16/9 - Drawn To Justice

“They think they can get away with it. That, this time, they'll be good at hiding it, or they'll bury the body better.”

From Gary Glitter to Rose West; Prince Harry to Harold Shipman… courtroom artist Priscilla Coleman has sketched them all, over five decades documenting Britain’s biggest criminal trials.

In UK courts, artists can’t sketch inside - so she begins by writing what she sees, combining shorthand notes with a photographic memory technique.

Under tight deadlines - and often without even a table - she then rushes outside to turn those notes into the courtroom images we recognise from the nightly news.

In this broad interview with Olly, Priscilla recalls watching the Wagatha Christie trial; considers what she’s learned from such diverse case studies as Ian Huntley and Jeffrey Archer; and explains why she thinks the legal system needs to change…

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Fiat Panda fan Ollie Peart joins Olly at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace - surrounded by cars worth millions of pounds - to investigate the trend for younger people getting into classic car restoration…


… Is it a way of avoiding ULEZ charges? Do the tax breaks justify abandoning newer cars altogether?

And, assuming you can’t afford a Ferrari or a Bentley, what are the upcoming marques to invest in?

The answers may surprise you… 

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from discovering a kindred spirit in a bondage-themed hair salon - tackles a listener’s anxiety about contracting HIV from a non-consensual encounter. 

Twenty-five tests, taken over fifteen years, are telling her she doesn’t have HIV… is there any chance they could be wrong?

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In music corner, our record of the month comes from Ipswich-born rapper Piers James, and his new single 'F.O.E'.👇

NOW…

🎧 LISTEN TO OLLY guesting on Mann-fan Darren Hill’s podcast, The Story Pilgrim - if two middle-aged men walking around Letchworth is your idea of an hour well spent: https://pod.fo/e/328330


🍻 BUY US A BEER. We are only able to make this show thanks to your donations. If you can afford to, pretty PLEASE support our independent podcast here. 


✉️ SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK. If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, a letter 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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… and we’ll see you with our tenth birthday episode (😱)on 10th October. x

x Olly, Ollie, Alix and Producer Matt

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Sixteen.

16/8 - How To Be A Dad - On Holiday

“ I think I was always a Dad with no kids. Having kids has made sense of me.” 

Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith return for their annual catch-up with Olly, comparing notes on the pleasures and pitfalls of parenthood.

With their boys now aged 9½, the Dads’ latest life advice includes how to remove a games console from the sitting room (without triggering a row); splitting Summer holidays into ‘manageable blocks’; giving their sons feedback without it sounding like criticism; and the joy of re-discovering The Simpsons.

Plus, why singing out instructions can be more effective than shouting; how NOT to make a good impression at a posh playground; and the pressures of the Obligatory Back To School Photo…

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 considers the soaring cost of getting away, and breaks down what a ‘holiday’ really means.

Can a ‘staycation’ provide an equivalent wellbeing boost to travelling abroad? Maaaaaaaybe, says Ollie, if you plan your time off, lock away your laptop, and hire a cleaner.

Along the way, he uncovers the trends for “noctourism”, “fakeations”, and “set-jetting”. It’s certainly a break from the grind…

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Elsewhere, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from discovering a new kind of ‘Big D’ in her work at Deaf Rave - has advice for pleasuring ladies with longer labia.

Not every culture is squeamish about flappiness: some Eastern and African traditions celebrate and even enhance labia length.

Whether you’re solo or partnered, Alix has a treasure chest of toys and techniques, from floral-shaped vibrators that flutter like a butterfly, to massage oils that pamper your folds. The goal is worship - not just stimulation.

With the help of sexual wellness educator Tami Rose, sexpert Jess Wilde, professional long-lipped pleasure seeker Crista Anne, and pro piercer Mike Hill, Alix celebrates sensory exploration, and offers clever tricks with toys, casting kits, and knickers.

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🍻 BUY US A BEER.

We are only able to make this show thanks to your donations. If you can afford to, pretty PLEASE support our independent podcast here. 

✉️ SEND US YOUR LETTERS.

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. 

💬 THE MODERN MANN DISCORD.

It’s free! Meet other Mann-fans here: https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

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Finally, our record of the month is Mogwai’s re-version of ‘Endsong’, plucked from The Cure’s brand new remix album, Mixes of a Lost World 👇

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

x Olly, Ollie, Alix and Producer Matt

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Sixteen, How To Be A Dad and tagged how to be a dad.

16/7 - I Survived A Plane Crash

 “It doesn't matter how badly injured you are, or what's happened to you. You have to pick yourself up, and you have to carry on. There is no hiding behind what was yesterday.”

Perry Burns was just 13 when his once-in-a-lifetime trip on an RAF plane ended in a devastating crash.

It left him with burns over nearly half his body.

In this gripping conversation with Olly, Perry relives the moment he thought he’d died; the fireball he escaped; and the chain of miracles that saved his life...

He shares the pain of recovery, the power of one relentless teacher, and how love helped him rebuild.

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, dog-fan Ollie Peart is on a mission to Make Running Fun. 

While apps like VoiceMap offer self-guided audio tours you can create (and sell!), and GoodGym adds community purpose to your jog…

…his true champion is Zombies, Run!, a thrilling, GPS-triggered story game where undead hordes chase you into cardio greatness.

(And, it seems, makes Olly Mann sweat buckets around the Regent’s Park Running Track.)

Two VoiceMap routes Ollie recommends 👇

London half-mararthon | Bristol

… and Ollie’s musical contribution to gamifying running 👇

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SOME LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK:

🎢 ROLLERCOASTER - UNIVERSAL’S BEDFORDSHIRE JOURNEY.

Olly’s new four-part BBC series about the Universal Studios project in Bedford can be binged  here. 

🍻 BUY US A BEER.

We are only able to make this show thanks to your donations. If you can afford to, pretty PLEASE support our independent podcast here. 

✉️ SEND US YOUR LETTERS.

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. 

💬 THE MODERN MANN DISCORD.

It’s free! Meet other Mann-fans here: https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

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In music corner, our record of the month is the folktastic ‘Cow Song’ 🐄

from The New Eves👇

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Ollie, Olly and Buzz ‘gamify’ their run… 🏃

And finally… Alix Fox - fresh from National AIDS Trust fundraiser Drag Raise - is back to answer listener’s sex and relationships questions in The Foxhole.

First up, a new gadget in development by Polari Labs to clean up back-door sex…

… and then:  What actually happens at sex-themed swingers holiday resorts, like Hedonism in Jamaica, and what should prospective travellers bring with them to the hotel? 

With the help of Sex Advice for Seniors’ Suzanne Noble, Alix reveals all… 

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We’ll see you on 10th August - with our annual How To Be A Dad special!

x Olly, Ollie, Alix and Producer Matt

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Sixteen.

16/6 - A Good Divorce

 “The good divorce comes when both parents remain the adults, and, really importantly, allow the children to remain children.” 

When Nick Coffer’s marriage fell apart, the breakup was a battlefield.

Embroiled in high conflict, overwhelming stress, and crushing legal fees, he had to redefine his role as a father while struggling to maintain his cheeriness as a BBC broadcaster.

But from the chaos, Nick forged a new path: re-training as a family mediator.

Determined to deter others from his mistakes, he now shatters stalemates between hostile exes, keeping conversations constructive and focussed on the only people who matter: the divorcing couple’s children.

In this chat with Olly, Nick shares the game-changing apps that transform toxic communication; reveals how he fell into the trap of becoming a ‘McDonald’s Dad’; and explains why mediation can be useful even before you tell your kids you intend to split up… 

Inspired to become a mediator? The Family Mediators Association is at TheFMA.co.uk

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for sleeper trains - by taking Olly and Alix for a ride on GWR’s ‘Night Riviera’ from London Paddington to Penzance, Cornwall.

What are his top tips to ensure you get a good night’s kip? Is the rise in overnight train travel because locomotives are so good - or aeroplanes are so insufferable?

And how DOES one store excess luggage when arriving in a place with no car? [Answer: Stasher!]

Ollie has the answers - though they become increasingly less intelligible after a night in the on-board bar…

The team travelled as guests of GWR. Book direct at gwr.com

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from experiencing her first-ever dip in a geothermal pool - tackles a listener’s concerns about getting jiggy under canvas.

Can sex in tents ever be comfortable? Is it best to use fairy lights, or fumble in the dark? And what are the camping essentials you need to bring along if you intend to get off?

Armed with a packet of Fresh Wipes, and aided by author ⁠⁠Zachary Zane, Alix reveals all…

Olly Mann and Nick Coffer, June 2025.

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Finally, our record of the month belongs to Will Varley - it’s his latest track, ‘Home Before The World Ends’, featuring Bastille 👇

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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BUY US A BEER

Your support keep this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer

🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer

_______

Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord: 

🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

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Olly with Dr Stu, October 2018

This episode is dedicated to former guest, and friend of the show, Dr Stuart Farrimond - who has died at the age of 43.

His final book, ‘The Science of Flavor: Unlock the Secrets of Flavorful Cooking’, is available to pre-order now.

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Next episode? Out July 10th. x

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Sixteen.

16/5 - No More Magnolia

“Because it's an art project, people are still very scared of what people will think about it. Is this a waste of money?”

After witnessing bleak conditions inside a mental health unit, artists Tim A. Shaw and Niamh White decided to take action. 

Drawing on their background in contemporary art, they set out to transform sterile clinical spaces with bold, thought-provoking artworks, via their charity, Hospital Rooms.

Today, they commission over 40 leading artists a year to create immersive, site-specific pieces in psychiatric hospitals across the UK — from sweeping murals to hands-on workshops that put patients at the heart of the creative process. 

But despite critical acclaim, the battle for funding continues — and every brushstroke must be justified to NHS accountants.

In this episode, Tim tells Olly why he won’t let hospitals sell off the valuable artwork he installs; explains why patients should look beyond the ‘recovery tree’; and reveals how his recent experience on pediatric wards has hardened his belief in the healing power of art…  

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at ‘smart gardening’: growing vegetables without soil. 

Is hydroponics a workable alternative to getting an allotment? How much faster is it to grow a tomato indoors? And is the whole trend really just a fig-leaf for at-home cannabis growers? 

Ollie has the answers… from a ‘smart bench’.

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from attending a provocative menopause seminar - investigates how a Mann-fan can hire sex workers who are into… belching. 

With the help of VTuber giantess Ana Valens, Alix uncovers a full-blown subculture in which burps are considered not just bodily functions but sensual, often spontaneous, expressions of intimacy. The appeal, it turns out, is both nostalgic and transgressive… Burp!

Alix has dug out some belching videos [NSFW] here and here

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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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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Inland Ocean’ from The National’s Matt Berninger - from his second solo album, Get Sunk, out on May 30 👇

Olly Mann and Tim A. Shaw, May 2025.

Ollie’s magnificent hydroponic produce.

BUY US A BEER

Your support keep this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer

🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer

_______

Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord: 

🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

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… and we’ll see you on June 10th!

This episode is supported by Shopify. Dream big, build fast, and grow far with 3 months for just £3 at https://shopify.co.uk/modernmann 

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Sixteen.