On this episode we are joined once again by former professional goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. Chris tells us all about his new autobiography "Keeping it quiet" that documents his life in sport, his journey with injuries, depression and addiction. Chris was recently honoured with an honorary doctorate for his work in the community which he tells us all about. We are also joined by Chris Puddephatt who tells us his own story with addiction and all bout the amazing work being done by the Spid...

On this episode we are joined by two more amazing guests to talk all about 'Gym Culture'. We dive in to topics about fitness, wellbeing, steroids, testosterone, community, inclusivity and accessibility. Sam Gelling is a coach and personal trainer working closely with people to improve knowledge and ability around fitness and strength. Sam takes a holistic view on an individual basis which addresses nutrition, motivation and positive mental health. Sam is a former body builder and has pe...

David Dineley’s My Brain & Other Beautiful Disasters is a story about identity, friendship, and the complicated beauty of living with a mind that doesn’t play by the rules, for anyone who has ever felt “too much,” “not enough,” or both at once. Although a piece of fiction the book is based upon on David’s experiences dealing with his own mental health over the years. David sadly passed away in August and with the book set for release on World Mental Health Day his daughter Becky joins us ...

On this episode we focus on the theme of food. We are joined by MP Ian Byrne. Ian Byrne is the Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby. Before entering Parliament, Ian worked as a taxi driver and trade union organiser for Unite, championing workers’ rights and NHS staff conditions. He co-founded Fans Supporting Foodbanks in 2015, a grassroots initiative uniting Liverpool and Everton fans to combat food poverty. In Westminster, Ian has been a vocal advocate for so...

In this episode we are joined buy special guest artist Joe Kiney Whitmore. Joe is an oil painter dedicated to the mastery of classical techniques. Though he holds a Fine Art degree, he considers himself largely self-taught, drawing upon centuries of tradition to inform his meticulous approach. Joe is deeply connected to themes of addiction, recovery, and mental health, his work is both a means of understanding the world and a pursuit of personal equilibrium. Joe discusses the importance of ar...

On this episode we focus on male domestic abuse. We are joined by Kevin Crimmons, a senior lecturer and nurse who spent years practising as a nurse in war zones. He was deployed to Belfast during the troubles, Belize, and the first Gulf War where he earned a Commander's Commendation for his work as part of a Burns Team. Kevin then completed a specialist course in Burns & Plastic Surgery at Queen Victoria East Grinstead. He was posted to the regional Burns Unit at the military hospit...

On this episode we focus on the theme of Bereavement. In 2015 Joe and Agnes used the Beacon Counselling Trust as service users, following the tragic loss of their son, Paul, to suicide. In 2017 they co-founded Paul’s Place Suicide Bereavement Support Service with Kathy Devlin. At this time, they also became volunteers within the charity. This primarily involved organising fundraising events, promoting the Paul’s Place service to external agencies, and co-hosting weekly peer support grou...

David Quinti is a founding member of the Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) and as well as acting as co-lead of Operations at GLEN he also works for BetKnowMore, another leading charity in the sector. He is a member of the Lived Experience Council at GambleAware and has expertise in the development of the lived experience community movement in Great Britain having been in recovery from gambling harms for over 10 years. His lived experience expertise informs his support of others and in ...

We are joined by two more incredible guests for our 2nd Birthday to talk about reflection. Our first guest Steve Pilgrim is a drummer and singer-songwriter. With 4 released solo albums and being Paul Weller's drummer for over a decade Steve has toured the world and played with some incredible musicians. He is the founder of the 'BeOnePercent' charity and promoter at St Michaels Live. Steve talks about the stressors of being a professional musician, the tactics he uses to manage his mental wel...

World Bipolar Day is observed annually on March 30th to raise awareness about bipolar disorder, reduce stigma, and promote understanding of the condition, which is also the birthday of Vincent van Gogh, who is believed to have had bipolar disorder. On this special episode we are joined by Theo James (@BipolarTed) who is a 38-year-old navigating the complexities of life with bipolar disorder. With a creative spirit and a love for storytelling, Theo channels both the highs and lows of thi...

In this episode we are joined by two amazing guests who having both been bereaved by suicide and found a desire to dedicate their lives to suicide awareness and prevention. Chris Sibley is one of the founders of the OLLIE Foundation. Having lost his son TJ to suicide Chris created the OLLIE foundation with two other people who had also lost children to suicide. The OLLIE foundation do incredible work and Chris tells us all about that along with his own experience. Jess Gallier, the 2019...

On this episode we focus on the theme of Death and Dying. We are joined by two more amazing guests: Kristoffer Hughes is chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, an author, Drag Queen and TV presenter. Kris worked as a coroner for 30+ years and his recent Television programme ‘Death With Kris’ saw him travel to India, Indonesia, the United States and Mexico in search of different – and better – ways of dealing with death. Kris joins us to tell us all about his journey and lived experience. We...

In this episode we explore the Adolescent brain, the current mental health landscape for children and adolescents and we are joined by two fantastic guests. Juliette and Ryan work in YPAS = Young Persons Advisory Service. They discuss the service and what they offer to both young people and carers along with an insight into current concerns, triggers and issues for young people.We had a main guest booked for this, but sadly, he is not well, so we decided to postpone his appearance until later...

In this episode, we are joined by actor/director Christopher Lee Power. Christopher gives us an honest account of his childhood and youth in which there were numerous traumatic events such as sexual abuse, witnessing a murder, and issues with alcohol and drugs. Christopher discovered the world of performing and put all his energy into becoming an actor. He received his Oxford Diploma in Acting from Richmond Drama School, and training from prestigious institutions such The Lee Strasberg ...

In this episode we concentrate on the theme of abstinence. We have three more incredible guests. Ben Taylor aka The Magic Mod tells us his story of aspiration, rock n roll magic and his story of abstinence following a struggle with alcohol. Ben now inspires others and delivers his story honestly and openly.We are also joined by Sam Batley who is a self taught multi-disciplined artist basing his work in film photography, analogue collage and poetry. Sam was helped through the Damien John Kelly...

Episode 20 - Theme: Change.On this episode we are joined by two more fantastic guests. George Riley, who is an award-winning broadcaster and rugby league commentator who joined the State of Mind charity in 2018. George specialises in discussing the impact of media and social media on our mental health, the importance of exercise on mental wellbeing, and the dangers of alcohol in causing mental health problems, having been sober since 2019 following a crisis period in his own life. George...

On this episode, we are joined by ex-professional rugby professional Ian Knott. Ian represented GB at Academy level and played Professionally for 13 years with Warrington Wolves, Wakefield and Leigh. During his time at Leigh, he captained the team to the treble, which included promotion to the Super League for the first time in the clubs history. After sustaining a severe back injury that required 5 back operations and a Morphine pump implant Ian fought and overcame severe depression as...

In this special one-off Man Hug our Conleth is on set at the latest Samaritans film. The film has been created as part of world suicide prevention day and whilst they were filming Conleth got to interview the wonderful people behind it including some of the dancers and directors (Erin Kelly, Katie-Ann McCabe, Laura Macy, Jack Watson). Episode 17 was on the theme of the Arts and this links in nicely, enjoy. Team Man Hug. Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on Instagram - @The_Ma...

Theme: The Arts.In this episode we have three more amazing guests who all discuss the arts and mental health with personal stories and discussion.We are joined by the wonderful Mersey Wylie. Mersey is an incredible musician who talks about music and mental health with an insight into her own story and what men can learn from using music as a platform to express thoughts and feelings. Mersey also leads two choirs and discusses the power of community-based singing. We are also joined by award-w...

In this episode we are joined by 4 amazing guests with the theme being: Neurodiversity. We are joined by Stephen Wynne, who lives with ADHD and works as a neurodiversity coordinator for Everton in the Community. We are also joined by Lynsey Boggan and Leanne Johnson, two wonderful nurses from Alder Hey Childrens Hospital's Austism Spectrum Disorder Team. And the service we shine a light on this month is the Zero Suicide Alliance, we are joined by Jade Corbridge who talks about their free onli...