Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

Gary Kemp grew up in working-class Islington, in a home where little was owned outright but love, curiosity and ambition were abundant. Encouraged by a father who took him to libraries, London landmarks and the local baths, Gary found a guitar under the Christmas tree and soon discovered that writing songs gave him a way to imagine a life beyond the one he knew.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Gary to trace the journey from an outside loo in north London to Spandau Ballet, global success and a parallel career in film, theatre and writing. He recalls the mentors who saw something in him early on and the formative experiences that helped turn a shy, bookish boy into a songwriter with enormous ambition.Gary reflects on the thrill of discovering Bowie, punk and the Blitz Club scene, forming a band with his brother Martin and school friends, and finding themselves at the heart of the New Romantic movement. He tells James about the intense rivalry, pressure and possibility of the 1980s, the making of True, and what it felt like to see Spandau Ballet become one of the biggest bands in the world.He also discusses his return to acting, from The Krays to The Bodyguard, and his enduring fascination with the cultural history of pop music. That fascination led to his latest book, 1967 - The World of Brian Epstein and the Beatles, which began with an extraordinary auction purchase - Brian Epstein’s personal address book from the final year of his life.It’s a warm, funny and moving conversation about class, family, creative hunger and the people who give us permission to believe in ourselves.Find out more about 1967 - The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles by Gary Kemp here.Full Disclosure is a Global Production. Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction and alcoholism, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to.John Robins has spent much of his life making people laugh. But behind the award-winning stand-up, broadcasting and podcasts was a relationship with alcohol that he spent years trying to understand, manage and ultimately escape.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with John to trace the experiences that shaped him, from a childhood marked by anxiety and an intensely religious father to Oxford, gambling and the discovery of stand-up. John reflects on growing up with a sense that something wasn’t quite right, learning to use humour as both attack and defence, and becoming fascinated by alcohol long before he understood what it offered him.He talks candidly about the progression of his drinking and the years he spent trying to control it: counting drinks, crossing days off calendars and comparing himself with people who seemed to drink more. Looking back, John describes alcohol not as the problem but as his solution to something deeper - a way to quieten his mind, relieve discomfort and, at times, disappear completely.John also recalls the night in 2022 when, exhausted by years of fighting his drinking, he searched the word “sober” in a podcast app. Hearing two recovering alcoholics speak with calmness, warmth and humour gave him a glimpse of another way to live. He went to his first AA meeting the following day and hasn’t had a drink since.Now, John reflects on the strange and painful process of learning how to live without alcohol, from relationships and work to simply being alone with his own thoughts. He talks about therapy, recovery, meditation and spirituality, and why accepting the things he cannot control has begun to make life feel a little less complicated.It’s a funny, thoughtful and strikingly open conversation about addiction, anxiety, childhood, shame and recovery - and about what happens when the thing you’ve relied on to escape yourself is no longer there.Find out more about Thirst by John Robins hereAdditional support:If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, please take a moment to read the resources listed: We Are With You, Change Grow Live, Turning PointFull Disclosure is a Global ProductionListen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tony Hadley went from borrowing £20 in the pub while appearing on Top of the Pops to fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. Then came the fallings-out, a bruising court battle and a journey from packed arenas back to playing small clubs. Through it all, one thing never changed: he refused to give up.Tony joins James O’Brien to tell the extraordinary story of Spandau Ballet - from a working-class childhood in Islington and the school band that started it all, to the flamboyant world of the Blitz Club and the birth of the New Romantic movement. He remembers the anxiety of watching early success begin to slip away, and the song that changed everything, True - a record he never even thought should be a single, which went on to reach number one around the world.He reflects on the phenomenal success that followed with Gold, the reality behind the glamour of 1980s pop stardom and what happened when one of Britain’s biggest bands began to fracture. Tony speaks candidly about the legal battle that put homes on the line, the humiliation of going from Wembley Arena to club PAs, and why, even at his lowest point, he was determined to get back up and carry on.There are extraordinary stories along the way - including blagging his way backstage to meet Frank Sinatra at 17 - as well as reflections on family, ambition, ageing and the sheer euphoria of walking onto a stage. Nearly 50 years after first declaring himself the man to front the band, Tony is still touring, still making new music and still trying to become a better singer. This is a funny, revealing and unexpectedly moving conversation about what happens after the fame - and the stubbornness it takes to start again.Find out more about Tony Hadley’s tour dates here Tony Hadley Official Website |Full Disclosure is a Global ProductionListen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.