Episodes

  • Playback: Lost At Sea

    Playback: Lost At Sea
    Feb 28 2025
    Falling overboard following a fit of food poisoning, Brett Archibald survived 28 hours alone in the Indian Ocean. In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he re-lives his onslaught of hallucinations, his encounter with a shark and how he contemplated certain death... Read more about Brett's amazing story on his website, and in his book, Alone. This episode first aired in October 2017. Now remastered, we have paired this episode with our latest episode, Naked And Exhausted, for reasons known only to our producer. Watch the moment he's rescued: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOq5g0O9v9s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Naked and Exhausted

    Naked and Exhausted
    Feb 10 2025
    Imagine building a brand from scratch, and running your business for fifteen years - only to be told by a global corporation that your name isn’t yours to keep. That’s what happened to Rebecca Dowdeswell, founder of waxing business NKD, when she received a legal letter from cosmetics giant L’Oréal, opposing her application to renew her trademark. In this compelling conversation with Olly, Rebecca takes us inside her David vs. Goliath battle against one of the world’s biggest corporations; a tale of perseverance, justice, and the high price of standing your ground. Support Rebecca’s small business, and find out more about her story, here: https://nkdproducts.shop/pages/because-were-worth-it-too-loreal-vs-nkd Thanks to Private Eye for their help sourcing this story. _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart dives deep into his DNA, to discover whether companies like Color can detect predispositions to serious diseases. After talking to journalist Molly Guinness, who was diagnosed with colon cancer at 38, Ollie investigates the growing trend for people proactively checking their health beyond the tests offered by the NHS, and - thanks to UK-based company Selph - discovers he has a hitherto undetected genetic condition, Lp(a). _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox uncovers the truth about a kinky MRI incident that’s taken the internet by storm, and advises a listener whose partner is not in-sync with his peccadillos. How can he balance a fulfilling monogamous relationship, while staying true to his most extreme desires? Might understanding the emotions behind his kinks lead to creative compromises? Or could attending a workshop, or even opening up his relationship, provide the right solution? With the help of Psychosexual and Relationship therapist Shae Harmon and Lola Phoenix’s new book The Non-Monogamy Journal, Alix reveals all… _______ Down in music corner, our record of the month is the brilliantly arresting ‘Angie’s Wedding’ from Manchester-based poet, writer and producer Antony Szmierek. His album, ‘Service Station At The End Of The Universe’, comes out February 28th. _______ SUPPORT US: THANK YOU SO MUCH for your generous donations - independent shows like ours only exist with your support: 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ JOIN OUR DISCORD! ➡️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 March 10th! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Rebecca Dowdeswell, Antony Szmierek. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • PLAYBACK: A Restaurant Ruined My Life

    PLAYBACK: A Restaurant Ruined My Life
    Jan 31 2025
    With zero experience running a professional kitchen, home cook Robert Maxwell poured his life savings into his passion project: a gastropub-inspired Toronto restaurant. It became a crash-course in coping with stress, managing his cashflow, and curbing his ego. "I was Don Quixote. I was chasing a windmill. I didn’t see the obstacles in my way." In this funny, forthright interview with Olly, Robert reveals how chasing a dream led to him selling his house, hitting the bottle and falling out of love with the thing he loved the most... cooking. This interview first aired in June 2018 - now remastered and with an update from Robert in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • The Last Supper

    The Last Supper
    Jan 10 2025
    Why are so many restaurants closing down? Across Britain, the hospitality industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Twelve months ago, it was the turn of chef Tony Rodd. His passion for food saw him progress from hosting dinner parties for friends, to being a Masterchef runner-up, to eventually opening his dream London restaurant - Copper & Ink, in affluent Blackheath. But the dream unravelled. Crippled by Covid, increasing energy costs, VAT bills and ‘no-shows’, he shut up shop in 2024. One year later, he’s back, with an intimate new restaurant in Broadstairs. In this engaging interview with Olly, he explains how he’s making it work… this time, on his own terms. _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart steps out into the cold night air to investigate the trend for smart telescopes, which combine automated star alignment and wireless connectivity to capture incredible images of the night sky. How easy is it to find stars and take photos of them? What is driving the interest in astrophotography? And are they a worthy upgrade to an old-fashioned eye-piece? With a Vaonis Hestia by his side, Ollie reveals all... _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox discovers how sound effects are created for erotic audiobooks, and tackles a question from a listener who wants to know about anal botox. Can bum injections reduce pain during anal play, heal fissures, and relax muscles for easier intercourse? Dr. Evan Goldstein, aka “The Bottom Whisperer,” certainly thinks so… … Alix considers the potential downsides, and investigates other aesthetic trends for 2025, from anal bleaching to skin tag removal, ‘scrotox’ and ‘showtox’. _______ Music-wise, our record of the month comes from The Lumineers, whose new single Same Old Song spearheads their fantastic new album, Automatic._______ SUPPORT US: We’re a completely independent podcast. We’re professionals. We only exist thanks to your financial contributions. THANK YOU. https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer _______ JOIN OUR DISCORD! 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 February 10th! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Tony Rodd, The Lumineers. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • ☃️ Christmas 🍷Spectacular 🦌 2024!

    ☃️ Christmas 🍷Spectacular 🦌 2024!
    Dec 10 2024
    Join Olly Mann and the gang for our bumper festive extravaganza… Featuring: 🎶 Live music from Sons of Town Hall – the Victorian-inspired duo from the Madmen Cross The Water podcast join us to serenade the season with their folksy harmonies - and test their Anglophiliac credentials with a Mannfan-made ‘citizenship test’… 💸 To Tip or Not to Tip? – Wondering how much to tip your postie, milkman, or the plumber who saved your pipes? Ollie Peart dives into the age-old debate on festive gratuities - and launches his new JUST THE TIP service! 🤪 The XXX-Mas Foxhole Quiz – Things take a turn for the risqué with Alix Fox’s annual laugh-out-loud Q&A… this time involving scented underwear, rubber chickens, and some out-of-context audio erotica… So, pour yourself a wine (courtesy of our sponsors, Wine52, of course), sit back, and enjoy our modern, mad, magical Christmas celebration! 🎄 We’ll be back with a brand new series on 10th January, 2025. In the meantime… why not buy us a beer, and help us keep our independent show running into its TENTH anniversary year? https://modernmann.co.uk/beer Join us on the Modern Mann Discord ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Sons of Town Hall, Charlie Hedges, Lucy Fennell, Sue Beere, Sarah McCammon, Sam Shepherd. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Playback: The Brothel Brothers

    Playback: The Brothel Brothers
    Nov 29 2024
    Being a landlord means trusting strangers to live in your house. Try as you might, you can't know everything about them. Sometimes, you just have to rely on an instinct that your tenants are good people. Until, that is, you get a knock on the door from the police... That's what happened to listener Ian from Dublin. In this interview with Olly, he re-lives the moment he became involved in an armed Police sting - and began to regret renting out his property. This interview first aired in July 2017, in the episode, 'The Accidental Pimp' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • What Happened To My House?

    What Happened To My House?
    Nov 10 2024
    Trashed rooms. Plastic sheeting. Dodgy ductwork. When Mike Senior returned to his rental property in Cambridge, he uncovered a scene straight out of a crime drama. In this interview with Olly, he reveals how some tenants from Gumtree turned his Dream Home into a landlord’s nightmare… _______ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for A.I.-assisted recruitment. Employers, he discovers, are using machine learning to whittle down candidates, read CVs and reduce biases. Applicants are hacking their jobsearch with “prompt engineering”, hidden fonts, and generative interview prep. … Is it still possible to get a job with inter-personal skills and chutzpah? And can he uncover a recipe to beat the bots? _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from the ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ building site - has advice for a fifty-something Mannfan whose libido has reduced dramatically. Though physically capable, his emotional and mental energy are drained by health issues, caregiving, and stress. Could counselling, lifestyle changes, and a change of scene help him get his mojo back? And why do so many people seem to believe that if a man can get hard, there’s nothing to worry about? _______ Finally, our record of the month is ‘She’s Got A Problem’ from Hastings rock-trio HotWax 🤘 _______ SUPPORT THE SHOW: We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer JOIN OUR DISCORD! And help our Mannbassadors make a Mannfan meet-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 for our annual Christmas spectacular on December 10th 🎅 _______ This episode is supported by Readly. Get your exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at readly.com/mann Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Mike Senior, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, HotWax. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • Playback: My Dad's Assisted Death

    Playback: My Dad's Assisted Death
    Oct 25 2024
    Medically assisted dying is legal in Canada, where over 10,000 people end their lives through euthanasia each year, and over 80% of applications are approved. Robin Farr, from Calgary, watched as her Dad, Mike, developed a rare lung disease that limited his breathing, massively impacting his quality of life. Then he decided to make use of the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) laws. In this honest, unsparing conversation with Olly, Robin explains how it felt to manage the last couple of days of her father’s life - and reveals the flaws in the system that left her and her family unsupported in a time of anticipatory grief... Robin volunteers with Canadian support groups Bridge4You and Bridgec14, and recommends the resources at dyingwithdignity.ca and the Swiss organisations Pegasos and Dignitas. This interview first aired in September 2022, in the episode, 'The Countdown.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins