Daddy Issues Podcast

In this weeks episode I am speaking to writer and poet, Cecilia Knapp.

Cecilia and I had met before when I had the delight of looking after her at a charity event. I remember distinctly feeling mortified over how many tears I found pouring down my cheeks whilst she performed, considering I was supposed to be working, and not just a spectator of the show. Meeting her again, and as intimately as the podcast allows us, was just the best of treats.

Cecilia has experienced more grief than most at her age, having lost her mother (and her life, as she knew it) at the age of seven, and then her beloved brother, Leo, at the age of 20. Her father was very often out working in order to fund her and her brother's new arrival in his house (meaning they were often left to their own devices), and, with all the loss she was dealing with, Cecilia could have easily gone down the more dangerous path of escapism and self destruction. However, for reasons she herself doesn’t quite understand - and perhaps even struggles somewhat with - it only pushed her to succeed and become fiercely independent. Cecilia’s brother, Leo, however, coped very differently.

This episode is somewhat a poignant look into how trauma - and a child's coping mechanisms - can manifest so differently between siblings, even when they are in the same environment and are at a very similar age. And how a father, who's life had also dramatically altered, wasn't able to be there as much as was needed for his children both physically (as he needed to fund their very existence), and emotionally (due his own life experiences of communicating), but, just like everyone else, was also coping in the only way he knew how.

I am so hugely inspired by this woman’s story, and you will be too.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

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Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

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Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

Cecilia Knapp @ceciliaknapp

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks episode is with New York based award-winning writer, director and producer, Miranda Haymon.

Miranda's father died of cancer when she was 9 years old, having been diagnosed what felt like moments before. Having interviewed and spoken on grief a fair deal over this past year, I had yet to come across of the kind of reflection Miranda has with her grief, which, I think, is utterly remarkable and potentially life-changing. How it is, and thus must be acknowledged, as it's very own person. So, in its infancy, it must be treated as an infant, and allowed to scream, cry and have tantrums. It needs to be fed, nurtured and held. Protected and soothed. And then, as a teenager, it must be heard, listened to, but equally, held accountable. It is angry then, and often, all encompassing.

This episode is full of such beautifully poignant reflections on grief, daddy issues and drive, from a truly insightful introspective mind. And I can't wait for you to hear it.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

Miranda Haymon @miranda_haymon

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks guest is a little different again, as it’s with Nurudeen Kyari, who’s father, Abba Kyari (former Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria) died only this April from COVID-19.

Nuda (as I’ve always known him) and I were at school together and when he reached out (having heard Harry Bell, another school friends episode) I was so incredibly moved, but also somewhat surprised that he was willing to talk about his fathers unexpected and tragic death so soon after it happened.

However, during our interview, I realised why Nuda was ready. Nuda is, of course, still very much grieving, and speaks openly about what his process has been, however, what struck me so deeply is that he seems to have (helped by his incredible faith) found a peace, and even gratitude, with his fathers death that is nothing short of inspiring and heart-opening.

Nuda’s wisdom and life perspective needs to be shared with the world, and so I feel so incredibly honoured to have had just a slice of it on Daddy Issues Podcast.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks episode is with theatre, comedy and screen producer, KITTY WORDSWORTH.

Kitty and I have been comrades in the DDC (Dead Dad Club) since we met at University, and for so many years had these intimate, private conversations (usually lying in bed at the dead of night - no pun intended) talking about our grief and how we felt about our consecutive deceased dads. These conversations we’re definitely led by Kitty - I take no credit - as Kitty walks through the world with an authentic and direct honesty which allows people to trust and feel comfortable around her instantly. This transparency luckily doesn’t stop at subject matters most find awkward or taboo, allowing whoever she’s speaking to to feel as if they could just be discussing what they had for lunch that day. She allowed me talk about my dad in a way nobody ever had. She has a gift she doesn’t even know she’d giving.

Kitty’s career started earlier than most, producing shows at Jermyn Street Theatre at the ripe old age of 21 and founding a theatre company (@damselproductions) at the age of 22, where she has showcased performances at Soho Theatre, Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Bunker, Theatre 503, Live@Zedel and Southwark Playhouse, to name just a few.

Her work ethic and savvy creativity has always inspired me, and it was so very wonderful having her on Daddy Issues to delve back into our no.1 fave topic.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

Kitty Wordsworth @kittywordsworth

Damsel Productions @damselproductions

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks episode is with former Premier League footballer turned producer, writer, public speaker, entrepreneur and CALM ambassador, MARVIN SORDELL.

Marvin’s father left when he was 5 years old. Other than knowing that he is a visual replica of his father, he knows little else, and other than an unexpected phone call at the age of 19, he has had no contact with him.

At the age of 13 Marvin was scouted by Chelsea, and was quickly thrusted into the world of professional football. However, being a footballer didn’t make being fatherless any easier, and Marvin witnessed a grim and backward side of the sport whilst seeing the difference the coaches would treat his teammates fathers, compared to his mother.

Marvin was told more than once that he should look to another profession by those who were meant to support him - teachers and coaches. This only pushed him to work harder, proving that he was never going to live down to their expectations of him. Marvin’s father was, of course, another adult not there to support him, believe in him, or help push him to his greatest potential in a sport so focused on fathers and sons.

At the age of 28, Marvin decided to retire. He’d had enough of the darker side of the sport. It’s in-house bullying, racism and business objectives which can make a player feel sub-human. So, Marvin turned to his more creative side and co-founded a thriving video production company, 180 Productions, amongst many other exciting ventures, making a focus of his to speak openly on mental health - having gone through his own experience of depression during the latter years of his football career.

When Marvin himself became a father, he had to face a wound he hadn’t realised ran so deep.

Marvin was the most incredible, honest and open guest, and I am so excited for you to hear his beautiful episode.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

Marvin Sordell @marvinsordell

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks episode, I am speaking to international DJ and feminist, Sara Landry.

Sara was initially hesitant to speak on the podcast, as she’s developed a loving and healthy relationship with her father, however, this wasn’t always the case.

Growing up, Sara learnt she had to take care of herself, which, although led her into becoming incredibly independent and self-reliant, also meant she found herself in dangerous situations with men.

In this episode, we not only speak of Sara’s experience of fatherlessness, motherlessness, and her success in music, but also of the other experiences in her life which have shaped her into the woman she now is, and have driven her to do what she does, and what she cares about.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

Sara Landry @saralandrydj

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

In this weeks episode I am speaking to the sensational screenwriter, Molly O'Shea.

At the tender age of 21, just as the first taste of adulthood began to hit, Kathy, Molly's mother, died of a brain tumor, leaving Molly parentless.

Molly is able to articulate herself in a way that many of us envy, and sees the world (partly through necessity) in the same way. Having experienced the level of grief similar to, say, an 80 year old woman, she has a wisdom beyond her years, and an ability not to take life as seriously as many of her peers, finding that line between tragedy and comedy, oh so perfectly.

Molly's experiences have, as with most writers, fed into her work, and last year Molly wrote and performed her debut one woman show about her mother's death, which she has since turned into a short film due to be released later this year (with a very exciting cast).

I want to quote everything Molly has said, but it’s probably best to just hear from her yourself, so I’ll end on something I love Molly once wrote in regards to grief.

"Grief is like a really bad breakup. That’s what romantic comedies and having no living relatives taught me. Scrolling through Instagram and seeing your ex kissing their new partner prompts the same thought as seeing a cancer charity poster at the bus stop: there’s the b*tch that stole the person I love."

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Molly O'Shea @molly.ohhh

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

In this weeks episode I talk to the unbelievable woman and world class dancer, Asantewa Cotterell.

Having lost her beloved father to suicide at the age of 14, Asantewa has spent the last 16 years not only trying to come to terms with her grief, but also the immense pain that comes from unanswered questions, and the knowledge that her father had clearly thought through this decision to leave her and her family.

Asantewa threw herself into dance, not only as a distraction, but as a way to express herself, and her grief. Asantewa is now one of the worlds most successful backing dancers, having shared the stage with Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Beyone, Cardi B and Lizzo...to name just a few.

This is such an important, poignant and, at times, incredibly funny episode (Asantewa has a wonderfully dark sense of humour), and I can't thank Asantewa enough for sharing her story, which was driven by the fact that she hopes that in doing so, she may help someone else who has had a similar experience.

We love you Asantewa.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears (apparently).

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Asantewa Cotterell @asantewa

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

And we are finally UP with this weeks episode, which is a little different to usual, as the guest is my school friend of 16 years, Harry Bell.

Two months before qualifying as a lawyer, and just a year ago this week, Harry’s father, the PR titan Lord Bell, passed away due to complications ensuing from vascular Parkinsonism.

Lord Bell was a key advisor to Margaret Thatcher in her three successful election campaigns and went on to be Chairman of Chime Communications, and then on to co-found PR machine, Bell Pottinger.

Harry beautifully articulates his experience of what growing up with a successful father was like, and how it effected his own ideas of himself, his direction in life, his notions of success, confidence and identity in the world.

I also wanted to get Harry onto the podcast as not only did I want him to talk about his very recent and prevalent experience of grief, and fatherlessness, but he himself was keen to come on to speak about what he’d found to be an awkward subject amongst peers, wishing to break this taboo so many of us feel when talking about death.

It was an incredible and special experience interviewing such a close and old friend, although Harry couldn’t help but bring up a wholly inappropriate story about a time I lost a necklace.

You’ll have to listen to find out the rest.

Thank you Harry 💖😚

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears.

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

*

If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]

This weeks episode is with the INCREDIBLE writer, comedian and newly published FIRST TIME AUTHOR of 'Cheer The F**k Up'...Jack ROOKE.

Grief has been a recurring and relentless theme in Jack's life, having lost his father to cancer at the tender age of 15, and then a best friend to suicide at the age of 21.

Both these tragic deaths had a huge impact on Jack's direction in life and career trajectory, co-writing a show about his fathers death with his 85 year old nan, Good Grief, and then, Happy Hour, a comedic tribute to his friend lost to suicide. Both shows received high acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, after which he went on to present his own BBC Three documentary series, Happy Man, the BBC Radio 4 comedy, Good Grief, and was also BBC Radio 1’s on-air expert in bereavement and mental health for The Surgery.

Jack’s shows were such a success they transferred on to London’s Soho Theatre, Latitude Festival and The Roundhouse., and then in 2019 he was asked to contribute an essay to the award-winning book 'It’s Not OK to Feel Blue (& Other Lies)', curated by Scarlett Curtis. Finally, and very excitingly, his debut publication, Cheer the F**K Up is just starting it’s book tour, and is out to buy!

Jack has that amazing ability to lighten and make silliness of subject matters which are usually laden with weight and taboo, whilst managing to create a healthy channel for his own grief to express itself.

His wisdom and understanding of the world is well beyond his 26 years, and thank goodness there are people like him making conversations which are so often avoided, accessible and brilliantly funny to anyone and everyone who comes across his work.

I can't wait for you to hear Jack's episode. He is a wonderful human.

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If you like what you hear, it would be so appreciated if you could rate, review and subscribe as we love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and it helps get the podcast to reach more ears (apparently).

*

Created | Hosted | Produced by Angharad George-Carey

Mastered and Compressed | by Worgie Productions

Music | by Julietta

*

Social Media:

Angharad George-Carey @angharadgeorgecarey

Liam Hackett @diageoliam

Ditch the Label @ditchthelabel

Daddy Issues Podcast @thedaddyissuespodcast

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If you'd like to seek guidance and support for any issues raised in the episodes there are three websites we would recommend depending on your individual needs:

www.juliasamuel.co.uk JULIA SAMUEL MBE

www.blackmindsmatteruk.com BLACK MINDS MATTER

www.griefuntangled.com GREIF UNTANGLED

www.thecalmzone.net CALM

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We love hearing from you! To contact us, email [email protected]