Blethered

Aarti Joshi is the head of marketing and communications for DF Concerts, the people who brought you T in The Park, TRNSMT and countless concerts and music events.

Aarti is Scottish-Indian and while being as Scottish as you could possibly be, she also has a very rich cultural heritage, of which she’s rightly proud. We talk about what it was like to grow up with a different cultural background to the so-called ‘norm’, and experiencing racism in different forms.

We also discuss Aarti's interesting career, encounters with Paul Weller at T in The Park, and about the need to take time out and rest, for both physical and mental health.

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Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Matt was previously Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman and has been instrumental in bringing about more stringent regulation on betting companies in the UK, through the Campaign for Fairer Gambling. 

We talk about Matt’s previous gambling addiction and the depths that he fell to as a result, we discuss the impact of gambling in communities throughout the UK, and Matt talks about working with Jeremy Corbyn in the run up to the general election, as well as both our thoughts on the current political landscape both north and south of the border.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, take note of the advice Matt gives and you can also find relevant links and information in the episode notes. Don’t suffer in silence, people are there to help you.

Gamban: https://gamban.com/

GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/

Matt's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattzarb

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Graham grew up in Largs and moved to London in the 1960’s, where he worked as a songwriter for Apple Music, the legendary music label owned by The Beatles.

He had his own illustrious performing career as part of Gallagher & Lyle, before he turned his attentions to songwriting again. He's written tracks for Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles, and so many more global superstars. 

Graham talks about having three number 1 hits at the same time in multiple countries, winning Grammy awards and being inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame, songwriting with Paul McCartney, and about world famous DJ Kygo covering ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’, a song he wrote for Tina Turner.

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Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Aimen Dean was a member of Al Qaeda before he defected to join MI6, where he continued to operate within Al Qaeda as an undercover spy.

In this episode, we discuss Shamima Begum and her appeal to be able to return to the UK, I ask Aimen if he thinks deradicalisation programs work, and I ask him some listeners questions.

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Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Music Producer & Performer Dan Dare grew up in West London and was involved in gang culture and serous crime at a young age, before throwing himself into music. He quickly earned a solid reputation in the industry and has worked with numerous major artists worldwide, and most recently co-wrote and produced Head & Heart, the current UK Number 1 by Joel Corry and MNEK (July 2020).

We talk about Dan’s tough upbringing, his music career and the honesty about his mental health in his music. His lyrics are raw, powerful and honest; we look at what fuels that expression and how he deals with any mental health issues that he faces.

You’ll also hear about Dan’s experiences with celebrity dating app Raya, we discuss the true definition of being a strong person and about how men struggle to show their emotions. And, as always, plenty more.

Dan's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0afI2bb9YP5PpZwT8nwlZH?si=QoBqLuFvTVu35Jc-Y1icnA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/slangslanging?lang=en

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Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Kerr is the front man of the phenomenal LaFontaines and he talks about how he fell into music and the mad journey that it’s taken him on.

Kerr tells some hilarious stories, including being arrested in Marrakech and losing the band’s entire budget for a music video on one spin in the casino, you’ll hear exactly why he loves doing what he does and we also discuss the male suicide epidemic in Kerr’s hometown of Motherwell. 

We dissect the concept social media and it’s grip on our lives. It’s a conversation you’ve heard before but it’s an ongoing and continuously evolving thing, so it’s important to keep having it.

Support Blethered on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/Blethered

Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Myles recently won a Gold Award for Best News Coverage at the Aria Awards in London for an exposé into a so-called ‘Pick Up Artist’ operating in Glasgow , which led to the individual being jailed for two years and placed on the offenders register for ten years. 

What followed was Myles going undercover and posing as a-student at a Pick Up Artist bootcamp in London, before confronting the organisers on what they were doing.

We talk about how these groups came to Myles’ attention and the logistics of carrying out an undercover exposé, the ramifications of putting your head above the parapet in such a way and we also chat about Myles’ BBC Sounds podcast ‘Unlocked’ which focuses on how people are coping during lockdown.

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Jake is a documentary maker who has worked for Vice, the BBC, Channel 4 and many others - going into places like North Korea and Liberia, and getting up close and personal with Islamic preachers and the far-right English Defence League, more commonly known as the EDL.

We talk about Jake’s experience in North Korea and the relationship he’s managed to cultivate with the North Korean government, you’ll hear about the best garlic naan bread he’s ever shared with an ISIS executioner and we talk about Message Heard, the phenomenal podcast company he founded and one of its shows, Conflicted.

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Contact: [email protected]

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Renowned football journalist Graham Hunter talks to me about his love of Spain, interesting points in his career and his thoughts on when luck meets opportunity.

There's good humour, fascinating insight and tales of Sir Alex Ferguson, Gerard Pique, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Vicente Del Bosque and plenty more.

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Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcdonald01

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Darryl Broadfoot and I talk about his experiences across Scottish journalism and PR, the accessibility of sport in our society and we discuss the mollycoddling of the younger generation and whether they’re being set up for a spectacular fall.

You’ll also hear some funny stories including a Scottish international’s sleeping pills kicking in during a post-match interview, and about a high-profile Dutch international possibly indulging in a wee bit of bad behaviour while on pre-season with Rangers in Sweden...

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Contact: [email protected]

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www.thebiglight.com

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