Big Fish with Spencer Matthews

James Smith is a personal trainer and three-time bestselling author, who’s amassed a huge online audience of over 1 million people.

At 21, he found himself broke and knocking doors as a salesman with no real direction, so decided to become a personal trainer. He’s now built a phenomenal business, training thousands of people through his online academy and his straight-talking, no-nonsense approach sees him touring the world.

In this episode we talk about how finding your purpose fuels motivation to succeed, what advice he gives to people who hate their jobs and why happiness and pleasure are two separate things.

Jay Blades is the BAFTA-winning presenter of the hit primetime TV show The Repair Shop - watched by 4.5 million people a week. But a TV career was never on the cards for him. He was raised in east London by a single mother, after his father ran off with all of their money. His education was stunted by undiagnosed dyslexia - he learned in adulthood he had the reading age of an 11-year-old.

But this didn’t stop Jay. He dedicated his life helping his local community, and founded a charity teaching young people to restore old furniture. But when funding ran out and his marriage fell apart, he hit rock bottom: he was suicidal and homeless. He turned his life around and lifted himself from that darkness. Jay is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet - and I know you’ll love this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.

This episode is not suitable to those under 18 and contains offensive language and sensitive topic discussions including suicide, alcoholism and mental health issues. If you are affected by anything you hear in this episode and need support please see the suggested helpline and website links below. 

Samaritans helpline: 116 123 

https://www.samaritans.org/ 

https://www.mind.org.uk

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Gabby Logan is one of the UK's most notable sports broadcasters but before she turned her hand to presenting, Gabby was a gymnast for Wales and Great Britain - something she got into accidentally.

Gabby comes from a family of professional athletes, all with incredible talent and discipline. But it wasn't this alone that motivated Gabby to achieve all that she has. Her brother Daniel - a professional footballer - died at just 15 from a congenital heart defect and his death accelerated her drive to succeed.

David Gandy is one of the most successful male supermodels in the world.

After winning a modelling competition on This Morning at 21, he became one of the biggest names in the industry and was an overnight sensation after his famous Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue ad campaign.

In this episode we talk about rejection, the dangers of social media and how to know when you've pushed yourself too far.

Kelly Hoppen is one of the most sought-after interior designers of her generation. After quitting school at just 16, she took on her first client and built her design empire from there. She’s gone on to design the homes of A-listers such as the Beckhams, as well as yachts, five-star hotels and restaurants around the world. In this incredible conversation we talk about her successes and failures as an investor on Dragons' Den, how she works with A-list clients and what happened when she met the leader of a religious cult which her ex-husband had joined.

Giovanni Pernice is a highly decorated performer, best known for being one of the professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing, one of the UK’s most watched programmes.

He’s a BAFTA winner, Guinness World Record holder and world champion.

Gio left home at just 14 to pursue his ambitions of becoming a professional dancer - and came to the UK to take part in Strictly Coming Dancing speaking no English.

His determination and drive to succeed is palpable. He’s a self-confessed workaholic who's addicted to winning - this episode is utterly inspirational.

Chelcee Grimes is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and professional footballer. She’s written songs for Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Olly Murs and the Saturdays.

She began playing football at the age of 10 and went on to play professionally for Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham. But at 16, she decided to pursue a music career and signed an album deal at just 18. After getting dropped from her label and money running out, she got signed as a songwriter and now travels the world working with some of the world's biggest stars.

This is a story about a scam. But this isn’t any old scam. There's shamanism, a 'tree of life' in the jungle of Suriname, a bathing ritual in a dark rusty red lake, voodoo dolls, black magic and envelopes jammed full of sacrificial cash. There's even a wild capuchin monkey called Joey.

At the turn of the 21st century, set in one of London's most wealthy suburbs, Hampstead, Juliette D'Souza wreaked havoc on a number of people's lives. Described by her neighbours as 'a knife in a velvet glove', D'Souza claimed to have a special connection to an ancient source of power and wisdom, deep in the Amazonian jungle. She became filthy rich, and one of the most prolific con women in British history. 

Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, the soulmates behind the hit true crime podcast, Redhanded, are on the case. They speak to the reporters who travelled to Suriname to track Juliette down, one of Britain's leading shamans and the victims who came together in search of justice.

This is a true story so bizarre, you might not believe your ears.

All 6 episodes will be available from April 19th on Global Player. Download it now from the App Store or go to https://www.globalplayer.com

Gordon Ramsay needs no introduction. But just in case you’ve been living under a rock, he’s an internationally renowned chef, restaurateur and TV personality. 

His restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, now has 72 restaurants across the world and has been awarded a whopping 17 Michelin stars overall.

Gordon’s drive to succeed came from his need to provide a new life for himself. He grew up on multiple council estates and his mother worked three jobs to support him and his siblings. His footballer career ended after a serious knee injury, so Gordon decided to enrol on a foundation course in hotel management. He worked as a pot washer before taking the plunge to call Marco Pierre White out of the blue and ask for a job. And the rest is history.

I'm beyond excited to bring you season 2 of Big Fish - launching Wednesday 5th April with Gordon Ramsay! Make sure you're following the feed so you don't miss an episode.