The Modern Mann

Stu Otten was raised on a tough Liverpool estate, where drug-taking was rife, and established crime families enacted violent retribution. Aged 17, he became a bar-room bouncer - and soon found himself dealing drugs, protecting human traffickers, and defending his territory in a turbulent turf war. In this raw, insightful interview, Stu reveals to Olly the self-loathing, drug-induced hallucinations and spiritual awakening that led him away from his marriage, his city, and organised crime - and into seeking forgiveness from those he’d hurt the most. Stu now works for Causeway [https://wearecauseway.org.uk], stepping in to prevent today’s young people from echoing his mistakes. Find out more about his work, and donate, via their website, https://www.wearecauseway.org.uk/  [https://www.wearecauseway.org.uk/] —-- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart examines how, in this election year, the war for our votes is being fought online - from A.I.-generated memes to disinformation campaigns. How do MPs stay on top of fake news? How can social media users research who’s targeting them? And - eight years on from Donald Trump’s first Presidential election - how come foreign entities are still able to buy their way on to our Facebook feeds?    —-- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox discovers ‘fraysexuality’, and asks if some men get off on… having STI swabs. If urethral sounding does give you a kick, what’s the safest way to introduce it to your sex life? What are the downsides of a ‘doctors and nurses’ fetish? And IS ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ by the Rednecks really about syphilis?  With the help of Sophie Cohen from House of Vixens and Dr Kareem Mahmoud from Flo, Alix has the answers…  —-- Finally, in music corner, our Record of the Month comes from Aberdeen punk rockers Cold Years, and their not-very-aptly-for-a-podcast-named new track, ‘Radio’ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppx1Bg24TKY] - from their forthcoming album, ‘A Different Life [https://mnrkuk.lnk.to/coldyearsadifferentlife]’. —-- Thanks so much for listening! Our monthly magazine show relies on your support - so, if you enjoy our independent podcast, and want to help us to keep making it, please BUY US A BEER 🍻using the secure links on our website, https://modernmann.co.uk/beer [https://modernmann.co.uk/beer] … and we’ll see you on 10th May! x Olly, Alix, Olle & Producer Matt —-- Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Stu Otten, Cold Years. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024. Sponsor: BetterHelp. Get started today and enjoy 10% OFF your first month of convenient and affordable therapy at https://betterhelp.com/mann [https://betterhelp.com/mann] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Dr Stuart Farrimond [http://stuartfarrimond.com/] was a disillusioned Junior Doctor. Night-shifts, the grim reality of hospital life and emotional exhaustion were all taking their toll - but he was in denial about what might be killing him. In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he explains how an eating disorder and an unexpected diagnosis derailed his career and his marriage - but also how, in the most desperate of circumstances, his life could still change for the better… This interview first aired in 2018. Now remastered and with an update from Stuart, we've paired this episode with Am I Autistic? [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/austism]- if you have an episode from our past you'd like to recommend, let us know at modernmann.co.uk/feedback [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0c7f5008-2b99-11ec-ad9e-a733f256927c/podcasts/bbf83964-c60d-11ec-93db-6fb37ef9ef64/episodes/df79228a-bc39-11ee-accf-d33fc4d8e724/modernmann.co.uk/feedback] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Lexi struggled to ‘read’ faces. She walked on her toes. She craved routine. She didn’t like her food to touch on a plate, and she was sensitive to light and sound.  But, until she was 27, she didn’t know she was autistic.  Lexi only took a test when - as a paramedic, grappling with erratic shifts and sleep disturbance - she sought help with anxiety and depression.  In this candid conversation with Olly, she considers the ‘trigger points’ for her struggles, explains her support system, and reveals how adjustments have seen her progress in her career and romantic relationships. Content Warning: self-harm. Find out more about autism from the National Autistic Society [https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism] — Elsewhere, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the intersection of eSports and motor racing. Can platforms like iRacing truly replicate the physics, design, and engineering of real-world cars? Why don’t they use VR headsets? And how come more people don’t know about Max Verstappen’s gaming side-hustle? With the help of Paul Crawford, Head of eSports at Motorsport UK, and sim-racer Jonny Elliot, Ollie discovers how (relatively) affordable home simulators might produce the next Will Byron… — Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from visiting Dennis Severs’ house in Shoreditch - tackles a bearded listener’s question of grooming… how can he minimise friction and tickles whilst going down on his wife? With the help of ‘Celebs Go Dating’ sexpert Dr Tara, Alix considers the options - from flavoured lubes to beard oils - and explains why a German toy, Belou, might provide a viable alternative…  — Finally, our Record of the Month comes from the Isle of Wight’s Lauran Hibberd [https://lauranhibberd.lnk.to/girlfriendmaterialID], whose single ‘2nd Prettiest Girl (In The World)’ is out now. — GET IN TOUCH If you have a letter for Olly, a question for Alix, a challenge for Ollie or want to share your story on our show, visit our website, HTTPS://MODERNMANN.CO.UK [https://modernmann.co.uk] and fill out the Feedback form.  — THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY… • Readly. Mannfans can get an exclusive, three month FREE trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at https://www.readly.com/mann [https://www.readly.com/mann] • BetterHelp. Get started today and enjoy 10% OFF your first month of convenient and affordable therapy at https://betterhelp.com/mann [https://betterhelp.com/mann] • BBC Maestro. Use the code MANN to get your 40% off your favourite video course or 40% off a subscription at https://bbcmaestro.com [https://bbcmaestro.com]. Let the greatest be your teacher! • WHO GIVES A CRAP? GET 20% OFF TOILET PAPER THAT DOES A WORLD OF GOOD AT HTTPS://UK.WHOGIVESACRAP.ORG/ [https://uk.whogivesacrap.org/] WHEN YOU USE THE CODE MANN. — Thanks for listening! If you can afford to support the show financially, please buy us a beer [https://modernmann.co.uk/beer] - we put every penny back into producing this independent podcast just for YOU. … and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on April 10th. x Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Lauran Hibberd. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

EXTREME HIGHS, EXTREME LOWS, AND A BUNGLED BANK ROBBERY Radcliffe Royds had it all - a private education; a job in the City; a wife and kids. So, how did he find himself robbing a bank with a banana, high on crack cocaine, whilst living in a skip in Soho? In this incredible interview, he tells Olly his outrageous story. It's a tale of extreme highs and lows, brutal honesty and dark humour. This interview first aired in 2016. Now remastered and with an update from Radcliffe, we've paired this episode with Our Conviction. Listen now [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/freshwaterfive] - and if you have an episode from our past you'd like to recommend, let us know at modernmann.co.uk/feedback [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0c7f5008-2b99-11ec-ad9e-a733f256927c/podcasts/bbf83964-c60d-11ec-93db-6fb37ef9ef64/episodes/df79228a-bc39-11ee-accf-d33fc4d8e724/modernmann.co.uk/feedback] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Sue Beere’s husband, John, was jailed for his role in a £53 million drug-smuggling plot.  He’s spent time in a maximum-security prison. He’s lost two appeals. But Sue has never doubted his innocence. Alongside charity Appeal, Sue continues to campaign for his conviction to be quashed - and for all the ‘Freshwater Five’ implicated in the alleged cocaine conspiracy [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/freshwater-five] to be exonerated.  In this compelling conversation with Olly, Sue recounts how - from John’s unexpected arrest to the shocking outcome of his trial - she has battled stigma, financial struggles, and the British legal system… from her family home on the Isle of Wight. Find out more about Appeal on their website, https://appeal.org.uk/ [https://appeal.org.uk/] This episode is sponsored by Readly, who are offering Mann-fans an exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. Get yours at readly.com/mann [https://www.readly.com/mann] —- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is hunting for a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder… might a simple vitamin tablet do the trick, or is it worth investing in a 10,000 lux therapy lamp?   Or, could the trend for Nordic bathing - plunging from a piping hot sauna into freezing cold water - be a mood-boosting salve for S.A.D? Ollie drags Olly along to the Saltwater Sauna [https://www.thesaltwatersauna.com/] in Sandbanks to find out… The Zeitgeist is sponsored by our friends at Beer52. Claim your FREE case of 8 new and exclusive beers from across the world at https://www.beer52.com/MANN [https://www.beer52.com/MANN] —- Elsewhere, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from a mind-blowing movie preview - investigates the booming market in A.I. girlfriends, and uncovers some tasty neologisms for part-time asexuals. Could an over-reliance on ‘fap GPT’ be a bedroom boner-killer? Do straight men get emotional support from their interactions with sex-bots?  With the help of psychotherapist Silva Neves, specialist in sexual compulsive behaviour, and sex robot researcher Dr Chloé Locatelli from King’s College London, Alix has the answers… probably.  If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future Foxhole, submit if via our website, https://modernmann.co.uk [https://modernmann.co.uk] —- Finally, our record of the month comes from Vince Freeman, whose new single, ‘Blame Myself’ - taken from his new album ‘Scars, Ghosts & Glory [https://vincefreeman.tmstor.es/]’, dropping in March - is out now. —- Thanks for listening! If you can afford to support the show financially, please buy us a beer [https://modernmann.co.uk/beer] - we put every penny back into producing this independent podcast just for YOU. … and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on March 10th. x Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Sue Beere, Vince Freeman. Thanks: Jude Habib, Sound Delivery. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024. This episode includes a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mann [https://betterhelp.com/mann] and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]