Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr

Daniel Sloss is a comedian, author, and father. From a 17-year-old at Edinburgh's Stand Comedy Club to causing 100,000 breakups worldwide, Daniel Sloss shares the moments that nearly broke him, and ultimately transformed him, on his journey to becoming one of comedy's most authentic voices.In this episode, Daniel takes us inside the make-or-break moments behind his career, including the night his Netflix specials dropped and he sat reading 3,000 DMs on ecstasy, the devastating spiral of drinking 3/4 bottle of whiskey on stage every night during his global tour, and the moment his wife told him to go back on the road because staying home was driving them both mad.He reveals how his parents drove him to gigs as a teenager and learned he'd lost his virginity by watching his set, why refusing to move to London's "clicky bullshit" scene was the best decision he made, and how Eddie Izzard convinced him to tour Europe when he thought nobody would understand his comedy.Daniel also reflects on the bold move that defined his career - being the only UK comedian to speak out when everyone else stepped back - the price of doing the right thing, and the bittersweet reality of achieving global fame while hating himself at the peak of success.This is a candid conversation about Robot Wars, imposter syndrome, becoming a father, grief, comedy as truth-telling, and why "I'm Daniel and Dad now" matters more than any sold-out show. Follow Daniel Sloss📸 Instagram 👉 @danielsloss🎫 Tour dates 👉 danielsloss.comOrigin Story takes you behind the scenes with the people whose work has shaped your life. Hosted by David McIntosh, each episode explores the pivotal moments, unexpected challenges, and hard-won lessons from creators, comedians, and change makers who've built something extraordinary.Content Warning: This episode contains strong language throughout, and discussions of sexual assault, grief, death, suicide, addiction, and mental health struggles.

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Ben Barlow is the lead vocalist of Neck Deep — the Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012 that’s become one of Britain’s biggest modern rock exports. Neck Deep are one of my favourite bands

In this episode of Origin Story, we do it properly: in a skatepark — because skate culture and pop-punk aren’t aesthetics… they’re a philosophy. Ben talks about growing up in skateparks, why “living on your own terms” became his whole life assignment, and how the band went from posting “What Did You Expect?” online to global tours, viral hits, and over a billion streams.

We go deep on authenticity vs trends, attention as currency, and why subculture feels like it’s dying — then we zoom right in again: what fame does to young men, how Ben avoided the “rockstar trap,” and the real costs of life on the road (including the moments you miss that don’t show up on Instagram).

And then the episode turns into the stuff fans actually care about: the emotional engine behind the early songs, how Life’s Not Out To Get You became a lifeline for people, and why Ben still believes human art cuts through even in an AI era.

About Neck Deep:
Neck Deep are a Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012, originally sparked when Ben Barlow and guitarist Lloyd Roberts posted “What Did You Expect?” online — a DIY start that snowballed into a decade-plus career of major chart success and global touring.
Their latest chapter includes the self-titled album Neck Deep (released Jan 19, 2024 via Hopeless Records), described by the band as a “return to roots” record made in-house with Ben’s brother Seb involved in the process.

Expect to learn:

• Why skateparks produce “no status games” — and what that teaches you about life

• The real story of early Neck Deep: DIY beginnings, heartbreak fuel, instant traction

• Style vs substance (in skating and in music) — and why “being yourself” wins long-term

• Attention economy, trend culture, and why “effort” became social currency

• Fame, relationships, and how to stay grounded when your life goes nuclear

• Why Life’s Not Out To Get You hit so hard, and how Ben thinks about responsibility to fans

• AI, authenticity, and why human-made art still matters

  
  

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Jimmy Carr is back. Jimmy Carr is one of the most recognisable comedians on the planet: world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author - famous for brutal roasts and surgical one-liners.

But in this episode, you get the sharper edge and the deeper thinking: why 2026 is going to feel like a turning point and how young men can get control back.

Jimmy is one of the most respected comedians in the world: a world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author known for brutal one-liners and zero mercy…

but in this episode you get the full range - savage comedy and the deeply human side. We talk about dating, masculinity, porn, cheap dopamine and why so many young men feel stuck - then we go way bigger: AI as a new “god”, the end of old institutions, how podcasts replaced mainstream media, and why politics is entering a genuinely weird new era.

And then the episode turns: Jimmy opens up about grief and love - remembering Sean Lock (including the first joke Jimmy ever heard him say, and why he felt like a father figure), the impact of losing his mum Nora, and a beautiful tribute to Janey Godley and what she said about Jimmy behind the scenes.

Expect to learn:

Why women select for competence and what “safety” really signals.

Jimmy’s advice to young men: porn, risk, rejection, and building a real life

The loneliness trade-off: liver damage vs social isolation How J

immy thinks about anxiety, discipline, and “life assignment”

Sean Lock’s legacy — and what it’s like to lose someone you built a career beside Grief, funerals, and the difference between resume virtues and eulogy virtues AI, institutions, and why the next decade could get very “interesting”and much, much more.

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00:00 — Young Men Are Stuck

01:52 — Jimmy’s Back: Glasgow Banter

04:18 — “Media Diet” & Mental Health

07:27 — ADHD, Boundaries & Discipline

08:23 — Arenas, Imposter Syndrome, Movies

13:46 — Early Comedy Influences

16:21 — How You Build Confidence

17:32 — First Glasgow Joke (DVD Era)

18:52 — Comedy = Friendship

20:28 — Why Dark Humour Helps

22:16 — Dating: Safety, Competence, Chemistry

24:48 — Advice to Young Men: Porn, Games, Asking Girls Out

27:09 — Drinking vs Isolation

29:28 — Dealing Young People In: Agency Over Empathy

31:35 — Trump + Debate vs Deliberation

32:28 — Fourth Turning + Class Politics Flip

34:31 — Podcasts Replaced Mainstream Media

36:52 — “Be Of Service” — Working-Class Agency

37:46 — “Woke”, Status & Suicidal Empathy

39:19 — Jimmy’s Come-Up: Luck + Work Ethic

42:29 — Pre-Show Mindset

44:32 — Jimmy’s Laugh + His Mum

47:48 — Sean Lock: First Meeting + Legacy

53:54 — Grief, Mortality & Talking To The Dead

55:18 — Funerals: Eulogy vs Résumé

01:01:31 — AI, God & The Future

01:04:26 — Secret Struggles: Dyslexia, Body Image, Work

01:07:24 — Pax Americana Ending + The World Shifting

01:10:29 — Kids, Legacy & Meaning

01:13:18 — Janey Godley Tribute

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Benny Higgins is a Scottish Banker and Former CEO of RBS, Bank of Scotland and Tesco Bank. He is also the chairman of a portfolio of companies. He's a lover of Art and Poetry. He is also my good friend.

Benny Higgins grew up in Toryglen tower blocks, captained Celtic’s youth team, and became a defining force in modern Scottish business — from CEO of RBS during the NatWest takeover, to building Tesco Bank from the ground up. But what makes Benny different is the paradox: a numbers man with a lifelong devotion to poetry, art, and culture — and a Glaswegian accent that never moved an inch.

We recorded this in Kelvingrove Art Gallery, a place that shaped Benny as a 10-year-old at his first ever art competition — and still represents the thread running through his life: curiosity, pride, and the desire to win.

We get into Celtic, class, and leadership… the reality of boardrooms at scale… why he hires through trust over “perfect CVs”… and the stories you genuinely couldn’t script: Maya Angelou, the Golden Globes, Soho, and a cocktail named after his fifth wife Sharon.

• Why Kelvingrove is symbolic to Benny’s origin story

• Toryglen tower blocks: toughness, community, and confidence through football

• Celtic youth captaincy and the first leadership lessons that stuck

• “I just wanted to win”: the mindset behind academic dominance

• Actuarial exams in 2.5 years (when the average was ~7)

• RBS context + how the NatWest hostile takeover happened

• Building Tesco Bank from scratch: 140 people → 5,000 → 8m customers

• Hiring “the best people I knew” and why trust beats process

• Social mobility: money, identity, and why he treats everyone the same

• Soho stories: tailors, members clubs, and the “Higgins No.5” cocktail

• The Golden Globes: Jon Hamm photo… taken by Bradley Cooper

• Lunch with Maya Angelou: poetry, Burns, and an unforgettable moment

• What people think is true about him (but isn’t)

• What’s next — and the ambition that still drives him

Guest

Benny Higgins — former senior leader at RBS, creator of Tesco Bank, chair/board roles across culture and business.

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Dan Boerman is a Comedian and TV Personality on Jimmy Carr's Am I The A**hole. He is also a good friend.

I’ve wanted to record this conversation for a long time.

Dan Boerman is a New Zealand comedian who left a steady job, moved to the other side of the world, and has been relentlessly chasing stand-up ever since – from sleeping in a kid’s dinosaur bed outside Edinburgh to getting a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet on a hill.

In this episode, we get into:

Growing up in small-town rural New Zealand and dropping out of school

Years on benefits, smoking tiny “Russian doll” cigarettes in the kitchen

Barbering as accidental crowd work – and the now infamous Jimmy Carr Am I the A**hole? story

Leaving security behind to move to Edinburgh for comedy

Why London feels like kindling for opportunity

The viral sheet stunt that turned into awards, brand deals and a new life

“Don’t die wondering” and what it really means to bet on yourself

Why some people live and die never hearing the sound of their own voice

This is an episode about chasing the weird, specific thing you can’t stop thinking about – and refusing to let your life pass in quiet comfort.

If you enjoyed this one, send it to someone who’s been talking about “one day” for too long.

Follow Dan: @danboermancomedy

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In this episode of Origin Story, I sit down with a Red Bull F1 tyre technician to unpack how he went from watching races in pubs to travelling the world with Max Verstappen’s team - Vegas, Brazil, Mexico and beyond. We get into the pressure of sub-2 second pit stops, the chaos of race weekends, and what life really looks like inside the world’s most famous F1 team.In this episode we cover:Growing up in working-class Scotland and discovering F1Why engineering wasn’t the first plan – and how he found his way into the sportThe moment Red Bull came callingWhat a race week actually looks like from the insideVegas, Brazil, Mexico and the wildest travel stories from the F1 calendarThe pressure of being “the tyre guy” in a world champion teamWhat F1 has taught him about teamwork, discipline and courageAdvice for anyone who thinks “people like me don’t get jobs like that”⏱ Chapters:00:00 – Intro03:12 – Growing up in Scotland & first F1 memories10:45 – From uni & early jobs to Red Bull Racing19:30 – Inside the tyre bay: what his job actually is27:05 – Race week routines, stress & team culture36:20 – Vegas, Brazil, Mexico & F1 travel stories47:10 – Pressure, mistakes & how you bounce back56:40 – Life outside the paddock & relationships1:05:00 – Advice for young people chasing unlikely careers💌 Stay in the Origin Story universe:Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidmcintoshjr🎙 Follow the guest:Instagram: http://instagram.com/sc0ttduncan/SPONSORS:💧 This episode is sponsored by VYBEYBig thank you to Vybey for supporting Origin Story.If you’re like me – long recording days, travel, runs, gym, not enough sleep – plain water doesn’t always cut it. Vybey’s electrolyte powders make it stupidly easy to stay on top of your hydration:Quick to mix, actually tastes goodHelps you stay sharp and energised through busy daysPerfect for before/after workouts or long days on the road🧃 Try Vybey here (code DMAC): UK & Europe: https://vybey.co.uk/?shpxid=d48f4c7e-7953-44bb-a9d8-8a8dff0a49dbAus: http://vybey.au/Merch (Shop Origin Story): originstoryclub.co.ukPlease remember to hit subscribe!

Fin Taylor is a standup comedian and podcaster. He is the creator of Fin Vs History and Fin vs The Internet.

Comedian Fin Taylor joins Origin Story to unpack how a Glasgow kid who relocated to a Oxford girls’ boarding house (7–13) got “cancelled” at 14, started stand-up at 18, and went from £500/month gigs to sold-out tours and a cult podcast.

We get into why TV exposure ≠ audience, how to actually build jokes that work anywhere, the Riyadh debate, and the monoculture flashpoint of Bonnie Blue.

In this episode:

• ​Private school without the money: damage at both ends
• ​The headmaster who told him off… then apologised (context collapse 101)
• ​Comedy = craft: word choice, rhythm, ending on the funniest word
• ​TV vs Internet: why clips and podcasts move tickets
• ​Parasocial fans & designing theatre shows that don’t feel contrived
• ​Getting punched on stage and handling chaos in real time
• ​Building Bumble Risky: owning the edit, scaling a team
• ​The Riyadh question, Bonnie Blue, and the “death of taste”
• ​If starting today: the 90-day playbook

Chapters00:00 Cold open — “Cancelled at 14”02:18 Glasgow roots & Hutchie debate05:12 Living in a girls’ boarding house (7–13)12:30 Headmaster apology & early confidence17:40 Starting stand-up at 18; debate team as proto-comedy24:10 £500/month vs £380 rent — taking the leap30:22 Why TV didn’t move tickets36:05 Parasocial fans & theatre design43:22 Riyadh debate & brand fit51:03 Punched on stage — what you do next58:00 Building Bumble Risky & the core team1:04:10 Next horizon: a British South Park1:09:40 If starting now: people, reps, own the edit

I travelled from Scotland to Morocco on holiday. As soon as I arrived I knew I needed to interview the locals. They were the most philosophical people I had met.Taghazout is a fascinating surf village perched on Morocco’s Atlantic coast - sun-soaked, salt-stained, and full of surprises. We spent 2 days exploring this strange-and-beautiful place, and found way more than perfect waves: unexpected kindness, late-night tea rituals, and stories you won’t hear in a guidebook…Support the showEarly access & bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/davidmcintoshjrFollow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmcintoshjrBuy Merch: originstoryclub.co.uk

Oliver Burkeman is a British writer and former Guardian columnist best known for Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, exploring how accepting life’s limits beats chasing productivity hacks.

We recorded this right before Oliver’s show, crammed into his dressing room at the Assembly Rooms. It’s intimate, honest, and very Origin Story: where did these ideas come from, and how do they shape a life you’re proud of? Oliver (author of 4,000 Weeks) takes us past productivity hacks to acceptance, attention, and the power of choosing enough.

In this episode

The efficiency trap: why getting faster just attracts more work

“Life task”: finding your next right thing with the resources you actually have

Planning that breathes (navigation, not micromanagement)

Daily-ish over streaks—the kinder path to consistency

Hobbies done for their own sake (the case for atelic joy)

Attention over productivity: designing a week that actually feels good

AI, inboxes, and why “caught up” is a myth

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Tell me in the comments: what would you cut this week if you truly accepted you’ll never be on top of everything?

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Writer, rapper and social commentator Darren McGarvey joins Origin Story to unpack the “trauma economy,” working-class rage, AI warping our narratives, and the safeguards every storyteller needs.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of addiction, withdrawal, violence, and mental health.

• 00:00 Welcome, why Poverty Safari mattered to me

• 01:02 Pollok in the 80s, safety, and the two-minds dichotomy

• 04:00 Structural poverty, jobs disappearing, trust collapsing

• 10:34 Working-class anger, different tribes, same material pain

• 12:17 Social mobility loneliness, West End vs Pollok

• 12:51 Hip-hop as agency, finding a community

• 16:23 Brokenness, comedowns, and what you run from

• 20:16 Sudden success, visibility shock, family trade-offs

• 24:04 When your pain becomes a product

• 27:04 Safeguards before you share, prevention beats cure

• 30:06 Accountability, making amends in public and private

• 33:10 Your story isn’t only yours, many truths, many versions

• 36:37 Going public can re-activate perpetrators, stay safe

• 37:07 Viral fame without guardrails, modern public safety

• 39:03 Boundaries, being an introvert in public

• 41:05 Harassment, threats, and learning to de-escalate

• 42:10 Reward systems, status, and identity labels

• 56:00 Getting triggered, the buzz, and stepping back

• 62:18 Advice to younger Darren, alcohol, and timing

• 66:13 What he hopes this new book does, and why