- wöchentlichErscheinungsrhythmus
- 1 h 01typische Länge
- vor 2 Tagenletzte Folge
On The Mend is the podcast where we look back at life’s hardest moments to understand how to move forward, with honesty, heart, and hope. In each episode, Matt Willis explores recovery, resilience, and mental strength through open and honest conversations.
Some episodes feature guests sharing powerful stories of personal transformation. Others bring in expert voices offering practical tools and insights, and in solo episodes, Matt reflects on his own journey through addiction, identity, and healing.
This is a space for anyone navigating life’s challenges. On The Mend is your companion through the highs, lows, and everything in between.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Folgen
Rick Shiels: I Promised My Wife I Wouldn’t Drink… Then Woke Up Not Knowing How We Got Home
Golf YouTuber Rick Shiels built a career in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, he was struggling to switch off, whether it was alcohol, his phone, or the weight of what strangers thought of him. Rick shares how changing his relatio
Tom Grennan: The Text From an Old Friend That Saved My Life
Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan spent years believing alcohol and drugs were part of what made him who he was. Walking away from them meant facing a bigger question: who was he without them? Tom shares the moment he knew he had to change, the
Jeff Brazier: Foster Care, Losing Jade & Fighting for His Son
TV presenter and grief advocate Jeff Brazier knows that grief doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. After losing Jade Goody, Jeff became a solo parent to two grieving boys while putting his own pain to one side to keep his family goi
TOP RATED | “I’m One Beer Away from Losing Everything” | The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue
The Script's Danny O'Donoghue gets brutally honest about grief, PTSD, and what it really took to get sober. Following the devastating loss of his bandmate and best friend Mark Sheehan, Danny opens up about hitting rock bottom over a dark Ch
TOP RATED | Simon Thomas: Sudden Loss, Grief and Alcohol Addiction
Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas delivers one of the most raw and honest accounts of grief and addiction ever shared in the public eye. Following the sudden death of his wife, Gemma, Simon faced a years-long battle with secret drinking whi
TOP RATED | How a Phone Call on Air Changed Iain Lee’s Life Forever
After decades in the spotlight as a broadcaster, comedian, and writer, Iain Lee found himself in a moment that would change and possibly save, more than one life. In this powerful episode, Iain recounts the night a caller to his late-night
Nikki Lilly: 97 Operations, Online Trolls & Years of Self-Hatred
Nikki Lilly has spent much of her life navigating chronic illness, hospital stays and a body that has often felt unfamiliar to her. She shares how creativity, therapy, family and connection have helped her rebuild her confidence and learn t
My Book That Got Pulled Last-Minute | Matt Willis
For Matt Willis, addiction was never the real problem. It was the solution to a pain he didn't know how to deal with. In this solo episode, Matt talks about Mending, his new memoir tracing his lifelong relationship with addiction, recovery,
Professor David Nutt: Psychedelics, Depression & The War On Drugs
Matt Willis sits down with Professor David Nutt, one of the world's leading experts on drugs and the brain, to answer a question so many people carry in silence: why can't I just stop? David explains how addiction changes the brain, why wil
The Moment Window Kid Broke Down Over Losing Himself To Alcohol
Musician and internet personality Window Kid, aka Greg, built a career around being the life of the party, until drinking nearly cost him his life. After being hospitalised with severe pancreatitis, Greg was faced with a reality he couldn't
“I Know I’m Going to Die of Dementia” | Jordan Adams
Mental health and dementia advocate Jordan Adams grew up watching Frontotemporal Dementia slowly take his mum away. Years later, a genetic test revealed that he carries the same mutation. Jordan shares the unique grief of losing someone whi
"I Hated Myself for What I'd Done" | Ben West, on Losing His Brother
Mental health campaigner Ben West was 17 when his younger brother Sam took his own life. In a single night, everything changed. Ben shares the guilt he carried afterwards, the conversations he wishes he'd known how to have, and how he event
The Race Across The World That Helped Alfie Watts Process His Grief
Race Across the World star Alfie Watts knows how much can change in a day. At 16, during the lowest point of his life, he made a decision to stay for “one more day”, then another. Years later, Alfie looks back at that version of himself as
The Constant Chaos That Made Me Keep Drinking: Preston from Ordinary Boys
Musician and songwriter Preston sits down with Matt to explore fame, addiction, and the long road back to himself. Preston shares how a four-storey fall from a hotel balcony in Denmark led to months in a wheelchair, an OxyContin prescriptio
How James Haskell Survived Injury, Divorce and Grief & Came Out Stronger
Former England rugby star James Haskell explores life with unmedicated ADHD, the pressure of rugby's “tough guy” culture, and finding a sense of identity beyond the sport. James shares what it was like to navigate elite rugby without ADHD m
The Moment Michelle Heaton Became Dependent On Alcohol
Singer and TV presenter Michelle Heaton's story is about more than addiction. It's about identity, loss, and finding your way back to yourself. In this episode, Michelle shares how a BRCA2 diagnosis, surgical menopause, and addiction became
15 Questions About Addiction I’m Finally Answering | Matt Willis
In this solo episode, Matt Willis answers some of the internet’s most searched questions about addiction, relapse, and recovery, sharing the lessons he’s learned from his own journey. Matt explores why substances can feel like a solution be
Drunk, Selling Drugs & Becoming My Father’s Son | Josh Connolly
One of the UK's leading mental health advocates, Josh Connolly, joins us for a deeply honest conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, and what it really takes to break generational cycles. Josh reflects on growing up with a father ba
Sam Thompson: Blame, Masking and Never Feeling Enough
TV presenter Sam Thompson opens up about his late-stage ADHD diagnosis and the profound relief of finally finding a reason, not an excuse, for a lifetime of struggling. Sam shares the emotional reckoning of his diagnosis, recalling the mome
Divorce, Breakdown & The Crash That Nearly Killed Me | Michail Antonio
Premier League footballer Michail Antonio gets honest about the hidden cost of elite success, identity, and what it really means to rebuild. In this episode, Michail reflects on the reality of winning a historic trophy with West Ham, only t
Alcohol Addiction, Blackouts and Hangover Anxiety | Sobriety Movement Campaigner Millie Gooch
Sober Girl Society founder Millie Gooch challenges everything we think we know about dependency in a conversation that dismantles the “rock bottom” myth. Despite a successful career and social life, alcohol was quietly affecting her mental
The Moment Dr. Tara Knew Her Marriage Was Over
Sexologist and TV expert Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn (Celebs Go Dating, 90 Day Fiancé) joins us to break the heavy silence and shame surrounding sex, intimacy, and recovery. In a particularly raw moment, Matt admits he’s never spoken openly
The Moment Will Young Stopped Recognising His Own Face
Singer-songwriter and actor Will Young speaks with disarming honesty about surviving decades of trauma, hypervigilance, and the long shadow of shame. Following a breakdown during Cabaret, Will opens up about spending over ten years in a sta
The Secret Addiction That Controlled Ore Oduba’s Life
TV presenter and broadcaster Ore Oduba joins us for an incredibly raw and unflinchingly honest conversation on pornography addiction, toxic masculinity, and grief. Ore opens up about being introduced to explicit material at just nine years
The Night John Robins Knew He Had to Quit Drinking
Award-winning comedian and broadcaster John Robins tackles the fundamental question: are alcoholics born or made? In this episode, John opens up about his 20-year struggle with chronic alcohol use, the childhood signs that hid in plain sigh
Author Matt Haig Confesses His Darkest Moments
Matt Willis sits down with the celebrated, bestselling author Matt Haig for a deeply personal conversation on the cost of living without a map. From a life-altering breakdown at 24 to navigating a late-in-life diagnosis of Autism and ADHD,
The Moment I Knew My Mind Was Working Against Me | Matt Willis & Marisa Peer
Matt sits down with world-renowned therapist Marisa Peer to dismantle the self-sabotaging loops that keep us stuck. If you’ve ever felt like your brain is working against your recovery, this conversation provides the ultimate manual for rec
When Was Your Hardest Time? Honest Q&A On Mental Health, Therapy, Grief & Recovery
In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, this special compilation episode curates life-changing insights from people who have faced addiction, grief, anxiety, and personal struggle firsthand. Featuring conversations with Tony Adams, Roy S
Things Men Don't Say Out Loud | Matt Willis, Spencer Matthews & Jake Humphrey
This special roundtable episode explores the vital role of mental fitness in reaching and sustaining peak performance. In this special roundtable episode, in partnership with BetterHelp, hosts Jake Humphrey, Spencer Matthews, and Matt Willi
“I Could Have Died So Many Times” Scouting For Girls' Roy Stride On his Alcohol Addiction
Scouting for Girls frontman Roy Stride achieved global fame and number-one albums, but behind the scenes, he was wearing a mask. For 25 years, he used alcohol to bridge the gap between his public persona and a deep-seated feeling of never b
