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Ellen Melissa Roome

Ellen Melissa Roome

Aug 18, 2026

7:55
But we'll get into that in a little bit, but for those of our listeners who might not know your story inside out, please just kind of explain to us, I suppose, just exactly what happened to Jules and why you've taken on this kind of role of campaigning, amazing campaigning mum for the past four years.
8:16
Oh, thank you for having me back on.
8:17
Yes, my son Jules died four years ago, and at the first inquest, there was no sign of any adverse mental health issues.
8:23
There was no sign of bullying offline, and I wasn't strong enough to challenge it.
8:27
We assumed that we would go to the inquest, and they would tell us what happened.
8:31
We left that inquest, which actually only lasted 23 minutes, with us walking out going, "Oh, the coroner had ruled he wasn't sure that Jules was in a suicidal mood," so it's just a narrative of how he ended his life.
8:43
And I wasn't strong enough at the time to fight it, but I then discovered, well, thinking, "Well, what happened online?" It's the only area we didn't look at.

12 MINS LATER

20:32
Of course, yeah.
29:56
Pressure.
29:56
Yeah.
29:57
So I did a, it was actually my birthday, so it was, it was the 21st of May, so it was nine days before it finished on the 30th, and I did a little, uh, post that said, "Please, for my one birthday wish, ple- please will you s- sign my petition?" And it went viral.
30:11
I met this lovely lady, Grace, who made these videos for me, um, just me talking to camera with- What happened to Jules and saying, "Please could you sign it?" And it was going crazy.
30:20
It was just like everybody was signing it, sharing it, and, um, and then actually on the 30th, um, uh, we actually finished on 126,033 signatures.

14 MINS LATER

44:29
But thankfully Harry's there, so that's good.
44:31
So, and then when, uh, we were ready to serve, we had to serve the papers on TikTok because of the lawsuit in America and the coroner, and Harry said, "Like we need a solicitor to do that." And I was like, "Oh, okay.
44:41
Right." Because the barrister can't serve the paperwork.
20:22
Would you mind telling us a bit about Jules and what happened with Jules, especially for those listeners listening to this who might not fully be aware of the story and what happened?
20:33
So my son Jules was the most amazing 14-year-old boy.
20:37
I'm not with his dad, but we were still best of friends.
20:42
We split up when Jules was three.
20:43
We did lots together.
20:44
People have seen pictures of all three of us online together.
20:47
We did birthdays together.

15 MINS LATER

35:43
Did you feel like he had developed sort of addictive tendencies or behaviour around it?
119:51
As you get to Parliament and as you listen to the debate, what will you specifically be listening out for?
119:57
I think we need to make sure how this is gonna happen.
119:59
How is this le- re- uh, legislation gonna come into effect? When is it gonna come into effect? And then things like, uh, they're talking, or it's been reported in the press that, um, highly effective age controls need to be in place, what sites it's going to, uh, affect, and then looking at not just naming the sites, but looking at the harmful cri-- uh, features, so making sure that algorithmic data being fed to children is removed, uh, stranger contact is, uh, uh, again, blocked.
120:25
But, uh, we'll be waiting to hear what Liz says this afternoon, Liz Kendall, to see, uh, how we take that forward.
120:38
Are you a little concerned about the timing there, Ellen?
120:41
Um, it's actually not too bad.
120:42
Considering the, the rate at which a government usually proceeds in this country, i-it's actually, uh, it doesn't seem that bad.
120:49
Um, so what, uh, is concerning, uh, Beeb and Kidroom was talking earlier that would there be another consultation once we've had the legislation passed, and then is it sort of kicking it down the road further on.
33:43
Did they give an indication of how many weeks and an indication of why it seems to be taking so long, Ellen?
33:48
No.
33:48
I asked the minister actually, um, I think about four times.
33:51
I said, "Why have we not done something sooner?" And, uh, they went on about the consultation that's needed, I, which I think is a complete delay.
34:00
Um, but apparently w-we got the, the standard line that it'll be weeks that, before something happens.
34:04
But, you know, we've heard this talk before, so are they actually gonna step up and do something, you know, decisive and action? Uh, we'll have to wait and see.
34:54
If I were to ask you to give the sort of general mood of the whole group, how would you define it, Ellen?
35:01
I have to say, when we come together, we pull together as a very supportive bunch.
22:27
How does it impact you in your case?
22:29
So I reached out to the Social Media Victims Law Center last year.
22:33
I saw actually a wonderful lawyer, Laura Marquez Garrett, being interviewed.
22:38
And I just thought, oh my gosh, she's amazing.
22:40
And I reached out to her and said, can you help me? You know, I'm stuck.
22:43
I just can't get the information.
22:45
And then we had an hour and a half conversation.
24:41
How would the changes that you're asking for, that you're saying we desperately need this as parents who have either lost children or had children impacted by your product change?

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