Blethered

First published in January 2024, but it’s worth a share for those who may benefit from it. I speak to men's sobriety coach Liam about the relationship that society - especially in Scotland - has with drinking…  We reflect on our own personal dynamic with booze and the heavy effects of drinking too much, too frequently... And we get into some uncomfortable territory about the darker overhang a...

Part 1 of Blethered Live at SWG3 in Glasgow, with former MI6 Spy Aimen Dean. Aimen talks about his early life in Saudi Arabia and how religious clerics shaped his young mindset... His decision to go and fight in Bosnia at 16 years old, in defence of Bosnian Muslims, and the horrors that he saw... And about when his path first crossed with Osama bin Laden. And as always, there's plenty more. Contac...

The pervasive, mendacious and downright malevolent diatribe directed towards immigrants in the UK – or those wrongly categorised as such – irrespective of their social, economic or citizenship status, is at what feels like an all time high.  So who better to hear from than someone who’s experiencing this continuing embarrassment to Britain. Step forward, Aarti Joshi.  Aarti is a good fri...

We all know someone who brags about never stopping, but what looks like productivity is often burnout – and it quietly erodes health, relationships, and enjoyment of life. Dr Aisan joins me to explain what burnout really is, how to recognise it before it takes hold, and why recovery starts with reframing rest as strength, rather than weakness. We discuss practical steps for spotting the signs, bre...

In this follow up episode, I chat with expert pharmacist Sehar Shahid about the recent UK price increase of weight-loss drug Mounjaro, the consequences of turning to the black market, and how she aims to help people in the way that's best for them, and not solely for business profit. Price increases will see a spike in counterfeit medicine, meaning a spike in people suffering adverse side affects,...

Lee’s star in the world of comedy is rapidly rising and has been for quite a while. If you haven’t seen him on stage, then you’re very likely to have seen one of his many viral videos, online. To quote the man himself: Only Slags Use Plastic Bags. In this episode we talk about Lee’s early days growing up in Grimsby, before going to university in Manchester. He explains his first steps in come...

Paddy’s sold out the SSE Arena in Belfast multiple times, and he’s back again in October to the same level of demand. The SSE’s about the same capacity as the Hydro in Glasgow – so that’s a good gauge of where he’s at. He’s got that acerbic wit and ruthless humour that’s typical of Belfast, and just as common in Glasgow – something we get into in detail. Paddy talks about growing up in the middle...

Alfie’s Edinburgh Fringe Show ‘Dropped’ intimately tells his very personal tale of being picked up by Chelsea Football Club’s prestigious academy, before being unceremoniously discarded after a routine medical uncovered a congenital heart defect. After then moving on to North West London side Barnet, he remarkably found himself in and around the first team at only 15 years old, and at one point pl...

Expert pharmacist Sehar Shahid talks to me about weight-loss injections. Their existence and use generates headlines nationwide, but how many of those are accurate, and how many are misrepresented in the name of generating ad-revenue, via online clicks? Well we’re cutting through the conjecture, the marketing, and the media noise to get to the facts — the good, the bad, and the in-between. These d...

This conversation is with Jamie McGuire, a councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead, who made headlines recently after leaving the Labour Party and joining Reform UK—becoming the first Labour councillor in Scotland to do so. At just 24, Jamie’s political journey has already seen him involved with Labour, and now Reform—two parties that many would see as ideologically incompatible. I've taken the...

Nicola used to be a police detective. Now she’s one of Scotland’s most sought after wedding photographers. It’s not the kind of career change you hear every day — but once you know what she’s lived through, and what drove her decisions, it all makes perfect sense. Nicola is a survivor of child sex abuse, and at a young age, decided that she wanted to go after people who cause harm. And she did exa...

Satinder is an integrative psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and author who specialises in working with trauma, particularly in the aftermath of child sexual abuse. In this conversation, we discuss the long and debilitating shadow that kind of abuse can cast into adulthood, and how the damage often goes unseen or unspoken, for decades. We also explore the idea of therapy - when it works, when i...

Author, producer and screenwriter Claire Duffy talks to me about The Glasgow Telly Festival , her interesting and unconventional formative years, the significance of accents and loads more! Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Kevin is a writer and researcher whose work looks at where data meets identity - basically, where hard facts and statistics collide with the more personal, subjective sides of who we are. Sexuality shouldn’t ever need to be a focus, but it 's relevant in the context of our conversation, because our identities shape how we see the world.  Kevin and I are the same age, from the same country,...

In Part 1, I got a good sense of John as a man, his connection to his family and how politics became his vocation. In Part 2, we get into the here and now, and some of the issues that are affecting people in Scotland, particularly young men and the concept of masculinity. We consider the concept of radicalisation and extreme ideologies masquerading as benevolent influences... We examine the dispar...

This is the start of an ongoing mini-series on the topic of masculinity in the modern world, and who better to launch it than the man at the highest position of political influence in our country. This is part 1 of 2, and focuses on John Swinney the man, his formative years and how his family shaped him, and what inspired him to get involved in politics. This whole topic is about being human, and...

*WATCH ON YOUTUBE* I love having expansive and unpredictable conversations and that’s exactly what this is. This is probably the opposite of what you’d expect to hear based on your preconceptions about the guest, but as you’ll hear, those will prove to be quite inaccurate. We discuss the congruity between materialism and spirituality, in pursuit of a happy and fulfilled existence… We talk about Br...

Dr Aisan Ghaemian is a Chartered Psychologist and accredited Cognitive Behavior Therapist, and has a PhD in the field of Health Psychology. This was a fascinating conversation on a variety of topics, and I thoroughly enjoyed having such an expansive conversation with such an expert authority in her field. We discuss the impact of social media - and I don’t mean the mealy-mouthed, surface level bul...

We recorded this conversation on the banks of Loch Lomond as the sun set in front of us, something I mention about 68 times. But my plan worked, the incredible backdrop cultivated some really profound and life affirming thoughts, as I hoped it would.  You’ll hear about Roisin’s self-created journey in music, from making some tracks at home to singing in front of Tom Jones on The Voice… Her li...

Abbie Draper tells me about her years-long ordeal at the hands of registered sex offender and convicted stalker, Adele Rennie. Rennie was jailed for the third time in September 2024, after a catalogue of serious repeated sexual and stalking crimes. Judge's Sentencing Statement - 13th September 2024 Stalking Helpline Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @seantmcdonald Twitter: @seanmc...

Here’s a wee bit of information about Michael. He’s a Scottish journalist and broadcaster who has a long list of notable achievements in his field. He’s written for The Scotsman, the Times, The National and The Barrhead News… He’s featured frequently on BBC Scotland and BBC Radio Scotland, producing a notable documentary for the latter… And he even created a short film back in 2009, that went on t...

There’s an upcoming parliamentary debate about the Tobacco & Vapes bill, which was first introduced in the House of Commons on the 5th of November, 2024. Its purpose is to significantly improve public health by reducing smoking rates and preventing nicotine addiction among young people. Here to discuss that with me is Greig Fowler, a business director of Vape retailer VPZ. He says that vaping...

Martin Geissler has had an incredible career on the front line of global news, from the Iraq War and the Boxing Day tsunami, to going undercover to report from Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwean regime. You’ll hear some incredible stories and a fascinating insight into Martin’s profession, but also him as a man, something you’ll rarely get a glimpse of. His story about being adopted and the story that tha...

It’s 2011. Novak Djokovic wins his first Wimbledon title, Rangers make it three league win in a row, while Celtic win another Scottish Cup in the rain against Motherwell. Osama bin Laden is killed, Adele tops the charts, and there’s earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan.  The News of the World closes its doors for good, England burns after riots break out across the nation and the Iraq War finall...

Here’s an introduction to Hayley, if you’re not familiar with her, as she has quite the profile. • Model • Miss Scotland Finalist • Niece of Rangers legend Ally McCoist • Love interest of various Scottish Premier League Footballers • One time Girlfriend of Leicester City and England footballer Jamie Vardy • Friend of the rich and famous Oh, and one more detail. She never existed. I’m joined by Gab...