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 🤘

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

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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.

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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

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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

15/6 - 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

15/5 - My Real Identity

“Who's lying to me here? Am I being lied to now? Was I being lied to then? How do I even know this is true?”

Patricia never knew her birth parents.

And she didn’t care to: adopted by a white family in Toronto, she felt awkward and embarrassed when people perceived her as Korean.

But, in her twenties, at the insistence of family and friends, she began a journey of discovery to uncover her roots: a bumpy ride that would take her to the other side of the world, into the arms of dubious private investigators, a fistfight, and institutional corruption.

In this poignant interview with Olly, Patricia explains how her sense of identity as a trans-racial adoptee has radically shifted - and reveals why, despite so much heartbreak, she considers herself lucky… 

The Adoptee Mentorship Society can be found on Instagram @adopteementorship.

Thanks to Maya Cederlund for her help producing the interview.

Partricia came to her adoptive family in a cardboard box, on the first Korean Air flight to Canada, 1989.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart ventures beyond his four walls to explore the trend for Forest School education. 

What are the barriers preventing parents and schools from embracing outdoor learning? How can society address the knowledge gap around nature-based education? And how does ‘risky play’ contribute to children's mental and physical well-being?

With the help of Mann-fan Katie, Ollie has the answers!

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Elsewhere, in a classic question from the Foxhole vaults, Alix Fox considers the best way to get kinky when you live in a small community.

How can you best put together a voyeuristic MMF threesome… in the Isle Of Man?

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to try, or a relationships question for Alix,  submit it via our Feedback form.

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Finally, we’re getting ready for Summer 😎 with our record of the month, Mark Ambor’s Belong Together 👇

Love the show? Help us make it! 💰

Our monthly magazine show relies on your support - so, if you enjoy our independent podcast, and want to help us to keep making it, please BUY US A BEER 🍻

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

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This episode is sponsored by Readly.

Get your exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at readly.com/mann

This episode includes a paid advertisement for BetterHelp.

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

15/4 - I Was A Drug Dealer

“I enjoyed the contact of it. I enjoyed punching other people just as much as I enjoyed being punched.”

Stu Otten was raised on a tough Liverpool estate, where drug-taking was rife, and established crime families enacted violent retribution.

Aged 17, he became a bar-room bouncer - and soon found himself dealing drugs, protecting human traffickers, and defending his territory in a turbulent turf war.

In this raw, insightful interview, Stu reveals to Olly the self-loathing, drug-induced hallucinations and spiritual awakening that led him away from his marriage, his city, and organised crime - and into seeking forgiveness from those he’d hurt the most.

Stu now works for Causeway, stepping in to prevent today’s young people from echoing his mistakes.

Find out more about his work, and donate, via their website,  https://www.wearecauseway.org.uk/ 

Stu Otten and Olly Mann, April 2024.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart examines how, in this election year, the war for our votes is being fought online - from A.I.-generated memes to disinformation campaigns.

How do MPs stay on top of fake news? How can social media users research who’s targeting them? And - eight years on from Donald Trump’s first Presidential election - how come foreign entities are still able to buy their way on to our Facebook feeds? 

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox discovers ‘fraysexuality’, and asks if some men get off on… having STI swabs.

If urethral sounding does give you a kick, what’s the safest way to introduce it to your sex life? What are the downsides of a ‘doctors and nurses’ fetish? And IS ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ by the Rednecks really about syphilis? 

With the help of Sophie Cohen from House of Vixens and Dr Kareem Mahmoud from Flo, Alix has the answers… 

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 Aberdeen punk rockers Cold Years, and their not-very-aptly-for-a-podcast-named new track, ‘Radio’ - from their forthcoming album, ‘A Different Life’ 👇

Love the show? Help us make it! 💰

Our monthly magazine show relies on your support - so, if you enjoy our independent podcast, and want to help us to keep making it, please BUY US A BEER 🍻

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

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This episode includes a paid advertisement for BetterHelp.

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