15/3 - Am I Autistic?

“I’m not ‘abnormal’! There’s something I can put a name to. There was a sense of relief.”

Lexi struggled to ‘read’ faces.

She walked on her toes. She craved routine. She didn’t like her food to touch on a plate, and she was sensitive to light and sound. 

But, until she was 27, she didn’t know she was autistic. 

Lexi only took a test when - as a paramedic, grappling with erratic shifts and sleep disturbance - she sought help with anxiety and depression. 

In this candid conversation with Olly, she considers the ‘trigger points’ for her struggles, explains her support system, and reveals how adjustments have seen her progress in her career and romantic relationships.

CONTENT WARNING: self-harm.

Find out more about autism from the National Autistic Society.

This episode is sponsored by Readly, who are offering Mann-fans an exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. Get yours at readly.com/mann

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the intersection of eSports and motor racing.

Can platforms like iRacing truly replicate the physics, design, and engineering of real-world cars? Why don’t they use VR headsets? And how come more people don’t know about Max Verstappen’s gaming side-hustle?

With the help of Paul Crawford, Head of eSports at Motorsport UK, and sim-racer Jonny Elliot, Ollie discovers how (relatively) affordable home simulators might produce the next Will Byron…

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by our friends at BBC Maestro. Use the code MANN to get your 40% off your favourite video course or 40% off a subscription at https://bbcmaestro.com. Let the greatest be your teacher!

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from visiting Dennis Severs’ house in Shoreditch - tackles a bearded listener’s question of grooming… how can he minimise friction and tickles whilst going down on his wife?

With the help of ‘Celebs Go Dating’ sexpert Dr Tara, Alix considers the options - from flavoured lubes to beard oils - and explains why a German toy, Belou, might provide a viable alternative… 

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, for our record of the month comes from the Isle of Wight’s Lauran Hibberd, whose single ‘2nd Prettiest Girl (In The World)’ is out now 👇

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We rely on listeners like you to fund our independent podcast and bring you these stories. DONATE HERE

… And we’ll see you again on April 10th.

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This episode includes paid advertisements for Who Gives A Crap? and BetterHelp.

• Get 20% off toilet paper that does a world of good at https://uk.whogivesacrap.org/ when you use the code ‘MANN’.

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15/2 - Our Conviction

“People don’t understand the financial loss, the emotional loss… the children have lost friends.”

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Sue Beere’s husband, John, was jailed for his role in a £53 million drug-smuggling plot. 

He’s spent time in a maximum-security prison. He’s lost two appeals.

But Sue has never doubted his innocence.

Alongside charity Appeal, Sue continues to campaign for his conviction to be quashed - and for all the ‘Freshwater Five’ implicated in the alleged cocaine conspiracy to be exonerated. 

In this compelling conversation with Olly, Sue recounts how - from John’s unexpected arrest to the shocking outcome of his trial - she has battled stigma, financial struggles, and the British legal system… from her family home on the Isle of Wight.

This episode is sponsored by Readly, who are offering Mann-fans an exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. Get yours at readly.com/mann

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is hunting for a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder…

Might a simple vitamin tablet do the trick, or is it worth investing in a 10,000 lux therapy lamp?  

Or, could the trend for Nordic bathing - plunging from a piping hot sauna into freezing cold water - be a mood-boosting salve for S.A.D?

Ollie drags Olly along to the Saltwater Sauna in Sandbanks to find out…

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by our friends at Beer52. Claim your FREE case of 8 new and exclusive beers from across the world at https://www.beer52.com/MANN

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from a mind-blowing movie preview - investigates the booming market in A.I. girlfriends, and uncovers some tasty neologisms for part-time asexuals.

Could an over-reliance on ‘fap GPT’ be a bedroom boner-killer?

And do straight men get emotional support from their interactions with sex-bots? 

With the help of psychotherapist Silva Neves, specialist in sexual compulsive behaviour, and sex robot researcher Dr Chloé Locatelli from King’s College London, Alix has the answers… probably. 

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, for our record of the month we turn to Vince Freeman, whose new single, ‘Blame Myself’ - taken from his forthcoming album ‘Scars, Ghosts & Glory’ - is out now 👇

Sue Beere and Olly Mann, Feb 2024

Jon comes home, Jan 2023

Love the show? Help us make it! 💰

We rely on listeners like you to fund our independent podcast and bring you these stories. DONATE HERE

… And we’ll see you again on March 10th.

_____________________

This episode includes paid advertisements for Who Gives A Crap? and BetterHelp.

• Get 20% off toilet paper that does a world of good at https://uk.whogivesacrap.org/ when you use the code ‘MANN’.

• Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mann and get on your way to being your best self.

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15/1 - Veganuary: Planting The Seed

“Most people watch TV in the evenings.

We‘d go on Google Analytics.”

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Yorkshire couple Matthew Glover and Jane Land created Veganuary at their kitchen table. 

Inspired by Movember, their concept of challenging the nation to try veganism for a month gained incredible momentum via social media, and became a global organisation. 

But, along the way, it drained their finances, crashed their servers, and ate up their Christmasses...

In this interview with Olly, the husband-and-wife entrepreneurs consider the flaws of their early strategy; take us behind-the-scenes of the iconic Greggs’ Vegan Sausage Roll; and reveal how they’ve faced down criticism from within the vegan movement, the meat lobby and Piers Morgan…_____________

The health theme continues in the Zeitgeist, for which Ollie Peart investigates the trend for low and no alcohol wine and spirits.

From miniature cordials by high-end ‘wine’ brand Jukes, to a sparkling bottle of Muri’s Sherbert Daydream, Ollie attempts to persuade us there’s so much more to the zero-booze booze market than Beck’s Blue and Shloer… 

But, armed with a trio of mixers from British start-up Three Spirits and a miniature bottle of orange juice from Pret, can he persuade Olly to give up his dirty martinis?

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future episode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Matthew, Olly and Jane, December 2023

Olly and Ollie test some ‘booze’ , Jan 2024

Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener whose teenage trans daughter has, she suspects, become intimate with her girlfriend - another trans girl she met at her boys’ school.

Stepping around the inevitable minefield this question might attract, Alix consults Dee Lou Whitnell, trans activist and founder of the #TransKidsDeserveToGrowUp campaign, to offer stellar advice on supporting this young couple - whilst steering them away from potential problems… 

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

Alix recommends the following resources for trans teens, their parents & caregivers:

• the books of Kitty Stryker - author of Ask: Building Consent Culture and Ask Yourself: The Consent Culture Workbook. Her new one, Say More: Consent Conversations for Teens comes out on April 24th and can be pre-ordered now

• Split Banana - Inclusive sex ed workshops for young people

• Brook - https://www.brook.org.uk/

• The Global Queer Youth Network - https://www.gqyn.org/

• Millie Evans’ book – HONEST

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For our record of the month it’s over to piano man Tom Odell, whose new song, Black Friday, comes from his new album of the same name. 👇

Love the show? Help us make it! 💰

We rely on listeners like you to fund our independent podcast and bring you these stories. DONATE HERE

… And we’ll see you again on February 10th.

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This episode includes a paid advertisement by BetterHelp.

Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mann and get on your way to being your best self.

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14/12 🎄 Christmas 🥂 Spectacular - 2023! 🎅

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This month, Olly, Alix and Ollie gather under the mistletoe for our annual festive ding-dong, with sensational live music, a feelgood Christmas task, and a bucketload of obscene toys.

Deck the Halls!

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First up, Ollie Peart reports back on his mission to unite to match up the world’s Mann-fans via the metric of skills and needs in his philanthrotainment-bashing charity concept, The Modern Mann 2023 Skill-a-thon.

Jingle your bells as he unites mountain climbers and copywriters, graphic designers and charity campaigners, and young farmers with energy consultants. Ho ho ho!

Intrigued? Be the first to join our brand new Discord server!

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Ollie Peart, Olly Mann and Alix Fox, with Dirty Blonde’s Ailis Mackay and Hayley Tait, Dec 2023.

Next up, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive acoustic performance from duo Ailis Mackay and Hayley Tait, aka Dirty Blonde, whose breakup anthem Favourite Record is, indeed, our favourite record this month👇

What is THIS? We’d like to say that listening to the show will answer that question, but simply cannot make that promise.

Finally, Alix Fox ups the ante yet again with an outrageous edition of her annual XXXmas Foxhole Quiz. 

Faced with a bowl of jelly, a marble run and a devious range of flavoured condoms, can Peart and Mann survive ‘Feet And Sour’, ‘Jellied Eel or No Jellied Eel’ and ‘Kentucky Fried Dickin’?

You’ll have to make it to the end of the show to find out. Which may be a challenge at times.

The Foxhole is sponsored by The Handy, a high-end toy for men that bridges the gap between fantasy and reality.

Get 10% OFF when you use the code FOXHOLE10 on their website.

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Wine52, the wine discovery club that sends delicious wine to your door from a different country each month. Claim your FREE case now - just pay the postage at wine52.com/MANN

• BBC Maestro. Use the code MANN to get your 40% off your favourite video course or 40% off a subscription at https://bbcmaestro.com. Let the greatest be your teacher!

• LISTENERS LIKE YOU. If you can afford to buy us a beer each month to say thank you for making you a free 1hr+ magazine show each month - please do. We rely on your support!

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Thanks for being a Mann-fan - have a very happy Christmas, and we’ll see you with a brand new season of the show on Jan 10th, 2024!

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14/11 - Hearts And Minds

“Seeing a police officer crying in the forest is a beautiful thing for me, because I know how important it is.”

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Caz Jaine faced danger, isolation and even assault when she took a foreign office role in Basra during the ‘reconstruction’ phase of the Iraq war. 

But she thrived on the adrenalin of conflict zones - and was later diagnosed with ‘post-traumatic development’...

As she explains to Olly in this wide-ranging conversation, her subsequent experiences as a Police emergency call handler led her to broaden her self-care and resilience.

Now a meditation teacher, Caz takes police officers on forest retreats, and advocates passionately for culture change and emotional support within blue light professions.

CONTENT WARNING: suicide, self harm, animal harm.

BONUS CONTENT: In this extra bit of audio, Caz shows Olly some breathing techniques and explains how, whatever you do for a living, you can integrate meditation into your daily routine 🎧👇 

Caz Jaine and Olly Mann, Nov 2023

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart checks out the trend for ‘philanthrotainment’ - influencers leveraging their platforms to raise money for charity. 

Is the technique - evidenced by the likes of Youtuber Mr Beast and Instagram’s King of Chemo - a more direct, straightforward way of supporting charitable causes than the corruption-prone supply chains of larger organisations?

Or do household name organisations remain the best places to donate, given the administrative struggles of smaller charities? 

With the help of Lucinda Rouse from Third Sector, Ollie navigates the best way to help out this Winter - and establishes his own side-hustle to support Mann-fans in need 👇

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from discovering the etymological roots of orchids and testicles, advises a widowed Mann-fan about post-bereavement dating.

When is the best time to disclose that your wife has died? Is it best to blurt the information out early, and risk ruining the conversation, or better to wait until you’ve established a deeper connection? And what are the stigmas around desire when you’re recently bereaved? 

With the help of WAY (Widowed And Young) and Lets Talk About Loss, Alix reveals all.

The Foxhole is sponsored by The Handy, a high-end toy for men that bridges the gap between fantasy and reality. Get 10% OFF when you use the code FOXHOLE10 on their website.

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Finally, our record of the month comes from an artist described as one of the most original voices in UK rap - Jelani Blackman - and his current single, Clear👇

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If you enjoy listening, please please SUPPORT US! We need your help to continue producing our independent monthly podcast, so buy us a beer via our secure payment page - you can contribute as little and often as you like. Cheers!

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This episode is supported by…

BetterHelp 👇

Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month of convenient and affordable therapy when you visit https://betterhelp.com/mann

Readly 👇

Readly are offering Mann fans an exclusive, three month FREE trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. To get yours, go to readly.com/mann

BBC Maestro 👇

Use the code MANN to get your 40% off your favourite video course or 40% off a subscription at https://bbcmaestro.com. Let the greatest be your teacher!

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SUPPORT: In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.