Andy Mycock: Named, Unashamed

Andy Mycock: Named, Unashamed

From Illuminated by BBC Radio 4

April 19, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

Andy Mycock explores the impact of his unusual surname on his life and relationships.

Andy Mycock has one of the world’s worst surnames. Despite being a renowned political scientist, his life has been punctuated by friends and strangers making fun of his name. Daily acts like meeting new people or being called in to see the doctor can be both hilarious and fraught. His surname has impacted on his professional life, meeting a partner, and forming meaningful relationships. But there are positives too - it’s almost impossible to forget Dr Mycock. As Andy learns to turn a lifetime of difficult first reactions into an opportunity to connect, he discovers he has a superpower and maybe a community too. Join him as he goes on a personal journey to find peace with Mycock. Presenter: Andy Mycock Producer: Olivia Swift Executive Producer: Geoff Bird Mixing Engineer: Steve Brooke Location recording: Mike Dunbar and Simon Buckley A Reform Radio production for BBC Radio 4

People in this episode

Host: Andy Mycock

Topics covered

  • identity
  • personal journey
  • name impact
  • relationships
  • self-acceptance

Keywords

  • surname
  • political scientist
  • personal journey
  • relationships
  • identity
  • self-acceptance
  • community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4, Reform Radio

More episodes of Illuminated

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Illuminated podcast page.