Do you Know the Enemy: Who Exactly Is Steven Bartlett?

 

“Don’t be blinded by the lies” – Billie Joe Armstrong

Let's take a brief stroll down memory lane, shall we? Some of this will be painful, but given the recent announcement on September 15 that Steven Bartlett will conduct an upcoming interview with Louis Tomlinson, here's a reminder of who Louis will be dealing with and how Bartlett's platform has been used before to establish narratives for a member of One Direction.

Let's start from the beginning. Narnia was curious when Louis was sat next to Steven Bartlett in the Old Trafford locker room during Soccer Aid this past summer. That curiosity turned to concern when, on June 19, 2025, four whole days after the event, a delayed comment from Bartlett appeared from out of nowhere,  "Great catching up with you mate Louis Tomlinson."  Followed by a friendly 'bro' fist bump emoji (we guess to show mutual respect/approval) and a red-heart emoji. Really???

Red Heart – Love, passion, deep affection.

Mate? Are we joking? Then, to keep the bestie vibe messaging going, this belated post appeared on July 6, from a "One Direction" account:

Louis catching up with his teammate Steve Bartlett

Okaaaay? 

Now, just two months later, Bartlett announces an upcoming interview with One Direction "Legend", Louis Tomlinson. Remember, Louis wants us to ask questions, and that's exactly what Narnia is doing.

Don't forget that Bartlett showed up unexpectedly with the same Diary of a CEO format on June 6, 2021 to "interview" Liam Payne about his "demons". This was the interview that established the narrative which was to transform Liam's media image with the public as well as parts of the 1D fandom forever. The pivotal exchange where we "learned" about Liam's longstanding bouts with depression. His addiction to alcohol. His failed relationships. How he experienced suicidal ideation. In other words, we were told what we needed to know to set the stage for what we were going to see for the next three and one-half years. 

Since spoon feeding was the main objective to lay a credible foundation for what was to come, TPTB heaped their plot points at the One Direction fandom as if they were shoveling coal into a blast furnace. To address questioning fans who might wonder where all this angst was coming from, Liam made sure to add that he was great at hiding his struggles. [Hint: that's why the world never caught on before 2021.] Gotcha! A full transcript of the “interview” followed practically in real time, something Narnia had never seen before. Obviously done to make sure Liam's "words" would shoot through the fandom with lightening speed. Or, as it's called in media circles, strategic amplification.

This was the interview where Liam intentionally wore two strands of the infamous triple strand diamond necklace directly associated with Zayn. The item that was so well-known among Ziams that even the Daily Mail finally acknowledged, six days later, Zayn's "sweet" gesture, after he boldly wore a single strand to that very public "funeral" on November 20, 2024. A glaring attempt by the tabloid to downplay and obscure the real meaning behind Zayn's message of solidarity and love. Just a bro diamond necklace shared between mates. Nothing to see here. /snark

Daily Mail, November 26, 2024

And don't forget how Liam also communicated what was really happening to him in that Bartlett interview with the word "Frame" displayed on his t-shirt.

November 20, 2024

Slang for frame (informal):  to incriminate (an innocent person) through the use of false evidence, information, etc.

Zayn wearing matching diamond necklace strand, 2023 magazine shoot

After that damaging podcast interview, Bartlett made sure to hang out with Liam as if he was his best buddy. Which is how he was portrayed from that moment on. Seeee? I didn't ambush Liam. We are besties. Nothing sinister is going on here.

Out on the town, 6.12.21

Bartlett and Liam 6.13.21, UEFA European Championship

Just bros hanging out two times within a week after the podcast heard round the world. Oh, and let's not forget either, that Bartlett was essential to establishing another narrative at the time. Liam the entrepreneur and NFT promoter. Music? What's that? 

Just three days after the Bartlett podcast:

We also know there is a Simon Cowell connection because, once again, from out of nowhere, Bartlett suddenly "interviews" Cowell on 6.10.24. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Simon Cowell knows that when he goes on the record, he usually wants to sell a certain narrative or position himself for some other self-dealing benefit. This was the infamous interview where Cowell, besides trying to humanize himself, (good luck with that!) states that the only regret he has regarding One Direction is that he didn't own the band name. 

It's also the moment in which he suddenly reverses course after years of saying otherwise, that he doesn't think the group will ever get together again. Adding for the record that the members of the group owned the rights to One Direction, which means any of the four could prevent future use or collaborations with the group. Uh-huh. Considering this man's reputation for iron clad contracts and the long-term exploitation of others, Narnia finds it hard to believe that a 51-year-old music mogul let a group of teenagers hoodwink him. He knew the value of that name if the band were to hit it big, and would have made sure he would be the one to exploit that stream of revenue. That he would be the one to retain control.

Like someone on twitter commented at the time, Cowell's "regretful" disclosure in such a public format seemed peculiar:

Let's just say, one wonders if the reason One Direction has never reunited is because they weren't allowed to.  Moreover, the fact that Bartlett's former manager was hired just a few months after his interview with Cowell is probably just a coinkydink as well. That's right. Lauren Clark is now a director in YMU's Global Entertainment Division. The music industry's own version of a spoils system at work.

Narnia will conclude here even though there is plenty of additional evidence about the sabotage that followed Liam in the wake of that June 2021 Bartlett interview. That target on Louis' back that we spoke about in our previous post, is real and Steven Bartlett is no innocent bystander. 

Sources: Instagram, Facebook, Deadline, CapitalFM, Twitter, Tumblr, Daily Mail, The Perfect Magazine, Diary of a CEO, World Tomlinson, Diary of a CEO, Soccer Aid.

Our Playlist:  Do You Know the Enemy - Green Day

                       Instant Karma - John Lennon

                       I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

An Evening With the Elegant Liam Payne: Sometimes The Boy Really Does See a Wolf

 

The risk of calling a photo "photo shopped" or an incident a "stunt" can possibly backfire simply by using the claim too often.  The effectiveness becomes reduced and the term used as a counter argument.  

Then again, when it comes to photos involving closeted couples, photo shop and video manipulations have become so common place, that sometimes one has to simply lay it on the line and say, "It is what it is, I'm sorry!". 

Yesterday, June 8, new photos appeared of Liam Payne arriving at a 60th anniversary for a place called Annabel's, an exclusive private club in London, UK.  He looked terrific in a pin-stripe suit, sporting a new cross tattoo on his neck and a Zayn Malik-like wayward lock of hair over his right temple (nice shout out to your guy, Liam!).  

One note on Annabel's, which requires a 1750£ GBP annual membership, plus 450£ initial joining fee.  This is now the second time, we are seeing Liam attending an exclusive club, no doubt because he could gain some privacy there. More on the two clubs later in the post.

And more shout out's to his guy, Zayn, with this one being even louder.  During promo for Soccer Aid (huge thanks to the fans who locate the labels, designers, etc. on these guys' wardrobes and share their findings! 💝):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her tweet explains it all - the shared denominator of Batman and, of course, the colors of red and yellow, which represent their mic colors.  A wonderfully blatant tip of the hat.  Because of the exclusivity of the club and Liam arriving alone, Narnia would bet money it was Zayn he was going to meet up with inside.

Wake up this morning however, and why should this not surprise?   The previous beard suddenly appears from out of nowhere, allegedly at his side.   

The Daily Fail states the location as Annabel's in London, where an anniversary event was being held and we were told he was attending.  The Daily Fail’s post consisted of a handful of hinky looking photos.  From the Daily Fail alone, there are numerous inconsistencies in length of fingers and heights of involved parties, visible non-3D layering, and implausible extremity logistics.

 

Liam's fingers aren't even "holding" hers

 

Just how long is her index finger? What's going on with its fingernail?

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note:   Not to mention, isn't her thumb nail at an odd angle?   And his palm is laying ON hers.  There's no clasping going on there.  

 

logistically, the angle of her hand is nuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again with the layering.  His hand is just laid on top of hers, no clasping.  That's the photo shopping.

 

Where are her fingers?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do we have clasping here?  😀  Where are the rest of his fingers, though?  That is a mess going on with their hands.

Then there's the lack of engagement between the two. No conversation.  No laughing.  No anything.  The guest in the silver long dress is constantly in the photos, anyone know who she is?  A publicist?  Why would a publicist be third wheeling to a party?  Why is she in so many of the photos?

 

And the biggest inconsistency:

 

The Daily Fail says they were leaving Annabel's.

 

Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy confirmed their romance is back on, while leaving Annabel's 60th anniversary party hand-in-hand. - The Daily Fail

 

While Metro UK and Just Jared, using some of the same photos and with the same door-person in the background, are saying what?

"Liam and Kate were snapped at the Chiltern Firehouse in glamorous Marylebone on Thursday night" - Metro UK

 

Just Jared says they were arriving:

"The 29-year-old “Strip That Down” singer and the 24-year-old Instagram influencer kept close as they arrived at The Chiltern Firehouse on Thursday night (June 8) in London, England." - Just Jared

Aaaaah.  "Arrived".   "At"  "Leaving".

This is one of the photos from the Metro UK website, which stated Liam and the beard were leaving The Chiltern Firehouse, located at 1 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London, England.  Note the door-person on the left.

Metro UK, "The Chiltern Firehouse"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is one of the photos from the Daily Fail, who said their photos were taken at Annabel's, a completely different club.  It's located at 45 Berkeley Square, London.   The same door-person is on the left.

 

The Daily Mail, "Annabel's"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh wait, the two photos look the same, don't they?  That's because they are the same photo.  It's just that they're posted on two different web sites.  With two different locations. 

These two claimed locations are not the same.  There is 1.3 miles between them.

 

 

Hmmmm.  Does the door-person have a twin???

 

More like, somebody's lying.  If the photos are supposed to be true, why is there lying about the location?  

Why is there photo shopping?

Even if Sony gained the beard entrance into either private club (which they could do, absolutely), the same club where Liam was, why do you have to photo shop her with him?

 

Also important:  The photos of Liam arriving at Annabel's were released on June 8.  Not until the next day, June 9, were the photos allegedly with the beard released on The Daily Fail, Metro UK, People, Just Jared, et al.

 

Why the delay?  

We've seen this done before.  That's because Mgmnt needed photos of Liam so that the photo edits could be done.  That does take some time.  We should have had the photos with the beard the same time as Liam's initially appeared, which was Thursday the 8th. 

Just like other management teams and record labels do with their artists, Sony has also shown, time after time, how much they love to deflate and demoralize the One Direction fandom.   Especially, right before a prominent public appearance like Soccer Aid practice today, on Saturday. And particularly after one of the two couples in the group does a shout out to their significant other. Red and yellow. Batman signal, anyone? Even though there is obvious evidence that there are many more freedoms for the group in 2023, there are still undeniable signs that all five (5) band members are still not free.  

And, as long as that is the case, this kind of water balloon dropping is going to happen. Simply remember that these guys are survivors and, in many ways, warriors. The light at the end of the tunnel is visible. There is a masterplan. 

pic sources:  The Daily Fail, Metro UK, Just Jared, Giphy, GetYarn, GoogleMaps

our playlist:  Will the Wolf Survive - Los Lobos

                      Closer to Free - BoDeans

                      Breaking Free - from High School Musical, Drew Seeley & Vanessa Hudgens

                      Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie