14/2 - Challenge Ian

“It’s may not be much, but, to these people, it’s everything".

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Ian Mudge was a teenage punk, whose exploits included chucking chairs out of a train window.

He became a teacher, whose unconventional methods and connection with kids saw him rise through the ranks, becoming Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit - responsible for educating some of Britain’s most challenging children, many with histories of violence and abuse.

As he explains to Olly in this lively conversation, it was a career that required lateral thinking and exhaustive energy - but ultimately left him burned out.

When Putin’s army invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ian’s wife suggested he should collect aid to support Ukrainian refugees…

It was all the prompt he needed to organise five trips personally delivering aid to Poland.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - who owns a book about wood-chopping, don’t you know - explores the phenomenal potential of A.I. chatbot Chat GPT.

How will ‘large language models’ change the way we search, write and study? How will Microsoft’s investment into Open AI affect the usability of the program? And will all journalists soon be out of a job?

With the help of The Economist’s science correspondent, Alok Jha, Ollie has the answers. (And also thinks up some unspeakable things in the name of A.I-generated erotic literature.)

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox prepares for Valentine’s with some up-to-date figures on the amount of nerve endings in the clitoris.

Then, she assists listener Delores who wants to support ‘ethical porn’ sites.

Is it worth seeking out studios who offer safer working environments for their stars? Are free Tube sites necessarily ‘unethical’? And what about the ‘farm-to-table’ models like OnlyFans?

Alix has a long list of suggestions for listener Delores - and any wanker who wants to do the right thing… [list to follow shortly!]

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

Images: Stroud News and Journal

Olly Mann & Ian Mudge, Feb 2023

“Olly Mann enjoying eating a donut”, according to A.I. chatbots

“Olly Mann as Manga animation”, according to A.I. chatbots

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Finally, our record of the month is this laid-back charmer from Billie Marten, This Is How We Move 👇

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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home.

Try their service FREE at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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WANT TO SUPPORT THE SHOW? Buy us a beer 🍻… whatever you can afford makes a real difference.

… And we’ll see you again on March 10th.

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Posted on February 9, 2023 and filed under Season Fourteen.

14/1 - Adventures In Microdosing

“It never felt like a risky behaviour. It never felt dangerous.”

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Ketamine and magic mushrooms are notorious for their damaging side-effects, including paranoia, depression and other ‘bad trips’.

But the process of carefully administering small amounts of these drugs - so-called ‘microdosing’ - is now gaining traction both recreationally and in medical settings.

In this episode, Olly meets NHS worker Nathan*, who credits his psilocybin experiments with improving his interpersonal skills at work; and Irish artist Tamzin Merrivale, who suffered poor mental health for decades until a pioneering Austrian doctor suggested she should try a course of ketamine as an antidepressant

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Meanwhile, Ollie Peart - fresh from launching The Zeitgeist Collab - checks out the Chinese medical tradition of ear seeds.

Can placing a series of small stickers on his ears make him feel less anxious, or suppress chronic pain?

And what of his other ‘health trend’ predictions for 2023 - padel tennis, personalised nutrition plans, and weight-loss drug tirzepatide? Are any about to become a permanent fixture in our health routines?

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in 2023, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has exciting news of a little-known fetish… elbow-sucking!

Then, she assists a listener who would like to know how to dig deep into his partner’s G-Area…

Which toys are best suited for G-Area play? Is G-Area enhancement surgery worth considering? And why don’t we call it the G-Spot any more? Alix has all the answers.

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in 2023, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Long Live The Strange’, a delicious slice of rock-fun from Gaz Coombes’ new album Turn The Car Around 👇

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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home.

Get £10 off your first purchase at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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WANT TO SUPPORT THE SHOW? Buy us a beer 🍻…

And we’ll see you again on February 10th.

CONTENT WARNING: interview includes account of parental suicide and drug abuse. *Name changed to protect anonymity.

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

LISTEN: Apple // Spotify // Google // MP3 // RSS // TuneIn
Posted on January 11, 2023 and filed under Season Fourteen.

13/12 🎄 Christmas 🥂 Spectacular - 2022! 🎅

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This month, Olly, Alix and Ollie gather round the podcasting chimney for a festive knees-up, with musical guest Ashley Singh and entrepreneur Jules Parker.

There are yuletide songs, holiday films, a ‘Christmas collab’ - and, of course, the LEGENDARY XXXMas Foxhole Christmas Quiz.

Ho ho ho!

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First up, Ollie Peart has bought his one year-old child a skateboard, so can he be trusted to go into business with fabulous start-ups run by Mann-fans?

(Spoiler: yes he can - and you can buy the result NOW at https://modernmann.co.uk/shop)

With the help of Manchester’s Brick Chocolate, beard specialists Runesilk and craft evangelists Knit Slips, Ollie wraps up 2022 with a collab-tastic way to support British artisan producers.

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Ashley Singh, Alix Fox, Olly Mann and Ollie Peart, Dec 2022

Then, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive acoustic performance from singer-songwriter Ashley Singh, whose heartbreak anthem Autopilot is our Record of the Month 👇


In our chat, Ashley also reveals his disappointing middle name, explains why he has a burner phone, and reveals his soft-spot for Jim Broadbent!

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Next up, Jules Parker, a metalworker from East Sussex, has come to chat to Olly.

His side-hustle is Moot - a lingerie store for men, offering sensual underwear for people with penises.

Does he see a mainstream future for lacey men’s undies? And what does he wear when he goes to the GP? Jules reveals all… 

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Finally, Alix Fox has outdone herself with a laugh-out-loud edition of our annual XXXmas Foxhole Quiz.

This year, Olly takes on Ollie in a game of ‘Murder She Scrote’; erotic titles are conjured from thin air; and there’s a harrowing round of ‘Two Ollies, One Cup’.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

(For more Foxhole chaos, check out this teaser video, thanks to PlayWivMe.com)

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This episode is sponsored by:

Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home. Get £10 off your first purchase at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

Wine52, the wine discovery club that sends delicious wine to your door from a different country each month. Claim your FREE case now - just pay the postage at wine52.com/MANN

Manscaped, now offering their Ultra Smooth Package for sale in Europe. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code ‘Mann’ at Manscaped.com

LISTENERS LIKE YOU. If you can afford to buy us a beer each month to say thank you for making you a free 1hr+ magazine show each month - please do. We rely on your support!

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Thanks for being a Mann-fan - have a very happy Christmas, and we’ll see you with a brand new season of the show on Jan 10th, 2023!

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Posted on December 10, 2022 and filed under Season Thirteen.

13/11 - Inside Strangeways

“If you challenge the bullies? Then YOU become the problem.”

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Neil 'Sam' Samworth spent 11 years as a prison officer at HMP Manchester - better known as Strangeways, one of Britain’s most notorious jails.

Building rapport with the men incarcerated there, he prided himself on de-escalating violent and threatening situations; an increasingly impossible approach as the prison service churns through staff.

In this interview with Olly, he confronts corruption; considers the toll his job took on his mental and physical health; and explains why, in his view, officer training is inadequate for purpose…

Neil’s books, ‘Strangeways: A Prison Officer’s Story’ and ‘Strangeways Unlocked’ are out now. His video series, ‘Real Porridge with Sam Samworth’ is on YouTube.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at white labelling and drop-shipping.

Using Chinese wholesalers Taobao and AliExpress, can he stumble upon the next big consumer sensation?

How do Western brands ‘add value’, ensure decent customer service and client satisfaction when they’re flogging goods they’ve never even SEEN?

If you own and operate a small business making products, we’d like to hear from you for our Christmas Collab! Drop us a line using the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox runs us through Plenty of Fish's dating trends for 2023, from ‘bae realing’ to ‘eco-dumping’ - is it time for online courtship to enter a ‘sincerer era’?

Plus, it’s No-Nut November: when members of the NoFap movement encourage one another to abstain from masturbation for an entire month.

Are there any health benefits to taking part? Does the original study that kicked off the NoFap movement bare scrutiny? Alix dives deep into the manosphere to discover more…

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Finally, our record of the month is the Jungle-produced single from Poppy Ajudha - the turbo-charged and rebellious ‘NO!’ 👇 (It isn’t about No-Nut November, apparently).

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This episode is sponsored by:

Wine52, the wine discovery club that sends delicious wine to your door from a different country each month. Claim your FREE case now - just pay the postage at wine52.com/MANN

Manscaped, now offering their Ultra Smooth Package for sale in Europe. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code ‘Mann’ at Manscaped.com

LISTENERS LIKE YOU. If you can afford to buy us a beer each month to say thank you for making you a free 1hr+ magazine show each month - please do. We rely on your support!

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And we’ll see you again, for our traditionally chaotic Christmas special, on December 10th.

CONTENT WARNING: interview includes account of extreme self-harm and suicide attempt, drug and alcohol abuse.

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

LISTEN: Apple // Spotify // Google // MP3 // RSS // TuneIn
Posted on November 10, 2022 and filed under Season Thirteen.

13/10 - Contrast, Colour, Texture, Tone

“Everything was just black and white. People were like moving ghosts.”

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Vanessa Potter lost her sight in just 72 hours - the result of a rare condition that doctors struggled to diagnose. 

In this interview with Olly, she recalls how it felt to experience the rapid deterioration of her vision and simultaneous paralysis; why her two young children aided her recovery; and explains how the process helped pivot her career…

Vanessa co-founded the ParkBathe project. 

Her books, Patient H69 and Finding My Right Mind are out now.

You can follow her podcast here.

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Vanessa Potter and Olly Mann. October 2022

Seriously, change your lightbulbs.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart channels his ‘inner Martin Lewis’ to see if he can SOLVE the cost-of-living crisis.

With the aid of apps like Snoop and Lollipop, and online bank accounts like Revolut, can he claw back 20% from his monthly spending?

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by Manscaped, who are now offering their Ultra Smooth Package for sale in Europe. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code ‘Mann’ at Manscaped.com

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox wonders whether the future is bright for posh poppers, and advises a listener who wants to approach the subject of body image with her partner.

With the help of NLP trainer Andy Coley and Positive Body Image Educator Anupa Roper, Alix devises a ‘compassionately curious’, open-minded script for discussing weight gain within a relationship - and provides some tips to put the pleasure back in their bedroom.

If YOU have a relationships question for Alix, or a trends challenge for Ollie, please submit it via the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is the superb ‘Trouble’ from The Big Moon; out now!  👇

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This episode is sponsored by:

Emma, Europe's most awarded, best-selling foam mattress. Find your best sleep and test products for up to 200 nights risk free. Save 5% on top on all offers at emma-sleep.co.uk/modernmann

Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home. Get started today and get 20% off when you keep all five items at at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

Wine52, the wine discovery club who send delicious wine to your door from a different country each month. Claim your FREE case now - just pay the postage at wine52.com/MANN

LISTENERS LIKE YOU. If you can afford to buy us a beer each month to say thank you for making you a free 1hr+ magazine show each month - please do. We rely on your support.

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And we’ll see you again on November 10th!

LISTEN: Apple // Spotify // Google // MP3 // RSS // TuneIn
Posted on October 10, 2022 and filed under Season Thirteen.