Derek "The Baby Mind Reader" Ogilvie claims he can divine the thoughts of babies.
He has a Channel 5 series coming out sometime this June and a book, already on shelves in your local bookshop.
He appeared on ITV's LK Today programme on 25th May, together with the mother of a child who has speech difficulties, and a token skeptic (although I didn't recognise him... handsome chap, whoever he was).
The article describing this encounter is available here.
Following on from the programme, Derek has expressed a great interest in taking the JREF $1,000,000 challenge. I have supplied him with the challenge FAQ and application form and am now waiting for his response back.
No, I didn't recognise the chap either. Excellent article there though!
I don't know a great deal about Ogilvie but from what I've seen he works in a similar way to 'pet psychics'. He claims to be reading babies' minds but is really doing a cold/hot reading on the parent.
I notice that one of his claims is that he can read the baby's mind even when the baby isn't present. That might be because it has nothing to do with reading the baby's mind and everything to do with getting feedback from the parent.
Of course the only way to be certain is for him to be tested under proper conditions (i.e. not with Gary Schwartz) so that we can know for certain whether he's the real deal or not.
The JREF challenge is the ideal way of doing this.
We'll have to look out for this series. In fact, I feel one of my world famous, legendary commentaries is in order. (OK - I like them :P).
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Mark I see his programme is coming out on channel 5 next week - might be a good press release to re-issue the challenge to him?????
You're probably right - I'll see what I can do.
I can imagine he'll be busy soon with his PR people, so now is an ideal time.
There's a Timesonline article here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...0-2228543.html
Gary Schwartz will undoubtedly validate Derek as genuine with his 'rigorous' methods.Ogilvie will undergo rigorous scientific testing at the University of Arizona with Gary Schwartz, an academic expert in psychic phenomena. He also aims to take up the challenge offered by leading US sceptic James Randi, who has offered $1,000,000 to anyone who can prove their psychic abilities under scientific conditions.
Derek says that he aims to take the Randi $1,000,000 challenge. It might be time to get the papers to him Mark!!
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Looks like some of the believers are getting quite excited.
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...d.php?t=361395
Well I'm recording it now ready for my commentary tomorrow.
It will be interesting to see what sort of reaction it gets on forums.
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Does Derek Ogilvie claim he can understand the language of babies?
If so how did he learn this amazing feat and why aren't there more people like him, i suppose he's lucky he thought of it first.
Sure is, I can imagine the earth mothers lapping the whole concept up. I can see him being extremely popular (hopefully for just a short while).Originally Posted by doubting thomas
According to this rather credulous piece from yesterday's Grauniad, Gary is already giving him an 80-90% accuracy rating.There's a Timesonline article here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...0-2228543.html
Gary Schwartz will undoubtedly validate Derek as genuine with his 'rigorous' methods.Ogilvie will undergo rigorous scientific testing at the University of Arizona with Gary Schwartz, an academic expert in psychic phenomena. He also aims to take up the challenge offered by leading US sceptic James Randi, who has offered $1,000,000 to anyone who can prove their psychic abilities under scientific conditions.
My commentary on this TV programme: http://www.ukskeptics.com/commentary...by_mind_reader
It's there to be linked to
I think the programme has had a rather negative response in general. It was quite exploitative of the people involved but that's a general feature of this type of programme rather than anything to do with claimed psychic ability.
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Derek Ogilvie.com
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Apache/1.3.34 Server at www.derekogilvie.com Port 80
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His site must have been a bit busier today and he has crappy webhosting - didn't see that coming did he?(sorry, I know it's obvious).
Or perhaps he's had so much criticism that he's shut it.
Either way it's a bit of a shame that his website is down just as he's getting the exposure he wants.
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Well, it's back up. And:Derek Ogilvie.com
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Apache/1.3.34 Server at www.derekogilvie.com Port 80
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His site must have been a bit busier today and he has crappy webhosting - didn't see that coming did he?
Or perhaps he's had so much criticism that he's shut it.
Either way it's a bit of a shame that his website is down just as he's getting the exposure he wants.
Does anyone have any of these papers or transcripts? I'm thinking that we could look at responding to any if they are not balanced reporting, or taken with a non-biased stance.The series has had some great reviews in the press. Thankyou to HEAT and REVEAL magazines for making the show their No1 choice and their 'Pick of the Day' last week. HEAT have also made it their 'Pick of the Day' this week! Thankyou to The Guardian, The Daily Mirror, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail for making show One their 'Pick of the Day'. There have also been some great features in the TV Times, The Scotsman newspaper, The Daily Star, The Sun and The Daily Mirror as well as most if not all of the TV Magazines. Thankyou. There was a page interview (Scotland only), with yours truly, in The Sunday Times as well as comments about show One in the Culture Section of that newspaper. There were also pieces by Giles Hopper in The Sunday Telegraph and Ilona Amos in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper about the series. Many of Sunday's papers mentioned the series such as The Sunday Mail and featured it as 'one to watch'. Did you manage to see my two page interviews in The Guardian and Daily Express yesterday?
As you've no doubt noticed I've been doing loads of TV, press and radio interviews recently to promote my book and the TV series. Every newspaper and magazine that interviews me usually always asks that I do a baby reading for them so it's been a busy time for me. There are still a few more radio and press interviews to do before next week's second show in the series.
There's a few links on www.badpsychics.co.uk to some of the news stories.
In the commentary I allude to an embarrassingly silly routine that Derek goes into before entering Emma's flat. Jon Donnis has put up the clip online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r731ymdNKTY
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Here's the Grauniad interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1800681,00.html
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