The Next Chapter

Jamie Blair traded a career in law for something far less predictable — building Roots, a thriving cafe business on the Isle of Man that's become as much a community hub as a coffee shop.  In this episode, Jamie opens up about the early days of brewing soft drinks in a utility room, the setbacks that nearly derailed him, and why he now sees failure as fuel rather than a full stop. We talk abo...

Tom James had his first stroke at 24. He was drinking heavily, battling ADHD and bipolar disorder, and using alcohol to numb everything he didn't want to face. The stroke should have been enough. It wasn't. What finally made him stop? A hallucination at a festival — his future son, begging him to change. In this episode, Tom shares the raw, unfiltered truth of what addiction looks like f...

What does it actually take to leave everything behind and start again? Izzy packed up her life in California — as a young mum escaping crime, negativity, and a life that no longer felt like hers — and moved to the Isle of Man. No playbook. No guarantee. Just a gut feeling that something had to change. In this episode of The Next Chapter, Izzy gets raw and honest about the real challenges of uproot...

What happens when you stop pretending and start actually living? In this episode of The Next Chapter, I sit down with Marty Bailey — Leadership and Resilience Coach from Liverpool — who opens up about his raw journey from anxiety and depression to building a life grounded in authenticity, discipline, and self-leadership. Marty doesn't sugarcoat it. He talks about hitting rock bottom, using me...

Sarah Myers spent years looking like she had it all together. Military background, career, three kids. But behind the scenes? She was drinking to cope, slowly losing herself, and missing the moments that mattered most. In this episode, we get real about what high-functioning alcoholism actually looks like, why alcohol is so insidiously normalised — especially for parents — and what it takes to fin...

What do you do when your wife tells you she's done — and you know deep down it's your fault? Mark Cox didn't run. He turned his rock bottom into a mission. In this episode, I sit down with Mark — a former psychiatric nurse turned marriage recovery coach — who opens up about his own infidelity, alcohol, and the moment he realised he was living a double life. We get into the real root...

She ran away with the circus at 17. By 40, alcohol had taken over. This is Abi King's story. Abi King is an alcohol-free coach and host of The Sober Connection podcast. Originally from the UK, now living in New Zealand, she's turned one of the hardest chapters of her life into a mission — helping others find their way out of the drinking cycle. In this episode we get into the real stuff....

What happens when you stop drinking—and start backing yourself properly? In this educational interview, I’m joined by Frazer Kendall , creator of the TikTok DIY platform @fixitwithfraz , as he shares the real story behind his sobriety, personal transformation, and the mindset shift that helped him rebuild his life. We talk about the hidden costs of alcohol (the anxiety, shame, money, and the &apos...

What does it actually take to rebuild confidence as a man in your 40s, 50s, or beyond—especially when you’ve hit a low point, lost your spark, or feel like you’re just 'getting through' life? In this educational interview, I’m joined by Mitch Simpson —martial arts instructor turned mindset coach—who shares how discipline, self-love, and vulnerability can become the foundation for real pe...

In this episode of The Next Chapter , Luke Jones sits down with Rachel Murrey for a powerful conversation about what happens when you stop living by the rules you inherited… and start living by what actually feels true. Rachel shares her journey from corporate life to spiritual awakening, and we get into the real stuff: societal conditioning, people-pleasing, fear, imposter syndrome, and the quiet...

In this episode of The Next Chapter , I’m joined by Emma Walsh — a trauma-informed coach and entrepreneur — for a proper deep conversation about burnout, nervous system safety, and what trauma can quietly do to your confidence, relationships, and business decisions . Emma breaks down the trauma spectrum (it’s not always the 'big obvious stuff'), why trauma is stored emotion in the body ,...

What happens when you realise alcohol has become your “home”… and you decide to burn that version of home to the ground? In this episode of The Next Chapter , I’m joined by Eamon Kearney —Irish immigrant living in Massachusetts, father, sober runner, and author of the upcoming memoir ' The Long Way Home.' We get into the real stuff: adoption, early trauma, Irish drinking culture, and how...

In this episode of The Next Chapter , Luke Jones sits down with mindset + fitness coach Alex Watts to unpack the psychology behind consistency — and why so many busy people fall into the start/stop cycle. Alex Watts is a mindset and fitness coach who helps full-time professionals get back in shape without forcing extreme routines. After struggling with inconsistency himself, he developed the No-Fo...

In this episode of The Next Chapter, I’m joined by Jimmy Thistle — sober advocate and over five years alcohol-free — to rip into the myths we’ve all been fed about alcohol, recovery, and what a “normal” drinking life is supposed to look like. Jimmy is the voice behind @recovery_jimmy and host of After Hours with Jimmy Thistle, creating a space rooted in honesty, recovery, and real conversation. He...

Will Edwards is a dad of two, an NHS cardiac rehab exercise specialist, and four years sober. In this episode, we go deep on the “grey area” drinking trap (when it’s not a rock bottom… but it’s still costing you), and the moment Will caught himself thinking ' I need a beer' —and realised where that road can lead. We also unpack how running became far more than fitness for Will (a mental...

Stephen Radnedge is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) in a GP practice with over 20 years’ experience in healthcare. He works autonomously assessing patients, diagnosing conditions, and prescribing treatment, and he’s also an endurance athlete training for long-distance events. Steve is passionate about sustainable performance, resilience, and a moderation-first approach to health—especially...

In this episode of The Next Chapter, host Luke Jones sits down with Ben Gibbs—award-winning beer writer, sobriety advocate, and a leading voice in the alcohol-free revolution. After giving up alcohol in early 2022, Ben discovered that the alcohol-free beer scene wasn’t just growing — it was exploding with creativity, flavour, and personality. What began as a search for something decent to drink so...

Chelle Stanley is an Identity coach and unapologetic truth-teller who challenges the pressure to perform and be who the world expects you to be. After years of navigating agoraphobia, health challenges and deep personal growth, she rebuilt her confidence and self-trust from the ground up. Her work is rooted in lived experience, not theory. Speaking openly about people-pleasing, masking and the cou...

Leanne is a mental health nurse specialising in alcohol problems.  She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her 2 cats Echo and Olly.  With years of frontline experience supporting individuals and families impacted by alcohol use, she brings both professional insight and deep compassion to the conversation.  Leanne is passionate about helping people understand the emotional, psychological and social...

Chris Langrish a former club Dj but now mindset coach, founder of the Solent splashers and Thrive whose mission is to get people moving and help them with their mindset to achieve things I never thought possible. In this conversation, Chris Langrish shares his transformative journey from a DJ in the 90s to a transformation coach. He discusses the importance of community, fitness, and accountabilit...

In this episode, Luke Jones engages in a candid conversation with Mitchel Delemere, who shares his remarkable journey of transformation from a troubled past in England to a new life in Sweden.  Mitchel discusses his struggles with addiction, his time in prison, and the pivotal moments that led him to embrace sobriety. Celebrating three years of sobriety, he emphasises the importance of community,...

In this episode, host Luke Jones engages in a heartfelt conversation with Mark Adam Snell, who shares his transformative journey from battling addiction to becoming a coach and healer.  Mark discusses his early life, the challenges he faced growing up feeling different, and how he navigated through addiction, ultimately finding recovery through various techniques such as NLP, hypnosis, and Reiki....

In this enlightening conversation, Luke Jones interviews Hannah Esselink, a spiritual coach and clairvoyant, who shares her journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming a guide for others seeking clarity and healing.  Hannah discusses the importance of intuition, spirituality, and meditation, and how these elements intertwine to help individuals navigate their lives.  She emphasizes the signi...

In this episode, Lisa Spencer shares her powerful journey from a challenging childhood in Oxford—marked by resilience and her father’s recovery from alcoholism—to a successful corporate career and, ultimately, her calling as a burnout coach.  Lisa opens up about her experiences with burnout, the pivotal moments that shaped her, and her transition to coaching women through her signature program, th...

What does it take to rebuild your life after hitting rock bottom? In this episode, I sit down with Tim Guest—founder of Comeback HQ and living proof that you can rewrite your story at any age. After life-changing brain surgery in 2020, Tim faced his toughest battles: overcoming alcohol, redefining his identity, and rebuilding his health from scratch. He shares how drinking became both a crutch and...