Recorded live behind the scenes at Hull City Hall during their tour, Katie and Kerry sit down together for a raw, unfiltered conversation about cocaine use, recovery, motherhood, and the double standards women face in the public eye. They talk candidly about addiction, ADHD, bipolar diagnosis, self-medication, the role of fame, toxic circles, and how accountability changed everything. You’ll hear how their friendship became a lifeline, why owning your story beats gossip, and what ...

Mel shares her powerful journey from growing up as a triplet in a family where drinking was the norm, to finding recovery through boxing, community, and addressing her mental health. She opens up about identity struggles, belonging in pub culture, escalating substance use in Brighton, dangerous encounters with dealers, and the moment of clarity in Spain that changed everything. From cannabis use after quitting alcohol to finding strength in 12-step fellowships, boxing, and medication, Mel’s s...

Emma Hardy MP joins Believe in People for the second time to discuss Hull’s triple flood threat, the rise of ketamine harm, and the cost of living’s toll on mental health. From sewage systems to social housing, she tackles some of Britain’s biggest challenges. We also talk about the need for transparency in government to rebuild public trust, the role of innovation in solving long-term challenges, and why political leadership must prioritise bringing people together over exploiting division. ...

Elly returns for her third appearance on Believe in People to share insight from over 30 years working in harm reduction, with a focus on eliminating Hepatitis C. She explains how treatment has progressed from year-long courses with severe side effects to today’s short-course tablets that are 96 percent effective. Elly draws on decades of professional experience, making this an essential listen for anyone interested in how public health services respond to complex and evolving challenge...

In this energising and unfiltered conversation, we meet Henry Beercock, founder of Hull’s growing sober movement Alcohull Free. After nearly two decades of heavy binge drinking, Henry made a bold decision: he gave up alcohol, left his corporate career, and radically transformed his life from the inside out. What followed was more than personal recovery, it was the beginning of a cultural shift. Alcohull Free was built for people who are tired of drinking culture but still want to connect, so...

Apple Music x Believe in People: A Classical Connections Feature In this special collaboration, Believe in People host Matthew Butler is featured on Classical Connections, the Radio Academy Award-winning podcast hosted by renowned pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench. Originally broadcast on Apple Music, this episode forms part of the acclaimed 60-Second Sonata segment, where Alexis listens to a personal story and responds by composing a bespoke piece of music. Inspired by Butler’s refle...

In the first of a powerful two-part conversation, Andy Woodward joins Believe in People to recount the beginning of a journey that would ultimately expose one of the biggest scandals in British sporting history. A former professional footballer, Andy was the first to go public with his experience of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Barry Bennell, a youth coach whose crimes were concealed for decades by a culture of silence within football. With striking honesty, Andy describes how...

In this gripping return to Believe in People, Young Lee opens up about what happens after the chaos of addiction — when the drugs are gone, the dust has settled, and the real work begins. Once a rising star in the music scene, Young shares how losing everything forced him to rebuild from scratch — not just a life, but a self. Through daily spiritual practice, honest service, and the quiet discipline of presence, he’s found a deeper kind of freedom — one rooted not in status or success, but in...

Ross joins the podcast to share his powerful journey from personal tragedy to public advocacy, following the suicide of his father - a traumatic event that profoundly shaped his mental health. We explore how Ross turned to alcohol and cocaine to suppress overwhelming grief, endured multiple suicide attempts, and reached a pivotal moment of clarity during hospitalisation. His recovery story is rooted in the transformative impact of sobriety and the critical role of peer support. Through his in...

Matt speaks with Woody, the National Connecting Communities Lead at Change Grow Live, who shares a candid account of his journey through addiction, recovery, and professional development. Woody reflects on the early signs of substance use in his teens and the emotional undercurrents that led him to rely on substances as a coping mechanism. He discusses his progression through various drugs, including butane gas, cannabis, hallucinogens, and ultimately alcohol, which became his most destructiv...

Matt speaks with Chris De Banks, founder of Not Saints - the UK’s only not-for-profit record label supporting musicians in recovery - to explore the powerful intersection of music and sobriety. From navigating the drug-fuelled 90s music scene to building a sober creative community, Chris shares his journey through addiction, recovery, and the founding of Not Saints. Together, they unpack the myths that link creativity with substance use, challenge the glamorisation of addiction in pop c...

In this raw and controversial episode, Matt sits down with TalkToBigDan - aka Daniel Ramson - to explore his unapologetic, tough-love approach to recovery. Rejecting conventional services, Dan shares how he went from partying with rock stars and being sectioned to becoming one of Europe’s most in-demand addiction coaches. Drawing from lived experience, he challenges the disease model of addiction, advocating instead for radical accountability, discipline, and structure. From drug-induce...

John’s story is one of quiet transformation - trading binge drinking and chaotic nights for clarity, creativity, and connection. After a 5am moment of reckoning, he chose sobriety not because he identified as an alcoholic, but because alcohol no longer served the life he wanted to build. In its place, he discovered a passion for photography and launched Hull and Yorkshire Daily, a widely followed platform capturing the beauty and grit of his surroundings. Through candid reflection, pers...

Paul Haley’s journey from the depths of heroin and crack cocaine addiction to national leadership is a powerful testament to resilience, transformation, and purpose. After a near-fatal injecting injury became his rock bottom, Paul made the courageous decision to rebuild his life. Nearly two decades later, he now serves as Change Grow Live’s National Service User Involvement Lead, using his lived experience to challenge stigma, empower others, and drive systemic change in treatment services. H...

In this powerful transatlantic collaboration, Believe in People host Amy Goldberg welcomes our UK counterpart Matt Butler into the guest seat alongside special guest host Caitlin Morrison - sister of the late Matthew Perry and driving force behind the Matthew Perry Foundation - for a deeply personal conversation on recovery, resilience, and legacy. Together, they explore how storytelling dismantles stigma, how lived experience shapes advocacy, and how one man’s journey - from working behind t...

Matt sits down with ultramarathon runner Tom Fitzsimons, whose extraordinary journey from alcohol addiction to running 3,073 miles across the U.S. in 100 days is a powerful testament to human resilience. Through candid storytelling, Tom shares how running became his lifeline—a way to reclaim identity, process trauma, and inspire others. From training in front of a fireplace to surreal encounters on America’s loneliest highways, he reflects on the emotional toll of addiction, the healing...

In the second part of this powerful two-part episode, Matt continues his conversation with Sarah Hicks as she reflects on her journey through trauma, justice, and recovery. Sarah shares her experience of surviving sexual assault and the lasting psychological impact it had on her life, speaking with unflinching honesty about the systemic barriers she faced in seeking justice. As she recounts the challenges within legal and investigative systems, Sarah also highlights her transformation i...

In this in-depth two-part episode, Matt sits down with Sarah Hicks for a raw and reflective conversation that spans addiction, trauma, abusive relationships, grief, and recovery. Sarah opens up about her early experiences with substance use, the damaging effects of coercive control, and the emotional toll of loss and abandonment. Together, they explore how generational patterns, societal norms, and codependency shaped her understanding of love and self-worth. With honesty and insight, S...

What happens when the highs of the music industry collide with the depths of addiction? In this compelling episode, Matt speaks with Chris Tait - keyboardist for Electric Six and founder of Passenger Recovery - about his journey from self-destruction to community-driven transformation. Chris reflects on his teenage use of alcohol as a coping tool, the culture of excess that permeates the music industry, and the pivotal moments that led him to seek recovery. Now the founder of Passenger ...

Matt jumps straight in at the deep end as Shev opens up about the weight of adult responsibilities thrust upon her from a young age, including becoming a mother at just 17. In this heartfelt and unflinching conversation, Shev reflects on the emotional wounds of abandonment, the complexity of family relationships, and how addiction quietly took hold while working in the pub industry. She challenges the stigma of single motherhood and shares her determination to rewrite her narrative, finding s...