In Their Words: COA Lives with Jonathan Ashworth

COA Lives: Sam – I'm Turning Adversity into Advantage

In this episode of COA Lives, Jonathan Ashworth welcomes Liverpool entrepreneur Sam, co-owner of streetwear business Block P, to share his experiences of growing up with a father struggling with alcohol addiction.

Sam reflects on the emotional impact of his childhood, the moment he recognised his own destructive relationship with cannabis, and his decision to live a life free from drugs and alcohol.

Now a successful young entrepreneur, Sam talks openly about how his upbringing has shaped his ambition, relationships and sense of identity. He also discusses the challenges of loving a parent who continues to drink, learning to establish boundaries, and finding purpose in supporting young people facing similar experiences.

It's an inspiring conversation about breaking cycles, finding connection and turning adversity into something positive.

COA Lives is a podcast from Nacoa (the National Association for Children of Alcoholics), hosted by Jonathan Ashworth. Through honest and powerful conversations, the series explores the experiences of people who have grown up affected by a parent’s drinking, helping to break the silence, challenge stigma and remind others that they are not alone.

For information and free, confidential support, visit nacoa.org.uk.

COA Lives returns for Series 2 with Nacoa patron, broadcaster and author Vicky Pattison.

In this deeply personal conversation with Jonathan Ashworth, Vicky opens up about growing up with her dad’s alcoholism and the complicated relationship she developed with alcohol herself.

She reflects on loving her dad while struggling with the impact of his drinking, the fear that she might follow the same path, and the words that stayed with her for years: “You are your father’s daughter.”

Vicky also talks about making her powerful documentary Vicky Pattison: Alcohol, Dad and Me, confronting her own relationship with drinking, and understanding that our childhoods do not have to determine our futures.

Now looking towards becoming a mother herself, Vicky explains why breaking the cycle has become so important to her — and why children affected by a parent’s drinking need to know that they are not alone and that a different future is possible.

A moving, funny and incredibly honest conversation about alcoholism, family, identity and learning that you don’t have to make the same decisions your parents did.

COA Lives is presented by Nacoa patron Jonathan Ashworth and shares the stories of people affected by a parent’s drinking.

In this episode of COA Lives, Jonathan Ashworth sits down with resilience coach, author and Nacoa ambassador Josh Connolly for an honest conversation about growing up around addiction, recovery, and what it really means to break the cycle.

Josh shares how getting sober at 24 led him to re-examine his childhood and recognise the impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent. What followed was a journey that would see him become a powerful voice for children of alcoholics — through his writing, public speaking and the widely followed COAs Are A Thing platform.

Together, Jonathan and Josh explore the complicated emotional reality many children of alcoholics experience: loving a parent deeply while also feeling hurt, let down or confused by their behaviour. They discuss how chaotic childhoods can create resilience, but also why that resilience often comes at a cost.

Josh also speaks about his work helping people break free from toxic family dynamics, the importance of boundaries, and why children need to hear one crucial message early on: their parent’s drinking is not their fault.

Ian Stringer’s voice is familiar to football fans across the country — a commentator who has lived the highs and lows of the beautiful game. But behind the microphone is a story shaped by loss, trauma, and the lasting impact of growing up with a parent struggling with alcoholism.

In this deeply personal and courageous conversation, Ian shares the devastating story of losing his mother, Christine, whose body lay undiscovered for seven weeks after her death in 2016. He speaks with honesty about the guilt, anger and grief that followed — and the impossible choices children of alcoholics are often forced to make in order to protect themselves.

Ian Full export transcript

Ian reflects on a childhood marked by instability, domestic violence, and the gradual realisation that he could not save the person he loved most. He describes the complex emotions that come with loving someone whose illness takes them further and further away — and the burden so many children carry in silence.

Now a father himself, Ian explains how his experiences shaped his determination to break the cycle, protect his own children, and find healing through sharing his story. He also talks about his extraordinary fundraising challenge — running marathons across the international date line to “chase yesterday” — and why supporting children affected by parental alcoholism has become his mission.

This episode is a powerful testament to resilience, love, and the lifelong impact of growing up in the shadow of addiction. It’s also a reminder that no child should feel alone — and that by telling these stories, we can help others find understanding, support, and hope.

Marking Children of Alcoholics Week 2026, we’re releasing a powerful and deeply personal episode of COA Lives featuring journalist, broadcaster and Nacoa patron Camilla Tominey.

In this candid conversation, Camilla joins Jonathan Ashworth to reflect on growing up with an alcoholic parent, the hidden realities behind a seemingly picture-perfect childhood, and the lasting impact of parental addiction into adulthood. Together, they discuss resilience, drive, family loyalty, and why speaking openly helps others feel less alone.

Recorded as part of our ongoing commitment to shine a light on the experiences of children of alcoholics, this episode highlights the importance of awareness, understanding and support — and why Children of Alcoholics Week remains such a vital moment to share these stories.

Welcome to the first episode of “COA Lives”, a new podcast hosted by Jonathan Ashworth, former Labour MP and long-time advocate for children of alcoholics.

In this moving conversation, Jonathan speaks with Sarah Drage — a Nacoa ambassador, podcaster, and mental-health advocate whose life changed forever after losing her father, Steve, to alcohol addiction.

Sarah opens up about the emotional complexity of loving someone with addiction, the years of gaslighting and denial, the heartbreaking moment she had to decide to switch off her father’s life-support machine, and how that trauma led her into national advocacy work.

Together, Jonathan and Sarah explore:

What it means to grow up as a Child of an Alcoholic (COA)

The guilt, anger, love, and confusion that shape COA families

Why stigma kills — and how silence harms families

The price of public advocacy, both healing and painful

How childhood trauma shapes identity, adulthood, and parenting

What breaking generational cycles really looks like

This episode is tender, honest, and full of hope for anyone affected by a loved one’s drinking.

Former Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth sits down with Calum Best — TV personality, entrepreneur, and son of football legend George Best — for an open and emotional conversation about family, addiction, and hope.

Calum shares powerful stories of growing up with his famous father, how he learned to channel pain into purpose, and why he’s dedicated to supporting the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa UK). Together, they explore fatherhood, resilience, and how to break the cycle for future generations.

Support Nacoa UK: https://nacoa.org.uk

Topics in this episode:

George Best’s football legacy and personal struggles

Calum’s journey through fame, loss, and recovery

The emotional impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent

Finding purpose through charity, running, and helping others

The importance of breaking stigma around addiction and mental health

Follow Jonathan Ashworth for more conversations that shine a light on untold stories and real lives.

00:00 – Introduction: Jonathan Ashworth on why this podcast matters

I’m Jonathan Ashworth, 

As a politician, in parliament I championed the cause of COAs, the children of alcoholics. It opened up a word of voices to me I’d never heard before. 

Now it’s my mission to share real stories from people from all walks of life affected by parental addiction. 

I know how healing it can be to find a common thread of fellow feeling. I know how painful it be to feel alone. 

And through these conversations I want to shine a light on experiences too often kept in the shadows. 

Come with me on this journey to explore the challenges, the hope, and the healing. This is, ‘In their Words: COA Lives.’