UFO Roundtable: 2025 in Review

About the show

Guest host George Knapp invited two groups of ufologists for an end-of-year panel about 2025's biggest disclosure events. In the first half, podcaster Andy McGrillen and filmmaker Jeremy Corbell provided detailed insights into the current state of UFO investigations, historical cases, whistleblower testimonies, and government responses. McGrillen, a Glasgow native, recounted his own sighting in the mid-1990s of a rapidly spinning, Ferris wheel-like object with bright lights, witnessed by multiple family members. This childhood experience ignited in him a lifelong passion for researching UFOs.

He discussed the slower pace of serious UFO coverage in the UK and Europe compared to the US, attributing this to media reluctance and governmental inertia. "The UK seems to be waiting on permission to be able to believe in this topic," McGrillen noted, contrasting this with the US, where congressional hearings and whistleblower testimonies have driven the conversation forward.

Corbell expanded on the theme of whistleblowers and government transparency. He highlighted four key individuals who came forward publicly in 2025: David Grusch, Matthew Brown, Dylan Borland, and Navy Senior Chief Alexander Wiggins. He remarked on the Navy's unprecedented support for Wiggins, who testified about tic tac-shaped UFOs emerging from the ocean off California. "The Navy [told him] it's okay to testify to Congress, we have your back. That was monumental," Corbell said. Addressing whether the government is reverse-engineering UFO technology, Corbell expressed skepticism. "We have not made significant progress due to the material science and the inability to replicate... the actual materials that these craft are made out of," he stated.

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In the second half, researchers Joe Murgia, Danny Silva, and Ryan Robbins highlighted the mixed signals from Congress regarding UFO investigations. Murgia noted the stagnation of the UAP Disclosure Act for the third consecutive year, yet he pointed to increased media coverage and new whistleblowers as hopeful signs. Robbins emphasized August 2025 as a pivotal month, citing statements from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines pledging to share the truth. NASA's interim administrator Sean Duffy also endorsed transparency, and Representative Anna Paulina Luna chaired congressional hearings. Robbins also mentioned John Koslowski, head of AARO, appearing on Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk show and acknowledging credible sightings such as black triangles and glowing orbs, signaling some seriousness within the current administration.

Silva, however, noted the public's overall confusion about a timeline for disclosure. "We have people in the Trump administration talking about the importance of the topic... and the Trump administration is doing nothing. It should make us all very angry," he asserted. The panelists stressed the importance of continuing hearings to maintain momentum and public awareness. They also praised the documentary The Age of Disclosure for showing national security figures acknowledging UFOs, despite the film also containing several factual inaccuracies.

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