A Very British Cult (2023)

Lighthouse promises life coaching to help people realise their dreams. But an 18-month investigation by the BBC finds it takes over people's lives, separates people from their loved ones and harasses its critics. Set up in 2012 by businessman Paul Waugh, Lighthouse International Group claims to be different from most life coaching groups. Jeff Leigh-Jones had only been part of Lighthouse for a few months when his girlfriend Dawn noticed something strange was going on. Jeff no longer seemed himself. In November 2021, Dawn contacted the BBC. "We've had private investigator reports into Lighthouse," she says. But "you can only ever go so far". She was nervous. Lighthouse isn't an ordinary life coaching organisation, Dawn explained. "It's a cult."