Lessons for when life unravels
A free-to-access archive of 100+ conversations with crisis survivors and experts designed to help you navigate life’s challenges. All drawn from the Crisis What Crisis? podcast hosted by Andy Coulson.
Lessons on Resilience
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI
From being fired after just eleven days as Trump’s Communications Director to losing millions in the FTX crypto collapse, “The Mooch” shares a high-stakes story of risk and renewal.
PIERS MORGAN
A sneak peek under the bonnet of one of the most respected journalists and broadcasters alive today. Piers teaches us how to handle failure, grief, and the superpower that is not giving a f**k.
POP STAR CHRISTINA PERRI
The multi-platinum artist behind A Thousand Years lost her daughter Rosie to stillbirth, but channelled devastating grief into a mission to reform maternal healthcare.
NOVELIST KIT DE WAAL
Invaluable lessons on how to survive insecurity, challenge the system, and write your way out of a hole.
FOUNDER JOHN ROBERTS
What building a billion-pound business teaches you about failure, leadership, and why energy matters more than experience.
EDITOR DYLAN JONES
This GQ legend endured childhood beatings that left him with a stammer, then rape at 17 in London. His rise to media titan is an invaluable lesson in how to turn pain into power.
MEDIA PIONEER SAAD MOHSENI
The son of a diplomat who built Afghanistan’s first TV empire amid bombs, death threats, and Taliban rule. His blueprint for thriving in chaos is second to none.
BOXING LEGEND FRANK WARREN
If you’ve ever felt backed into a corner, this is the battle-tested blueprint for fighting your way out. (Audio only)
BARONESS MARTHA LANE FOX
A masterclass in how to live, lead, and succeed with the permanent reminder of trauma. (Audio only)
PRISONS MINISTER JAMES TIMPSON
The former CEO turned politician shares crisis-tested leadership lessons about kindness, culture, and why betting on people can be good for business. (Audio only)
SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR CHARLIE WEBSTER
If you’ve ever felt broken by trauma, this is your playbook for rebuilding confidence and finding enduring strength.
ACTIVIST PAYZEE MAHMOD
Forced into marriage at 15, this fashion stylist’s sister Banaz was murdered by their own father for falling in love. Now she’s fighting to save other girls. (Audio only)
LORD SEDWILL
Britain’s most senior civil servant survived bombs, bullets, and Saddam Hussein’s threats, then steered the nation through Brexit, Salisbury poisoning, and Covid with unshakeable calm. (Audio only)
RESTAURATEUR MARK HIX
The comeback blueprint from the man who lost it all – raw, honest, and full of lessons on rebuilding when the dream crashes down. (Audio only)
YO! SUSHI FOUNDER SIMON WOODROFFE
If you’re stuck, broke, or starting over – this is your guide on how to discover opportunity from failure.
Lessons on Gratitude
FALKLANDS VETERAN SIMON WESTON
Burnt alive, irreparably scared. He’s the war hero who could have given up – but chose not to. One of our most inspiring survivor stories. Here’s how he found peace.
HYPNOTHERAPIST PAUL McKENNA
Struggling with stress or stuck in survival mode? Here’s how to reprogramme your brain and unlock your best year yet.
DOUBLE AMPUTEE SARAH DE LAGARDE
Teaches us how to survive an unimaginable accident on the London Underground and still be grateful for the life you have.
TECH PIONEER DAME SHIRLEY
From Nazi refugee to billionaire philanthropist – discover how gratitude transformed loss into a legacy that changed thousands of lives.
DANCER AMY DOWDEN
From Crohn’s to cancer to sepsis – learn how gratitude for each day kept this Strictly star dancing through life’s darkest moments.
DETECTIVE NICK BAILEY
Poisoned by a Russian nerve agent, this former detective found himself fighting for his life – all while caught in the crossfire of an international incident. (Audio only)
GEO-POLITICAL STRATEGIST MARK TURNBULL
Lessons from a life on the conflict and communications front lines from an optimist facing a terminal diagnosis.
INMATE TURNED CELEBRITY CHEF JON WATTS
From a Young Offenders’ Institution to working alongside Jamie Oliver and writing two hit cookbooks, Jon teaches us the joy of bringing life back from the brink.
POLITICIAN, PRISONER AND PRIEST JONATHAN AITKEN
If you believe it’s too late to start again, this is proof you can rebuild your purpose, faith, and impact – and come out smiling.
HERO CHEF HEMANT OBEROI
A masterclass in crisis decision-making – how one chef’s instincts, leadership, and calm saved lives when terror came through the door. (Audio only)
RUGBY LEGEND COURTNEY LAWES
This England legend had everything – Lions tours, captaincy, glory. Then, he chose to walk away from it all...
ROCK LEGEND WILKO JOHNSON
Feeling stuck or overwhelmed? This is what a year of facing death taught this late music icon about clarity, meaning, and how to truly live. (Audio only)
Lessons on Perspective
NILE RODGERS
Behind the 500 million album sales is a story of struggle – with addiction, with cancer, and with grief. This music legend reveals how shifting perspective turned every crisis into fuel for success.
RORY STEWART
From walking across war zones to the Westminster snakepit, Rory Stewart has faced crisis on every front. Here, he reveals what those moments taught him about risk, grief, failure – and why he might yet return to politics.
END-OF-LIFE DOCTOR RACHEL CLARKE
Through spending her days with the dying, she discovered the most profound lessons about life. Dr Rachel’s insights will radically change your perspective on both life and death.
BBC's JAMES LANDALE
After 30 years covering global crises, this BBC correspondent faced his own: cancer. What followed was a truly profound shift in perspective. Tune in for a humbling view of what really matters when faced with the abyss.
LORD PETER HAIN
From apartheid activism to assassination attempts to political scandal, this former Cabinet Minister’s perspective on crisis was shaped by a lifetime under fire. Lessons from a life really lived.
MARINE COLONEL ANDREW MILBURN
From Iraq to Ukraine to losing his daughter in a car crash, this decorated colonel learned that some battles require an entirely different perspective to survive.
BROADCASTER ANDREW MARR
You know him as a powerhouse of British media, but less well known is that Andrew's is a stroke and cancer survivor. This brush with his own mortality taught Andrew to squeeze the juice out of every day. (Audio only)
RICHARD CLEMMOW
When his TV executive wife Jana Bennett was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer Richard Clemmow became a detective in search of new treatments. A story of love, resilience and grief.
PSYCHIATRIST STEVE PETERS
This brilliant mind behind The Chimp Paradox transformed British cycling and countless lives. His radical perspective on how our brains handle crisis will change the way you think. (Audio only)
OLYMPIC HERO SEB COE
What a double Olympic champion and global sports leader can teach you about staying grounded, leading under pressure, and building habits that move the dial. (Audio only)
WILLIAM HAGUE
Learn how to stay calm, think clearly, and lead with reason – from the former Foreign Secretary who mastered crisis in a world fuelled by chaos. (Audio only)
TV ADVENTURER CHARLEY BOORMAN
If life’s knocked you down, this chat with Charley Boorman will show you that any setback can become your next great adventure.
Lessons on Shame
WRONGLY ACCUSED AMANDA KNOX
When the world rewrites your identity, how do you get it back? Amanda Knox on the psychology of surviving shame and reclaiming your story.
FOOTBALLER PAUL STEWART
This former England international carried a devastating secret for decades: childhood abuse by his coach. His perspective on survival will inspire anyone living with trauma.
BANKER DAVID TAIT
This Everest climber and City trader looked like he had everything, but inside he wore the scars of childhood abuse. A masterclass in how to turn inner-shame into incredible strength.
SAJID JAVID
From facing racism as a child to losing his brother to suicide, to that explosive resignation – this former Chancellor reveals how he conquered shame to reach the top.
GEORGE OSBORNE
The former Chancellor gives a revealing account of what it was to navigate crisis in government – and from a personal perspective. From the 2008 crash, to life government, Brexit and his own brutal departure at the hands of Theresa May, this is an episode packed with insight.
MOTHER & DAUGHTER GAY & ROXY
At 13, intimate photos were shared around school. What followed was a psychotic breakdown that went so far beyond teenage drama. This is a story of a mother and daughter's fight against a toxic shame which offers hope to any family facing the complex traumas of our digital age. (Audio only)
CRICKETER CHRIS LEWIS
Made the wrong choices in life? This is what it really takes to own your mistakes, rebuild your life, and find peace on the other side – from a sports super star and former prison inmate. (Audio only)
HERO MURDERER STEVE GALLANT
The unbelievable story of how a man convicted of murder became a national hero after taking down a terrorist on London Bridge armed with a narwhal tusk. Resilience, reinvention, and rehabilitation… it’s all here.
9/11 SECURITY CHIEF VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM
The story of the woman at the centre of America’s darkest day – and what it took to survive the blame that was unfairly thrown her way. (Audio only)
POST OFFICE SCANDAL VICTIM PAULINE STONEHOUSE
You’ve seen Mr Bates vs. The Post Office. This is the story of a real-life victim. Betrayed, bankrupt, and wrongly convicted – this is what happens when you’re caught in the crossfire of politics and corruption. (Audio only)
AUTHOR JULIA HOBSBAWM
Award-winning author, commentator, publisher – and, quite possibly, one of the world’s most connected women. But as an outspoken Jew against the Gaza war, Julia’s deeply held identity is under threat.
ECONOMIST VICKY PRYCE
This high-powered academic’s name was cast into shame when she was jailed for taking her ex-husband’s driving points. Lessons on tackling public shame and recovering your reputation – all here. (Audio only)
Lessons on Control
RUGBY STAR ALIX POPHAM
Control what you can. Let go of what you can’t. Diagnosed with early-onset dementia at just 40 years old, Alix refuses to dwell on his past and focuses instead on shaping a better future.
HAPPINESS EXPERT MO GAWDAT
Guided by logic and stoicism, this former Google X exec turned the loss of his son into a global mission for happiness – proving that our lowest moments can pave the way for a brighter future.
GRAMMY WINNER TIMBALAND
He’s made hits for Beyoncé and Jay-Z – but behind the fame was a crisis he nearly didn’t escape. Timbaland’s journey is a lesson in recovery, purpose, and finding your way back.
HOLLYOAKS STAR TURNED FOUNDER DAVINIA TAYLOR
Addiction took everything – including her son. But Davinia Taylor turned her shortcomings into a superpower, and now she’s sharing how.
PARALYMPIAN CLAIRE DANSON
A crash shattered her spine and ended her Olympic dream. But with willpower and unbreakable character, Claire immediately focused on becoming a para-athlete instead. A story of remarkable transformation and determination. (Audio only)
POLITICIAN CRAIG MACKINLAY
Sepsis took all four of his limbs, but this former MP discovered what he could still control. A masterclass in Stoicism, how you get from devastation to the House of Lords.
BOAT TRAGEDY SURVIVOR VICTORIA MILLIGAN
She lost her husband, daughter, and her leg in one unthinkable moment – and somehow found a new life on the other side of grief. An astonishing story of the power of human spirit. (Audio only)
BEREAVED PARENT BEN GOLDSMITH
After losing his daughter in a tragic accident, Ben went searching for meaning, connection, and a way to live again. What he found might just change how you think about grief, nature, and the human spirit.
BAFTA-WINNING ACTOR JASON WATKINS
After the sudden death of his daughter, one of Britain’s most beloved actors turned unimaginable grief into a mission to save lives. Jason shares how love, laughter, and purpose helped him carry on.
PSYCHOTHERAPIST JULIA SAMUEL
One of the world’s leading psychotherapists on how to understand, survive, and grow through grief and trauma.
MILITARY PSYCHOLOGIST NATE ZINSSER
What can a war-tested psychologist to elite soldiers and Olympians teach us about confidence in crisis? Dr Nate Zinsser’s battle-ready strategies will change how you think, act, and lead under pressure. (Audio only)
POET LEMN SISSAY
A powerful conversation on how poetry, truth, and sheer will power can help you rise from – not just survive – a stolen childhood. A must-listen for anyone living with betrayal. (Audio only)
DEFENCE SECRETARY BEN WALLACE
From IRA attacks to terror threats to Ukraine’s invasion, this Defence Secretary controlled Britain’s response to crisis. The personal cost nearly broke him.
DIPLOMAT TOM FLETCHER
This former ambassador faced assassination threats daily in Lebanon while managing crisis after crisis. His formula for staying in control is one of the best we’ve seen.
CEO SIR NIGEL WILSON
From a council house in Darlington to managing £1.2 trillion at Legal & General, this business titan reveals his strategy for keeping your head when the stakes are high.
PUTIN’S ENEMY NUMBER ONE BILL BROWDER
He built Russia’s best-performing fund, then lost control of everything when the Kremlin turned on him. His lawyer was murdered. Now he lives in constant fear that the shifting sands of global politics will one day let Putin get his revenge. (Audio only)
COMEDIAN RUBY WAX
This TV presenter and bestselling author battled clinical depression and childhood trauma – but discovered the key to controlling her brilliant yet troubled mind. Clinical depression? Childhood trauma? Ruby Wax might just have the answers. (Audio only)
NFL PLAYER ANTHONY TRUCKS
Foster care, abuse, starvation, career-ending injury, his mother’s death – a masterclass in not letting the cards you were dealt define you. (Audio only)
STAND UP CALLY BEATON
In this episode, Cally opens up about losing control and taking it back on her own terms. How her midlife mental health crisis ultimately pushed her towards a life of greater meaning and connection, and how comedy helped her find her voice.
Lessons on Anxiety
NICK ROBINSON
He grills Prime Ministers for a living. But in the background is a list of personal crises that have truly shaped him. From a fatal car crash at 18 that still haunts him to a near-silent battle with cancer, here’s what makes the unflappable man tick. (Audio only)
SAS HERO ANDY McNAB
What can a clinically diagnosed psychopath teach us about surviving extreme trauma, staying mission-focused under torture and building an extraordinary life from abandonment? This one will change how you think about fear, failure, and mental strength.
JOURNALIST BRYONY GORDON
A high achiever – bestselling author, respected journalist, marathon runner, and cold-water swimmer. Yet, behind it all is a battle with extreme OCD and anxiety. Invaluable lessons on overcoming your obstacles.
SIR ANTHONY SELDON
What happens when one of Britain’s top educators is handed a school reeling from unthinkable tragedy – while still carrying his own private grief? Life lessons every young person and parent needs to hear.
ENDURANCE CYCLIST MARK BEAUMONT
What does it really take to keep going when everything – your body, mind, and environment – tells you to stop? Learn how to build crisis-proof resilience one brutal mile at a time.
WAR CORRESPONDENT FERGAL KEANE
He’s witnessed humanity at its worst – war zones, genocide, unspeakable trauma. But what happens when the reporter becomes the one in crisis? Learn what it takes to carry the weight of the world – and still find hope.
RADIO DJ CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL
He walked away from the UK’s No. 1 radio show at the peak of his career – not for fame, but to escape the silent storm of panic attacks that nearly destroyed him. A gripping journey through anxiety, reinvention, and what it really means to start again.
PRIVATE EQUITY TITAN GUY HANDS
Behind this billionaire dealmaker is a battle with severe dyslexia, OCD, and “The Under Toad” – his constant fear of impending disaster. (Audio only)
COMEDIAN FRED MacAULAY
This master of stand-up has performed 29 Edinburgh Fringes and starred on Mock the Week, but anxiety struck when his long-running radio show was axed overnight.
BROADCASTER DAME JENNI MURRAY
For 33 years she was the calm voice of Woman’s Hour, but behind the microphone battled obesity, low self-esteem, and desperation that drove her to the Samaritans. (Audio only)
PRESENTER NICKY CAMPBELL
This beloved broadcaster looks calm and collected on TV and radio, but anxiety over his identity as an adoptee led to a devastating breakdown and bipolar diagnosis. (Audio only)
SQUEEZE STAR CHRIS DIFFORD
The legend behind Cool for Cats achieved massive success, but anxiety from endless touring drove him to self-medicate until rock bottom. Now 29 years sober, this is a story of how to fight your demons and win. (Audio only)
Lessons on Shock
WAR CORRESPONDENT JEREMY BOWEN
How do you cope when crisis is your career? In this powerful episode, legendary BBC war reporter Jeremy Bowen shares the highs, horrors, and healing from decades spent covering conflict. (Audio only)
MICHAEL GOVE
What can years on the political front line teach you about staying calm, making tough calls, and holding your nerve when the world turns upside down?
FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST RICHARD SHEPHERD
In this gripping episode, forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd reveals the hidden toll of a career spent working with the dead. (Audio only)
WAR VETERAN AND FORMER MINISTER JOHNNY MERCER
What does it take to lead – in war, in politics, and in your own mind? In this raw and revealing episode, we learn how Johnny faced devastating trauma in Afghanistan and a childhood shaped by OCD and self-doubt.
EDITOR LINDSAY NICHOLSON
How do you lead a high-flying life while surviving the kind of grief that would floor most of us? Lindsay Nicholson’s story is a powerful lesson in grace, grit, and the quiet courage it takes to keep going when everything falls apart.
CHURCHILL’S GRANDSON RUPERT SOAMES
How do you lead from the front when your past is full of hidden scars? In this extraordinary conversation, Rupert Soames reveals for the first time the trauma that shaped his fearless approach to business and crisis.
JAILED CITY TRADER TOM HAYES
From trading floors to a prison cell and now the Supreme Court. Tom Hayes’ story is a gripping account of downfall, diagnosis, and defiance in the face of one of the biggest financial scandals in history.
ACTRESS JILL HALFPENNY
This beloved Coronation Street and EastEnders star lost her father at four, then her partner died suddenly at the gym. The shock nearly destroyed her family.
THREE DADS WALKING – ANDY, MIKE & TIM
These three fathers never wanted to meet, but the shocking suicide of their daughters – Sophie, Beth, and Emily – brought them together for an extraordinary mission.
NICK GOLDSMITH
Six tours in the most hostile environments – including four in Afghanistan – left this Royal Marine Commando broken by PTSD and survivor’s guilt. War shattered his mind, but he found an unexpected path to healing.
JOURNALIST SARAH STANDING
From a charmed life surrounded by celebrities to a devastating cancer diagnosis in just six hours. The shock of lymphoma changed everything she thought she knew.
THEATRE PRODUCER NICK ALLOTT
This West End legend brought Hamilton to London and produced Oscar-winning Les Misérables, but the shocking helicopter death of his father at 15 shaped his approach to crisis. (Audio only)
Lessons on Bitterness
MOTHER LISA SQUIRE
When her daughter Libby was raped and murdered, Lisa could have been consumed by bitterness – or worse. Instead, she turned her grief into a campaign that’s changing laws. One of the most difficult but powerful crisis conversations we’ve had to date.
HARRY POTTER STUNTMAN DAVID HOLMES
What do you do when everything that defined you is gone? Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double’s story is a true lesson in building resilience and rejecting bitterness.
PRESENTER RICHARD BACON
Perhaps one of Britain’s brightest TV presenters and producers, Richard is also a survivor of a career-shattering scandal, addiction, and a life-threatening coma. Despite dramas both self-inflicted and otherwise, he refuses to allow bitterness to consume him.
FGM SURVIVOR NIMCO ALI
How do you forgive the mother who arranged your mutilation? One of the bravest and rawest episodes we’ve done – here’s how to let go of the bitterness and turn it into a mission to save millions of others instead.
DOCTOR ROOPA FAROOKI
This junior doctor lost her sister to cancer, then watched politicians party while she risked her life treating Covid patients. Rather than be consumed by bitterness, she chose instead to make her voice heard in a fight for justice.
CEO ELLIS WATSON
Adopted, walked out on Rupert Murdoch, survived a near-fatal mountain accident, and a moving search for his birth mother – this media boss gives us valuable insight into how not to let any setback breed bitterness or self-pity. (Audio only)
MODEL LORRAINE PASCALE
Lorraine was the first black model on the cover of US Elle, yet her childhood was marred by foster care, addiction, and abandonment. She chose not to let this stand in the way of becoming a solution-focused powerhouse of positivity. (Audio only)
FORMER GOVERNMENT MINISTER TRACEY CROUCH
The kind of MP who restores your faith in politics – authentic and no-nonsense – yet she has faced turbulent times through political backstabbing and a breast cancer diagnosis. Valuable lessons on staying positive through it all. (Audio only)
MOTHER CONNIE YATES
The world debated whether her baby Charlie Gard should live or die – from the High Court to the Vatican to the White House. Heartbreak awaited, but so too did hope. (Audio only)
AMBASSADOR SIR KIM DARROCH
The veteran diplomat whose unflattering views of Trump were leaked, ending his 42-year career in scandal. Bitterness could have destroyed him – but dignity prevailed instead.
BEREAVED HENRY SCOWCROFT
His girlfriend of six years was diagnosed with aggressive stage-four cancer. After a short, brave battle, she passed away with Henry by her side. Bitterness could have broken him. Instead, he channelled his grief into a memoir and manual described as the most emotional textbook you will ever read. (Audio only)
PRIEST PETER OWEN-JONES
What drives a successful ad man to abandon everything for the Church? This vicar found his birth mother after 30 years, but refused to let his early abandonment breed bitterness. (Audio only)
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