I’m Susie Dent and in the age of AI I believe being a geek may never have been so important

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After years of studying how language changes, I’ve learned to accept that words naturally evolve, and I generally don’t get bothered by it. English has always been a free-flowing language, developing on its own without strict rules. However, one recent trend really bothers me, and it’s a surprisingly personal reason why.

The term “neek” – a combination of “nerd” and “geek” – describes someone intensely passionate about a specific topic, often to the point of being seen as uncool. It reminds me of growing up and realizing I had to hide my love of learning, worried about being called a know-it-all.

I used to be embarrassed about something I truly enjoyed and was actually good at, even though my teachers supported me. Years later, while working on our show ‘Secret Genius,’ Alan Carr and I realized that people still feel a lot of pressure to conform.

Our show wanted to demonstrate that brilliant people come from all walks of life. Mensa believes there are over a million highly intelligent people around us, meaning most of us likely know one. It could be the friend who always gets jokes first, the coworker who’s great with numbers, or the partner who easily finds patterns.

The people featured in Secret Genius come from all walks of life – they could be stay-at-home parents, bus drivers, healthcare workers, tradespeople, or even performers. What they all share isn’t necessarily formal education, but a natural, special intelligence that makes them stand out.

We’ve repeatedly heard from people on our show – aged 20 to 63 – that they often hid their intelligence in school. They felt pressure to fit in, so they acted differently – some became class clowns, others constantly spoke out of turn, and still others stayed silent and avoided participation, all to mask how bright they truly were.

They all felt unique, but instead of embracing those differences, they often acted like they didn’t exist. What they really wanted was acceptance from others, but for many talented individuals, any praise they received on the show felt like it came much too late.

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As a huge movie fan, it’s frustrating when I run into technical hiccups! Right now, I’m getting a message saying I can’t see whatever I’m trying to view because of a Google security check. Apparently, it’s linked to something called ‘Contentpass,’ and the suggestion is to sign out of that to get things working. Hopefully, that’ll do the trick and I can finally watch what I came for!

Many words once used as insults about intelligence are now seen in a positive light. “Geek” is a great example – it’s completely changed its meaning! Originally, back in the 19th century, it described someone who performed bizarre and shocking acts, like at a freak show – even doing things like biting the heads off animals.

The term ‘geek’ originally described any unusual or obsessive behavior, especially a strong focus on a single topic. Over time, it evolved to represent someone passionate about learning, and now it’s often seen as a positive trait. However, the recent emergence of the word ‘neek’ feels like a step backward. According to teenagers, being labeled a ‘neek’ is definitely not desirable.

We should make being smart – especially being naturally curious – something to be admired. Let’s encourage kids to embrace their interests and dreams without fear, and to celebrate intelligence instead of making fun of it. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, having a passion for learning might be more valuable than ever.

We’ve made significant progress lately, but as the show Secret Genius demonstrates, there’s still work to be done. I’ve always thought Alan was exceptionally bright, and Celebrity Traitors proved he’s incredibly skilled at keeping things hidden.

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2026-02-02 20:35