9/1 - My Head Is Killing Me

Dr Stuart Farrimond was a disillusioned Junior Doctor. Night-shifts, the grim reality of hospital life and emotional exhaustion were all taking their toll - but he was in denial about what might be killing him.

View fullsize

View fullsize

In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he explains how an eating disorder and an unexpected diagnosis derailed his career and his marriage - but also how, in the most desperate of circumstances, his life could still change for the better…

LISTEN NOW:

• MP3 

• TuneIn

• Stitcher

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify 

• RSS

Stuart’s latest book, The Science of Spice, is published by Dorling Kindersley. He can be found on Twitter @RealDoctorStu.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart returns from diving into the North Sea, naked, with six hundred other people - and embarks upon his biggest challenge yet: can he record a Christmas song before the end of the series?

Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox plays show-and-tell with a sexual souvenir from South Korea, and offers up her ‘Beginners’ Guide to Threesomes’ - plan ahead, ‘normalise tea-breaks’, and take along a pocket-watch…

Our record of the week is ‘Better Late Than Never’, a perky slice of power pop from Mann-Fan Tim Jackson, available to stream now:

If YOU have a story to share, a challenge for Ollie, a sex question for Alix, or anything at all you’d like to send in for our consideration… please fill in our Feedback form. Or, if you’d like to send us a voluntary donation via PayPal or MoonClerk, click Beer Money. We’re an independent production and every penny goes back into making the podcast. If you can afford to send us £3.60 per month - the average cost of a pint of beer in Britain - we’d sure appreciate it.

And remember, the best way to support the show is to tell your friends all about us. We’re @themodernmann on Twitter, and, if you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, that’s a great way to help others discover what we’re up to.

See You Next Tuesday!

If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder, Dr Stu recommends these organisations, who may be able to help:

∙ BEAT

∙ Men Get Eating Disorders Too

∙ Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous

8/9 - Hannah Witton: Stomasexual

Photo: Linda Blacker

"I love talking about taboo topics. Sex and poo is my thing."

At 25, YouTube star Hannah Witton suffered acute abdominal pain.

She’d been a decade in remission from ulcerative colitis, but this episode was so severe she opted to have surgery to remove her colon.

Now, she’s readjusting to life with an ileostomy bag.

As she reveals to Olly in this funny, frank interview, that means recalibrating her attitude to sex, body confidence and her role in the YouTube community...

LISTEN NOW:

• MP3

• TuneIn

• Stitcher

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• RSS

Elsewhere this episode, smoothly-manicured Ollie Peart has been hanging out in a vineyard for this week’s Zeitgeist. Can English wine really live up to the hype? Or is the French stuff just… better? Naturally, a tasting is in order.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises Mann-fan Chris about the best remedy for his tight foreskin. Can condoms and lube provide a solution, or is full circumcision the only alternative?

And, for this week’s Lifehack, photographer and video producer Ed Prosser reveals his top tips for how to get a perfect selfie: consider your use of angles, harness the power of natural lighting, and, whatever you do, don’t use a f-ing selfie stick.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Call Failed’ by Garren Sean, out now.

If YOU’D like to suggest a challenge for Ollie, have a question of sex for Alix, or want to share your story on the show, get in touch via our Feedback form.

And, if you're able to support the show financially, just click ‘Beer Money’ to donate £3.60 per month - the average price of a pint of beer in Britain - to help us produce thirty quality episodes per year. Thanks!

Thanks too to our sponsors for this episode:
- MyCondom.com - supporters of The Foxhole. They have a superlative selection of condoms, lube and toys - and remember to use our special code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get 15% OFF at Checkout!
- Podcast Lounge - supporters of The Lifehack. They are the new podcatcher app for Windows 10 devices. Get your free trial at the Windows App Store now.

* An update about Kweku Adoboli:

Kweku has lost his appeal and there's a very real chance he could be deported soon. To Ghana. A country he hasn't lived in since he was 4. If you'd like to support his friends assist his legal challenge - there's a crowdfunding page here.

See You Next Tuesday!

7/10 - Hands-On Dad

Ben Ryan’s two year-old son, Sol, was born with a blood clot in his arm.

Following amputation, the medical advice was to wait until Sol’s third birthday before fitting a prosthetic that grabs. But former psychology teacher Ben saw the developmental benefit of acting much sooner...

In this astonishing interview with Olly, he recalls his rollercoaster of emotions when Sol was born; the sponge ‘arm’ he initially bodged together with cotton wool and Micropore tape; and how he learned to use 3D printing and CAD software to help Sol and other children around the world.

LISTEN NOW:

• MP3

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• TuneIn

• Stitcher

• PocketCasts

Ben’s business, Ambionics, involves parents in early rehabilitation and ultimately aims to develop printable hydraulic arms for babies at low clinical cost. He’s a finalist in the 2018 Nesta Inventor Prize, and is currently seeking more funding.

Meanwhile, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the real meaning of his SMS exchanges with Olly, using ‘texting relationship analyzer’ app Crushh; tests out Sandow's fizzy cold brew coffee; and explores the trend for ‘fashion drops’. If you have a challenge for Ollie to try for our next season, reach out via our Feedback form.

Elsewhere, in an especially NSFW edition of The Foxhole, Alix Fox provides an erotic review of podcasts and audiobooks designed for aural foreplay. On the menu: Rose Carraway’s ‘Kiss Me Quick’; Girl On The Net’s audio hub; Peach Booth podcast ‘Sugarcast’; Bijoux Indiscret’s Orgasm Sound Library, and the Reddit Gone Wild collection. If you have a question of sex for Alix, submit it via our Feedback form today - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

Many thanks to MyCondom.com for their sponsorship of The Foxhole throughout this series. They have an incredible range of toys, lube and contraceptives at great value prices, and they dispatch in discreet packaging. Remember, you get 15% OFF your entire order if you use our discount code, ‘FOXHOLE’.

For this week’s Lifehack, food and drinks journalist Johanna Derry offers up her Top 3 tips on how to get the best meal when eating out - check the quality of the ingredients, don’t put up with a snooty atmosphere, and ignore the hype! 

Our record of the week, 'Next Day' from solo artist Inner Tongue, is out soon on Mount Silver Records. But you can check out his other great work now... here's the video for 'Teeth', also off his forthcoming debut album:

If you would like to sponsor a future edition of the show, or if you have a suggestion for a future guest, please be in touch via the Feedback form.

And, if you enjoy the show, please consider buying us a beer - you can do it monthly, as a one-off amount or via PayPal. Your donations keep us going, thirty episodes per year. Thanks!

That’s it for this season of The Modern Mann - we’ll be back for our eighth season on June 26th.