Recorded live at The Forward Trust’s National Unity Day, former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams joins Believe in People to reflect on alcohol addiction, Euro ’96 and almost 30 years in recovery.

Tony takes us behind the public success to reveal the reality of his addiction - from blackouts and a 44-day drinking bender to the moment he finally surrendered on 16 August 1996. He explores 12-step recovery, grief and stigma, and explains why, despite everything he achieved on the football pit

In this special live edition of Believe in People, we're celebrating a podcast first. For the very first time, we took the podcast to the stage, recording live in front of more than 500 audience members at the DDN Conference, one of the UK's largest events dedicated to drugs, alcohol and recovery. Joining us for her third appearance on Believe in People, Michelle Heaton reflects on more than five years of recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction. She speaks openly about the progression of ...

In this episode of Believe in People, Lewis Raymond Taylor shares the extraordinary story of how he went from addiction, violence and repeated prison sentences to becoming the founder of a global coaching business that has trained more than 15,000 coaches across 87 countries.

Lewis opens up about childhood trauma, addiction, prison, violence, personal responsibility and the moments that forced him to completely rebuild his identity. Together, we explore why addiction is often an attempted solut

The TikTok sensation known to millions as "Sober Queen" joins us on Believe in People. Carole Watson's story is unlike anything we've featured before. Her addiction began at just ten years old and continued for more than 45 years through drugs, alcohol, crime, prison, abusive relationships, health scares and repeated brushes with death. Known online for her brutally honest recovery content, humour and storytelling, Carole has built a huge following on TikTok as @carolebosswatson, inspiring pe...

In this episode of Believe in People, Kaitlin Reeve, known online as Sober As A Mother Focused, joins us to discuss motherhood, addiction recovery, trauma, shame, and the unique barriers women face when seeking support.

Kaitlin shares her deeply personal journey from childhood trauma and early substance use to cocaine addiction, cannabis dependency, and ultimately long-term recovery. We explore the fear many mothers experience around disclosing addiction, concerns about social services involvem

In this special episode of Believe in People: EXTRA, recorded on the road at the British Podcast Show in London, we sit down with broadcaster Richard Bacon for an honest conversation about alcohol addiction, cocaine use, stigma, and what it means to live with risk while trying to build a stable life.

Richard traces the story back through family history, from a grandfather who died of alcoholism to a mother he believes is addicted but does not recognise it, and he reflects on the role of genetic

In this episode of Believe in People, playwright Ed Edwards joins us to discuss The Political History of Smack and Crack - his award-winning play exploring addiction, recovery, Thatcherism, political unrest, and Britain’s heroin epidemic.


Drawing on his own experiences of addiction, prison, relapse, and long-term recovery, Ed reflects on stigma, Narcotics Anonymous, consumer culture, creativity, and the human realities behind substance use. Ed is brutally honest about relapse, including the “

Melissa Love joins Believe in People to share how working as a nurse in addiction services challenged her own hidden fears, internalised stigma and understanding of dependency. Through personal reflections on her brother’s addiction, family trauma and her father’s rejection, Melissa explores how these experiences reshaped her view of recovery, compassion and what real care looks like.


This episode explores addiction recovery, trauma, stigma in healthcare, family dynamics, mental health and th

In this episode of Believe in People, The Secret Drug Addict joins us to discuss anonymous recovery, addiction stigma, and the reality of long-term sobriety. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped their journey.


This conversation challenges assumptions about addiction and visibility. We explore why anonymity can be a form of protection rather than shame, and how removing identity allows the message of recovery to sta

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Kieran McCartney joins us to discuss cocaine use, ADHD, grief, and recovery.

Best known for his "win or walk" deal with Lord Sugar on the BBC show, The Apprentice, Kieran opens up about the pressures behind success, the loss of his father, and how that led to increased cocaine use.


We explore the normalisation of cocaine culture in the UK, the link between alcohol and stimulant use, and how substances can become tools for co