The Modern Mann

Professional dancer Raquel Meseguer had back surgery at the age of thirty, to treat chronic neuropathic pain. But, it didn’t alleviate her symptoms. In this insightful interview with Olly, she explains how this bombshell has impacted upon the daily practicalities of her life, why she doesn’t feel welcome in our ‘vertical culture’, and how well-meaning members of the public have repeatedly shamed her for committing the cardinal sin of... lying down. This episode first aired in April 2018 under the title, Cloudspotting. Now remastered and with a 2026 update from Raquel, we've paired this with our most recent interview: Trapped In The Rubble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An earthquake of 6.9 magnitude rocked Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in September 2023, causing around 3,000 fatalities. For six hours, British tourist Robbie Greatrex was trapped in the rubble; unable to feel his legs, unsure he would emerge alive. Locals clubbed together in the rescue effort, improvising tools from what came to hand. The prognosis was not  good. In this compelling conversation with Olly, Robbie recounts his agonising rescue, his complex surgeries and his long road to recovery. He explains why his experience  left him shaken but not angry; how he got himself through the hardest moments in the disaster’s aftermath; and why you should *always* buy travel insurance… —------- Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at ‘vibe coding’. With a carefully-crafted series of AI prompts, can he create a functional web app from scratch? And, if he can, what does that say for the future of web design and computer coding? Ollie has a warning for the currently complacent… —------- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from discovering exciting news about her future prospects, is on-hand for a listener whose sex life is troubled by his wife's UTI. How can you get back to bedroom fun when a urinary tract infection is interfering between the sheets? Can UTIs be passed on to your partner? And what new tests and techniques are there to diagnose and treat this common, yet sometimes devastating, complaint? —------- Finally, music comes from Japanese singer-songwriter Joji, and his melancholic new single, ‘Love You Less’. Yum! —------- We'll be back with a brand new episode on March 10th. In the meantime, please do tell your friends about our independent show: review us on this here podcast platform, and, if you can afford to, donate to the production by clicking ‘beer money’ at modernmann.co.uk  Thanks! ❤️Olly Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Robbie Greatrex, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Joji. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026. 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... This episode first aired in 2017 - we're playing it again to compliament Alok Sama's interview this month: The Banker, The Billionaire, and the Big Lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alok Sama was a high-flying CFO who fraternized with the world’s richest men.  But he wasn’t immune from intimidation. Anonymous letters sent to his boss, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, accused him of corruption. Suddenly, shadowy “shareholders” emerged from nowhere, and a whisper campaign quietly derailed his career. Then - as he recounts to Olly in this compelling conversation - Alok discovered his family was under surveillance. Desperate, he met men claiming ties to Mossad. And ultimately walked away, with first-hand experience of the corporate espionage that lurks in the shadows of Britain’s biggest companies. Alok’s book, The Money Trap, is out now. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from veritably leaping into his forties - tests out the viral wellness trend for ‘sleepmaxxing’.  Can grounding sheets, a bone-conducting pillow-speaker, or light therapy help him get his forty winks? With the aid of the National Sleep Helpline, he delivers hacks and tips for anyone looking to improve their sleep in 2026. … Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out the Feedback form on our website, or join our Discord.    _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox is contemplating the surprising side-effects of ketamine, and discovering the demand for ‘creature cock’ sex toys such as Lovehoney’s ‘Swamp Monster’.  How did this kink for fantasy dildos - kickstarted by niche brands like Bad Dragon and Gang Bankster - evolve into a mainstream, sold-out product category?  Is it linked to zoophilia, ‘romatasy’ books on TikTok, liberation from masturbatory stigma… or all of the above? As always, Alix has some (eye-opening) answers... _____________ Finally, in music corner, our Record of the Month brings a welcome return to the show for Cavetown, whose new single, "Sailboat (feat. chloe moriondo)", is out now. _____________ We’ll be back with our Playback edition on 30th Jan, and something new on 10th February.  In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show into 2026 with your beer money and/or reviews. Mwah! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alok Sama, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Cavetown. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the perfect ingredients for a stress-free Christmas? How do you render the Arctic in song? And what does it sound like when we drink from each other’s teats?  … Just three of the hot topics being debated in our annual festive knees-up! Joining Olly Mann, Alix Fox and Ollie Peart this year, we welcome back family mediator Nick Coffer - who confronts the strains of a post-divorce Christmas with compassionate advice - and we enjoy extraordinary live music from cellist and poet Sarah Smout.  Plus, fresh updates from some of our favourite guests of 2026: Rebecca Dowdeswell, the woman who took on L’Oreal; Armin Samii, who created distance-monitoring app UberCheats; and wildland firefighter Nathan Bell.    Until our next episode on January 10th, have a fantastic Christmas, a very Happy New Year, and - if you can afford to - remember to support our independent podcast to fund another great year of the show. x Olly, Alix, Ollie and Producer Matt P.S. Alix is running the London Marathon for Positive East. Support her here.  Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Nick Coffer, Sarah Smout, Nathan Bell, Rebecca Dowdeswell, Armin Samii. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices