As UFO sightings spike, Johnny Vaughan says the truth is out there

A US warplane takes down a UFO off Alaska. The next day, Canadian and US planes are scrambled to destroy another just over the border in the Yukon Territory. The day after, another mysterious object appears over Montana, and is also shot down. Meanwhile, Chinese state media says they too have detected an unidentified flying object in their airspace. Understandably, these events – all of which happened over the course of last weekend – had many asking if we were being visited by aliens.

About half of the UK population believe aliens exist, according to a recent YouGov study, with 22 per cent saying they think extra-terrestrials have already visited Earth. Yet, if someone says they’ve actually seen a UFO, they’re most likely met with derision. Even more so if they say they’ve met a little green man. That’s the attitude the TV and radio presenter Johnny Vaughan – a man who coincidentally used to star in The Big Breakfast alongside ‘aliens’ Zig and Zag – wants to change.

In his new podcast Alien Kidnap Club, Vaughan listens to the real stories of people who have seen something they can’t explain – something they think is genuinely not of this world. He says it was his own “spooky” experience that opened his mind.

The Big Issue: I understand that you’ve actually seen a UFO yourself. Is that right?

Johnny Vaughan: Yes. Me and two friends, we saw something phenomenal. The fourth friend was asleep, and he’s still gutted to this day. I’d love to talk to you about, but it’s a real spoiler for the podcast. I can says it’s a really good story. I get my friend, who was also in the car then and I haven’t seen for years, to join in on the chat. I hadn’t primed him, because we never talked about it, because it’s quite spooky. I think you’ll find it a really interesting story. Because it is, and it’s absolutely true.

If we don’t want to be too spoilery, maybe you can tell me about the effect your UFO sighting had on you…

It made me think about the alien paradox. If you say to most people, do you believe there’s alien life? They’ll say yes. If they say yes, without any reason or proof, we think they’re sane. If they say yes, because they believe they have proof or they’ve actually witnessed something firsthand, we think they might be slightly crazy. Which is really odd.

Did your experience make you think that maybe those people aren’t crazy?

I tell you what: I know I’m not making it up. Neither are my friends. There could be a rational explanation other than extra-terrestrials – I’m yet to hear it or see it. And I’ve researched it. So, I’m more inclined to listen to people. We assume anyone who says they’ve seen anything alien must be a liar. Alien Kidnap Club talks to people who’ve had very experiences of otherworldly phenomenon and it gives them a platform where I don’t just say, ‘come on, who are you trying to kid?’ I pull up my interviewees and ask some questions, but I don’t just pull them apart. I assume they’re not liars. That’s my starting point.

Were there particular stories you came across in Alien Kidnap Club that really captivated you?

All of them are really compelling because they all talk about things that I’ve never experienced or seen, with the same sort of zeal as I talk about the experience I had. They’re out of this world, including people literally being taken into craft and seeing colours that they can’t describe to me, because they’re brand-new colours. They’re seeing brand-new shapes. It’s outside the physics of our world.

I hope this podcast will result in even more people coming forward to tell us what they’ve experienced because these are real stories. Some have encountered them a few times, some just once or twice, some are in regular contact with something. It’s compelling listening, it really is. 

As a public figure, do you feel any sense of worry about coming forward to talk about seeing a UFO? Do you worry people might think ‘Johnny Vaughan’s gone mad’?

No, because I come forward with an open mind. I’ve seen something really extraordinary. I had two friends that are with me and the three of us are able to talk about it. Hopefully other people will get a bit of strength from the fact that, ‘hey, I’m no longer treated like a crazed loner here’.

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If you did meet an alien, what message would you give them from humanity?

Buy The Big Issue. Say they arrive here in London. I’d say, if you really want to learn about us, look around you. Look at all these buildings. Look how much money there is here. And I’d say look at that man, selling that magazine. That’s because, would you believe, there are homeless people here, and he’s selling that magazine to try and help himself. And yet, people just walk past. That explains humanity. That’s pretty well all you need to know about us. Please help us.

Johnny Vaughan’s Alien Kidnap Club is available to listen to on Global player and every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

@laurakaykelly