Posts filed under Season Five

5/10 - Let's Live Adventurously

From the desert to the jungle, Belinda Kirk has lead expeditions through some of the world’s most inhospitable places. She’s been kidnapped, suffered extremes of heat and cold, and nearly drowned - yet believes such adventures help keep her sane in a modern world that can seem increasingly sedentary and predictable.

In this inspiring interview with Olly, Belinda explains the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ stress; defines ‘type 1’ versus ‘type 2’ fun; and recommends some micro-adventures all around Britain, from wild swimming in the Serpentine to sleeping in a Scottish snow-hole...

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Belinda also runs a non-profit organisation connecting people to adventures, explorersconnect.com

Elsewhere, vegan-at-home Ollie Peart uncovers the publishing trend for ‘Up Lit’ books, reports on a bright future for male make-up counters, and finally completes (most) of the tasks in his quest to become a true trends insider. (This includes smearing snail slime over Olly Mann’s face, which, after what he’s put him through this season, seems fair enough.)

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, it’s a 50th episode feedback special, as Alix Fox revisits some memorable sex advice from our first 49 editions. There are follow-on stories from those who’ve benefited from her advice on smoking fetishes, differing sex drives, non-consensual violence, polyamorous relationships and cartoon pornography. Alix recommends a couple of books for further reading, explains how to uncover the friendly side of ‘tentacle rape’ porn, and discovers inter-gluteal penetration. Of course.

If you have a question of sex for our next 50 episodes(!), don’t hesitate to fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our sexy friends at MyCondom.com, who stock a frankly incredible range of toys, lube and prophylactics. Remember, just for being a Mann-fan, you can use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout and secure an astonishing 15% OFF - even when we’re off-air for the next few months.

Finally, our Song of the Week is 'Hung Empty' by Los Campesinos! - a band Olly first heard on the Best Of MySpace podcast back in 2008, and still loves. It’s off their new album Sick Scenes, out now on Wichita Records:

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us for these first fifty episodes. If you enjoy the show, please support us by chucking us some change - just click Beer Money. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes, and tell your friends about the show on social media. We’re @themodernmann on Twitter.

We’ll be back with Season Six on October 24th.

Until then, Mann-fans, make the most of your Tuesdays!

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Five and tagged up.

5/9 - Life In Westminster

Would you be an MP, at a time when public trust in politicians has fallen to the lowest level in living memory? Could you dedicate yourself to your constituents, yet also make time for your family, fighting fires on social media and keeping the media on-side?

Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North since 2015, entered the fray in time to experience the Brexit vote, the murder of his colleague Jo Cox, and the Palace of Westminster coming under terrorist attack.

In this candid interview with Olly, he lifts the lid on day-to-day life as a young MP in the House of Commons, from his experiences adapting to the weird traditions of voting and speaking in the House, to the perils of navigating Westminster’s gossipy backstairs bars and their modern-day digital equivalents on WhatsApp...

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Also this week, Ollie Peart completes even more of his challenges - experiencing a home-cooked Indian meal from Hersha Patel, securing VIP access to a festival, trying out the latest frankincense face-cream, and, er, pissing off the PR lady from the UK transfer of ‘Hamilton’. He even finds time to discuss a couple of actual trends for this week's Zeitgeist, namely the boom in crypto-currency Ethereum, and the teenage girl who loved K-Pop so much she got a hammer stuck in her mouth.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from a launch party in ‘a posh strip club’, reassures a listener who feels that having herpes may prevent her from ever having sex again. Turns out, there’s even a dating app to meet other herpes-positive people! #ShoutYourStatus

If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, or some feedback about how Alix's advice has helped you previously, please do reach out using our Feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our arousing and delightfully lubricated friends at MyCondom.Com - and remember, as a Mann-fan, you can get an astonishing 15% OFF by using our code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Was It Love?’, by Isabella ‘Machine’ Summers, out now on Island Records.

We’re a completely independent podcast. That means we raise the funds for the show ourselves. If you enjoy what we do, please support us. You can buy us a beer, donate via PayPal, leave us an iTunes review, or offer to sponsor an episode - it's all greatly appreciated. Thanks!

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Five and tagged Amazon Gobby politics.

5/8 - Hacker for Hire

‘My mind is so broken that I can’t see how not to attack things, all the time’

Using the same techniques as criminal hackers, ethical ‘white hat’ hackers help governments and companies test their own security.

FC (hacker name: ‘Freakyclown’), now of redactedfirm, has been a white-hat hacker since being approached by some ‘guys in suits’, having found himself in a spot of legal bother. He’s since been employed to rob dozens of high street banks - all with the consent of the owners.

In this honest, fast-moving interview with Olly, he recalls how he stepped away from a childhood defined by poverty and bullying to find sanctuary in the world of coding, ‘war dialling’, and accessing other people’s data...

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Meanwhile, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers whether the current re-shoots on ‘Justice League’ - and digitally-created puppy poo in ‘John Wick’ - means the film industry has finally reached peak CGI. He also endeavours to explain why sandals are back back back in men’s foot fashion. And, in his quest to become a true trends insider, he makes progress at joining the Freemasons, and finally gets to ride a parliamentary ghost-train… sort of.

Elsewhere, in this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a man with an under-developed penis, suffering from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. What can he do in the bedroom when penetrative sex seems an impossibility? And what is the dating ettiquette - is he obliged to warn future partners about his tiny package?

If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, just send it on in using our Feedback form. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com, where you can nab yourself a tremendous range of condoms, lube and toys - AND get a magnificent 15% OFF just for being a Mann-fan: just use the code ‘MANN’ at Checkout.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Living On The 110’ by Rage Against The Machine super-group The Prophets of Rage, ‘an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of political bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.’ It’s out on their debut album in September:

Remember, if you enjoy our show, please support the show, by buying us a beer, donating via PayPal, sponsoring an episode, or leaving us a review on iTunes.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Five and tagged Amazon.

5/7 - How Are We For Time?

"I don’t hog the limelight. When you're doing your bit, I will disappear"

Being a TV warm-up is one of the hardest jobs in showbiz. How can you capture the interest and affection of an audience who don’t know who you are, have spent hours sitting around, and may simply want to go home?

Andy Collins is a man who knows. Often cited as the best in the business, he’s honed his skills over decades, warming-up audiences for shows as diverse as Strictly Come Dancing, Big Brother, Celebrity Juice and The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

In this candid and riotously funny interview with Olly, he explains how to whip a crowd of old women into a frenzy, why he never wants to disappoint Ant and Dec, and reveals why Russell Brand, Bruce Forsyth and Michael McIntyre are all off his Christmas card list...

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(If you’d like to hear more from Andy, check out his Breakfast show on BBC Three Counties Radio, weekdays 6-9am.)

Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart, - fresh from a speed awareness course in Yeovil - assesses the trends for body mists, Love Island and luxury watch subscription services. Plus, in his quest to become a true trends insider, progress is * finally * made in his mission to touch a Nando’s Black Card, and get a place at a chef’s table...

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox checks out ‘cyborgasms’ at the Blue Dot Festival in Cheshire, and grabs a listener’s question of pubes by the short and curlies: When it comes to man-scaping, how low should you go, and what equipment should you use along the way?

If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, reach out via our Feedback form. The Foxhole is brought to you by our erotic associates at MyCondom.com - head over there for a sensational range of condoms, lube and toys, and use our code, ‘FOXHOLE’, for an incredible 15% OFF!

Finally, our record of the week, is by Flyte - it’s called Cathy Come Home, and it’s off their debut album, out in August:

Remember, if you want to support the show, you can buy us a beer, enquire about sponsorship or review the show on iTunes.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Five and tagged quiz.

5/6 - The Accidental Pimp

‘We had no idea if we were walking into a gunfight’

Being a landlord means trusting strangers to live in your house.

Try as you might, you can't know everything about them. Sometimes, you just have to rely on an instinct that your tenants are good people. Until, that is, you get a knock on the door from the Police...

That's what happened to listener Ian from Dublin. In this interview with Olly, he re-lives the moment he became involved in an armed Police sting - and began to regret renting out his property.

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Also this week, Ollie and Olly head off to Wimbledon and investigate 'tennis-heckling', the rise of Aperol Spritz and the IBM data bunker. Plus, Ollie continues in his quest to become a true trends insider, forsaking Raya for Inner Circle, and preparing to venture to High Wycombe in the name of journalism.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox ponders the possibilities of cervical orgasms, and answers a listener question of sexual reciprocity - how should a high-functioning autistic woman get off in the sack, when she can't bear physical contact?

If you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is sponsored by the love-Gods who run mycondom.com - head over there to fill your boots with condoms, sex toys and lube, all at great-value prices, with an additional 15% OFF when you use our code, 'FOXHOLE'.

Finally, our record of the week - which, like all our favourite 'choons, is featured in our Spotify playlist - is the new one from St Vincent. It’s called New York, and it’s available to download right now.

That's it for this week's show: if you enjoy what we do, please support us by buying us a beer or reviewing us on iTunes.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Five and tagged bob glen.