The Modern Mann

Artist, muse, socialite: when Daniel Lismore visits a nightclub, he charges THEM to host him. How did this quiet man from the Midlands become a fashion insider with countless celebrity contacts and an outrageous style that has strongly influenced London clubland? In this interview with Olly, he discusses how his battle with bulimia, his love of Star Trek and savvy use of social media has propelled him from his mum's dressing-up box to become a 21st Century 'It-Boy'. Daniel's book of extraordinary self-portraits, 'Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken', is out now, and you can follow him on Instagram @DanielLismore. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart considers the Scandinavian approach to social media, the sound production of BBC costume dramas, and the luxury fast food for people with more money than sense. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox has advice for 'Dry Delila' - a listener whose medication might be drying up her ladybits. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com. Jus

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. James is now co-founder of mental health start-up Sanctus. You can find out more about them at Sanctus.io In The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart attempts to explain why teenagers appear to be ever more stylish, reveals how to prevent pregnancy using an app, and highlights the sad retirement of America's top fortune cookie writer, Donald Lau. Meanwhile, Alix Fox clarifies exactly how one goes about moving house when you've got a home full of sex-toys, and advises a 43 year-old virgin who is desperate to lose his virginity, but worries he has missed the boat. Massive thanks to MyCondom.C

Comedians Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith are facing up to daddy decisions: how to rescue their respective relationships from a world of 'guilt-tennis', how much TV to allow their sons to watch, and exactly how best to celebrate a one year-old's birthday... In this funny and frank discussion, they reunite with fellow father Olly Mann to offer up advice on Baby Sign Language, front-facing papooses, and how to make a fiddle-board. Elsewhere in this season finale, Ollie Peart offers up some trends for 2017, including disappearing ink tattoos, the re-birth of flares, and the foldable phones of the future. Plus, why velvet curtains could soon be adorning your walls, why robotic chef arms will find their way into your kitchen, and how Amazon is wangling its way into your every conversation. Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a lady who wants to get her rocks off whilst considering the environment. Along the way, she uncovers ethical sex toys, eco-friendly condoms, solar-powered vibrators - and poo-inspire

Pantomime: the most peculiarly British of festive entertainments. Each year, we Brits gather the family together to watch the same old stories. To cheer at the hero, hiss at the baddies, and watch a bloke in drag doing the same call-and-response routines that have enraptured crowds since the days of music hall. Why? ERIC POTTS is a maestro of the genre. As head writer for First Family Entertainment, he churns out ten panto scripts per year, and even finds time to play the Dame in one of them. In this insightful interview with Olly, he explains how super-producers have duopolized the industry, how they persuade Hollywood stars to come over and tread the boards (it’s not just the money), and why the key to panto success is not tradition or nostalgia - but ADVENTURE. (Oh Yes It Is!) Also this week: Ollie Peart uses his Instagram account as an experiment in automation, and, after an extended Super Mario Run session, offers up one-handed gaming to The Zeitgeist. Plus, why the pen-and-paper notebook just *might* be

Gary Connery is a Hollywood stunt-man. He's played them all: Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones. But it's for his role as Queen Elizabeth II, parachuting out of a helicopter in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, that he will truly go down in history. In this interview with Olly, he recounts how it felt to be standing on the edge of that helicopter, knowing that more than 40 million people worldwide were about to watch his stunt - live. And he reveals some tricks of the trade he's picked up in his career: how to fall through glass, where to buy your cardboard boxes, and whether or not Tom Cruise really does do his own stunts... Also in this week's show, Ollie Peart considers whether we're about to enter a world without dick-holes, a world of fix-it supremacy, or a world of Ugly Food - and Alix Fox has news of a Canadian gadget to help circumcised men who fancy regrowing their foreskin, and, as this week's listener question, advises a chap who has been knocked for six by an astonis

Amanda Hone has a 'hobby that got out of hand': traversing the UK, visiting myriad miscellaneous landmarks designated by brown signs. In this interview, she explains to Olly how an initial visit to an otter and owl sanctuary made her put down her phone, take the road less travelled and discover the quirky attractions around her - and enthuse others to do the same. In the spirit of 'brown-signing', Olly then takes a trip of his own: to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, where curator Tim Arnold tells him why, 'when you grow up and become a man, you play a real man's game - you play pinball'. Find out more at followthebrownsigns.com and pinballmuseum.org Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart considers the latest trends in The Zeitgeist, including crawling to keep fit, the Hollywood pocketwatch revival, and the death of 'the masked musician'. If you have a trend you'd like to suggest for a future episode, do tweet us @themodernmann. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals the super-powers of 'magic wand mass

What's it like to be radicalised? How do young British men set out to murder their fellow citizens in the name of 'jihad'? And, once committed to that course, can there ever be a route back? Former extremist Adam Deen spent much of his youth as a member of Al-Muhajiroun, the notorious terrorist organisation lead by Omar Bakri Muhammad. For years he believed in the foundation of a UK Islamic state, and was prepared to participate in whatever course of action his leader said was necessary to achieve that goal. In this extraordinary interview with Olly Mann, he recalls his journey into Islamic extremism, considers the cost for his loved ones, and warns against future generations following his lead. Adam is nowadays the Managing Director of The Quilliam Foundation, a think tank aiming to challenge extremist narratives while advocating pluralistic, democratic alternatives. Find out more about their work at quilliamfoundation.org. Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart considers 'anti-tech tech' start-ups Pause and

‘Productivity’ is a term that gets tossed around a lot: you should be more productive at work; the nation needs to be more productive in general... But what does it actually mean? There are only so many hours in the day - are there really life hacks that can help us make better use of the limited time we have to boost our output in the workplace AND lead happier lives? One man who knows is Chris Bailey - in a series of experiments upon himself, he spent a year trying out productivity techniques such as goal-setting, meditation and early rising, and measured the actual outcomes to devise a system for managing his life. In this interview with Olly, he reveals his top productivity tips, dismisses the industry of ‘productivity porn’, and speaks up for the positive role of caffeine. Elsewhere, Ollie Peart fills The Zeitgeist with news of the new metrosexual: the spornosexual; predicts the welcome demise of shared plates; and celebrates the trend for non-confrontational reality TV. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix F

Down on his luck, and under pressure to maintain his lifestyle, Radcliffe Royds decided to rob a bank. In this incredible interview, he tells Olly his story. It’s a tale of extreme highs and lows, brutal honesty and dark humour. Meanwhile, Ollie Peart has decamped to Lisbon for the 2016 Web Summit - an orgy of start-ups and self-promotion. In this week’s Zeitgeist, he ponders whether laundry services might be the next sector to fall foul of disruptive technology, why Silicon Valley buzzwords are so damn aggressive, and why on Earth anyone would name a new company ‘Two-Hats’. In our weekly trip down the Foxhole, love guru Alix Fox puts the Poundland vibrator to the test, and answers a listener’s question about sexual piercings in the only way she knows how - with, um, piercing honesty. YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP YOUR LEGS CROSSED FOR THIS ONE. This episode of The Modern Mann is brought to you by our friends at DragonFruit, the amazing dating app for geeks and nerds. Join now for free and be sure to add ‘Modern Mann’

The RNLI lifeboats don’t just save lives at sea - they also rescue people on rivers. London’s Thames is teeming with party-boats, where drunken misadventure can lead to injury. Meanwhile, troubled ‘jumpers’, suffering from poor mental health, all too often consider suicide by plunging into its depths. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, Amber Bowie may be the woman who comes to your rescue. In this interview with Olly, she explains how cold water shock can render you senseless, why washing-up liquid can be a surprisingly useful tool on-board a warship, and why, alongside her full-time job as a London architect, she volunteers to save lives at the weekend. If you’re inspired by Amber’s story, you can volunteer for the RNLI, or donate to this incredible charity via their website, RNLI.org In the Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart considers the merits of facial-recognition sunglasses, watches the trailer for Trainspotting 2 and wonders whether watermelon juice and 'banana freakshake' will be the liquid

Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School, is a man on a mission. He wants you to sleep better. Not just if you're one of the 30% of Brits who will, at some point, experience insomnia - but also if you're one of the remaining 70%, who will, inevitably, spend some nights struggling to get some shut-eye, staring at the ceiling and wishing you were somewhere else. In this interview with Olly Mann, Guy reveals his tips for changing your mind-set when your brain is racing around and keeping you awake. He advises how to effectively use your smartphone and other light-emitting devices in the bedroom; how to nap effectively; and how to reprogram your master clock to adjust to levels of sleep actually available to you in your busy life. Elsewhere in this episode, Ollie Peart tells the strange story of CJ de Mooi, considers the future of the pay-per-minute cafe, and predicts that the demise of Vine may herald a new wave of social network failures. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, resident love-guru Alix Fox considers how a

Frank Evans, 74, is a working bull-fighter who lives in Marbella. In this extraordinary interview, he tells Olly how he discovered the controversial sport on holiday in Spain; how a copy of To Be A Matador by Henry Higgins inspired him to 'give it a bash' - and how, with virtually no training at all, he found himself facing death in the ring in Montpellier. Now known as 'El Ingles', Frank sticks out in the sport not only due to his age and English roots, but also because he believes bullfighting needs to adapt to survive. Elsewhere in this episode, we're celebrating our triumphant win* as Podcast of the Year at the Radio Academy Awards**. (* we came second.) (** They're now called 'the ARIAs', apparently.) Recorded the morning-after-the-night before, in an auspicious hotel room in Leeds, Ollie Peart fills this week's Zeitgeist with a celebration of bow-ties, a review of Adam Curtis' latest film, and a prediction that Kanye West has killed auto-tune. If you have a trend suggestion for next week's show, do be i

Modern-day hermit Daniel Pike is, technically, homeless - but he does have a home, which he built himself, in woodland near Watford. He made it from clay and reclaimed wood, and it's amazing. Now, the landowners want to evict him. In this extraordinary interview, Olly Mann travels to Daniel's hut to learn how he came to be living outdoors - and why he doesn't want to forage for mushrooms any more... Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart investigates giant spider robots, new emoji symbols and SodaStream Beer in The Zeitgeist, and, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox previews the contenders for the Erotic Trade Only Awards, and offers advice to a listener who wants to cheat on his wife - in a tent at Glastonbury. Our song of the week is the Summeriest track we could find: Shine, by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, out now on Stax Records. And... that's it for this season of The Modern Mann - we will be back with more in the Autumn. In the meantime, please visit modernmann.co.uk to to leave us a comment, submit a question

What makes you buy a product? The look? The smell? The layout of the store? In today's cut-throat business world, none of that is left to coincidence: behavioural science is influencing the design of high street shops, supermarkets and online emporiums alike. In this episode, Olly meets consumer psychologists Reece Akhtar and Dr Dimitrios Tsivrikos from University College, London and learns how we consumers are manipulated into buying stuff we don't want or need because retailers are cleverly appealing to our fear of scarcity, desire to belong or our basest instincts. So, next time you go shopping, you'll know what to look out for - you'll never walk the floor tiles in Tesco the same way again! Elsewhere, Ollie Peart considers ice cream van wars and KFC-flavoured nail polish in The Zeitgeist, and Alix Fox discusses animal role-play and sex toy cleaning regimes in The Foxhole. Music is provided by The Anchoress and their track 'Doesn't Kill You', out now on Kscope Records. If you have a question for Alix for a

How did Rory Reid get his dream job, presenting one of the biggest TV shows on Earth? Despite many years as a motoring and tech journalist, he had only a few months to adjust to flying around the world driving supercars. In this world exclusive interview, he tells Olly Mann how he prepared for his BBC screentest, and why a rap video may just have secured him the gig; reacts to his treatment by the British tabloids, and explains why he has some sympathy with Jeremy Clarkson... Also this week, Ollie Peart considers the new live-action Tetris movie in The Zeitgeist. Plus: the Weetabix drink; a new product for night-time snackers; and some lesser-known competitive sports. Meanwhile, in the Foxhole, Alix sweats the small stuff as she answers a question of pheremones: is it normal to be attracted to your partner's sweat? Our song of the week is 'Life Itself' by Glass Animals. Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, baldheadliberationfront.com If you have a question for Alix for a future edition of the show, if

How should you behave in a 'gentleman's club'? Stripper Edie Licious should know - from grinding the stage at super-sized American strip bars to working the pole in humble East End pubs, she's played 'em all. In this frank and funny interview, she tells Olly how nightclubs milk money from hapless drunk punters who pay 'VIP', explains why erotic dancing can still sometimes be erotic, and considers her future in the industry now that she's fallen in love. You'll never not tip a stripper again. Also this episode: Ollie Peart previews the music, fashion and grub on offer at this year's biggest music festivals in The Zeitgeist. Is festival food overpriced? Is monochrome the acceptable face of tie-dye? And will he ever get tickets for Glastonbury? Meanwhile, over in The Foxhole, Alix Fox promotes her campaign to introduce a condom emoji, and considers a question of BDSM: should a reluctant dom hit and choke his submissive girlfriend when she's specifically requested him to, but he feels uncomfortable so doing? If y

Is your smartphone spying on you? Just how secure is the dark web? And is your 'Private Browsing' time actually, you know... private? Buzzfeed's James Ball was just 23 when Julian Assange thrust a USB stick with nearly 400,000 confidential Iraqi war logs into his hands. In this episode he shares with Olly his top tips for conducting conversations, managing documents and meeting associates whilst avoiding unwanted surveillance. If you'd like to try James' 'Location Services' trick on your iPhone, here's are the menus you need to navigate: Settings → Privacy → Location Services → System Services → Frequent Locations Also this week: in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart ponders the year's hottest BBQ trends, the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, and the return of Peaky Blinders. And we've a special edition of The Foxhole, for which Alix Fox takes Olly on a tour of her favourite sex boutique, Sh! in Hoxton. She'll be tackling sex questions again next week, though - so if you have one, just submit it using our Feedback

Comedians Stuart Goldsmith and Tom Price reunite with Olly Mann to compare notes, three months after all spawning sons. What has having a baby done to their time management, sleep routines and sense of self-worth? Which gadgets would they recommend to future dads? And is there such a thing as male post-natal depression? Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart learns French via his smartphone, discusses Radiohead's temporary disappearance from the internet, and the trend for 'dentist beards'. And, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox flogs a truck-load of her old sex toys for charidee, and considers whether a listener should be loyal to the coil - if his wife's contraceptive prevents her from achieving orgasm. Our song of the week is, appropriately, from the lullaby archives at rockabyebabymusic.com. If you'd like to leave us some feedback, send us a sex question or buy us a beer, head over to modernmann.co.uk. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Mus

Imagine designing rollercoasters for a living. That's what Bradley Wynne, lead creative artist at Merlin Magic Making, gets to do. A life-long adrenalin junkie, he's now heading up the team for Thorpe Park's biggest ever launch, Derren Brown's Ghost Train. Find out how sounds, smells and touch can enhance the experience of riding a rollercoaster; how the fallout from the tragedy on The Smiler has affected the theming process, and how Bradley used a very boring interest in planning application data to his advantage to secure his dream job. Also this episode: Ollie Peart debates our 'no spoilers' culture following the return of Game Of Thrones, the declining sales of pasta, and the enduring power of dial-up. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox considers whether having sexual fantasies about your schooldays makes you a paedophile. (It doesn't). Our record of the week is Damien Jurado's new single, Qachina, out May 6th; and this episode has been sponsored by Fallen London, the brand new text adventure game for iO

How DO you make the perfect cup of coffee? Do you grind? Do you press? Do you froth? One man who knows is 'Coffee Masters' champion Ben Morrow, of Melbourne-based coffee roasters St. Ali. In this episode, Olly meets him at Hackney Coffee Company to discuss how to buy coffee, how to prepare it, and how to capture the essence of a Columbian farm in a cup... Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox suggests what to do when your partner has a latex fetish - but you're highly allergic to it. If you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill out the Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk - you can remain completely anonymous if you wish. And, over in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers name-changing, the surge in vinyl record sales, and his trip to watch Drone Racing at Wembley Stadium. Last but not least, we are ROCKING OUT this week with our Song of the Week. It's by The Amazons, and it's called Stay With Me, out now on Fiction Records. This episode is brought to you by Fallen London, the brand new text adven