In the Hot Seat

Aloha! In this weeks' episode I was over the moon to have the chance to speak to, and record with, a comedian who is tearing it up in England and the North East, Cal Halbert.

Cal rose to fame in his first appearance on Britain's Got Talent in 2011, followed by a second appearance in 2016 alongside his comic counterpart Alfie Joey. While unfortunately on both occasions he didn't make it to the semi-final stage, he recounts some of the brilliant stories from his time behind the scenes as well as some of the A-Z impression rundown which saw the judges give 4x Yes votes and a standing ovation!

I defy you not to laugh your head off throughout the episode as Cal broadcasts his vast array of talent across his celebrity impressions - from Sir Billy Connolly to Tony Blair, Andy Murray to Kevin Bridges, Boris Johnson to Donald Trump and many more in between.

As always, if you like the episode or have any feedback don't hesitate to reach out and let me know - hearing from you on what you like helps me shape future episodes, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button to be first in the know for new episodes dropping! Thanks as always.

Wow. One word to summarise how I felt coming off recording an episode with the broadcasting and commentating legend that is Ryle Nugent. Ryle - Head of Sport for RTE for 8 years, CEO of Premier Sports Asia and a voice and commentator known to so many millions over the years, joined me to discuss his pathway to profession, iconic moments and so much more.

Join us as we discuss Ryle's approach to a sporting colossus, combining a love for sport with a full time profession, incredible memories from Rugby World Cup's, Summer Olympics, Six Nations Championships, Ryle's passion for the growth of Women's sport and our favourite podcast questions - what would he tell an 18yo Ryle Nugent, why social media needs regulation & the importance of talking in looking after your mental health.

A thoroughly enjoyable episode to record - I can't thank Ryle enough for a chat that genuinely could have gone on for hours and hours.

Welcome back to the podcast! After a much longer hiatus than planned, the podcast is back and with a bang - with one of the best and most inspiring guests I've ever spoken to.

Allister MacSorley is one of life's great ones - but someone who's personal story over the last few years - where he faced life-changing injuries while carrying out his job as a motorcycle paramedic - will leave you gobsmacked and on the edge of your earphones / speakers.

Join us and listen as Ali regales us with what he faced at the Armoy road races in Northern Ireland in 2018, the critical events that followed in the seconds and minutes after his crash, his road to recovery, gratitude to family & friends and I urge you not to be inspired by his zest for life in 2022 and his objectives for the years ahead.

Please let us know what you think of the episode on all social media platforms or by getting in touch via the website at www.inthehotseatpodcast.com - and please - if you enjoy the episode, please give it a share and let people know about it.
Your support with the pod as always, is so very much appreciated. Thank you.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with BLK BOX CEO and Founder, Greg Bradley. BLK BOX – if you don’t know – are a Belfast-born company who specialize in the design & manufacture of some of the best quality gym equipment in the world right now, as well as selling to and installing with key partners such as 

With a mission to be the best fitness equipment company in the world, hear directly from Greg about what drives him and his business forward, what world class leadership looks like looking after a 100-employee strong company and how he integrates continuous professional development into everything he and his employees do, to constantly move forward and improve.

I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Greg who – as always – was as open and transparent about his business and himself as I had anticipated he would be. I know you’ll enjoy the chat too, so sit back, relax and let us take it away…

Join me in this weeks' episode as I speak with Martin Buckley -a  Dublin born business and brand guru - and someone who knows a fair bit about leadership!

Martin has seen a professional career rising through the ranks of Doc Marten before an 18 year career at Nike which saw him lead the categories of Golf, Tennis, Skateboarding and Football globally.

An absolute gentleman of the highest degree, Martin shares with us some of what he has learnt through the years as well as fitting in stories of his time working with professional athletes such as Rory McIlroy, Nick Kyrgios, Kevin De Bruyne, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Maria Sharapova, Nyjah Houston and so many more.

Really hope you'll enjoy the episode - if you do, I would be ever so grateful if you would click subscribe and share the podcast wherever you can - it may sound sad but seeing the numbers boost each week honestly makes doing all this so worth it! Thanks as always for your support.

Welcome back! It's been a while...8 weeks in fact since we released our episode with Will Addison of Ulster Rugby. After some gentle life recalibration figuring out a new routine with new job and a 15 month old baby etc, this episode with Doug signals a return to our new weekly episodes...hurrah!

In this week's episode I spoke with Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Doug Beattie MC MLA. A recipient of the Military Cross during his 27 years working full time in the British Army, Doug has served his country in places all across the world - Bosnia, Berlin, Iraq, Afghanistan...and South Armagh. Hear him talk about his military upbringing, some details of his family life up to the age of 16 and how he navigated serving in the Army alongside a family of his own - and then moving into the realm of politics and all that it brings with it.

I really enjoyed recording this one with a true gentleman and trust you will take something from it you didn't know about Doug yourself. Enjoy - and please help the podcast out by spreading the good word, liking and sharing on social media, and subscribing up for downloading new episodes free of charge (downloads help SO much better than streams!).

Until next week. Enjoy!

In this weeks' episode of the podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with former Sale Sharks captain & current Ulster and Ireland back Will Addison.

Join us as he candidly chats through;

• Growing up in the Lake District on the family farm
• How taking on a sheep 1v1 helped his tackling game
• Love of competitive sports, including a childhood of skiing
• Being spotted by & then fast-tracked through the Sale Sharks academy
• Captaining Sale and representing them 114 times before his move to Ulster
• What drove the Ulster move, and how long it was in the planning for (including a thank you to Dwayne Peel and Mark Jones!)
• Frustration with injuries, and how real early retirement could have been not too long ago...
• Irish Rugby caps, and his ambitions for the future with Ulster & Ireland
• Thoughts on the Lions tour of South Africa
• Social media for players and the need for regulation and ID verification
• A discussion on mental health
• Best players played with and against

One of my most enjoyable episodes to record yet - so much so it's being published earlier than usual! Sit back, enjoy and don't forget to give the podcast a follow or suscribe. 

Welcome to Season 2 of the In the Hot Seat podcast!

Delighted to have In the Hot Seat for the first week of the new season - a man I have a great deal of respect for - former BBC Security Correspondent turned political commentator and author - Brian / Barney Rowan.

In the episode we chat through a whole host of areas across Northern Irish politics and the future of Stormont beyond the global pandemic, but most importantly we discuss Barney's newest book "Political Purgatory: The Battle to Save Stormont and the Play for a New Ireland".

Join us as we chat through and hear from Barney on his quite brilliant stories from time spent with individuals you might not have expected - ranging from David Ervine (former leader of the PUP) to Rory McIlroy.

In this weeks' episode of the In the Hot Seat podcast, we explore Gordon D'Arcy's career in detail with the man himself, likely in many ways you won’t have heard before, as well as a host of other points surrounding the game of rugby;

• An in-depth review of why D'Arcy got into rugby, and the fast track he saw from schools rugby to province and national team in record time
• Travels with Ireland on Rugby World Cups and time with the British and Irish Lions in 2005 and 2009
• His incredible record with Leinster and Ireland, which saw his teams crowned Celtic League champion 4x times, Heineken Cup winners 3x times, Amlin Challenge Cup winners 1x time, 2x Six Nations titles with Ireland (including 1x Grand Slam) and a Six Nations Player of the Tournament award in 2004
• Leinster's performances this season and the state of the provincial game / rivalries
• Looking at the state of the game of rugby in 2021 - Gordon's thoughts on AIL pathways to professional rugby, Academy players playing in the AIL, concussion levels in rugby & any fears for the professional game as it navigates the COVID pandemic
• Mental Health, Mindfulness & Building Resilience - Looking after yourself from a physical, mental and emotional POV

This was an absolute joy to record, edit and listen back to, so I hope you'll find it just as enjoyable yourselves. If you do, please hit the follow / subscribe button to be first in the know when new episodes drop - with a number of rugby episodes landing in the next few weeks and months, as well as of course episodes which don't touch rugby! Enjoy, and speak soon.

In this weeks' episode, I spoke with the brilliant man behind the NI Greenways and Bikefast initiatives in Northern Ireland - Jonathan Hobbs.

Jonathan - a keen rail enthusiast and cyclist himself - took to forming these initiatives in 2012 and 2013 respectively - and has seen a multitude of successes representing all of Northern Ireland in lobbying government and Ministers for Instrastructure for better active travel amenities and spending by the NI Executive. 

Join us on the episode as we explore a little of Jonathan, the man behind the accounts, as well as a detailed look at what his initiatives set out to do, some of the highlights and lowlights of the last 9 years, and a detailed discussion about the benefits and the major pitfalls of running a social media account in 2021.

As always, I trust you'll enjoy the episode - if you do please help the podcast out by hitting the subscribe or follow button, and share on your social media or amongst friends, family and colleagues where possible. Thanks a mil, and speak soon!

You can follow Jonathan and his work on Twitter over at @nigreenways