The Modern Mann

Martha Adam was raped. For a week afterwards, she couldn’t even say the word. Couldn’t tell her parents what had happened to her. But she did report the assault - and faced hours of courtroom questioning that both embellished and undermined her trauma. In this compelling conversation with Olly, Martha explains how these events restricted her lifestyle, affected her relationships, and made her question her own sanity… Content warning: discussion of rape and trauma. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in today’s interview, Martha recommends the following organisations: Rape Crisis offers online resources and has a network of centres where survivors can access support My Body Back Project run clinics giving access to sexual health services for survivors. This interview first aired in 2018, and was awarded Best Interview at the British Podcast Awards 2019. Now remastered and with an update from Martha, we're playing it this month because we're up for the same award in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olivia hardly knew her father. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she was brought up by her Mum. Sent to boarding school at the age of eight, she was estranged from her Dad for a decade. ———————————— Struggling financially, and weakened by bulimia, she got a call from out of the blue: it was her father, wanting to rekindle their relationship. But - as her health deteriorated, and the UK went into lockdown - her Mum dropped a bombshell that changed everything Olivia thought she knew about her family… Content warning: eating disorders, childhood trauma. Names have been changed.   If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder, BEAT or Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous may be able to help. If you’re dealing with emotional abuse, CRISIS Text Line offer free 24/7 support. If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form. This interview first aired in 2021, under our regular show, with the same title. Now remastered and with an update from Olivia, this playback is paired with our most recent annual instalment of our How To Be A Dad series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Donny Cosgrove co-wrote one of the decade’s biggest comedy flops: BBC 1 sitcom ‘Warren’, starring Martin Clunes. Lambasted on social media and derided by critics, the Daily Telegraph claimed it was ‘the final nail in the coffin for British sitcom’. Jimmy’s agent dumped him. He received death threats. And he hasn’t had a show on TV since. In this frank and funny conversation with Olly, Jimmy recounts how he blagged his way on to a comedy course at University; how his heart sank when his show was scheduled in a double-bill with the long-anticipated return of Alan Partridge; and explains why his experiences of the TV sausage-factory, with its endless rewrites and creative compromises, left him bruised and disillusioned… Nowadays, Jimmy hosts a live game show experience. Find out more at showtimelondon.co.uk. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, freshly delighted to furnish the world with a Captain Spronk playlist, learns the latest trends in First Aid. What’s the current advice for performing CPR? How do you apply for a free defibrillator? And how many heart attacks per year happen outside a hospital environment? Equipped with a ‘mini-Ann’ and the Revivr app from the British Heart Foundation, Ollie has the answers… _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a listener who wants to know how to help his other half as she prepares for the menopause. Explaining how the menopause’s three stages (perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause) comprise a profound physical and emotional transition, Alix reveals the hormonal shifts that can cause brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disruption, and changes in libido. Along the way, Alix speaks to clinical sexologist Dr Angela Wright, and recommends the books Burning Up, Frozen Out by Joe Warner and Rob Kemp; The Little Book of HRT by Dr Ellie Cannon and Menowars by Fiona Clark. _____________ Finally, our record of the month is ‘Dead and Gone’, the new single from Leigh-Anne’s debut album, Because My Ego Told Me To. _____________ Olly, Alix, Ollie and special musical guests will return with our annual, chaotic Christmas special on 10th December. In the meantime, you can help support the show into 2026 by donating beer money and/or leaving us a review. Thanks! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Jimmy Donny Cosgrove, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Leigh-Anne. 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

Drink-driving one night, Matthew Cordle caused a head-on collision that killed 61-year-old Vincent Canzani. His confession on YouTube - ‘I Killed A Man’ - became one of the most controversial viral videos of its era, amassing millions of views and sparking debate about accountability, remorse, and the nature of public confession. Twelve years later, Cordle tells Olly his story, in unflinching detail that goes far beyond the sensational three-minute video. From his descent into alcoholism from the age of eleven, to his complex relationship with the attention his actions brought him, and the journey of accountability he undertook during his six-year prison sentence, this is a tale of remorse, notoriety, and what it means to take responsibility. Matthew works with the charities Save Your Victim and Because I Said I Would. --------------------- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is on-hand to organise a tenth birthday party for our podcast 🥳 With a sprinkling of superb magic from The Magician’s Table, he suggests a potent mix of immersive theatre, bespoke cocktails from Holy Water, and, of course, VR. There is also a celebratory song from his musical alter-ego Captain Spronk, because why wouldn’t there be? --------------------- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox has been rummaging for antiques at her local car boot sale, and looking into the UK government’s new controls on digital pornography. Has the implementation of age verification helped prevent minors from accessing online porn? Are the likes of Quittr effective at assisting users to ‘quit porn forever’? And, if they are, is that healthy? Alix, as always, has a view… Love the Foxhole? Then you may enjoy How To Get Wet When You’re Dry - a new show about sex and sobriety, produced by Ollie Peart. --------------------- Finally, our record of the month comes from Art School Girlfriend, and her track L.Y.A.T.T. (Love You All The Time) ❤️ --------------------- A 10TH BIRTHDAY NOTE FROM OLLY Mann-Fans, thanks so much for listening to and supporting our podcast! It is because of you that we continue making the show. If you can afford to, please please send us beer money - every penny helps fund our journalism. If you can’t spare any cash, then why not leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or just tell your friends. That’s free. Here’s to the next ten years! … and we’ll see you with something new on 10th November. x Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Matthew Cordle, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Art School Girlfriend, Captain Spronk. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 (01:34) Your Letters (06:33) The Zeitgeist: How To Have A Very Modern Party (29:23) Interview: Matthew Cordle (75:51) The Foxhole: Porn Ban Aftermath Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices