The Modern Mann

The pollsters failed to predict Brexit, Trump and Theresa May's lost majority. But, in political circles, faith remains in one particular research technique: the focus group... Edelman's James Morris was an advisor at the Number 10 strategy unit under Tony Blair, and has advised international businesses including Virgin Media and Starbucks on reputation management. In this insightful interview with Olly, he reveals how U-shaped rooms, open questions and gender dynamics all affect 'what we think we think' about political issues like climate change, leadership and immigration. Elsewhere, Ollie Peart considers the return of the turtle-neck and the boom in onion jewellery in this week's Zeitgeist. Plus, as his quest to become a true trends insider continues, he reveals how he fared in an ethical audit of his consumer habits, thanks to Ethical Consumer's Tim Hunt. (And if that's inspired you to get your own ethical audit done, check out ethicalconsumer.org). Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the bizarre claim that toothpaste can function as an alternative to a traditional pregnancy test, and offers advice to a listener concerned that he's the only gay in the village... The Foxhole is, as ever, proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. Shop their excellent range of condoms and toys online, and remember to use our code 'MANN' to get a super-sexy 15% off. For this week's Squarespace Lifehack, Trullo's head honcho Tim Siadatan offers up his three top tips to make restaurant-quality pasta at home. If you'd like to see more of Tim's advice, check out his book, also called Trullo, which is out now. The Lifehack is brought to you thanks to our good friends at Squarespace. To create your own blog, personal portfolio or business website with their easy-to-use templates, visit Squarespace.com and, when you're ready to launch, use our offer code 'MANN' to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Finally, this week's Song of the Week isn't from this week at all, really - it's Mike's Pop Song, an off-cut from Olly's all-time favourite album, R.E.M's Automatic For The People, reissued for its 25th anniversary. If you'd like to suggest a challenge for Ollie Peart, a question of sex for Alix Fox, or you'd like to leave us a comment and nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, just click FEEDBACK on our website, modernmann.co.uk. Or click BEER MONEY to buy us a beer and support the show. This episode was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of online eyewear store ArloWolf.com. Check out their stunning and good-value range of stylish frames, and get 10% off when you use our offer code 'MANN' at Arlowolf.com. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, James Morris, Tim Siadatan, R.E.M. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tricky customers, fixed smiles and terrible turbulence: it's all in a day's work for a flight attendant. But how to keep your cool at 30,000 feet? How to cope with unpredictable emergencies? And how to let off steam afterwards? Daisy White is a woman who knows. Now a YA author, she spent 12 years working for airlines including Monarch and Caledonian. In this interview with Olly, she lifts the lid on drunken passengers, mile high club wannabes - and 'overweight' trolley dollies... You can find out more about Daisy at daisywhiteauthor.co.uk In this week's Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart plays the 'Micro-Generation Game', tries his hand at Shoutcasting, considers the future of Amazon Key, and doesn't gloat about the fact he was sort-of-right about the decline of the musical fade out, even though he'd have every right to. And a previous Zeitgeist topic, male make-up, rears its head again in this week's Lifehack - as make-up artist Declan Scammell proffers his Top 3 tips for men who want to wear make-up in their daily lives. The Lifehack is sponsored by our friends at Squarespace - if you fancy a free trial of their excellent website design and hosting service, head to Squarespace.com, and, when you're ready to launch, use our offer code 'MANN' to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. You can see more from Declan at declanscammell.com Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox offers up some pleasurable positions for couples seeking to have sex during pregnancy, which can't harm your baby but will provide closeness and climax. The Foxhole is brought to you by the beautiful peeps at MyCondom.com, who offer Mann-fans 15% off their superb range of lubes, toys and condoms by using the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout. Finally, our song of the week is the new one - it's called 'Fresh', appropriately - from awesome Aussie band Tired Lion. If you have a suggestion for a future guest, a trend for Ollie Peart to investigate, a question of sex for Alix, or you'd like to become a Mannbassador, please get in touch by heading over to MODERNMANN.CO.UK and clicking on Feedback. You can support the show by buying us a beer by clicking 'Beer Money'. This episode was made possible thanks to the generous patronage of online eyewear store Arlowolf, who offer shockingly good value frames and sunglasses on a Try Before You Buy basis, with a 30 day no-quibble returns policy. Try 'em out at Arlowolf.com, and use our offer code 'MANN' to get 10% off your final purchase. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Daisy White, Declan Scammell. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tumbling overboard following a fit of food poisoning, Brett Archibald survived 28 hours alone in the Indian Ocean. In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he re-lives his onslaught of hallucinations, his encounter with a shark, and how he contemplated certain death... You can read more about Brett's amazing story at BrettArchibald.com, and in his book, Alone, which is out now. Elsewhere in our season premiere, Ollie Peart returns with The Zeitgeist, and ponders the trend for 'marathon banditing', the return of Beck, and how to make Cheese Tea seem a delicious prospect. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from winning an award for her podcast series Close Encounters - returns to shed light on the enigmatic world of female ejaculation. If you have a question of sex for Alix, now is the time to submit it; you can remain anonymous if you wish - just visit modernmann.co.uk and click Feedback. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - remember, to get 15% off their range of incredible toys and condoms, just use our offer code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout. Meanwhile, in this week's Lifehack, polyglot Lindsay Williams offers up her three top tips to master a new language in your spare time. You can see more from Lindsay at LindsayDoesLanguages.com The Lifehack is sponsored by our friends at Squarespace - if you fancy a free trial of their excellent website design and hosting service, head to Squarespace.com, and, when you're ready to launch, use our offer code 'MANN' to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Finally, our record of the week is the awesome Bodies by Wafia, out now on Future Classic records. There are still nine episodes to run this season, so if you have a suggestion for a future interviewee, a trend for Ollie Peart to investigate, or you'd like to become a Mannbassador, just get in touch using our Feedback page at modernmann.co.uk. This episode was only made possible thanks to the generous patronage of online opticians Arlowolf, who offer shockingly good value frames and sunglasses on a Try Before You Buy basis, with a 30 day no-quibble returns policy. Try 'em out at Arlowolf.com, and use our offer code 'MANN' to get 10% off your final purchase. If you'd like to support the show too, why not leave us a review at iTunes.com/Mann, or buy us a beer by following the links at modernmann.co.uk See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Brett Archibald, Lindsay Williams. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the desert to the jungle, Belinda Kirk has lead expeditions through some of the world’s most inhospitable places. She’s been kidnapped, suffered extremes of heat and cold, and nearly drowned - yet believes such adventures help keep her sane in a modern world that can seem increasingly sedentary and predictable. In this inspiring interview with Olly, Belinda explains the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ stress; defines ‘type 1’ versus ‘type 2’ fun; and recommends some micro-adventures all around Britain, from wild swimming in the Serpentine to sleeping in a Scottish snow-hole. To find out more about Belinda, visit belindakirk.com - and check out her non-profit organisation connecting people to adventures, explorersconnect.com. Elsewhere, vegan-at-home Ollie Peart uncovers the publishing trend for ‘Up Lit’ books, reports on a bright future for male make-up counters, and finally completes (most) of the tasks in his quest to become a true trends insider. (This includes smearing snail slime over Olly Mann’s face, which, after what he’s put him through this season, seems fair enough). Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, it’s our 50th episode feedback special, as Alix Fox revisits some memorable sex advice from our first 49 editions. There are follow-on stories from those who’ve benefited from her advice on smoking fetishes, differing sex drives, non-consensual violence, polyamorous relationships and cartoon pornography. Alix recommends a couple of books for further reading, explains how to uncover the friendly side of ‘tentacle rape’ porn, and discovers inter-gluteal penetration. Of course. If you have a question of sex for our next 50 episodes, don’t hesitate to fill in the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our sexy friends at MyCondom.com, who stock a frankly incredible range of toys, lube and prophylactics. Remember, just for being a Mann-fan, you can use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout and secure an astonishing 15% OFF - even when we’re off-air for the next few months. Finally, our Song of the Week is 'Hung Empty' by Los Campesinos! - a band Olly first heard on the Best Of MySpace podcast back in 2008, and still loves. It’s off their new album Sick Scenes, which is out now on Wichita Records. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us for these first fifty episodes. If you enjoy the show, please support our independent podcast by chucking us some change - visit MODERNMANN.CO.UK and click Beer Money to pledge £3.47 - the average cost of one pint of beer - or make a one-off donation via PayPal. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes - itunes.com/Mann - and tell all your friends about the show on social media. We’re at twitter.com/themodernmann. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you be an MP, at a time when public trust in politicians has fallen to the lowest level in living memory? Could you dedicate yourself to your constituents, yet also make time for your family, fighting fires on social media and keeping the media on-side? Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North since 2015, entered the fray in time to experience the Brexit vote, the murder of his colleague Jo Cox, and the Palace of Westminster coming under terrorist attack. In this candid interview with Olly, he lifts the lid on day-to-day life as a young MP in the House of Commons, from his experiences adapting to the weird traditions of voting and speaking in the House, to the perils of navigating Westminster’s gossipy backstairs bars and their modern-day digital equivalents on WhatsApp. Also this week, Ollie Peart completes even more of his challenges - experiencing a home-cooked Indian meal from Hersha Patel, securing VIP access to a festival, trying out the latest frankincense face-cream, and, er, pissing off the PR lady from the UK transfer of ‘Hamilton’. He even finds time to discuss a couple of actual trends for this week's Zeitgeist, namely the boom in crypto-currency Ethereum, and the teenage girl who loved K-Pop so much she put a hammer in her mouth. Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from a launch party in ‘a posh strip club’, reassures a listener who feels that having herpes may prevent her from ever having sex again. Turns out, there’s even a dating app to meet other herpes-positive people! #ShoutYourStatus If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, or some feedback about how Alix's advice has helped you previously, please do reach out using the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK The Foxhole is sponsored by our arousing and delightfully lubricated friends at MyCondom.Com - remember, as a Mann-fan, you can get an astonishing 15% OFF by using our code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout. Finally, our record of the week is ‘Was It Love?’, by Isabella ‘Machine’ Summers, out now on Island Records. * We’re a completely independent podcast. That means we raise the funds for the show ourselves. If you enjoy what we do, please support us. You can buy us a beer, donate via PayPal, leave us an iTunes review, or offer to sponsor an episode - all links are on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using the same techniques as criminal hackers, ethical ‘white hat’ hackers help governments and companies test their own security. FC (hacker name: ‘Freakyclown’) has been a white-hat hacker ever since being approached by some ‘men in suits’, having found himself in a spot of legal bother. He’s since been employed to rob dozens of high street banks - all with the consent of the owners. In this honest and fast-moving interview with Olly, he recalls how he stepped away from a childhood defined by poverty and bullying to find sanctuary in the world of coding, ‘war dialling’, and accessing other people’s data... (You can find out more about FC by searching ‘Freakyclown’ on Twitter. The security consultancy he co-founded is redactedfirm.com) Meanwhile, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers whether the current re-shoots on ‘Justice League’ - and digitally-created puppy poo in ‘John Wick’ - mean the film industry has finally reached Peak CGI. He also endeavours to explain why sandals are back back back in men’s foot fashion. And, in his quest to become a true trends insider, he makes progress at joining the Freemasons, and finally gets to ride a parliamentary ghost train… sort of. Elsewhere, in this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a man with an under-developed penis, suffering from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. What can he do in the bedroom when penetrative sex seems an impossibility? And what is the dating etiquette - is he obliged to warn future partners about his tiny package? If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, just send it on in using the Feedback form on our website, ModernMann.co.uk. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com, where you can nab yourself a tremendous range of condoms, lube and toys - AND get a magnificent 15% OFF just for being a Mann-fan: just use the code ‘MANN’ at Checkout. Finally, our song of the week is ‘Living On The 110’ by Rage Against The Machine super-group The Prophets of Rage, ‘an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of political bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.’ It’s out on their debut album in September. Enjoy. Remember, if you enjoy our show, please support the show, by buying us a beer, sponsoring an episode, or leaving us a review on iTunes. All links are on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being a TV warm-up is one of the hardest jobs in showbiz. How can you capture the interest and affection of an audience who don’t know who you are, have spent hours sitting around, and may simply want to go home? Andy Collins is a man who knows. Often cited as the best in the business, he’s honed his skills over decades, warming-up audiences for shows as diverse as Strictly Come Dancing, Big Brother, Celebrity Juice and The Alan Titchmarsh Show. In this candid and riotously funny interview with Olly, he explains how to whip a crowd of old women into a frenzy, why he never wants to disappoint Ant and Dec, and reveals why Russell Brand, Bruce Forsyth and Michael McIntyre are all off his Christmas card list... (If you’d like to hear more from Andy, do check out his Breakfast show on BBC Three Counties Radio, weekdays 6-9am.) Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart, fresh from a speed awareness course in Yeovil, assesses the trends for body mists, Love Island and luxury watch subscription services. Plus, in his quest to become a true trends insider, progress is * finally * made in his mission to touch a Nando’s Black Card, and get a place at a chef’s table. Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox checks out ‘cyborgasms’ at the Blue Dot Festival in Cheshire, and grabs a listener’s question of pubes by the short and curlies: When it comes to manscaping, how low should you go, and what equipment should you use along the way? … If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, do reach out via the Feedback form on our website - you can remain totally anonymous if you so desire. The Foxhole is brought to you by our erotic associates at MyCondom.com - just head over there for a sensational range of condoms, lube and toys, and use our code, ‘FOXHOLE’, for an incredible 15% OFF. Finally, our record of the week, is by Flyte - it’s called Cathy Come Home, and it’s off their debut album out in August. Remember, if you want to support the show, you can buy us a beer, enquire about sponsorship or review the show on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life as a landlord means trusting strangers to live in your house. Try as you might, you can't know everything about them. Sometimes, you just have to rely on an instinct that your tenants are good people. Until, that is, you get a knock on the door from the Police... That's what happened to listener Ian from Dublin. In this interview with Olly, he re-lives the moment he became involved in an armed Police sting - and began to regret renting out his property. Also this week, Ollie and Olly head off to Wimbledon and investigate 'tennis-heckling', the rise of Aperol Spritz and the IBM data bunker. Plus, Ollie continues in his quest to become a true trends insider, forsaking Raya for Inner Circle, and preparing to venture to High Wycombe in the name of journalism. Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox ponders the possibilities of cervical orgasms, and answers a listener question of sexual reciprocity - how should a high-functioning autistic woman get off in the sack, when she can't bear physical contact? If you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill in our Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is sponsored by the love-Gods who run mycondom.com - head over there to fill your boots with condoms, sex toys and lube, all at great-value prices, with an additional 15% OFF when you use our code, 'FOXHOLE'. Finally, our record of the week - which, like all our favourite 'choons, is featured in our Spotify playlist at MODERNMANN.CO.UK/MUSIC - is the new one from St Vincent. It’s called New York, and it’s available to download right now. That's it for this week's show: if you enjoy what we do, please support us by buying us a beer or reviewing us on iTunes. Details on our website. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the mind of a murderer look any different to yours? Can brain-scanning technology help explain criminal activity? And if could - should that evidence be admitted into court? Dr Lisa Claydon, Senior Lecturer in Law at the Open University, has spent decades considering these questions. In this fascinating interview with Olly, recorded at Cheltenham Science Festival, she explains the issues around neuroscience in the courtroom, from the problems of malingering and false memory syndrome to the sometimes dubious defence of ‘automatism’ used by murdering sleep-walkers. Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart explains why he’s getting emotional about a giant pig, how to get your favourite film back on the big screen, and the latest way to bring your Pornhub experience to life. And, in his quest to become a true trends insider, he attempts to enrol on to an elite dating app, and hitch a ride on a ‘parliamentary ghost-train’ with some real experts. Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals why an exfoliating sponge could become your bedroom essential, and answers a listener question about polyamory, with plenty of pointers for those seeking plenty of partners. Along the way, she translates much seemingly inpenetrable poly-lingo, explaining away ‘cowgirl’, ‘mono’, ‘frubbly feelings’, ‘metamores’ and ‘NRE’. If you have a question of sex for next week’s show, just click the Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk. The Foxhole is sponsored by our superb sexual companions at MYCONDOM.COM. They stock an incredible range of toys, lube and protection, including the On)Clinic non-lubricated condoms Alix highlights in this week’s show. Remember to use our special discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get 15% off. Finally our song of the week is Albin Lee Meldau’s track ‘Persistence’, off his debut EP ‘Bloodshot’, released on the 21st July. We like it a lot. If you’d like to support our show, buy us a beer, sponsor an episode, send us some feedback, subscribe to our podcast feed or dig around our archive - just head to our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Glastonbury to The End Of The Road, Summer festivals continue to colonise the countryside. But how do people pull together such enormous events year after year? In our 2017 Summer Festivals Special, Olly meets Pete Lawrence, co-founder of The Big Chill, which went from being a low-key ‘festival in a club’ for 150 people in Islington to an massive outdoor happening, taking over huge venues across Britain, with acts including Lily Allen, The Proclaimers, Basement Jaxx, and Leonard Cohen. How do you choose the perfect location for your booming event? How can you maintain counter-culture ethics whilst wooing corporate sponsors? And how can you keep the Police on-side when so many attendees are doing drugs? Pete - now founder of campfireconvention.uk - reveals all... Meanwhile, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from sitting near Kate Adie at a train station - previews the Summer festivals you’ve never heard of, but should get tickets for NOW. In his top three are G!, in the Faroe Islands; the Archstoyanie Land Art Festival, 200 km southwest of Moscow; and, closer to home, the Brainchild festival, a ‘DIY and volunteer-led festival’ in East Sussex. Also, he explains why every festivalgoer needs a BioLite camping stove and Minipresso portable espresso machine, and receives an exciting invitation to Camp Bestival as part of his quest to become a true trends insider. Elsewhere, Alix Fox brings news of sex festival Swingfields in this week’s Foxhole, and has a surprising suggested use for Original Source Mint and Tea Tree shower gel. She also tackles another prickly listener question - this week, how to speed up ejaculation when trying to conceive a child within your partner’s most fertile window of conception. The Foxhole is sponsored by the sex legends who created mycondom.com. They stock all you need for festive fumble in a tent - or just a bonk in bed at home whilst watching the Glasto coverage on telly. Remember to use our discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to receive a bewildering 15% off. If you have a question of sex for a future edition, do get in touch via the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. That’s also where to head to buy us a beer, subscribe to the podcast or send us an idea for the show. Finally, our song of the week is by brand new outfit Videocean. They sent us their debut track, ‘Fruitless Fever’, and we loved it. It’s out now on uber-cool underground imprint Bon Nudity. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pathology technician Carla Valentine always knew she wanted to work with corpses. In childhood, she conducted funerals for roadkill. These days, she is curator of the St Bart’s Museum of Pathology, and a passionate advocate for more discussion about what happens when the mortuary doors swing shut. In this interview with Olly, she reveals how to prepare for an autopsy, how to get a sense of how a person lived from examining their remains, and how to create that ‘look of gentle repose’ so important to grieving families. You’ll discover when rigor mortis starts, how identify the difference between primary and secondary flaccidity, and you'll learn about alkaline hydrolysis (‘the new cremation’) and the American trend for being embalmed sitting up. For this week’s Lifehack, Sasha Morgan from Peckham-based arts educational charity Bold Everywhere reveals her top tips to run a successful meeting: know your objectives, invite the right people, and assemble your allies before the meeting even commences. The Lifehack is supported by our friends at Squarespace.com - if you want to build yourself a beautiful website, there is no better port of call. There’s a two-week free trial, and then use our offer code ‘MANN’ to get 10% off your first year’s subscription. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart’s quest to become a true trends insider continues. This week, he inches ever-closer to being able to *touch a Nando’s black card*, and learns why TV presenter Emma Willis will NEVER be allowed such an honour. He also considers the trends for brand disloyalty and dockless bike sharing. If you think you can help Ollie with his mission, contact him on Twitter @Ollieep. And, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals why when it comes to condoms, there are such things as ‘teat-less wonders’. She also explains what spermatorrhea is, why she’s created a new sexual term, ‘ledging’, and why - despite detesting the book - she has a certain fondness for the 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' toy crossovers. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com. They stock all you need for a legendary night in the sack - or many more to come. Remember to use our discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to receive an astonishing 15% off! If you have a question of sex for a future edition, do get in touch via the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. That’s also where to head to buy us a beer, subscribe to the podcast or send us an idea for the show. Finally, our song of the week is Machine, by The Horrors - out now. It’s a bit acid rock. We like it a lot. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Watson realised he would never play football for England - so attempted, instead, to be recruited by the worst international team in the world. His quest lead him to Pohnpei, Micronesia; and, although he never realised his dream of becoming an international soccer star, he ended up coaching them instead... What's it like training a team 9000 miles away from home, in a country with no football culture? What is the beautiful game's secret at bringing communities together? And how can one recover after a defeat against the Guam Crushers? Paul's book, Up Pohnpei, is out now. Big thanks hanks to Mannfan Tom Cotton for suggesting Paul as a guest - if you have an idea for a future edition of the show, just get in touch using the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK Meanwhile, in this week's Lifehack, Rosie Slosek of themoneyhaven.com offers up her three top tips to women about 'how to liberate your man from his job'. (Heads up, chaps: it involves actually talking to your girlfriend once in a while). The Lifehack is supported by our friends at Squarespace.com - head there to nab yourself a beautiful website, and get a cracking 10% OFF a year's subscription when you use our offer code 'Mann'. In this week's Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers how many petaflops are required to play Anthem on Microsoft's new XBox One X, whips up a bowl of savoury yoghurt to test out this Summer's hot new food trend, and updates Olly on his progress to become a freemason, get VIP access to a Summer festival, and touch a Nando's black card. Down the Foxhole, Alix Fox is high on pink grapefruit-flavoured oxygen, yet still finds time to answer Phil (34)'s question about dating in Bristol. How should a night-shift worker find himself some afternoon delight? Alix has the answer. It involves brunch. The Foxhole is brought to you by our good friends at mycondom.com. They stock everything you need for a night of INTENSE passion; just remember to use our discount code 'FOXHOLE' to get 15% off. And if you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill in the Feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. Finally, our Song of the Week is The Gold by the ace Manchester Orchestra, out now on Loma Vista. If you like what we do, please BUY US A BEER and support the show (links on our website), REVIEW US ON iTUNES so others can discover us (itunes.com/mann), or just tell your friends. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are more billionaires than ever. Rockstars. Oil tycoons. Internet entrepreneurs. And all of them - all of them - employ private staff. The age of Jeeves and Wooster may be over, but the demand for a dependable butler remains. Lawrence McKenna has been serving the super-rich for three decades, including stints in private suites in London's poshest hotels and the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. In this interview with Olly, he reveals how to remain invisible yet available; poised to deliver whatever a ‘principal’ desires, from obscure coffee beans to a mid-coital cuppa. He explains how to carry a plate, when to say ‘yes’ and when to simply say ‘it can be done’, and how to prepare *just chilled* mineral water to the taste of a Saudi trillionaire. Meanwhile, in this week’s Lifehack, meet Rudy Budhdeo: a man who knows how to wear jeans. As CEO of world-leading store Son Of A Stag, he tells us his top three life-hacks for buying, washing and manipulating raw denim. The Lifehack is sponsored by our friends at Squarespace. You can design yourself a truly beautiful website using their simple and delightful tools. Take out a free trial for a fortnight, and then, if you want to sign up, get 10% OFF for a year by using our code, ‘Mann’. Elsewhere, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, who definitely doesn’t want to talk about Fidget Spinners, instead examines the world of ‘Snapbot queue-jumpers’ and puzzling YouTube phenomenon Poppy. He is also set a new challenge: to become a true trends insider by the end of the series. Think you can help him blag a ticket to Hamilton or a ride on the 'Parliamentary ghost-train'? Get in touch. Down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from having her senses awakened at Open Senses - reveals the surprising history of vasectomies, and explains why there’s a trend for millennial men to get the snip at a younger age than you might expect. She also assists a listener concerned that his forthcoming vasectomy might affect his sexual sensation. If you have a question of sex for Alix, just submit via the Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk This fifth series of sex questions comes to your ears thanks to our friends at mycondom.com. They truly are a marvel: in fact, if you’re going to sleep with anyone, we strongly advise you visit them first. And remember to use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ when you do, to get 15% off. Finally, our Song of the Week is ‘My Lover Cindy’ by Marika Hackman. Her new album is out now on Sub Pop Records. It’s great to be back. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there still a place for the pen-and-paper posted letter? Alison Hitchcock thinks so: when she discovered her friend Brian Greenley had cancer, she decided to write him regular letters throughout his treatment - initially as an attempt to cheer him up, then as companionship through some of his darkest hours. In this interview with Olly, she recalls how writing over a hundred letters to Brian helped get them both through a difficult chapter, and deepened their friendship immeasurably. You can find out more about them, and get tips on how to write to a friend with cancer, at frommetoyouletters.co.uk In this week’s Lifehack, Ariele Rovati from Brewdog shares his top three tips on how to start your own microbrewery, courtesy of Squarespace. If you want to build yourself a beautiful website, simply visit Squarespace.com and use the code to 'MANN' to get 10% OFF a year's subscription. Meanwhile, over in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart highlights lab-grown meat lobbying, wonders whether ‘Snaplications’ are the future of job applications, and previews Brian Thompson’s meta-podcast ‘Whatever Happened To Pizza At McDonald’s?’. And, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals why DEMO might be the new FOMO, and has wise words for listener Andrew as to the best way to find a willing woman for a forthcoming threesome: “the way people are in the streets is not always how they are under the sheets!” The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com, who supply an incredible range of condoms, lube and sex toys. Visit their site and get 15% OFF at Checkout if you use our discount code, 'Foxhole'. If you have a question of sex for Alix, just use the Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish - on our website, modernmann.co.uk Finally, our record of the week is ‘Talk 2 Her’ by Toronto outfit Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs, who have a new album out in July. You can listen to all the music we’ve played this series in our Spotify playlist - find that at modernmann.co.uk That's it for this series of the show - but we’ll be back for Season Five on the first Tuesday in June. If you value this podcast, and independent podcasting generally, please please do buy us a beer - every penny we get goes back into supporting the show, and we really appreciate it. Just visit modernmann.co.uk and click 'Beer Money'. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Additional music: Ambiant Obscur Technology by Komiku. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Sarah Goode spent six years talking to, and writing about, self-defined paedophiles - grown men sexually attracted to children. She believes, if our society were more accepting of this ‘involuntary’ sexual predilection, then more children might be protected from abuse - if the men concerned were prevented from acting out their fantasies. In this compelling interview with Olly, Dr Goode outlines her contentious view and why she believes hysteria around predatory paedophilia ironically fails to protect Britain’s children. She also explains why she believes the internet can be a force for good in combatting child abuse - despite the presence of online grooming, and the wide availability of child sexual abuse imagery. Sarah has written two academic books based on her research, 'Understanding and Addressing Adult Sexual Attraction to Children: A Study of Paedophiles in Contemporary Society' and 'Paedophiles in Society: Reflecting on Sexuality, Abuse and Hope'. Both are available to buy via Amazon. If you think you are sexually attracted to children, please seek professional advice. The organisation referred to in the interview is StopSO, the Specialist Treatment Organisation for the Prevention of Sexual Offending: www.stopso.org.uk If you've been affected by child sexual abuse, remember there are always people you can talk to. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Elsewhere on this week’s show, struggling vegetarian Ollie Peart previews ‘this year’s must have gas mask’ in The Zeitgeist. He also reports on one-man’s quest to be sent a year’s supply of chicken nuggets, and experiments with a new way to remove the bitterness from your coffee. You can see more from Ollie in our video series, 'Modern Mann Extra' at modernmann.co.uk/extra Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from bashing up a Toyota Yaris, has advice for a listener who laughs hysterically and joyously for five minutes every time she has an orgasm - much to the confusion of her husband... The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com, who supply an incredible range of condoms, lube and sex toys. Visit their site and get 15% OFF at Checkout if you use our discount code, 'Foxhole'. If you have a question of sex for Alix, just use the Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish - on our website, modernmann.co.uk In our Lifehack segment this week, runner James Adams shares his top three tips on how to run a marathon, courtesy of Squarespace. If you want to build yourself a beautiful website like James's, simply visit Squarespace.com and use the code 'MANN' to get 10% OFF a year's subscription. Finally, our record of the week comes courtesy of Australian alt-hip hop producer Jonti and his song Scrood. It features the guest vocals of Steve Lacy, and is out now on Future Classic records. That's it for this week's show, but we'll be back next week with our season finale! If you value this podcast, and independent podcasting generally, please please do buy us a beer - every penny we get goes back into supporting the show, and we really appreciate it. Just visit modernmann.co.uk and click 'Beer Money'. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From David Bowie to George Michael, celebrity deaths are becoming increasingly common, as the rock generation reaches retirement age. How does a paper of record go about documenting their lives? Simon Pearson is Obituaries Editor of The Times, and in this interview with Olly he explains how profiles of the great and the good are created - ready to be published the moment a notable name pops their clogs - and how lesser-known figures also find their way on to the paper’s illustrious pages. Elsewhere this episode, Ollie Peart brings us news of meme warfare, holographic phones and animated April Fools pranks in this week’s Zeitgeist. And, in new feature The Lifehack, British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber (theboywhobakes.co.uk) reveals his baking tips, courtesy of Squarespace. Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox is angry about ‘the world’s first smart condom’, and tackles one of the most popular questions to grace our mailbag: what do you do when your sex drive vastly exceeds that of your partner? Got a question for Alix? Just visit MODERNMANN.CO.UK and click Feedback - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is brought to you by our friends at mycondom.com. Use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to get an astonishing 15% OFF! And, if you want to build yourself a website, do check out our sponsors Squarespace.com - use the code 'MANN' for 10% off a year's subscription. Our record of the week is ‘Lava’ by Tender Central, available to stream now thanks to Boom Ting Recordings. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When he was just 14, Wayne Sharrocks realised he wanted to join the Army - within a year, he’d begun the process of signing up to serve his country. At 18, he had his regimental cap badge tattooed on to his chest. In this searingly honest interview with Olly, he describes how the Army broke him down and built him back up again; training him to follow orders without question and desensitising him to violence. In postings to Afghanistan he saw courage, commitment - and life-changing injuries. Britain is the only European country to recruit child soldiers. Wayne now campaigns for the enlistment age to be raised: you can find out more about that at veteransforpeace.org. And you can discover more about him, and the documentary film he’s crowdfunding, on his website waynesharrocks.com. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explains the purpose of a ‘high performance chicken’, undergoes a significant life-change, and reveals the Pervert Capital of Britain. Down the Foxhole this week, Alix Fox rejoices at the expansion of sex education in UK schools, and explores the world of the ‘furry fandom’ and ‘yiff’ erotic art. The Foxhole is supported by our friends at mycondom.com. Want to stock up on condoms, lube or toys? Just use the code ‘Foxhole’ at Checkout to get 15% off. Finally, our Song Of The Week is ‘All Or Nothing’ by Kove and Joseph J Jones, available to stream now. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s it like when the person you’re closest to in the world is not the person that you think they are? ‘Elizabeth’ spent a year dating a man who provided only sketchy details about his life, but ingratiated himself into her friendship circle, her family and her home. In this interview with Olly, she reveals how it felt to discover he was living a double-life, and how it’s affected her trust ever since. Also this week, Ollie Peart considers whether the return of The Matrix heralds a new type of film franchise, whether Drake’s new ‘playlist’ heralds the end of the album, and whether his new favourite game heralds a return to text adventures. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox enjoys a trip to the theatre and advises a listener who's unhappy that her vibrator might be 'spying' on her… The Foxhole is supported by our friends at mycondom.com. Want to stock up on condoms, lube or toys? Just use the code ‘Foxhole’ at Checkout to get 15% off. Finally, our Song Of The Week is ‘Cease Fire’, by former Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore, currently available for free from thurstonmoore.kungfustore.com. This week’s episode of The Modern Mann is supported by Al Philps - a listener like you. If you’d like to sponsor a future episode, either as an individual or as a commercial company, just visit modernmann.co.uk and fill in the Feedback form. Or, if you can only afford a small amount, please buy us a beer - just click Beer Money. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Morrissey to Laurence Olivier, public figures through history have channelled shyness and stage-fright into their work. But is shyness a useful tool, or is uninhibited confidence a better way to navigate the modern world? Backstage at the Southbank Centre’s ‘Being A Man’ festival, social and cultural historian Joe Moran talks to Olly about the implicit difficulty of silence, the internal monologues that plague him in social situations, and how shy people can weaponise irony, distance and aloofness to their advantage. His book, ‘Shrinking Violets: A Field Guide to Shyness’, is out now. Meanwhile, over in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explains how your car can interact with your ‘environmental happenings’, previews a forthcoming political bout, and reveals where you can buy a ‘Breaking Bad’ lego set. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox ponders why she is having some difficulty finding the perfect partner, and offers some advice for a listener whose partner suffers from vaginismus. If you have a question of sex for next week’s show, just fill in the feedback form on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to receive an astonishing 15% OFF. Finally,our song of the week comes from Artificial Pleasure. It’s called ‘All I Got’, and it’s out now. You can catch the band touring in April. If you’d like to be a Mannbassador, just leave us a review at itunes.com/mann If you’d like to buy us a beer and support the show, visit our website and click ‘Beer Money’ See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Winehouse’s voice may have seemed unique - but you can sing just like her if you understand her influences. So says Emma Wright, whose musical journey began with an X Factor audition that sounded like Christina Aguilera, morphed into a Stars In Their Eyes contest in which she played Lady Gaga - and culminated in a fully-fledged career impersonating one of the most troubled and celebrated musical icons of recent times. Elsewhere this episode, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - whose Mum once called him a scrotum - considers biometric face masks, Pinterest parties and the Nintendo Switch; and, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox 'spices up' Superdrug’s social media presence and advises a listener who wonders if they should bring up their chequered sexual history with a new partner. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout to receive an incredible 15% Off. Music this week comes courtesy of British Sea Power and their new one, Keep On Trying, out at the end of March on Rough Trade Records. If you enjoy the show, please do buy us a beer or send us some feedback - details on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK - or leave us a review on iTunes for your chance to become a Mann-bassador. And, if you can't bear to wait a week for more sweeeeeet MM content, do check out 'Modern Mann Extra', Ollie's new video series. In this week's show, Ollie 'investigates' Craft Beer Rising - including bespoke canned cocktails, mushroom beer... and a sizeable hangover. You can find that at modernmann.co.uk/extra See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story behind Baileys, the blockbuster booze brand, is unexpectedly lo-fi. It was invented not in Ireland but in London’s Soho, with ingredients purchased on impulse from a corner shop. David Gluckman was one of the creative team who, by mixing whiskey and cream, unwittingly spawned a new sub-category of drinks - Irish chocolate cream liqueurs - which went on to sell billions of bottles. In this interview, he tells Olly Mann how a disparaging focus group, some drinking policemen and a Jewish restaurant all played their surprising part in alcohol history. David’s book, 'That Shit Will Never Sell', is available now at thatshitwillneversell.com, and includes the stories behind countless other drinks brands he's had a hand in, including Smirnoff Black Label, Tanqueray 10, Sheridans, and Purdeys. The booze theme continues in this week’s Zeitgeist, recorded at the Craft Beer Rising festival in London’s East End. Therein, Ollie Peart predicts the hipster trends about to go global: barrel-aged beer such as Adnams’ Both Barrels, and sour beer like Wild Beer Co’s Breakfast of Champignons. Meanwhile, Olly gets his lips around an Island Records Session IPA and attempts to name a new gin-and-tonic infused craft beer, with mixed success. This week’s Zeitgeist is sponsored by our friends at Beer52.com. For just £8, Modern Mann listeners can trial their excellent curated craft beer delivery subscription service. To get your first box of eight craft beers delivered right now, for just £8, visit beer52.com/mann. In this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox has advice for a listener whose partner wants to put the slap into slap and tickle. Plus, there’s an update from Dry Delilah, and news of an injectable contraceptive for men. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - remember to use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to get an astonishing 15% off. Finally, music this week comes from British punk/grime/metal infusion The One Hundred, and their track Dark Matters. If you’ve got any feedback for the show, if you’d like to buy us a beer, or send a question of sex through to The Foxhole, just visit our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK. And, if you’d like to be considered as a Mannbasador, do leave us a review at itunes.com/mann. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist, muse, socialite: when Daniel Lismore visits a nightclub, he charges THEM to host him. How did this quiet man from the Midlands become a fashion insider with countless celebrity contacts and an outrageous style that has strongly influenced London clubland? In this interview with Olly, he discusses how his battle with bulimia, his love of Star Trek and savvy use of social media has propelled him from his mum's dressing-up box to become a 21st Century 'It-Boy'. Daniel's book of extraordinary self-portraits, 'Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken', is out now, and you can follow him on Instagram @DanielLismore. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart considers the Scandinavian approach to social media, the sound production of BBC costume dramas, and the luxury fast food for people with more money than sense. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox has advice for 'Dry Delila' - a listener whose medication might be drying up her ladybits. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com. Just use the code 'FOXHOLE' to receive an astonishing 15% OFF at Checkout. If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, you can send it to Alix by clicking 'Feedback' on our website, modernmann.co.uk Music this week comes from Tom Williams. His song 'Everyone Needs a Home' is out later this year on Caroline Records. Remember, if you enjoy the show, please do: - tell your friends: share this episode on Twitter! - leave us a review on iTunes: itunes.com/mann - if you can afford to, buy us a beer: modernmann.co.uk/beer Every donation helps us to make more episodes of the show for your future enjoyment. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising $1m in venture capital whilst still at Uni; starting a business seemed like child's play for James Routledge. His start-up attracted 50m page views per month, and his investors believed he could be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Except, beneath the surface, he felt stressed, isolated and alone - and his business was burning £30,000 per month. In this honest and compelling interview with Olly, he explains what happened next. James is now co-founder of mental health start-up Sanctus. You can find out more about them at Sanctus.io In The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart attempts to explain why teenagers appear to be ever more stylish, reveals how to prevent pregnancy using an app, and highlights the sad retirement of America's top fortune cookie writer, Donald Lau. Meanwhile, Alix Fox clarifies exactly how one goes about moving house when you've got a home full of sex-toys, and advises a 43 year-old virgin who is desperate to lose his virginity, but worries he has missed the boat. Massive thanks to MyCondom.Com for their continuing sponsorship of The Foxhole this series. Remember, for a staggering 15% OFF their amazing range of condoms, lube and toys, just enter the code FOXHOLE at Checkout. And if you've got a question for the next edition of the Foxhole, just submit it via our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish - at modernmann.co.uk Music this week comes courtesy of Drangsal, and his new single Allan Align, out now on Caroline Records. Remember, if you enjoy the show, please do: - tell your friends: share this episode on Twitter! - leave us a review on iTunes: itunes.com/mann - and, if you can afford to, buy us a beer: modernmann.co.uk/beer Every donation helps us to make more episodes of the show for your future enjoyment. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedians Tom Price and Stuart Goldsmith are facing up to daddy decisions: how to rescue their respective relationships from a world of 'guilt-tennis', how much TV to allow their sons to watch, and exactly how best to celebrate a one year-old's birthday... In this funny and frank discussion, they reunite with fellow father Olly Mann to offer up advice on Baby Sign Language, front-facing papooses, and how to make a fiddle-board. Elsewhere in this season finale, Ollie Peart offers up some trends for 2017, including disappearing ink tattoos, the re-birth of flares, and the foldable phones of the future. Plus, why velvet curtains could soon be adorning your walls, why robotic chef arms will find their way into your kitchen, and how Amazon is wangling its way into your every conversation. Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a lady who wants to get her rocks off whilst considering the environment. Along the way, she uncovers ethical sex toys, eco-friendly condoms, solar-powered vibrators - and poo-inspired dildos. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - use the code 'FOXHOLE' to get 15% OFF at Checkout! Finally, our record of the week is the lovely 'Astral Plane' by Valerie June, out now on Sunday Best Records. That's it for this series of the show -but we will back on Valentine's Day. In the meantime, why not review the show on iTunes, send us some feedback, or donate to the show: all the links are on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK See you on February 14th! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pantomime: the most peculiarly British of festive entertainments. Each year, we Brits gather the family together to watch the same old stories. To cheer at the hero, hiss at the baddies, and watch a bloke in drag doing the same call-and-response routines that have enraptured crowds since the days of music hall. Why? ERIC POTTS is a maestro of the genre. As head writer for First Family Entertainment, he churns out ten panto scripts per year, and even finds time to play the Dame in one of them. In this insightful interview with Olly, he explains how super-producers have duopolized the industry, how they persuade Hollywood stars to come over and tread the boards (it’s not just the money), and why the key to panto success is not tradition or nostalgia - but ADVENTURE. (Oh Yes It Is!) Also this week: Ollie Peart uses his Instagram account as an experiment in automation, and, after an extended Super Mario Run session, offers up one-handed gaming to The Zeitgeist. Plus, why the pen-and-paper notebook just *might* be a thing of the past. And - jingle your balls! - Alix Fox finishes us off with a festive Foxhole for all the Modern Mann family. You’ll learn about ‘the Smith’s Salt N Shake of condoms’, why you should ‘get lusty with leftovers’, and how ‘sex Bisto’ might change your bedroom in an XXXmas edition of Alix’s favourite party game, ‘Tip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!’. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - use the discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get 15% at Checkout. Finally, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a good sing-a-long, so do wrap your ears around our song of the week, ‘Honest’, by Martha Gunn. And remember, in this time of goodwill to all Mann, that we are always thrilled to receive your monies in exchange for this humble podcast... If you’d like to donate, we’d be ever so grateful, guv. Just visit MODERNMANN.CO.UK, and click Beer Money. Merry Christmas one and all - we’ll see you straight after the holidays, for our season finale! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Connery is a Hollywood stunt-man. He's played them all: Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones. But it's for his role as Queen Elizabeth II, parachuting out of a helicopter in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, that he will truly go down in history. In this interview with Olly, he recounts how it felt to be standing on the edge of that helicopter, knowing that more than 40 million people worldwide were about to watch his stunt - live. And he reveals some tricks of the trade he's picked up in his career: how to fall through glass, where to buy your cardboard boxes, and whether or not Tom Cruise really does do his own stunts... Also in this week's show, Ollie Peart considers whether we're about to enter a world without dick-holes, a world of fix-it supremacy, or a world of Ugly Food - and Alix Fox has news of a Canadian gadget to help circumcised men who fancy regrowing their foreskin, and, as this week's listener question, advises a chap who has been knocked for six by an astonishing encounter with an Italian vixen. Finally, music this week comes courtesy of Syd Arthur and his track 'Apricity', out now on Communion Records. We will return next week for our annual Christmas Spectacular - until then, please do leave us a review on iTunes, send us your feedback and your kind donations... all the links are on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK This week's show is kindly sponsored by our friends at Beer52.Com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners an amazing case of eight delicious bottles of hand-picked craft beer for just £12. Just visit beer52.com/modern52 and for everyone one of you who takes up the offer, Beer52 will send us some beer money too. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by MyCondom.Com - just use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout to nab yourself a stonking 15% OFF. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Hone has a 'hobby that got out of hand': traversing the UK, visiting myriad miscellaneous landmarks designated by brown signs. In this interview, she explains to Olly how an initial visit to an otter and owl sanctuary made her put down her phone, take the road less travelled and discover the quirky attractions around her - and enthuse others to do the same. In the spirit of 'brown-signing', Olly then takes a trip of his own: to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, where curator Tim Arnold tells him why, 'when you grow up and become a man, you play a real man's game - you play pinball'. Find out more at followthebrownsigns.com and pinballmuseum.org Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart considers the latest trends in The Zeitgeist, including crawling to keep fit, the Hollywood pocketwatch revival, and the death of 'the masked musician'. If you have a trend you'd like to suggest for a future episode, do tweet us @themodernmann. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals the super-powers of 'magic wand massagers' such as the Lovehoney's tokidoki, the UK-made Doxey Wand, and Hitachi's big-seller. Plus, she has some advice for a listener who says he's attracted to oral sex with 'she-males' - but is otherwise straight. If you've got a question of sex for Alix, just submit it via the feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners an incredible 15% OFF when you use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout. Finally, as ever, we have a cracking choon to end the show. This week, it's 'Radio', by Sylvan Esso, out now on Partisan Records. Big thanks to everyone who has bought us a beer this week - it really is thanks to your support that we're able to keep funding the show. Just visit modernmann.co.uk and click 'Beer Money'. But don't just buy us a beer - why not buy one for yourself... or EIGHT? You can get eight bottles of delicious craft beer for just £12 thanks to our friends at beer52.com. Just visit beer52.com/modern52 for your 50% discount. Until next week, do tell your friends about the show on social media, and leave us a review on iTunes - we really appreciate it. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like to be radicalised? How do young British men set out to murder their fellow citizens in the name of 'jihad'? And, once committed to that course, can there ever be a route back? Former extremist Adam Deen spent much of his youth as a member of Al-Muhajiroun, the notorious terrorist organisation lead by Omar Bakri Muhammad. For years he believed in the foundation of a UK Islamic state, and was prepared to participate in whatever course of action his leader said was necessary to achieve that goal. In this extraordinary interview with Olly Mann, he recalls his journey into Islamic extremism, considers the cost for his loved ones, and warns against future generations following his lead. Adam is nowadays the Managing Director of The Quilliam Foundation, a think tank aiming to challenge extremist narratives while advocating pluralistic, democratic alternatives. Find out more about their work at quilliamfoundation.org. Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart considers 'anti-tech tech' start-ups Pause and DistractaGone in this week's Zeitgeist, predicts a Winter trend for men's ballet-wear, and the death of 'inspirational' wall-quotes. Say it's not so? Keep Calm and Carry On, folks... And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox considers the terminology of 'queer' porn, has some useful advice about where (not) to store your rubbers, and advises a listener who's the same height as his partner which sexual positions provide the best 'angle of dangle'. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - remember to use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout for a frankly astonishing 15% Off. Last but not least, our record of the week is 'A 1000 Times' from the album 'I Had A Dream That You Were Mine', by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam. It’s out now on Glassnote Records. Remember, we can only make this show with your support. If you value independent podcasting and want to keep us on the road, just click 'Beer Money' on our website, modernmann.co.uk. Thanks - and we'll See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Productivity’ is a term that gets tossed around a lot: you should be more productive at work; the nation needs to be more productive in general... But what does it actually mean? There are only so many hours in the day - are there really life hacks that can help us make better use of the limited time we have to boost our output in the workplace AND lead happier lives? One man who knows is Chris Bailey - in a series of experiments upon himself, he spent a year trying out productivity techniques such as goal-setting, meditation and early rising, and measured the actual outcomes to devise a system for managing his life. In this interview with Olly, he reveals his top productivity tips, dismisses the industry of ‘productivity porn’, and speaks up for the positive role of caffeine. Elsewhere, Ollie Peart fills The Zeitgeist with news of the new metrosexual: the spornosexual; predicts the welcome demise of shared plates; and celebrates the trend for non-confrontational reality TV. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox has bad news for frequenters of notorious London sex-sauna Rio’s, and some tips for a listener whose wife wants to watch porn with him. The Foxhole is sponsored by mycondom.com - enter the code FOXHOLE at checkout for an outrageous 15% off. Music this week comes courtesy of Foreign Fields and their new single Dry, out now on Caroline Records. If you have any feedback about the show, you’d like to buy us a beer, or you have a question of sex for Alix, just visit our website MODERNMANN.CO.UK This episode of The Modern Mann is supported by Beer52.com, the brilliant British-based craft beer club. As a Modern Mann listener, you can get 50% off a box of eight delicious craft beers by visiting Beer52.com/Modern52. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Down on his luck, and under pressure to maintain his lifestyle, Radcliffe Royds decided to rob a bank. In this incredible interview, he tells Olly his story. It’s a tale of extreme highs and lows, brutal honesty and dark humour. Meanwhile, Ollie Peart has decamped to Lisbon for the 2016 Web Summit - an orgy of start-ups and self-promotion. In this week’s Zeitgeist, he ponders whether laundry services might be the next sector to fall foul of disruptive technology, why Silicon Valley buzzwords are so damn aggressive, and why on Earth anyone would name a new company ‘Two-Hats’. In our weekly trip down the Foxhole, love guru Alix Fox puts the Poundland vibrator to the test, and answers a listener’s question about sexual piercings in the only way she knows how - with, um, piercing honesty. YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP YOUR LEGS CROSSED FOR THIS ONE. This episode of The Modern Mann is brought to you by our friends at DragonFruit, the amazing dating app for geeks and nerds. Join now for free and be sure to add ‘Modern Mann’ as one of your geekdoms! The Foxhole is sponsored by MyCondom.com - your one-stop shop for all your bedroom needs, except possibly light fittings and duvets. Use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout to get an incredible 15% off! If you have any feedback about this week’s show, if you’d like to support the show by buying us a beer, or if you’d like to send Alix your question of sex - just visit our website, ModernMann.co.uk. You can also find us on social media @themodernmann on Twitter, and at Facebook.com/OllyMann. Our song of the week is ‘You Don’t Get Me High Anymore’ by Phantogram - out now on Republic Records. ‘Cruzin’ appears courtesy of Benedek on a Creative Commons licence. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The RNLI lifeboats don’t just save lives at sea - they also rescue people on rivers. London’s Thames is teeming with party-boats, where drunken misadventure can lead to injury. Meanwhile, troubled ‘jumpers’, suffering from poor mental health, all too often consider suicide by plunging into its depths. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, Amber Bowie may be the woman who comes to your rescue. In this interview with Olly, she explains how cold water shock can render you senseless, why washing-up liquid can be a surprisingly useful tool on-board a warship, and why, alongside her full-time job as a London architect, she volunteers to save lives at the weekend. If you’re inspired by Amber’s story, you can volunteer for the RNLI, or donate to this incredible charity via their website, RNLI.org In the Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart considers the merits of facial-recognition sunglasses, watches the trailer for Trainspotting 2 and wonders whether watermelon juice and 'banana freakshake' will be the liquid trends of 2017. And, in our weekly trip down the Foxhole, Alix Fox visits notorious North London sex sauna Rio’s, and offers some advice for a listener preparing for their first ever visit to S&M club Torture Garden. The Foxhole is sponsored by our lovely friends at MyCondom.com, who are offering Mann-Fans a staggering 15% OFF if you use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout. Finally, our track of the week is by Saint Sister. It’s called Tin Man and it’s out on the 16th December on Communion Records. This episode is supported by Beer52, the UK’s number one craft beer club. As a Modern Mann listener you can get a box of ten delicious craft beers sent directly to your home or your office for only £12: that’s 50% off. All you need to do is head over to Beer52.com/Modern52 to claim your half-price first box, with no obligation to keep subscribing. If you have a question of sex for Alix, you’d like to send us some feedback, or chuck us some beer money, just visit our website, modernmann.co.uk Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School, is a man on a mission. He wants you to sleep better. Not just if you're one of the 30% of Brits who will, at some point, experience insomnia - but also if you're one of the remaining 70%, who will, inevitably, spend some nights struggling to get some shut-eye, staring at the ceiling and wishing you were somewhere else. In this interview with Olly Mann, Guy reveals his tips for changing your mind-set when your brain is racing around and keeping you awake. He advises how to effectively use your smartphone and other light-emitting devices in the bedroom; how to nap effectively; and how to reprogram your master clock to adjust to levels of sleep actually available to you in your busy life. Elsewhere in this episode, Ollie Peart tells the strange story of CJ de Mooi, considers the future of the pay-per-minute cafe, and predicts that the demise of Vine may herald a new wave of social network failures. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, resident love-guru Alix Fox considers how a listener who gets nauseous near cigarette-smoke can continue satisfying their partner - who has a smoking fetish... The Foxhole is sponsored by our lovely friends at MyCondom.com, who are offering Mann-Fans a staggering 15% OFF if you use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout. We end the episode with a cracking new track from Dan Croll. It's called Swim and it's out now on Communion Records. Remember, if you enjoy the show, you can help keep us going - our ambition is to create a weekly, year-round show - by buying us a beer. If all our listeners committed to buying us just one beer a month, we could do this as our full-time jobs! Imagine! You can do that, or send a question of sex to Alix, by clicking Feedback on our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Evans, 74, is a working bull-fighter who lives in Marbella. In this extraordinary interview, he tells Olly how he discovered the controversial sport on holiday in Spain; how a copy of To Be A Matador by Henry Higgins inspired him to 'give it a bash' - and how, with virtually no training at all, he found himself facing death in the ring in Montpellier. Now known as 'El Ingles', Frank sticks out in the sport not only due to his age and English roots, but also because he believes bullfighting needs to adapt to survive. Elsewhere in this episode, we're celebrating our triumphant win* as Podcast of the Year at the Radio Academy Awards**. (* we came second.) (** They're now called 'the ARIAs', apparently.) Recorded the morning-after-the-night before, in an auspicious hotel room in Leeds, Ollie Peart fills this week's Zeitgeist with a celebration of bow-ties, a review of Adam Curtis' latest film, and a prediction that Kanye West has killed auto-tune. If you have a trend suggestion for next week's show, do be in touch via Twitter @themodernmann. And, in the first ever instance of our sex-question section The Foxhole actually being recorded in a bed, Alix Fox returns with advice for a listener from Rhode Island who is a 'grower not a shower', and news of why getting older might genuinely mean better sex. We have a new sponsor for The Foxhole for this series - the wonderful people at MyCondom.Com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners 15% off their excellent products if you use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout. Finally, we finish the episode, as ever, with a song. This week, 'Season Two, Episode Three' by the brilliant Glass Animals. Remember if you'd like to buy us a beer, send Alix a question of sex, or leave us any feedback on the show, just head to our website, modernmann.co.uk It's a pleasure to be back, Mann-fans! See You Next Tuesday. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern-day hermit Daniel Pike is, technically, homeless - but he does have a home, which he built himself, in woodland near Watford. He made it from clay and reclaimed wood, and it's amazing. Now, the landowners want to evict him. In this extraordinary interview, Olly Mann travels to Daniel's hut to learn how he came to be living outdoors - and why he doesn't want to forage for mushrooms any more... Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart investigates giant spider robots, new emoji symbols and SodaStream Beer in The Zeitgeist, and, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox previews the contenders for the Erotic Trade Only Awards, and offers advice to a listener who wants to cheat on his wife - in a tent at Glastonbury. Our song of the week is the Summeriest track we could find: Shine, by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, out now on Stax Records. And... that's it for this season of The Modern Mann - we will be back with more in the Autumn. In the meantime, please visit modernmann.co.uk to to leave us a comment, submit a question of sex, or offer to sponsor the show. Just click Beer Money to support the show with, erm, liquidity. There are plenty of our other shows online for you to keep busy over the Summer: Olly presents Answer Me This!, Chips With Everything and The Media Podcast; Ollie Peart has a vlog on YouTube at youtube.com/mrollieep and Alix has a brand new show for The Guardian, Close Encounters, kicking off very soon. And motorsport fans should sample producer Matt's grand prix comedy show, For F1's Sake. Thanks so much for listening. See you in the Autumn! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes you buy a product? The look? The smell? The layout of the store? In today's cut-throat business world, none of that is left to coincidence: behavioural science is influencing the design of high street shops, supermarkets and online emporiums alike. In this episode, Olly meets consumer psychologists Reece Akhtar and Dr Dimitrios Tsivrikos from University College, London and learns how we consumers are manipulated into buying stuff we don't want or need because retailers are cleverly appealing to our fear of scarcity, desire to belong or our basest instincts. So, next time you go shopping, you'll know what to look out for - you'll never walk the floor tiles in Tesco the same way again! Elsewhere, Ollie Peart considers ice cream van wars and KFC-flavoured nail polish in The Zeitgeist, and Alix Fox discusses animal role-play and sex toy cleaning regimes in The Foxhole. Music is provided by The Anchoress and their track 'Doesn't Kill You', out now on Kscope Records. If you have a question for Alix for a future edition of the show, if you'd like to sponsor the show or buy us a beer then just visit our website at modernmann.co.uk See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did Rory Reid get his dream job, presenting one of the biggest TV shows on Earth? Despite many years as a motoring and tech journalist, he had only a few months to adjust to flying around the world driving supercars. In this world exclusive interview, he tells Olly Mann how he prepared for his BBC screentest, and why a rap video may just have secured him the gig; reacts to his treatment by the British tabloids, and explains why he has some sympathy with Jeremy Clarkson... Also this week, Ollie Peart considers the new live-action Tetris movie in The Zeitgeist. Plus: the Weetabix drink; a new product for night-time snackers; and some lesser-known competitive sports. Meanwhile, in the Foxhole, Alix sweats the small stuff as she answers a question of pheremones: is it normal to be attracted to your partner's sweat? Our song of the week is 'Life Itself' by Glass Animals. Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, baldheadliberationfront.com If you have a question for Alix for a future edition of the show, if you'd like to sponsor the show or buy us a beer then just visit our website at modernmann.co.uk See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How should you behave in a 'gentleman's club'? Stripper Edie Licious should know - from grinding the stage at super-sized American strip bars to working the pole in humble East End pubs, she's played 'em all. In this frank and funny interview, she tells Olly how nightclubs milk money from hapless drunk punters who pay 'VIP', explains why erotic dancing can still sometimes be erotic, and considers her future in the industry now that she's fallen in love. You'll never not tip a stripper again. Also this episode: Ollie Peart previews the music, fashion and grub on offer at this year's biggest music festivals in The Zeitgeist. Is festival food overpriced? Is monochrome the acceptable face of tie-dye? And will he ever get tickets for Glastonbury? Meanwhile, over in The Foxhole, Alix Fox promotes her campaign to introduce a condom emoji, and considers a question of BDSM: should a reluctant dom hit and choke his submissive girlfriend when she's specifically requested him to, but he feels uncomfortable so doing? If you have a question of sex for a future episode, just head over to modernmann.co.uk and fill in our Feedback form - you can remain completely anonymous if you wish. Music this week comes courtesy of Matthew and the Atlas, in the form of their new single, Temple, from their album of the same name. Big thanks to our sponsors this week, the Bald Head Liberation Front - your one-stop shop for blades, oils and potions to keep your bald scalp shiny and sexy and manly and grr. Visit them now at baldheadliberationfront.com And if you too see the value in supporting our show, and independent podcasting in general, then please do buy us a beer - it's only through the support of listeners like you that we can afford to keep producing the show. Just visit modernmann.co.uk and click 'beer money'. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your smartphone spying on you? Just how secure is the dark web? And is your 'Private Browsing' time actually, you know... private? Buzzfeed's James Ball was just 23 when Julian Assange thrust a USB stick with nearly 400,000 confidential Iraqi war logs into his hands. In this episode he shares with Olly his top tips for conducting conversations, managing documents and meeting associates whilst avoiding unwanted surveillance. If you'd like to try James' 'Location Services' trick on your iPhone, here's are the menus you need to navigate: Settings → Privacy → Location Services → System Services → Frequent Locations Also this week: in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart ponders the year's hottest BBQ trends, the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, and the return of Peaky Blinders. And we've a special edition of The Foxhole, for which Alix Fox takes Olly on a tour of her favourite sex boutique, Sh! in Hoxton. She'll be tackling sex questions again next week, though - so if you have one, just submit it using our Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk Music this week comes courtesy of Martha Ffion, with her new single We Disappear, out now on Turnstile Records. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedians Stuart Goldsmith and Tom Price reunite with Olly Mann to compare notes, three months after all spawning sons. What has having a baby done to their time management, sleep routines and sense of self-worth? Which gadgets would they recommend to future dads? And is there such a thing as male post-natal depression? Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart learns French via his smartphone, discusses Radiohead's temporary disappearance from the internet, and the trend for 'dentist beards'. And, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox flogs a truck-load of her old sex toys for charidee, and considers whether a listener should be loyal to the coil - if his wife's contraceptive prevents her from achieving orgasm. Our song of the week is, appropriately, from the lullaby archives at rockabyebabymusic.com. If you'd like to leave us some feedback, send us a sex question or buy us a beer, head over to modernmann.co.uk. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine designing rollercoasters for a living. That's what Bradley Wynne, lead creative artist at Merlin Magic Making, gets to do. A life-long adrenalin junkie, he's now heading up the team for Thorpe Park's biggest ever launch, Derren Brown's Ghost Train. Find out how sounds, smells and touch can enhance the experience of riding a rollercoaster; how the fallout from the tragedy on The Smiler has affected the theming process, and how Bradley used a very boring interest in planning application data to his advantage to secure his dream job. Also this episode: Ollie Peart debates our 'no spoilers' culture following the return of Game Of Thrones, the declining sales of pasta, and the enduring power of dial-up. Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox considers whether having sexual fantasies about your schooldays makes you a paedophile. (It doesn't). Our record of the week is Damien Jurado's new single, Qachina, out May 6th; and this episode has been sponsored by Fallen London, the brand new text adventure game for iOS. Thanks to them and to everyone who has bought us a beer at modernmann.co.uk or left us an iTunes review at itunes.com/mann - you're helping keeping us alive! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How DO you make the perfect cup of coffee? Do you grind? Do you press? Do you froth? One man who knows is 'Coffee Masters' champion Ben Morrow, of Melbourne-based coffee roasters St. Ali. In this episode, Olly meets him at Hackney Coffee Company to discuss how to buy coffee, how to prepare it, and how to capture the essence of a Columbian farm in a cup... Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox suggests what to do when your partner has a latex fetish - but you're highly allergic to it. If you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill out the Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk - you can remain completely anonymous if you wish. And, over in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers name-changing, the surge in vinyl record sales, and his trip to watch Drone Racing at Wembley Stadium. Last but not least, we are ROCKING OUT this week with our Song of the Week. It's by The Amazons, and it's called Stay With Me, out now on Fiction Records. This episode is brought to you by Fallen London, the brand new text adventure game for iOS. Download it for free now in the App Store, or sign up to get a gift from us at www.failbettergames.com/modern. Thanks too to everyone who has bought us beer in the past week - it's with your support we are able to keep making this show, and keep it independent. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Photojournalist Alison Baskerville was serving in Iraq when she began documenting the lives of her fellow soldiers. She now independently produces astonishing images from the front line across the world, including Afghanistan, Mali, Israel/Gaza and the Philippines. In this episode, she tells Olly about the moments on basecamp that embedded journalists never get to see, the best way to pack to prepare yourself for a warzone, and why she needed to leave the armed forces to gain objectivity. Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart talks Disney pet trends, 'Shakespeak', and the Chris Packham wasp controversy in this week's Zeitgeist; and Alix Fox considers the twenty-first century role of the Femidom and a question of cross-dressing in this week's Foxhole. And finally, our Single of the Week is the wonderful 'Walk To The One You Love' by Twin Peaks, out now on Communion Records. If you enjoy the show, please don't hesitate to leave us some feedback or buy us a beer - you can do all that, and submit your question of sex, at modernmann.co.uk. If you'd like to find out more about Alison Baskerville, just head to her website at alisonbaskerville.co.uk. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Gilmour dangled from the Cenotaph during the student protests of 2010, and became tabloid enemy #1. Now he's a writer and, since being scouted at a Xmas party, a male model. In this episode, he reveals to Olly what it takes to make Paris Fashion Week in 2016, how to work on your 'walk', and where models hide their drugs... Elsewhere in what would, if only we were American, be our 'season premiere', Ollie Peart returns with The Zeitgeist - and considers the politics of fear, The West Cornwall Pasty position on #Brexit, and the glorious failure of Microsoft's chat-bot experiment, Tay. Meanwhile, Alix Fox returns from Rabbit Island for another series of The Foxhole. This week: the prickly issue of foreskin regeneration, the disputed medical benefits of circumcision, and how the American predilection for penis-cutting originates in the wacky beliefs of Dr Lewis Sayre. And our single of the week is 'Bermuda' by GIVERS, out now on Glassnote. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2016 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shaun Attwood survived a 9½ year sentence in America's deadliest prison. He tells Olly Mann his sensational story, from Liverpool to Phoenix, from his initial career playing the stock market to the millions he earned trading ecstasy for the fledgling 90's rave scene in Arizona, in competition with the Mafia mass murderer Sammy the Bull Gravano. In The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart looks forward to the trends of 2016 - from the release of Oculus Rift to the return of silent film - and, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox helps a gay gent who seeks a more reliable hard-on. Music comes courtesy of Mystery Jets - it's their new single Telomere, from their album Curve of the Earth - out Jan 15th on Caroline International. And... that's it for the current series of The Modern Mann. If you've enjoyed it, please do buy us a beer at modernmann.co.uk, leave us a review on iTunes - and we'll return in the Spring. Thanks to everyone who has supported the show so far. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2015 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like being Santa Claus? In our Christmas Spectacular episode, Olly meets actor Nigel Harvey, who makes a living playing Father Christmas all year round, and hears about the highs and lows of life in that iconic red-and-white outfit. Meanwhile, at the invitation of listener Paul from ice cream cafe Cloud 9, the rest of the team have decamped to Brighton, where Ollie Peart considers Tim Peake's Christmas in space, and Alix Fox presents us with her Christmas-wrapped selection of the year's best sex toys. Ding dong! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Thanks to: Cloud 9, Brighton. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2015 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your first bet kickstarted a cycle of addiction that saw you flutter away over £10,000 in the bookies before your 20th birthday? Olly Mann meets Matt Zarb-Cousins to find out. Matt frankly confronts the nature of addiction, the changing face of the British high street and how a life can fall apart when the stakes are raised. Meanwhile, Ollie Peart is, like everyone else, contemplating the return of 'Serial'. Can the new season possibly compete with the first; the most successful podcast of all time? Also in The Zeitgeist this week, the Disneyfication of The BFG, the 'science' of full stops, and the ever-decreasing age of the computer hacker. And, in our weekly trip down The Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the world of 'forniture' (that's furniture you can sleep with, folks), and assists a listener who wants to climax at the same time as his partner, with the aid of a new masturbator for men who suffer from premature ejaculation. If you've got a question of sex for Alix, you’d like to send us some feedback or buy us a beer, just head to modernmann.co.uk. Our musical pick this week is 'Europe Is Lost' by Kate Tempest, out now. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2015 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating guru Hayley Quinn reveals her 5 principles of approaching a partner, and her thoughts on the industry of 'pick-up artists'. Olly Mann asks: in this age of Tinder, Grindr, no-strings sex and fourth-wave feminism... How do you find someone you want to be with, what do you say to them once you meet them, and where do you take them for a drink? Also this week, Ollie Peart delves into The Zeitgeist to consider Mark Zuckerberg's financial planning, Bill Murray's Netflix special, and whether you'd buy your granddad a PornHub giftcard for Christmas. And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox brings us news of a testicular beauty pageant (really), and has advice for a listener who gets a kick out of looking at ladies' feet - especially in nylon stockings. If you've got a question of sex for Alix, you’d like to send us some feedback or buy us a beer, just head to modernmann.co.uk. Our musical pick this week is 'Sneakers' by Franky Flowers, out now on Turnstile Records. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2015 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you get work as a film extra, how much do you get paid - and how do you kill time when you have to spend all day with Britney Spears? Olly Mann meets Dr Chay Allen - an art historian who paid his way through his phD by working as an extra on shows including 24 and Downton Abbey, and films including The Dark Shadows and Skyfall, to answer these questions, and more. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - himself struck down with S.A.D - applauds a novel approach to Black Friday, loses yet more of his hard-earned cash in Bux, and gets COMPLETELY SUCKED IN by Amazon's drone PR campaign. And, down The Foxhole, our resident love guru Alix Fox has some advice for a horny young dude who is boning so frequently he's resorted to faking his own orgasms. Poor love. If you'd like to send in a question for Alix, leave us some feedback or buy us a beer, just visit modernmann.co.uk. Our song of the week is 'Let Me Hold You' by Plaitum, out 4th Dec on Wolf Tone. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann 2015. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedians Stuart Goldsmith and Tom Price join Olly Mann to discuss their impending fatherhood, from the impact it will have on their respective relationships, to the pitfalls of NCT classes and the lack of support society appears to offer men embarking upon their first baby. They also make some bad taste jokes. Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart spends big bucks on Bux, suggests some inventive new names for David Cameron's plane, and reflects upon the death of FHM. And, down The Foxhole, our resident love guru Alix Fox showcases the work of bi-curious adventurers Skirt Club, and advises a listener who'd like his wife to stick it to him, ever so gently, but a bit more deeply. You'll never think of your bumhole in the same way again. If you'd like to send in a question for Alix, leave us some feedback or buy us a beer, just visit modernmann.co.uk. Our song of the week is 'Agape' by Bear's Den, out 10th December on Communion Records. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann 2015. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why put your money in a bank when you could buy a barrel of whisky?! Olly Mann meets Leo Scott-Francis, who offers private investors the opportunity to buy first-fill sherry casks. Leo gives Olly a crash-course in the market, and a taste of his own-brand of whisky, currently maturing underground in Scotland. But will Olly sign up us a client? Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers the drugs-on-demand business in which Snoop has invested his doggy dosh; spends longer than is healthy looking at GIFs of Shia LaBeouf; and reveals that, as a child, he was a contender to be CHOCOLATE SUPERSTAR the Milkybar Kid. In our weekly trip down The Foxhole, our resident love guru Alix Fox advises a couple who are struggling to keep the fizz in their long-distance relationship. It's nothing that a lubricated sleeve and a Bluetooth connection can't fix, apparently. If you'd like to send in a question for Alix, leave us some feedback or buy us a beer, just visit modernmann.co.uk. Our song of the week is 'Double Visions' by Mini Mansions, out 27th November on Fiction Records. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann 2015. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices