On The Mend

Sober Girl Society founder Millie Gooch challenges everything we think we know about dependency in a conversation that dismantles the “rock bottom” myth. Despite a successful career and social life, alcohol was quietly affecting her mental health and relationships, leading her to realise she couldn’t keep going as she was. This discussion explores the cycle of “hangxiety” and how drinking is often...

Sexologist and TV expert Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn (Celebs Go Dating, 90 Day Fiancé) joins us to break the heavy silence and shame surrounding sex, intimacy, and recovery. In a particularly raw moment, Matt admits he’s never spoken openly about sex with another man, highlighting the exact stigma that causes so many men to suffer in silence. Dr. Tara, who has built an audience of over 2 million f...

Singer-songwriter and actor Will Young speaks with disarming honesty about surviving decades of trauma, hypervigilance, and the long shadow of shame. Following a breakdown during Cabaret, Will opens up about spending over ten years in a state of severe dissociation, describing it as living behind frosted glass, unable to recognize faces or feel joy. He also shares his profound path to healing thro...

The Script's Danny O'Donoghue gets brutally honest about grief, PTSD, and what it really took to get sober. Following the devastating loss of his bandmate and best friend Mark Sheehan, Danny opens up about hitting rock bottom over a dark Christmas in Dublin and the brutal reality of quitting it all cold turkey. This discussion tracks the rollercoaster of Danny's career, from a failed €15 million r...

TV presenter and broadcaster Ore Oduba joins us for an incredibly raw and unflinchingly honest conversation on pornography addiction, toxic masculinity, and grief. Ore opens up about being introduced to explicit material at just nine years old and the devastating "duality" of spending 30 years hiding his addiction while living a highly successful public life. This discussion dives deep into how re...

Award-winning comedian and broadcaster John Robins tackles the fundamental question: are alcoholics born or made? In this episode, John opens up about his 20-year struggle with chronic alcohol use, the childhood signs that hid in plain sight, and why every "moderation spreadsheet" failed until he accepted that one drink was the real problem. The conversation moves past the "why" of addiction to fo...

Matt Willis sits down with the celebrated, bestselling author Matt Haig for a deeply personal conversation on the cost of living without a map. From a life-altering breakdown at 24 to navigating a late-in-life diagnosis of Autism and ADHD, Matt explores how a lack of understanding of his own brain led to decades of exhaustion, masking, and misdirected pain. The discussion dives into the realities...

Matt sits down with world-renowned therapist Marisa Peer to dismantle the self-sabotaging loops that keep us stuck. If you’ve ever felt like your brain is working against your recovery, this conversation provides the ultimate manual for reclaiming control. We explore the "Ladder of Looping Thoughts" and the powerful truth that you weren’t born broken, you learned it. Marisa explains the link betwe...

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, this special compilation episode curates life-changing insights from people who have faced addiction, grief, anxiety, and personal struggle firsthand.  Featuring conversations with Tony Adams, Roy Stride, John Robins, Matt Haig, Marisa Peer, Simon Thomas, and other leading voices, this episode explores what it really means to recover, rebuild confide...

This special roundtable episode explores the vital role of mental fitness in reaching and sustaining peak performance.  In this special roundtable episode, in partnership with BetterHelp, hosts Jake Humphrey, Spencer Matthews, and Matt Willis reframe therapy as an essential "performance tool." By comparing mental maintenance to physical training, the trio highlights how proactive support is k...

Scouting for Girls frontman Roy Stride achieved global fame and number-one albums, but behind the scenes, he was wearing a mask. For 25 years, he used alcohol to bridge the gap between his public persona and a deep-seated feeling of never being "enough," eventually spiraling into a high-functioning nightmare of secret drinking and pre-show panic attacks. In this episode, Roy pulls back the curtain...

Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas delivers one of the most raw and honest accounts of grief and addiction ever shared in the public eye. Following the sudden death of his wife, Gemma, Simon faced a years-long battle with secret drinking while navigating the pressures of public life and parenthood. In this episode, he exposes the "release valve" of alcohol that promised an escape but led to a darke...

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Arsenal legend and former England captain Tony Adams joins us to reflect on 30 years of sobriety, and the moment he realised that despite having everything, he didn’t know who he was. He opens up about the reality behind the legendary football career, the blackouts, the hidden struggles, and the breaking point where he no longer wanted to be alive. Tony also shares the specific, raw moment of surr...

TV personality, author and radio presenter, Vicky Pattison, discusses her journey through self-care, addiction, and healing from the trauma of being a child of an alcoholic. She opens up about how her mantra “you can’t pour from an empty cup” became crucial for managing anxiety, and the pain of realising she’d been an enabler to her father. Vicky also talks about using her second chance on I’m a C...

TV personality and endurance athlete Spencer Matthews joins Matt Willis to talk openly about how alcohol quietly took over his life, from waking up drunk and lying to the people closest to him, to feeling isolated, ashamed, and completely disconnected from the person he wanted to be. He shares how drinking stopped being social and became something he was doing alone, and the moment that forced him...

This week’s guest is Kathleen Saxton, who dives deep into the complexities of narcissism, family dynamics, and the painful journey of healing from childhood wounds. Kathleen breaks down the three types of narcissists, ‘grandiose’, ‘covert’, and ‘malignant’, offering an eye-opening framework, particularly highlighting covert narcissists who use pity and victimhood for supply. She explores how child...

This week’s guest is Professor Green, who opens up about his journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth, and the ongoing process of learning from past mistakes. Professor Green shares his struggles with shame and addiction, discussing how he broke free from the cycle of destructive behavior by rejecting the people who kept him stuck. He talks about his late diagnosis of ADHD and autism, which...

Have you ever realised that the biggest obstacle to your growth might be you? In this solo episode, Matt Willis answers your questions and shares powerful moments from his personal journey through addiction, recovery, and the ongoing work of self-awareness. Matt talks about the emotional realisation he had when he understood he was the common denominator in all his drinking situations, and how bei...

This week’s guest is Arron Crascall, who shares his raw journey from struggling with addiction and low self-esteem to finding hope and transformation through surrender and honesty. Arron talks about how he never felt comfortable in his own skin, always changing to fit in, and how his first drink at 17 gave him the feeling of being “alive” for the first time. He opens up about the long battle with...

This week’s guest is Amy Dowden, who shares her powerful journey through breast cancer, fertility struggles, and mental health challenges, a story of resilience that’s messy, ongoing, and real. Amy talks about returning to Strictly Come Dancing just months after chemotherapy, only to realise she was burying her trauma. When health complications forced her off the show, she hit rock bottom, lower t...

This week’s guest is Davinia Taylor, who challenges the traditional narrative of addiction and opens up about her journey from shame and self-doubt to embracing recovery on her own terms. In this episode, Davinia talks candidly about her realisation that addiction isn’t always tied to trauma, and how understanding the biochemical and genetic basis of her struggle, low dopamine, ADHD, and even Viki...

This week’s guest is Sam Ryder, someone who knows the struggle of chasing a dream for years, only to face the crushing reality of near-misses and setbacks. For over 15 years, Sam toured the world in tiny vans, scraping by with borrowed hope, never knowing if success would come. But when the door finally cracked open, it did so with an unexpected, life-changing shift. In this episode, Sam talks can...

Recovery isn’t a straight line, and Matt Willis reflects openly on what that reality has meant for him. In this solo episode, Matt speaks candidly about addiction, recovery, and the long process of learning to live differently. He explores the moments that forced him to confront himself, the challenges of trying to change alone, and the ongoing work required to stay well. Rather than offering simp...

This isn’t just a conversation, it’s a live experiment. TJ Power challenges Matt Willis in real time to face the invisible addictions quietly draining his energy and to decide, on camera, what he’s willing to let go of to feel fully alive again. From nicotine and endless scrolling to constant stimulation, Matt confronts habits he no longer enjoys but feels unable to escape. TJ also explains how th...