12/5 - Please Don't Eat Me, Mr. Crocodile

“My will to live was so strong. I really was not ready to die.”

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When Rosie Mitchell went canoeing on a dam in Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, she thought she’d soak up the views, and soon be back on shore to toast the New Year.

Instead, she endured a terrifying close encounter with a 3m-long crocodile, who chomped down on her arm and ripped open her chest.

In this vivid and intense conversation, she explains to Olly how her determination to prevail - borne of her experiences ultra-running - helped her survive a seemingly impossible ordeal. 

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart pores over a menu of post-pandemic dining trends, from nutritionist-inspired gnocchi to pizza a la Gordon Ramsay.

Are ‘dark kitchens’ and outdoor seating here to stay? And can you get a boozy buzz from non-alcoholic spirits?

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If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

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

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of Ann Summers’ iconic Rampant Rabbit, and responds to a listener whose wet dreams seem to coincide with her menstrual cycle.

Is there a hormonal link to her mid-sleep orgasms? Or are nocturnal emissions just for the lads? 

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, fill in our feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by Handy - a WiFi-enabled sex toy for men, designed and developed in Norway. For free express shipping, use our code ‘Foxhole' at TheHandy.com.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Creature of Mine’ from singer-songwriter Billie Marten, who’s back on tour across the UK in September:

This episode of The Modern Mann is only possible thanks to the generosity of listeners LIKE YOU.

But only 2% of our listeners donate to the show. If you can afford to buy us a beer, please complete the convenient, secure BEER MONEY form.

We’re also proudly supported by Beer52, the world’s largest craft beer club. Join over 170,000 members and sample a completely FREE CASE of eight beers at beer52.com/Modern.

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Our NEXT EPISODE, on June 10, will be the latest instalment of our How To Be A Dad series. If you have a question of parenthood for Tom, Stu and Olly to answer in the show, send it in HERE.

See you then!

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12/4 - The Truth About Fur

‘I’d done a lot of damage, morally and practically.’

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As chief executive of the British Fur Trade Association, Mike Moser was the face of the UK’s fur industry.

He met with politicians in China and Russia, and advocated his ‘luxury product’ in the House of Lords and at an EFRA Select Committee.

Then, after a decade promoting the right to wear and sell fur, Mike changed his mind.

In this confessional chat with Olly, he considers how he used peer-reviewed science as a crutch, reflects on the implications of publicly switching sides in our polarised society, and reveals how a dog called Barney changed his life.

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Thanks to Filbert’s of Dorset for keeping Ollie sting-free.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tucks his top-knot under a full-body apiarist suit and heads to the hive for a deep dive on beekeeping.

Why are 40,000 hobbyists in Britain getting involved? Is it really possible to run a ‘natural’ hive? And what difference has the pandemic made to the taste of our honey?

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

This is how you artificially inseminate a bee. So now you know.

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

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from debating ‘vulva anxiety’ and elective labiaplasty on Radio 4 - assists a Mann-fan whose sex sessions go on for much, much longer than he wants.

What are his options for tackling delayed ejaculation? Could it be caused by post-traumatic dissociation? And is it taken seriously enough by health professionals?

Thanks to psychosexual therapist Silva Neves and Girl On The Net’s Luke Douglas for their input this month.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, fill in our feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by Handy - a WiFi-enabled sex toy for men, designed and developed in Norway. For free express shipping, use our code ‘Foxhole' at TheHandy.com.

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Finally, our record of the month, comes from the fabulous Fryars - the delightfully curious groove ‘Orange Juice’, available to stream now:

This episode of The Modern Mann is only possible thanks to the generosity of listeners LIKE YOU.

But only 2% of our listeners donate to the show. If you can afford to buy us a beer, please complete the convenient, secure BEER MONEY form - if, like Mannfan Abdo, you want to call it ‘fish and chip’ money THAT IS FINE BY US.

We’re also proudly supported by Beer52, the world’s largest craft beer club. Join over 170,000 members and sample a completely FREE CASE of eight beers at beer52.com/Modern.

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Next episode May 10 - see you then!

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12/3 - Mr & Mrs & Mrs

“It’s a bit political, figuring out who would sleep with who”

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It began as a threesome, arranged through dating app Feeld.

But soon, Maggie and Cody realised their connection to Janie was more than sexual… 

No longer just an adventurous couple in an open relationship, they had become a ‘thruple’ - whose relationship with Janie (their ‘third’) was as vital and equitable as their marriage to each other. 

In this interview with Olly, they explain the importance of communication in a three-way relationship, the dangers of jealousy and bigotry - and the complexities of sleeping arrangements and decision-making when you love two people at once. 

If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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It’s changed a lot since 1995, apparently.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart dons his VR headset (again) to discover what real-world skills he can glean from his living room.

With the help of YouTubers Cas and Chary, and apps Survivorman, The Climb 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Marineverse Cup, he tries his hand at yacht-racing, skyscraper climbing and fire-lighting - only to find refuge in ‘DJ school’ Tribe XR.

Whilst learning to use aftershave as ignition fuel.

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by Virtual Game Night, the fully interactive gameshow experience. To turn your next virtual gathering into a Virtual Game Night, visit virtualgamenight.live/mann for a free demo. Then, take 20% off any package with the code MANN20.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has details of how you can play with lightbulbs in your bedroom. In two unforgettable ways.

And, in our listener question of the month, she considers inventive lockdown dating ideas, from ‘collabaroke’ to tarot-reading, and reveals how a socially-distanced ‘picture pic-tour’ nabbed her a boyfriend.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by Handy - a WiFi-enabled sex toy for men, designed and developed in Norway. For free express shipping, use our code ‘Foxhole' at TheHandy.com.

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Finally, over in music corner, St Vincent make a welcome return to our playlist of dreams. 

Their new one, 'Pay Your Way In Pain’, is out now:

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Every contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this podcast afloat!

BUY US A BEER HERE. Thanks!

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This episode is brought to you by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

We’re also proudly supported by Beer52, the world’s largest craft beer club. Join over 170,000 members and sample a completely FREE CASE of eight beers at beer52.com/Modern.

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We’ll be back with a brand new episode on April 10.

See you then!

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12/2 - My Dad, The Stranger

“Why would I want to have a relationship with a man who didn’t want to have a relationship with me?”

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Olivia hardly knew her father. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she was brought up by her Mum.

Sent to boarding school at the age of eight, she was estranged from her Dad for a decade.

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Struggling financially, and weakened by bulimia, she got a call from out of the blue: it was her father, wanting to rekindle their relationship.

But - as her health deteriorated, and the UK went into lockdown - her Mum dropped a bombshell that changed everything Olivia thought she knew about her family…

Names have been changed.  

If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder, BEAT or Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous may be able to help. If you’re dealing with emotional abuse, CRISIS Text Line offer free 24/7 support.

If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has a 21st century spring clean - testing out Karcher’s new ‘electric cloth’, Samsung’s VS90 Jet and CleanStation, Lupe’s Pure Cordless Vacuum, and Cleen, a subscription box of environmentally-friendly cleaning products.

[Cleen have kindly created a 10% discount link just for Mann-fans: click here for 10% off your first box.]

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped, and their new cologne, Refined. 

For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox checks out the new bedroom toy that ‘turns your balls into a torpedo’, and advises listener James, who lusts after casual sex with his close friends.

Is James demisexual? Is hypersexualised gay culture, online and offline, spurring him on? And is it really a ‘kink’ to have a crush on your mates? Alix investigates, with the help of Skyler Wang, Topher Talyor, and Justin Myers.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Personal Shopper’, a dystopian synth pop classic-in-the-making from Steven Wilson.

You can stream the full glorious TEN MINUTES now on his album, The Future Bites:

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Every contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this podcast afloat!

BUY US A BEER HERE. Thanks!

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Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on March 10.

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12/1 - Trouble In Paradise

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Sun, sea and €1 drinks lure thousands of backpackers to Andrew’s hostel in a typical year.

But 2020 was not a typical year.

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Confronting a doomed Summer season and 45 empty bedrooms, Andrew’s family converted their hostel, in the Cote d’Azur, in to a homeless shelter during Lockdown.

In place of tourists, they welcomed a diverse group of refugees, drug addicts, career criminals and victims of domestic abuse.

As Andrew recounts to Olly, the experience opened his eyes to the realities of life on the streets - the mental health problems, alcoholism, and traumatic violence so often lurking in the background - but also gave him hope that it’s possible to re-make your life, even in the most dire of circumstances.  

(Names have been changed.)

If YOU have a story about overcoming the challenges of modern life which you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart heads out into the bracing January fog for… a barbecue, of course!

Can he ‘upskill’ his outdoor cooking abilities to create a Winter feast?

Armed with little more than a plank of plywood and a side of salmon, he attempts to justify his hipster beard by mastering an authentic asado wood-flamed pit - and puts the trend for ‘sweet pizza’ to the test. 

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, fill out our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. 

For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox gets deep in the weeds of aphrodisiac seeds, and assists a lady listener who coughs each time she has sex.

Could this after-sex reflex be a reaction to her partner’s semen, an allergy to linens, or even a vasovagal attack? Alix investigates, with the assistance of breathing expert Jane Tarrant.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

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Finally, music this month comes from Dutch-born, London-based singer-songwriter Eyelar - and her current single, ‘Doin’ It Again’.

Listen back to all our ‘record of the month’ choices on our Spotify playlist here.

Love the show? Here are THREE GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT US IN 2021:

• Tell your friends! We’re @themodernmann on Twitter.

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• Send us a donation. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us make the show. BUY US A BEER HERE.

Happy New Year!

Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on Feb 10.

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