Tim Minchin knows what it’s like to have the internet turn on you for something you didn’t actually say.

At the end of 2023, while touring An Unfunny Evening With Tim Minchin and His Piano, his mother Ros died unexpectedly. He was grieving, performing, and trying to plan a funeral when his phone lit up with a warning from his management: “You’ll get calls from numbers you don’t recognise. Don’t pick up.” 

A few nights earlier, he’d spoken onstage about empathy, nuance, and the danger of dividing the world into heroes and villains — but online, that message was twisted beyond recognition. Within hours, headlines accused him of taking sides in a global conflict, and strangers branded him a “supporter of genocide.”

In this episode, Tim opens up about that week — what it felt like to be misrepresented while mourning, why he walked away from social media entirely, and how his song 15 Minutes of Shame captures the culture of outrage we’ve all helped create. It’s a conversation about grief, technology, and the cost of living in a world that rewards certainty over understanding.

With thanks to Tim Minchin.

Next week, Kath Ebbs joins us in studio.

The Pile-On is created and hosted by Clare Stephens.

Produced by Lize Ratliff.

For guest suggestions or feedback, message Clare on Instagram @clare.stephenss

Subscribe to Clare’s substack NQR (Not Quite Right) here.

Find her debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done - about a young woman at the centre of a vicious online pile-on here.

Please remember you don’t have to go through this alone. Reaching out for help can feel difficult, but support is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

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