Fame & High Profile Addiction Episodes
Fame can amplify the challenges of addiction, as public scrutiny and pressure take a toll on mental health and well-being. This category examines addiction through the lens of public figures, featuring stories of celebrities who have navigated recovery and used their platforms to advocate for change. The podcast also explores how media portrayal influences perceptions of addiction among high-profile individuals, offering insights into the unique pressures of fame and the resilience required to overcome them.
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...
28
May 22, 2026
Believe in People EXTRA: Richard Bacon On Addiction and Living With Risk
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 genetics...
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...
12
Feb. 6, 2026
Believe in People EXTRA: Steroids - The Real Cost of Performance Drugs
This short episode of Believe in People Extra features a focused clip from our conversation with Adam Maxted - UK wrestling star, personal trainer, and two-time Love Island contestant. Adam speaks openly about steroids, testing cycles, image and performance enhancing drugs, cutting through myths around quick results and explaining the real difference between use and abuse . He reflects on gym culture, body image pressure, and why many people turn to these substances without fully understanding t...
11
Jan. 29, 2026
Paula McGowan OBE: Autism, System Failure & Oliver’s Legacy - Addiction and Care Reform
Paula McGowan OBE joins Believe in People for a full, in-depth conversation about her son Oliver, whose death led to the introduction of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training across health and social care in England. Paula explains how people are too often doubted, judged, or written off in services, how distress is misread as behaviour or non-compliance, and how bias, fear, and rigid systems can escalate harm. Drawing directly from Oliver’s story, this conversation challenges professionals to r...
10
Jan. 23, 2026
Believe in People EXTRA: Oliver McGowan Training - Why It Protects Lives
This short episode of Believe in People Extra shares an exclusive preview from our upcoming full conversation with Paula McGowan OBE , whose son Oliver’s death led to the introduction of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training across health and social care in England. This preview focuses on one critical question: why Tier 2 training matters , and why listening to people with lived experience is not optional, but essential for safety, dignity, and life itself. Paula explains why Tier 2 training mu...
8
Dec. 31, 2025
Believe in People EXTRA: Alcohol & Anxiety - When Drinking Makes It Worse
In this episode of Believe in People Extra , Amy Jo Johnson shares why she chose to stop drinking - not because her life had fallen apart, but because alcohol was making her anxiety louder and everyday life harder to manage. She shares the simple mindset shift that helped her most: giving herself permission to drink, and realising she didn’t actually want to. Amy Jo also reflects on how not drinking changed her friendships, why some social situations stopped feeling fulfilling, and how having su...
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...
4
Nov. 21, 2025
Andy Woodward: Trauma, False Accusation, Alcohol Recovery and Rebuilding Life After Collapse
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we conclude our two-part conversation with Andy Woodward , who reflects on the long-term psychological effects of childhood trauma and how those experiences shaped his later struggles with alcohol use, anxiety and identity. Andy shares how a false rape accusation in 2015 became a devastating turning point - stripping away the structures that once grounded him, including careers in both professional football and policing. Withou...
3
Nov. 21, 2025
Andy Woodward: Childhood Trauma, Football Abuse and the Silence That Hid a Predator
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we begin the first of a powerful two-part conversation with Andy Woodward , the former professional footballer whose bravery exposed one of the biggest safeguarding scandals in British sporting history. Andy was the first to go public with his experience of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of youth coach Barry Bennell , a predator enabled by a culture of silence that protected reputations instead of children. With striking h...
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...
25
July 3, 2025
Alexis Ffrench & Matthew Butler: Trauma, Apple Music & Hope - The Story Behind “Believe”
In this special episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we present a unique collaboration with Apple Music and the Radio Academy Award-winning podcast Classical Connections , hosted by world-renowned pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench . Originally broadcast as part of the celebrated 60-Second Sonata segment, Alexis invited host Matthew Butler to share a deeply personal reflection on trauma, addiction, stigma, and the origins of the Believe in People podcast. In response, Al...