Gráinne Seoige’s new documentary on pornographic deepfakes, drawing on her own experience of being targeted during an election campaign, will lead Virgin Media’s autumn season.

The presenter was alerted to sexualised images of herself, which had been made with artificial intelligence (AI), in the middle of her 2024 general election candidacy for Galway West.

She has since called for action on the availability of such technology to be taken by regulators and the Government.

Launching its autumn schedule, Virgin Media said: ‘In Deepfake Ireland: The Naked Truth, Seoige shares her deeply personal experience after a deepfake pornographic image threatened to derail her political ambitions.

‘Compelled by the harrowing experiences of fellow victims, including a 15-year-old girl, this powerful documentary follows Gráinne on a journey from victim to advocate as she shines a light on the growing threat of AI-enabled abuse and the need for change.’

In an earlier interview, Ms Seoige, 52, said: ‘I’ve had to deal with the shame and humiliation of this. It has been deeply traumatising. So my heart goes out to any woman, and the families of any women, who are dealing with this right now. And I know you’re out there. I see you, I hear you, and I can speak on your behalf. I have a voice, and I can use it.’

The former Fianna Fáil candidate continued: ‘It was the most shocking thing that has happened to me in my life, and it took me a long time to really process it.’

The station said the autumn will bring a range of new documentaries and factual series reflecting the issues, experiences and conversations shaping life in Ireland today.

A spokesman said: ‘ From the housing crisis and pressures on the education system to women’s health, online abuse and the hidden dangers of life in the digital age, the new season will place real people and lived experiences at the heart of the conversation, while continuing to deliver the entertaining, thought-provoking and personality-led programming audiences know and love.’

In Crisis In The Classroom, Ireland AM presenter and former special needs assistant (SNA) Eric Roberts, 35, will explore the challenges facing special needs education in Ireland.

Meeting families, principals and SNAs, he examines the impact stretched resources and support services are having on children and schools.

Meanwhile, in Health Hysteria: Are Women Being Gaslit?, model and presenter Katja Mia, 30, investigates why so many women face years of unanswered questions when it comes to their health.

The documentary explores gaps in women’s healthcare research, the search for answers and the increasingly influential role the internet plays in informing, and at times misleading, women on their health.

As our lives become increasingly connected, VMTV’s upcoming season will also explore the growing impact of life online and the challenges that come with it.

In Toxic Threads, presenter Brian Dowling Gourounlian, 48, explores the world of online abuse after becoming the target of trolls. Through conversations with people who have experienced harassment first-hand, as well as experts in the field, he investigates the scale of the problem and what can be done to hold perpetrators accountable.

Alongside these new titles, an audience favourite will return to screens this season. The nation’s sharpest armchair critics are back as Gogglebox Ireland returns for another season, sharing their hilarious, heartfelt and honest reactions to the television moments everyone is talking about.

Further scheduling details across Virgin Media television and Virgin Media PLAY are set to be unveiled in the coming weeks.