Thick No More

Jo Rees has spent 25 years in dyslexia as a teacher, SENCO, specialist assessor, author and mentor, with more than a thousand assessments behind her. She’s also a mum to three dyslexic kids. Yet nobody spotted her own dyslexia until she was 34. This episode is sponsored by Loop Earplugs. #LoopPartner Get 20% off Loop Switch 2 with code LOOPX-THICKNOMORE:  https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/swit...

“My ADHD diagnosis didn't just change my life. It saved my life.” What happens when you spend 38 years believing you're the problem, only to discover your brain has been working differently all along? In this powerful, funny, emotional and gloriously unfiltered episode of Thick No More , Jay is joined by Laura Mears-Reynolds , host of the hugely popular ADHD AF podcast, founder of the ADHD...

Ever walked into the kitchen, grabbed something to eat and then realised you weren't even hungry? Or promised yourself you'd start eating better, exercising or getting into a routine on Monday… only for everything to fall apart by Wednesday? What if it's not simply a lack of willpower? This week on Thick No More, I'm joined by the brilliant ADHD coach Caitlyn Haselgrove for an hone...

Mandi Gosling: ADHD, Lost Years & the Courage to Be Yourself What happens when you spend 31 years believing you're the problem, only to discover your brain simply works differently? This week on Thick No More, I'm joined by the incredible Mandi Gosling, Neuralign Global Ambassador , for one of the most honest, emotional and powerful conversations I've had since starting this podcas...

At 10 years old, Bernadette Haigh was made to stand in front of a classroom of children and explain why she was repeating the school year. Her answer? “I can’t read.” The shame from that moment stayed with her for decades. Today, Bernadette is a proud dyslexic, mum, author, mentor and founder of Daring Dyslexic helping parents protect something that can so easily be lost when a child struggles at...

At 31 years old, Lisa Marshall's life changed with a knock at the door. Her husband Alan had died by suicide. She was suddenly a widow and solo mum to three young children, trying to understand something that made no sense while somehow continuing to make packed lunches, do the food shopping, get the children to school and simply survive. Recorded on World Suicide Prevention Day , this episode...

What happens when the signs were always there, but nobody joined the dots? Adam Petrie grew up knowing there was a gap between what he was capable of and what he actually produced at school. He was monitored, labelled and struggled with impulsivity, but it wasn't until the age of 35 that he finally received an ADHD diagnosis. His reaction? “YES!” Because suddenly, decades of his life started to ma...

What happens when a child fails the same exam again… and again… and again? Hannah Gee knows exactly what that looks like. After watching her son struggle through repeated GCSE Maths and English exams, Hannah recorded an emotional video from her car that resonated with thousands of parents. But she didn’t stop at sharing her frustration. She decided to fight for change. Hannah is the founder of the...

Millions of adults with dyslexia still believe they're the problem. Not because they aren't intelligent. Because nobody ever explained how their brain actually works. In this deeply honest conversation, dyslexia coach and author Natalie Brooks joins Jay Giddens to unpack the realities of adult dyslexia—from working memory and masking to confidence, executive function and why so many people spend d...

What happens when one of Britain's most recognisable TV personalities becomes one of the country's most powerful voices for neurodivergent families? In this deeply personal episode of Thick No More , Jay sits down with Carrie Grant MBE to explore autism, education, parenting and the fight for a more inclusive future. Known by millions from Fame Academy , Pop Idol and decades in television...

🎙️ When the Headteacher Becomes the SEND Parent | Kate Manning on Dyslexia, Inclusion & Fixing Education What happens when the person leading a school suddenly finds themselves fighting the education system as a parent? In this episode of Thick No More , I sit down with headteacher, SEND advocate and founder of Edgewood School, Kate Manning , for one of the most honest conversations we've...

What happens when a parent is made to believe their child is the problem? In this powerful episode of Thick No More, I sit down with bestselling author, SEND advocate and campaigner Heidi Mavir to talk about the reality facing thousands of families across the UK. We discuss why so many parents are left feeling like they've failed, why children are being labelled instead of supported, and why H...

In this powerful episode of Thick No More, Jay Giddens is joined by parent advocate Danielle Broadbent to discuss the reality facing thousands of families navigating ADHD, autism, school exclusions, EHCP applications, and a system many believe is failing neurodivergent children. Danielle shares her deeply personal journey supporting her son through years of struggles in secondary school, repeated...

Season 3, Episode 1 – Andy Vincent | Thick No More Season 3 kicks off with one of the most honest, emotional and inspiring conversations we’ve had yet. In this episode, Jay sits down with Andy Vincent a man whose story of dyslexia, childhood trauma, survival and personal transformation will resonate deeply with parents, neurodivergent adults and anyone who has ever felt “not good enough.” Growing...

This week on Thick No More , Jay sits down with performance coach, speaker, and author Pamela Cass , whose story will resonate with anyone who has ever felt invisible, “not enough,” or misunderstood. Diagnosed with dyslexia at age seven in 1977, Pamela spent her childhood being pulled out of class, whispered about, and shrinking herself to survive. At home, she hid in a hallway closet hoping someo...

🎙️ Thick No More – Episode 1: John O’Shea | NeuroSpicy, Resilience & Rediscovering Yourself What happens when your life completely unravels your marriage ends, your job’s gone, your home’s gone and you realise you’ve been living with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia for decades? In this powerful first video episode of Thick No More , host Jay Giddens sits down with John O’Shea , founder of NeuroS...

Autistic self-advocate and tech leader Shea Belsky (Tech Lead @ HubSpot; ex-CTO & co-founder at Mentra; host of Autistic Techie ) joins Thick No More to flip old labels into real strengths. We go back to his early years and diagnosis, talk sensory needs and self-advocacy, and get practical about what leaders miss—and how simple changes create belonging and better work. In this episode: “Born T...

Diagnosed & Dumped — with Beth Thomas (ADHD/ND Life Coach, Neurodivergent by Design) This week, Jay sits down with Beth Thomas — ADHD & neurodivergent life coach, neuroinclusion trainer, and founder of Neurodivergent by Design — to talk honestly about being “diagnosed & dumped,” why so many adults still feel stuck after assessment, and what good support actually looks like at work and...

🎙 Thick No More – Season 2, Episode 1: From Performative to Practiced Inclusion — Fixing Workplace Neurodiversity Welcome to Season 2 of Thick No More , the podcast that challenges old narratives about neurodiversity, inclusion, and what it really means to thrive at work. In this powerful opening episode, host Jay Giddens sits down with Trisha S. Daho , founder and CEO of Empowered Leadership &amp...

🎙️ Thick No More – Season 1 Finale with Katherine Perry This week marks the end of Season 1 of Thick No More and it couldn’t be wrapped up by anyone more fitting than Katherine Perry. Katherine is a dynamic leader, strategist, and advocate whose personal story of growing up with dyslexia and dyscalculia has shaped a career dedicated to accessibility, inclusion, and challenging stigma. She’s best k...

🎙 Thick No More – Episode with Ben Sutcliffe In this episode of Thick No More , Jay sits down with Ben Sutcliffe , a man whose story is one of resilience, community, and purpose. Diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager, Ben’s world changed overnight. The label carried stigma, misunderstanding, and daily fears of seizures but what could have been a lifetime defined by limits became a story of transfo...

Laura Horn’s journey is one of survival, resilience, and transformation. Growing up with childhood trauma, family struggles, and poverty, Laura found herself battling addiction, living with PTSD, and carrying labels without the support she desperately needed. But this is not a story about defeat it’s about rising. Diagnosed later in life with ADHD and autism, Laura reframed her past and began to u...

What happens when you’re diagnosed with ADHD as a little girl in 1995, at a time when hardly anyone believed girls could have it? For Cristina Gilbert, it meant growing up under the weight of risk statistics, labels, and doubt but refusing to let them define her. In this episode, Cristina takes us through her extraordinary journey: Early diagnosis at 8 years old and what it meant to grow up neurod...

🎙️ Episode Description – Darren Clark | Thick No More Podcast What happens when the world labels you as “different”? When you’re excluded, underestimated, and told you won’t amount to much? For Darren Clark, that was his reality growing up with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism in a school system that didn’t see his strengths. Segregated into a porter cabin, given dot-to-dot books instead of lessons, and...

🎙️ “Just a quick note before we begin: this episode contains some strong language and open discussions about addiction and recovery. Listener discretion is advised.” 🎧 Thick No More Podcast – Episode with Andy Stone From expulsion and addiction to Guinness World Records Andy Stone’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, Jay sits down with Andy to uncover how he turned a life...