1/8 - Gambling Nearly Killed Me

'I lost £2,500 in one afternoon'

What was your first bet? £1 on the National Lottery? A tenner on the Grand National? Matt Zarb-Cousin remembers his - because it lead to a cycle of addiction that saw him flutter away over £10,000 in the bookies before his 20th birthday.

In this episode, he joins OIly to tell his story, frankly confronting the nature of addiction, the changing face of the British high street and how a life can fall apart when the stakes are raised.

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If you agree with Matt that fixed odds betting terminals should be limited to £2 a spin, you can find out more about his Stop The FOBTs campaign at The Campaign For Fairer Gambling.

Meanwhile, Ollie Peart is, like everyone else, contemplating the return of Serial. Can the new season possibly compete with the first; the most successful podcast of all time? Also in The Zeitgeist this week, the Disneyfication of The BFG, the 'science' of full stops, and the ever-decreasing age of the computer hacker.

And, in our weekly trip down The Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the world of 'forniture' (that's furniture you can sleep with, folks), and assists a listener who wants to climax at the same time as his partner, with the aid of a new masturbator for men who suffer from premature ejaculation. If you've got a question of sex for Alix, or anything you'd like to say about the show, just fill in our feedback form

Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed beer money to help support the show - we really, really appreciate it. Even if you can't afford to send us cold hard cash, please take the time to write us a review on iTunes or tell your friends on Twitter using the hashtag #modernmann. Thanks.

Our musical pick this week is 'Europe Is Lost' by Kate Tempest, out now:

Next week: our Christmas Spectacular!

See You Next Tuesday.

Posted on December 15, 2015 and filed under Season One.