Episodes

  • When People Disappear

    When People Disappear
    Sep 10 2024
    In a missing persons investigation, the initial hours and days are crucial. Establishing a relationship with the missing person’s family, absorbing their behavioural characteristics, and managing media interest in the story are all essential parts of the toolkit for officers charged with finding them alive. But, 27 years ago, when Charlie Hedges MBE was assigned his first missing persons case, such protocols did not exist. He found institutional inertia and complacency where there should have been dedication and service - and set out to right that wrong. In this compelling conversation with Olly, Charlie looks back over his career finding missing people - including Dr David Kelly, April Jones and Ashya King - and reveals the techniques and temperament necessary for the job, especially in these days of internet sleuths and social media speculation. Charlie’s book, Missing, is out now, published by Hachette. _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart channels his inner James Martin to kick up a storm in Olly’s kitchen: specifically, a five-course meal made entirely using air fryers. With the help of AirFryerGirl and ProCook, Ollie impresses with a delicious molten Camembert and honey-mustard pork - but is frankly rather let down by his raw carrot crisps. Along the way, the boys consider whether the popularity of air fryers will last beyond the cost of living crisis, uncover which tabletop gadgets will become the next kitchen must-haves, and ask why Tiktokers don’t provide recipe PDFs… _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox uncovers the trend for ‘CEI’ humiliation videos, and assists a Mann-fan whose daughter wants to reject the HPV vaccine - because she’s a lesbian. In collaboration with gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal, Alix discovers why the HPV vaccine is important for all young people, regardless of orientation; explains how the virus can be transmitted; and reveals the efficacy of the vaccine and the common myths surrounding it. _______ Finally, we’re going hip-hop for our Record of the Month, ‘Passion’, from LL COOL J’s first album in 11 years, THE FORCE 🔥 _______ SUPPORT THE SHOW: We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer JOIN OUR DISCORD! 100+ Mannfans are there already. At least two of them are jugglers. ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback _______ … and we’ll see you on October 10th 📅 Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Charlie Hedges, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, LL COOL J. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024 _______ CONTENT WARNING: Suicide, child abduction. This episode is supported by: ● Readly. Get your exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at readly.com/mann • Shopify. Discover why millions of entrepreneurs chose Shopify to build their business by getting a one-month trial for just £1 at shopify.co.uk/modernmann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • PLAYBACK: How To Be A Dad, part 1

    PLAYBACK: How To Be A Dad, part 1
    Aug 30 2024
    Scratch mittens, strained relationships and GP-sanctioned fingering Nine years ago, comedians Stuart Goldsmith and Tom Price joined Olly to discuss their impending fatherhood. What impact will it have on their respective relationships? Why does society appear to offer such a lack of support to men embarking upon their first baby? Do men need to know about the mucus plug? They discuss all this, plus some bad taste jokes, with little understanding of what was in store for them over the next nine years... which makes this the perfect accompaniment to our latest episode, How To Be A Dad, Part 10. 🍷 This episode is sponsored by Wine52, bringing beautiful wines from around the world to your door. Get your free case now and support the show at https://wine52.com/mann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • How To Be A Dad, part 10

    How To Be A Dad, part 10
    Aug 10 2024
    Playing with knives, navigating the ‘Dad Race’ at Sports Day, and getting a ‘backstreet assessment’ for dyslexia are on the conversational menu as comedians Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith reunite with fellow father Olly Mann to discuss the pleasures and pains of parenthood. Now aged 8, their boys are dealing with TikTok addiction, grappling with the instant gratification of Amazon deliveries, and trying to hack the marble jar. Meanwhile, our trio of Dads are learning how to transition from ‘performative parenting’, moderating the YouTube content on their smart TVs, and facing the inevitable spectre of turning into their own fathers... This is the tenth instalment of our annual ‘How To Be A Dad’ series. Catch up with all previous episodes HERE. 🎧Tom’s podcast is My Mate Bought A Toaster; and Stuart’s is The Comedian’s Comedian. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is off to Harley Street to investigate the trend for hair transplants. What do they cost, how do they work, and do they last? Also, how can you tell if you’ve got decent ‘donor hair’ in your ‘harvest area’? Why do a million men per year travel to Turkey to look like Wayne Rooney? And can you ever regain the hair you had as a teenager? With the help of The Wimpole Clinic’s Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr. Ismail Ughratdar, Ollie investigates… _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a Mann-fan who can’t explain why - each time he reaches climax in bed with his wife, and only then - he visualises a HOUSE 🏠. Could it be… repressed trauma? A Freudian sense of self coming to the fore, in an unguarded moment? Or, er, a supernatural glimpse of his future? With input from behavioural optometrist Bhavin Shah, longevity mental health coach Susie Masterson, and spiritual psychotherapist Melissa Amos, Alix is on the case… _______ Meanwhile, our Record of the Month marks a hands-in-the-air return for The Offspring, whose new track Make It All Right comes from their 11th studio album, Supercharged, out this October. _______ SUPPORT THE SHOW: We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. THANK YOU. 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ JOIN OUR DISCORD! 100+ Mannfans are there already. Go on: ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback _______ … and we’ll see you on September 10th 📅 Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Tom Price, Stuart Goldsmith, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, The Offspring. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024 _______ 🍷This episode is supported by Wine52, bringing beautiful wines from around the world to your door. Get your free case now and support the show at https://wine52.com/mann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Playback: Micronesia's Got Talent ⚽

    Playback: Micronesia's Got Talent ⚽
    Jul 26 2024
    Paul Watson realised he would never play football for England - so attempted, instead, to be recruited by the worst international team in the world. His quest lead him to Pohnpei, Micronesia; and, although he never realised his dream of becoming an international soccer star, he ended up coaching them instead... What's it like training a team 9000 miles away from home, in a country with no football culture? What is the beautiful game's secret at bringing communities together? And how can one recover after a defeat against the Guam Crushers? This interview first aired in 2017 - hear the full episode here - now remastered with new sound design, we've paired with our latest episode, I ₿ought A Football Club. Paul wrote a brilliant book about his adventures, Up Pohnpei, which you can buy here. Thanks to Mannfan Tom Cotton for suggesting Paul as a guest - if you have an idea for a future edition of the show, just get in touch using our Feedback form. Paul's two podcasts are: The Sweeper: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sweeper-a-world-football-podcast/id1557926870 False Economy: https://shows.acast.com/false-economy PLUS get your free case of wine NOW: https://wine52.com/mann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • I ₿ought A Football Club

    I ₿ought A Football Club
    Jul 10 2024
    Peter McCormack, Bedford’s ‘budget Ryan Reynolds’, is on a mission to take his local team all the way to the Premier League ⚽️ When he bought Bedford FC in 2021, they were in the tenth tier, and unknown outside the town. After rebranding them as Real Bedford, securing investment from the Winklevoss twins, and internationalising his business model, the Bitcoin guru has achieved back-to-back promotions for his club - despite having zero experience in professional football. How has he done it? With a mix of chutzpah, arrogance, planning and perseverance… as he explains to Olly in this compelling, funny and insightful interview. _______ Meanwhile, in a French-flavoured edition of The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trends taking Paris by storm, including Loop earbuds, androgynous fashion, and, erm, a giant croissant 🥐 Can French chef Philippe Conticini’s coffee shops conquer Britain? Will London’s trend for hipster Pétanque spread across the country? And what does the French election tell us about the City hosting the Olympics? Ollie reveals all… _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox chomps down on an English culinary classic, and asks if, in the age of the hook-up app, casual sex can transcend perceptions of being transactional and meaningless 🏩 Is it possible to find a ‘vanilla’, non-kinky partner, who isn’t seeking a long-term relationship? And might seemingly niche apps like Feeld and Fab Swingers provide the answer? Alix investigates… _______ Meanwhile, music this month comes from lo-fi American popstress Clairo, and her 70s-influenced Summer single, ‘Sexy To Someone’ 📀 _______ SUPPORT THE SHOW: We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. THANK YOU. 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ JOIN OUR DISCORD! 100 Mannfans and counting! Sign up: ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback _______ … and we’ll see you on August 10th 📅 Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Peter McCormack, Clairo. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024 _______ 🍷This episode is supported by Wine52, bringing beautiful wines from around the world to your door. Get your free case now and support the show at https://wine52.com/mann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Playback: Meet Wes Streeting

    Playback: Meet Wes Streeting
    Jun 28 2024
    In the wake of the Brexit referendum in 2017, Wes Streeting had only been an MP for two years... and had won two elections in as many years. In this month's Playback, we take you back to that time - away from the election spin of 2024 - to understand the man most likely to be Britain's new health secretary. Would you be an MP, at a time when public trust in politicians has fallen to the lowest level in living memory? Could you dedicate yourself to your constituents, yet also make time for your family, fighting fires on social media and keeping the media on-side? Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North since 2015, entered the fray in time to experience the Brexit vote, the murder of his colleague Jo Cox, and the Palace of Westminster coming under terrorist attack. In this candid interview with Olly, he lifts the lid on day-to-day life as a young MP in the House of Commons, from his experiences adapting to the weird traditions of voting and speaking in the House, to the perils of navigating Westminster’s gossipy backstairs bars and their modern-day digital equivalents on WhatsApp... Like politics beyond the headlines? Then discover what it's like on the campaign trail, as Olly spends a month with Lib Dem candidate Layla Moran for the 2019 election: https://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/candidate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Negotiating Nudity: The Intimacy Coordinator

    Negotiating Nudity: The Intimacy Coordinator
    Jun 10 2024
    Sex scenes are a feature of modern filmmaking, yet require meticulous planning and sensitive handling in a post-#MeToo world. Enter intimacy coordinator Lucy Fennell - whose credits include True Detective, All Of Us Strangers, and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Navigating Hollywood power dynamics, she assists storytellers, whilst also protecting performers in their vulnerable moments. In this eye-opening conversation with Olly, she reveals the techniques that prevent unwanted physical contact during simulated sex, explains how male and female directors sometimes react differently to her presence on-set, and considers what happens if and when an actor gets an erection… _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates BookTok, the TikTok subculture where users share book recommendations and reviews. How significant has its impact been on the publishing industry? How has BookTok revived interest in older books? And can it be manipulated? With the help of Literary Death Match’s Suzanne Azzopardi and creative consultant Miriam Robertson, Ollie reveals all… and puts their advice to the test. Armed with a Ladybird classic, can Ollie establish a BookTok presence, self-publish his own opus (generated by AI, of course), and become the next Colleen Hoover? _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox fails to find out why comedian Sofie Hagen hasn’t had sex for eight years, but comprehensively answers a complex listener question: How does one train to become a sex therapist? With the help of Jo Coker, Director of Therapy and Training Standards at COSRT, sex educator Gigi Engle, sex and relationship coach Lucy Rowett, and therapist Chantal Gautier, Alix unpicks the demanding training process psychosexual therapists undergo; discovers the broad range of issues their clients can present with; and explains why therapists must manage their own biases and emotional reactions to provide effective support. _______ Finally, our Record of the Month showcases the soulful vibes of Jaz Karis, with her sultry Summer single ‘Tequila’, feat. Reekado Banks. _______ SUPPORT THE SHOW: We’re an independent podcast. We’re professionals. We only exist thanks to your financial contributions. THANK YOU. 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ JOIN OUR DISCORD! Olly is going to be answering your questions this month over on our Discord server. Sign up and join the MannFan community: ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 _______ CONTACT US If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback _______ … and we’ll see you on July 10th! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Lucy Fennell, Jaz Karis. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024. _______ THIS EPISODE IS SUPPORTED BY READLY, the UK’s largest digital newsstand. Discover thousands of top magazines, alongside Olly's favourites, with an exclusive THREE MONTH free trial, at https://readly.com/mann Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • Playback: The Man Who Stole My Year

    Playback: The Man Who Stole My Year
    May 31 2024
    What’s it like when the person you’re closest to in the world isn't who you think they are? Elizabeth* spent a year dating a man who provided only sketchy details about his life, but ingratiated himself into her friendship circle, her family and her home. In this interview with Olly, she reveals how it felt to discover he was living a double-life, and how it’s affected her trust ever since... This episode first appeared in March 2017. Now with an update from Elizabeth and remastered, we have paired this episode with our May 2024 episode, My Real Identity. Go listen now! *we have changed her name to protect her identity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins