PRsonal

For someone written off as 'thick' by his teachers, Sir Peter Vardy really has defied all expectations.   A businessman and philanthropist, Sir Peter is a true North East success story - turning a single Ford dealership into a £500m business.   On this PRsonal episode, he sits down with host Charlotte Nichols to discuss his incredible life story.   From becoming the world's leading...

PRsonal - are you ready?!   In the latest episode, Charlotte is joined by a TV legend.   In the 90s, Diane Youdale - aka Jet -  was one of Britain's most famous faces when she starred on the ITV show, Gladiators.   She discusses that experience, from the famous Lycra to signing her face on a duvet. PRsonal socials: Twitter – https://twitter.com/PRsonal_podcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin....

As founder of Mira Marketing, Stuart Bramley is one of the North East's leading young entrepreneurs.   Before being a businessman, though, he was a very promising footballer playing for the likes of Blyth Spartans.   However, in this episode of PRsonal he opens up about his lung collapsing not once but twice.   He shares with host Charlotte about the challenges that brought him - especially a...

Michelle Sheekey admits most of her childhood was 'pretty traumatic'. Living with an abusive and violent dad, Michelle had no idea what home would be like when she got home. Her dad would strip the house of all furniture. Sometimes he would use his belt to beat her mum. It was so bad, Michelle admits that as a very young child, her and her siblings would hide in bed and plot how they cou...

It is the dream of millions around the world.   And Chris Cook has lived it - not once, but twice.   Having competed at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, Chris shares his stories from the pool as he reflects on an incredible career.   But for Chris, leaving the sport resulted in an 'emotional unravelling' - and in this episode he sits down with host Charlotte Nichols to talk about what ca...

Garry Bell always shows his children that they are loved.   Because as a child, he never felt like he was.   A champion kickboxer, Garry is also an entrepreuner and gym owner.   But on this emotional episode of PRsonal, he shares his emotionally difficult upbringing on Teesside.   No hugs at home. Parents who never told him that they loved him.   And as his book 'Unmasked' reveals, that...

This is without doubt one of the most emotional episodes of PRsonal yet. Almost two years ago, Poppy Eagle collapsed and died suddenly at her family home in Washington. She was just 20, a student with the world at her feet. Her mum Vicki has since launched Poppy's Light Foundation, a charity fighting to prevent similar tragedies from striking other families. She sits down with host Charlotte...

Neil Stephenson is pretty good at business. The fact he sold Onyx for £65m is proof of that. But on this episode of PRsonal, he opens up to host Charlotte Nichols about what followed. The ‘worst six weeks’ of his life. Bored in his 'man cave', Neil's phone was silent - and he missed the hustle. He's since become an angel investor, helping companies across the North East grow, a...

Emily Payne is many things.   An author. A singer. A public speaker who has even delivered talks to the WI.   And she's also a sex worker.   And in this fascinating episode of PRsonal, she sits down with host, Charlotte Nichols, to lift-the-lid on the oldest job in the world.   From the type of men who pay for sex, to the very blunt reason why it isn't as empowering as many say, Emily pu...

Some students help fund uni by pulling pints. Robert Brasington did things a bit differently. Instead, a chance meeting ended with him coaching tennis on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker and Moskito private islands. And Robert admits to host Charlotte, that short trip to the British Virgin Islands reshaped both his perspective and career trajectory. After graduating from Durham Uni, Robert founded Ros...

Andy Preston's career has been incredible. Hugely successful city trader. Investor. Mayor. Charity founder. And that's just half of it. But since leaving the political front line, Andy has become a commentator - and is known for not holding back. He doesn't shy away from sharing his views on the big issues, which he's happy to do on this episode of Personal. Immigration. Black...

When Louise Prashad was pregnant, she told hospital staff she thought she was going to die. She almost did. After being sent home, she went to bed. When she woke up, she vomited two pints of blood. Louise was in multi-organ failure. Her twins no longer had a heartbeat. And doctors told her husband the chances of Louise surviving were tiny. But she did. And on this episode, she relives that ordeal...

Tim Lichfield always thought he'd be a good dad.   Sadly, despite going through IVF, the family he craved never arrived.   In this episode of PRsonal, Tim bravely sits down with host Charlotte Nichols as the pair both share their experience of fertility treatment.   A presenter and award-winning magician, Tim shares his story; From working in a shop during covid, to his Disneyland proposal to...

Aged 24, Kerri Douglas felt she'd been given a death sentence. She was diagnosed with HIV. But in this remarkable episode of PRsonal, Keri reveals how it actually saved her. With the virus no longer detectable, Keri's story is a remarkable example of the resilience humans can have. Aged just 13, she was a child on the street. By 19, having been failed by the system and having suffered ab...

Aged just 40, Ruth Smith had met a new partner and was training for the Great North Run.   Then she received devastating news.   She had MS.   She cried for a whole week, not least for the life she wouldn't have.   But on this episode of PRsonal, Ruth talks with host Charlotte Nichols about how she's faced it head-on.   She talks about the ups and downs - like fatigue, brain fog and pain...

Andrew Bartlett is happy to share his story, because he almost didn't have the chance. Andrew almost died. Twice. As a child, a day at the river almost ended in unimaginable tragedy as he spent three minutes submerged under deadly rapids. Then, aged 14, he was run over by a van. Thankfully Andrew lived to tell the tale and the jockey-turned-CEO has since founded Roam. On this dramatic episode...

As a child, Ashleigh Wright's mum bore the scars of domestic abuse. By the age of nine, she was calling the police on her own father after witnessing a shocking act of violence in her home. Then years later, she found herself in abusive relationships herself. Phones checked. Coercion. Physical abuse. One abusive ex even stopped her from going to work. In this latest episode of PRsonal, Ashlei...

Rob Boville was in his 30s before he realised he had a 'superpower'.   That's when he was diagnosed as an autistic savant.   And on this episode of PRsonal, the co-founder of BearTech and Automate Legal sits down with host Charlotte Nichols to delve into just what his 'superpower' means.   From never needing a notepad to having an IQ of 168 the Tees business leader talks a...

This is one of the most heartbreaking episodes of PRsonal to date.   Aged just three, Daisy Mathison lost her dad - Daley-  in a tragic bike crash at the Isle of Man TT.   And on this episode, both Daisy and her mum, Nat, sit down with host Charlotte Nichols to bravely talk about that fateful day in 2019.   Nat relives the 'hardest ten minutes of her life', while Daisy discusses the incr...

It is the most wonderful time of the year... ...that's right. When the tables are turned on Charlotte Nichols! PRsonal's host makes her annual visit to he hotseat as she reflects on another year of podcasting and PR. Sitting down with guest host and podcasting guru Ashleigh King, Charlotte talks about her show highlights from the past 12 months - from the most heartbreaking moments to he...

Dominic Colenso is... go! And for Thunderbirds fans, the latest name in the PRsonal hotseat will need no introduction. He played Virgil Tracy in the Hollywood adaptation of the classic British TV show, But besides sharing the screen with A-listers like Ben Kingsley and Bill Paxton, Dominic is also a keynote speaker and author. He chats with host Charlotte Nichols about walking the red carpet, sumo...

Leigh Ferguson is a partner at law firm Hay & Kilner, a widow, a mum – and a woman who was told she would never walk again after four seizures in one day left her with a catastrophic spinal cord injury. In this powerful episode, Leigh opens up about living with paralysis, constant pain, hidden shame, survival mode, grief after losing her husband, and what it really takes to rebuild your identi...

Homes by Carlton founder Norm Peterson is a leading North East businessman. But his career could have been very different. As a footballing wonderkid, he signed for Hull City and from George Best to playing under Brian Clough, Norm shares story of a brief career cruelly cut short by a “freak” injury. Since then, Norm has grown Homes by Carlton into an award-winning housebuilder and also founded Gr...

The pain suffered by Matty Hynes and his family in the past 18 months has been unimaginable. In that time, both Matty and his partner have tragically lost two children to the same one in 500,000 condition. In this heartbreaking episode of PRsonal, Matty – a former GB distance runner - talks about saying goodbye, trying to heal, his partner’s incredible strength and his instinctive desire as a dad...

School wasn't easy for Doug Dinwiddie.   From being bullied at an early age to becoming the self-confessed 'naughty one', he had a torrid time in education (and a 'brutal' nickname to boot).   But it hasn't held him back in business.   The founder of marketing agency Maitland sits down with host Charlotte to talk about those tough early years.   But the former golf ca...