Drugs Episodes
Drug addiction is a multifaceted issue that touches on individual experiences and broader societal factors. This category delves into the effects of various substances, from opioids and stimulants to synthetic drugs, while addressing the challenges faced by those struggling with dependency. Personal narratives highlight resilience and recovery, while harm reduction strategies such as naloxone distribution and safe consumption sites are explored as life-saving interventions. The podcast also examines the cultural and systemic factors that perpetuate drug addiction, offering a comprehensive perspective on this critical issue.
30
June 9, 2026
Carole Boss Watson: TikTok Sober Queen, 45 Years in Addiction, Gangster Dad and Sobriety
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...
25
April 23, 2026
Secret Drug Addict: Anonymous Recovery, Ego and Breaking Free from Addiction
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 stand ...
23
April 16, 2026
Kieran McCartney: Cocaine Culture, ADHD and Recovery - Grief, Addiction and The Apprentice
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 copin...
18
March 6, 2026
Neil Firbank: Heroin Recovery and The National Recovery Games
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Neil Firbank joins us to discuss heroin addiction recovery and how connection and purpose can transform lives. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped Neil’s journey - from homelessness, injecting and suicidal thoughts, to treatment, group work, and building what became the National Recovery Games . This episode offers practical insight for people in rec...
15
Feb. 25, 2026
Finley Worthington: Ketamine, Bladder Damage & Blood Jelly - Addiction and Education Reform
Finley joins Believe in People to share his lived experience of ketamine addiction and recovery, and how a substance that first felt functional and harmless became physically and psychologically destructive. We explore how early use of cannabis and cocaine progressed into ketamine, why it can feel controlled at first, and how denial allows harm to escalate unnoticed. Finley explains ketamine bladder in clear, practical terms , the impact on family and identity, and the turning point that forced ...
14
Feb. 20, 2026
Believe in People EXTRA: Recovery vs Recovered - Why Identity Still Matters
This episode of Believe in People Extra explores one of the most debated ideas in addiction: being recovered rather than simply in recovery . Young Lee unpacks the difference between cured and recovered, explaining the “twist of the mind” that precedes relapse and why the real powerlessness isn’t the first drink - it’s the thought that comes before it. Using a simple Terminator analogy, he describes how addiction doesn’t say “I might be back” - it says “ I’ll be back .” Young also reflects on be...
7
Dec. 24, 2025
Joe Sealey: Cocaine, Fame & Football Legacy - Recovery Behind Reality TV
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Joe Sealey joins us to discuss cocaine addiction, alcohol misuse, grief, and recovery. Known to millions as a cast member on The Real Housewives of Cheshire , Joe shares the story that existed long before the cameras - the career-ending injury that ended his football dream, the sudden death of his father, and how trauma and loss of identity pulled him into addiction. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support...
6
Dec. 12, 2025
Believe in People EXTRA: The 12 Steps - Why Rehab Wasn’t Enough
In the first episode of Believe in People Extra , our new spin off miniseries, Michelle Heaton speaks openly about what it feels like to want to stop drinking and not be able to. She explains the medical dangers she didn’t understand, the shame that kept her stuck, and why addiction isn’t about a lack of willpower. Michelle shares the moment that changed everything: seeing someone else in recovery who had what she wanted - and realising she didn’t have to do this alone. This short episode explor...
5
Dec. 5, 2025
Patti Clark: Alcohol, Relapse & Women’s Recovery - Breaking Generational Patterns
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Patti reflects on a lifetime shaped by silence, trauma, and survival. Growing up in a dysfunctional home in 1970s San Francisco - marked by alcoholism, emotional neglect, and parents who barely spoke - she began using alcohol and drugs at just 13 to escape overwhelming pain. By 16 she had lost her mother to alcoholism, a loss that profoundly shaped her understanding of addiction, identity, and generational trauma. Patti shares ...
2
Nov. 13, 2025
Taz Hussain: Racism, Culture & Addiction - Recovery as a British-Pakistani Muslim
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we are privileged to sit down with Taz , whose life story spans racism, identity conflict, culture, trauma, addiction, and the long path to redemption. Born in Britain to Pakistani parents, Taz grew up between cultures – navigating violence, racism, and confusion around faith, masculinity, and belonging. Forced into an arranged marriage, his life spiralled into addiction, offending, and prison before honesty, therapy, and self-...
1
Nov. 6, 2025
Katie Price & Kerry Katona: Cocaine, Fame & Motherhood - Surviving Addiction in Public
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Katie Price and Kerry Katona sit down for a raw, unfiltered conversation about cocaine addiction , recovery, motherhood, mental health, and the double standards women continue to face in the public eye. Recorded live behind the scenes at Hull City Hall during their UK tour, Katie and Kerry speak candidly about ADHD, bipolar diagnoses, self-medication, toxic circles, fame, exploitation, and how accountability transformed their l...
29
Oct. 1, 2025
Mel Barrett: Cocaine, Alcohol & Boxing - Identity, Recovery & 12 Steps
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Mel shares a powerful and deeply honest account of her journey through alcohol misuse , escalating substance use, mental health struggles, and the non-linear path toward recovery. Growing up as a triplet in a family where drinking was normalised, Mel describes early identity struggles, belonging within pub culture, and how her use escalated in Brighton – from drinking to dangerous encounters with dealers and a chaotic lifestyle ...