'She said I don't like having sex with you': Steven Bartlett branded now-fiancée Melanie Lopes 'emasculating' after she left him concerned he was 'bad in bed' with her cutting comment when they split in 2017

Steven Bartlett previously claimed his now-fiancee made him feel 'emasculated' when she told him she no longer liked having sex with him.

The Diary Of CEO podcaster, 33, recently came under fire over comments made on his podcast, where he has been strongly criticised for suggesting that society should 'intervene' with partnering up incel men with women.⁠

Speaking about his own sex life, Steven made cutting remarks following his 2017 split from Melanie, where he explained how she made him feel like he was 'bad in bed'.

Steven has since reunited with his wife-to-be Melanie Lopes, also 33, who he proposed to over Christmas during a holiday to Morocco.

The couple broke up shortly after the awkward exchange and he revealed he was shaken by the moment, which took place while they were lying in bed in Paris.

The original story was shared by Steven on a 2023 episode of his podcast, while discussing an early long-term relationship and sexual communication issues.

He recounted being in bed in Paris with his girlfriend early in their relationship when she told him something like, 'I don't like having sex with you.' 

He explained that he was in his mid-20s at the tim and didn't understand what she meant, which left him feeling 'emasculated.'

After the conversation, they broke up, and he later reflected on this as part of his own emotional and relational growth.

In a later conversation and with time apart, they both grew and learned more about sex, communication, and how past experiences affected her relationship with intimacy - suggesting that it wasn’t that she didn't want sex, but that she had blockages from previous experiences which they eventually worked through.

Steven's fiancee's identity was previously kept private, however the couple have since publicly revealed that they are an item.

Melanie, who is from Bordeaux, France, sells retreats to her 141,000 Instagram followers and speaks three different languages. At the retreats she runs workshops focused on 'breath work'.

Speaking about the reason why they got back together, a source told the Sun: 'Melanie and Steven lead very different lives – he is very business-focused and has been accused of being problematic, while she is incredibly spiritual.

'They had a false start when they initially got together ten years ago, but Melanie – who was adamant it was over at one point – had a rather dramatic U-turn and they have made it work. Those close to her have questioned aspects of their relationship – in particular, where she aligns herself when it comes to some of his more polarising opinions.

'But they can see why she is with him. She travels a lot, and being with Steven does afford her to do that. She's not stuck in one place and can really work on her passion projects.'

The entrepreneur launched the podcast in 2017 and has gone on to interview an array of business moguls, academics and celebrities, with the episodes said to reach three million daily listeners and viewers.

However, one episode has gone viral for all the wrong reasons, with Steven strongly criticised for suggesting that society should 'intervene' with partnering up incel men with women.⁠

During a discussion with psychologist Dr Alok Kanojia⁠, the pair discuss the male loneliness epidemic, mentioning that incels - involuntary celibate men - will go extinct if they're unable to find a partner and reproduce. 

He said: 'We're going to have a lot of men who are disillusioned that become incels, find themselves in pockets of the internet, are resentful. All those kinds of things. 

'Should society intervene to course correct that put systems in place to make sure that those men meet partners?'

It's the latest in a series of missteps, alleged half-truths and controversies that have plagued the host since he shot to fame in early 2022 as the youngest Dragon investor, including claims from an ex-colleague who complains of 'dishonesty' at the heart of his empire, which you can read more about here. 

Content creator Shabaz Ali has garnered celeb support after he offered his take on the podcast as a whole, joking it should be renamed 'Therapy for Men, sponsored by Women Ruin Society'.

Shabaz mused: 'This podcast used to be about like business, mindset, trauma, essentially let's heal together and get rich responsibly.

'However, there seems to be this shift where it's become blame women for men's problems.'

Referring to Steven's comments about supporting incels, Shabaz said: 'Men's loneliness is real, men's mental health is real.

'But what is also real is when a podcast starts to give Manosphere ideas a ring light and a hug... just because you say it calmly and softly and have this nice background does not make the conversation crazy.

'So you get a guest coming on going, "Modern feminism is the reason why birth rates are falling, or dating is broken because women have got standards now."

'It comes with, "wow, that's so powerful, tell me more". No pushback, no what's your evidence, no is that actually true?

'This is why a lot of people have called him like a Trojan horse, right, because it isn't the same as Andrew Tate standing up there shouting and screaming. This has got a therapy vibe to it.' 

Shabaz went on to claim the podcast was 'not balanced or neutral' and was instead 'serving up the same narrative over and over'.

He concluded: 'I'm not saying that his guests can't have opinions, it's just the challenging is not done. The constantly platforming the same conversation is not doing any favours to anyone, especially women.' 

A spokesman for Diary Of A CEO told Daily Mail: 'The Diary Of A CEO is a long-form, conversational podcast designed to explore the perspectives and experiences of its guests in their own words. 

'Inviting a guest is an act of inquiry, not endorsement. Steven Bartlett does not adopt the opinions of his guests, nor is the format intended to pass judgment on personal viewpoints. 

'To suggest that a host is responsible for every view expressed by a guest is a fundamental misunderstanding of the long-form interview format.' 

Regarding suggestions that the podcast is part of the Right-wing manosphere, they added: 'DOAC features guests from across the entire political and cultural spectrum. In recent months alone, guests have included Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and a yet to be published conversation with Zohran Mamdani. 

'The podcast’s archive is a matter of public record and disproves this claim instantly.'

Shabaz was flooded with support from his celebrity followers, including Oti Mabuse, who admitted she was once a fan of the podcast. 

'He’s so disappointing in many ways,' she commented. 'I used to love it so much.' 

Vicky Pattison penned: 'Insightful, powerful and beautifully articulated.... he's really disappointing,' while Ulrika Jonsson added: 'Amen.'

Ferne McCann voiced her support with clapping emojis, while BBC radio DJ Sara Cox posted a praising hands emoji and The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton commented: 'Haha love this'. 

Radio 1's Greg James penned: 'It’s been hurtling towards this dangerous s***e for ages. 

'What’s everyone’s favourite episode? Mine is the one where an "expert" claimed autism could be reversed through diet. Oh and the one that said Covid was an engineered weapon. Neither claim was challenged. Great stuff. 

'I’ll be raising a refreshing glass of Huel to him this evening.'

A spokesman for the podcast previously told The Mail on Sunday that 'Steven Bartlett does not adopt the opinions of his guests, nor is the format intended to pass judgment on personal viewpoints'. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Steven's representatives for comment. 

Yet this isn't the first time Steven has been accused of sharing harmful information. 

In 2024, Steven was condemned by top health experts for sharing harmful health information on his podcast that could put cancer patients at risk. 

Guests on the podcast claimed cancer can be treated by following a keto diet, and that the Covid vaccine was a 'net negative for society'. 

Experts slammed the star for failing to question these disproven claims, and creating a distrust of conventional medicine as a result.

A BBC World Service investigation also looked into the accuracy of health information featured on Diary of A CEO. 

The broadcaster analysed 23 health-related podcast episodes and found 15 contained an average of 14 harmful claims that went against scientific evidence. 

The misinformation was allowed with 'little to no challenge' by the entrepreneur.