Begin Again with Davina McCall

How do you begin again after losing someone who was a huge part of your life? In this heartfelt episode of Begin Again, Hairy Bikers star Si King joins Davina McCall for a conversation about grief, friendship, love and finding purpose after the heartbreaking loss of his best friend and TV partner, Dave Myers. Si opens up about the extraordinary bond he shared with Dave, from their first meeting to building the beloved Hairy Bikers together, and the devastating reality of watching his closest friend battle cancer. He reflects on navigating life without Dave and how he's slowly learning to embrace a new chapter while keeping Dave's memory alive. He also shares his own remarkable journey of resilience, from losing his father at just eight years old to surviving a life-threatening brain aneurysm, experiencing a mental health breakdown and learning to rebuild his life. Alongside these personal moments, Si discusses the healing power of food, family and community, his passion for bringing people together, and the exciting new projects giving him renewed purpose and joy. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  Follow Si King here:  📸https://www.instagram.com/sikingofficial/  🎥https://www.youtube.com/@SiKingOfficial  Buy ‘Proper Home Cooking’ by Si King at: https://www.orionbooks.co.uk/titles/si-king/proper-home-cooking/9781399642842/  We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:14) Si's new cookbook 'Proper Home Cooking' (06:53) Losing His Dad At 8 Years Old (10:29) How Grief Led Him To Motorbikes (17:53) Monzo GBL Ad (19:29) Working With Ant & Dec (24:09) How Si Met Dave Myers (31:00) What Brought Si & Dave Together (33:08) How The Hairy Bikers Began (34:48) Monzo 90 Days Ad (35:53) Opening His Own Restaurant (39:48) Processing Dave's Death (41:26) Finding Out Dave Had Cancer (44:35) Life After Losing Dave (45:09) Si's Brain Aneurysm (46:37) Divorce And Staying Friends With His Ex-Wife (57:01) Starting A YouTube Channel (59:25) His New Business (01:00:18) What's Next For Si? Sponsored by: Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 16+ and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Integrated accounting with Pro and Team business plans start from £9 a month. Only for UK sole traders or limited company directors. Ts&Cs apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  Sync ID is: MB01TIUBXXBQEFZ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you find love again after losing the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with? In this deeply moving episode of Begin Again, legendary British television writer Russell T Davies joins Davina McCall to reflect on his extraordinary life creating some of Britain’s most groundbreaking television, from Doctor Who and Queer as Folk to It’s a Sin and Years and Years. Russell opens up about growing up gay in Swansea, how he found belonging through youth theatre, and how friendship, identity and the AIDS crisis shaped his writing.  We also hear the story of his 20-year relationship with his late husband Andrew and his eight-year battle with brain cancer. This is a beautiful conversation about grief, continuing bonds with those we’ve lost, and unexpectedly finding love again without leaving the love that came before behind. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ Follow Russell T Davies here: https://www.instagram.com/russelltdavies63  The Queerest of Folk by Russell T Davies is out on 8th October, hardback, £25 https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-queerest-of-folk-a-life-in-television-russell-t-davies/a290496f474a1f8c (00:00) Intro (01:41) Russell And Davina's Friendship (03:35) When His Mother Was Sectioned (07:36) Russell's New Book 'The Queerest of Folk' (08:35) Being A Young Doctor Who Fan (11:00) On Realising He Was Gay (14:25) The Inspiration Behind 'It's a Sin' (17:31) A Letter For Russell (19:58) Monzo GBL Ad (21:35) On Making 'It's a Sin' (28:17) How 'Queer as Folk' Came To Be (35:59) Monzo 90 Days Ad (37:04) Making 'Tip Toe' with Alan Cumming and David Morrissey (44:01) A Letter From Kate Bush (45:57) On Making 'Years and Years' (48:30) Meeting His Husband (50:46) After His Husband's Cancer Diagnosis (59:16) His Husband's Death (01:04:42) On Finding Love Again (01:07:58) Writing Doctor Who (01:11:52) His Writing Process Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 16+ and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Integrated accounting with Pro and Team business plans start from £9 a month. Only for UK sole traders or limited company directors. Ts&Cs apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  Sync ID: MB01FISPPUMJOWC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when both of your parents receive life-changing diagnoses within weeks of each other? In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with Dame Meera Syal. Meera shares the gruelling reality of caring for her mother after her cancer diagnosis while her father was living with Alzheimer’s, describing dementia as a “slow, long goodbye” and reflecting on how her family found strength, support and moments of connection through an incredibly difficult 12 years. She also opens up about growing up British Asian, feeling like a misfit, and nearly giving up on acting when she couldn’t see anyone like herself on screen.  From ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ to becoming a writer, actor and comedian, Meera explains why telling your truth can help others feel less alone. The conversation also explores divorce, co-parenting, the unexpected possibilities of an empty nest, surviving assault, and staying resilient throughout life’s ups and downs. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  Follow Dame Meera Syal here: https://www.instagram.com/meera.syal  We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:17) Getting Her Damehood (08:16) Meera As A Misfit Child (10:31) Studying At Manchester University (12:22) The Importance Of Gratitude (19:20) Monzo GBL Ad (20:51) British Heart Foundation Ad (22:02) The Play That Changed Her Life (26:32) Her New Book 'Vigilauntie' (34:04) Making 'Goodness Gracious Me' (38:22) Monzo 90 Days Ad (39:35) Garnier Ad (43:17) Married At 25 (45:57) Staying Friends After Divorce (50:41) Having Her Second Child In Her 40s (53:07) Her Marriage To Sanjeev (58:57) The Reality Of Caring For Two Sick Parents (01:06:29) Speaking Out About Sexual Assault Sponsored by: Results from the 2024 Lost Pensions Survey by the Pensions Policy Institute. The value of your pension could go up or down and you could get back less than you put in. You need a free Monzo current account to open a Monzo pension. Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 18-70 years old only and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  British Heart Foundation: To help fund lifesaving research, visit https://bhf.org.uk/keepusbeating  to donate now and keep us beating. Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do the moments that feel like they’re breaking you actually shape who you’re meant to become? In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur Jake Humphrey for an honest conversation about failure, bullying, masculinity, fatherhood and learning to define success differently. Jake opens up about the loneliness of being bullied at school, failing his A-levels and being told by the BBC, “we don’t employ people like you”, experiences that ultimately helped shape his extraordinary broadcasting career. He also reflects on the pressures facing men today, why he believes young men are being led towards dark corners of the internet, and how empathy, vulnerability and honest conversations can offer a different vision of masculinity. From the powerful influence of his father to becoming a dad himself, Jake shares what parenting has taught him about being present, letting children fail, prioritising what really matters and creating a safe space for them to talk. This is a hopeful conversation about resilience, parenting, masculinity, success and discovering that most of life’s hardest moments lead us towards something extraordinary. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  Follow Jake Humphrey here: https://www.instagram.com/jakehumphrey/  Buy Jake's new book 'Game Plan' at https://dk.com/products/9780241734445-game-plan?_pos=2&_psq=gamepl&_psid=5929c8573&_ss=e/ We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:10) Why Service Matters (07:23) Learning From Older Generations (09:59) How Bullying Shaped Him (17:11) Garnier Ad (19:04) Monzo GBL Ad (20:33) From Kids’ TV to Sport (24:27) His Grandmother’s Suicide (27:07) Failing His O-Levels (31:10) His Take on the Manosphere (39:51) Monzo 90 Days Ad (41:00) British Heart Foundation Ad (45:13) The Joy of Being a Dad (46:54) What Really Matters in Life (54:19) A Letter From His Daughter (58:02) Embracing Embarrassment Sponsored by: Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme  Monzo: Results from the 2024 Lost Pensions Survey by the Pensions Policy Institute. The value of your pension could go up or down and you could get back less than you put in. You need a free Monzo current account to open a Monzo pension. Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 18-70 years old only and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  British Heart Foundation: To help fund lifesaving research, visit https://bhf.org.uk/keepusbeating to donate now and keep us beating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can you really support someone you love when they’re going through unimaginable loss? In this moving episode of Begin Again, Mint Velvet co-founder Liz Houghton joins Davina McCall and shares the heartbreaking story of losing her 20-year-old son Will after a cycling accident, and the moment she learned his injuries were unsurvivable.  She opens up about those final weeks together, Will’s decision to become an organ donor, and why knowing his organs helped save 12 other lives has become such an important part of his legacy. Liz also explains what grieving families really need from the people around them, why saying their loved one’s name matters, why silence can hurt more than an imperfect attempt to reach out, and how she and her family learned to grieve differently while staying connected. Alongside her extraordinary personal story, Liz reflects on building Mint Velvet from her kitchen table after suddenly losing her 20-year career, balancing business with motherhood, and creating a company rooted in trust, friendship and purpose. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:04) Davina's Gratitude For Mint Velvet And Liz (02:02) Working For Topshop (04:20) Leaving Her First Fashion Job After 20 Years (05:55) Starting Mint Velvet (10:36) Balancing Entrepreneurship And Motherhood (12:34) Garnier Ad (14:26) Monzo GBL Ad (21:36) Getting The Call About Her Son's Accident (29:15) Donating His Organs (32:43) How Her Son Lives On (36:49) Monzo 90 Days Ad (37:59) Check In On Those Who Are Grieving (39:30) What To Do And Say With Someone Who Is Grieving (45:01) Grieving As A Family (52:33) Reaching Out To Her Son's Organ Recipients (54:38) Fixing The Problems With Organ Donation (57:56) How Liz's Donor Initiative Lives On (01:02:51) A Letter To Liz (01:05:19) Her Son's Foundation Sponsored by: Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 16+ and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  You could get back less than you invest. Monzo current account required. Monzo investments are for UK residents, 18+. Ts&Cs apply. Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we find hope when the world feels increasingly overwhelming? In this episode of Begin Again, Caitlin Moran joins Davina McCall for a funny, moving and hopeful conversation about love, anxiety, feminism, loneliness and finding your way back to joy. Caitlin opens up about experiencing her first panic attack at 13, after revealing her family were living on benefits, and how anxiety became the fuel that drove her extraordinary career.  Decades later, she reached breaking point and realised: “I can’t be this scared anymore.” She shares how she finally broke up with anxiety and why she wishes she had done it 30 years earlier. She and Davina also explore the growing crisis facing men, why loneliness and social media are leaving us disconnected, and the simple changes Caitlin believes can help us feel hopeful again, from putting down our phones to reconnecting with our communities. Caitlin also reflects on growing up poor, writing her first novel as a teenager, her 33-year relationship with husband Pete, and the extraordinary night she went clubbing with Lady Gaga. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  Follow Caitlin here: https://www.instagram.com/mscaitlinmoran/  Buy ‘How to be Hopeful - A Year of Attempting to Feel Less Awful About the World’ by Caitlin Moran, Ebury Press, £22 Purchase tickets to Caitlin’s book tour here: https://www.gigantic.com/caitlin-moran-tickets We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:11) Caitlin's New Book (03:22) The Impact Of "How To Be A Woman" (06:09) Foreseeing The Masculinity Crisis (09:15) Being An Enthusiast vs. A Critic (12:01) Writing About Hope (13:00) The Value Of In-Person Connection (18:56) Monzo GBL Ad (20:27) Developing Anxiety At 13 (24:50) Learning To Write (27:03) The Journey Out Of Poverty (31:57) Her First Publishing Deal (35:14) Monzo 90 Days Ad (36:23) Caitlin's 'How To Be Hopeful' List (43:11) Do This To Improve Your Own Happiness (52:05) Clubbing In Berlin With Lady Gaga (57:37) Finally Getting Over Anxiety (01:02:49) Her 26 Year Marriage (01:08:40) Inclusive Forms Of Feminism Sponsored by: Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 16+ and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  You could get back less than you invest. Monzo current account required. Monzo investments are for UK residents, 18+. Ts&Cs apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She was given just 18 months to live. They got 12 more years together. In this episode of Begin Again, motivational speaker and bestselling author Pete Cohen joins Davina to share the extraordinary love story that changed his life forever. Pete opens up about meeting his wife Hannah by chance, falling in love as she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, and why leaving was never an option. Together, they faced impossible decisions, raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for life-saving treatment, and defied every expectation to build another twelve years together. But this conversation is about much more. Pete reflects on the regrets that still stay with him, why he wishes he'd been more present with Hannah, and how grief transformed the way he thinks about love, fear and what really matters. He shares how watching Hannah embrace life in the face of death changed him forever, and why her legacy continues to shape the way he lives today. Davina and Pete also explore the fear of losing the people we love, what it means to truly show up for someone in their darkest moments, and how grief can become a reminder to live more intentionally rather than something we simply survive. This is a conversation about love, loss, resilience and the extraordinary impact one person can have on your life, even after they're gone. If you've ever loved someone deeply, lost someone you couldn't imagine living without, or wondered how to carry on after heartbreak, this episode is for you. 🌟 Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about grief, love, resilience, purpose and beginning again. Tap the bell so you never miss a new episode. Follow us here: 📸 www.instagram.com/beginagain 🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨ Watch Pete's award-winning documentary, Team Hannah, and learn more about Hannah's extraordinary story: https://www.teamhannah.com/  ✨ Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  (00:00) INTRO (01:14) Pete Cohen and Team Hannah (01:53) Growing Up With Learning Difficulties (03:12) Struggling at School (04:17) Becoming a Fitness Coach (05:12) How Pete’s Parents Shaped Him (07:32) How Pete Met Hannah (09:45) Hannah’s Brain Tumour Diagnosis (12:31) Chronic Fatigue and Finding a Mentor (14:32) Raising Money for Cancer Treatment (16:14) Falling in Love Through Cancer (17:05) Experimental Cancer Treatment in America (19:48) Ancient & Brave Ad (20:50) Do Health Ad (22:00) Why Pete Filmed Hannah’s Journey (24:14) Grief and Celebrating Through Suffering (27:16) Pete’s Biggest Regret (31:33) Hannah’s Love of Quilting (36:50) Ten Years Cancer-Free (37:47) A Gift From Hannah (39:32) The Team Hannah Documentary (43:23) Davina’s Mission for Begin Again (44:07) Pete’s Next Chapter (47:44) Advice for Grief and Caring for Someone Sponsored by: Ancient + Brave - https://ancientandbrave.earth/pages/planet and use code BEGINAGAIN for 20% off your order Do Health - The waitlist is open. Begin Again listeners get fixed early access pricing when they sign up today at dohealth.co/beginagain use code BEGINAGAIN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices