On The Mend

When the structure that’s held your life together disappears, what are you left with? In this episode, Jason Fox talks about the moment everything collapsed after leaving the military, not gradually, but instantly. Twenty years of purpose, belonging, and identity ended overnight, and the relief he expected never came. Instead, he felt more broken than ever, realising too late that the thing he tho...

This week’s guest is Tj Power, lead neuroscientist and founder of the DOSE Lab, who helps us understand what’s really happening in our brains when we feel overwhelmed, burnt out, glued to our phones, or stuck in patterns we can’t quite explain. In this episode, TJ breaks down mental health in a way that feels human, not clinical. He talks about why so many of us feel constantly on edge, how modern...

This week’s guest is Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, a woman who has spent a lifetime living between two selves, and learning what it costs to keep parts of yourself hidden. Known to the world as Lulu, she grew up as “Marie”, a child shaped by chaos at home, silence, and shame, long before she was told she needed to become someone brighter, cleaner, and easier for the public to love. In this episode, Lu...

This week’s guest is Peter “Tubes” Dale, someone who knows how quickly things can unravel when drinking, shame, and identity start feeding off each other. Known publicly as the funny one, the lad who could always carry it, Tubes was privately stuck in a cycle of blackouts, panic, and self-loathing, watching the distance grow between who he was and the person he became when alcohol took over. In th...

Ruby Wax has spent decades making people laugh, but this conversation is about what happens when the jokes stop working. In this episode, Ruby speaks with rare honesty about living with depression, relapse, and the exhausting work of trying to hold yourself together when your mind won’t cooperate. She talks about coming off antidepressants to explore psilocybin therapy and ending up in a mental he...

This week on On The Mend, I’m sitting down with Jordan Stephens, someone who knows exactly how quickly life can unravel when addiction, shame, identity, and survival all get mixed together. From the outside, things looked great. Behind the scenes, Jordan was stuck in cycles that were blowing up his relationships and pulling him further away from the person he actually wanted to be.  In this c...

Roxie Nafousi joins Matt for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about addiction, healing, and the long journey toward self-worth. She speaks candidly about how her search for confidence and belonging led her into a cycle of shame, isolation, and rock-bottom moments, and how she came to believe there was no way out. What makes Roxie’s story resonate is her understanding that struggle is un...

This week’s guest is Scott Thomas, whose journey to sobriety has become a powerful example of how one person’s change can transform the lives of many. By being open about his struggles and creating a safe space for honest conversations, Scott has inspired friends, family, and even strangers, to confront their own challenges and pursue a different path. In this episode, Scott talks about the battle...

This week’s guest is Russell Kane, the award-winning comedian and writer whose life and work span far beyond the stereotypes people often place on him. Despite growing up with expectations about who he should be and what his background meant for his future, Russell carved his own path, challenging labels, breaking cycles, and proving that your starting point doesn’t have to define your destination...

In this solo episode, Matt Willis opens up about his past and the years spent in active addiction. He talks candidly about the contrast between public success and private struggle, the exhausting effort of keeping up appearances while quietly falling apart behind the scenes. Matt revisits memories that are often blurred or painful to recall, reflecting on how addiction affected his relationships,...

Comedian, writer and actress, Rosie Jones, brings her trademark honesty, humour, and heart to a conversation about difference, self-acceptance, and finding strength in vulnerability. She talks openly about what it means to feel out of place, the pressure to meet others’ expectations, and how she’s learned to stop comparing herself to anyone else’s version of success. Rosie doesn’t shy away from th...

Recorded literally backstage, Matt Willis sits down with Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter for a candid, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about life on the road, friendship, and everything in between. Between playful banter and a spontaneous “backstage set list” game, the trio open up about the chaos of touring, the lessons fame taught them, and how they’ve each learned to stay grounded...

Calum Scott joins Matt for a moving and honest conversation about the battles that often stay hidden behind success. From depression and body dysmorphia to self-acceptance and sexuality, Calum opens up about the moments that brought him to the edge, and the strength it took to rebuild. He also talks about the power of speaking openly, seeking support, and taking small steps toward healing, remindi...

In this solo episode, Matt Willis explores what it really means to control your own narrative. He opens up about moments in his life when others tried to define him, through fame, addiction, or public perception, and how losing control of his story left him feeling misunderstood and disconnected from who he truly was. Matt also shares personal experiences, including how winning I’m a Celebrity… Ge...

This week’s guest is Richard Madeley, the broadcaster and writer whose career has spanned decades of conversations with people from all walks of life. Behind the fame and public recognition, Richard has faced his own personal challenges, including addiction, grief, family complexities, and the pressures of life in the spotlight. In this episode, Richard discusses the importance of authenticity and...

Matt Willis goes beyond the surface of social media in this solo episode. He shares his honest experiences with the pressures, comparisons, and negativity that online life can bring, and how these challenges have affected his mental health and recovery. Rather than an anti-social media rant, Matt offers practical ways to stay mindful and intentional, setting boundaries, curating feeds, taking brea...

Author and mindset coach Maya Raichoora joins Matt to unpack the power of self-image, mindset, and transformation. She reveals why success often crumbles without inner change, and how becoming the person who deserves your goals is the key to making them stick. Maya also shares practical tools for growth, from tailoring goals to your unique wiring to her mantra of “train it till you trust it.” By c...

In this solo episode, Matt Willis takes listeners behind the scenes of life on tour in “Backstage Battle.” Beyond the excitement of performing, he opens up about the real challenges he faces, managing his mental health, maintaining recovery, and sticking to routines that keep him grounded amid the pressures of life on the road. Matt also shares how he navigates the adrenaline of nightly performanc...

This week’s guest is Larry Lamb, the beloved actor and storyteller who brings a lifetime of wisdom to the table. Known for his warmth and humor, Larry reflects on aging, resilience, and the simple yet powerful ways to live well as the years go by. In this episode, Larry opens up about the realities of growing older, the aches, the slower pace, and the temptation to dwell on worries, while showing...

In this solo episode, Matt Willis reflects on parenting through the lens of recovery in “The Parent I’m Trying To Be.” With honesty and vulnerability, he shares how fatherhood has shaped his growth, from owning up to mistakes to breaking cycles from his own upbringing. This isn’t a guide to perfect parenting, but a candid reflection on presence over perfection, the value of everyday “junk time,” a...

Deryck Whibley joins Matt for a powerful and unfiltered conversation about addiction, recovery, and the lessons hidden in life’s hardest moments. The singer-songwriter opens up about why he chose to write his book entirely in his own words, valuing authenticity over polish, and reflects on the role of memory, mistakes, and vulnerability in personal growth. He also shares openly about his struggles...

What if failure was the key to success? In this solo episode, Matt Willis opens up about his own fear of failure, from the nerves of launching a new season to the deeper anxieties that have shaped his life. Drawing on Simon Sinek’s ideas and his own lived experience, Matt explores why fear of failure is universal, how it can hold us back, and how it can also drive us forward. With raw honesty, he...

This week's guest is Gary Stevenson, a former top trader who knows firsthand what happens when success becomes an addiction. At the height of his career, he was winning big, but behind the scenes, his health, happiness, and humanity were breaking down. Gary pulls back the curtain on the trading world, revealing why “money = happiness” is a dangerous lie, how high-stakes trading mirrors gambling, a...

In this raw solo episode, Matt Willis shares the untold side of his journey, from Busted fame to hitting rock bottom, and why real recovery only began when he stopped trying to do it alone. Matt opens up about the power of vulnerability, the fear of rejection, and the moment he had to admit relapse to his wife. He explores why connection is the one thing that saved him, and why healing isn’t possi...

After decades in the spotlight as a broadcaster, comedian, and writer, Iain Lee found himself in a moment that would change and possibly save, more than one life. In this powerful episode, Iain recounts the night a caller to his late-night radio show shared that he had taken an overdose. What followed was a raw, real-time crisis that showed the power of being present and how connection, even throu...