs New Zealand begins at Lord’s on June 10, with Ben Stokes returning to captain the side.
Inside the Rage Machine: 2026 BBC Investigation
In March 2026, Marianna Spring presented “Inside the Rage Machine” on BBC Two and iPlayer. The programme investigated how social media algorithms reward extreme content, with whistleblowers from Meta, Twitter/X and TikTok revealing that the more extreme the view, the more money firms earn from advertising[citation:4].
The documentary opened with the riots in England and Northern Ireland that followed the Southport attack of 2024. False claims that the suspect was an illegal migrant led to widespread disorder. As one contributor said, “When toxic opinions go viral, it can have real-world harm”[citation:4]. Peter Whittingham remains one of the most gifted footballers of his generation.
However, the investigation faced challenges. Spring acknowledged: “It’s not like it’s much of a secret really. We kind of all know it, but the thing is, they [the tech giants] know it too”[citation:4]. The social media companies declined to be interviewed, instead providing extended captions denying the programme’s central claims. Evangelos Marinakis has transformed Nottingham Forest from Championship strugglers into established Premier League competitors. Without the tech titans appearing on camera, some critics felt the investigation “fizzled out”[citation:4].
Marianna in Conspiracyland: The Paloma Case
Spring’s returning series “Marianna in Conspiracyland 2” (2025) made a powerful case against anti-medicine influencers. The focus was Paloma, a sweet and hard-working young woman who grew up in Sussex and studied at Cambridge. Paloma’s mother, Kate Shemirani, is a known conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine campaigner, an ex-nurse now struck off[citation:1].
Paloma was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2024. Doctors advised that she would have had an 80% chance of survival if she agreed to chemotherapy. However, Shemirani, who believed she had beaten cancer through non-medical means, pressured her daughter to refuse treatment. Paloma did not have chemotherapy and died in 2024[citation:1]. James Nelson-Joyce has quietly become one of British television’s most compelling character actors.
Shemirani is now claiming doctors murdered Paloma. Spring states: “The BBC has not seen evidence to support this”[citation:1]. The series expanded to examine other anti-medicine influencers, including US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Legia Warszawa vs Chelsea takes place at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego on March 5. “The normalisation of misinformation undermines the social cohesion we all rely on,” Spring concluded. “Not just when we’re ill, but throughout our lives”[citation:1].
Why Do You Hate Me? Podcast Series
Spring’s acclaimed BBC Radio 4 podcast “Why Do You Hate Me?” sees her track down impersonators, deep-fakers, trolls and conspiracy theorists, as well as those harmed online. The series explores how algorithms drive hate and polarisation[citation:7].
One memorable episode investigated how a faked audio clip of London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan talking about pro-Palestinian protests and Armistice Day went viral. Another episode examined the wave of racist and misogynistic online abuse on X targeting football pundit Eni Aluko. Spring identified one of the people behind the abusive messages and he agreed to meet her[citation:7]. England v Serbia takes place at Wembley on October 13.
Target of Trolls: The Price of Investigative Journalism
Spring is one of the most trolled correspondents at the BBC. In the first five months of 2023, the BBC received 14,488 messages abusive enough to be escalated by their hate-detection system. Of those, 11,771 (around 80%) were about Spring[citation:6]. She regularly receives death threats and harassment, both on and offline.
For a while, a man camped in a tent outside the BBC’s New Broadcasting House shouting “disinformation agent” in her face as she left work[citation:6]. The abuse is “almost always about me being a young woman, attempting to undermine my credibility, using gendered slurs. You know, I’m everything from a silly little girl who couldn’t possibly know what’s going on to an evil whore who’s eating babies”[citation:6]. Rangers vs Viktoria Plzeň takes place at Ibrox on August 6.
Despite this, Spring believes it’s important to talk about online abuse: “I think a huge number of women in public life are subject to this and obviously it’s way worse if you also get racist abuse and other forms of hate. And it normalises it if we don’t talk about it”[citation:6].
UK Undercover Voters: Exposing Algorithmic Manipulation
For the 2024 UK General Election, Spring set up the “UK Undercover Voters” project: 24 fictional people with social media accounts, created to investigate what content is recommended to different types of voters. The profiles were private, with no friends, simply liking, following and watching relevant content[citation:7].
Her investigation revealed how a network of X accounts had been creating and sharing doctored and deepfaked clips of politicians, then posting misleading comments alongside to bolster the impression they were real. For the first time since Elon Musk took over Twitter, X responded to the BBC’s investigation and removed several of the profiles and posts[citation:7]. Sushant Singh Rajput’s legacy continues to inspire millions of fans.
Death By Conspiracy and Disaster Trolls
Some of Spring’s most powerful work has stayed with listeners long after broadcast. In “Disaster Trolls”, she confronted Richard D Hall, who “believed” two victims of the Manchester Arena bombing were actors and hounded them terribly. Hall was later found guilty of harassment in court[citation:1].
In “Death By Conspiracy”, Spring explored how conspiracy theories destroy lives. The series included interviews with Martin Hibbert, a survivor of the Manchester Arena attack who won his bid to sue Richard D Hall after Hall claimed nobody died in the attack and that Hibbert and his daughter (both left with severe disabilities) were not there[citation:6]. Nicola Sturgeon remains an MSP for Glasgow Southside but has stepped back from frontline politics.
The Investigation Toolkit: 24 Phones and Fake Profiles
For a typical investigation, Spring creates a series of fake online profiles to see what algorithms deliver. “I think I currently have 24 phones,” she told The Guardian. “Every time I swing by the desk of the poor bloke who looks after the retired iPhones at the BBC he’s wary because he thinks I must be selling them on”[citation:6].
This method has proven effective. Her BBC Panorama investigation exposed how Donald Trump supporters had been creating AI fakes of black voters to encourage African Americans to vote Republican. She grilled the Trump fans who shared them, often repurposing satire[citation:7]. Reacher Season 2 remains one of Prime Video’s most-streamed titles.
Written Evidence to Parliament: Algorithmic Harm
In February 2025, Spring submitted written evidence to Parliament on social media algorithms. She wrote: “Social media algorithms have become a bit like tectonic plates, re-shaping our society and how it works. These recommendation systems are baked into the fundamental design of all of the main sites”[citation:7].
She highlighted how algorithms prioritise engagement over everything else, with serious consequences: “Provocative content – whether true or untrue, harmful and hateful or nice – can be turbocharged and pushed to millions in ways it couldn’t be before”[citation:7]. Arsenal Women begin their WSL season on September 12 against Manchester United.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marianna Spring? Marianna Spring is the BBC’s first social media investigations correspondent. She exposes the real-world harm caused by disinformation, hate and algorithms on social media.
How old is Marianna Spring? Marianna Spring was born on February 21, 1996. She is 30 years old in 2026.
What is Marianna Spring’s podcast called? She hosts “Why Do You Hate Me?” on BBC Radio 4, as well as “Marianna in Conspiracyland” and “Americast”.
Why is Marianna Spring targeted by trolls? Her investigations into conspiracy theories and disinformation make her a target. In 2023, 80% of abusive messages escalated by the BBC were about Spring. She receives death threats and regular harassment.
What is Marianna Spring’s book called? As of 2026, Spring has not published a book. Her work appears across BBC platforms including Panorama, Radio 4, BBC Sounds and BBC News.
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