The Lonely Chapter
For people navigating mental health, identity, and life’s turning points.
Sam Maclean
Show overview
The Lonely Chapter has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 116 episodes. That works out to roughly 110 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 41 min and 1h 10m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. It is catalogued as a EN-language Health & Fitness show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 31 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Sam Maclean.
From the publisher
The Lonely Chapter is a podcast for people who are doing okay on the surface, but quietly unsure how to live well. Through calm, thoughtful conversations, host Sam Maclean sits down with guests from a wide range of backgrounds to explore the lessons they’ve learned through life, work, struggle, change, and growth. These are not conversations about having it all figured out. They’re reflections on meaning, identity, resilience, and what it looks like to live well when life doesn’t follow a straight line. Some episodes are long-form interviews. Others are solo reflections. All are designed to help you feel a little more oriented in your own life.
Latest Episodes
View all 116 episodesBelonging in an Age of Isolation: From Attention to Action | Christian d’Ippolito | #116
The Grief Nobody Sees: Finding Joy After Loss | Rosie Moss | #115
How Successful Founders Can Still Burn Out | Adam Williams | #114
The Loneliness of Being the Man Everyone Relies On | Jasper Calcara | #113
Why Confidence Is Not the Same as Certainty | Solo Episode | #112
Why Peace Was Harder to Survive Than War | Liz McConaghy | #111
Why Strong Men Don’t Always Ask for Help | Jason Kubiak | #110
5 Questions to Help You Make Sense of Life
The Weight of Leading the London Fire Brigade | Commissioner Jonathan Smith
Why Men Hide Their Pain Until They Break | Dr Susie Bennett
5 Lessons Firefighting Taught Me About Life
When Success No Longer Feels Sustainable | Brandon Day
What Suffering Reveals About the Life You’re Avoiding | Chris from CFTE
The Testosterone Boom: What Men Need to Know | Dr Rob Stevens
What I’m Still Figuring Out After Two Years of The Lonely Chapter
What 24 Years in the FBI Taught Me About Human Nature | Eric Robinson
Why I Started The Lonely Chapter - 100 Episodes Later | Interviewed by My Partner
She Quit Teaching After Burnout and Built a Life That Fits | Lily Kerbey
The Truth About Strength, Trauma and Resilience | James Elliott
Ep 97How Life-Changing Events Change What Matters Most | John Merriman
EWhat happens when life-changing events force you to re-evaluate everything?In this episode, I sit down with John Merriman, founder of Crown Lane Studio in South London. We talk about the river accident that changed the course of his life, the values behind Crown Lane, and how life-changing events can reshape what matters most.John also speaks very openly about losing his wife Ruth, what grief changed in him, and how his Christian faith has been tested and sustained through difficult chapters. We explore what people often misunderstand about grief, how suffering can alter the way you see life, and what it means to keep building something rooted in community, care and purpose.We also talk about suicide, recognising when someone is struggling, and what fostering has taught John about love, responsibility and hope.LinksCrown Lane Studio: https://crownlanestudio.co.ukMetronome: https://metronome.life