We welcome Craig Paton, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director to open that Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences. Craig has worked in the construction industry for over 20 years, having started as a labourer. After his friend had a fatal accident on site, he started a career in health and safety and made it his goal to prevent that feeling affecting any one else.

Expect another uncensored conversation as Craig shares with Yinka, how a series of personal loses and difficult times drove him to drink a bit more than he should, use drugs to dull the pain and most importantly, how he turned this life around to become over five years sober- or ''35 years in Scottish years!''

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to drug use, alcoholism, neglect and suicidal thoughts.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

This episode is dedicated to anyone who has lost a loved-one to suicide, or within the Construction Industry, or who is struggling with their mental health.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please visit and share the below link:

Useful contacts - suicidal feelings - Mind

If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

If you work in the Construction Industry please contact the Lighthouse Club Charity on 0345 605 1956

To find out more about Craig please check out the below links:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Instagram
• Podcast. Football and the Blues

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Our guest to enter the Hurt Locker this week is Dan Somers, founder of one of the largest men's mental health charities in the UK, MANUP?.

As Dan, opens the door on his mental health experiences with Yinka, he shares several stories on how he's arrived at this point and why MANUP? was created... Reflecting on his time in the care service as a teenager, to becoming an influential promoter of the rave scene, navigating brushes with the law, to his perspectives on fatherhood.. This is a wide and wonderful chat on the importance of taking our mental health seriously as men.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to drug use, neglect, bereavement, suicide and mental health issues such as depression and Borderline Personality Disorder.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about Dan and MANUP? please check out the below links:

• MANUP? website
• Support
• Videos

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Our guest to weather the Hurt Locker this week is Dan Flanagan, founder of Dad La Soul, an organisation orchestrating a revolution in the way that dads struggles are seen, heard and supported in the UK.

As Dan, opens the door on his mental health experiences with Yinka, he shares several stories on the family events that impacted his mental health experiences: his parent's divorce, being the youngest boy in a family of older sisters, the struggles his own father faced as a single parent and how these reflections ultimately led him to establishing Dad La Soul in 2016, as it continues to grow from strength to strength.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to mental health issues.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about Dan and Dad La Soul please check out the below links:

• Website
• Podcast and radio
• YouTube
• Instagram

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Produced by Tim Roe

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We welcome much loved stand-up comedian, Nathan Caton into the Hurt Locker to open that door on his mental health experiences of what it was like as a child of 11 witnessing his mother's relationship break-up, the responsibilities of being the eldest son in his family or 'man of the house' and how he entered professional comedy despite finishing university studies in Architecture.

In this uncensored and frank conversation with Yinka, Nathan shares how he's only now coming to terms with talking about his emotions and the struggles he's faced with leaning into his vulnerability, as they explore how 'The Body Keeps the Score'.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This recording contains references to mental health discussions which some listeners may find triggering.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about the brilliant, Nathan Caton- please see the below links for further information and enjoy:

• Instagram
• Website
• Live dates
• Vids & clips

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Produced by Tim Roe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yinka welcomes award-winning comedian, writer and podcaster, Rich Wilson to open the door on his mental health experiences in an unmissable and uncensored conversation.

From his reflection on his childhood growing up in the 70s and coming of age in the 80s, his life-long love of music and regrets of not starting a band- to a toxic relationship which led him to have suicidal thoughts and a near suicide attempt...This is a powerful discussion that is as wide and as wonderful as Rich's comedy and is testament as to why as men we all need to take our mental health seriously.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This conversation includes references and accounts of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and uncensored mental health experiences.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

This episode is dedicated to anyone who has lost a loved-one to suicide or is struggling with their mental health.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please visit and share the below link:

Useful contacts - suicidal feelings - Mind

If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

To find out more about the brilliant, Rich Wilson- please see the below links for further information and enjoy:

• Instagram
• Website
• Live dates
• Insane In The Men Brain Podcast
• Rich Wilson - You Could Have It So Much Better

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Produced by Tim Roe

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Yinka welcomes the brilliant, Steven Russell, a guest with a hell of a story to tell. A ''Drip by Drip, Day by Day'' journey which has led him becoming the founder of Elements SEMH Support as Creative Champion for Children In Care.

As a child, he lived with ten foster families, was placed into two children’s homes and attended five schools. As Steven opens the door on his mental health experiences, he reflects on how significant moments in his life have formed the man and father he is today, not least him deciding to turn his “Pain to Purpose” by creating Elements.

Growing up in the care system, Steven has become an incredible communicator with children living in care. Please do share this inspirational content with another listener. If you live with, support and or work with young people who are care experienced, please do check out the links provided below.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This recording contains content on life experiences that contain references to domestic abuse, prostitution, emotional abuse, childhood neglect, drug use, addiction and violence.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

If you want to find out more about Steven and his important work, see the links below:

• Website Elements SEMH Support
• Email [email protected]
• Resources Resources - Elements SEMH Support CIC (elementssupport.com)

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Produced by Tim Roe

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Yinka welcomes award-winning comedian, Elroy Welsh to open that Hurt Locker door on his own mental health experiences.

Traveling to the cold concrete roundabouts and cows of Milton Keynes from his birthplace of Spanish Town, Jamaica as a young boy... Elroy shares how working a string of different jobs and navigating several major life experiences as a young man has led him to become the stand-up he is today and why he is now taking his mental health seriously.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to racism, bereavement suicide, depression, and other mental health experiences.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about the brilliant, Elroy Welsh- please see the below links for further information:

• Instagram
• Website
• YouTube

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Produced by Tim Roe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our fourth episode, we welcome a rising star to stand-up and incredibly talented comedic content creator from Northern Ireland, John Devlin to open the Hurt Locker door on his mental health experiences.

Despite his tender age (29) John has amassed a huge following on social media (TIK TOK & Instagram) since the recent Covid pandemic, which found him at a personal crossroads of no return.

In another honest and frank conversation, John shares his vulnerability and reflections on how a school bully became one of his most recent followers, how growing up in Northern Ireland has shaped much of his comedic material alongside other significant moments in his young life.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to suicide, depression and other mental health experiences.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about the brilliant, John Devlin- please see the below links for further information:

• TIK TOK
• Instagram
• Website

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Produced by Tim Roe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yinka welcomes comic, writer, musician and performer, David Ephgrave to share his mental health experience in regards to the loss of his late father, Barry.

During this powerful conversation with Yinka, David reflects upon how he used his grief to write and perform a comedy show that was based on this difficult period of his father's cancer treatment and eventual passing, as we ask in this episode, can grief be good?

This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Barry and to all who are experiencing the loss of a loved one.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to mental health issues through the lives experience of our guest.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about the brilliant, David Ephgrave- please see the below links for further information:

• Linktree
• More Than Mostly Comedy Podcast
• The McCartney McAlphabet Podcast
• Mostly Comedy

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Produced by Tim Roe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For episode two, Yinka and Tim welcome New Yorker, comic, writer and filmmaker, Jim Mendrinos to share his vulnerability and lived experiences of suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder as a self-confessed member of the 'walk it off generation'.

Throughout this open and uncensored discussion, Jim shows strength in vulnerability to reflect upon his evolving 40-year career in showbusiness as an artist, alongside key life moments which have formed the person he is today.

*TRIGGER WARNING* This uncensored conversation includes references to suicidal thoughts, a suicidal attempt and other mental health issues, through the lived experience of our guest.

If you are experiencing mental health issues please do reach out for help - phone 999 for an emergency or if you would like to speak to someone call The Samaritans on 116 123

To find out more about the brilliant, Jim Mendrinos- please see the below links for further information:

• Webpage
• New Media Comedy Worldwide- Facebook
• Films
• YouTube
• X (Formerly Twitter)

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Produced by Tim Roe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.