Tony Bellew is a name known to many who follow the world of boxing.

He grew up in Wavertree in Liverpool, and by the age of just eighteen, was strapping on a bulletproof vest and working as a bouncer.

His childhood had almost as many knocks as he took in the ring, with the end of his parents relationship and finding himself expelled from school at the age of fifteen.

As he had heard said to him many times, he felt a waste of space and his life was at a crossroads.

One direction could lead to a life of street fights and crime, the other was boxing.

He chose the latter, and went on to become a world champion, but also held the British Commonwealth and European titles, and his glittering career culminated in two defining victories against David Heye.

Tony Bellew's story of a chubby kid growing up in Liverpool to a world champion, is an example of willpower, incredible resilience and total dedication.

After over 20 years in the ring, what you're about to hear is the tale of a man who has overcome the doubters and reached the pinnacle of his sport.

Yet he is still vulnerable and honest enough to admit, he continues to face an almost daily battle with his demons.

He's also just written a brilliant new book called Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Face, where he draws on the lessons he's learned from life in the ring to help others deal with the punches that life can throw all of us.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact The Samaritans, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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Join Simon Thomas as he explores human endurance through the toughest times in the second series of his podcast Life Interrupted.

In a series of incredible interviews, with guests including Katie Price, Tony Bellew, Jay Blades and more, he discovers how the more desperate times can lead to hope and inspiration for a new and happy life.

In each episode, we hear from names we are familiar with and some we are not. These interviews teach us that despite the most difficult challenges in our lives, we can find the strength and the narrow path through to a better life.

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Lynsey Crombie is a best selling author, businesswoman, and TV personality. But behind Lindsay's success is a much darker story.

She first came to prominence when by sheer chance, she landed a role on channel for obsessive compulsive cleaners, which evolved to a regular slot on ITV this morning, where she shared not just her love of cleaning, but as secrets and hacks to a cleaner house and became known as the 'Queen Of Clean'.

Throughout the pandemic, Lindsay has continued to share her brilliant cleaning hacks on social media with her many followers, and it led to the release of her latest book, The 15 Minute Clean.

Yet behind the successful career women, is a difficult and challenging history.

Age just 24 married and expecting twins, her life was interrupted in perhaps one of the worst ways possible.

In the early hours of one morning, without any warning, her husband was arrested. Shortly afterwards the stress caused by the ordeal brought about the premature birth of her twins.

She had to endure living on a knife edge, watching her premature twins fighting for their lives, while not knowing why her husband had been arrested and detained.

Slowly, Lindsay discovered her husband's dark secret. He was charged for pedophilia. For a time her world fell apart. She struggled to share her pain with anyone and became a compulsive cleaner as a way of coping with her trauma.

Lindsey's story is both brutal and heartbreaking. But it's also one of triumph and hope.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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At the age of 17, Hope Edelman lost her Mom to breast cancer. After she lost her Dad later in life, she turned her pain into inspiration, as she began a journey to better understand the confusing world of grief.

Her first book, "Motherless Daughters" was a number one New York Times best-seller, and now her latest book, "The After Grief", gives a brilliant insight into how we not only process grief, but how loss isn't something we just get over.

The BBC Radio Five Live presenter Tony Livesey, who lost his Mum suddenly, when he was just 13 said about Hope's book, that if he'd had a roadmap like this for dealing with grief, it would have changed his childhood.

So whether you're someone who's been recently bereaved, or is still struggling with loss from many years ago, or just want to understand grief a little more, than I know that Hope's story, insight and wisdom will help.

This interview gives all of us a little more undserstanding about a difficult and confusing aspect of life that one day, we are all going to face.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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Of all the Life interrupted episodes, I don't think I've ever heard a story quite as shocking and heartbreaking as the one you're about to hear.

In 2004, Rob and Paul Forkan, now known as the Gandy Brothers, spent the Christmas holidays in Sri Lanka with their mum, dad, and siblings.

For a few days, at least, it was the perfect Christmas.

But on Boxing Day, their entire world changed forever.

Without any warning, on the morning of the 26th of December 2004, the resort where they were staying was hit by one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.

The Boxing Day tsunami was so devastating that it claimed the lives of nearly 35,000 in Sri Lanka alone.

I'll let the boys tell you the story of what happened to them. And the days, months and years that followed that dreadful day.

This is a story that will at times be hard to listen to, at many points will break your heart. But I know it will also fill you with incredible joy, inspiration. And most importantly, hope.

This is an episode that really does capture the power and strength and resilience of the human spirit.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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@SimonThomasSky

The last year has been a period of life like no other, as the Coronavirus pandemic has not only gripped the UK, but the World.

For months on-end we’ve been asked to live our lives in a completely different way.

For so many of us we’ve spend the last year working from home. For those of us who are parents we’ve seen our children spending most of the last few terms away from school and time with those we love, family and friends has been largely spent on screens rather than in person.

And tragically for people up and down the country we've seen family and friends lost to this devastating virus.

This has been a period of time when all our lives have been interrupted. Its a period when all of us have struggled with anxiety, fear, stress and loss. The loss of those we love, and the life we once had.

My guest on this episode of Life Interrupted is a lady who has spent her life helping people deal with trauma.

Dr. Emma Kavanagh is a police and military psychologist and also a best selling author. She’s also someone who has spend her entire life dealing with her own anxiety and mental health challenges.

Throughout the pandemic, Emma’s honest posts online have been helping countless others through this strange new world we now find ourselves in.

So if you, like so many, have found this past year incredibly hard, I have no doubt that Emma’s wise words will not only encourage you, but also remind you of that powerful truth. That you are not alone.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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Tara Howell may not be a name known to many, but her story is one that should be.

She grew up in Yorkshire and Saudi Arbia, and had a successful career in advertising, spanning over 20 years.

The one constant in her life was horse riding, which she had enjoyed since childhood.

In 2014, when she was just 43 years old, her life was suddenly interrupted when she was out riding on her horse Victor

Out of the blue, her horse threw her to the ground, breaking her neck and instantly paralysing her.

Discovered lying in a field 5 hours later, and subsequently airlifted to hospital, she began her fight against adversity.

A story that is sure to humble and empower many.

She's a remarkable women who over the past six years has not only had to rebuild her body, but her life as well.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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For nearly 20 years, Dan Walker has been on our screens for BBC Sport, where he still presents football focus every Saturday. For the past four years, he's also been waking us up every morning as the host of BBC Breakfast.

Throughout his career, Dan has been lucky to chat to not just some of the biggest names in politics, sport and entertainment, but also some truly extraordinary people.

People who may not be household names, but the stories of whom have touched millions.

Now Dan has decided to tell some of these stories in his brilliant new book, 'Remarkable People'.

Of the year where all of us have faced such profound uncertainty and worry, these tales will undoubtedly shine a ray of light and hope into one of this country's darkest hours.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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Eddie Izzard is someone known to many. She's been a comedian for over three decades, whose unique and a time surreal style has made her a household name.

But Eddie is art is much more than a comedian. She's also an actor who's made appearances in Hollywood movies, an activist and a Labor Party official.

But in recent years, Eddie has become almost as well known for her extraordinary running exploits.

In 2009, with only five weeks training, Eddie ran an amazing 43 marathons in just 51 days to raise money for the BBC Sport Relief.

In 2016 she ran again for Sport Relief, and the start of 2021, she began the challenge of running 31 marathons and performing 31 stand up comedy shows to raise money for a number of different charities.

The reason this episode is a bit different, is because I spoke to Eddie while she was running marathon number 18 on a treadmill.

Despite this herculean effort, this is an honest and humbling insight into the life of a young boy who lost his mother when he was just six years of age, and who knew from childhood, she was gender fluid.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the Samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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Andrew Strauss, is one of England's most successful cricket captains.

He led his country to victory in the Ashes at home in 2009, before going on in the winter of 2010/11, to retain the Ashes down under, and in doing so became only the third England Captain to win a test series against Australia both home and away.

But in December 2018, Andrew's life was interrupted in a life changing way.

His wife Ruth died of lung cancer, only one year after she was diagnosed, leaving him and their two sons behind.

Since that huge loss, Andrew has gone on to set up the Ruth Strauss foundation, which funds research into non-smoking lung cancer and provides emotional support for families facing the loss of a parent.

He inspired many as a cricketer, now, he's inspiring many more.

If you have been through life events similar to those described in this episode and you need someone to talk to, please contact the samaritans, free any time, from any phone, on 116 123

And if you'd like to share your thoughts with Simon, he'd love to hear from you:

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@SimonThomasSky