The Modern Mann

To celebrate our tenth anniversary, we're replaying Producer Matt's favourite interview from our extensive back catalogue. Jo and Steve Peck suffered not one, not two, but recurrent miscarriages over the course of four years, before seeking private treatment.In this searingly honest, compelling interview with Olly, they reveal the toll this took on their marriage, their work and their mental health - as they watched their friends begin families - gradually realising it may never happen for them. If you’ve been affected by miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy, the Miscarriage Association offers support and a pregnancy loss helpline: miscarriageassociation.org.uk This episode first aired in July 2018. Now remastered and with an update from Steve and Jo in 2025, we're replaying this interview as part of our tenth birthday celebrations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his 20s, yet running a $50billion book, Kweku Adoboli had worked his way up the trading floor at the very point the market crashed. His actions wiped £2.7bn from the UBS share price, prompted the resignation of their chief executive - and got him a seven-year jail sentence for fraud. In this remarkable interview with Olly, he reveals a corporate culture of ‘wilful blindness’, explains how he fell foul of the UK’s hostile environment policy for migrants - and re-lives the moment he realised that, having taken responsibility for his actions, he would forever be known as Britain’s biggest ‘rogue trader’... This episode first aired in February 2018. Now remastered and with an update from Olly, we've paired this episode with Priscilla Coleman's interview on Drawn To Justice, released this month. Listen now! Image Credit Priscilla Coleman/MB Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith return for their annual catch-up with Olly, comparing notes on the pleasures and pitfalls of parenthood. With their boys now aged 9½, the Dads’ latest life advice includes how to remove a games console from the sitting room (without triggering a row); splitting Summer holidays into ‘manageable blocks’; giving their sons feedback without it sounding like criticism; and the joy of re-discovering The Simpsons. Plus, why singing out instructions can be more effective than shouting; how NOT to make a good impression at a posh playground; and the pressures of the Obligatory Back To School Photo… This is the tenth instalment of our annual ‘How To Be A Dad’ series. Catch up with all previous episodes HERE. 🎧Tom’s podcast is My Mate Bought A Toaster; and Stuart’s is The Comedian’s Comedian. _____________ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers the soaring cost of getting away, and breaks down what a ‘holiday’ really means. Can a ‘staycation’ provide an equivalent wellbeing boost to travelling abroad? Maaaaaaaybe, says Ollie, if you plan your time off, lock away your laptop, and hire a cleaner. Along the way, he uncovers the trends for “noctourism”, “fakeations”, and “set-jetting”. It’s certainly a break from the grind… _____________ Elsewhere, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from discovering a new kind of ‘Big D’ in her work at Deaf Rave - has advice for pleasuring ladies with longer labia. Not every culture is squeamish about flappiness: some Eastern and African traditions celebrate and even enhance labia length. Whether you’re solo or partnered, Alix has a treasure chest of toys and techniques, from floral-shaped vibrators that flutter like a butterfly, to massage oils that pamper your folds. The goal is worship - not just stimulation. With the help of sexual wellness educator Tami Rose, sexpert Jess Wilde, professional long-lipped pleasure seeker Crista Anne, and pro piercer Mike Hill, Alix celebrates sensory exploration, and offers clever tricks with toys, casting kits, and knickers… _______ 🍻 BUY US A BEER. We are only able to make this show thanks to your donations. If you can afford to, pretty PLEASE support our independent podcast here. ✉️ SEND US YOUR LETTERS. If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, some feedback for Olly, or you’d like to share your story on a future edition of the show - fill out our Feedback form here. 💬 THE MODERN MANN DISCORD. It’s free! Meet other Mann-fans: https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _____________ Finally, our record of the month is Mogwai’s re-version of ‘Endsong’, plucked from The Cure’s brand new remix album, Mixes of a Lost World. … and we’ll see you with something new on 10th September. x Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Tom Price, Stuart Goldsmith, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, The Cure, Mogwai. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 01:04 Your Letters 05:52 The Zeitgeist: Planning A Fake-ation 26:04 Feature: Three Dads Compare Notes, 10 Years On 67:19 The Foxhole: Longer Labias? No Problem! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perry Burns was just 13 when his once-in-a-lifetime trip on an RAF plane ended in a devastating crash. It left him with burns over nearly half his body. In this gripping conversation with Olly, Perry relives the moment he thought he’d died; the fireball he escaped; and the chain of miracles that saved his life... He shares the pain of recovery, the power of one relentless teacher, and how love helped him rebuild. —----------------------- Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is on a mission to Make Running Fun. While apps like VoiceMap offer self-guided audio tours you can create (and sell!), and GoodGym adds community purpose to your jog, his true champion is Zombies, Run!, a thrilling, GPS-triggered story game where undead hordes chase you into cardio greatness... and, it seems, makes Olly Mann sweat buckets around the Regent’s Park Running Track. —----------------------- Elsewhere, Alix Fox - fresh from National AIDS Trust fundraiser Drag Raise - is back to answer listener’s sex and relationships questions in The Foxhole. This month: What actually happens at sex-themed swingers holiday resorts, like Hedonism in Jamaica, and what should prospective travellers bring with them to the hotel? With the help of Sex Advice for Seniors’ Suzanne Noble, Alix reveals all… —----------------------- Finally, our record of the month is the folktastic ‘Cow Song’ from The New Eves 🐄. Check it out on our Spotify playlist now! Oh, and here are some useful links you should totally be clicking: 🎢 ROLLERCOASTER - UNIVERSAL’S BEDFORDSHIRE JOURNEY. Olly’s new four-part BBC series about the Universal Studios project in Bedford can be binged here. 🍻 BUY US A BEER. We are only able to make this show thanks to your donations. If you can afford to, pretty PLEASE support our independent podcast here. ✉️ SEND US YOUR LETTERS. If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, some feedback for Olly, or you’d like to share your story on a future edition of the show - fill out our Feedback form here. —----------------------- … and we’ll see you (with our annual How To Be A Dad special) on 10th August. x Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Perry Burns, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, The New Eves. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Nick Coffer’s marriage fell apart, the breakup was a battlefield. Embroiled in high conflict, overwhelming stress, and crushing legal fees, he had to redefine his role as a father while struggling to maintain his cheeriness as a BBC broadcaster. But from the chaos, Nick forged a new path: re-training as a family mediator. Determined to rescue others from his mistakes, he now shatters stalemates between hostile exes, keeping conversations constructive and focussed on the only people who matter: the divorcing couple’s children. In this chat with Olly, Nick shares the game-changing apps that transform toxic communication; reveals how he fell into the trap of becoming a ‘McDonald’s Dad’; and explains why mediation can be useful even before you tell your kids you intend to split up… Nick’s mediation services can be found at wayforwardmediation.co.uk The Family Mediators Association is at TheFMA.co.uk —----------------- Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for sleeper trains - by taking Olly and Alix for a ride on GWR’s ‘Night Riviera’ from London Paddington to Penzance, Cornwall. What are his top tips to ensure you get a good night’s kip? Is the rise in overnight train travel because locomotives are so good - or aeroplanes are so insufferable? And how does one store excess luggage when arriving in a place with no car? Ollie has the answers - though they become increasingly less intelligible after a night in the on-board bar… The team travelled as the guests of GWR. Book tickets direct at gwr.com —----------------- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from experiencing her first-ever dip in a geothermal pool - tackles a listener’s concerns about getting jiggy under canvas. Can sex in tents ever be comfortable? Is it best to use fairy lights, or fumble in the dark? And what are the camping essentials you need to bring along if you intend to get off? Armed with a packet of Fresh Wipes, and aided by author ⁠⁠Zachary Zane, Alix reveals all… —----------------- Finally, our record of the month belongs to Will Varley - it’s his latest track, ‘Home Before The World Ends’ featuring Bastille. _______ BUY US A BEER Your support keeps this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord: 🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US… If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️ https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback … and we’ll see you on July 10th! This episode is dedicated to former guest, and friend of the show, Dr Stuart Farrimond - who has died at the age of 43. His final book, ‘The Science of Flavor: Unlock the Secrets of Flavorful Cooking’, is available to pre-order now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Flavor-Secrets-Flavorful-Cooking/dp/0593844246 Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Nick Coffer, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Will Varley. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After witnessing bleak conditions inside a mental health unit, artists Tim A. Shaw and Niamh White decided to take action. Drawing on their background in contemporary art, they set out to transform sterile clinical spaces with bold, thought-provoking artworks, via their charity, Hospital Rooms. Today, they commission over 40 leading artists a year to create immersive, site-specific pieces in psychiatric hospitals across the UK — from sweeping murals to hands-on workshops that put patients at the heart of the creative process. But despite critical acclaim, the battle for funding continues — and every brushstroke must be justified to NHS accountants. In this episode, Tim tells Olly why he won’t let hospitals sell off the valuable artwork he installs; explains why patients should look beyond the ‘recovery tree’; and reveals how his recent experience on pediatric wards has hardened his belief in the healing power of art… Find out more about Hospital Rooms at https://hospital-rooms.com/ _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at ‘smart gardening’: growing vegetables without soil. Is hydroponics a workable alternative to getting an allotment? How much faster is it to grow a tomato indoors? And is the whole trend really just a fig-leaf for at-home cannabis growers? Ollie has the answers… from a ‘smart bench’. _______ Elsewhere, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from attending a provocative menopause seminar - investigates how a Mann-fan can hire sex workers who are into… belching. With the help of VTuber giantess Ana Valens, Alix uncovers a full-blown subculture in which burps are considered not just bodily functions but sensual, often spontaneous, expressions of intimacy. The appeal, it turns out, is both nostalgic and transgressive… Burp! _______ Finally, our Record of the Month is ‘Inland Ocean’ by Matt Berninger, of The National... from his second solo album, Get Sunk - released on May 30. _______ BUY US A BEER Your support keeps this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord: 🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US… If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️ https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback … and we’ll see you on June 10th! This episode is supported by Shopify. Dream big, build fast, and grow far with 3 months for just £3 at https://shopify.co.uk/modernmann Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Tim A. Shaw, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Matt Berninger. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 _______ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Armin Samii signed up to deliver food for Uber Eats, his intentions were to explore his city, and help pay off his new bike. He soon realised the app was poorly configured for cyclists, and uncovered glitches including a non-existent branch of McDonald’s. But getting support from Uber was frustrating. When he believed they were also underestimating his mileage - and therefore underpaying him - he used his background as a computer coder to create ‘Uber Cheats’, a Chrome extension that got the attention of gig workers around the world. In conversation with Olly, he sheds light on life as a gig worker and considers the future of worker’s rights. The company has not acknowledged any systemic error in how distances are calculated. An Uber spokesperson told us: "More drivers and couriers are choosing to earn on Uber than ever before and we know that the vast majority are satisfied with their experience. "The Uber app reviews real-time information to provide the best price to appeal to the drivers or couriers in the area, helping to minimise waiting times for customers and maximise earnings. Our matching tools follow a process that balances a number of different factors such as time and distance to provide the best possible experience for everyone using the app." —----- Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for gourmet sandwiches. Do they really taste better, or are they just for showing off on Instagram? Olly and Ollie head to award-winning London sandwich shop Sandwich Sandwich to taste for themselves… After studying sandwich influencers Max Halley and Sensational Sandwiches, can Ollie go viral with his own take on a Steak Frites Entrecote sandwich? —----- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the legal status of consensual non-monogamy. For example, can a thruple inherit each other’s possessions when they die, as married couples can? What paperwork exists to evidence each part of a polycule? With the help of lawyers Rachel Frost-Smith and Lucy Bluck, and phychotherapist DK Green, Alix has the answers… … and, in light of research from BackMarket about the increasing issue of sex toy e-waste, Alix discovers that ‘Vibrators’ are now an official category for ‘Small Electricals’ recycling in the UK! —----- Music this month comes from Mann-favourite Self Esteem. After a few years moonlighting in the West End, she’s back with new track, If Not Now, It’s Soon' BUY US A BEER Your support keep this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord: 🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US… If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️ https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback _______ … and we’ll see you on May 10th! This episode is supported by Readly. Get your exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at readly.com/mann Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Armin Samii, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Self Esteem. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices