Crisis What Crisis?

Simon Weston CBE is a veteran, a charity campaigner and one of the most inspiring survivors of our times.In 1982, while serving with the Welsh Guards in the Falklands War, Simon suffered devastating injuries when the RFA Sir Galahad was attacked. The burns he sustained covered nearly half his body and led to more than 90 major operations over many years. But his story – as Simon shares in his extraordinary conversation with Andy – is not simply one of survival, but of incredible resilience, and spirit.Here is Simon's Crisis Compass - his points of navigation for when trouble comes.This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost: Andy CoulsonCWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering and Rex FisherWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu, Simeon Pearl and the brilliant people at GlobalFor all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Lessons in Grit from a Falklands Hero - Simon WestonSimon Weston CBE is a veteran, a charity campaigner and one of the most inspiring survivors of our times.In 1982, while serving with the Welsh Guards in the Falklands War, Simon suffered devastating injuries when the RFA Sir Galahad was attacked. The burns he sustained covered nearly half his body and led to more than 90 major operations over many years. But his story – as Simon shares in this extraordinary conversation – is not simply one of survival, but of incredible resilience, and spirit.Simon talks with honesty, humour and clarity about the darkest days – not just the physical pain, but his mental battles with PTSD and the fallout of a life unravelled. He shares the pivotal moments that helped him move forward, and the people who helped him reframe his future. From rebuilding his confidence in front of a mirror, to becoming a national figure of hope and strength. This is the journey of a man who refused to be defined by crisis.Simon now works as Honorary President of the charity DEBRA, which supports people living with the rare, and extremely painful, genetic skin blistering condition, epidermolysis bullosa. His inspirational work has earned him a CBE and bluntly, given the impact he's had and continues to have, he deserves so much more.  A profoundly moving and ultimately uplifting episode about trauma, transformation and the power of purpose.This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost: Andy CoulsonCWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering and Rex FisherWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at GlobalFor all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

What happens when your name becomes shorthand for a crime you didn't commit? At just 20 years old, Amanda Knox was catapulted into global infamy after being accused of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy.Now, Amanda joins Andy to share the raw, painfully-earned insight that comes from surviving one of the most widely known miscarriages of justice in modern history – a journey through shock, shame, and ultimately, perspective and peace.Here is Amanda's Crisis Compass - her points of navigation for when trouble comes.This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost: Andy CoulsonCWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering and Rex FisherWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu, Simeon Pearl and the brilliant people at GlobalFor all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

What happens when your name becomes shorthand for a crime you didn't commit? At just 20 years old, Amanda Knox was catapulted into global infamy after being accused of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy.What should have been a formative experience turned into a wrongful conviction, four years in prison, and a sustained and lurid mischaracterisation by the world – casting her not as an innocent young woman caught in the crossfire, but as a cold-blooded killer.Now, Amanda joins Andy to share the raw, painfully-earned insight that comes from surviving one of the most widely known miscarriages of justice in modern history – a journey through shock, shame, and ultimately, perspective and peace.From lying on a prison cell mattress to forging an unlikely friendship with Giuliano Mignini — the prosecutor who put her there — this is a deeply human conversation about identity, survival, and the immense strength it takes to reclaim your own story when the world has tried to write it for you.LinksThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost: Andy CoulsonCWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown and Rex FisherWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu, Simeon Pearl and the brilliant people at GlobalFor all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Mark Turnbull has spent thirty five years as a geopolitical communications strategist, working behind the scenes to shape some of the most consequential political moments of modern times. It's a career that's taken him from the American invasion of Iraq to the final days of apartheid South Africa — from the inner sanctum of a leading KGB defector to the cockpit of Cambridge Analytica.In this episode, he reflects generously on his terminal cancer diagnosis and how as a self-proclaimed "incurable optimist" he remains fiercely upbeat about his life and how he continues to lead it, with purpose, resilience and courage. Here is Mark's Crisis Compass.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Mark Turnbull has spent thirty-five years as a geopolitical communications strategist, working behind the scenes to shape some of the most consequential political moments of modern times. It's a career that's taken him from the American invasion of Iraq to the final days of apartheid South Africa — from the inner sanctum of a leading KGB defector to the cockpit of Cambridge Analytica.In this episode, Mark talks about the physical dangers and reputational risks of his trade — and the pressure it put on his family. From being ambushed by insurgents in Baghdad and battling Somali warlords, to taking on Putin's propaganda machine and the sting operation that would bring down Trump campaign agency Cambridge Analytica. Along the way, it cast him as a poster boy for data theft and dirty tricks.He reveals the chilling moment when Alexander Litvinenko warned him about the KGB's preferred method of assassination and lifts the lid on the Cambridge Analytica sting operation that made global headlines—explaining how it unfolded, what the media got wrong, and the cost to his professional and personal life. Finally, he reflects generously on his terminal cancer diagnosis and how as a self-proclaimed "incurable optimist" he remains fiercely upbeat about his life and how he continues to lead it, with purpose, resilience and courage.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

John Roberts is one of Britain's most successful and energetic businessmen, a lad from Bolton who turned a one pound bet with a friend into a billion pound success story. In this special Business episode, John joins Andy to share the invaluable lessons behind building one of Britain's most trusted brands. From selling deformed gingerbread men in school to pioneering e-commerce out of Bolton, John reveals how cheek, grit and imagination shaped AO, but the journey to success has not been a straight road. He talks openly about the crushing lows — including losing a £160 million gamble in Germany, navigating the chaos of early online retail, and how singing Queen's Don't Stop Me Now on loop helped him show up for his team during the darkest moments.Here is John's Crisis Compass - his points of navigation for when trouble comes.X: @johnrobertsAOHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

John Roberts is one of Britain's most successful and energetic businessmen, a lad from Bolton who turned a one pound bet with a friend into a billion pound success story. In this special Business episode, John joins Andy to share the invaluable lessons behind building one of Britain's most trusted brands. From selling deformed gingerbread men in school to pioneering e-commerce out of Bolton, John reveals how cheek, grit and imagination shaped AO, but the journey to success has not been a straight road. He talks openly about the crushing lows — including losing a £160 million gamble in Germany, navigating the chaos of early online retail, and how singing Queen's Don't Stop Me Now on loop helped him show up for his team during the darkest moments.He shares the thinking behind AO's legendary customer service and the power (and perils) of leading from the front. Plus we hear about his work to level the playing field for young people in our poorest communities, and what government and businesses can learn from a green teddy bear and a humble kitchen salesman to build a better future.X: @johnrobertsAOHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Bestselling author Kit de Waal has built a career writing stories that capture the reality of life on the margins, but her own story is just as compelling. Growing up in 1970s Birmingham with an Irish Catholic-turned-Jehovah's Witness mother and a Caribbean father, Kit learned early on that survival meant adaptation. Kit's mother's dire warnings of an impending apocalypse pushed her into rebellion, leading to a breakdown that ultimately brought her home and set her on a new path in social care, advocating for children in the care system before becoming a bestselling author.Here is Kit's Crisis Compass - her points of navigation for when trouble comes.Listen to Kit's full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis/id1517015748?i=1000701649537Pre-order Kit's new book The Best Of Everything: https://linktr.ee/TheBestofEverythingKitdeWaalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-de-waal-ba953455/X: @KitDeWaalWebsite: https://www.kitdewaal.com/contactHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Bestselling author Kit de Waal has built a career writing stories that capture the reality of life on the margins, but her own story is just as compelling. Growing up in 1970s Birmingham with an Irish Catholic-turned-Jehovah's Witness mother and a Caribbean father, Kit learned early on that survival meant adaptation. Kit's mother's dire warnings of an impending apocalypse pushed her into rebellion, leading to a breakdown that ultimately set her on a new path advocating for children in the care system before becoming a bestselling novelist.In this episode, Kit shares how she transformed personal crisis into epic creative success, the complexities of growing up between cultures, and why she rejects the term ‘resilience.' With novels like My Name is Leon and her memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes, Kit has turned life's challenges into powerful storytelling. Kit has also fought for greater diversity in the UK's publishing industry. Using her advance, she set up a Creative Writing scholarship at Birbeck, University of London, Kit is breaking down industry barriers by helping writers from marginalised backgrounds find their own passion for writing.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Pre-order Kit's new book The Best Of Everything: https://linktr.ee/TheBestofEverythingKitdeWaalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-de-waal-ba953455/X: @KitDeWaalWebsite: https://www.kitdewaal.com/contactHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.' As CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock. Rupert also talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. Here is Rupert's Crisis Compass – his points of navigation when trouble comes. This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. But behind the decades of success, there's another story that Rupert has chosen to share here for the first time … an experience which, against the odds, forged his resilience. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.' … as CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock.Given Rupert is also Winston Churchill's grandson, it would be easy to assume that his courage is more biology than biography … but that would not tell the full story.In this episode, Rupert talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. He shares his valuable lessons in resilience, decision-making under pressure, and the importance of learning from past struggles. But more than all of this, Rupert powerfully explains and demonstrates how trauma, instead of defining us, can drive us towards a more positive life.My thanks to Rupert for this conversation.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience. From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others. Here are Christina's Crisis Comforts This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/christina-perri-on-fame-grief-and-turning-pain-into-purpose/id1517015748?i=1000697514142   Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/ X: https://x.com/christinaperri Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperri YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20 Host: Andy Coulson  CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel Pickering With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global  For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience.From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others.In this episode, Christina opens up about her struggles with addiction, the pressures of fame, and the lessons she's learned as a mother. She shares how she found the strength to keep moving forward, why she's fighting to change medical protocols for pregnancy loss, and how music continues to be her guiding force.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/X: https://x.com/christinaperriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperriYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender's institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom. Here are Simon Woodroffe's three Crisis Comforts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yosimonwoodroffeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yosimonwoodroffeThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill Griffin With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact - podcast@coulsonpartners.com

What does it take to turn adversity into opportunity?Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender's institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom.In this episode, Simon opens up about his journey from hardship to entrepreneurial success. From pioneering conveyor belt sushi in the UK to launching the innovative Japanese hotel brand YOTEL, Simon has never shied away from reinvention. As one of the original Dragons on Dragon's Den, he knows what it takes to take risks.Simon shares how resilience, creativity, and an unstoppable drive helped him build a multi-million-pound empire and why he believes anyone can turn struggle into success.We hope you find this episode inspiring and useful. Links  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Twitter: @woodroffe_simon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonwoodroffe/?originalSubdomain=ukThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Who better to explore the road to resilience than someone who has endured one of the most dramatic falls from grace?  Tom Hayes was once a high-flying city trader, living a life of wealth and status— until the notorious LIBOR scandal in 2015 changed everything. Convicted and imprisoned, he lost his fortune, his luxury cars and his home - all while maintaining that his conviction was unjust. His trial also brought an unexpected revelation— his Asperger's diagnosis, which he argues played a crucial role in his actions and the case against him. Here are Tom Hayes' three crisis comforts.     Full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/libor-scandal-trader-tom-hayes-on-prison-anger-and-aspergers/ This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners   Host: Andy Coulson      CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown and Bill Griffin  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global       For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com    

Who better to explore the road to resilience than someone who has endured one of the most dramatic falls from grace?Tom Hayes was once a high-flying city trader, living a life of wealth and status— until the notorious LIBOR scandal in 2015 changed everything. Convicted and imprisoned, he lost his fortune, his luxury cars and his home - all while maintaining that his conviction was unjust. In 2017, he took his fight to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and after years of legal battles, his appeal will finally be heard by the Supreme Court next month.His trial also brought an unexpected revelation— his Asperger's diagnosis, which he argues played a crucial role in his actions and the case against him. In this episode, Tom opens up about life with Asperger's, the relentless world of high finance, and his experience inside some of Britain's toughest prisons.This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson    CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown and Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global     For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

Paul Stewart is a former England footballer who played for Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool. But behind the success was a harrowing secret – years of unimaginable childhood abuse at the hands of a trusted coach. He shares his powerful journey from suffering to recovery – a story of pain, resilience but lasting hope. Here are Paul Stewart's three crisis comforts.     Full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/england-star-paul-stewart-on-turning-a-secret-trauma-into-a-mission-of-hope/  Links      Twitter: @PStewy103 Website: https://paulstewartofficial.com Paul's book ‘Damaged: My Story – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Damaged-My-Story-Paul-Stewart/dp/1910335738  Safeguarding Fundementals – https://safeguardingfundamentals.com      This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners  Host: Andy Coulson     CWC team: Jane Sankey, Mabel Pickering  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global        For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

Sensitive content: this podcast contains discussions of child abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Paul Stewart is a former England footballer who played for Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool. But behind the success was a harrowing secret – years of unimaginable childhood abuse at the hands of a trusted coach. He shares his powerful journey from suffering to recovery – a story of pain, resilience but lasting hope.After decades of silence, Paul found the courage to speak out, becoming a leading voice for safeguarding in sport. The trauma he endured led him to some dark places, but his story is one of survival and relentless advocacy. He co-founded the charity SAVE with fellow former players to support abuse survivors and launched the Paul Stewart Official Excellence in Safeguarding programme, delivering vital education to organisations like the English Football League.I hope you'll agree that this episode is a tough but essential listen. Aside from his eloquence and bravery, Paul provides vitals lessons for those who have suffered trauma.Paul's book 'Damaged: My Story - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Damaged-My-Story-Paul-Stewart/dp/1910335738Safeguarding Fundementals - https://safeguardingfundamentals.comIf you or anyone you know has suffered from child abuse and you wish to talk about it, please consider these resources:NSPCC - 0808 800 5000 NAPAC - 0808 801 0331

Paul McKenna is not just a world-renowned hypnotherapist; he's a one man self-help powerhouse, a best-selling author, and a sought-after behavioural scientist who has helped thousands overcome their greatest challenges. And now with his new book Power Manifesting – he is on a mission to empower as many as possible to lead a better and more productive life. Here are Paul McKenna's three crisis comforts.Full episodehttps://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/paul-mckenna-on-purpose-gratitude-and-living-your-full-potential/Links      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iampaulmckenna/  Twitter: @ImPaulMcKenna Website: https://www.paulmckenna.com  Book: https://amzn.eu/d/a1RQvgA    Charities https://veterans-aid.net  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm       Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk        Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682     This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson    CWC team: Jane Sankey, Mabel Pickering With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com 

We have the perfect guest to take us into a more resilient, more productive 2025. Paul McKenna is not just a world-renowned hypnotherapist; he's a one man self-help powerhouse, a best-selling author, and a sought-after behavioural scientist who has helped thousands overcome their greatest challenges. And now with his new book Power Manifesting – he is on a mission to empower as many as possible to lead a better and more productive life. With his signature blend of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and psychological techniques, Paul has an unshakable belief in the power of the mind. In this episode he shares his personal insights on navigating crises, achieving resilience, and unlocking our true (often untapped) potential. We hope you find it helpful.   Links      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iampaulmckenna/  Twitter: @ImPaulMcKenna Website: https://www.paulmckenna.com  Book: https://amzn.eu/d/a1RQvgA     Charities: https://veterans-aid.net   Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm       Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk        Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682     This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson    CWC team: Jane Sankey, Mabel Pickering With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com 

Having arrived in Britain as a five-year-old refugee fleeing the Nazis on the Kindertransport, Dame Stephanie Shirley went on to build one of Britain's most successful software companies. She built a business valued at $3 billion and has dedicated the last three decades of her life to philanthropy, giving away most of her personal wealth. Here are Dame Stephanie's three crisis comforts. Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/dame-stephanie-shirley-on-91-years-of-resilience-and-brilliance/  Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damestephanie_/?hl=enWebsite: https://www.steveshirley.com/  BookLet It Go (2019): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-Go-Extraordinary-Entrepreneur-Philanthropist/dp/0241395496  Charities Autistica: https://www.autistica.org.uk/Autism at Kingwood: https://www.kingwood.org.uk/Prior's Court: https://www.priorscourt.org.uk/The Oxford Internet Institute: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists: https://wcit.org.uk/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Having arrived in Britain as a five-year-old refugee fleeing the Nazis on the Kindertransport, Dame Stephanie Shirley went on to build one of Britain's most successful software companies. Using the pen name ‘Steve' to be taken more seriously by clients, she built a business valued at $3 billion, turning 70 staff members into millionaires along the way. But her impact goes far beyond the business world. Dame Stephanie has dedicated the last three decades of her life to philanthropy, giving away most of her personal wealth. Once the 11th richest woman in the UK, she's the only person to drop off the Sunday Times Rich List due to generosity. Inspired by her late son, Giles, who was profoundly autistic, Dame Stephanie has helped transform care for those with autism along with supporting a range of other causes. In this episode she shares stories from her childhood, her career and her personal life – all of them packed with invaluable lessons. A former podcast guest of ours, Baroness Martha Lane Fox, wrote the foreword to Dame Stephanie's brilliant memoir, Let it Go; and described her as “ ... a role model for how to build your life, not just your company.” She wasn't wrong.    Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damestephanie_/?hl=enWebsite: https://www.steveshirley.com/  Book Let It Go (2019): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-Go-Extraordinary-Entrepreneur-Philanthropist/dp/0241395496  CharitiesAutistica: https://www.autistica.org.uk/Autism at Kingwood: https://www.kingwood.org.uk/Prior's Court: https://www.priorscourt.org.uk/The Oxford Internet Institute: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists: https://wcit.org.uk/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering, Linus FielderWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Katie Melua has sold more than 11 million albums and picked up 56 platinum awards along the way. She had her first hit aged just 19 and was thrown immediately onto the treadmill of writing, recording, tours, promotion. More hits followed, but not without a very heavy price - her sudden fame contributed to an acute psychotic breakdown in 2010. Here are Katie's three crisis comforts.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/100th-guest-special-singer-katie-melua-on-teenage-fame-a-psychotic-breakdown-and-how-she-found-her-way-back/  Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiemeluaofficial/Website: https://katiemelua.com/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering, Linus FielderWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

In our first live podcast recording at the 2024 CBI Annual Conference, Andy speaks to Dawn Airey CBE, one of the most remarkable figures in British media. In front of an audience of business leaders and policy makers, they discussed resilience and reputation along with the crises and triumphs that have defined her career.  Dawn has spent her career thriving on challenge, and along the way earned a reputation as a bold and unapologetic trailblazer. For some who couldn't keep pace she became Scary Airey or Zulu Dawn.                                           From her early days at ITV navigating a world she has described as rampantly sexist, to launching Channel 5 where her passionate leadership and sharp vision put the channel on the map, Dawn's career has been nothing short of a masterclass in resilience.                                            But it has also included some significant setbacks, including when she left Sky TV to join what she thought would be a global media business, but which turned out to be something, just eight days later, to something very, very different.                                           Today, as Chair of the Women's Super League, Dawn is shaping the future of women's football.  In this short episode she provides some brilliant lessons for anyone looking to be a stronger leader.   Links    CBI: https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/2024-annual-conference-highlights/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering, Linus FielderWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Selling 11 million albums, more than a million concert tickets and picking up 56 platinum awards along the way, Katie Melua is one of Britain's most successful singer songwriters.  In this episode, she takes us on a very candid and emotional journey - from Georgia to Belfast to London and to fame at just 19 years old where she was thrown immediately onto the treadmill of recording, tours and promotion.  But the impact of her sudden stardom took a heavy toll on Katie's mental health.  In 2010 she suffered an acute psychotic breakdown. In frankly frightening detail, Katie tells us what happened but also shares the actionable, practical tools and insights that helped her find a way back to herself.  Katie's is a story of epic success but also of trauma and of recovery … all of it in the public gaze. An amazing conversation with our 100th guest.  Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiemeluaofficial/Website: https://katiemelua.com/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

On January 28th, 2009, a rehearsed stunt on set of Harry Potter went horrifically wrong. David, who had been the lead stunt double for his friend Daniel Radcliffe for a decade, was left paralysed from the chest down. His is a story of acceptance, of finding positives in the darkest of places and of the power of human spirit. Here are his three crisis comforts which helped and continue to help him reject bitterness about his old life and instead pursue a different life … one full of meaning and purpose.   Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/harry-potter-stuntman-david-holmes-on-finding-purpose-and-positivity-beyond-paralysis/  Links    David's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidholmes83/?hl=en  Book The Boy Who Lived: https://amzn.eu/d/auagBtq  DocumentaryDavid Holmes: The Boy Who Lived: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0CN4X1Q8B/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r  Charities: The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital: https://www.rnohcharity.org/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

On January 28th, 2009, a rehearsed stunt on set of Harry Potter went horrifically wrong. David, who for a decade was the lead stunt double for his friend Daniel Radcliffe, was left paralysed from the chest down.A number of long and dangerous operations followed, many of them lifesaving. David survived but his condition is degenerative - each year bringing yet more challenge for him.From being an elite gymnast and professional stunt double for the most famous boy in the world at the time… as someone who was defined by their physicality … David's accident stripped of his identity.His story – told brilliantly in the moving documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived and now in his autobiography - is more than one of survival. It is the story of someone who decided to reject bitterness about his old life to pursue a new one full of meaning and purpose. As David puts it: “I'm having a unique journey on this planet, and I am going to own it.”David is now a podcaster, producer, author … and an inspiration to all that meet him. He is speaking at Creative Folkestone Festival on 21st November. Secure your tickets now: https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/david-holmes-harry-potterandrsquos-double/?book=566337Thank you David for sharing your remarkable perspective, positivity and wisdom.Links    David's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidholmes83/?hl=en  Book The Boy Who Lived: https://amzn.eu/d/auagBtq  Documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0CN4X1Q8B/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r  Charities The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital: https://www.rnohcharity.org/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com     

On the face of it, magazine guru Lindsay Nicholson has had a brilliant, glamorous and high-powered career. Yet she achieved all this whilst her own life has been marked with crisis, with drama and the most unimaginable grief.  Here are her three crisis comforts which helped and continue to help her survive and thrive through the most extreme and painful experiences.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/series/series-7/  Links    Lindsay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsayannenicholson/Lindsay's X: https://x.com/linsnicholson    BookPerfect Bound: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Bound-memoir-trauma-heartbreak/dp/0008685274  Charities: Riding for the Disabled: https://rda.org.uk/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global    

Lindsay Nicholson transformed some of our best-known magazine titles including Cosmopolitan, Prima and, most famously, Good Housekeeping. On the face of it a brilliant, glamorous and high-powered career for which she was awarded an MBE in 2018.  But Lindsay achieved all this whilst her own life was marked with crisis, with drama and the most unimaginable grief. In 1992 Lindsay lost her first husband, the journalist John Merritt, when she was pregnant with their second child, Hope. Five years later, their nine-year-old daughter Ellie died from the same rare form of leukaemia.  Lindsay then faced her own ten-year battle with breast cancer.  She came through but then, in 2016, in a series of events following a near death car crash, her life unravelled. The result? The end of her second marriage, a lost home, a lost job and – for a while – a damaged reputation. A set of circumstances that truly took her to the brink.  Lindsay's brilliant new memoir – Perfect Bound is not only a compelling read it's in many ways a field guide on how to cope when faced with real difficulty. In this episode she shares her astonishing story and the invaluable lessons of how to survive and thrive through the most extreme and painful experiences.  Links    Lindsay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsayannenicholson/Lindsay's X: https://x.com/linsnicholson    Book Perfect Bound: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Bound-memoir-trauma-heartbreak/dp/0008685274  CharitiesRiding for the Disabled: https://rda.org.uk/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm   Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Adventurer Charley Boorman - whose life is full of motorbike journeys, personal challenge, crisis and resilience – shares his three crisis comforts.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/charley-boorman-on-severe-dyslexia-loss-and-the-motorbike-crash-that-almost-claimed-his-life/  Links    Charley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleyboorman/?hl=enCharley's website: https://www.charleyboorman.com/  Charities: UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Dyslexia Action: http://dyslexiaaction.org.ukUnited World Schools: http://www.unitedworldschools.org/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

You know him from his epic road trips with Ewan McGregor in Long Way Round, Down and Up but adventurer Charley Boorman's life is full of journeys of an entirely different kind … of personal challenge, crisis and resilience.As a child actor Charley, the son of director John Boorman, starred in movies including The Emerald Forest but severe dyslexia got in the way.  He then faced the devastating loss of his beloved sister before his own health crisis with cancer.  Working as a builder, Charley found his true purpose and passion after becoming friends with fellow motorbike obsessive actor Ewan McGregor.  Their hugely successful TV show followed, as did a series of crashes – one in 2018 that almost claimed Charley's life.  He continues to embrace a life of daring adventure proving that, for him, action truly is the antidote for despair.  Links    Charley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleyboorman/?hl=enCharley's website: https://www.charleyboorman.com/  Charities: UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Dyslexia Action: http://dyslexiaaction.org.ukUnited World Schools: http://www.unitedworldschools.org/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global     For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

On the night of September 30, 2022, at High Barnet station, Sarah de Lagarde slipped between the train and the platform. She lost two limbs and almost her life.  With resilience and an unyielding spirit, Sarah has embarked on a journey of recovery and of advocacy.  Sarah's story is one that tells a truly shocking story but also provides insight and learnings for us all. Here are her three crisis comforts.  Links    Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjdelagarde/?hl=enSarah's website: www.sarahdelagarde.com  Charities: STAND https://stand.ngo/2024/05/30/we-are-stand/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

On the night of September 30, 2022, at High Barnet station, Sarah de Lagarde slipped between the train and the platform.  Trapped there, unseen and unheard, Sarah was hit by the train as it left the station, severing her right arm. 11 minutes after she first fell, she was struck by a second tube as it entered the station, crushing her right leg.  In the aftermath of this unimaginable accident, Sarah faced long term physical and emotional challenges. Yet, with resilience and an unyielding spirit, Sarah has embarked on a journey of recovery and of advocacy.  She recently climbed Kilimanjaro in August to raise money for STAND, a charity that supports amputees in conflict zones and developing countries.  Sarah's story is one of unbelievable strength, of putting an appalling crisis to positive work for others without bitterness. An episode that tells a truly shocking story but also provides insight and learnings for us all.  Links    Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjdelagarde/?hl=enSarah's website: www.sarahdelagarde.com  Charities: STAND https://stand.ngo/2024/05/30/we-are-stand/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk     Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

Dylan Jones is a true titan of the world of media … someone who has helped shape the cultural landscape of the UK for the last four decades. Throughout our full conversation, which is courageous and, at times difficult, Dylan's resilience and, as he puts it, ‘very particular' approach to crisis shines through.   Here are his three crisis comforts which helped and continue to help him maintain an incredibly positive attitude.   Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/dylan-jones-on-a-violent-childhood-recovery-from-rape-and-life-shaping-headlines/     LinksDylan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DylanJones/?hl=en-gb   CharitiesHoffman process: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.co.uk/about-the-process/Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/find-a-centre/   BooksThese Foolish Things (2024): https://www.amazon.co.uk/These-Foolish-Things-Dylan-Jones/dp/1408719851      Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Dylan Jones is a true titan of the world of media … someone who has helped shape the cultural landscape of the UK for the last four decades.  A lad from High Wycombe who rose to become one of the best connected and sharpest operators here and in the US … along the way editing GQ magazine 22-year years, writing or editing over 25 books and picking up a cabinet full of awards including an OBE.  He is now Editor in Chief of London's Evening Standard.  Dylan's latest book – his memoir These Foolish Things, tells the story of this successful, glamourous life in rich detail, but is also a moving, revealing story of success in spite of a number of deeply personal crises.   Dylan's childhood was blighted by physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his ex-RAF officer father – beatings that left him with a stammer and scars you don't see.  Having escaped to seek freedom and a life in London, Dylan – as a 17-year-old – was raped.  Throughout this courageous and, at times difficult, conversation, Dylan's resilience and, as he puts it, ‘very particular' approach to crisis shines through.  Links    Dylan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DylanJones/?hl=en-gb  CharitiesHoffman process: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.co.uk/about-the-process/Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/find-a-centre/  BooksThese Foolish Things (2024): https://www.amazon.co.uk/These-Foolish-Things-Dylan-Jones/dp/1408719851  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm   Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Dr Rachel Clarke is a dedicated palliative care doctor, passionate NHS advocate and bestselling author. In this conversation, Rachel helps us look hard at how we talk about – or too often fail to talk about - death. I urge you to listen to the full episode but for now, here are Rachel's three crisis comforts.Links    Rachel's Twitter: https://x.com/doctor_oxford  CharityHospice Ukraine: https://www.hospiceukraine.com/what-we-do  Books2024: The Story of a Heart  TV adaptation of BreathtakingBreathtaking. ITV. 2024. https://www.itv.com/watch/breathtaking/10a4089  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Dr Rachel Clarke is a dedicated palliative care doctor, passionate NHS advocate and bestselling author. Through her work, Rachel has become a powerful voice and important influence on how we approach the ultimate collective crisis. We've discussed our unwillingness to make loss a part of mainstream conversation with other guests on the pod. In this conversation Rachel helps us look hard at how and why we should fix that failure. Her brilliant new book, The Story of a Heart, looks at death – and love – from an entirely different and deeply moving perspective.Links    Rachel's Twitter: https://x.com/doctor_oxford  CharityHospice Ukraine: https://www.hospiceukraine.com/what-we-do  Books2017: Your Life in My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story2020: Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Loss2021: Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic2024: The Story of a Heart  TV adaptation of BreathtakingBreathtaking. ITV. 2024. https://www.itv.com/watch/breathtaking/10a4089  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson PartnersHost – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

After being sentenced to six and a half years for causing grievous bodily harm, a switch flipped for Jon Watts and he began the hard work to turn his life around. This is one of our most important podcasts to date and Jon opens up as never before. I urge you to listen to the full episode but for now, here are Jon's three crisis comforts.  Full episode  https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/celebrity-chef-jon-watts-on-shame-prison-and-rehabilitation/  BooksSpeedy Weeknight Meals (Hardback), published 29/08/2024.Watts Cooking: Deliciously simple recipes to inspire home cooks, published 02/10/2023.  Links    Jon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonwatts88/?hl=en  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com     

TW: knife crime, swearing.  Jon Watts is a celebrated chef whose astonishing journey has taken him from a Young Offender Institute to working alongside Jamie Oliver and becoming a celebrity chef in his own right with two hit cookbooks.  At 16, Jon left school with no qualifications.  Out of work, he fell into a gang and petty crime, repeatedly being arrested. At 18, his life took much a darker turn when he was jailed for causing grievous bodily harm – for stabbing another gang member.  Sentenced to six and a half years, a switch flipped for Jon and he began the hard work to turn his life around. That included confronting the brutal truth of his crime.  In this revealing, shocking and at times emotional episode Jon opens us as never before, not to excuse his criminal past but instead as an attempt to explain it. And in doing so he hopes to prevent other young people from making the same mistakes as he did.  One of our most important podcasts to date that offers a new perspective on the seemingly unsolvable problem of knife crime.  My thanks to Jon for trusting us with his story.    BooksSpeedy Weeknight Meals (Hardback), published 29/08/2024.Watts Cooking: Deliciously simple recipes to inspire home cooks, published 02/10/2023.  Links    Jon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonwatts88/?hl=en  Jon's website: https://chefjonwatts.com/about/Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Craig Mackinlay is one of the most resilient and courageous individuals we've had the privilege to talk to on this podcast. After contracting a severe and sudden case of sepsis, all four of Craig's limbs were amputated. Here are his three crisis comforts which helped and continue to help him maintain an incredibly positive attitude.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/craig-mackinlay-on-surviving-sepsis-a-quadruple-amputation-and-his-parliamentary-standing-ovation/  Links    https://www.craigmackinlay.com/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

My guest for this episode is former Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay - one of the most resilient and courageous individuals we've had the privilege to talk to on this podcast.In September 2023 Craig contracted a severe and sudden case of sepsis, leading to all four of his limbs being amputated. What followed was the most inspiring journey of acceptance, recovery and positivity. Craig has used his experience and recent elevation to the House of Lords, to raise awareness about sepsis and the poor availability of NHS prosthetics.Craig has an incredibly positive attitude, never dwelling on what he can't do and instead rejoicing in what he can.I hope you enjoy this inspirational episode and my thanks to Craig who invited us into his home to record this episode.Links    Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Fred MacAulay – a true master of the art of standup who spoke movingly about dealing with the death of his father to cancer, his son's health battles and his own crisis of confidence when his long running radio show was suddenly cancelled – shares his three crisis comforts.  N.B. This was recorded whilst hiking and as men of a certain age so apologies for the occasional breathlessness.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/fred-macaulay-on-a-crisis-of-confidence-grief-and-the-true-power-of-comedy/   Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Over a long walk in the Scottish Highlands, I had good natter with one of Britain's top comedy talents, Fred MacAulay – a true master of the art of stand up.  Having performed at The Edinburgh Fringe 29 times, Fred was a regular voice on BBC Scotland Radio for almost 18 years and now hosts on Greatest Hits Radio. He has also appeared on our screens on Mock the Week, QI and Have I got News For You.  Fred, however, is no stranger to the difficulties life can throw at us … and in this episode he talks movingly about dealing with the death of his father to cancer, his son's health battles and his own crisis of confidence when his long running radio show was suddenly taken off air.  N.B. This was recorded whilst hiking so, as men of a certain age , our apologies for the occasional breathlessness!         Charitable AssociationsProstate Cancer: https://prostatecanceruk.org/Type 1 Diabetes: https://jdrf.org.uk/  LinksStream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Jill Halfpenny – the familiar and popular face on Britain's televisions who has opened up about the terrible losses she has suffered and how she got through - shares her three crisis comforts.   Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/jill-halfpenny-on-navigating-loss-living-with-grief-and-rediscovering-joy/  BookA Life Reimagined: My Journey of Hope in the Midst of Loss, 2024.  Links    Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

From the age of 13, Jill has been a familiar and popular face in the sitting rooms of Britain in shows from Byker Grove, Coronation Street and EastEnders to Humans. She won an Olivier award for her role in the musical Legally Blonde and was, of course, a Strictly Come Dancing champion in 2004.But hidden beneath her incredible and durable career, Jill has suffered terrible loss, both as a child and more recently. At just four years old, she faced the sudden and heartbreaking death of her father to a heart attack. Then in 2017, in cruelly similar circumstances, her partner, Matt, died in their local gym. A devastating blow for Jill and her nine-year-old son Harvey.  Jill has brilliantly documented how those terrible events impacted and shaped her in her book A Life Reimagined. In this conversation we talk about the practical methods she has deployed to navigate the multiple crises in her life.  Book A Life Reimagined: My Journey of Hope in the Midst of Loss, 2024.  Links    Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Christian O'Connell – the radio presenter who has opened up about his crippling panic attacks, life changing therapy and the danger zone of men's mental health – shares his three crisis comforts.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/christian-oconnell-on-panic-attacks-a-professional-unravelling-and-how-story-telling-saved-him/  Links    https://christianoconnell.com/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Radio presenter Christian O'Connell talks to Andy about his crippling panic attacks, life changing therapy and the danger zone of men's mental health. As a young teenager Christian was hit with anxiety - beginning, as he puts it ‘as a whisper' - until it forced him off air … leading him to leave Britain's most popular breakfast show and risk it all on a life in Australia.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------From working as a dustman, being fired from hospital radio and working in telesales - Christian O'Connell went on to host the Number 1 breakfast show on Absolute Radio and pick up 11 Sony Radio Academy Gold Awards. He was at the peak of his career, yet behind the scenes he was at his lowest point.  In 2018, after suffering a series of acute panic attacks, he finally sought help with the support of his wife, and then took a huge risk and uprooted his family to the other side of the world. This move to Australia however was met with more challenges of its own as Christian struggled to be accepted.  He talks candidly and with real emotion about how he had to build a new life, take care of his family and reach another peak in his career. Christian is arguably a national treasure both here and Down Under – his is a story of remarkable resilience and one we can all learn from.  Links    https://christianoconnell.com/  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Ben Goldsmith – the passionate environmentalist and financier who tragically lost his 15-year-old daughter in an accident on a farm in Somerset - shares his three crisis comforts.  Full episode https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/ben-goldsmith-on-losing-his-daughter-iris-a-desperate-search-for-meaning-and-how-nature-saved-him/  Ben's Crisis Comforts:      Wild swimming. Anywhere I go, I love to swim in wild water. In the sea, swimming in the sea, we all love it, but swimming in rivers, ponds, I find that somehow cleanses me of emotional overload.   Walking in nature. I think we need this every day. If I don't spend a little bit of time in nature, just for a few moments each day I start to feel short of something. I start to feel anxious.   Playing with children. Just rolling around on the floor with children and playing games and you know, just losing yourself in play with children, your own or someone else's, I think is enormously cathartic. Links: Ben's book: God Is An Octopus: https://amzn.to/3Iei6ub Ben's podcast - Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rewilding-the-world-with-ben-goldsmith/id1685196752 The Iris Project: https://theirisproject.org/ Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenGoldsmith?s=20  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

NOTE: This episode includes themes of child sexual abuse, violence, and suicide. The following material may be distressing to some listeners.  Bonfire of the Vanities novelist Tom Wolfe would have described our guest for this episode as a ‘King of the World'. A banker who through skill and a love of risk made his fortune as a city trader.  Now the CEO of the World Gold Council, David Tait is also an accomplished mountaineer having climbed Everest an astonishing five times, in the process raising over £8m for charity.  But Wolfe's description would, in fact, not come close to explaining the truth of who David really is.The clue lies in the beneficiary of David's incredible fund raising, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. For David, at the age of 10, was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of his grandfather's brother and three other men. He was also abused by his own father.Like so many who suffer this horror David kept his abuse secret.  Doing so, he believes, allowed him to build that successful city life … but at a terrible price that very nearly claimed his life.  David's story was portrayed movingly in the 2020 film Sulphur and White named after the butterfly that become a symbol of hope for David. In this podcast we talk about that film and a personal crisis journey that can only be described as inspiring.  Please remember - if you, or anyone you know needs support for child abuse, you can reach out to NSPCC here: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/child-sexual-abuse/ and here 0808 800 5000.  LINKSSulphur and White Watch Sulphur and White | Prime Video (amazon.co.uk)      Sulphur and White - Apple TV (UK)Sulphur and White | Official Movie Website | Watch Now  David's websiteDavid Tait  NSPCC Donate to Charity Online | Give to NSPCC today | NSPCC  Stream/buy ‘Allies' by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm    Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk      Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682    Host – Andy Coulson   CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Mabel Pickering   With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.comFull transcipthttps://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/david-tait-on-how-he-turned-the-darkest-of-secret-crises-into-a-superpower/