Episodes
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...
Emma Hardy MP: Ketamine, Mental Health & Flood Crisis - Community Recovery in Hull
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Emma Hardy MP returns to the podcast to discuss some of the most urgent challenges facing Hull and the wider UK – including rising ketamine harm , worsening...
Elly Mortimer: Hepatitis C, Heroin & Harm Reduction - 30 Years of Public Health Experience
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Elly returns for her third appearance to share more than 30 years of insight from frontline harm reduction and public health work, with a particular focus o...
Henry Beercock: Binge Drinking & Sobriety - Building an Alcohol-Free Movement
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we meet Henry Beercock , founder of Hull’s rapidly growing sober movement Alcohull Free . After nearly two decades of heavy binge drinking, Henry made a bol...
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 pian...
Young Lee: Heroin, Spiritual Awakening & Identity - Life After Addiction
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Young Lee returns to explore what happens after the chaos of addiction — when the substances are gone, the dust has settled, and the real internal work begi...
Ross McAndrew: Suicide, Alcohol & Cocaine - AndysManClub and Survival
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Ross shares an extraordinary journey from personal tragedy to public advocacy following the suicide of his father - a traumatic event that deeply shaped his...
Woody Albrow: Addiction, Spirituality & Leadership - From Chaos to National Recovery Voice
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt speaks with Woody Albrow , the National Connecting Communities Lead at Change Grow Live, who shares an open and deeply personal account of his journey ...
Chris De Banks: 90s Drug Culture, Heroin & Music - Sobriety for Creatives
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt speaks with Chris De Banks , founder of Not Saints - the UK’s only not-for-profit record label dedicated to supporting musicians in recovery. Through C...
Daniel Ramson: Psychosis, Addiction & Tough Love - Radical Accountability in Recovery
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt sits down with Daniel Ramson, known online as TalkToBigDan, for a raw, provocative and unapologetically direct conversation about recovery, responsibil...
John Levesley: Binge Drinking & Sobriety - From Alcohol Chaos to Clarity
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , John shares a powerful story of quiet transformation - a shift from binge drinking, late nights and emotional exhaustion to clarity, creativity and meaningf...
Paul Haley: Heroin, Crack & Prison - Lived Experience and National Change
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Paul Haley shares his extraordinary journey from the depths of heroin and crack cocaine addiction to a position of national leadership within Change Grow Li...
Amy Goldberg & Caitlin Morrison: Matthew Perry, Fame & Addiction - Believe in People America
In this powerful transatlantic collaboration of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , host Amy Goldberg welcomes UK host Matt Butler into the guest seat, joined by special guest host Caitlin Morrison — sister of t...
Tom Fitzsimons: Alcohol & Running 3,073 Miles Across America in Recovery
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt sits down with ultramarathon runner Tom Fitzsimons , whose extraordinary journey from alcohol addiction to running 3,073 miles across the United States...
Sarah Hicks (Part One): Addiction, Coercive Control & Grief - Escaping Trauma
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt begins the first part of a deeply personal two-part conversation with Sarah Hicks , whose story spans addiction, trauma, abusive relationships, grief a...
Sarah Hicks (Part Two): Sexual Trauma, Justice Failure & Reform - Survivor-Led Change
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we continue the second part of a powerful two-part conversation with Sarah Hicks , who shares her courageous journey through trauma, justice and long-term r...
Chris Tait: 90s Sex, Drugs & Electric 6 - Sobriety and Passenger Recovery
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt speaks with Chris Tait - keyboardist for Electric Six and founder of Passenger Recovery , a Detroit-based organisation supporting musicians and creativ...
Shev Nuttall: Single Motherhood, Alcohol & Trauma - Rewriting Her Recovery
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Matt jumps straight into a heartfelt and unflinching conversation with Shev , who reflects on the emotional weight of adult responsibilities placed on her f...
Tom Norcliffe: Cocaine, Psychosis & Paranoia - Battling the Bottle and Choosing Life
Join Matt for a gripping and emotional conversation with Tom, a former talent agent whose high-flying lifestyle in central London masked a devastating struggle with cocaine addiction. Tom recounts the harrowing moment he real...
Ollie Dent: Cannabis, Withdrawal & Isolation - Waking Up to Recovery
Matt is joined by Ollie for a raw and introspective conversation tracing his journey from early childhood trauma to recovery. After losing his mother at just eight years old and navigating the fallout of his father’s 22-year ...
Andre Edmund: Murder, Violence & 31 Years in Prison - Addiction, Corruption & Redemption
Join Matt for an extraordinary conversation with Andre, whose story spans over three decades in a Los Angeles prison following convictions for armed robbery and murder. Opening with a raw account of the grief, addiction, and ...
Emma Plant: Ecstasy, Heroin & Overdose - Motherhood and Naloxone Awakening
Join Matt as he sits down with Emma, whose powerful and unflinching account traces a journey through addiction that began at just 11 years old. Growing up in a family shaped by substance use - her father’s addiction and her g...
Johnny Borrell: Razorlight, Heroin & Fame - Teenage Addiction and Recovery
Johnny Borrell - guitarist, singer, and frontman of Razorlight - joins Matt for an honest and introspective conversation about teenage heroin addiction, the road to recovery, and the stigma surrounding substance use in the mu...
Adam Maxted: Love Island, WWE & Steroids - Fame, Body Image & Mental Health
Adam Maxted - professional wrestler and Love Island reality TV star - joins Matt for an unfiltered conversation about life in the spotlight, the pursuit of physical perfection, and the emotional complexities behind public suc...