15/10 - Speaking In Tongues

“I followed all the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do, everything I was taught to do. I did my part… Why isn't this working?”

Sarah McCammon’s upbringing was steeped in evangelical culture—raised as a Charismatic Christian in Kansas City, Missouri, she asked God for salvation at just two years old. 

Soon she was ‘street witnessing’, trying to convert strangers to her mega-church; praying at family dinners for the salvation of her atheist grandfather; and crediting Jesus for healing her stubbed toe. 

As a teen, she followed the expected path: wearing a purity ring, committing to abstinence before marriage, attending a Christian university, getting married, and starting a family.

But then, she left it all behind.

In this candid conversation with Olly, Sarah—now a national political correspondent for NPR—unpacks the emotional, social, and political forces that shaped her beliefs, and ultimately led her to walk away from the evangelical world. 

Offering a compelling insider’s view of life within the movement, she delves into the personal cost of leaving her faith, and explains the deep connection between white evangelicals and their unwavering support for Donald Trump.

Sarah’s book, The Exvangelicals, is out now.

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart takes on the challenge of preparing for the Government’s infamous ‘Life in the UK’ test.

Although already a British citizen, Ollie has been swotting up to answer a dozen real-life questions from the extensive pool of questions that aspiring citizens must study. Can he correctly respond to the required 75%?

With topics ranging from British history to culture and law—and a £50 fee per attempt—he and Olly soon realise just how tricky and unpredictable these questions can be…

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Sarah McCammon (Instagram)

Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from a surprisingly intimate moment with the Teletubbies - considers the ethics of hiring a sex worker.

Is it ever truly possible to ensure prostitutes have not been trafficked by criminal gangs? What distinctions exist between the proposed decriminalization and legalisation of sex work? And even if women choose to enter the field due to poverty and desperation - does that necessarily mean they are victims?

With the help of sex worker-turned-author and comedian Kaytlin Bailey and the English Collective of Prostitutes, Alix gives this sticky quandary her very best shot…

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Finally, the music Making Us Happy this month… is Jason Derulo’s Make Me Happy 😊

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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:

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… and we’ll see you on November 10th 📅

15/9 - When People Disappear

“You get a report. You don't know what's happened to them. You don't know who that person is. You don't understand their background, their connections. It's the classic mystery.”

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.

CONTENT WARNING: suicide, abduction.

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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…

That five course menu in full:

• Carrot crisps

• Bagel bites

• creammmy ooozy camembert

• Honey & Mustard Pork

• Chocolate & Biscoff Molten Cake

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Charlie Hedges and Olly Mann, September 2024

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.

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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:

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100 Mannfans are there. At least two of them are JUGGLERS.

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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:

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… and we’ll see you on October 10th 📅

This episode is sponsored 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 readly.com/mann

15/8 - How To Be A Dad, Part 10

“Most of what I do is to try and NOT be like he was. To NOT have the same relationship that I had with my Dad.”

Playing with knives, navigating the ‘Dad Race’ at Sports Day, and getting a ‘backstreet assessment’ for dyslexia - that’s the conversational menu as comedians Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith reunite with Olly 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...

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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.

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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…

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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…

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Finally, 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. 

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100 Mannfans and counting! Sign up:

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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:

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🍷 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

15/7 - I ₿ought A Football Club

“As long as I stay alive, I will get this club into the Premier League. Within two decades.”

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.

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Meanwhile, in in a French-flavoured edition of The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trends taking Paris by storm, including Loop earplugs, 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 - via Simon Kuper’s new book?

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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?

Amongst the possible solutions… seemingly niche apps like Feeld and Fab Swingers; Plenty of Fish, who have banned photo filters; and sex positive app Pure.

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Finally, music this month comes from lo-fi American popstress Clairo, and her 70s-influenced Summer single, Sexy To Someone from her new album, ‘Charm’ 📀

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. THANK YOU. 

🍺💰👉 https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer

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JOIN OUR DISCORD! 

100 Mannfans and counting! Sign up:

➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

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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

_______

🍷 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

15/6 - Negotiating Nudity: The Intimacy Coordinator

“I don’t look after people. I empower them to look after themselves”.

Sex scenes are a feature of modern filmmaking, yet require meticulous planning and sensitive handling in our 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 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…

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates BookTok, the TikTok subculture where users trade 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?

Lucy Fennell with Olly Mann, June 2024

📺 Watch Ollie’s TikTok debut here…

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox fails to find out why comedian Sofie Hagen hasn’t had sex for eight years, but comprehensively tackles 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.

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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. 

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JOIN OUR DISCORD! 

This month, Olly is going to be answering your questions on our Discord server! Sign up and join the MannFan community:

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This episode is sponsored 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 readly.com/mann

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