The Modern Mann

Extreme highs, extreme lows, and a bungled bank robbery Radcliffe Royds had it all - a private education; a job in the City; a wife and kids. So, how did he find himself robbing a bank with a banana, high on crack cocaine, whilst living in a skip in Soho? In this incredible interview, he tells Olly his outrageous story. It's a tale of extreme highs and lows, brutal honesty and dark humour. This interview first aired in 2016. Now remastered and with an update from Radcliffe, we've paired this episode with Our Conviction. Listen now - and if you have an episode from our past you'd like to recommend, let us know at modernmann.co.uk/feedback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sue Beere’s husband, John, was jailed for his role in a £53 million drug-smuggling plot.  He’s spent time in a maximum-security prison. He’s lost two appeals. But Sue has never doubted his innocence. Alongside charity Appeal, Sue continues to campaign for his conviction to be quashed - and for all the ‘Freshwater Five’ implicated in the alleged cocaine conspiracy to be exonerated.  In this compelling conversation with Olly, Sue recounts how - from John’s unexpected arrest to the shocking outcome of his trial - she has battled stigma, financial struggles, and the British legal system… from her family home on the Isle of Wight. Find out more about Appeal on their website, https://appeal.org.uk/ This episode is sponsored by Readly, who are offering Mann-fans an exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. Get yours at readly.com/mann —- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is hunting for a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder… might a simple vitamin tablet do the trick, or is it w

Raising $1m in venture capital whilst still at Uni; starting a business seemed like child's play for James Routledge. His start-up attracted 50m page views per month, and his investors believed he could be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Except, beneath the surface, he felt stressed, isolated and alone - and his business was burning £30,000 per month. In this honest and compelling interview with Olly, he explains what happened next. This interview first aired in 2017 . Now remastered and with an update on Sanctus, we've paired this episode with Veganuary - Planting The Seed. Listen now - and if you have an episode from our past you'd like to recommend, let us know at modernmann.co.uk/feedback James is co-founder of mental health start-up Sanctus. Read the blog-post that started it all here, and sign up to their weekly newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yorkshire couple Matthew Glover and Jane Land created Veganuary at their kitchen table.  Inspired by Movember, their concept of challenging the nation to try veganism for a month gained incredible momentum via social media, and became a global organisation.  But, along the way, it drained their finances, crashed their servers, and ate up their Christmasses... In this interview with Olly, the husband-and-wife entrepreneurs consider the flaws of their early strategy; take us behind-the-scenes of the iconic Greggs’ Vegan Sausage Roll; and reveal how they’ve faced down criticism from within the vegan movement, the meat lobby and Piers Morgan… _____________ The health theme continues in the Zeitgeist, for which Ollie Peart investigates the trend for low and no alcohol wine and spirits. From miniature cordials by high-end ‘wine’ brand Jukes, to a sparkling bottle of Muri’s Sherbert Daydream, Ollie attempts to persuade us there’s so much more to the zero-booze booze market than Beck’s Blue and Shloer.   But, a

Olly, Alix and Ollie are under the mistletoe for our annual festive ding-dong, with sensational live music, a feelgood Christmas task, and a bucketload of obscene toys. Deck the Halls! First up, Ollie Peart reports back on his mission to unite to match up the world’s Mann-fans with skills and needs in his philanthrotainment-bashing charity concept, The Modern 2023 Skill-a-thon. Jingle your bells as he unites mountain climbers and copywriters, graphic designers and charity campaigners, and young farmers with energy consultants. Ho ho ho! * Intrigued? Be the first to join our brand new Discord server: https://www.modernmann.co.uk/skills * ———————————— Next up, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive acoustic performance from duo Ailis Mackay and Hayley Tait, aka Dirty Blonde, whose breakup anthem Favourite Record is, indeed, our favourite record this month… ———————————— Finally, Alix Fox ups the ante yet again with an outrageous edition of her annual XXXmas Foxhole Quiz.  Faced with a

Caz Jaine faced danger, isolation and even assault when she took a foreign office role in Basra during the ‘reconstruction’ phase of the Iraq war.  But she thrived on the adrenalin of conflict zones - and was even diagnosed with ‘post-traumatic development’... As she explains to Olly in this wide-ranging conversation, her subsequent experiences as a Police emergency call handler led her to broaden her self-care and resilience. Now a meditation teacher, Caz takes police officers on forest retreats, and advocates passionately for culture change and emotional support within blue light professions. CONTENT WARNING: suicide, self harm, animal harm. — Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart checks out the trend for ‘philanthrotainment’ - influencers leveraging their platforms to raise money for charity.  Is the technique - evidenced by the likes of Youtuber Mr Beast and Instagram’s King of Chemo - a more direct, straightforward way of supporting charitable causes than the corruption-prone supply chains of lar

After twenty years, Kamran Ashraf is still seeking justice. Wrongfully sent to prison by the Post Office, he and his family are one of 700 subpostmasters and sub postmistresses that were convicted on false evidence - provided by a broken computer system known as Horizon. Three years after our original interview, we discover what happened next. Was his appeal successful? And what will it take to see justice for the hundreds of men and women affected? The ‘Horizon scandal’ has since been described as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in recent British legal history. You can discover more at postofficetrial.com. Our thanks to journalist Nick Wallis for connecting us. In the original story, we changed their names to protect their appeal for justice. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has spent the month avoiding Ultra Processed Foods, using The Nova Scale. From sausages to cornichons, Ollie takes us through the things some experts think we should remove from our diet - and reveals a

Britain’s shoplifters fear David McKelvey. His companies, TM Eye and My Local Bobby, have brought over 1,200 private prosecutions - and never lost a case.  Commandeering a commercial force of savvy ex-coppers, David pursues thieves the Police usually let go with a caution - guys who steal steaks from Waitrose and flog them to restaurants, and housewives hawking fake handbags on Facebook.  In this wide-ranging and illuminating conversation with Olly, David explains how private individuals can make arrests and bring court cases; answers the criticisms of the system thrown up by the Post Office scandal; and explains why buying counterfeit designer labels from car boot sales is not simply a crime of copyright theft - but the tip of a large-scale operation that can involve child labour, toxic materials, and terrorist gangs… —------------------- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart enlists the help of former Top Gear presenter Rory Reid to investigate just how environmentally-friendly electric vehicles truly

Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith return to the show to compare notes with Olly on raising their now seven-and-a-half year-old boys. Can they now swear freely in front of their kids? How best to deal with ‘8pm extension negotiations’ at bedtime? And how should one answer the ‘Is Santa real?’ question? Plus, how to use ‘Frozen 2’ as a teaching device, the pitfalls of monitoring WhatsApp messages, and the foolproof way to extract young children from softplay… To catch up on the story so far, visit https://modernmann.co.uk/dads Check out Tom and Stu’s shows, ‘My Mate Bought A Toaster’ and ‘The Comedian’s Comedian’, wherever you get your podcasts. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is investigating the trend for ‘Looksmaxing’. After a month of ‘mewing’, jaw-stretching, lip-brushing, face-cleansing, drinking more water, vitamin D, trimming his beard and working out… does Ollie feel any different? Or, more to the point, in a world where your desirability is numerically ranked on Reddit, and

Since encountering a grass snake at the age of eight, Dr Rhys Jones has felt a profound connection with reptiles. He has rescued them, toured the country with them and even studied them at Cardiff University; an achievement that seemed impossible when he graduated from school with just 3 O Levels - and undiagnosed dyslexia. In this adventure-packed chat with Olly, Rhys reveals how his snake-charming skills have come in handy with Masai tribespeople, BBC camera crews, and even assisting the Police with drug busts. Rhys’ memoir, ‘Becoming Dr Jones: A Wild Life’, is released on Aug 3rd.  _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - having taken a gander at Meta’s ‘Twitter killer’, Threads - turns his hand to eFoiling. Boosted by a 2.5 hr battery and speeds of up to 50 km/hr, is electric hydrofoil riding about to revolutionise watersports? Ollie heads to Poole’s Easy Riders to find out, aboard an ‘aeroplane grade’ Fliteboard… If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a

Booze, drugs and music are deeply intertwined - from the beers given to bands in their ‘riders’ to the excessive consumption facilitated by festivals and after-show parties. For music promoter Chris De Banks, consuming up to thirty pints a day had become typical behaviour. In the fug of his addiction, he lost jobs, friends and self-respect. Following rehab in 2016, he founded Not Saints, the UK’s only record label working with musicians in recovery from addiction. In this candid conversation with Olly, Chris traces his problem drinking back to childhood, discusses methods for the music industry to clean up its act, and celebrates some artists he’s supported through their drug and alcohol recovery: Ella Hayes, Mishkin Fitzgerald & The Chemical Perils, Phil Mac, and Little Tealeif, who provides our Record of the Month, ‘Pedestal People’. You can find out more about Chris and NotSaints at notsaints.co.uk or on social media @NotSaints.  If you or someone you know thinks they may have a problem with drugs or a

Elaine Gregersen was 24 weeks pregnant when her waters broke. Having endured sickness throughout her high-risk pregnancy, she and husband Mark had not suspected anything sinister was happening when she appeared to be suffering from bladder weakness too.  After a traumatic 24 hours in the maternity ward, the Gregersens were faced with the reality that their twin boys, Henry and Blake, were unlikely to both survive beyond the neonatal unit. In this interview with Olly, they tell their story.  Content warning: intense experience, infant mortality.  — Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates if, following the Coronation of King Charles III, Republican sentiment is trending upwards. What path is there for Royal refuseniks to achieve their desire for an elected UK Head of State? Thanks to columnist and commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Ollie unpicks the arguments monarchists put forward - and rewrites the National Anthem whilst he’s at it… If you’ve got a trend for Ollie to test in a future editio

Imagine delegating your decisions to a group of people online, some of whom are total strangers. Imagine sharing the most intimate parts of your life in order to get their approval. Imagine answering your personal problems in the same way a bank asks its shareholders to vote on corporate outcomes. This is the life chosen by Mike Merrill. Since 2008 - when he created 100,000 shares of himself and sold them at $1 each through his website, KMikeyM - he has asked his ‘investors’ for advice on his choice of romantic partner, diet and body art. This is not for a TV show. It’s not for a book deal. It’s for real. In this conversation with Olly, Mike traces back his unconventional lifestyle to the DIY art scene in Portland,Oregon; his brush with corporate share-prices whilst seated at the front desk of a trucking company; and the anti-corporate activism with which he spices up his dates… ____________________ Meanwhile, Ollie Peart has decamped to Camberwell for this month’s Zeitgeist, in an attempt to approximate t

Rosie Hodsdon was struggling to make ends meet on a pHD stipend. Then she hit Record and began to make sex videos from her student flat, indulging her fetish for kink. As she explains to Olly in this intimate conversation, her sexy side-hustle introduced her to a range of peccadillos, including ‘Giantess’ porn and ‘sploshing’ - and even led her to be invited to join the cast of a professional adult video. But it also left her exposed to assault. Now an advocate for charity National Ugly Mugs, Rosie campaigns for increased rights for sex workers, and nurtures support networks for performers who fall prey to violence. CONTENT WARNING: explicit sexual content; sexual assault. —— Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from scooping up a Sports Journalism Award for producing the podcast ‘Brown Gal Can’t Swim’ - investigates the trend for breakdancing. Or, as he discovers, ‘break’, as it is correctly called… How will it fare as an Olympic sport in 2024? How does one go about gaining the highest score in a

Ian Mudge was a teenage punk, whose exploits included chucking chairs out of a train window.  He became a teacher, whose unconventional methods and connection with kids saw him rise through the ranks, becoming Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit - responsible for educating some of Britain’s most challenging children, many with histories of violence and abuse. As he explains to Olly in this lively conversation, it was a career that required lateral thinking and exhaustive energy - but ultimately left him burned out. When Putin’s army invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ian’s wife suggested he should collect aid to support Ukrainian refugees… and that was all the prompt he needed to organise five trips personally delivering aid to Poland. Ian’s website is https://stroudukrainesupport.com/ ____________________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - who owns a book about wood-chopping, don’t you know - explores the phenomenal potential of A.I. chatbot Chat GPT. How will ‘large language models’ change the way we s

Ketamine and magic mushrooms are notorious for their damaging side-effects, including paranoia, depression and other ‘bad trips’. But the process of carefully administering small amounts of these drugs - so-called ‘microdosing’ - is now gaining traction both recreationally and in medical settings. In this episode, Olly meets NHS worker Nathan*, who credits his psilocybin experiments with improving his interpersonal skills at work; and Irish artist Tamzin, who suffered poor mental health for decades until a pioneering Austrian doctor suggested she should try a course of ketamine as an antidepressant… ____________________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart checks out the Chinese medical tradition of ear seeds. Can placing a series of small stickers on his ears make him feel less anxious, or suppress chronic pain? And what of his other ‘health trend’ predictions for 2023 - padel tennis, personalised nutrition plans, and weight-loss drug tirzepatide? Are any about to become a permanent fixture in our healt

Olly, Alix and Ollie gather round the podcasting chimney for a festive knees-up, with musical guest Ashley Singh and entrepreneur Jules Parker. There are yuletide songs, holiday films, a ‘Christmas collab’ - and, of course, the LEGENDARY XXXMas Foxhole Christmas Quiz. Ho ho ho! First up, Ollie Peart has bought his one year-old child a skateboard, so can he be trusted to go into business with fabulous start-ups run by Mann-fans? (Spoiler: yes he can - and you can buy the result NOW at https://modernmann.co.uk/shop ) With the help of Manchester’s Brick Chocolate, beard specialists Runesilk and craft evangelists Knit Slips, Ollie wraps up 2022 with a collab-tastic way to support British artisan producers. ———————————— Then, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive acoustic performance from singer-songwriter Ashley Singh, whose heartbreak anthem Autopilot is our Record of the Month. Ashley reveals his disappointing middle name, explains why he has a burner phone, and reveals his soft-spot fo

Neil 'Sam' Samworth spent 11 years as a prison officer at HMP Manchester - better known as Strangeways, one of Britain’s most notorious jails. Building rapport with the men incarcerated there, he prided himself on de-escalating violent and threatening situations; an approach becoming increasingly impossible as the prison service churns through staff. In this interview with Olly, he confronts corruption; considers the toll his job took on his mental and physical health; and explains why, in his view, officer training is inadequate for purpose… Neil’s books, ‘Strangeways: A Prison Officer’s Story’ and ‘Strangeways Unlocked’ are out now. His video series, ‘Real Porridge with Sam Samworth’ is on YouTube. — Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at white labelling and drop-shipping. Using Chinese wholesalers Taobao and AliExpress, can he stumble upon the next big consumer sensation? How do Western brands ‘add value’, ensure decent customer service and client satisfaction when they’re flogging good

Vanessa Potter lost her sight in just 72 hours - the result of a rare condition that doctors struggled to diagnose.  In this interview with Olly, she recalls how it felt to experience the rapid deterioration of her vision and simultaneous paralysis; why her two young children aided her recovery; and explains how the process helped pivot her career… Vanessa co-founded the ParkBathe project. Her books, Patient H69 and Finding My Right Mind are out now, and you can follow her podcast here. ____________________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart channels his ‘inner Martin Lewis’ to see if he can SOLVE the cost-of-living crisis. With the aid of apps like Snoop and Lollipop, and online bank accounts like Revolut, can he claw back 20% from his monthly spending? The Zeitgeist is sponsored by Manscaped, now offering their Ultra Smooth Package in Europe. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code ‘Mann’ at Manscaped.com _____________________ Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox wonders whether the future is bright

Medically assisted dying is legal in Canada, where over 10,000 people end their lives through euthanasia each year, and over 80% of applications are approved. Robin Farr, from Calgary, watched as her Dad, Mike, developed a rare lung disease that limited his breathing, massively impacting his quality of life. Then he decided to make use of the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) laws. In this honest, unsparing conversation with Olly, Robin explains how it felt to manage the last couple of days of her father’s life - and reveals the flaws in the system that left her and her family unsupported in a time of anticipatory grief.. CONTENT WARNING: detailed discussion of assisted dying and euthanasia. Robin volunteers with Canadian support groups Bridge4You and Bridgec14, and recommends the resources at dyingwithdignity.ca and the Swiss organisations Pegasos and Dignitas. ____________________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart sees if he can be the one to break the socks-and-sandals taboo… and tries his hand at