Q&A with Tommie Trelawny from The Interruption

Tommie Trelawny is a podcast host and creator. He’s here to dive into his new podcast The Interruption where he sifts through the details of a mysterious break in the broadcast of Southern Television’s Five O’Clock News program on November 26, 1977.

“This is the voice of Vrillon. Representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command speaking to you”.

SO: What made you want to create The Interruption?

TT: I’ve always been fascinated by lost stories that have no one to tell them. The curious incident of how “Vrillon of the Ashtar Command” broke onto the Five O’Clock news is one of them.

The Southern Television Interruption, as it’s known, has been unsolved for forty-five years: no one was caught and no one came forward. Various attempts have been made to unveil our airwave intruder, but none have been successful.

Until now. The Interruption is the story of how I solved this bizarre cold case.

SO: By today’s standards, and thanks to the Internet, grabbing an audience’s attention can be viewed as the ultimate goal. What’s a modern-day example of what happened 45 years ago?

TT: Whilst this “alien” intrusion is the very first of its kind, signal hijacks do still happen. Just this year, the cyber-vigilante group Anonymous took over a Russian state TV broadcast with an anti-war message.

It reminds me of how Vrillon broke onto British airwaves, calling for us Earthlings to abandon nuclear weapons. The transmitter that was targeted is a mere 12km from the United Kingdom’s nuclear arsenal in Aldermaston. All these years later, history seems to repeat itself.

SO: Vrillon’s broadcast is focused on helping us “avoid the disaster which threatens (our) world”. How are we heeding that warning?

TT: We humans aren't the most peaceful of species, but some believe that aliens are able to intervene before things get too catastrophic. Like, say, interrupting a TV station in rural Hampshire.

Even at the time, no one seemed to have listened to Vrillon’s sermon of peace, love, and flying saucers. Strangely, the cosmic message has a lot in common with UFO religions. Yes, UFO religions – spiritual groups with quirky doctrines of alien enlightenment. It's a suspicious avenue that forms a big part of my investigation.

SO: Are we alone in the universe?

TT: Life outside of Earth is one of those big questions that keep me up at night. Fortunately, some people make it their day job. In the second episode, I get in contact with a scientist at the UK centre of Astrobiology, Mia Frothingham. I learnt that statistically speaking, it’s highly unlikely that we are totally alone. The universe is simply too vast!

In fact, according to SETI (Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) there are 300 million habitable planets in our galaxy. The Interruption delves into these topics, it’s about a lot more than a broadcast hi-jacking!

SO: Who is The Interruption for? What do you already know about your audience?

TT: The world of investigative podcasting needs a breath of fresh air. Something lighter, not another gruesome tale about murder and abuse. The Interruption, I believe, is that breath of fresh air.

With this podcast, I’m using my serious skills as an investigator to solve a wacky mystery. There are plenty of absurd moments – like interviewing Vrillon via a psychic channeler – but I’m still coming to this with all the skills and rigour of an investigative journalist.

SO: Can you share some behind-the-scenes tidbits about what went into the show?

TT: Solving the Southern Television Interruption started out as a New Year’s Resolution. To this day, it’s the only one I’ve actually managed to keep.

My producer Nicky and I went to all sorts of unexpected places in the making of this podcast. From trawling through dusty television archives in the sleepy town of Bournemouth, to visiting Britain’s oldest UFO temple, the Aetherius Society. One of the most memorable locations for me was trudging through muddy English countryside to inspect the Hannington Transmitter, the source of the disturbance back in 1977. All in the search of who was behind the mysterious incident.

SO: Do you have any advice for those looking to create their own podcast?

TT: Go out there and make a podcast! Everyone has a unique skill or niche interest that people would love to hear about. For me, that's finding lost stories. Getting started is the hardest thing to do, but all learning comes from creating.

SO: The most unforgettable moment in putting the show together?

TT: Interviewing Uri Geller hands down. This psychic spoon bender has some extraordinary connections to the incident. On a whim, I reached out to him for an interview. No sooner than I had sent the email, the celebrity illusionist got back to me. I was soon on the phone talking about aliens, television intrusions, and UFO messiahs. We still chat on WhatsApp every now and then.

SO: Your YouTube channel hochelaga seems to revel in the mystery that exists in obscure narratives. What draws you to these types of stories?

TT: The philosophy of my channel, hochelaga, is to explore obscure topics that deserve more attention. Like the true story of how a pickle vendor became the king of a breakaway nation in central Asia.

On hochelaga, I also like to share a real passion of mine: the underrated topic of biblical mythology. I’m not religious myself, but am fascinated with subjects like “Why Bible Accurate Angels Are So Creepy” or "The Demon Doodles of 1565”. The channel is currently at 720,000 subscribers – it seems like my niche interests have found an audience.

SO: How did you land on hochelaga as the name for your YouTube channel?

TT: I get this one a lot, and for good reason: what is a hochelaga? It’s the name of a neighbourhood in Montréal, Canada which I visited a few years back. Truth be told, I just love the way ho-che-la-ga sounds to my ears. The name has an aura of mystery of it too – well suited for the kind of content I cover.

SO: What podcasts are you listening to these days?

TT: As you may be able to tell, I’m a big fan of the investigative series. I've just finished Hoaxed by Tortoise Media, which is all about an insane satanic conspiracy here in the UK.

I typically listen to podcasts when I’m editing my videos. Whether that be learning about history in You’re Dead To Me by BBC Radio 4, or something new about superheroes in The Weekly Planet by the Planet Broadcasting Network.

Tommie Trelawny can be found on Twitter and Instagram, as well as in the latest edition of Podcast Delivery.

📢 Interested in sponsoring Podcast Delivery? Book your ads today.