Amuse Douche with James Haskell

Strap yourselves in as James Haskell takes his first baby steps towards performing a live comedy set in his new podcast. In this episode he sits down with the brilliant Sindhu Vee. Why was a set in India her worst ever? Why did her mum compare her unfavourably to Oprah Winfrey after just eight gigs? And how did she not know James appears in the dictionary under 'toxic masculinity'?

James learns the answer to all of these questions and more, including Sindhu's three rules for writing and performing comedy and there's an appearance from his good mates Alex Payne and Mike Tindall, who give their verdict on his new career path.

James Haskell is facing an existential crisis. Since retiring as an international rugby star, he has become a ubiquitous personality, shape-shifting week-to-week from elite athlete to reality TV star, DJ, podcaster, author, MMA fighter, influencer and pundit. While James adapts to rapid-onset fatherhood, he is looking for his final form. In Haskell's opinion, the common thread running through his many post-rugby ventures is his unique brand of ‘comedy’... which brings us here. Amuse Douche puts Hask to the test in the most brutal arena: a live stand-up set. To prepare himself, he is speaking to some of the funniest comedians, actors and writers in the country, including Russell Kane, Sindhu Vee, Lou Sanders and Ed Byrne. While picking up tips and tricks, he’ll learn all about their journeys into comedy and find out what life is really like as a stand-up. But it's not all laughs as James and his guests also tackle serious issues such as alcohol dependency, living with ADHD and struggles with self-confidence. At the end of the series, James will take everything he's learned and get up in front of a live audience to see if he really is – or isn't – as hilarious as he says he is. Whether car crash or surprise success, the end result is sure to be compelling either way.

James Haskell is facing an existential crisis. Since retiring as an international rugby star, he has become a ubiquitous personality, shape-shifting week-to-week from elite athlete to reality TV star, DJ, podcaster, author, MMA fighter, influencer and pundit.

While James adapts to rapid-onset fatherhood, he is looking for his final form. In Haskell's opinion, the common thread running through his many post-rugby ventures is his unique brand of ‘comedy’... which brings us here.

Amuse Douche puts Hask to the test in the most brutal arena: a live stand-up set. To prepare himself, he is speaking to some of the funniest comedians, actors and writers in the country, including Russell Kane, Sindhu Vee, Lou Sanders and Ed Byrne. While picking up tips and tricks, he’ll learn all about their journeys into comedy and find out what life is really like as a stand-up. But it's not all laughs as James and his guests also tackle serious issues such as alcohol dependency, living with ADHD and struggles with self-confidence.

At the end of the series, James will take everything he's learned and get up in front of a live audience to see if he really is – or isn't – as hilarious as he says he is. Whether car crash or surprise success, the end result is sure to be compelling either way.

Season 2 review. James looks back at season 2 of the podcast picking out some of his favourite moments. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James talks to ex-rugby player Ed Jackson about his incredible story. Sustaining life-changing spinal injuries, Ed fought back to defy the odds, setting his sight on a new challenge: mountaineering.  His book LUCKY is a must-read and is out now in hardback, ebook and audiobook, narrated by the man himself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the podcast Haskell talks to James and Oliver Phelps, best known for their roles as Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter films. They talk about their time on such a huge, high profile franchise, the cutthroat world of acting more broadly, and projects outside of their work as actors. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Haskell speaks to Bournemouth 7s Festival Founder Dodge Woodall about his unique upbringing, his entrepreneur spirit starting from a very young age and his development from event promoter to brand builder to festival founder and podcast host. Dodge also talks about the keys to success: the importance of becoming an expert in your field, not taking no for an answer, and how, personally for him, it was his passion for events and sport and making people happy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Haskell speaks to Craig White about how he changed the face of strength and conditioning across the game of rugby around the world. Craig discusses his mentorships, being a good communicator, the importance of a good mindset, and the team benefits of looking after players individually and emotionally.James Haskell's book is available now in paperback in all good book shops. His new book Ruck Me is also available to pre-order.Visit Craig's website www.craigwhitecoaching.com to find out more about Craig and the Men Without Masks retreats. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2019 & 2020 UK Master Coach Of The Year and author of Paul Mort Will Save Your Life, Paul Mort, speaks to James Haskell about his difficulties with his mental health, his history with drugs and alcohol, and the link between the two. They discuss the issues of shame, responsibility, happiness, suicide and the media, the difficulties of having a sense of purpose in men after a certain age and the importance of giving yourself permission to feel happy.James Haskell's new book, Ruck Me, is available to pre-order in hardback, ebook and audio.Paul Mort's audiobook, Paul Mort Will Save Your Life, is available wherever you get your audiobooks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Haskell speaks to Alistair Brownlee about his huge success as an athlete, where he gets his motivation, mental strength and determination from, and the very root meaning of what motivation means. They discuss the pros and cons of training independently versus training with partners, the need for routine in training, and Alistair's new book Relentless.You can find Alistair Brownlee's book Relentless in all good bookshops. Also available in ebook and audio, read by Alistair himself.James Haskell's new book Ruck Me is available to pre-order in print, ebook and audio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.