In this episode of You’ve Been Blacklisted, host Matt Black welcomes Jim Lewington (Orbits IT) and Michael “Mickey the Mortgage” Muir (PlanGuard Finance) into the Love Shack for five rounds of petty grievances, with Radio Ed chiming in. Films, quotes, nostalgia, modern-life nonsense and songs go head-to-head, one gets blacklisted each round, and the winner takes Blacklister of the Week (and the T-shirt).

Key Takeaways

The Game Plan: Five rounds — Films, Quotes, Nostalgia, Black Mirror Moments, and Songs. Matt judges; no appeals.

Round 1 – Films: Jim nominates Super Size Me (a “bleeding obvious” doc later surrounded by controversy). Michael nominates Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Jar Jar Binks, prequel regret).

Round 2 – Quotes: Michael nominates people saying “LOL” out loud. Jim nominates the word “super” (especially on LinkedIn: “super excited” = usually not).

Round 3 – Nostalgia: Jim targets wrestling (fake and baffling it still exists). Michael targets 70s kids’ TV presenters (nostalgia ruined by later scandals).

Round 4 – Black Mirror Moments: Michael nominates filmed “kindness” content (helping people for clicks). Jim nominates streaming services adding adverts (paying to avoid ads… again).

Round 5 – Songs: Jim nominates Coldplay – “Yellow” (the beginning of “bland, insipid” dominance). Michael nominates “God Save the King” being used as England’s anthem at sport.

Best Moments

“Small annoyances get treated like full blown crimes against humanity.” — Matt’s show thesis.

Jim’s LinkedIn rage: “Super excited” is the tell that you’re not excited at all.

Michael’s ethics grenade: “stop filming yourself being kind, just be kind.”

Streaming services: we escaped adverts, paid to avoid adverts… and now pay again to avoid them.

About the guest - Michael Muir

Michael “Mickey the Mortgage” Muir is a mortgage and insurance adviser at PlanGuard Finance, with 25 years’ experience helping people buy their first home, remortgage, and protect what matters. Known for straight-talking guidance and calm problem-solving, he supports clients through lender hurdles, paperwork and options so they can make confident decisions. Michael works with homeowners and buyers across the UK, aiming to secure the right deal, reduce costs where possible, and make the process feel clear and stress-free.

About the guest - Jim Lewington

Jim Lewington is the founder of Orbits IT, supporting businesses with reliable, no-nonsense IT services for teams of around 5 to 300 users. With 16 years’ experience, he helps organisations keep systems secure, stable and running smoothly, solving issues fast, simplifying tech, and removing headaches before they become disasters. Originally built in South Wales and now based in the Midlands, Jim is known for straight-talking advice, sharp humour and a practical approach that makes IT feel clear, not complicated.

About the host - Matt Black

Raised in sunny Shrewsbury, he moved to the Black Country in 1999, living in Cannock and now Walsall. Married, divorced and remarried, he has four children, making family life busy and joyful. Matt is a charity trustee and seasoned sales professional.

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