Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man

What do a 300-acre Canadian farm, professional boxing, and a podcast called Dildo Dilemma have in common? Lita Mae Button. In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man, Mark sits down with Lita Mae Button, a professional boxer, coach, and founder of Punch Positive, to explore a life shaped by resilience, adversity, and transformation. After becoming a young mother, facing an abusiv...

This episode marks one full year of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man . And it felt right to sit down with someone who represents exactly what this podcast is all about. Si King, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, joins me for a conversation about friendship, food, and what life looks like when it doesn’t quite go the way you expected. Together with Dave Myers, Si travelled over 6...

What does cutting your toenails at the dinner table have to do with phone addiction? In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man, I’m joined by bestselling author and screenwriter Emmy Laybourne for a bold and honest conversation about screen addiction, creativity, and reclaiming your focus in a world designed to distract you. We explore: • Why phone addiction is not a personal fa...

Addiction does not affect just one person. It affects the entire family. In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man / @thepieeatingman I’m joined by Jennifer Chase, a woman in long term recovery, life coach, daughter of an alcoholic, and mother of a recovering addict. Jennifer has experienced addiction from every angle. She grew up around it. She struggled with it herself. And sh...

What happens when a 7 year old child is “rescued” from civil war by their father, only to be placed into slavery? Pamela Michaux was sent from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Belgium at the age of seven, promised safety and a better life. What followed was years of abuse, racism, exploitation and silence. In this conversation, Pamela shares how survival became normal, how identity was fracture...

If you’re feeling flat, overwhelmed, or just a bit worn down by life, this conversation might help you breathe again. In this episode of Chewing the Crust, I’m joined by Cathy Nesbitt, educator, environmentalist, and laughter yoga leader, for a warm, honest conversation about laughter, nature, mental health, and why feeling better does not always need to be complicated. Cathy’s journey is anything...

In this episode of Chewing the Crust, Mark Grimes talks with Rob René, whose entire life changed in an instant after a serious accident. What followed was a powerful journey through faith, recovery, and a deep exploration of health, intention, and transformation. Rob shares how the accident shifted his identity, how he rebuilt his life, and how he began studying frequency, nutrition, and the role...

This conversation changed the way I think about caffeine. In this episode of Chewing the Crust, I speak with Steve Frazier, author of Release the Coffee Cuffs, Winning the Battle with Caffeine. Steve literally broke up with coffee after decades of heavy use, business stress and family health challenges… and the results surprised even him. We dig into: ☕ Why caffeine doesn’t give you energy, it bo...

Paul Cooper, known to millions as Martin Mucklowe from the BAFTA-winning comedy This Country, joins Mark Grimes on Chewing the Crust for an inspiring and deeply human conversation about creativity, purpose, childhood, peace, and resilience. Far from being a lifelong actor, Paul didn’t begin acting until he was 60 years old — proving it is never too late to reinvent yourself or step into the life y...

In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man, Leah Johnson shares her raw and inspiring story of recovery, forgiveness, and rediscovery. Leah once lived a life built around success and external validation — from being the youngest woman elected to her city council to working on major political campaigns in the US. But behind the achievements was someone battling alcohol addiction,...

In this episode of Chewing the Crust, Mark Grimes (The Pie Eating Man) sits down with Josh Troche — podcaster, coach, and storyteller — to explore how confidence, risk-taking, and genuine connection shape our lives. From celebrating wins (something many people struggle with) to embracing change, building self-sufficiency, and discovering purpose, this conversation dives into the mindset shifts tha...

In this powerful episode of Chewing the Crust, Arsenal Whittick shares his remarkable life story — from living in silence with a severe stammer, through struggles with autism, self-harm, and football addiction, to becoming an inspiring speaker, autism advocate, and author. Arsenal’s journey is captured in the moving book A Boy Called Arsenal by Alan J Hill, available now on Amazon.📚 Buy the books...

From life beneath the waves to facing stage 4 prostate cancer, Jason Stone is selflessly sharing the message for men everywhere: get a PSA blood test. His story of courage, humour, and honesty could save lives.👉 Don’t wait. It’s just a blood test. Get checked.🎧 Jason’s podcast – Prostate Cancer : The Road to Recovery:    / @prostatecancertrtr   🎧 open.spotify.com/show/04Uki93meDK2JTDuZU8ovb📕 T...

Shaun Coulson, founder of Skullyz Apparel, joins Chewing the Crust to share a deeply personal story of loss, resilience, and creativity. From losing his father at 14 to battling depression, anxiety, and imposter syndrome, Shaun opens up about the life-changing moments that inspired him to create a clothing brand with a message. In this honest and inspiring conversation, Shaun talks about:Growing u...

In this deeply personal yet playfully insightful episode of the *Pie Eating Man Podcast*, Mark Grimes sits down with Dr Kristen Williamson to explore the real-life experiences of late-diagnosed ADHD and autism. From raising children with the same neurodivergent profiles to the struggles and triumphs of pursuing higher education undiagnosed, Kristen shares her remarkable journey. We also dive into...

This episode of Chewing the Crust is a raw and powerful conversation with Micheál Costello – an Irish Ironman triathlete with a journey that goes far beyond finish lines. We talk honestly about: His battle with disordered eating and body image Growing up gay in rural Ireland The pressures of masculinity in sport and society Finding hope, help, and purpose Raising thousands for eating disorder char...

🎧 Chewing the Crust – Episode 7: Laura Sugden survived a brutal, targeted attack with a crossbow. Her partner Shane Gilmer was tragically killed. She was five months pregnant. In this raw, personal interview, Laura shares the horror of that night — and how she’s using her story to fight for crossbow law reform in the UK.🟥 Trigger warning: Contains descriptions of violent crime, trauma, and berea...

🎙 She Danced. She Lost. She Ran. Jo Lee’s Story: From Dance Teacher to Marathon MumWhat happens when life turns completely upside down — and you still have to show up? In this deeply moving episode of Chewing the Crust, host Mark Grimes sits down with Jo Lee, a former dance teacher turned single mother and marathon runner, to unpack a story of unshakable love, devastating loss, and unstoppable res...

🎙️ One Punch That Changed Everything | The Story of Scott Akester | One Punch Hull In this emotional and powerful episode, I sit down with Debbie and Steve Akester, whose lives were changed forever when their son Scott Akester was killed by a single, unprovoked punch on a night out in Hull. Scott was just 31 years old — a dad, a son, a friend, a big Hull City fan, and a man loved by many. His deat...

In this episode of Chewing the Crust, I'm joined by the inspiring Glenn Parsons—a barrister from Leeds with a powerful story of resilience, identity, and justice. Glenn shares his journey from being adopted and growing up in 1980s Leeds, to leaving school without qualifications, working in a supermarket, and ultimately transforming his life through education. Now a successful barrister, Glenn...

🎙 Welcome to Chewing the Crust – The Podcast About Life’s Unexpected Twists and Turns! 🎙🎙 This Week I speak to Clare Greaves about her difficult start in life, alcohol, parties and how being homeless was the thing that changed everything for her. We discuss mental health forgiveness and the responsibilities of becomming a parent🎙This episode is a true example of grit, and determination. The recogn...

This week on Chewing the Crust, I’m joined by the one and only Andrew Jenkins—a man who’s survived life’s toughest blows and lived to spill the tea (and maybe some tit bits from his time on The Traitors Series 2).We dive into his old-school Welsh upbringing, the car crash that changed everything, and how the love for his son helped him fight his way back. From gym sessions to grit, heartbreak to h...

🎙 Welcome to Chewing the Crust – The Podcast About Life’s Unexpected Twists and Turns! 🎙🍕🎙 This Week I speak to Steve Edney about his Journey of Love, Resilience & Pizza! 🎙🍕This episode is a rollercoaster of emotions, resilience, and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll! We talk family, fatherhood, and the unexpected twists life throws at us. Steve shares the deeply moving story of his wonderful wife and...