10/7 - In My Defence

‘I’m glad it happened to me, rather than somebody else’

Can martial arts save your life? Self defence instructor Kriss Pyke says they can - not just because the moves themselves offer protection in a skirmish, but because the physical confidence you gain deters opponents in the first place.

Kriss’ views and teaching style are shaped by his own experiences at the sharp end of a vicious street attack, as he recounts to Olly in this month’s middle feature…

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In the Zeitgeist this episode, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for insect-based pet food, and prepares Olly a three course, insect based meal. How will the pair fare tasting their way through cricket onion bhajis, grasshopper green curry and mealworm Krispie cakes?

(If you want to try making this feast at home yourself, use Ollie’s discount code Mann15 at EatGrub!)

Meanwhile, in this month’s Foxhole, Alix Fox announces her new role judging an adult toy competition - and tackles a question from a bisexual student teacher about to begin work at a conservative Catholic school. Are his liberal views on LGBTQ+ lifestyles compatible with Christian scripture?

Music this month comes from pop-soul band The Foreign Arm. Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, their debut EP, The Reach, is out Nov 22nd.

Remember, this show is supported by listeners like you. Please buy us a beer to help us keep going. And, if you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, a guest you’d like Olly to interview, or you’d like to become a Mannbassador… then fill out our Feedback form.

See you next when our CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR drops on Dec 1st!

This episode is brought to you in association with Thriva, the at-home fingerprint blood test. For £30 off your first Thriva kit visit thriva.co and use the code Mann30.

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10/6 - Surgery on the Front Line

Adrenalin, stress and composure - it’s all in a day’s work for a trauma surgeon.

But how do these doctors cope with routinely operating on patients with devastating injuries? Does it ever get easy to deliver difficult news?

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*Olly Mann and Dr Allan Philp; NYC May 2019*

In this intimate conversation, Olly meets Dr. Allan Philp, chief trauma surgeon of Allegheny Health Network, Pennsylvania, and Mr Shehan Hettiaratchy, trauma lead surgeon for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to discuss alleviating anxiety, performing amputations - and how both men’s military background in Afghanistan has informed their work with civilian casualties.

*Olly and Shehan Hettiaratchy; St Mary’s Hospital London, Sep 2019*

Elsewhere, in this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for escape rooms - by designing and building his own, complete with terrifying deployment of ancient technology. Luckily, he’s roped in the services of escape room champion Sarah Dodd. Just watch out for those Party Poppers...

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a couple with wildly different libidos on how to get their sex schedule back on track. Along the way, she considers couple’s counselling, dirty diaries, and ‘bossy massage’.

Finally, our record of the month is ‘In Time’ by Self Esteem, solo project of former Slow Club singer Rebecca Taylor. It’s ace:

Remember, this show is supported by donations from listeners like you. If you can afford to, please buy us a beer. Thanks!

If you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, a guest you’d like Olly to interview, or you’d like to become a Mannbassador, just reach out via our Feedback form.

This episode is brought to you in association with Thriva, the at-home fingerprint blood test. For £30 off your first Thriva kit visit thriva.co and use the code Mann30.

See you when our next episode drops, on Nov 1st!

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10/5 - Porn Messed Up My Brain

‘Quitting porn is the hardest thing I’ve ever done’

Sebastian Schub was 19 when he first experienced erectile dysfunction.

But he wasn’t a big drinker. There was no clear medical cause, such as heart disease.

However - like most men his age - he was an avid user of porn tube sites.

Googling his symptoms, he discovered the Reddit ‘no-fap’ community, and diagnosed himself with PIED (‘porn-induced erectile dysfunction’).

Spurning masturbation, he attempted to ‘reboot’ his brain…

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Elsewhere this edition: Ollie Peart has been fishing, kayaking, foraging, wild-swimming, cliff-jumping, fire-building, and sleeping outside… all because Mann-fan Stefan in Coventry asked him to. Will his attempts at micro-adventuring inspire him to have a new outlook on life? Or did those poor fish die in vain?

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox meets the 'Queen of Farts', and considers how best to make a written approach to a professional dominatrix. (Offering a deposit, apparently, is a strong start...)

Finally, our record of the month is ‘Love Song Too Late’, from 70s-inspired folk trio Moorby Jones. It’s from their album 'Past Continuous', out now.

If YOU have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, or guest you’d like Olly to interview, please reach out via our Feedback page.

Wanna be a Mannbassador? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or buy us a beer - then let us know about it in writing.

See you when our next episode drops on October 1st!

This episode is brought to you in association with Beer52, the UK’s No.1 craft beer club. Claim your free case of beer NOW at beer52.com/mann.

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10/4 - Let's Build A Brewery

‘Embrace your inner idiot, switch off your brain, go for it - and attack’

With zero experience of beer-making, Tommy Barnes quit his safe, corporate London job to start his own beer business. As if that weren’t precarious enough, he located it in the Loire Valley - the heart of French ‘wine country’.

In this entertaining conversation with Olly, Tommy recounts how he’s followed his business dreams, balanced the books and perfected his beer recipe - even in the face of en masse Gallic shrug…

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Tommy’s hilarious memoir, A Beer In The Loire, is out now (Muswell Press, £8.99).

Elsewhere, in this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart prizes open his motherboard with a cheap screwdriver. Can he reboot his broken iPhone 4S, single-handed? Can the online fix-it community come to his aid? Or will this challenge go the way of his short-lived kefir concoctions?

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a couple of lady listeners with cancer diagnoses how to recover their mojo post-chemotherapy.

Plus, Alix investigates the world of squirting records, in particular the work of ‘super soaker’ Lola Jean. It’s nothing if not varied.

Music this month comes from singer-songwriter LION and her haunting track, ‘Wolf’, out now:

If you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, or guest you’d like Olly to interview, please reach out via our Feedback form. If you’d like to become a Mannbassador, just leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or buy us a beer.

See you when our next episode drops on September 1st!

This episode is brought to you in association with Beer52, the UK’s No.1 craft beer club. Claim your free case of beer now at beer52.com/mann.

If you’re affected by the issues raised in this month’s Foxhole, some resources that can offer support include: Macmillan, Breast Cancer Haven, and Breast Cancer Care. Alix recommends the work of Liz O’Riordan, Sam Evans, and comedian Karen Hobbs.

10/3 - Credit The Con

Private Investigator Bob Nygaard specialises in bringing psychics to justice.

Fortune-tellers, offering palm-reading for as little as ten dollars, are a common sight in New York City. But when they swindle their clients out of six-figure sums, it’s ex-NYPD officer Bob on their case…

In this sensational interview with Olly, Bob reveals how the criminals he pursues prey on vulnerable victims, the techniques they use to convince clever professionals to hand-over huge amounts of money, and his fight to convince complacent cops that it’s worth prosecuting and imprisoning these ingenious offenders.

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Also this episode, Olly is overwhelmed by the response to our call for an interactive map of our Mannbassadors, and declares Ben from Osaka our official Mapbassador. You can check out his winning effort here, and the enviable entries from runners-up Nikki in Auckland here, and Jason in Brooklyn here.

Elsewhere, Ollie Peart - fresh from stunning crowds with a hanky at London’s Underbelly - investigates the trend for contemporary magic in The Zeitgeist. Can he convince passing punters that he’s the next Dynamo? (When those punters are elderly boardwalkers in Weymouth, and the power of selective editing is harnessed effectively, it turns out that yes, he can):

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a couple trying for a baby. Is it possible to combine romance, kink and conception? Alix reveals all. And then goes considerably further, with a NSFW story about a lady’s bottom.

Music this month comes from atmospheric alt-rockers Palace, whose new album, Life After, is released July 12. The single is called ‘Running Wild’, and it’s out now:

If you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, or guest you’d like Olly to interview, please reach out via our Feedback form. If you’d like to become a Mannbassador, just leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or buy us a beer.

See you when our next episode drops on August 1st!

This episode is brought to you in association with Thriva, the at-home fingerprint blood test. Get £25 off your first test by using our code, MANN.