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A BBC prima is accused of attempting to enlistee members to an organisation alleged to beryllium a "messianic cult".
Former Radio Derby presenter Pam Sidhu departed her regular evening slot successful November 2023 earlier the broadcaster launched an investigation into her ties to arguable radical EDUCO.
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Founded by Irish-born self-help guru and businessman Dr Tony Quinn successful the 1990s, the pseudo-religion has antecedently been accused of coercive power and brainwashing.
It reportedly charges thousands of pounds for mindfulness-style seminars astir the world, promising to reprogramme the caput similar a computer.
Attendees person antecedently claimed they were encouraged to remortgage their homes to spend the extortionate fees and that it targeted susceptible people.
Millionaire Dr Quinn antecedently said helium could cure crab done affirmative thinking, with immoderate erstwhile members saying they believed helium was Jesus Christ.
Introductory events person reportedly been held successful London arsenic precocious arsenic 2020.
In 2010, Dr Quinn was sued successful the Irish High Court for alleged intersexual assault, artillery and fraudulent misrepresentation - claims helium denied.
ALLEGATIONS
Referring to Sidhu, a root adjacent to the radical told The Sun: “I’ve been trying to rise concerns astir her for the past 2 years.
“Her and her hubby were the Manchester recruiting squad for EDUCO.”
The root said helium initially contacted aggregate radical astatine the BBC but was continually “fobbed off”.
Sidhu, who worked connected a freelance basis, made a one-off instrumentality to the broadcaster’s section web erstwhile she covered for different presenter successful August this twelvemonth connected BBC Radio Nottingham.
My parents joined a cult erstwhile I was 10 - it was years of manual labour and corporal punishment until I escaped
The root said: “That’s erstwhile I escalated the ailment to the BBC and got a gathering with bosses.”
The broadcaster carried retired owed diligence into her enactment with EDUCO and it's understood did not spot immoderate issue.
The Sun has seen grounds the BBC's safeguarding section was alerted but the interest was yet downgraded to its investigations team, earlier a gathering with the whistleblower was held successful September past year.
The BBC past told them via email that the lawsuit had been closed.
And portion we recognize the broadcaster has nary existent plans to enactment with Sidhu, it has not ruled retired doing truthful successful the future.
There is nary grounds she near her Radio Derby amusement owed to the allegations.
'VICTIM'
A erstwhile workfellow of Sidhu's - not from the BBC - has told the Sun she was recruited to EDUCO by the presenter aft they met successful 2018.
She described herself arsenic "very vulnerable" astatine the clip and implicit respective months was persuaded to be a £4,000 seminar successful the Bahamas successful February 2019 wherever she met Dr Quinn himself.
She said helium was described arsenic "the airy of the world" and it was made wide "the much radical that join, the more... radical volition awake".
"Now, erstwhile I deliberation astir it, aft getting treatment, it's each delusional stuff," she said.
Referring to Sidhu, the unfortunate said: "She made maine speech to my brothers and immoderate of my friends to join. She wanted maine to go a recruiter."
She went connected to say: "Every clip they had a meeting, they would ne'er telephone it EDUCO. They were precise cautious not to permission a trace.
"They specifically told america to not google Tony Quinn."
She continued: "I was precise delusional. I felt similar helium had thing to connection to the satellite and helium was special, due to the fact that helium was transferring this benignant of vigor onto different people."
The unfortunate said the radical utilized Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques and hypnotism, and she was encouraged to bash the adjacent level seminar, costing £20,000.
She would often be meetings successful London connected Sidhu's behalf, she claimed.
Describing the BBC presenter, she said: "She thinks that she's precise special, and she has this peculiar power, and her intuition is connected point."
But they person not spoken since 2022.
The unfortunate was progressive with the radical for astir 2 years, earlier she suffered a intelligence breakdown.
By that point, she had spent thousands connected products from the group, usually connected recognition cards arsenic good arsenic loans from her brother, and is presently homeless.
"That acquisition had a profound interaction connected my life," she explained.
She has since been diagnosed with schizoaffective and bipolar disorder.
She claimed EDUCO encouraged her to halt taking antidepressants and prevented her seeing a psychiatrist.
Every clip they had a meeting, they would ne'er telephone it EDUCO. They were precise cautious not to permission a trace.They specifically told america to not google Tony Quinn
EDUCO victim
Sidhu's spouse, Ranjeev Singh Sidhu, has EDUCO listed successful the acquisition conception of his LinkedIn profile.
In 2009, a grounds attributed to him was near connected the now-archived EDUCO Success website.
It said: “It would beryllium genuinely astonishing if 1 time each schoolhouse kid were taught the basics of EDUCO - it would springiness them the borderline successful their lives.”
Pam Sidhu’s X relationship describes her arsenic a “mindfulness teacher” and successful June 2020 she commented connected a video posted connected the EducoWorld Facebook page, saying: "Very inspirational."
On November 4 2023 she posted connected X announcing she would nary longer beryllium hosting the Radio Derby evening show.
She said: “It’s a wrap!! After 2 years of covering the evening amusement astatine @bbcderby past nighttime was my last evening show!
“From next week there’s a caller docket and the evening amusement volition present beryllium regional.
“It’s been a existent honour and privilege to item section endowment and springiness section radical a voice.”
She is presently a presenter connected Sabras Radio.
The Sun has approached Pam Sidhu and Ranjeev Singh Sidhu for comment.
The BBC did not privation to comment.
Cult adept Richard Turner who runs To Think Again, a therapy work for victims, has raised concerns astir EDUCO.
He said: "If you hunt for EDUCO online the word ‘cult’ comes up repeatedly and truthful determination is simply a immense reddish emblem waving successful the sky.
"There seems to beryllium claims that Tony Quin is simply a God-like quality (A communal diagnostic of a controlling group) who members worship and galore comments referencing fiscal exploitation, the radical causing intelligence suffering, making mendacious claims and promises and
fraudulent activity.
"If I knew idiosyncratic who was progressive with Educo I would
be earnestly acrophobic for their wellbeing."
I was trapped successful a cult & forced to springiness each my wealth to leaders
A VICTIM of different cult spoke to The Sun astir his experiences with the Hope City Church.
Richard Turner was a unfortunate of Hope City Church - a cult that "brain-washed" members to manus implicit each their wealth .
He was moving for a modern slavery enactment foundation astatine the clip that had links to the ominous Hope City Church radical and was accidentally drawn in.
Richard said helium was successful a susceptible spot and easy latched onto the groups teachings.
The cult utilized the method "love bombing" wherever Richard was told however pleased they were helium had joined them.
However without specified "love" a members self-esteem is lowered without it, starring them to consciousness worthless without it.
Richard adjacent began to starve himself for weeks becoming sick successful a confused bid to consciousness person to God, earlier being humiliated by the leaders for being “too obsessive”, contempt that being their teachings.
At 1 signifier helium was dating a semipermanent subordinate who had been advised to chopped disconnected her ain mum - and the mates were adjacent assigned ‘accountability partners’ who reported backmost everything they did whilst together.
They weren’t allowed to ever buss and were forbidden from ever sleeping successful the aforesaid building.
Some members were tricked into giving truthful overmuch wealth they couldn't spend to wage for food.
One handed implicit £15,000.
It was Richard’s parents who yet saved him - helium moved location and stayed determination for weeks.
Despite having a abbreviated relapse, attending much sessions, helium was yet shunned by the radical aft raising concerns and was capable to yet escape.
Do you cognize more? Email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk
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