The Modern Mann

Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith return to compare parenting notes with Olly, their sons now having reached the age of 10½. Up for discussion: how to make friends with your kids’ parents, the dangers of ‘backdoor’ YouTube exposure, and the challenges of coping with impromptu sex education... Plus, the appealing fraternity of teenage skateboarding, the toxicity of ‘Jordan and Salish’, and the big que...

Andrew Ramroop OBE made his first pair of trousers whilst he was still in school shorts. At 17, he headed away from his home nation of Trinidad, gravitating towards London’s world-famous Savile Row. In this interview with Olly, he recalls how the racism he faced as a young tailor fuelled his career progression, and how he went on to create suits for Tony Curtis, Samuel L Jackson and Princess Diana...

When Tad Tomlinson set out to learn leatherworking, he stumbled into one of Britain's most secretive subcultures. From handcrafted gimp masks and bespoke straitjackets to dungeon installations and novelty jockstraps, Tad spent years making luxury bondage equipment for wealthy, discerning collectors. In this eye-opening conversation with Olly, he recalls some of his most elaborate commissions - inc...

Pathology technician Carla Valentine always knew she wanted to work with corpses. In childhood, she conducted funerals for roadkill. These days, she is curator of the Barts Pathology Museum, and a passionate advocate for more awareness about what happens when the mortuary doors swing shut... In this interview with Olly, she reveals how to prepare for an autopsy, how to get a sense of how a person...

What does it mean to give a pet a “good death”? Dr Caroline Flicker was Britain’s first vet to specialise in at-home palliative and end-of-life care. After three decades of home visits - caring for thousands of dying animals and the families who love them - she tells Olly why wagging tails and healthy appetites can mask profound suffering, why families so often disagree about “the right time”, and...

Teaching English in Beijing seemed like a great opportunity for Welsh graduate Glen Williams, who had previously spent time studying in China. He could brush up on his Mandarin, work with kids… and earn up to £3k per month, tax free. The hitch? The agency that placed him told him that every three months, he’d need to spend the weekend in Seoul - a ‘visa trip’ that, he soon discovered, was commonpl...

Cheryl Bennett doesn’t follow politics. But when her colleague said he was standing in local elections, she agreed to help deliver leaflets. Within days, doorbell video footage was circulating online, in which Cheryl could be seen calling prospective voters “f***ing P***s”.  Cheryl had never said such words, but wasn’t sure anyone believed her.  After being posted by an independent candidate for W...

The amazing true story behind James McAvoy's directorial debut feature: Olly Mann sits down with Gavin Bain, one half of Silibil 'n' Brains⁠, the Californian rap group that never was. "Sometimes you have to be other people to become who you are." Best mates with Eminem, signed by Sony, and on the verge of international superstardom, Silibil 'n' Brains were the music industry's Next Big Thing. Ther...

When Karina Graham’s children were removed from her care, social services did not step in with support.  Instead, she was left to recover from her alcohol addiction alone. To form functional relationships with her sons’ foster parents. And to heal from this intensely traumatic moment. But that still wasn’t enough to get her boys back… In this frank, raw conversation with Olly, Karina recounts how...

Professional dancer Raquel Meseguer had back surgery at the age of thirty, to treat chronic neuropathic pain. But, it didn’t alleviate her symptoms. In this insightful interview with Olly, she explains how this bombshell has impacted upon the daily practicalities of her life, why she doesn’t feel welcome in our ‘vertical culture’, and how well-meaning members of the public have repeatedly shamed h...

An earthquake of 6.9 magnitude rocked Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in September 2023, causing around 3,000 fatalities. For six hours, British tourist Robbie Greatrex was trapped in the rubble; unable to feel his legs, unsure he would emerge alive. Locals clubbed together in the rescue effort, improvising tools from what came to hand. The prognosis was not  good. In this compelling conversation with O...

There are more billionaires than ever. Rockstars. Oil tycoons. Internet entrepreneurs. And all of them - all of them - employ private staff. The age of Jeeves and Wooster may be over, but the demand for a dependable butler remains. Lawrence McKenna has been serving the super-rich for three decades, including stints in private suites in London's poshest hotels and the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. In t...

Alok Sama was a high-flying CFO who fraternized with the world’s richest men.  But he wasn’t immune from intimidation. Anonymous letters sent to his boss, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, accused him of corruption. Suddenly, shadowy “shareholders” emerged from nowhere, and a whisper campaign quietly derailed his career. Then - as he recounts to Olly in this compelling conversation - Alok discovered his f...

What are the perfect ingredients for a stress-free Christmas? How do you render the Arctic in song? And what does it sound like when we drink from each other’s teats?  … Just three of the hot topics being debated in our annual festive knees-up! Joining Olly Mann, Alix Fox and Ollie Peart this year, we welcome back family mediator Nick Coffer - who confronts the strains of a post-divorce Christmas...

Guy Babcock is not paedophile. He is not a sociopath, or a racist, or a ‘deadbeat’. He has not served time in prison. And yet, if you search his name online, you get a very different impression: hundreds of posts, smearing his reputation, all over the internet. In this interview with Olly, Guy explains why - despite a court ruling against the person ruining his reputation - these posts live on. He...

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, Jimm...

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 heal...

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 det...

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 fe...

From Gary Glitter to Rose West; Prince Harry to Harold Shipman… courtroom artist Priscilla Coleman has sketched them all, over five decades documenting Britain’s biggest criminal trials. In UK courts, artists can’t sketch inside, so she begins by writing what she sees, combining shorthand notes with a photographic memory technique. Under tight deadlines - and often without even a table - she rushe...

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; an...

Theme parks have transformed from the travelling fairs of the fifties and Disney-inspired family resorts into playgrounds for adrenalin junkies of all ages.  So, how do ride designers meet the needs of their discerning public? Bradley Wynne, lead creative artist at Merlin Magic Making, is a man who knows - he's spent a lifetime obsessing about all things theme park and is now heading up the team f...

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 hel...

What’s the reality of male-to-female transitioning on the NHS? Lexi Perry-Weston says the online resources she found didn’t relate to her experiences at all. In this interview with Olly, she explains how she’s been supported in her trans journey by her family, her workplace and the medical establishment - but also harassed by the public, fetishised by partners and discriminated against by business...

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 stalemat...