The Hurt Locker Podcast — The Podcast that opens a door on men's mental health.

This time, Yinka and Tim are delighted to welcome the funniest Paralympic Dressage medallist the world has ever seen, Ricky Balshaw, to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health. Expect an effortless conversation as Ricky exclusively opens up on the rise and fall of his career as a sportsman, how this impacted both his physical and mental health and how he's become one of UK comedy's rising...

We're back after our summer break and excited to welcome a man of many talents: musician, producer, artist, and podcaster, Harrison Paul,  to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health. Expect a warm and honest conversation as Harrison reflects on his long-distance relationship he has with his son and how his mental health struggles have formed the man he is today. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open...

We're thrilled to welcome award-winning clown and comedian, Dru Cripps, to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health. Calling in from the aftermath of an 80-show windswept Edinburgh Fringe, Dru opens up on his mental health experiences in an open conversation on fear of judgment, self-care, and exploration. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares references to mental health experienc...

We're delighted to welcome back a friend of the podcast and a comedian who was recently referred to as ''A fucking good comedian'' by none other than Alexei Sayle...Yes, it's the return of Kev Mud. Calling in from his car, Kev shares another open and meaningful conversation on his mental and physical health experiences, which show another world aside from his recent rise and success as... a fuckin...

This time, we are excited to welcome Benjamin Bankole Bello to open the door on his mental health experiences. Benjamin, a British-born Nigerian comedian, storyteller, and cultural critic whose creation — President Obonjo of Lafta Republic — has transcended comedy for over a decade and a half.  As he enters the Hurt Locker, Benjamin, leaving his uniform to one side, openly shares his reflections a...

This time, we are thrilled to welcome inspirational/motivational speaker and author, Ryan Harland, to share his mental health experiences of sexual abuse and the importance of speaking up and sharing stories. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares references to sexual and psychological abuse, substance use, bereavement, and suicide. If you are experiencing mental health issues, please do...

This time, we are thrilled to welcome a proud Scouser and rising star onto the comedy scene, Leon Seasman A.K.A 'Spunky', to the Hot Water Comedy Club. Expect an honest and meaningful conversation as Leon reflects on previous regrets and traumas from time spent in prison, and why he is now using his mental health experiences to inspire exciting comic material with the support of the comedic commun...

This time, we are thrilled to welcome the superb poet, spoken-word artist, and award-winning stand-up comedian, Edward Tripp. Expect an honest and meaningful discussion on the generational trauma of growing up in Northern Ireland, reflections on loss by suicide, and a poetic recital to boot. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares references to loss by suicide, generational trauma, abuse,...

This time, we are delighted to welcome Walk and Talk Therapist, Stephen Hall, to open the door on his mental health experiences. Expect a wide and fascinating conversation on vulnerability, masculinity, education, and getting support. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares references to suicide If you are experiencing mental health issues, please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an e...

This time we welcome esteemed writer, podcaster and highly acclaimed stand-up comedian, Pierre Novellie, who opens up exclusively on his upbringing, navigating British society and Autism. Expect an honest, wide and wonderful conversation on mental health as Pierre opens that Hurt Locker door whilst answering all of your brilliant listener questions. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares...

This time we welcome a rising star of comedy, Louie Mclean to open up about his lifelong struggle with low self-esteem, how it shaped his mental health and why asking for help changed everything. Expect a raw, real and uplifting conversation as Louie opens that Hurt Locker door. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares references to thoughts of suicide, depression and self-esteem. If you ar...

This time we welcome back comedian Radu Isac, in his return to the Hurt Locker as Yinka, who probes deeper into his mental health experiences. If you are experiencing mental health issues, please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency, or if you would like to speak to someone, call The Samaritans on 116 123. To find out more about the brilliant Radu Isac, please check out the links bel...

We're excited to welcome stand-up comedian and host of The Borderline Podcast Disorder, Levy Lupu, to open up about his mental health experiences. As a much-loved comedian, engineering student, and podcast powerhouse, Levy juggles a busy life as a force for good in the mental health space...but this time it's his turn to answer the questions and open up on the mental health challenges he's faced i...

This time, we welcome former actor, now author and yoga instructor, Maike Mullenders, to open up about her mental health experiences. ln this frank conversation, she reflects upon the devastating loss of her father to suicide, the shocking confession he left behind after his death, and what her post-traumatic recovery now looks like, having gone through therapy to discover inner peace and acceptan...

This week, we welcome top professional boxer, Sam (THE SAVAGE) Eggington to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.. Sam, who has held the IBO super-welterweight title, as well as the British, Commonwealth and European welterweight titles, shares the big life lessons he learnt early on as a young father and family man and how they have continued to keep him grounded and health...

We're back after our summer break and delighted to bring you another superb guest... It's comedy hero, Sean Collins, to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.. Soldiering through a football injury earlier that day, Sean shares how bereavement and surviving a recent heart attack have made him a much more reflective man who better understands the value of the important things i...

This week, we are delighted to welcome another returning guest to The Hurt Locker, in the colour and shape of comedian, writer, and performer, Trevor Lock. Tuning in from deepest, darkest Peru, Trevor and Yinka have a very open and philosophical conversation on mental health experiences, life itself, with a focus on a listener's question on what contentment is. Shout-out to loyal listener, Leila,...

This week, Yinka is delighted to welcome back fellow Scouser, Keith Mullin (The Farm), to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.. In EP21, we covered the fact that, as well as being a talented musician, composing iconic riffs to INDIE anthems such as Groovy Train and All Together Now, Keith is a proud academic, composer, and writer, but navigating learning and life wasn't eas...

This time, Yinka and Tim are delighted to welcome viral sensation and top comedian, Karl Porter, to open up about his mental health experiences. After his superb goal celebration impression, which went viral back in late 2023, Karl shares how it catapulted him to become a full-time professional comedian and content creator with over 500,000 followers. Karl also reflects on his upbringing in Salfor...

This time, we're off to Cork to welcome award-winning and much-loved comedian, Chris Kent, as he opens the Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences. In this friendly yet frank episode, Chris shares how and why he sought support for his mental health challenges, including struggles with negative thoughts and depression, despite his evident rise in the comedy scene. TRIGGER WARNING: This op...

This time, we're delighted to welcome British American Asian European comedian, actor, model, and creative force Rick Kiesewetter to open the Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences. In a wonderful and wide conversation with Yinka, Rick reflects on how many key life experiences have shaped him into the father, man, and multi-talented performer he is today. From his experiences of transra...

Beaming into a rather chilled living room in South Essex... We're delighted to welcome one of the most exciting rising talents in comedy, Pat Smith, to open the Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.. Pat joins us reclined and reflective for an open and friendly chat on a range of mental health experiences, including tales from his time in the army and the start of various businesses t...

Recording from a roomy yet remote studio shared between New York, Preston and Liverpool... We're delighted to welcome esteemed comedian and comedy director, Stuart Laws to open the Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.. Stuart, a self-proclaimed private person and people-pleaser, shares with Yinka how his comedic material has become much more personal and vulnerable following a recent...

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 2025 As we close our mini-series focusing on the higher risk prostate cancer poses the Black community, Yinka provides a recap and a number of reflections on the guests we've had on and spoke to alongside his personal journey in getting tested for prostate cancer. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our brilliant guests who have given their time i...

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 2025 This is the third episode we are dedicating to exploring prostate cancer and it's risk to the Black community within the awareness month of March 2025. Yinka invites prostate cancer survivor and awareness advocate Alfred Fagan to share his cancer pathway journey from early diagnosis to recovery. *TRIGGER WARNING* This open conversation shares discussions on pro...