16/1 - The Last Supper

“I’ve unlocked the door, and it’s cost me £2,000. Now I need to make £2,000.”

Why are so many restaurants closing down? Across Britain, the hospitality industry is facing unprecedented challenges. This time last year, it was the turn of chef Tony Rodd.

His passion for food had seen him progress from hosting dinner parties for friends, to being a Masterchef runner-up, to eventually opening his dream London restaurant - Copper and Ink, in affluent Blackheath.

But the dream unravelled. Crippled by Covid, increasing energy costs, VAT bills and ‘no-shows’, he shut up shop for good in January 2024.

One year on, he’s back, with an intimate new restaurant in Broadstairs - and, in this engaging interview with Olly, he explains how he’s making it work…

Olly Mann and Tony Rodd, Dec 2024

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Ollie Peart’s photo of the moon

Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart steps out into the cold night air to investigate the trend for smart telescopes, which combine automated star alignment and wireless connectivity to capture incredible images of the night sky.

How easy is it to find stars and take photos of them? What is driving the interest in astrophotography? And are they a worthy upgrade to an old-fashioned eye-piece? With a Vaonis Hestia by his side, Ollie reveals all...

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox discovers how sound effects are created for erotic audiobooks, and tackles a question from a listener who wants to know about anal botox.

Can bum injections reduce pain during anal play, heal fissures, and relax muscles for easier intercourse? Dr. Evan Goldstein, aka “The Bottom Whisperer,” certainly thinks so… 

… Alix considers the potential downsides, and investigates other aesthetic trends for 2025, from anal bleaching to skin tag removal, ‘scrotox’ and ‘showtox’.

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Music-wise, our record of the month comes from The Lumineers, whose new single Same Old Song spearheads their fantastic new album, Automatic 👇

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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:

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… and we’ll see you on Feb 10th!

15/12 - ☃️ Christmas 🍷Spectacular 🦌 2024!!

Join Olly and the gang for our bumper festive extravaganza…

Featuring:

🎶 Live music from Sons of Town Hall – the Victorian-inspired duo from the Madmen Cross The Water podcast serenade the season with their folksy harmonies - and test their Anglophiliac credentials with a Mannfan-made ‘citizenship test’… 

💸 To Tip or Not to Tip? – Wondering how much to tip your postie, milkman, or the plumber who saved your pipes?

Ollie Peart dives into the age-old debate on festive gratuities - and launches his new JUST THE TIP service!

🤪 The XXX-Mas Foxhole Quiz – Things take a turn for the risqué with Alix Fox’s annual laugh-out-loud Q&A… this time involving scented underwear, rubber chickens, and some out-of-context audio erotica… 

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So, pour yourself a glass of wine (courtesy of our sponsors, Wine52, of course), sit back, and enjoy our modern, mad, magical Christmas celebration! 🎄

We’ll be back with a brand new series on 10th January, 2025. 

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In the meantime… why not buy us a beer, and help us keep our independent show running into its TENTH anniversary year?

Join us on the Modern Mann Discord ➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

15/11 - What Happened To My House?

“I leave UK. We can't rent at the moment. I put key outside door in kitchen. Go to garden. I'm sorry about that.”

When Mike Senior returned to his rental property in Cambridge, he uncovered a scene straight out of a crime drama:

Trashed rooms.

Plastic sheeting.

Dodgy ductwork.

In this interview with Olly, he reveals how some tenants from Gumtree turned his Dream Home into a landlord’s nightmare… 

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart  investigates the trend for A.I.-assisted recruitment. 

Employers, he discovers, are using machine learning to whittle down candidates, read CVs and reduce biases. Applicants are hacking their jobsearch with “prompt engineering”, hidden fonts, and generative interview prep.

… Is it still possible to get a job with inter-personal skills and chutzpah? And can he uncover a recipe to beat the bots? 

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from the ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ building site - has advice for a fifty-something Mannfan whose libido has reduced dramatically.

Though physically capable, his emotional and mental energy are drained by health issues, caregiving, and stress. Could counselling, lifestyle changes, and a change of scene help him get his mojo back? And why do so many people seem to believe that if a man can get hard, there’s nothing to worry about?

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Finally, we’re rockin out to our Record of the Month, ‘She’s Got A Problem’ from Hastings rock-trio HotWax 🤘

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And help our Mannbassadors make a Mannfan meet-up!

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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 for our annual Christmas spectacular on December 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

15/10 - Speaking In Tongues

“I followed all the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do, everything I was taught to do. I did my part… Why isn't this working?”

Sarah McCammon’s upbringing was steeped in evangelical culture—raised as a Charismatic Christian in Kansas City, Missouri, she asked God for salvation at just two years old. 

Soon she was ‘street witnessing’, trying to convert strangers to her mega-church; praying at family dinners for the salvation of her atheist grandfather; and crediting Jesus for healing her stubbed toe. 

As a teen, she followed the expected path: wearing a purity ring, committing to abstinence before marriage, attending a Christian university, getting married, and starting a family.

But then, she left it all behind.

In this candid conversation with Olly, Sarah—now a national political correspondent for NPR—unpacks the emotional, social, and political forces that shaped her beliefs, and ultimately led her to walk away from the evangelical world. 

Offering a compelling insider’s view of life within the movement, she delves into the personal cost of leaving her faith, and explains the deep connection between white evangelicals and their unwavering support for Donald Trump.

Sarah’s book, The Exvangelicals, is out now.

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Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart takes on the challenge of preparing for the Government’s infamous ‘Life in the UK’ test.

Although already a British citizen, Ollie has been swotting up to answer a dozen real-life questions from the extensive pool of questions that aspiring citizens must study. Can he correctly respond to the required 75%?

With topics ranging from British history to culture and law—and a £50 fee per attempt—he and Olly soon realise just how tricky and unpredictable these questions can be…

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Sarah McCammon (Instagram)

Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from a surprisingly intimate moment with the Teletubbies - considers the ethics of hiring a sex worker.

Is it ever truly possible to ensure prostitutes have not been trafficked by criminal gangs? What distinctions exist between the proposed decriminalization and legalisation of sex work? And even if women choose to enter the field due to poverty and desperation - does that necessarily mean they are victims?

With the help of sex worker-turned-author and comedian Kaytlin Bailey and the English Collective of Prostitutes, Alix gives this sticky quandary her very best shot…

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Finally, the music Making Us Happy this month… is Jason Derulo’s Make Me Happy 😊

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100 Mannfans are there. At least two of them are JUGGLERS.

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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 November 10th 📅

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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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 🔥

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

We’re an independent podcast and only exist thanks to your donations. THANK YOU. 

🍺💰👉 https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer

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JOIN OUR DISCORD! 

100 Mannfans are there. At least two of them are JUGGLERS.

🤹➡️ https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72

_______

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

_______

… 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