Caolan Robertson
Caolan Robertson | |
|---|---|
Robertson in 2025 | |
| Born | 1996 (age 29–30) Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Occupations | Journalist, documentary maker, activist |
| Awards | Order of Merit, 3rd class (2026) [1] |
Caolan Robertson (/keɪlən/, born ~1996) is an Irish-born journalist and influencer. He is a co-founder of Future Freedom[2] and was a director at BylineTV as of 2021.[3] He has been reporting from Ukraine since 2022,[4] and as of mid-November 2025 describes himself as a full-time journalist based in Ukraine with dozens of videos on YouTube.[5] He has reportedly won 12 awards for his documentaries.[4]
On June 6, 2026, Robertson was awarded Ukraine's Order of Merit, 3rd Class from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [6][1]
Early life
Robertson was born in Ireland and is from Kilkenny,[4] but moved to the United Kingdom[3] with his father when he was 13.[3] Robertson says he realized he was gay from a very young age.[7]
Work in politics
According to Robertson, he was involved with far-right politics for "around three years", having been drawn into it by the anti-gay sentiment he encountered among conservative Muslims in London and the targeting of the gay community in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. 49 people were killed in the attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a shooter who had sworn allegiance to the "caliph" of the Islamic State. Searching the internet for information about the shooting, Robertson found results from far-right news sources and activists. "As soon as you watch a few of them, you get recommended many, many more and I really started going down an online-specific rabbit hole."[3]
He graduated from being an online supporter to making videos for right-wing activists like Tommy Robinson, Lauren Southern and Alex Jones,[3] and being a correspondent for the far-right Rebel Media.[8] He explains his popularity with the movement in part by his having a clean record. "Normally people that make content like this have a dark history or have been involved in violence, whereas I had none of that".[8]
By early 2019, Robertson said he had grown disillusioned with working with the far-right,[9] and in an interview, portrayed himself as having abandoned the ideology.[10] The Christchurch mosque shootings by a white supremacist in March was "the final straw".[8]
He says he spent 2019 to 2020 mentally recovering from leaving what he described as "a cult", and as of 2021 claimed he was "exposing the far-right, exposing disinformation",[3] including how misleading extremist videos can attract millions of views.[7]
Documentary topics
Ukraine
During an interview with The Bulwark, Robertson said that when the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began, he visited the country and made a documentary about the war. He was so affected by the experience that upon returning to the United Kingdom, he found he "couldn't go back to doing what he had been doing". He moved to Ukraine in mid-2024, where he lives and works full-time.[11] Robertson received an Honorary Ambassador Award for Digital Diplomacy in 2025 by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.[12]
As a result of his work in Ukraine and his entry into Ukrainian-occupied Russian territory (Sudzha), the Russian government has sanctioned him and issued an international warrant for his arrest.[11]
Syria
In January 2025 Robertson travelled with Audrey MacAlpine[13] to Syria after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad to document the use of chemical weapons[14]
Davos 2026
In January 2026, Robertson travelled to Davos for the 56th World Economic Forum, where he presented a screening of "Farmers of Kherson" to Ukraine House Davos.[15]
Hungary 2026
In April 2026, Robertson travelled to Hungary to report on the 2026 parliamentary elections, covering topics that included the election campaign atmosphere, Hungary–Russia relations, corruption allegations, and assumptions of misuse of European Union funds.[16][17]
Venice Biennale 2026
In May 2026, Robertson confronted Russian ambassador Alexey Paramonov, at the Russian pavilion, highlighting the disparity between Russia's "cultural" display and its ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.[18]
Ireland
In June 2026, Robertson questioned Irish politicians over their position on the Aughinish Alumina plant in County Limerick,[19] following an OCCRP investigation finding it supplies alumina to sanctioned entities in Russia.[20][21][22]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Farmlands | Producer |
| 2019 | You can't watch this | Producer |
| 2019 | Borderless | Co-producer |
| 2020 | Russian Social Media Explained | Producer |
| 2023 | Under Deadly Skies: Ukraine's Eastern Front[23] | Producer |
| 2024 | Hunted in Kherson[24] | Director |
| 2025 | Shocking Discovery In Syria (with Audrey MacAlpine)[25] | Producer |
| 2024 | The Battle for Kyiv[26] | Producer |
| 2025 | Farmers of Kherson[27] | Producer |
| 2025 | The Battle of Donbas | Producer |
| 2025 | Europe's Digging a New Frontline | Producer |
| 2026 | The Shadow Fleet | Producer |
Notable interviews
In June 2025, he had an interview with Fidias Panayiotou.[28]
In March 2026, he interviewed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[29]
References
- ^ a b "Irish reporter awarded Order of Merit by Ukraine". RTÉ News. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ^ Franco, Aaron (23 February 2021). "'You are not alone': Former far-right activists launch project to fight online radicalization". NBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Irishman who escaped the far-right says it was like 'leaving a cult'". newstalk.com. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Stuart, Angela Doyle (8 September 2025). "Kilkenny journalist who escaped far-right says it was 'like a cult' and very toxic". Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Caolan Robertson. YouTube. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "President awarded state awards to 37 Ukrainian and foreign journalists". President of Ukraine — Official website. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ^ a b Metz, Cade (19 April 2021). "An Irish former alt-right YouTuber explains his methods". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Philpot, Robert (8 April 2021). "Far-right poster boy fighting fake news". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ Metz, Cade (15 April 2021). "Feeding Hate With Video: A Former Alt-Right YouTuber Explains His Methods". New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ Childs, Simon (22 January 2019). "Far-Right Provocateurs Don't Deserve the Redemption They're Being Offered". Vice Media. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ a b Miller, Tim; Robertson, Caolan. Death and Destruction in Ukraine After Trump Betrayal (Interview of Caolan Robertson by Tim Miller]. The Bulwark. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/samit-pershih-ledi-ta-dzhentlmeniv-stvorenij-z-iniciativi-ol-102169
- ^ "Audrey MacAlpine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ "How One Breakfast in Moscow Helped Russia Cover Up Its War Crimes in Syria". UNITED24 Media. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ "From Govtech to Education to Energy: A Deep Dive into Ukraine's Opportunities. Day 3 at Ukraine House Davos 2026 - Ukraine House Davos". www.ukrainehousedavos.com. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ^ "Video: The Irish YouTuber wanted to shoot on the way up, the police showed up after 5 minutes". HVG (in Hungarian). 11 April 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ^ Dalia, László (11 April 2026). "Felcsúton rendőrök fogadták az ír stábot". MIXON (in Hungarian). Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ^ "Biennale, Pussy Riot accusano l'ospite della Russia: «Ha portato via l'opera contro la guerra»". www.ilgazzettino.it (in Italian). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ^ Gallagher, Conor (5 June 2026). "Ukraine joins those questioning Irish exports of alumina to Russia". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ^ Moskowitz, Eli; Gagarin, Misha; Gercama, Ingrid; Gallagher, Conor (24 March 2026). "Inside the Supply Chain Funneling Irish Alumina to Russian Rockets". OCCRP. Archived from the original on 26 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ Cunningham, Paul (29 March 2026). "Irish produced alumina indirectly used in Russian war effort 'very worrying'". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ Goodley, Simon (24 March 2026). "Irish metals refinery is in supply chain that feeds Russian war machine, records suggest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 March 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ "Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ hazco.co.uk. "Hunted From Above". www.journeyman.tv. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ "How One Breakfast in Moscow Helped Russia Cover Up Its War Crimes in Syria". UNITED24 Media. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ McGee, Luke (13 April 2026). "'The Battle for Kyiv' Captures a Desperate Time". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ^ "The Battle Tested Harvest: Screening of "The Farmer of Kherson" with Director Caolan Robertson House Davos 2026". www.ukrainehousedavos.com. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ^ "„Du bist ein Handlanger Russlands": Showdown zwischen zwei Youtube-Stars". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ^ Zavadska, Yuliia (11 March 2026). "Zelensky Says Russia Uses Major Sporting Events to Spread Disinformation". Kyiv Post.