The Marvyn Harrison Podcast

Sadiq Khan just announced £30 million to put a youth club in every single London borough. They're called Youth Lates — open evenings, open weekends, with food, mentoring, music, mental health support, all under one roof. The biggest investment in youth clubs by any Mayor. Ever.Marvyn grew up in Hackney at a time when youth clubs still existed. His youth worker was Justin Pickett — the actor who played Sean Ambrose in Desmond's. In this episode, Marvyn tells that story for the first time in full: what it meant to have a Black man show up for him at 15, what was lost when those spaces disappeared, and what this announcement means for a generation of young Londoners who've never had what he had.This one is personal.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarvynHarrisonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvynharrisonpodcast/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marvyn_harrisonLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/marvynharrison?originalSubdomain=ukWelcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK government opened the biggest consultation on children's digital safety ever attempted. Social media age bans. Overnight app curfews. Restrictions on infinite scroll. Controls on AI chatbots. They want to hear from parents directly. So when the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invited me to the Black Prince Community Trust in Lambeth to sit down with Kanishka Narayan MP, the Minister for AI and Online Safety, I brought a few questions. Not from a journalist. From a dad.We covered:What to say to a parent who feels they've already lost the screen time battleWhat powers the government actually has to force platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram to changeWhether parents should be worried about children using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude unsupervisedWhat a safer internet for children realistically looks like in two yearsWhether this consultation will lead to real, enforceable changeThe consultation is live now and closes 26 May 2026. It takes minutes. Your response directly shapes what happens next.Have your say: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultationPractical support for parents right now: https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This man sent a Myspace message to N-Dubz after seeing them on Channel U. Within a month he was their agent. No business card. No corner office. Just conviction and speed. Billy Wood is one of those names in UK music that if you know, you know. 20 years. Three of the biggest talent agencies in the world — WME, UTA, CAA. Artists like Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder, Wiley, Section Boyz, Run-DMC. Music Week 30 Under 30. Youngest agent in William Morris history at 24.But the story underneath those headlines is messier. More interesting. It's about losing the act that made you. About being a young man at the biggest talent agency in the world making decisions he wasn't always equipped to make. About managing Wiley for two years and what the unmanageable teaches you about people. About walking away from music entirely to go run a non-league football club in Hastings — and somehow that being the thing that brought him back.Now he's back with HAUS23, his own agency, five people deep, signing new acts and established names, and building something on his own terms.We talk about: — Growing up in New Addington and Hastings with no money and no blueprint — Finding N-Dubz on Channel U and signing them from his uni bedroom — Booking 280 shows for N-Dubz and then losing them — and what that did to him — Tinie Tempah, Pass Out, and the fear of losing another act — Getting flown to LA by WME to meet Ari Emanuel, Patrick Whitesell and Cara Lewis — What Wiley taught him about patience, chaos, and genius — The burnout that took him out of music — Running Hastings United FC, breaking attendance records, and losing money doing it — Why he came back with HAUS23 and what he's building nowBilly Wood. Let's go.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Health Secretary sat down with me. And he didn’t hold back. Wes Streeting the man responsible for the entire NHS talks about surviving cancer at 38, the crisis hiding inside Britain’s maternity wards, why Black women are still dying at catastrophic rates in childbirth, what’s really happening with the National Cancer Plan, and why he believes the silent majority needs to start calling out racism before it’s too late. This conversation covers:• His cancer diagnosis at 38 — found by accident, treated by the NHS• 100,000+ patients now diagnosed within 28 days (a stat you won’t see in the papers)• The first ever government strategy for men and boys• Why suicide is the biggest killer of young men — and what’s being done• The sickle cell ward that nearly closed — and what it signals• Black maternal mortality: “The excuses have run out”• “I was told: I assumed you were a strong Black woman” — racism in maternity care• Valerie Amos’s rapid national investigation into maternity (reporting June)• Why he’s calling out the rise of open, unashamed racism in Britain This is not a political interview. This is a human one. 🔗 Full talking points and timestamps in the show notes.---The Marvyn Harrison Podcast. Subscribe. Share. Stay informed.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Childcare in this country just changed. Permanently. New government data shows that the cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two has DROPPED by 52% in just two years — from £305/week to £149/week. Families are saving an average of £8,000 a year per child. Half a million households are now receiving 30 hours of funded childcare. And nearly a third of parents say they’ve been able to increase their working hours as a direct result. In this episode, Marvyn breaks down:• The exact numbers from the 2026 Coram Report• What “funded hours,” “term-time,” and “SENCO” actually mean for your family• The 4 structural moves government is making beyond the headline• Why childcare cost is a gatekeeping mechanism — and who it locks out• 5 questions every parent (and especially every dad) needs to sit with Whether you’re paying nursery fees right now, thinking about starting a family, or employing people who are — this one’s for you. Sources: DfE / Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026 🔗 Full stats and glossary in the show notes below.The Marvyn Harrison PodcastSubscribe. Share. Stay informed.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Marvyn Harrison Podcast, three guests — Richie Brave, Manga St Hilaire, Nii Odarte and Rehema Muthamia sit down for one of the most wide-ranging conversations we've had. The BAFTA N-word incident is dissected by someone who was actually in the auditorium when it happened. Richard shares his experience of childhood racism as a seven-year-old child actor, beaten and called the hard-R by his own chaperones. Rehema, the first Black African woman to win Miss England, talks about the racist abuse that followed her title, from doorstep journalists to being called Miss KFC, and how surviving an abusive relationship at 21 led her to reclaim her story publicly. Manga opens up about becoming a father for the first time, his journey from Roll Deep to hosting Red Bull's Mike Flex, and why grime's open-door culture is both its greatest strength and its structural weakness. The conversation moves through code-switching, carnival lineage, boarding school in Kenya, the importance of male friendship circles, meeting Prince William, and why Black men who speak with emotional clarity are constantly underestimated.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Marvyn Harrison Podcast, we unpack one uncomfortable question: is the internet killing love? From religion and existential doubt to seasonal depression, trauma bonding, toxic relationship dynamics, and the rise of online healing culture, this conversation goes deep into how modern life is reshaping intimacy.We explore:Why social media amplifies heartbreakThe difference between passion and trauma bondingWhether peace is the same as silenceThe mental health impact of winter and isolationWhy so many people feel disconnected despite being constantly onlineWhether faith still offers structure in a chaotic worldHow masculinity and femininity narratives are shiftingThis isn’t surface-level relationship advice. It’s a real conversation about connection, loneliness, identity, healing, and responsibility in modern culture.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Do You Actually Believe in God? 05:12 — Leaving Religion Without Losing Meaning 12:40 — The Existential Void After Faith 18:03 — Who Do You Call When You’re Not Okay? 22:45 — Peace vs Quiet: The Big Misunderstanding 27:52 — Is The Internet Designed To Break Relationships? 31:49 — Love Or Emotional Addiction? 35:01 — Trauma Bonding Explained 42:30 — Are We Addicted To Being Broken? 50:18 — The Attention Economy & Pain 58:44 — Therapy, AI & Healing Culture 01:07:11 — Seeing Your Parents As Humans 01:16:20 — Masculinity, Accountability & Modern Love 01:24:55 — Choosing Love Instead Of Needing ItWelcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people say they want love, then date like they’re configuring a device: height, income, politics, trauma level, texting cadence, therapy status, “emotional intelligence,” travel appetite—tick, tick, tick. It feels safe. It feels efficient. It feels like control. But love isn’t mechanical. People aren’t programmable. They have grey areas: prickly parts, warm parts, avoidant parts, tender parts, contradictions, history. A checklist can’t measure inner world alignment, truth-telling, repair ability, or whether two people can actually build safety together. I unpack how romantic idealism can make you naïve—especially when you grew up in warmth and assume everyone else did too. Then reality hits: people don’t always tell the truth, not always under pressure, and if you don’t interrogate someone’s inner world you end up in cycles that feel “mystical” but are actually predictable scripts. The shift is simple: keep your values, drop the robot requirements. Choose moment-to-moment evidence. Build the skill of doing things well with people—clarity, repair, accountability, warmth. Then create a vehicle for connection that’s alive, consistent, and real.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode sets the rules of the room.This podcast is committed to protecting the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of anyone whose stories, experiences, or submissions may be referenced. We don’t publish allegations as fact without appropriate verification, context, or public record. We anonymise, change details, reframe, or decline stories to reduce harm—especially when other people didn’t choose public exposure. I also explain why listeners sometimes feel “that’s my story”: because many experiences are cyclical and universal—especially when you’re trying to be yourself inside a difficult environment. That doesn’t make the story “about you.” It makes it common. Then we widen out: Britain’s collapsing care reflex (a post office moment that says everything), why I refuse to “chat people’s business,” why men need to lead with repair when harm exists, and why I’m building a show that’s present and unscripted—without turning vulnerability into entertainment. Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An old workplace game brand went bust—not because people stopped gaming, but because retail changed: downloads replaced discs and the UK high street kept shrinking. The fix isn’t “sell more games.” The fix is rebuilding the purpose.In this episode I lay out the full turnaround blueprint:Accept traditional retail is over.Redesign stores around play: arcades, competitive setups, racing simulators, mini-arenas. Experience, not product.Build a national grassroots league through every location: after-school and after-work tournaments, city championships, national finals streamed online.Wrap it in a membership model: monthly access to play/compete/status, points and perks, predictable recurring revenue.Keep retail only where digital can’t compete: controllers, headsets, chairs, collectibles—physical identity, higher margin, real demand.Turn flagship locations into creator studios + live event spaces where UK talent is discovered and broadcast.Outcome: footfall returns for belonging, not shopping. Membership stabilises revenue. A national competitive pathway attracts sponsors and media. GAME becomes Britain’s gaming culture infrastructure—not a struggling retailer from the past.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the no-padding weekly panel episode: 12 stories, 4 perspectives, rapid-fire pitches, and then we go in. Each contributor gets 30 seconds to make the case, then the table tests it—facts, incentives, hypocrisy, and what it means for real people.Today’s agenda (12):[Topic] — the 30-sec pitch that changes the framing[Topic] — why everyone’s missing the real incentive[Topic] — the uncomfortable trade-off nobody says out loud[Topic] — who wins, who pays, who gets blamed[Topic] — the headline vs the truth[Topic] — the policy angle in plain English[Topic] — the culture angle nobody wants to touch[Topic] — the numbers that expose the story[Topic] — the moral panic vs the actual risk[Topic] — the media game being played in real time[Topic] — the “this affects your life tomorrow” segment[Topic] — the clip everyone will argue aboutIf you want one weekly episode that gives you ammo, clarity, and context—this is it.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is different, and it had to be.As this podcast grows, so does the responsibility that comes with telling stories about real lives, real harm, and real people. In this episode, I explain why we’ve added a safeguarding and responsibility notice, what it means, and what this podcast will never become.We talk about:Why not every story deserves public exposureThe difference between truth and spectacleHow cycles repeat across generations and environmentsWhy protecting dignity matters more than outrageWhat it means to challenge power without exploiting painThis is not an apology.This is not a retreat.This is a line in the sand.Life is nuanced. Harm is real. Accountability matters.But so does care.SHOW NOTES⚠️ Why we added a safeguarding notice🧠 How stories become dangerous when mishandled🧱 The cycles men inherit — and repeat🕊️ Dignity, consent, and altered narratives⚖️ Why this podcast is not a court of lawTAGS / KEYWORDS (DISCOVERABILITY)fatherhood, masculinity, safeguarding, storytelling ethics, responsibility, culture, trauma, power, modern Britain, mental health, community, social systems, lived experienceWelcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a forensic breakdown of Sainsbury’s Local as a system, not a shop.What’s sold as convenience is friction. What’s sold as efficiency is unpaid labour. What’s sold as design is psychological manipulation that fails the moment you’re tired, parenting, or in a hurry.From hostile layouts and absent staff to self-checkout purgatory and inflated prices, this is a critique of how modern “local” supermarkets quietly disrespect time, dignity, and common sense.This isn’t nostalgia. It’s not brand hate.It’s a lived audit of consumer experience from the perspective of a father, a customer, and a human being who just wanted milk and left annoyed.Includes an explicit comparison with Aldi, and why Aldi consistently wins on clarity, flow, and respect.Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rickie Haywood-Williams sits down with Dope Black Dads to talk honestly about health, fatherhood, lifestyle changes and the NHS Healthy Choices Quiz. In this episode, Rickie breaks down what life really looks like behind the microphone and the Instagram posts. Late nights, early mornings, family responsibilities, Liverpool stress, and the quiet signals from his body and mind that something had to change.  The NHS Healthy Choices Quiz is a free, five-minute quiz you can take online. It asks simple questions about your eating, movement, smoking or vaping, drinking, mental health and sleep. At the end, you get a score out of 10 and a plan with links to free NHS apps, tools and advice to help you take the first step. Rickie shares his experience of taking the quiz, his reaction to seeing his results, the changes he has already started making, and why small, realistic shifts matter more than chasing perfection. Watch if you want a straight conversation about midlife health, energy, mood and dad life.  Healthy Choices QuizTake the free five-minute NHS Healthy Choices Quiz here:https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/healthy-choices-quiz/ Key topics in this episode– Why Rickie wanted to support the NHS Healthy Choices Quiz campaign– How work, late nights and stress show up in his body and mood– The moment he realised he needed a more honest health check– What it felt like to answer the quiz questions and see his score out of 10– The plan he received and the first changes he has made– How fatherhood, age and responsibility shift your motivation to stay healthy– The version of himself his family sees at the end of the week– Football, Liverpool and competition as a lens on health and identity– Why he would recommend the Healthy Choices Quiz to friends and family Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.