The first episode of Proper Mental was released in March of 2021.

At that time, I was 6 months post breakdown (my third) and 4 months post suicide attempt (my second).  I was newly medicated, emotionally fragile and desperately trying to figure out how I would fit back into my old life.

I was new to talking about my mental health and even newer at asking people about theirs, but I’d been trying to do more of that and soon came to realise how important conversation and connection was for my recovery.

I asked a friend of mine to jump on a Zoom call for a mental health related conversation.  There was no further thought than that, no plans to make a podcast and I had no idea about audio, editing, production or any of the technical stuff that make a podcast listenable.

This would eventually end up being released as episode 1 of The Proper Mental Podcast.  It’s unprofessional, unstructured and the sound quality is poor but the content is good and it felt really good at the time.  People can still hear that episode because it’s the start of the journey for me and I don’t want that journey to be anything other than what it was.  Authentic and real.  

My experience of being mentally ill was messy and sad and chaotic but also surreal and funny and hopeful and I want my show to reflect all of that experience. 

From that first conversation I was hooked.  I had always loved podcasts but had never thought of making my own.  I quickly became inspired and wanted to try and speak to as many people as possible and about as many different things as possible.  If these conversations were bringing me back to life, maybe they could help other people to do the same.

Turns out it’s not that easy to book podcast guests when you’re not famous, don’t have a network or a following and don’t even have a podcast to speak of, but I sent a lot of emails and a lot of DM’s and eventually, people started saying yes.

I’ve released an episode every Monday for the three years since and I have had the privilege of speaking to some incredible people; essentially a who’s who of the wider discourse around mental health and mental illness.

I’ve recorded conversations with well-known activists and campaigners like Alastair Campbell, Natasha Devon MBE, the 3 Dads Walking, Jonny Benjamin MBE, Eddy Temple-Morris and Gail Porter.

I’ve spoken to the founders of incredible charities like Andy’s Man Club, Talk Club, Men’s Sheds, Hub of Hope, My Black Dog and First Person Project CIC.

I’ve spoken to musicians (Frank Turner, Bill Ryder-Jones, Embrace, Skunk Anansie, The Lottery Winners, Augustines, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds), artists and creatives (Johanna Basford OBE, Gary Mansfield, The Artist Taxi Driver) and media personalities (Dr Punam, Laura Belbin, Emily Laing, Aidy Smith, Paul Danan).

I’ve interviewed G. P’s, therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, experts, journalists, authors and campaigners.  One of the most popular episodes is one I recorded with my wife about how my mental health struggles impacted her.  We both received more messages, emails and comments about that episode than any other.

I’ve spoken about serious mental illness that is often ignored or stigmatised by mainstream media and I’ve explored the mental health complexities of gender identity, sexual identity, race, poverty, refugees, psychedelics and a whole host of other big and important topics.

Along the way, Proper Mental has been nominated at The British Podcast Awards – pretty much unheard of for a fully independent, bedroom show with no team or backing – as well as winning ‘Podcast of the Year’ at the Mental Health Blog awards, voted ‘Independent Podcast of the Year’ by the readers of Pod Bible Magazine and was a nominated finalist at this years Independent Podcast Awards.

I’ve been featured on BBC6 music,  BBC Radio Merseyside, in Pod Bible Magazine and in The Times Culture Guide, as well as in local press and media.

I’ve been invited to share my story and the learnings from the show at events all over the country and last year I flew to Portland, Oregon to work with one of the world’s biggest brands at their head office on an in-house project about mental health.

Safe to say, this podcast has come an incredibly long way from that shaky first episode but hearing from other people and sharing stories is still just as important to my mental wellbeing as it was three years ago.  I still learn something from every guest and it’s a privilege for me to be trusted with these incredible stories and to be able to share them with my listeners.

The plan is always to keep going.  To speak to more people, get different perspectives, gain more insight and bring all of this together in one place so that anyone can listen and feel seen and supported, regardless of who they are, where they’ve been or what they might be going through.

I’m approaching 200 episodes, which is mind blowing considering where this all started, I fully believe in the power of open and honest conversation to bring people together and make a positive impact, not just on the mental health of my listeners but on the wider conversation around mental health in general.


As always, thank you for listening!