Posts tagged #scott

17/1 - The Banker, The Billionaire, and the Big Lie

“They had photographs of my wife, and my daughter, and my dog, stepping out of my home.”

Alok Sama was a high-flying CFO who fraternized with the world’s richest men.

But he wasn’t immune from intimidation.

Anonymous letters sent to his boss, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, accused him of corruption.

Suddenly, shadowy “shareholders” emerged from nowhere, and a smear campaign quietly derailed his career.

Then - as he recounts to Olly in this compelling conversation - Alok discovered his family was under surveillance.

Desperate, he met men claiming ties to Mossad. And ultimately walked away, with first-hand experience of the corporate espionage that lurks in the shadows of Britain’s biggest companies.

Alok’s book, The Money Trap, is out now.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from veritably leaping into his forties - tests out the viral wellness trend for ‘sleepmaxxing’.

Can grounding sheets, a bone-conducting pillow-speaker, or light therapy help him get his forty winks?

With the aid of the National Sleep Helpline, he delivers hacks and tips for anyone looking to improve their sleep in 2026.

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

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox is contemplating the surprising side-effects of ketamine, and discovering the demand for ‘creature cock’ sex toys such as Lovehoney’s ‘Swamp Monster’.

How did this kink for fantasy dildos - kickstarted by niche brands like Bad Dragon and Gang Bankster - evolve into a mainstream, sold-out product category?

Is it linked to zoophilia, ‘romatasy’ books on TikTok, liberation from masturbatory stigma… or all of the above? As always, Alix has some (eye-opening) answers...

… Got a sex and relationships question for Alix to answer in 2026?

Head to our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

Download MP3

Alok Sama and Olly Mann

August 2025

Alix and Olly model a ‘Swamp Monster’ toy

Finally, our record of the month is Sailboat (feat. chloe moriondo), the new single from Cavetown

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We’ll be back with something new on 10th February.

In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show into 2026 with your beer money and/or reviews. Mwah!

15/9 - When People Disappear

“You get a report. You don't know what's happened to them. You don't know who that person is. You don't understand their background, their connections. It's the classic mystery.”

In a missing persons investigation, the initial hours and days are crucial.

Establishing a relationship with the missing person’s family, absorbing their behavioural characteristics, and managing media interest in the story are all essential parts of the toolkit for officers charged with finding them alive.

But, 27 years ago, when Charlie Hedges MBE was assigned his first missing persons case, such protocols did not exist.

He found institutional inertia and complacency where there should have been dedication and service - and set out to right that wrong.

In this compelling conversation with Olly, Charlie looks back over his career finding missing people - including Dr David Kelly, April Jones and Ashya King - and reveals the techniques and temperament necessary for the job, especially in these days of internet sleuths and social media speculation.

Charlie’s book, Missing, is out now, published by Hachette.

CONTENT WARNING: suicide, abduction.

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart channels his inner James Martin to kick up a storm in Olly’s kitchen: specifically, a five-course meal made entirely using air fryers.

With the help of AirFryerGirl and ProCook, Ollie impresses with a delicious molten Camembert and honey-mustard pork - but is frankly rather let down by his raw carrot crisps.

Along the way, the boys consider whether the popularity of air fryers will last beyond the cost of living crisis, uncover which tabletop gadgets will become the next kitchen must-haves, and ask why Tiktokers don’t provide recipe PDFs…

That five course menu in full:

• Carrot crisps

• Bagel bites

• creammmy ooozy camembert

• Honey & Mustard Pork

• Chocolate & Biscoff Molten Cake

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Download MP3

Charlie Hedges and Olly Mann, September 2024

Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox uncovers the trend for ‘CEI’ humiliation videos, and assists a Mann-fan whose daughter wants to reject the HPV vaccine - because she’s a lesbian.

In collaboration with gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal, Alix discovers why the HPV vaccine is important for all young people, regardless of orientation; explains how the virus can be transmitted; and reveals the efficacy of the vaccine and the common myths surrounding it.

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Finally, we’re going hip-hop for our Record of the Month, ‘Passion’, from LL COOL J’s first album in 11 years, THE FORCE 🔥

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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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… and we’ll see you on October 10th 📅

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

11/11 - The Family Liaison

LISTEN: Apple // Spotify // Google // MP3 // RSS // TuneIn

After a sudden and violent death, the Metropolitan Police will dispatch a member of their ‘Family Liaison' team to the deceased person’s relatives, to ensure their needs are met.

But this wasn’t always the case...

As retired officer Tom Simmons explains to Olly, the ‘family liaison’ role was only professionalised in the 90s, after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry - a process in which he played a part.

Before then, shocked and grieving family members were frequently dealt with by detectives with no formal training in the psychological, religious and practical requirements of victims - and who might make no secret of the fact that, as family members, they too might be suspects in a murder…

Content warning: this interview includes references to terrorism, child sexual abuse and murder; and descriptions of dead bodies.

Elsewhere, in this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explores the trend for ‘menicures’. Can the lady behind Instagram’s ‘Boys In Polish’ help him become Britain’s Next Top Male Nail Artist?

Get the look: if you want to try Ollie’s designs for yourself, download his factsheet for the ‘perfect’ menicure HERE.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

(Thanks for all your entries to be matched with a friend this Christmas! We’ve had LOADS of applications, so the survey is now closed.)

Meanwhile, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox (‘Best Sexual Health Ambassador’ in the 2020 Erotic Trade Awards, natch), assists a lady listener in lockdown dating.

Does participating in sexting automatically open the door for more, um, intimate video content? How can one set up boundaries of consent and respect on Tinder? And what’s the best way to communicate them, with one hand down your pants?

Alix has all the answers, with the help of blogger and pole dancer @bloggeronpole.

The Foxhole is sponsored by The Condom People, where you can discreetly purchase premium condoms and lubricants from brands including the tailored tuxedo of contraception, My.Size. Get 15% off with the code FOXHOLE at TheCondomPeople.com.

Music this month comes from Internet Money ft. Don Toliver, Gunna & Nav and their supremely catchy, beautifully auto-tuned #1 single ‘Lemonade’:

You can find a full Spotify playlist of our ‘record of the month’ selections here.

We’ll be back with our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR on December 10th - until then…

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