The Coffin Confessor: Crashing Funerals and Exposing Truths from Beyond the Grave
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About this episode
From Troubled Past to Funeral Crasher: Meet Bill Edgar, Australia's Infamous Coffin Confessor
In this gripping episode, I sit down with Bill Edgar, a man whose life story reads like a Hollywood script. From his tumultuous childhood as the son of a notorious gangster to becoming Australia's most talked-about funeral crasher, Bill's journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
But what exactly is a Coffin Confessor? Imagine someone crashing a funeral to deliver messages from beyond the grave—that's Bill's job, and he does it with unwavering dedication.
Bill's past is a tapestry of hardship and resilience. A victim of horrific childhood sexual abuse, he's fought tirelessly against the institutions that failed him. This struggle has shaped his unique perspective on life, death, and everything in between.
As the Coffin Confessor, Bill gives voice to the deceased, ensuring their final words—whether loving or scathing—are heard. It's a role that requires a strong moral compass and the courage to face grieving families with potentially shocking revelations.
Remember: You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.
Take care,
Catherine
Show notes
Guest Bio
Australia's Infamous Coffin Confessor
Bill Edgar's story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to confront our past, speak our truth, and prepare for the inevitable. His work as the Coffin Confessor challenges us to think differently about death, encouraging open conversations and honest reflections on our lives and relationships.
Summary
Key Insights from Our Conversation:
- Bill's philosophy on death: "We're all going to die. It doesn't matter what you do, we're going. Nothing's going to stop it. It's coming."
- The importance of preparation: Bill emphasises the need to be ready for death, both emotionally and practically.
- Confronting uncomfortable truths: Bill's work often involves revealing secrets at funerals, challenging the notion that we should only speak well of the dead.
- Elder abuse awareness: Bill sheds light on the often-hidden issue of elder abuse in aged care facilities.
- Advocacy for abuse survivors: Through his Facebook page Lost Boy of TSS, Bill continues to support victims of institutional abuse.
- The Afterlife Delivery Service: A unique extension of his work, delivering messages and gifts from the deceased to their loved ones.
Transcript
1 00:00:02,580 --> 00:00:06,390 For me, sometimes I can be around a million people and 2 00:00:06,390 --> 00:00:07,950 still feel completely alone. 3 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:13,660 Not so long ago I was so empty and confused and you know, and I had 4 00:00:13,660 --> 00:00:17,325 everything I, my six grandchildren had, my wife, had my kids, had the farm. 5 00:00:18,174 --> 00:00:19,765 Got everything I wanted and needed. 6 00:00:20,085 --> 00:00:23,165 And then all of a sudden I'm like, why do I want to do this? 7 00:00:26,155 --> 00:00:29,415 Before ... Read More
1
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For me, sometimes I can be
around a million people and
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00:00:06,390 --> 00:00:07,950
still feel completely alone.
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00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:13,660
Not so long ago I was so empty and
confused and you know, and I had
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everything I, my six grandchildren had,
my wife, had my kids, had the farm.
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Got everything I wanted and needed.
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And then all of a sudden I'm
like, why do I want to do this?
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Before we begin, just a heads
up that today's episode includes
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discussions of sensitive topics
like sexual assault and suicide.
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If you choose to proceed,
please take care.
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And if you need any support, there
are resources in our show notes.
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Your wellbeing is important.
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So please feel free to pause
or skip any parts if needed.
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Welcome to Don't Be Caught Dead, a
podcast, encouraging open conversations
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about dying and the death of a loved one.
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I'm your host, Katherine Ashton,
founder of Critical Info.
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And I'm helping to bring your
stories of death back to life.
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Because while you may not be ready
to die, at least you can be prepared.
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Don't Be Caught Dead acknowledges
the lands of the Kulin Nations
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and recognises their connection
to land, sea and community.
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We pay our respects to their
elders, past, present and future.
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Present and emerging and extend
that respect to all Aboriginal and
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Torres Strait Islander and First
Nation peoples around the globe.
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Today we have Bill Edgar.
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Bill has been many things in his life.
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Son of one of Australia's
most notorious gangsters.
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Homeless street cred.
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Maximum security prisoner, hard man,
family man, car thief, professional
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punching bag, philosopher, inventor,
victim of horrific childhood sexual abuse,
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and an activist fighting to bring down
the institutions that let that happen.
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He's also been described as a successful
businessman, counsellor, author, and one
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of Australia's leading private detectives.
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However, he has become infamous
for being the coffin confessor.
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Thanks for being with us today, Bill.
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Oh, thank you for having me.
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And hi to all your listeners.
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Now, I actually think that's probably
the longest list of occupations I've
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ever written off for anyone of my guests.
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And what has been your favorite
role out of all of those to date?
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I'd have to be the latest
as the coffin confessor.
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I mean the PI works good, but, uh,
yeah, the coffin confessor would
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have to be the ultimate role for me.
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I think I was born to do it.
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And what does that
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involve?
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Well, it's basically rocking up to a
funeral, crashing it and exposing the love
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that my client had for all those that were
there or the hate that they had for them
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and telling those to fuck off basically.
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And how did this get started?
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Like did you start off a PI
and then move into this role?
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How is that progression?
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So I was working in the role
of a PI, I was investigating
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finances through a client.
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The client was on his deathbed.
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We got to talking about life, death
and the afterlife and everything
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in between, you know, as you do.
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And yeah, I, it was a joke.
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I just told him straight out as a joke.
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I said, look, I could always
crash your funeral for you.
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And he took me up on the offer.
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I didn't think he was, you know, I thought
he was going to do his own eulogy, but
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he did say that, you know, a lot of
people that he's been to funerals and
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the eulogy is not played that the family
view at first and now the disrespect
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or they just feel it's too confronting.
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So they don't play it.
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So he wanted something more and he got it.
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And tell me, the other roles that
we've mentioned, philosopher, inventor,
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activist, let's go philosopher.
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Tell me a bit about that one.
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That came about just because of,
I suppose, my life, my upbringing.
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Whenever I speak at, uh, events or one
on one with people, I will tend to have
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antidotes or, or, Abilities to help people
cross the line or overcome certain things.
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And I really don't know, you know,
that was something that Penguin Random
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House Australia put in and said,
look, you know, this guy is such a
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philosopher, he's such a great speaker
and the things he says, and he's
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probably lived five lives, you know,
and it was quite for me, it was like.
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I never realized myself that I was,
I was a philosopher or anything
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like that, to be honest with you.
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I really didn't until I really looked
into it and I thought, yeah, okay, I am.
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Yeah.
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Well, having read both of your books,
I can tell that you have a very unique
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outlook on life, obviously based
on your own personal experience.
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But what really strikes me when I read
your books and when I've heard you
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speak is your real strong moral code
that you have, like there is things
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you will do and that you will not do.
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Can you talk us through that sort
of, I suppose, morals that you
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have in relation to your role?
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Yeah, I think I, I've always.
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Always, always, always help my
integrity at the highest level.
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I won't sell myself short.
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I won't sell myself out
and I won't sell my soul.
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And it's just something
I've always, always done.
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I've always sort of been that type
of person that, you know, if I've.
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Stood up for myself, which I've done my
whole life, but stood up for other people.
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It's got to be for the right reason.
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It's got to be for, you know, the fight.
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I love the fight.
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I love standing up for people that
haven't got a voice or can't stand up.
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I love empowering people, but it's
got to be for the right reason.
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And I have a code and an ethics
and a, yeah, and it's a morality
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that I just need to, to have.
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I, I, I think it's just in me.
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It's nothing I've learnt or,
you know, been told to do.
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It's just something I've always thought,
you know, to do, the right thing.
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I mean, my wife has always
said that my whole life.
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You know, she said, never
do anything wrong, Bill.
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The world's so small, you know, and
I'd say, yeah, okay, dear, you know,
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and, and don't lie because you have to
remember a lie and it's terrible as you
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forget that lie, you know, yes, dear, you
know, so, and we brought each other up.
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I mean, we were 15 when we met, so, you
know, that's what, 40 odd years now.
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So.
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You know, it's just something that
has always stuck by me and I've
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always taught my children, you
know, don't lie, cheat or steal.
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They're the three things and I
guess I did those things when I was
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younger and I hated myself for it.
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So I guess, yeah, that's
got a lot to do with it.
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And when you.
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have spoken about what you will
accept and what you won't accept.
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Some of the things that come to my
mind, uh, you will only be engaged
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for your services by the deceased.
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No one else with an ulterior motive.
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What are some of the other
things that you won't accept?
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Well, yeah, that's probably the main
one is I'll only interrupt a funeral
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service on behalf of the deceased or
those that engage me before they pass.
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And that's, there's two reasons for that.
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One is, is that I can investigate
their claims a lot easier.
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So if someone comes to me on their
deathbed or even prior to, you know,
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they're not even going to die and
they say, look, you know, my wife's
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been screwing around with the neighbor
and I want her out at my funeral.
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And I'd be saying, well, look,
you know, that's your wife.
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How about we talk about
you and what you did.
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Leave that to her to expose herself.
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And if she doesn't, then she takes that
to the grave, but let's hear about you.
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So if your wife's been screwing around
behind your back, how did you feel?
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What did it, you know, instead
of outing her and the neighbor, I
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want to hear your story and then it
sort of evolves into what they've
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actually got, which is a really cool
thing because I'm not talking yet.
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about a third party.
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I'm talking about them, you know, and
whilst coffin crashing can sort of tend
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to, you know, be a revenge thing as well.
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Cause some people will go, Hey,
listen, you know, for instance, like
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the first one I ever did crashing
Graham's funeral, he said, look, my
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best mate's doing the eulogy, tell
him to sit down, shut up or fuck off.
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He's been trying to screw my wife.
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At first I thought to myself,
well, I'm going to out a guy
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in front of a heap of people.
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I need proof.
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I need something to actually
substantiate what I'm being told.
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And when Graeme allowed me to
put cameras in his home, within
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24 hours I had all the proof.
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So I was able to stand there
and tell this bloke to fuck off.
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Seriously, you've hurt this family.
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You weren't a friend.
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You can go.
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Half the crowd already knew
this guy was a mongrel.
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So it was good in that respect.
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So, you know, whereas if I was to work
for somebody that says, Oh, excuse
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me, can you crash my mother's funeral?
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You know, people need to
be told this is in this.
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I can't do that because
it's a third party.
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I need to speak to your mother.
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I'd have to have her engage me.
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I don't want to go off hearsay.
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I've always said this, you
know, the truth, you've got
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to, I walk a very fine line.
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You know, it's just one of those things.
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I can't be engaged by a third party.
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And you seem to be, and it may be
your private investigator hat that,
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that has helped you with this, but
you seem to be very clear in relation
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to that fine line when you walk.
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I recall in the, the book, that
story about where the person wanted
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something retrieved, I think from
underneath their fridge in their house.
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And you walked in there.
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And the house wasn't empty.
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No, that's right.
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I mean, no, obviously I understand that
it's the relatives and that the people
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there, you know, are there at the house.
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They shouldn't have been there.
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I was the only one that was
allowed to go to that home.
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I had the keys.
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I had all the entry notes.
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I had a video from the
actual owner of the home.
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I had the location of the
items that had to be retrieved.
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And yet when I get there, yeah,
there's family members rummaging
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through this person's life and
trying to find things that they
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knew he had, but they couldn't find.
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And.
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It was, it was a sad moment,
yet one of them tells me, uh,
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they're going to call the police.
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And I'm, I'm happy for
them to call the police.
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I mean, I've got proof.
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I haven't done a break in it.
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I'm not stealing.
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I'm actually retrieving something on
behalf of the owner of that property.
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So yeah, it can be
confronting in that way.
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And I find that's sort of what empowers
me more, the vultures in the family
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give me the ability to do what I do.
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Because in this particular
instance, that man was still
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alive at that point, wasn't he?
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Yeah, well, you know what, it's, yeah,
he, he was alive and, and the lady
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I sat with in, in the, uh, hospice
ward was alive when her son came in
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and tried to take the rings off her
finger while she's still in bed.
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I mean, it was, it was, it was
tragic, it was heartbreaking
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and obviously he didn't get far.
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But the point was, how many
times has this happened?
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I mean, it's just incredible.
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00:11:13,755 --> 00:11:20,655
And it's a topic that you obviously
quite a lot of, but in society,
207
00:11:20,675 --> 00:11:25,914
we're only really probably since the
aged care commission and, and we've
208
00:11:25,914 --> 00:11:32,495
really had a light shine on aged
care facilities and also elder abuse.
209
00:11:32,995 --> 00:11:33,375
Yeah.
210
00:11:33,395 --> 00:11:36,655
I mean, the elder abuse is
the most horrific and hidden.
211
00:11:36,785 --> 00:11:37,885
It was so hidden.
212
00:11:37,954 --> 00:11:41,295
I mean, it's only coming out
now, really what goes on.
213
00:11:41,465 --> 00:11:45,035
You know, I met a lady who runs
an aged care system that said
214
00:11:45,045 --> 00:11:47,215
that she arrived at work one day.
215
00:11:47,295 --> 00:11:50,255
There was an elderly gentleman
sitting out the front and his son
216
00:11:50,255 --> 00:11:51,305
had just dropped him off there.
217
00:11:51,885 --> 00:11:52,935
He wasn't booked in.
218
00:11:52,995 --> 00:11:54,405
He wasn't nowhere else to go.
219
00:11:54,625 --> 00:11:56,855
His son just said, look, dad,
you know, I've had enough.
220
00:11:57,055 --> 00:12:00,119
You can't live with it anymore and
just dropped him off at a nursing home.
221
00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,170
That's horrific.
222
00:12:02,219 --> 00:12:03,650
It's terrible what goes on.
223
00:12:03,699 --> 00:12:04,890
Absolutely horrific.
224
00:12:04,949 --> 00:12:09,430
And, you know, when I started looking
into the aged care systems and what
225
00:12:09,430 --> 00:12:14,890
goes on, the people that work there,
most part, are beautiful, caring people.
226
00:12:15,330 --> 00:12:16,290
But they're struggling.
227
00:12:16,389 --> 00:12:17,469
They have their own struggles.
228
00:12:17,469 --> 00:12:21,670
These people go home and they might
have arguments with their partners or,
229
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,815
you know, they've got other, Troubles
that they've got to deal with, yet
230
00:12:24,855 --> 00:12:27,535
they're coming in, they're putting
all their effort into caring for
231
00:12:27,535 --> 00:12:31,695
these elderly people that are being
neglected and abused by family members.
232
00:12:32,090 --> 00:12:35,030
Or family members are coming
to the centers and saying,
233
00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:36,590
Oh, we want to see Uncle Joe.
234
00:12:36,690 --> 00:12:38,440
And they go, We don't even know you.
235
00:12:38,450 --> 00:12:39,920
We haven't seen you in four years.
236
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,660
And Uncle Joe's been
lying here for four years.
237
00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,240
So why do you want to
come and see him now?
238
00:12:43,530 --> 00:12:45,319
You know, and they go, Well,
that's none of your business.
239
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:46,060
He's our uncle.
240
00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:46,820
We're going to see him.
241
00:12:47,145 --> 00:12:49,714
And they'll go in and they'll,
they'll manipulate him and get him
242
00:12:49,714 --> 00:12:52,964
to sign things and move him from
that care center to another one.
243
00:12:52,964 --> 00:12:54,645
And it's all for them, not for him.
244
00:12:54,765 --> 00:12:56,594
So yeah, it's horrid.
245
00:12:57,125 --> 00:13:02,285
And when you released your first
book, how long had you been practicing
246
00:13:02,285 --> 00:13:03,825
as the, the coffin confessor?
247
00:13:04,334 --> 00:13:05,405
Oh, two years.
248
00:13:06,125 --> 00:13:07,675
But then we had COVID for two years.
249
00:13:08,074 --> 00:13:09,944
So, there wasn't a lot going on there.
250
00:13:10,485 --> 00:13:12,975
So yeah, 2018 was the first crash.
251
00:13:13,055 --> 00:13:16,425
I think Penguin came to me in 2020.
252
00:13:16,515 --> 00:13:18,245
COVID was just on the verge.
253
00:13:18,624 --> 00:13:21,314
And so I started writing
the first book then.
254
00:13:22,295 --> 00:13:27,050
And, yeah, It, it sort of, it was just
crashing around, there wasn't a lot going
255
00:13:27,050 --> 00:13:30,720
on, you know, and then COVID, like I
say, two years, there's so many people
256
00:13:30,740 --> 00:13:35,049
that were intrigued about death during
COVID and were fearful and everybody
257
00:13:35,049 --> 00:13:38,939
was worried, yet I was sitting here
getting thousands of emails and it
258
00:13:38,939 --> 00:13:42,044
was just, it was touching to be able
to talk to all these people as well.
259
00:13:42,545 --> 00:13:46,345
And so to talk me through that time,
what was sort of people reaching
260
00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:48,395
out to you during that period?
261
00:13:48,905 --> 00:13:53,375
Well, the coffin confessor sort of
become a global phenomenon instantly.
262
00:13:53,375 --> 00:13:55,285
It was ridiculous how quick it took off.
263
00:13:55,405 --> 00:14:00,315
And I was getting emails for requests from
people that were not even close to death.
264
00:14:00,415 --> 00:14:04,085
They were just thinking about
what they needed to put in place.
265
00:14:04,525 --> 00:14:07,045
And I'd write back to them and
say, well, you know, these are my
266
00:14:07,045 --> 00:14:10,514
thoughts of what you should do, you
know, not just have a funeral plan.
267
00:14:10,524 --> 00:14:13,424
Cause some people would reach out and say,
yeah, I paid money for a funeral plan.
268
00:14:13,425 --> 00:14:16,764
And I say, yeah, but you know, you plan
what you're going to do on the weekend
269
00:14:17,024 --> 00:14:18,725
and you go and do that on the weekend.
270
00:14:18,925 --> 00:14:21,545
Have you told your wife how much your
lover or your husband, how much you
271
00:14:21,545 --> 00:14:25,155
love them or what they want every day,
because you may not come home that night.
272
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,170
And they're like, Oh no, and then
I'll say to them, what's at home?
273
00:14:29,170 --> 00:14:32,360
You don't want your family and friends
to find, and they go, Oh, nothing.
274
00:14:32,370 --> 00:14:33,810
And then they go, Oh shit.
275
00:14:34,099 --> 00:14:34,329
Yeah.
276
00:14:34,330 --> 00:14:36,209
There is a few things I
don't want them to find.
277
00:14:36,210 --> 00:14:37,609
You know, that's why you're at work.
278
00:14:37,929 --> 00:14:42,500
You could pass away and someone's going to
go through your shit, you know, and they,
279
00:14:42,540 --> 00:14:43,959
all of a sudden, you know, it's a problem.
280
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,190
They'd interact and we'd go back and
forth and then, you know, so it's a
281
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,610
multitude of people either thinking
about what they wanted or telling me
282
00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:55,140
stories about what they should have
done at their family's funerals, you
283
00:14:55,140 --> 00:14:58,550
know, loved one's funerals, you know,
by getting up and saying a few things
284
00:14:58,550 --> 00:15:02,909
because a lot of people said funerals
are for the living, not for the deceased.
285
00:15:02,910 --> 00:15:04,590
And I've always disagreed with that.
286
00:15:04,650 --> 00:15:06,340
I believe that it's for the deceased.
287
00:15:06,340 --> 00:15:07,950
You're there to celebrate the deceased.
288
00:15:07,950 --> 00:15:09,170
So let them have a say.
289
00:15:09,170 --> 00:15:11,640
And if it's through me,
it's still their say.
290
00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:12,610
I'm just the messenger.
291
00:15:13,170 --> 00:15:16,830
And tell me, what are some of those
things that people wish they'd said?
292
00:15:17,370 --> 00:15:21,850
Well, a lot of times I'd get emails from
people saying, look, you know, I'd be
293
00:15:21,850 --> 00:15:25,660
sitting there as one of the mourners and
I'd be hearing the eulogies and I'd be
294
00:15:25,660 --> 00:15:28,429
thinking, my grandfather wasn't like that.
295
00:15:28,950 --> 00:15:29,729
He was a prick.
296
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,710
He wasn't all lovey dovey and nice.
297
00:15:32,710 --> 00:15:33,580
He was a hard man.
298
00:15:33,590 --> 00:15:34,850
He was a prick of a man.
299
00:15:35,260 --> 00:15:36,699
And most of us know that.
300
00:15:36,730 --> 00:15:40,240
And I wish I had stood up and said,
excuse me, that's, you know, let's get
301
00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:41,720
all the fluffy stuff out of the way.
302
00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:42,420
That's crap.
303
00:15:42,550 --> 00:15:44,170
Let's talk about the real person.
304
00:15:44,690 --> 00:15:49,625
And that was, you know, The majority of
the emails I received is what people wish
305
00:15:49,625 --> 00:15:55,334
they had have said about the true person
and not just out of respect remain silent.
306
00:15:55,845 --> 00:15:59,145
And do you think it's the
funeral that's the catalyst?
307
00:16:01,095 --> 00:16:03,784
It's something that they probably should
have said when the person was still
308
00:16:03,785 --> 00:16:06,034
alive and said you're an arsehole.
309
00:16:06,625 --> 00:16:08,865
I think a lot of times the
people have already said that.
310
00:16:09,569 --> 00:16:11,520
You know, and that's gone back and forth.
311
00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,060
I think it's more of a case that
it doesn't matter what those
312
00:16:14,060 --> 00:16:16,390
people say or have not said.
313
00:16:16,420 --> 00:16:18,930
You know, it's more about the person
in the coffin now and what they've
314
00:16:18,930 --> 00:16:22,319
got to say, you know, they're
the ones that are laying there
315
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:23,579
and they've left a message now.
316
00:16:23,579 --> 00:16:26,219
And they're going back and
saying, you know what, my family,
317
00:16:26,219 --> 00:16:29,319
you're a bunch of pricks, you're
vultures, you did this, this and
318
00:16:29,319 --> 00:16:31,619
this, you know, maybe that person.
319
00:16:31,619 --> 00:16:34,750
And I've spoken to some people that
said, look, I couldn't confront
320
00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,099
my family like that because.
321
00:16:36,449 --> 00:16:37,650
They would have ostracized me.
322
00:16:37,650 --> 00:16:39,729
They would have left me and
I would have had nobody.
323
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,140
And I'd say, well, now you're
doing it from the afterlife.
324
00:16:43,150 --> 00:16:44,210
How do you feel about that?
325
00:16:44,210 --> 00:16:45,710
And they say, great.
326
00:16:46,655 --> 00:16:49,385
And so you're sure you feel really good
about that because, you know, you're
327
00:16:49,385 --> 00:16:54,225
going to leave a whirlwind of turmoil and
they'd say, but they already really know.
328
00:16:54,355 --> 00:16:58,834
If they really, really, really loved
me and knew me, they'd know already.
329
00:16:58,874 --> 00:16:59,855
I'm like, okay, cool.
330
00:17:00,114 --> 00:17:05,004
You know, so yeah, it wasn't much of a
secret for those that truly knew him.
331
00:17:05,095 --> 00:17:08,715
It's a bit devastating for others, but
that's where collateral damage comes in.
332
00:17:09,365 --> 00:17:14,335
And I like the fact that your perspective
is quite refreshing in the fact that
333
00:17:14,704 --> 00:17:20,085
it always seems to come back to the
deceased and the wishes of the deceased
334
00:17:20,355 --> 00:17:25,085
which is a perspective that we don't
really think of because as you mentioned
335
00:17:25,545 --> 00:17:30,814
we sometimes view the funeral and the
ritual associated with the funeral for
336
00:17:30,835 --> 00:17:33,495
everyone else, not actually the deceased.
337
00:17:33,845 --> 00:17:34,845
Oh yeah, absolutely.
338
00:17:34,855 --> 00:17:36,935
You can go to any funeral today.
339
00:17:37,145 --> 00:17:41,674
You can go to any funeral at a church
service and the minister will always
340
00:17:42,205 --> 00:17:47,935
Always, always greet and hug and the
people that are there, the living, eight
341
00:17:47,935 --> 00:17:53,375
times out of 10, they forget the person's
name in the casket, or they say something
342
00:17:53,444 --> 00:17:57,284
that's just not in line with what the
person was or that, and then they'll
343
00:17:57,295 --> 00:18:00,704
forget what they were about to say, or
they'll read something different and then
344
00:18:00,705 --> 00:18:06,254
they'll say, Oh, let us pray instead of
the real truth about Yeah, why they should
345
00:18:06,254 --> 00:18:10,254
be there and it's for the person, you
know, so I see that time and time again.
346
00:18:10,254 --> 00:18:15,525
I find that very offensive in a way,
because again, and I'll say this till
347
00:18:15,555 --> 00:18:17,624
the day I die, it's their funeral.
348
00:18:18,084 --> 00:18:18,834
It's not yours.
349
00:18:18,885 --> 00:18:19,794
It's theirs.
350
00:18:20,074 --> 00:18:22,694
You know, if they've told you
certain things that they want
351
00:18:22,694 --> 00:18:23,974
at their funeral, then do it.
352
00:18:24,064 --> 00:18:28,054
If the church refuses to do those
things, then the church Should
353
00:18:28,054 --> 00:18:30,695
not have their funeral then, you
know, and that happens a lot.
354
00:18:31,085 --> 00:18:34,705
And do you think people are
truly aware of the fact that they
355
00:18:34,715 --> 00:18:38,035
have the ability to make these
choices when they are still alive?
356
00:18:38,365 --> 00:18:41,535
They can choose, you know, what
they do for their funeral, they
357
00:18:41,535 --> 00:18:45,284
can choose who speaks, and they
can even write their own melody.
358
00:18:45,664 --> 00:18:48,865
Do you think people are really
aware that they have these choices?
359
00:18:49,495 --> 00:18:50,275
Well, they do now.
360
00:18:50,915 --> 00:18:52,885
And that's the, that's the
beauty of what I've done.
361
00:18:53,205 --> 00:18:59,044
And I, I think I've got the world talking
in a good way about funerals and not only
362
00:18:59,044 --> 00:19:04,384
funerals, but about wakes, will readings,
whatever it is, I've got them talking and
363
00:19:04,384 --> 00:19:08,570
it's in a good way and it's, it's not,
you know, A lot of people don't speak
364
00:19:08,570 --> 00:19:10,919
about death because a couple of reasons.
365
00:19:10,919 --> 00:19:14,699
One of those reasons I found is,
and I found this bizarre, but a lot
366
00:19:14,699 --> 00:19:17,499
of people think that if they speak
about it, it's going to happen.
367
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:19,289
So they just don't talk about it.
368
00:19:19,969 --> 00:19:24,269
And I met a lady not so long ago that
said that her mom and dad just passed
369
00:19:24,269 --> 00:19:26,120
away four weeks within each other.
370
00:19:26,449 --> 00:19:29,050
And she didn't know if to bury
or cremate them because they
371
00:19:29,050 --> 00:19:30,390
never had the conversation.
372
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,630
And I thought, wow, you know,
that is such a responsibility
373
00:19:34,660 --> 00:19:36,260
for her to have on her shoulders.
374
00:19:37,090 --> 00:19:37,860
Yeah, exactly.
375
00:19:37,870 --> 00:19:38,919
And, and what does she do?
376
00:19:38,950 --> 00:19:42,450
And I said to her, well, you know,
do you create one and bury one?
377
00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:44,850
And she goes, I really do not know.
378
00:19:44,850 --> 00:19:47,500
And I've got nobody to ask
because no one ever knew.
379
00:19:48,209 --> 00:19:51,899
And I said, well, you know, that's
something that's now on your, your
380
00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:55,710
shoulders and it's a shame, but I'm
going to use that story to empower
381
00:19:55,770 --> 00:19:58,770
other people to talk because that's
what we need to do is talk about it.
382
00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:02,800
And obviously you've been well and
truly talking about it since, you know,
383
00:20:02,980 --> 00:20:06,300
2020 and, you know, you're still here.
384
00:20:07,150 --> 00:20:07,620
Oh yeah.
385
00:20:07,939 --> 00:20:08,149
Yeah.
386
00:20:08,149 --> 00:20:09,020
I'm not going anywhere.
387
00:20:09,020 --> 00:20:09,389
Yeah.
388
00:20:09,790 --> 00:20:13,260
I mean, I don't mind if I do either
because I've always said I envy the dead.
389
00:20:13,430 --> 00:20:18,110
I envy what they know because they know
what I don't and that, that pisses me off.
390
00:20:19,090 --> 00:20:21,980
But, uh, yeah, at the same
time, I love life too.
391
00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:23,120
I really do now.
392
00:20:23,210 --> 00:20:23,490
Yeah.
393
00:20:23,490 --> 00:20:24,880
It's, yeah, it's cool.
394
00:20:25,250 --> 00:20:27,000
So tell me, who is Bill Edgar?
395
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:27,240
Yeah.
396
00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:27,414
Yeah.
397
00:20:27,565 --> 00:20:31,055
You know, besides all of the
hats that we've mentioned,
398
00:20:31,525 --> 00:20:33,645
what do you do on your day off?
399
00:20:34,105 --> 00:20:38,445
You know, when I'm with people,
I'm the center of attention,
400
00:20:39,105 --> 00:20:40,644
but I love to be by myself.
401
00:20:41,014 --> 00:20:42,595
I love to be on my own.
402
00:20:42,895 --> 00:20:44,245
You know, I have a hobby farm.
403
00:20:44,644 --> 00:20:49,765
I live on a hobby farm and I love to
be being here 90 percent of the time.
404
00:20:50,255 --> 00:20:53,365
I had this thing where I like
animals more than I do people.
405
00:20:53,585 --> 00:20:57,885
I probably, it's grown more since I've
become the Coffin Confessor, but I've
406
00:20:57,885 --> 00:21:02,635
got to say the people I've met and
have passed over now are lovely people
407
00:21:02,635 --> 00:21:07,635
and they've really, um, helped me to
not look at the bad anymore in people.
408
00:21:07,694 --> 00:21:09,595
And that's something I did my whole life.
409
00:21:09,705 --> 00:21:11,254
I always looked in the bad first.
410
00:21:11,254 --> 00:21:13,284
And my wife used to say,
look at the good in people.
411
00:21:13,284 --> 00:21:14,735
I go, no, there is no good in people.
412
00:21:15,345 --> 00:21:16,105
Well, there is.
413
00:21:16,235 --> 00:21:17,305
I just didn't see it.
414
00:21:17,345 --> 00:21:20,355
I wasn't willing to open my eyes
and have a look closer, you know,
415
00:21:20,365 --> 00:21:24,085
I was too protective of myself and
not letting anybody in, which is
416
00:21:24,085 --> 00:21:27,555
a detriment to my older age now,
because now I'm thinking I don't
417
00:21:27,555 --> 00:21:32,365
have a friend in the world and that's
not because of anything else but me.
418
00:21:32,435 --> 00:21:35,094
And I don't want to carry
out other people's baggage.
419
00:21:35,234 --> 00:21:39,345
You know, I still know a lot of
people, you know, the family I came
420
00:21:39,345 --> 00:21:43,175
from, you know, I, I could see him all
better, he wouldn't worry me at all,
421
00:21:43,185 --> 00:21:45,014
the family I've created otherwise.
422
00:21:45,419 --> 00:21:50,250
Is, you know, the breath and the love of
my life, you know, so me, I'm just me.
423
00:21:50,310 --> 00:21:51,250
I'm no one special.
424
00:21:51,250 --> 00:21:53,070
I'm just, yeah, I'm just Bill.
425
00:21:53,500 --> 00:22:00,289
And that sort of protection of yourself
and keeping people at distance, that's
426
00:22:00,409 --> 00:22:05,610
from every of your books is really
based on that survivor mentality.
427
00:22:05,710 --> 00:22:06,594
Is that right?
428
00:22:07,014 --> 00:22:07,915
Oh, absolutely.
429
00:22:08,105 --> 00:22:08,514
Yeah.
430
00:22:08,605 --> 00:22:12,215
I mean, yeah, I, I had my childhood
stolen when I was seven, you
431
00:22:12,215 --> 00:22:13,765
know, and I never got it back.
432
00:22:13,845 --> 00:22:14,215
Never.
433
00:22:14,265 --> 00:22:14,585
Yeah.
434
00:22:14,805 --> 00:22:17,275
And at the same time, I could
say the same for my religion.
435
00:22:17,275 --> 00:22:18,245
I never had a religion.
436
00:22:18,264 --> 00:22:23,034
I was never allowed to, you know, have a
choosing of any of those, you know, the
437
00:22:23,044 --> 00:22:27,935
childhood and religion was stolen from
me and everyone I met was a predator.
438
00:22:28,660 --> 00:22:31,760
No one helped, and those that
I thought would help, that I
439
00:22:31,790 --> 00:22:33,960
confided in, were a predator.
440
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:39,129
So, I was just, it was just a terrible
circumstance for me to be in, you know.
441
00:22:39,129 --> 00:22:42,639
And, you know, I've heard stories
of horrific abuse, and there's some
442
00:22:42,659 --> 00:22:44,940
really, really terrible stories.
443
00:22:45,519 --> 00:22:49,689
And then, I look at my own,
and I think, how is it?
444
00:22:50,524 --> 00:22:53,925
A boy can end up with four abusers.
445
00:22:53,995 --> 00:22:57,275
I just don't, it just blew
me away how that happened.
446
00:22:57,645 --> 00:23:02,304
You know, I just can't fathom
how four grown married men.
447
00:23:02,810 --> 00:23:04,540
With families could do that.
448
00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:05,639
I mean, I just, yeah.
449
00:23:05,639 --> 00:23:06,760
So there was no trust.
450
00:23:06,770 --> 00:23:06,930
It
451
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:07,200
says a
452
00:23:07,250 --> 00:23:08,389
lot about those men.
453
00:23:08,890 --> 00:23:09,660
Well, it does.
454
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:10,460
It does.
455
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,710
And then you think to yourself,
you know, like people have asked me
456
00:23:14,719 --> 00:23:18,159
about regrets and things in life,
you know, and what, what do I regret?
457
00:23:18,169 --> 00:23:22,510
And then I've got to go back to always
saying my biggest regret in life was when
458
00:23:22,510 --> 00:23:25,909
I was a kid, I took it out on the gay
community, I'd bash the gay community
459
00:23:25,909 --> 00:23:27,399
because that's what society said.
460
00:23:27,399 --> 00:23:29,730
Society said that they were
gay, they were pedophiles and
461
00:23:29,730 --> 00:23:30,809
that's what they did to children.
462
00:23:31,710 --> 00:23:32,110
Well, no.
463
00:23:32,845 --> 00:23:36,274
Mine was married men, you know,
it wasn't a gay community,
464
00:23:36,325 --> 00:23:37,274
they had nothing to do with it.
465
00:23:37,860 --> 00:23:39,220
And that's a big regret that I had.
466
00:23:39,710 --> 00:23:45,720
From that time, you seem to, and it's, you
know, seems to be well documented, that
467
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:51,849
aggression and that anger that came out
and manifested itself in, in many ways.
468
00:23:52,239 --> 00:23:55,710
So you ended up in, in
jail for a period of time.
469
00:23:56,250 --> 00:23:59,340
So when did that anger stop,
470
00:23:59,510 --> 00:23:59,830
Bill?
471
00:24:00,310 --> 00:24:01,750
It didn't stop.
472
00:24:01,810 --> 00:24:05,405
I think it converted into A pain thing.
473
00:24:05,425 --> 00:24:10,095
I always, for some reason, I don't
know why, but I used to like pain.
474
00:24:10,635 --> 00:24:15,294
I used to, I used to just enjoy pain
because it made me feel alive as I
475
00:24:15,295 --> 00:24:16,905
was, you know, something was happening.
476
00:24:16,915 --> 00:24:22,395
It was just a weird transition and I
could start an argument, a fight and,
477
00:24:22,405 --> 00:24:27,285
and a really bad fight, you know, and
I'd stand there and get beaten to a pulp.
478
00:24:27,735 --> 00:24:30,445
And I'd laugh and they'd hit me
more because I was laughing, you
479
00:24:30,445 --> 00:24:31,715
know, it's just like enjoying it.
480
00:24:31,715 --> 00:24:32,725
And they didn't understand.
481
00:24:32,745 --> 00:24:36,485
No one could understand, you know,
it's just a, so the anger sort of
482
00:24:36,485 --> 00:24:40,144
transitioned into a pain thing where I
enjoyed the pain and the anger was sort
483
00:24:40,145 --> 00:24:42,604
of getting taken or replaced by that.
484
00:24:42,635 --> 00:24:44,184
I don't know why or how, but it did.
485
00:24:44,689 --> 00:24:45,070
And
486
00:24:45,610 --> 00:24:49,530
to a degree that seeking of pain
hasn't stopped, has it Bill?
487
00:24:50,170 --> 00:24:55,430
It's manifested in a very strange
way that you talk through in the
488
00:24:55,430 --> 00:24:59,100
book about visiting the dentist.
489
00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:02,590
Yeah, so every now and then,
I suppose it's like anybody
490
00:25:02,590 --> 00:25:05,870
that has or had an addiction or
something, you know, in their life.
491
00:25:06,380 --> 00:25:09,600
They revisit it and most
won't cross the line.
492
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,320
You know, they'll go, nah, but I'm there.
493
00:25:11,380 --> 00:25:12,980
I mean, it's like giving up smoking.
494
00:25:12,980 --> 00:25:14,560
You think, oh yeah, I could just have one.
495
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:19,209
You know, for me, sometimes I
can be around a million people
496
00:25:19,210 --> 00:25:20,910
and still feel completely alone.
497
00:25:21,539 --> 00:25:22,770
And I have that feeling.
498
00:25:23,270 --> 00:25:27,760
Yeah, and the pain thing is, as I
say, a transition from the anger,
499
00:25:27,970 --> 00:25:34,370
but it came to me again, not so long
ago where I was so empty and confused
500
00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:36,240
and, you know, and I had everything.
501
00:25:36,370 --> 00:25:39,940
I have my six grandchildren, have
my wife, have my kids, had the farm,
502
00:25:40,339 --> 00:25:41,950
got everything I wanted and needed.
503
00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:46,034
And then all of a sudden I'm
like, Why do I want to do this?
504
00:25:46,114 --> 00:25:49,284
And then I thought the only way
possible was, you know, to feel a
505
00:25:49,284 --> 00:25:51,034
bit of pain and feel myself again.
506
00:25:51,695 --> 00:25:55,205
And it doesn't happen often or all
the time, but it happened recently
507
00:25:55,205 --> 00:26:00,034
and I went to the dentist and yeah,
I had all my old feelings drilled
508
00:26:00,125 --> 00:26:03,104
out and replaced in porcelain all
in one hit without anesthetic.
509
00:26:03,125 --> 00:26:04,635
She wasn't going to do it.
510
00:26:04,645 --> 00:26:05,544
She didn't want to do it.
511
00:26:05,555 --> 00:26:08,425
She thought it was going to be
really, really painful and yeah,
512
00:26:08,425 --> 00:26:09,985
it could go against anything.
513
00:26:10,530 --> 00:26:14,760
that she does, but, uh, I insisted
that I get done and I'd be okay.
514
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:19,689
And yeah, the pain was horrendous,
not enjoyable, but it was horrendous.
515
00:26:19,689 --> 00:26:20,950
And it made me feel alive.
516
00:26:20,979 --> 00:26:24,099
And I just thought, ah, there's
a session that's over with.
517
00:26:24,099 --> 00:26:28,829
And I hope it, you know, each time it
diminishes further, you know, who knows.
518
00:26:29,310 --> 00:26:34,000
Because you did have, for want of a
better word, an opportunity to see,
519
00:26:34,540 --> 00:26:38,110
I was going to use the word closure,
but that's not really the right term.
520
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:42,960
Perhaps you can explain that process
when you went through the compensation
521
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:49,299
claim and that horrific period of going
to court and dealing with the school.
522
00:26:49,899 --> 00:26:53,480
And how did that feel
when that was over, Bill?
523
00:26:53,844 --> 00:26:54,904
Oh yeah, incredible.
524
00:26:54,985 --> 00:26:58,814
I mean, look, you know, again,
like I, I go back to my childhood.
525
00:26:58,814 --> 00:27:02,614
I was 12 years old living in
government housing, dyslexic with no
526
00:27:02,614 --> 00:27:05,114
ability or anything except sporting.
527
00:27:05,134 --> 00:27:06,514
I was very, very sporty.
528
00:27:06,514 --> 00:27:09,894
And I won a five year scholarship to the
most prestigious school in Australia,
529
00:27:10,385 --> 00:27:14,705
you know, the Southport school, TSS boy's
school that was renowned for just money.
530
00:27:14,705 --> 00:27:19,205
And it was dripping in wealth, you
know, and I get put in there and all
531
00:27:19,205 --> 00:27:23,355
of a sudden I'm thrown into To the
lions, you know, I didn't know, I had no
532
00:27:23,355 --> 00:27:25,215
idea, but it was pedophiles playground.
533
00:27:25,855 --> 00:27:32,395
And I was, I was just, you know, thrown
in there and then, you know, abused
534
00:27:32,395 --> 00:27:36,275
and subjected to the worst horrific
abuse you could imagine at that school.
535
00:27:36,774 --> 00:27:39,825
And I buried it all, you know,
and I never spoke about it.
536
00:27:39,865 --> 00:27:42,664
And then it was a schoolmate
who was a policeman.
537
00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:44,354
And played for Australia.
538
00:27:44,444 --> 00:27:47,704
You know, Peter Jackson was the,
everybody wanted to be Peter Jackson.
539
00:27:47,715 --> 00:27:51,094
He was the best sport, well played,
played for the Broncos, played for
540
00:27:51,094 --> 00:27:53,314
Queensland, played for Australia.
541
00:27:53,334 --> 00:27:56,885
He was just an amazing
man, funny, beautiful man.
542
00:27:57,414 --> 00:28:00,014
And he came out and said he was
abused at the Southport school.
543
00:28:00,524 --> 00:28:04,375
And my heart dropped and I thought,
shit, I thought I was the only one.
544
00:28:04,854 --> 00:28:07,175
And if it could happen to him,
it could happen to anyone.
545
00:28:07,805 --> 00:28:10,655
And then in 1997, he killed himself.
546
00:28:11,165 --> 00:28:13,934
And I thought, fuck, he was broken.
547
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:15,930
I'm bent, but I'm not broken.
548
00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:16,930
I'm not going to break.
549
00:28:17,410 --> 00:28:19,730
So I took up the fight
against the Southport school.
550
00:28:20,495 --> 00:28:24,525
And for 30 odd years, I'd fight the
school, and I had so many lawyers, and
551
00:28:24,535 --> 00:28:27,805
going back and forth, and the school
called me a liar, and I was going to
552
00:28:27,815 --> 00:28:32,345
be sued, and I'd go into jail, and I
just kept, I was relentless, I just
553
00:28:32,345 --> 00:28:35,805
said, no, this is what happened, and
this is who did it, and this is what
554
00:28:35,805 --> 00:28:37,094
I want, and what I'm going to do.
555
00:28:37,825 --> 00:28:41,205
And, yeah, for years and years, and
then finally, the church who owns
556
00:28:41,205 --> 00:28:44,135
the Southport School, the Anglican
Church, came forward, and they said,
557
00:28:44,135 --> 00:28:47,795
look, We can't find anything, you
know, we don't believe it happened.
558
00:28:47,865 --> 00:28:52,025
And for two years, back and forth with
solicitors, then finally they come to
559
00:28:52,025 --> 00:28:55,985
the table and they said, yeah, well,
we're going to offer a settlement.
560
00:28:56,465 --> 00:28:56,855
Yeah.
561
00:28:57,455 --> 00:29:00,975
And I, at the time, I didn't
want a fucking settlement.
562
00:29:01,154 --> 00:29:02,205
I wanted justice.
563
00:29:02,234 --> 00:29:04,804
I wanted these men held to account.
564
00:29:05,174 --> 00:29:07,865
But you're forced to take
a settlement in Queensland.
565
00:29:08,425 --> 00:29:11,344
You have to take the settlement
or you walk away with nothing and
566
00:29:11,344 --> 00:29:12,975
the perpetrators, they get off.
567
00:29:13,465 --> 00:29:14,774
They're allowed to teach today.
568
00:29:15,034 --> 00:29:16,205
They're still walking free.
569
00:29:16,534 --> 00:29:19,365
And what really pissed me off
the most is, why didn't the
570
00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:21,195
church and school stand by me?
571
00:29:21,814 --> 00:29:23,264
They only hired these men.
572
00:29:23,605 --> 00:29:25,614
They didn't know the men
were pedophiles, surely.
573
00:29:25,665 --> 00:29:27,665
And if they did, well,
they should burn in hell.
574
00:29:27,805 --> 00:29:31,354
But let's say they didn't and
they just hired these teachers and
575
00:29:31,355 --> 00:29:35,255
those teachers were that bad and
prolific at what they did and abuse.
576
00:29:35,495 --> 00:29:39,235
Why didn't the church and school stand by
me and say, Hey, listen, this is wrong.
577
00:29:39,575 --> 00:29:40,424
We're going to help you.
578
00:29:40,735 --> 00:29:43,155
We're going to stand up and we're
going to put these people in jail.
579
00:29:43,165 --> 00:29:46,235
How dare they do that on our
school grounds to our children.
580
00:29:46,545 --> 00:29:47,085
But they didn't.
581
00:29:47,395 --> 00:29:49,495
They just paid me out and
let them keep teaching.
582
00:29:50,025 --> 00:29:51,945
So I was, yeah, horrified.
583
00:29:52,404 --> 00:29:57,725
Do you continue to advocate today
for other victims of child abuse?
584
00:29:58,880 --> 00:29:59,580
Oh, absolutely.
585
00:29:59,580 --> 00:30:01,940
I started a Facebook page in 2012.
586
00:30:01,940 --> 00:30:03,510
It's called The Lost Boy of TSS.
587
00:30:04,060 --> 00:30:09,570
I've spoken to over 133 boys from that
school that were abused in some way,
588
00:30:09,580 --> 00:30:11,129
sexually, physically, or mentally.
589
00:30:11,210 --> 00:30:13,510
And a lot of them have
been compensated now.
590
00:30:13,899 --> 00:30:16,549
Again, none of us have got justice.
591
00:30:17,175 --> 00:30:18,815
But I leave the page open.
592
00:30:18,945 --> 00:30:22,965
It's something that the school
wanted closed down, but I refused.
593
00:30:22,965 --> 00:30:23,875
I won't close it down.
594
00:30:23,875 --> 00:30:26,335
I'll leave it there for
victims to come forward.
595
00:30:26,755 --> 00:30:29,815
I don't push victims to come forward,
but I do say to them, look, if you
596
00:30:29,815 --> 00:30:33,494
want to stop being a victim and become
a survivor, this is how you do it.
597
00:30:33,835 --> 00:30:37,205
And I try to guide them and show them
how it's done and things like that.
598
00:30:37,615 --> 00:30:39,545
Unfortunately, lawyers are no better.
599
00:30:39,755 --> 00:30:42,095
You know, the whole system sucks.
600
00:30:42,145 --> 00:30:45,655
It's just designed and set up
for the average person to fail.
601
00:30:45,674 --> 00:30:47,324
It's too hard and complicated.
602
00:30:47,344 --> 00:30:50,995
So, if I can guide them in a way
that's a bit easier for them, you
603
00:30:50,995 --> 00:30:52,864
know, I believe I've helped that way.
604
00:30:52,864 --> 00:30:54,055
So, yeah, I try.
605
00:30:54,585 --> 00:30:58,545
And do you mind sharing some of the
things that you share with them to
606
00:30:58,545 --> 00:31:00,945
help them sort of survive and move
607
00:31:00,945 --> 00:31:01,454
through it?
608
00:31:01,895 --> 00:31:05,865
Yeah, so, uh, well, a couple of things
I, I advise and, and told them to do
609
00:31:05,865 --> 00:31:09,755
is that it's always good to, you know,
because a lot of victims, they have
610
00:31:09,924 --> 00:31:13,715
a couple of things, it's a problem is
that, you know, the church and the school
611
00:31:13,775 --> 00:31:18,254
looked at a victim as being somebody
that was a drug addict, alcoholic,
612
00:31:18,275 --> 00:31:20,615
in prison and just worthless, right?
613
00:31:20,685 --> 00:31:22,644
And they'll, they'll look at
them like, Oh, that's sad.
614
00:31:22,654 --> 00:31:26,374
When they looked at me, they said, Oh,
he's too successful to be compensated.
615
00:31:27,124 --> 00:31:29,434
Obviously the abuse
didn't harm him that much.
616
00:31:30,250 --> 00:31:31,190
I was like, fuck off.
617
00:31:31,350 --> 00:31:34,190
I use the abuse to empower myself
and make myself stronger so I
618
00:31:34,190 --> 00:31:35,360
could get back at you prick.
619
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:40,979
So, you know, so I let people know that
first off, they've got to keep a diary.
620
00:31:41,330 --> 00:31:42,660
They've got to diarize everything.
621
00:31:42,660 --> 00:31:43,700
Everything's in the memory.
622
00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:44,550
You've got to bring it back.
623
00:31:44,559 --> 00:31:47,379
You've got to put it in
as much detail as you can.
624
00:31:47,690 --> 00:31:51,680
As sad and as shocking and as
abusive as it was, you've got
625
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:53,560
to recall every fact you can.
626
00:31:54,050 --> 00:31:57,220
And it doesn't matter if you can't
remember the date or time, but you'll
627
00:31:57,350 --> 00:32:01,390
remember the day, whether it was an
afternoon, a morning, a nighttime, you
628
00:32:01,390 --> 00:32:05,319
know, you'll remember the area you were
in, what the area looked like at the time.
629
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:06,730
So you need all those specifics.
630
00:32:06,740 --> 00:32:10,229
So that way it helps you to
able to substantiate where
631
00:32:10,230 --> 00:32:11,369
you were and what happened.
632
00:32:11,780 --> 00:32:16,060
And no one can discredit that with me
because I'd say I was in the headmaster's
633
00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:18,670
office, you know, and it looked like
this, and it had this picture on
634
00:32:18,670 --> 00:32:20,200
the wall and those sort of things.
635
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:21,649
And they'd go, Oh no, it didn't.
636
00:32:21,660 --> 00:32:22,530
Then other boys would go.
637
00:32:23,255 --> 00:32:23,845
Yes, it did.
638
00:32:24,435 --> 00:32:25,405
I was in that office too.
639
00:32:25,415 --> 00:32:26,385
It did have that.
640
00:32:27,045 --> 00:32:28,475
And they weren't abused or anything.
641
00:32:28,475 --> 00:32:31,035
They just say they were in that
office and they remember seeing that
642
00:32:31,035 --> 00:32:33,695
picture or that statue or something.
643
00:32:34,034 --> 00:32:36,795
So it highlights those sort
of things for a victim.
644
00:32:36,815 --> 00:32:38,814
You know, they've got to bring
all those things forward.
645
00:32:38,814 --> 00:32:40,914
So, yeah, they diarise everything.
646
00:32:40,934 --> 00:32:42,335
Everything's got to be brought out.
647
00:32:42,864 --> 00:32:44,785
I named and shamed my abusers.
648
00:32:45,225 --> 00:32:47,555
And I do that because I didn't care.
649
00:32:47,915 --> 00:32:49,615
And people say, what about their families?
650
00:32:49,625 --> 00:32:50,645
Fuck their families.
651
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:52,520
I didn't care about them.
652
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,150
I had to out these people
because of what they did to me.
653
00:32:56,380 --> 00:33:01,250
Now, if these people have got, you know,
daughters that are in their 30s or 40s
654
00:33:01,390 --> 00:33:05,070
and they're going on and they're having
great careers and then all of a sudden
655
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:10,389
their dad's come out as a pedophile at
the Southport School, well, so what?
656
00:33:10,570 --> 00:33:14,270
Well, I've got to keep that hidden because
you've got a radio gig or something
657
00:33:14,270 --> 00:33:16,060
going on and that's what happened to me.
658
00:33:16,060 --> 00:33:18,450
You know, I was getting threatened
by certain people that would
659
00:33:18,450 --> 00:33:20,025
say, you That's my father.
660
00:33:20,025 --> 00:33:21,405
How dare you put that out there?
661
00:33:21,405 --> 00:33:24,365
And I go, well, your father's a
pedophile and this is what he did.
662
00:33:24,735 --> 00:33:27,185
And they go, can't you just
keep that, you know, between
663
00:33:27,185 --> 00:33:28,725
you and the, the justice system?
664
00:33:28,725 --> 00:33:30,055
You don't have to air it everywhere.
665
00:33:30,055 --> 00:33:32,325
And I'm like, no, fuck you.
666
00:33:32,614 --> 00:33:32,944
No.
667
00:33:33,324 --> 00:33:37,074
Cause isn't that perpetrating
the whole problem that's already
668
00:33:37,094 --> 00:33:41,365
around child sexual abuse anyway
is keeping it behind closed doors.
669
00:33:41,835 --> 00:33:42,615
Exactly.
670
00:33:42,735 --> 00:33:43,455
Exactly.
671
00:33:43,455 --> 00:33:44,215
And that's the thing.
672
00:33:44,225 --> 00:33:45,985
That's what I'd be saying to these people.
673
00:33:46,205 --> 00:33:47,535
Why would you want to hide that?
674
00:33:48,145 --> 00:33:50,555
And they go, I dealt
with my father back then.
675
00:33:51,065 --> 00:33:54,635
Well, if you dealt with him back
then, why is he still teaching?
676
00:33:54,635 --> 00:33:55,725
Why is it still going on?
677
00:33:55,735 --> 00:33:58,484
And why didn't you reach out to, you
know, why didn't you say something?
678
00:33:58,484 --> 00:33:59,464
Why didn't you do something?
679
00:33:59,464 --> 00:34:03,685
You know, it's, it's like, well, it wasn't
my position or my abilities to do that.
680
00:34:03,695 --> 00:34:04,865
No, it is mine.
681
00:34:05,015 --> 00:34:05,925
And this is what I'm doing.
682
00:34:06,515 --> 00:34:09,479
So yeah, I sort of let victims
know they can name and shame.
683
00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,660
Not a problem, if they've got the
facts and it truly happened, name and
684
00:34:12,660 --> 00:34:16,960
shame it, you know, I don't give a fuck
what anybody says, do it, you know,
685
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:24,220
so diary, name and shame, and always,
as much as possible, reach out to not
686
00:34:24,270 --> 00:34:27,790
only people that may help you, like
psychiatrists and things like that,
687
00:34:28,170 --> 00:34:31,220
but reach out to areas that you're in.
688
00:34:31,670 --> 00:34:34,590
Me, I was at a school, so I could
reach out to other classmates.
689
00:34:34,935 --> 00:34:37,495
And say, look, you know, this sucks.
690
00:34:37,515 --> 00:34:39,155
I'm reaching out because
this happened to me.
691
00:34:39,155 --> 00:34:41,795
I don't know if it happened to you
or if it did or not, you know, and
692
00:34:41,795 --> 00:34:45,095
they turn around, like a lot of times
they turn around and say, fuck, no,
693
00:34:45,105 --> 00:34:47,394
that didn't happen to me, but it
may have happened to my brother.
694
00:34:47,424 --> 00:34:48,464
Can you have a chat to him?
695
00:34:48,464 --> 00:34:50,905
And then all of a sudden I found
out that yeah, the brother was
696
00:34:50,905 --> 00:34:52,325
being abused or somebody else.
697
00:34:52,325 --> 00:34:52,555
So.
698
00:34:53,285 --> 00:34:55,195
Yeah, it's a momentum thing.
699
00:34:55,235 --> 00:34:58,085
Once you've got the momentum
behind you and you're telling
700
00:34:58,085 --> 00:34:59,795
the truth, nothing will stop you.
701
00:35:00,295 --> 00:35:04,654
That seems to be also embedded in what
you were saying earlier, Bill, with
702
00:35:04,735 --> 00:35:09,904
the fact that the story that you're
hired to tell is from the person
703
00:35:10,194 --> 00:35:12,315
and the perspective of the deceased.
704
00:35:12,614 --> 00:35:17,686
And you're all talking about now,
talking about your story, and so
705
00:35:17,686 --> 00:35:23,920
that obviously very Being able to
talk about your own personal story.
706
00:35:24,180 --> 00:35:25,190
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
707
00:35:25,220 --> 00:35:29,150
I mean, I've never, I've never,
you know, been backward in coming
708
00:35:29,150 --> 00:35:30,769
forward when it comes to my story.
709
00:35:30,770 --> 00:35:37,250
I mean, you know, my story might be
horrific to a lot of people and to myself.
710
00:35:37,290 --> 00:35:40,310
I look at it now as just a story.
711
00:35:40,310 --> 00:35:43,120
I won't allow it to control
any part of my life.
712
00:35:43,620 --> 00:35:48,590
You know, I used it to empower my life,
but now you asked me how I felt after
713
00:35:48,590 --> 00:35:51,950
the process of going to court and, and
getting the settlement walking away.
714
00:35:52,250 --> 00:35:56,990
I wrote in my book that I thought,
I honestly thought that I'd be high
715
00:35:56,990 --> 00:36:00,720
fiving running out and no, it's
all over, you know, and that, but
716
00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:02,700
it, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
717
00:36:03,030 --> 00:36:06,920
I was left so empty, you know, the
little boy inside me that I've been
718
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:11,550
protecting and hiding and fighting for
my whole life said it's time to go.
719
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:13,980
And that was just like, holy shit.
720
00:36:14,470 --> 00:36:18,050
You know, and I had no, I didn't,
I was walking back to the hotel
721
00:36:18,310 --> 00:36:22,390
from mediation and I'm thinking,
fuck, I got to get off the street.
722
00:36:22,390 --> 00:36:23,380
I'm having an attack.
723
00:36:23,530 --> 00:36:24,669
I didn't know what was going on.
724
00:36:24,709 --> 00:36:27,260
So I had to run into a clothes
shop and just go into the
725
00:36:27,539 --> 00:36:28,720
change room and sit there.
726
00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:30,669
And I was like, what
the fuck just happened?
727
00:36:31,130 --> 00:36:32,670
I should be happy, but I wasn't.
728
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:34,910
I was, but I wasn't, if
you know what I mean?
729
00:36:34,910 --> 00:36:35,930
I was, I was empty.
730
00:36:36,230 --> 00:36:40,430
I just, I couldn't believe that it
was finally finished all those years.
731
00:36:41,930 --> 00:36:46,190
You know, the school and the church
came forward and without say, you're
732
00:36:46,190 --> 00:36:48,340
not a liar, you're not a liar.
733
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,350
It's just, yeah, it was ridiculous.
734
00:36:51,820 --> 00:36:52,160
Yeah.
735
00:36:52,630 --> 00:36:52,970
Crazy.
736
00:36:53,615 --> 00:36:55,815
And so what gets you up
in the morning now, Bill?
737
00:36:56,305 --> 00:36:57,535
What gets me up in the morning?
738
00:36:57,545 --> 00:36:58,105
You know what?
739
00:36:58,385 --> 00:36:59,905
I've got to be honest with you now.
740
00:37:00,445 --> 00:37:03,594
I've always said that, uh, if you
always do what you've always done,
741
00:37:03,595 --> 00:37:05,285
you'll always get what you always got.
742
00:37:05,714 --> 00:37:06,054
Right?
743
00:37:06,084 --> 00:37:08,124
So I look at things differently now.
744
00:37:08,205 --> 00:37:11,434
In my whole life, everything's changed
since I've become the coffin professor.
745
00:37:11,434 --> 00:37:13,004
I look at life differently.
746
00:37:13,395 --> 00:37:16,415
I look at it as though, you know,
I'm not going to live and then die.
747
00:37:16,425 --> 00:37:17,455
I'm going to die living.
748
00:37:17,910 --> 00:37:18,830
I'm very healthy.
749
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:20,060
I like to keep my health.
750
00:37:20,270 --> 00:37:25,810
I like to make sure that, like, I'm 56 and
I'm thinking, fuck, you know, I'm a Gen X.
751
00:37:25,870 --> 00:37:26,809
Probably you are too.
752
00:37:27,060 --> 00:37:30,160
So we were born 30 and
we'll die 30, right?
753
00:37:30,990 --> 00:37:35,410
So really, there's no real,
it's just a number for us.
754
00:37:35,830 --> 00:37:39,790
But I look at people my age and I think
to myself, you've got to keep moving.
755
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:40,640
You can't stop.
756
00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:45,850
You just got to keep moving because
whilst 56 to me isn't very old and I'm
757
00:37:45,850 --> 00:37:49,360
fit and healthy to some it is, you know,
and I think, well, I want to be 66,
758
00:37:49,540 --> 00:37:53,379
76, 86, but I want my health, you know?
759
00:37:53,700 --> 00:37:58,190
So that's what gets me up in the morning
is to be able to get up and enjoy life.
760
00:37:58,210 --> 00:38:00,790
And it might even just
be staying on the farm.
761
00:38:01,330 --> 00:38:04,100
Lara's, you know, with me all the time.
762
00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:07,150
She does a lot of things with her
friends and that, but she's here, you
763
00:38:07,150 --> 00:38:08,895
know, to help 90 percent of the time.
764
00:38:09,215 --> 00:38:10,495
And we love gardening.
765
00:38:10,495 --> 00:38:11,425
We love the horses.
766
00:38:11,425 --> 00:38:12,905
We love just doing stuff together.
767
00:38:13,265 --> 00:38:13,705
I don't know.
768
00:38:13,715 --> 00:38:18,565
I think that's, yeah, that's, that's
what gets me going and living life, life.
769
00:38:19,255 --> 00:38:24,685
And you talk about a very vulnerable
time when it wasn't something that
770
00:38:24,715 --> 00:38:28,674
happened to you, but it was what
happened to Lara in relation to an
771
00:38:28,675 --> 00:38:31,055
accident that was totally unforeseen.
772
00:38:31,825 --> 00:38:39,165
How has that impacted on how
you value life and your outlook?
773
00:38:39,275 --> 00:38:39,535
Oh
774
00:38:39,955 --> 00:38:42,185
yeah, I nearly lost her twice.
775
00:38:42,185 --> 00:38:45,815
Yeah, the horse accident, you know,
and she was in hospital for a long
776
00:38:45,815 --> 00:38:48,085
time, and she's learned to walk again.
777
00:38:48,720 --> 00:38:53,050
She was crushed severely by the horse,
and then she comes home and then has
778
00:38:53,050 --> 00:38:58,420
a heart attack, and I need to lose her
again, you know, and it's just phenomenal.
779
00:38:58,420 --> 00:39:00,540
It's just the scariest thought.
780
00:39:00,690 --> 00:39:06,019
It's losing her, and, and I think what hit
me most was not the thought, oh, I'm going
781
00:39:06,019 --> 00:39:09,120
to be on my own or, you know, woe is me.
782
00:39:09,300 --> 00:39:12,540
It was, holy shit, she's
got so much life to live.
783
00:39:12,540 --> 00:39:15,570
That's, Lara's not like that,
you know, and she proved it.
784
00:39:15,570 --> 00:39:17,810
Anyways, you know, she's literally.
785
00:39:18,085 --> 00:39:20,085
Riding her horse right now outside
786
00:39:22,705 --> 00:39:24,005
and it's taken.
787
00:39:24,780 --> 00:39:29,340
You know, the accident was what, 2021 and
it's taken all this time for her to get
788
00:39:29,340 --> 00:39:33,120
back on the horse and she's back on there
and she's riding around our property,
789
00:39:33,170 --> 00:39:37,109
just walking, but she's back on the horse
and I couldn't be more proud of her, you
790
00:39:37,109 --> 00:39:44,039
know, like that shows me that, you know,
women, I've always said women are the
791
00:39:44,039 --> 00:39:48,530
strongest species in the world, you know,
they really are, they push our babies,
792
00:39:48,790 --> 00:39:52,919
men are just have a heart attack and die,
even that the thought of it, you know, it.
793
00:39:53,290 --> 00:39:57,460
And the pain barrier that you guys have,
I thought, you know, yeah, I know I need
794
00:39:57,460 --> 00:40:01,860
pain sometimes because I look and I just
go, wow, how do you, yeah, incredible.
795
00:40:02,365 --> 00:40:07,485
And tell me, what has being the Coffin
Confessor taught you about life?
796
00:40:08,205 --> 00:40:10,995
Yeah, not only to live, but prepare.
797
00:40:11,555 --> 00:40:16,265
I didn't realize that I wasn't
prepared for death, not my own
798
00:40:16,265 --> 00:40:17,724
death or the death of a loved one.
799
00:40:17,734 --> 00:40:20,974
Doesn't mean I'm not going to mourn
and get upset and probably break
800
00:40:20,975 --> 00:40:23,685
down, but I'm more prepared now.
801
00:40:23,925 --> 00:40:26,885
I'm prepared to know that
it is the inevitable.
802
00:40:27,075 --> 00:40:27,785
We are going.
803
00:40:28,165 --> 00:40:29,505
It doesn't matter what you do.
804
00:40:29,585 --> 00:40:30,245
We're going.
805
00:40:30,585 --> 00:40:31,585
Nothing's going to stop it.
806
00:40:32,110 --> 00:40:32,670
It's coming.
807
00:40:33,180 --> 00:40:35,724
Every person on the planet
has a skeleton in the closet.
808
00:40:36,295 --> 00:40:38,805
You know, whether you want to let
it out or not, you let it out.
809
00:40:38,995 --> 00:40:41,245
Whether you want to clean
your closet, that's up to you.
810
00:40:41,525 --> 00:40:42,695
I suggest people do.
811
00:40:42,965 --> 00:40:46,465
I think it'd be good in life to
get rid of all this shit in your
812
00:40:46,465 --> 00:40:47,944
life and the people as well.
813
00:40:47,955 --> 00:40:52,224
A lot of people have friends that are
not really friends, you know, and you
814
00:40:52,224 --> 00:40:53,925
don't need all that to tie you down.
815
00:40:53,935 --> 00:40:56,745
Just move on and start
something different and new.
816
00:40:57,055 --> 00:40:59,475
Even if it's going for a walk,
they haven't done for ages.
817
00:40:59,475 --> 00:41:00,105
You just do it.
818
00:41:00,315 --> 00:41:03,625
You know, for me, it's
preparation in knowing that.
819
00:41:04,475 --> 00:41:08,405
We're all going to die, and it's just part
of life, and once you accept that, and if
820
00:41:08,405 --> 00:41:09,985
it happens, you go, well, you know what?
821
00:41:10,475 --> 00:41:11,565
It was always going to happen.
822
00:41:12,205 --> 00:41:16,404
It's always going to happen, and it's a
reality, and I've learned that, and it's
823
00:41:16,404 --> 00:41:21,434
come to me now that, you know, as sad
as it's going to be, and emotional and
824
00:41:21,434 --> 00:41:26,734
everything else, it's part of life, you
know, and I believe the meaning of life
825
00:41:26,744 --> 00:41:29,325
is to avoid death for as long as you can.
826
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:34,660
And tell me, you have embarked at
one stage while you were on the farm
827
00:41:35,230 --> 00:41:39,889
into another side hustle that you
had about an accommodation business.
828
00:41:40,190 --> 00:41:42,470
Yeah, that didn't, that
came and went really quick.
829
00:41:42,549 --> 00:41:45,600
It was an amazing sort of idea.
830
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,789
I had this idea where people just
wanted to meet the coffin confessor,
831
00:41:48,790 --> 00:41:52,550
you know, and sit and talk and
read books and enjoy, you know, a
832
00:41:52,550 --> 00:41:54,300
beer or whatever over a campfire.
833
00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:57,890
And I thought, hey, that could be a
great idea, but I'll go one step further.
834
00:41:57,890 --> 00:41:58,620
Then I broke.
835
00:41:58,650 --> 00:42:03,310
Coffins onto the farm and I had coffin
camping and all the journalists wanted
836
00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:07,270
to know about it and came in and stayed
and had a great time coming and staying.
837
00:42:07,270 --> 00:42:11,639
And a few people came and stayed
and, but I did it at my place and I
838
00:42:11,650 --> 00:42:16,330
shouldn't have done it at my place
because every second car that went past
839
00:42:16,340 --> 00:42:20,220
stopped and tried to jump the fence
and take photos and videos and yelling
840
00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,070
out coffin confessor, we love you.
841
00:42:22,070 --> 00:42:25,090
And in the middle of the night,
and it was just like, Oh my God.
842
00:42:25,190 --> 00:42:28,620
So it was one of those things
that came and went really quick.
843
00:42:29,020 --> 00:42:29,810
Great concept.
844
00:42:29,810 --> 00:42:30,520
Great idea.
845
00:42:30,810 --> 00:42:33,470
A guy come along and he
said, look, I love the idea.
846
00:42:33,470 --> 00:42:35,900
I have a property in the blue
mountains, so I want to do it out
847
00:42:35,900 --> 00:42:37,649
there and I've got caves and all this.
848
00:42:37,649 --> 00:42:38,539
And I said, yeah, cool.
849
00:42:38,790 --> 00:42:40,439
He says, I want to buy
the concept off you.
850
00:42:40,439 --> 00:42:41,420
I said, yeah, not a problem.
851
00:42:41,909 --> 00:42:42,900
Not a problem at all.
852
00:42:42,900 --> 00:42:43,630
You can have it.
853
00:42:44,140 --> 00:42:45,539
So yeah, that's where it went.
854
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:49,730
And I believe he's doing it and
it's cool, niche, different idea.
855
00:42:50,150 --> 00:42:51,240
But for me it wasn't.
856
00:42:51,430 --> 00:42:54,870
I shouldn't have done it at my place,
but hey, we all live and learn.
857
00:42:55,430 --> 00:42:55,740
Yep.
858
00:42:55,740 --> 00:42:58,559
You certainly learned
from that one now, Toby.
859
00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:02,790
I've even like looked up on, on the
internet and there's coffinconfessor.
860
00:43:04,620 --> 00:43:05,120
com.
861
00:43:05,690 --> 00:43:06,920
Now that's not you.
862
00:43:07,020 --> 00:43:10,689
How many people are trying to
emanate you around the world?
863
00:43:11,180 --> 00:43:12,209
Probably thousands,
864
00:43:12,890 --> 00:43:15,799
but I also get thousands of
resumes from around the world.
865
00:43:15,799 --> 00:43:19,619
Most people that are trying to start
it up, they always come back to
866
00:43:19,619 --> 00:43:20,890
me and they go, look, I need help.
867
00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:21,790
How can we do this?
868
00:43:21,790 --> 00:43:24,040
I'm not getting any clients
or they're not trusting me.
869
00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,610
And I'm like, well, you know
what, if they're not trusting
870
00:43:26,610 --> 00:43:27,460
you, I can't trust you.
871
00:43:28,150 --> 00:43:29,090
So I don't know.
872
00:43:29,230 --> 00:43:31,420
It takes a certain type
of person to do it.
873
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:33,000
Not everyone can do it.
874
00:43:33,050 --> 00:43:36,230
It's a job that's, you know,
it's definitely not for the faint
875
00:43:36,230 --> 00:43:37,430
of heart or those that fear.
876
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:40,439
I mean, it's not easy just standing
up in the middle of a funeral and
877
00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:43,590
saying, excuse me, my name's Bilode,
go sit down, shut up or fuck off.
878
00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:45,150
I am the coffin confessor.
879
00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:48,170
The man in the coffin's got something
to say and this is what it is.
880
00:43:48,570 --> 00:43:51,090
And then all of a sudden these
people go, you know, I can do that.
881
00:43:51,090 --> 00:43:51,620
I can say it.
882
00:43:51,630 --> 00:43:56,860
And we had a lady in New Zealand that come
and saw me and I couldn't take her job on.
883
00:43:57,250 --> 00:43:59,909
And she says, Oh, my nephew is going
to be the next coffin confessor
884
00:43:59,909 --> 00:44:01,409
then because he's going to do it.
885
00:44:02,100 --> 00:44:05,610
Two weeks later, I get the email of her
saying, Oh my, my nephew backed out.
886
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:06,360
He couldn't do it.
887
00:44:06,700 --> 00:44:07,380
And I said, yeah.
888
00:44:07,740 --> 00:44:09,250
I said, it's not, not for everyone.
889
00:44:09,300 --> 00:44:10,270
It's a unique job.
890
00:44:10,620 --> 00:44:11,080
It's different.
891
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:11,144
It's different.
892
00:44:11,635 --> 00:44:18,275
And from my understanding, you will
take on a job, you will substantiate
893
00:44:18,345 --> 00:44:24,364
the claims of that person, and
then it may be years before you
894
00:44:24,365 --> 00:44:25,715
have to stand up at their funeral.
895
00:44:26,145 --> 00:44:26,915
Oh, absolutely.
896
00:44:27,185 --> 00:44:27,894
Yeah, for sure.
897
00:44:28,285 --> 00:44:29,195
And that's the beauty of it.
898
00:44:29,224 --> 00:44:32,695
And I mean, people will pay a
deposit and it'll be held in a trust
899
00:44:32,695 --> 00:44:33,915
account and it'll just sit there.
900
00:44:34,215 --> 00:44:39,615
And I'll, you know, and I've even
had some people In 2019, who've
901
00:44:39,645 --> 00:44:42,775
come to me in 2023 and say, Oh,
look, I've had a change of heart.
902
00:44:42,825 --> 00:44:43,795
Yeah, not a problem.
903
00:44:43,855 --> 00:44:44,525
There's your refund.
904
00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:47,960
You know, live life, enjoy life
and do what you're going to do.
905
00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,360
And they'll go, look, if I
think of something different,
906
00:44:50,370 --> 00:44:51,720
can I, yeah, of course.
907
00:44:51,810 --> 00:44:55,980
I mean, my job's descriptions changed
so much from crashing funerals to
908
00:44:55,980 --> 00:45:01,140
placing items in coffins to pin pricking
bodies to, you know, going all over
909
00:45:01,140 --> 00:45:05,280
the world, doing what I'm doing and now
doing the afterlife delivery service
910
00:45:05,310 --> 00:45:08,570
is just, you know, it's incredible,
unique and it's, it's humbling.
911
00:45:08,930 --> 00:45:11,980
Let's talk about the
Afterlife Delivery Service.
912
00:45:12,100 --> 00:45:12,460
Mmm.
913
00:45:12,470 --> 00:45:13,050
What does that involve?
914
00:45:14,030 --> 00:45:18,230
So people have engaged me now to put
together either a basket of their
915
00:45:18,240 --> 00:45:23,210
choosing, certain items, and deliver it
either on a birthday, anniversary, or
916
00:45:23,279 --> 00:45:25,649
special occasion after the person's died.
917
00:45:26,110 --> 00:45:29,550
Two instances was a lady that had
passed seven months ago and wanted it
918
00:45:29,570 --> 00:45:33,800
delivered to her husband with a special
trip, which was a world trip that they'd
919
00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:37,660
been saving on going, and they couldn't
go because she was terminally ill.
920
00:45:37,660 --> 00:45:37,780
Oh.
921
00:45:37,950 --> 00:45:41,880
But she saved enough money to buy
that trip for him, so he could now go.
922
00:45:42,170 --> 00:45:43,770
And it's beautiful, delivering that.
923
00:45:43,810 --> 00:45:46,760
Yeah, I get some requests that
you just think, Seriously?
924
00:45:46,870 --> 00:45:47,890
That's what you want delivered?
925
00:45:47,890 --> 00:45:50,480
Then, and this person wanted
a car delivered, right?
926
00:45:50,570 --> 00:45:54,009
To a person that, that,
you know, he really liked.
927
00:45:54,339 --> 00:45:56,269
And the person always admired his car.
928
00:45:56,830 --> 00:46:01,970
And this is only a recent event where the
person, You know, I'd knock on the door
929
00:46:01,970 --> 00:46:03,630
and I'd say, G'day Jamie, how are you?
930
00:46:03,700 --> 00:46:05,260
And I'm Bill the coffin confessor.
931
00:46:05,660 --> 00:46:08,390
Remember Ted, you used to
live next door to for 15 years
932
00:46:08,390 --> 00:46:09,970
and you admired his XB coop.
933
00:46:10,460 --> 00:46:10,820
Yeah.
934
00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:16,610
Well, it's parked in your driveway mate,
it's yours, you know, so things like that.
935
00:46:16,850 --> 00:46:17,310
Yeah.
936
00:46:17,430 --> 00:46:18,040
Pretty cool.
937
00:46:18,790 --> 00:46:18,980
Oh.
938
00:46:18,980 --> 00:46:21,879
And, and being a car man yourself,
939
00:46:22,479 --> 00:46:23,119
that would have been
940
00:46:23,119 --> 00:46:23,419
great.
941
00:46:24,319 --> 00:46:24,779
Love doing it.
942
00:46:25,740 --> 00:46:25,870
Yeah.
943
00:46:26,300 --> 00:46:30,420
I mean, I, I, when you read out,
you know, car thief at the start, I
944
00:46:30,420 --> 00:46:32,660
was, you know, I sold my first car.
945
00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:34,330
I was 14.
946
00:46:34,610 --> 00:46:34,740
Yeah.
947
00:46:34,740 --> 00:46:36,470
I was 14 when I sold my first car.
948
00:46:36,470 --> 00:46:37,650
That's how I learned to drive.
949
00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,580
It was a manual, you know, and I
stole it from a service station and
950
00:46:41,580 --> 00:46:44,490
I remember bunny hopping all the
way down surface paradise boulevard.
951
00:46:44,490 --> 00:46:51,020
I should have, you know, and I had
a love for cars and fast cars and.
952
00:46:51,555 --> 00:46:56,805
You know, I had a really, I
had hidden talents that were so
953
00:46:56,965 --> 00:46:59,805
bizarre and stupid and so wrong.
954
00:47:00,344 --> 00:47:04,115
And it was until later on in life
that I ended up working hard and
955
00:47:04,115 --> 00:47:05,725
saving and buying those cars.
956
00:47:05,725 --> 00:47:08,895
And even today I've got a nice
car, you know, it's just something
957
00:47:08,895 --> 00:47:10,464
I've always had and wanted.
958
00:47:10,464 --> 00:47:13,085
And if you want it bad enough
and yeah, you'll get it.
959
00:47:13,745 --> 00:47:17,895
Tell me, what is you perceive
to be the biggest misconception
960
00:47:17,895 --> 00:47:19,555
about the role of work you do?
961
00:47:20,025 --> 00:47:22,455
They forget that I'm only the messenger.
962
00:47:22,935 --> 00:47:25,604
I'm there on behalf of their
loved one laying in the coffin.
963
00:47:26,295 --> 00:47:27,935
It's not my story.
964
00:47:28,045 --> 00:47:28,934
It's theirs.
965
00:47:29,345 --> 00:47:32,075
Don't think I've just seen the funeral
and I'm just going to crash it.
966
00:47:32,425 --> 00:47:32,725
Right?
967
00:47:32,964 --> 00:47:34,624
I don't just rock up to anybody's funeral.
968
00:47:35,194 --> 00:47:37,204
I'm there on behalf of your loved one.
969
00:47:37,564 --> 00:47:38,694
It's their funeral.
970
00:47:39,234 --> 00:47:40,404
It's not my words.
971
00:47:40,474 --> 00:47:42,175
I read exactly what they've written.
972
00:47:42,935 --> 00:47:46,145
I place it back in the envelope,
put it on the coffin and I leave.
973
00:47:46,345 --> 00:47:49,435
I have no idea if, you know,
I don't know if it continues
974
00:47:49,435 --> 00:47:51,225
or not after the bombshells.
975
00:47:51,874 --> 00:47:55,025
And I really don't care because I've
done my job, I've fulfilled my job.
976
00:47:55,414 --> 00:47:59,374
My role as the coffin confessor
is there for my client only, first
977
00:47:59,374 --> 00:48:01,135
and foremost, but it's not me.
978
00:48:01,155 --> 00:48:02,195
I'm just the messenger.
979
00:48:02,205 --> 00:48:05,795
So a lot of people will think, Oh, why
would you put words in their mouth?
980
00:48:05,845 --> 00:48:08,084
I don't, I don't put words in their mouth.
981
00:48:08,085 --> 00:48:08,845
I just sit with them.
982
00:48:08,985 --> 00:48:09,825
I hear their story.
983
00:48:09,985 --> 00:48:11,065
I video their story.
984
00:48:11,545 --> 00:48:12,634
I have a contract with them.
985
00:48:12,990 --> 00:48:14,720
And then I release it at the funeral.
986
00:48:15,230 --> 00:48:19,670
And tell me, you briefly alluded to one
particular contract you had with a client.
987
00:48:20,630 --> 00:48:24,490
You mentioned the words
bin cushion earlier.
988
00:48:24,720 --> 00:48:25,270
Mmm.
989
00:48:25,380 --> 00:48:28,957
You probably should expand
on that one for our audience.
990
00:48:28,957 --> 00:48:29,381
Yeah,
991
00:48:29,381 --> 00:48:33,080
so, and it's not the first time either.
992
00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:38,760
I mean, I, I had this, Yeah, everybody's
like has a fear of something, you know,
993
00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:43,370
and people have claustrophobia, you
know, being in small tight places, you
994
00:48:43,370 --> 00:48:45,740
know, it's just something people hate.
995
00:48:46,099 --> 00:48:50,249
This first client, he was
petrified of being cremated alive.
996
00:48:50,380 --> 00:48:53,589
It's something that he dreamt
about, had nightmares about, always
997
00:48:53,589 --> 00:48:57,040
thought that he was going to be in
a glass coffin and he was laying
998
00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:58,600
there and he could see the mourners.
999
00:48:59,050 --> 00:49:01,080
But at the time the
priest said, let us pray.
1000
00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:03,430
So everybody had their heads
bowed when he's trying to move
1001
00:49:03,430 --> 00:49:04,980
and get the attention of everyone.
1002
00:49:05,270 --> 00:49:06,960
And that was one of his crazy dreams.
1003
00:49:07,475 --> 00:49:10,125
And he said, look, I need you to
come to the viewing and pinprick
1004
00:49:10,145 --> 00:49:11,885
my body to make sure I'm deceased.
1005
00:49:12,765 --> 00:49:15,785
And I said, are you sure that's
like, that's what you want?
1006
00:49:15,785 --> 00:49:16,825
He said, yeah, that's what I want.
1007
00:49:16,955 --> 00:49:17,945
I need you to do that.
1008
00:49:18,415 --> 00:49:20,655
And I did, I fulfilled the obligation.
1009
00:49:20,695 --> 00:49:22,365
I had to film it and everything else.
1010
00:49:22,375 --> 00:49:26,344
And I had to make sure that I'd get
a couple of minutes private viewing
1011
00:49:27,204 --> 00:49:29,745
because I wasn't going to just go
in and start pinpricking the body
1012
00:49:29,785 --> 00:49:31,125
in front of family and friends.
1013
00:49:31,575 --> 00:49:32,395
Probably wise.
1014
00:49:32,695 --> 00:49:33,085
Yeah.
1015
00:49:33,165 --> 00:49:34,405
But it's happened a couple of times now.
1016
00:49:34,405 --> 00:49:34,565
Yeah.
1017
00:49:34,565 --> 00:49:34,644
Yeah.
1018
00:49:35,105 --> 00:49:39,995
And has there been a request
that surprised you or, you know,
1019
00:49:40,195 --> 00:49:41,875
it's been quite unexpected?
1020
00:49:42,385 --> 00:49:47,865
Oh, you know, the most, the request
that really gets me and it's got, it
1021
00:49:47,885 --> 00:49:52,895
got me the first time ever was that to
be a suicide note when the lady, you
1022
00:49:52,895 --> 00:49:55,865
know, and you do everything you can to
talk to them and ask them to get help
1023
00:49:55,885 --> 00:49:58,135
and you advise and you offer them help.
1024
00:49:58,135 --> 00:49:58,955
It didn't matter.
1025
00:49:58,965 --> 00:50:00,375
She was going to do what
she was going to do.
1026
00:50:00,375 --> 00:50:05,465
And she did do what she did, you know,
but she wanted me to be her suicide note.
1027
00:50:06,030 --> 00:50:07,390
living suicide note.
1028
00:50:07,390 --> 00:50:10,950
And I found that a little
confronting at first.
1029
00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:12,680
And then I thought, I don't
know if I could do that.
1030
00:50:12,690 --> 00:50:14,570
And then I thought, well,
I am the coffin confessor.
1031
00:50:14,570 --> 00:50:15,410
That's what I did.
1032
00:50:16,159 --> 00:50:16,419
Yeah.
1033
00:50:16,659 --> 00:50:17,550
It's exactly what I do.
1034
00:50:17,550 --> 00:50:21,149
I'm just confessing someone's secret,
you know, and that's what she wants.
1035
00:50:21,279 --> 00:50:22,000
That's what she got.
1036
00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:24,790
But it was, yeah, it was
confronting at the start.
1037
00:50:25,270 --> 00:50:29,829
And how was it received by the loved
ones that you gave the message to?
1038
00:50:30,309 --> 00:50:31,079
They were pricks.
1039
00:50:31,079 --> 00:50:32,749
The family were absolute pricks.
1040
00:50:33,210 --> 00:50:35,269
I couldn't believe she
had a family like that.
1041
00:50:35,270 --> 00:50:39,945
Like, you know, Her brother yells out, oh,
she should have done it a long time ago.
1042
00:50:40,075 --> 00:50:44,375
And her father was more devastated
about his wife death 10 years earlier
1043
00:50:44,385 --> 00:50:46,585
and said that he didn't even care.
1044
00:50:46,975 --> 00:50:50,384
You know, it's just like, fuck, you
know, this lady had taken her own
1045
00:50:50,384 --> 00:50:53,685
life because of issues that she had.
1046
00:50:54,125 --> 00:50:59,355
And I could see the main issue she
had was family, you know, so I sort
1047
00:50:59,355 --> 00:51:02,705
of could understand a little of
why she, she went the way she did.
1048
00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:06,880
And how, especially in those
circumstances that are quite
1049
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:13,809
confronting, how do you, I suppose,
function and does it impact your life?
1050
00:51:13,810 --> 00:51:17,840
Like how do you do self care
so you don't bring it home?
1051
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:20,119
I don't think I do anymore.
1052
00:51:20,150 --> 00:51:21,450
I don't hold onto anything.
1053
00:51:21,810 --> 00:51:24,490
And like I say, all the trauma
I've been through has probably
1054
00:51:24,490 --> 00:51:26,810
made me able to do what I do.
1055
00:51:27,060 --> 00:51:29,320
You know, all the abuse I
suffered and everything else.
1056
00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:31,249
And I don't hold onto any of that.
1057
00:51:31,249 --> 00:51:31,519
So.
1058
00:51:32,220 --> 00:51:34,350
Therefore, I don't hold
on to anybody else's.
1059
00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:36,620
I just go in, do the job and I walk away.
1060
00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:41,810
Sometimes I might, you know, sit
by myself or be somewhere and
1061
00:51:41,810 --> 00:51:45,950
I'll just have a little reflection
or think about those people.
1062
00:51:46,230 --> 00:51:49,469
Or when, you know, I'm interviewed
like this and I'm thinking of
1063
00:51:49,470 --> 00:51:50,800
the lady now who took a life.
1064
00:51:50,839 --> 00:51:54,970
And I think to myself, what
was saddest for me is that.
1065
00:51:55,560 --> 00:52:00,040
Her family, you know,
it's just a terrible part.
1066
00:52:00,110 --> 00:52:04,170
And I think to myself, I'm so glad
that I've got a family that Lara
1067
00:52:04,170 --> 00:52:07,030
and I have created that we're so
close that that would never happen.
1068
00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:08,390
And we won't allow that to happen.
1069
00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:11,159
You know, we communicate,
we love each other dearly.
1070
00:52:11,210 --> 00:52:13,879
And that's a big problem with
a lot of families these days.
1071
00:52:13,880 --> 00:52:14,850
They don't communicate.
1072
00:52:14,850 --> 00:52:18,720
We see that with a lot of couples, you
know, you see a lot of couples that
1073
00:52:18,730 --> 00:52:22,800
they go, Oh yeah, we talk all the time,
but we haven't had sex in 12 months.
1074
00:52:23,620 --> 00:52:25,770
Obviously you don't talk, you know?
1075
00:52:26,059 --> 00:52:26,259
So.
1076
00:52:26,875 --> 00:52:29,235
Yeah, it's, it's just one
of those things, yeah.
1077
00:52:29,295 --> 00:52:32,325
So I reflect on those things,
but a very, very short moment.
1078
00:52:32,395 --> 00:52:33,785
I don't let them live within my head.
1079
00:52:34,645 --> 00:52:36,505
And have you done anything to
prepare for your own death?
1080
00:52:37,074 --> 00:52:37,684
Yes.
1081
00:52:38,155 --> 00:52:40,254
Yeah, so I'm not having a funeral.
1082
00:52:40,375 --> 00:52:44,324
I'm just having a cremation, thrown
in the ocean, bottle of port, followed
1083
00:52:44,324 --> 00:52:47,155
by bottle of port, and the family
does what they're going to do.
1084
00:52:47,685 --> 00:52:50,615
Which is probably not grieve as
much because I wrote about it in the
1085
00:52:50,615 --> 00:52:55,655
second book about how they, they came
after they played a prank on me about
1086
00:52:55,655 --> 00:52:57,135
being dead, which was really cool.
1087
00:52:57,145 --> 00:53:01,665
I enjoyed it actually, after I got over
the initial, what the fuck's going on?
1088
00:53:02,115 --> 00:53:09,574
But yeah, I'm, I'm looking at
doing something special and yeah,
1089
00:53:10,094 --> 00:53:14,325
I don't know yet, I don't know, I'm
exploring holograms, which is really
1090
00:53:14,325 --> 00:53:16,975
cool, but the problem with that is.
1091
00:53:17,935 --> 00:53:21,315
And this is something I sort of,
I didn't really think about at the
1092
00:53:21,325 --> 00:53:24,715
time, but now I'm thinking after
the coffin camping idea, with a
1093
00:53:24,725 --> 00:53:25,995
hologram, you're there forever.
1094
00:53:26,465 --> 00:53:30,825
And so you don't change, but the people
around you always change, but you
1095
00:53:30,825 --> 00:53:32,395
don't, you're always there the same.
1096
00:53:32,754 --> 00:53:33,615
Is that what you want?
1097
00:53:33,634 --> 00:53:34,764
Is that what you want to leave?
1098
00:53:34,794 --> 00:53:38,095
And then I think, well, you
know, if I was to die today,
1099
00:53:38,205 --> 00:53:39,795
the family can Google me anyway.
1100
00:53:40,105 --> 00:53:40,395
Yeah.
1101
00:53:40,395 --> 00:53:41,545
I'm always there.
1102
00:53:41,585 --> 00:53:43,295
So I'm always speaking or doing something.
1103
00:53:43,295 --> 00:53:46,977
So, and again, I don't change, I'm
always there, you know, so I don't know.
1104
00:53:46,977 --> 00:53:47,202
Yeah.
1105
00:53:47,202 --> 00:53:47,428
Yeah.
1106
00:53:47,428 --> 00:53:48,625
But I'm looking, you do it.
1107
00:53:49,580 --> 00:53:53,260
You and Abba, left as
holograms for eternity.
1108
00:53:53,780 --> 00:53:54,360
Imagine that.
1109
00:53:54,810 --> 00:53:55,270
I don't know.
1110
00:53:55,790 --> 00:53:56,810
It's an idea, but.
1111
00:53:56,980 --> 00:53:58,200
Do you have a will?
1112
00:53:58,230 --> 00:54:00,130
Do you have an advanced care directive?
1113
00:54:00,430 --> 00:54:02,339
Have you had these conversations?
1114
00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:04,679
I have had the conversations.
1115
00:54:04,850 --> 00:54:08,720
I have a trust and this is something
I try to tell a lot of people to do.
1116
00:54:08,740 --> 00:54:10,160
You've got to have a family trust.
1117
00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:15,010
Everything's in the family trust and
that way it eliminates a lot of bullshit.
1118
00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:16,880
It's a family trust.
1119
00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:18,060
Everything goes to the family.
1120
00:54:18,460 --> 00:54:20,460
There's no, no, no worries there.
1121
00:54:20,590 --> 00:54:23,190
You know, that's how I've
always done it that way.
1122
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:26,630
I hate the idea of
people contesting wills.
1123
00:54:26,820 --> 00:54:31,370
It happens so often and I've investigated
a lot of these claims and I've sat
1124
00:54:31,370 --> 00:54:34,669
with people that contest them and I
can understand they're contesting it
1125
00:54:34,670 --> 00:54:38,710
because, you know, someone else is getting
more, no one gets more than a lawyer.
1126
00:54:39,700 --> 00:54:40,670
Okay, no one.
1127
00:54:41,030 --> 00:54:44,820
So, and I hate the blood sucking
parasitic lawyers, I really do.
1128
00:54:45,430 --> 00:54:49,150
But they do, they make a lot of
money out of, you know, bills and
1129
00:54:49,150 --> 00:54:53,270
estates, and it's something that also
I believe needs to be overhauled.
1130
00:54:53,279 --> 00:54:55,490
I don't like the system, how it works.
1131
00:54:55,930 --> 00:55:00,099
I find it a betrayal of those
that have gone, especially when
1132
00:55:00,099 --> 00:55:01,489
they've insisted on what they want.
1133
00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:05,310
And when it's not done,
that's a huge betrayal.
1134
00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:08,890
So I really hope there's a fucking
afterlife and it comes back on all these
1135
00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:11,070
people that have done the dirty on them.
1136
00:55:11,390 --> 00:55:12,020
I really do.
1137
00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:16,719
Given all your experience and what
you've seen about humanity, what
1138
00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:21,659
advice do you give to people about
their unresolved issues or secrets?
1139
00:55:22,160 --> 00:55:23,070
Oh, give me a call.
1140
00:55:23,450 --> 00:55:24,290
I'd be inundated.
1141
00:55:25,190 --> 00:55:26,070
No, you know what?
1142
00:55:26,140 --> 00:55:29,310
It's like I said before, it's
a skeleton in the closet.
1143
00:55:29,350 --> 00:55:34,180
It's an issue they have either resolve it
now or take it to the grave or let it out.
1144
00:55:34,230 --> 00:55:36,240
You know, it's truly up to them.
1145
00:55:36,639 --> 00:55:40,460
Me personally, I like to
resolve any issues I've got.
1146
00:55:40,800 --> 00:55:44,490
I do that because I'm capable and able
to, but I understand there's a lot of
1147
00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:46,510
people that aren't and can't do that.
1148
00:55:46,950 --> 00:55:49,300
But that's unfortunate, but that's where.
1149
00:55:50,505 --> 00:55:56,145
I guess the coffin confessor concept and
idea is, you know, born and sprung to
1150
00:55:56,145 --> 00:55:59,795
life because I didn't realize it was so
many people that, you know, and it's not
1151
00:55:59,955 --> 00:56:04,674
because also a lot of people are fearful
of opening up those cans of worms, but a
1152
00:56:04,675 --> 00:56:07,815
lot of people on their deathbed, they're
not visited by the people that hurt them.
1153
00:56:08,435 --> 00:56:11,445
They're not visited by the people
that, you know, just love them.
1154
00:56:11,605 --> 00:56:13,815
They're visited by the
people that truly love them.
1155
00:56:14,315 --> 00:56:16,875
So they don't see those
people on their deathbed.
1156
00:56:17,395 --> 00:56:20,465
You know, so, you know, I can
understand sometimes they're like,
1157
00:56:20,945 --> 00:56:26,345
Hey, listen, you know, I want to
leave a message of love or hate or
1158
00:56:26,354 --> 00:56:28,844
disrespect or concern or whatever it is.
1159
00:56:29,224 --> 00:56:30,035
That's up to them.
1160
00:56:30,035 --> 00:56:30,835
That's fine.
1161
00:56:31,095 --> 00:56:34,964
As long as I get to investigate their
claims first and I know that, you know,
1162
00:56:35,275 --> 00:56:40,055
that it's true and, and I'm not going
to destroy a family through bullshit.
1163
00:56:40,945 --> 00:56:42,965
I'm going to make sure I'm
a hundred percent accurate.
1164
00:56:42,965 --> 00:56:47,725
And that's why I don't take every
job on, you know, I just can't.
1165
00:56:48,345 --> 00:56:53,515
And that leads me to my last question for
you Bill, because there is only one Bill
1166
00:56:53,535 --> 00:57:00,135
Edgar who has been formed by your past,
what is the future of Coffin Confessor?
1167
00:57:00,595 --> 00:57:01,835
Yeah, I had a big issue.
1168
00:57:01,885 --> 00:57:05,624
I've had thousands of people reach
out to me, but I've had a number of
1169
00:57:05,625 --> 00:57:09,925
people in the United States, England,
all over the world, wanting me to
1170
00:57:09,935 --> 00:57:11,825
franchise and do certain things with it.
1171
00:57:12,335 --> 00:57:18,625
My issue, and it comes back to my morals
and integrity, is that it is so easy.
1172
00:57:19,270 --> 00:57:24,340
to take advantage of the dying and the
deceased because you get paid up front
1173
00:57:24,830 --> 00:57:31,329
and nobody knows except you and them so
how do they know or you know the job's
1174
00:57:31,330 --> 00:57:39,400
being done so that's an issue I have
It's possible it will die with me, or
1175
00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:44,450
I might create a system that's a little
bit harder for those to manipulate it.
1176
00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:49,020
And I just haven't got that yet, so that's
why I haven't allowed it to spawn and go
1177
00:57:49,049 --> 00:57:50,719
into a big business all over the world.
1178
00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:55,649
I'll keep doing it by myself, and I'll
hold the integrity and the truth and
1179
00:57:55,649 --> 00:57:58,679
everything with it for as long as I can.
1180
00:57:59,299 --> 00:58:02,210
Because like I say, it's just
too easy, too easy to manipulate.
1181
00:58:02,825 --> 00:58:06,725
Well, I look forward to seeing how
that develops still, and I can't
1182
00:58:06,745 --> 00:58:08,355
thank you enough for your time today.
1183
00:58:09,085 --> 00:58:11,105
No, thank you for having
me, and it's been great.
1184
00:58:11,235 --> 00:58:11,965
Really enjoyed it.
1185
00:58:14,894 --> 00:58:18,315
We hope you enjoyed today's
episode of Don't Be Caught Dead,
1186
00:58:18,635 --> 00:58:20,205
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1187
00:58:21,144 --> 00:58:25,415
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1188
00:58:25,415 --> 00:58:27,265
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1189
00:58:27,515 --> 00:58:28,555
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1190
00:58:28,655 --> 00:58:32,855
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1191
00:58:33,005 --> 00:58:37,175
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1192
00:58:37,175 --> 00:58:38,915
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1193
00:58:39,185 --> 00:58:40,535
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1194
00:58:40,685 --> 00:58:41,675
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1195
00:58:41,675 --> 00:58:45,605
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1196
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Resources
- Learn More: Bill Edgar
- Read the Book: Bill's Collection
- Watch the Video: Why I tell people to ‘f*** off’ at funerals
- My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?
Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.
- Support Services
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.
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