17/9 - The Whistleblower

 “Where is the governance? What is the security? What is the protection around this? I was not comfortable.”

When nurse Bernadette Rochford asked awkward questions about an NHS database at work, she says she found herself belittled, bullied and ignored.

Identified as a whistleblower, she went on to face years of meetings, investigations, and two employment tribunal claims.

In this compelling conversation with Olly, Bernadette recounts how she lost her job, her savings and two court cases - but eventually found validation in a new role protecting other whistleblowers.

She considers what happens when organisations close ranks instead of listening, and why the real answer to whistleblowing isn’t punishing individuals, but fixing the systems that allow the problems to grow in the first place…

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist: Chinese cars are suddenly everywhere, but are they any good?

Ollie Peart investigates how brands such as BYD, Chery and Geely offer tech-packed motors for dramatically less than their European rivals.

Then, he heads to the Formula E championships at London’s Excel - to witness electric supercars in action.

Finally, thanks to our friends at Krazy Horse in Welling, our intrepid pair go for a spin in the tiny Microlino EV, a Swiss quadricycle that you enter through the front and which feels considerably more exciting than its top speed may suggest… 

Is this the future of urban transport - or just a glorified second car that happens to be brilliant fun?

Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out our Feedback form, or join our Discord.   

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener who wants a clitoral orgasm via oral sex - but doesn’t know how to get her new partner to give it to her.

What practical ways can cunnilingus become more comfortable and enjoyable?

How long should women expect their partners to go down on them? Is it too clinical to set timers?

And can saliva enhancers, sexy lighting and toys like the Svakom Klitty and LELO Ora 3 assist? Alix has the answers…

If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future edition, head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month:

‘In Motion’, the latest banger from The Snuts.

It’s from their forthcoming album 'Joy In Short Moments', out in October 🎸

Olly Mann and Bernadette Rochford, May 2026

Ollie at Formula E, Excel Centre

Ollie and Olly test a Microlino, Sep 2026

Thanks for listening!

We’ll be back with something new on October 10th - in the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show with your beer money and/or reviews!

17/8 - The Hostage Negotiator

 “Trust is built, between us and them. It’s the most unregulated, ungoverned, dangerous industry in the world.”

What would you do if your phone rang and someone told you they'd kidnapped a member of your family?

Scott Walker knows. As one of Britain's most experienced hostage negotiators, he spent years helping families through the worst moments of their lives before moving into the private sector, where he negotiated with pirates and organised crime gangs across the world.

In this revealing conversation with Olly, Scott explains why lying almost always backfires, why the calmest person in the room usually wins, and how to keep your nerve in a seriously stressful ‘Red Centre’.

Scott’s books, Order Out Of Chaos and The Eye of the Storm, are out now. 

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - takes time out of his holiday golf regime to discuss humane alternatives to rat traps.

Are rodent populations on the rise, thanks to global warming? And how should you stay safe while dealing with droppings and drains that spread disease?

Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out our Feedback form, or join our Discord.   

Scott Walker and Olly Mann, July 2026

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox tackles the thorny dilemma of what to do when a man you used to hook up with turns up on Are We Dating The Same Guy?

Are you responsible for warning his current spouse of his non-consensual history? Alix consults blogger and activist Girl On The Net to discuss… 

(Content warning: rape, sexual assault).

If you need support with any of the themes discussed, the following organisations can help: 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/

https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

https://thesurvivorstrust.org/

If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future edition, head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is Antony Szmierek’s new single, ‘Seminal’ 👇

And… if you’d rather listen to some more speech… do check out Olly’s BBC Sounds series about the Universal Studios project in Bedfordshire, ‘Rollercoaster: Universal’s Bedfordshire Journey’.

Thanks for listening! We’ll be back with something new on September 10th - in the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show with your beer money and/or reviews!

17/7 - How To Be A Dad, part 12

 “You need to teach them before you are ready to teach them. Because the fact that you are not ready to teach them means they're vulnerable to finding out from someone else.”

Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith return to compare parenting notes with Olly, their sons now having reached the age of 10½.

Up for discussion: how to make friends with your kids’ parents, the dangers of ‘backdoor’ YouTube exposure, and the challenges of coping with impromptu sex education...

Plus, the appealing fraternity of teenage skateboarding, the toxicity of ‘Jordan and Salish’, and the big question of the Summer: should they make their kids try for grammar school? 

This is the twelfth 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.

🎤 Stuart's show "Canary" is at the Edinburgh Fringe from 17-30th of August, then on tour.

📖 "You Know, Sex" by Cory Silverberg is out now

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart heads to Olly’s house to cook up some BBQ barnstormers: ‘Swicy’ Korean Chicken Burgers, Gochujang Wagyu, and Logan Moffitt’s viral cucumber salad.

What are the flavour trends making their way on to our menus this Summer? And can Olly’s Ninja FlexFlame compete with a charcoal barbeque?

🫕 Check out all of Ollie’s recipe’s here.

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a listener who wants to know how to keep sex fun.

Why is laughter a bedroom taboo? And how can you lighten the mood whilst staying sexy?

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Nosedive’ by Man/Woman/Chainsaw, out now 👇

Tom Price, Olly Mann and Stuart Goldsmith, July 2026

Ollie's Swicy Chicken Burgers

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If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, some feedback for Olly, or you’d like to share your story on a future edition of the show - fill out our Feedback form here. 

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We’ll see you with something new on 10th August!

x Olly, Ollie, Alix and Producer Matt

17/6 - The Art of Human Restraint

“Our products were for  pretty high-end, powerful people. Politicians. And also, I'll tell you what, a lot of dentists.”

When Tad Tomlinson set out to learn leatherworking, he stumbled into one of Britain's most secretive subcultures. 

From handcrafted gimp masks and bespoke straitjackets to dungeon installations and novelty jockstraps, Tad spent years making luxury bondage equipment for wealthy, discerning collectors.

In this eye-opening conversation with Olly, he recalls some of his most elaborate commissions - including a coffin that transformed into a sacrificial altar; reflects on the military and medical fantasies that occasionally tested his comfort zone; and lifts the lid on a much misunderstood community…

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - burned by his seemingly non-cancellable ‘free pants’ subscription - investigates the world of AI-enhanced gadgetry.

Do note-taking devices like Plaud and Anker’s Soundcore Work elevate the drudgery of a morning meeting?

Can smart catflap OnlyCat help cat owners block unwanted ‘contraband’ from their homes?

And what exactly is the Rabbit R1 for? Ollie finds out… 

Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out our Feedback form, or join our Discord.   

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox tackles phimosis and adult circumcision, and advises a couple in their twenties whose bedroom activity is losing its lustre after reuniting from a long-distance relationship.

All while sucking on a bone-conducting lollipop…

If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future edition, head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Track and Field’ by JJerome87 👇 alter-ego of Joe Newman, the former frontman of alt-J.

We can’t wait for his new album, The Canyon 🎶

Thanks for listening! Next up, our annual How To Be A Dad special - that’s on July 10th, so get your questions in now for Tom, Stu and Olly.

In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show with your beer money and/or reviews!

17/5 - Please Kill My Pet

“Our pets aren't thinking about living longer. They just want to be comfortable in the here and now.”

What does it mean to give a pet a “good death”?

Dr Caroline Flicker was Britain’s first vet to specialise in at-home palliative and end-of-life care.

After three decades of home visits - caring for thousands of dying animals and the families who love them - she tells Olly why wagging tails and healthy appetites can mask profound suffering, why families so often disagree about “the right time”, and why pets experience death very differently from humans.

From helping kids say goodbye to beloved pets to navigating the ethics of assisted dying, this is a thought-provoking conversation about grief, responsibility, and the emotional bond between humans and animals… 

Caroline practices across London. Find out more at pallivet.com

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Dr Caroline Flicker and Olly Mann, May 2026

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend toward self-appointed ‘street patrols’. 

With groups like Safeguard Force and Essex Spartans promising to “take back” local communities, are these high-vis heroes filling the gaps left by shrinking police numbers… or creating new problems of their own?

And when patrol groups start looking and sounding increasingly official, where exactly is the line between community support and vigilante justice?

Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out our Feedback form, or join our Discord.   

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox ponders the etiquette of unexpectedly bumping into a colleague at a BDSM club!

If your workmate spots you in latex while they’re getting their balls zapped by a dominatrix, should you acknowledge it… ignore it… or pretend the whole thing never happened?

Alix consults London fetish educator and professional dominant Master Peter, and considers why what happens in the dungeon really should stay in the dungeon…

If you have a question of sex and relationships for Alix to answer in a future edition, head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is is 'Lucky Again' - from Lykke Li’s new album The Afterparty, available now 👇

Thanks for listening - and we’ll see you on June 10th.

In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show with your beer money and/or reviews!