Under The Skin with Russell Brand

By Russell Brand

Society & Culture Comedy

What's Under The Skin with Russell Brand about?

A weekly interview series from Russell Brand that examines what's beneath the surface—of the people we admire, the ideas that define our time, and the history we’re told. Speaking with guests from the worlds of academia, popular culture, and the arts, Russell seeks to uncover the ulterior truth behind our constructed reality. And have a laugh.
On his new podcast ‘Above the Noise’ Russell guides us all—curious beginners, spiritual skeptics, and experienced practitioners—in brief, 10-minute meditations. Listen to Above the Noise on Luminary

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Brené Brown on Vulnerabilit...

01.07.2023

Brené Brown is an expert researcher in vulnerability, courage and shame. This conversation is one of my all-time favourites. [Originally released in 2019, but still nourishing for anyone seeking spiritual wisdom from one of the best.] For more conversations like ...

Under The Skin with Russell Brand episodes:

01.07.2023 Brené Brown on Vulnerability and Power Brené Brown is an expert researcher in vulnerability, courage and shame. This conversation is one of my all-time favourites. [Originally released in 2019, but still nourishing for anyone seeking spiritual wisdom from one of the best.] For more conversations like ...
12.17.2022 Breathe! with James Nestor [Special free episode] Inspired initially by the art of freediving, James Nestor has since explored the vital role that breath, and breathing correctly, plays in our evolution as human beings and our health right now. Are we breathing wrong and ...
07.11.2022 Wim Hof on Healing Yourself Best Of Under the Skin: In this popular episode Wim Hof, aka "The Ice Man," talks about how his breathing techniques can be used to increase our immunity, our personal respiratory power, our health and our safety as well as, ...
06.25.2022 #244 Is Journalism Dead? (with Batya Ungar-Sargon) This week I spoke with Batya Ungar-Sargon, Deputy Opinion Editor of Newsweek (and a past contributor to multiple other major new outlets). Batya is the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. We talk about the focus ...
06.18.2022 #243 Is There A God? (with Ricky Gervais and Bishop Stephen Cottrell) This week we’re taking a significant issue and presenting opposing views on the subject “Is there a God?” The two arguments come from two former Under the Skin episodes / guests: comedian and atheist, Ricky Gervais vs. the Archbishop of ...
06.11.2022 #242 Anarchy and Ideas for Change (with Noam Chomsky) This week I spoke with Noam Chomsky, one of the most influential intellectuals in the world. He is a Professor Laureate of Linguistics at the University of Arizona, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the author of more ...
06.04.2022 #241 Why the Economy Is Screwed (with Matt Stoller) This week I spoke with Matt Stoller, Director of Research at the American Economic Liberties Project. He’s a contributor on the YouTube show "Breaking Points" and author of Goliath: The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. In our ...
05.28.2022 #240 Psychedelics: Is This Why They’re Investing? (With Nicolas Glynos) This week I spoke with Nicolas Glynos, who is Vice President of the Student Association for Psychedelic Studies and Co-founder of Psychedelic Neuroscience and Therapy for the University of Michigan. His latest work is focused on the compound DMT (N, ...
05.21.2022 #239 They’re Hijacking Our Future (with David Buss) This week I spoke with David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin. He is one of the founders of the field of evolutionary psychology, and his current research focuses on sex differences in mate selection, ...
05.14.2022 #238 Giving People a Voice (with Michael Winterbottom) This week I spoke with Michael Winterbottom, a multi-award-winning film director behind the likes of "24 Hour Party People," "Greed," and "The Emperor’s New Clothes", a film we made together in 2015. His latest film, "Eleven Days In May," focuses ...
05.07.2022 #237 The Science of Life, Power, and Politics (with Prof. Brian Cox) This week I spoke to Professor Brian Cox, live from his hotel room in Toronto, a stop on his current tour. We talked about the importance of understanding the cosmos, how science plays out in politics, and Elon Musk buying ...
04.30.2022 #236 Breathing, Laughing, and Meditating (with Bob Roth) This week I spoke with the man who taught Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, and me the technique of Transcendental Meditation (TM). Bob Roth has been practicing TM for nearly 50 years; through his work he has has helped ...
04.23.2022 #235 Fighting for Freedom (with Chris Hedges) This week I spoke with Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author. Chris spent nearly two decades as a correspondent reporting from more than 50 countries, including fifteen years as a bureau chief at the New York Times. ...
04.16.2022 #234 Civilisation and Censorship (with Paul Kingsnorth) This week I’m joined by Paul Kingsnorth, a writer who lives in the West of Ireland. He is a former deputy editor of The Ecologist and co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project. We chat about everything from big tech companies ...
04.09.2022 #233 Living Untethered (with Michael Singer) I am very happy to announce the return of Michael Singer to Under the Skin. Michael Singer is author of “Untethered Soul” and the forthcoming book “Living Untethered.” This conversation with Michael is excellent. He is an incredibly wise soul ...
04.02.2022 #232 The Military Industrial Complex, Explained (with Richard Hanania) This week I’m joined by a fantastic writer and researcher, Richard Hanania. Richard specialises in defense, war, and the military industrial complex; he is also the president of The Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology. In this conversation ...
03.26.2022 #231 What You Know About Populism is Probably Wrong This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Thomas Frank. Thomas is a political analyst, historian, and journalist. I wanted him to join me on Under The Skin as I’m currently reading his book The People, No: A Brief ...
03.19.2022 #230 Are We Sleepwalking Into a Tech-Enabled Tyranny? (With Nick Corbishley) This week I spoke with Nick Corbishley, writer, journalist, teacher, and translator. He is author of Scanned: Why Vaccine Passports and Digital IDs Will Mean the End of Privacy and Personal Freedom; he also writes for the online blog “Naked ...
03.12.2022 #229 Resolution, Russia, and Ukraine (with Yanis Varoufakis) This week I’m honoured to be joined again by economist and politician Yanis Varoufakis. Yanis served as the Greek Minister of Finance for the first half of 2015, and in February of the following year launched the Democracy in Europe ...
03.05.2022 #228 The Truth About Politics Today (with Jimmy Dore) This week I’m joined by Jimmy Dore. Jimmy is a comedian, political commentator, and host of The Jimmy Dore Show! He is a popular progressive political pundit on YouTube, and he has some very important insights on how politics should ...
02.26.2022 #227 Is It Possible To Be Truly Objective? (With Dr. John Campbell) This week I’m joined by Dr. John Campbell! Dr. John is a retired nurse educator who holds a Master of Science in health science and Ph.D. in nursing. He has come to prominence lately due to his YouTube channel that ...
02.19.2022 #226 Activate Your Life Force (with Tony Robbins) This week I’m joined once again by Tony Robbins. Tony is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist, and business strategist. Over the past four decades, he has empowered more than 50 million people worldwide through his business and personal development coaching ...
02.12.2022 #225 How American Democracy Became Pointless (with Matt Taibbi) This week I spoke with Matt Taibbi, author of Hate Inc: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another. He is a political journalist for Rolling Stone, host of the podcast Useful Idiots, and publishes a newsletter on Substack. We ...
02.05.2022 #224 Big Pharma’s Lies and Litigations (with Dr. John Abramson) This week I’m joined by Dr. John Abramson. John is a physician and author of Overdo$ed America. His new book, Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It, is out this week. John consults ...
01.29.2022 #223 You Don’t Use Google, Google Uses You! (With Prof. Shoshana Zuboff) This week we welcome the incredible Prof. Shoshana Zuboff, writer, activist, and scholar (Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School). She is the author of three books, each of which signaled the start of a new epoch in technological society. Her ...
01.22.2022 #222 Finding Meaning in a Messy World (with Fearne Cotton) Fearne has returned to Under the Skin to discuss her new book Bigger Than Us: The power of finding meaning in a messy world. In this episode we discuss Fearne’s work as radio and television presenter and author, and the ...
01.15.2022 #221 How Do We Invent a New Future? (with Daniel Pinchbeck) This week I spoke with American author Daniel Pinchbeck (Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism and Notes from the Edge Time). Through his research Daniel has developed the hypothesis that shamanic and mystical ...
01.08.2022 #220 Can We Heal Ourselves Through Consciousness Alone?! (with Dr. Joe Dispenza) This week I spoke with Dr. Joe Dispenza, a Doctor of Chiropractic, who holds a BA in Science. His training and research covers the fields of neuroscience, neuroplasticity, epigenetics, mind-body medicine, and brain/heart coherence. In this podcast we speak about ...
01.01.2022 #219 Compromise and the Power of Free Speech (with Dr. Jordan Peterson) This week I am joined once again by Dr. Jordan Peterson! I imagine most of you are aware of Dr. Jordan by now, he has been on Under the Skin three times, and each time we’ve had a fantastic conversation ...
12.25.2021 #218 Position vs. Disposition (with Jimmy Carr) This week I spoke with friend and fellow comedian Jimmy Carr! Jimmy Carr is a British stand-up comedian, TV show host, and author. His latest book is Before & Laughter: The Funniest Man in the UK’s Genuinely Useful Guide to ...
12.18.2021 #217 What’s Really Going on with Privilege and Class? (with John Barnes) This week I spoke with a very interesting guest with a very interesting perspective on a topic that can be difficult to discuss. John Barnes is a former footballer and author of The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism. He was born ...
12.11.2021 #216 The Myth of Normal (with Dr. Gabor Maté) This week one of our favourite guests, Dr. Gabor Maté, joins us again. Gabor is a physician who specializes in addiction, stress, trauma, and childhood development. Gabor’s new book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic ...
12.04.2021 #215 The Power Of Meditation and the Science Behind It (with Dr. Amishi Jha) This week I’m joined by Dr. Amishi Jha! Dr. Amishi is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. She studies mindfulness meditation and writes about the ...
11.27.2021 #214 Are We in a Totalitarian Regime and Don’t Even Know It?! (With Dr. Brad Evans) This week I’m joined again by Dr. Brad Evans. Brad is a professor of Political Violence at the department of Politics, Languages & International Studies at the University of Bath. His latest book is called Ecce Humanitas: Beholding the Pain ...
11.20.2021 #213 Fearlessness and Fighting Power (with Dr. Vandana Shiva) This week I was fortunate to have Vandana Shiva return as a guest on the podcast. Her first interview on Under the Skin was one of my favourites, and as many of you noticed, moved me very much. Vandana is ...
11.13.2021 #211 Fighting Corruption Using a Spiritual Perspective (with Sarah Chayes) This week’s episode is fantastic! I am joined by Sarah Chayes, who was recommended to me during my episode with Sebastian Junger. Sarah Chayes is an author and a journalist, and has worked as a political advisor. She writes primarily ...
11.06.2021 #210 Is There a Point to Left Wing Politics? (with Jeremy Gilbert) This week I spoke with Jeremy Gilbert. Jeremy is a Professor of Cultural and Political Theory at the University of East London. He is author of Twenty-First Century Socialism, and his latest book Hegemony Now: How Big Tech and Wall ...
10.30.2021 #209 Our Individuality vs. Our Need for One Another (with Sebastian Junger) This week I spoke to the author of one of my favourite books, Tribe. Sebastian Junger is an American journalist, author and filmmaker. He is also is known for books such as The Perfect Storm, War, and his latest release, ...
10.23.2021 #208 Emergency Power (with Dr. Luke Kemp) This week I spoke with a brilliant researcher, Dr. Luke Kemp. Luke is a research associate at the Centre for The Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge University. He is an incredible source of information regarding state power, control, what ...
10.16.2021 #207 Dopamine Culture (with Dr. Anna Lembke) Author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke joins me this week to talk about pleasure, pain, dopamine, and the brain! This is a fantastic episode. Dr. Anna explains how our brains are ...
10.09.2021 #206 Evolution and Ideology (with Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein) This week I’m joined by evolutionary biologist Heather Heying, and biologist Bret Weinstein to discuss their new book A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life. In this episode we discuss how the rapid ...
10.02.2021 #205 What Does Capitalism Mean? (With Anwar Shaikh) This week we get deep into capitalism. Anwar Shaikh is a heterodox economist, founding member of the Union of Radical Political Economists, and Professor of Economics at The New School for Social Research in New York City. His latest book ...
09.25.2021 #204 A Global Health Con and How To Stop It (with Dr. Bob Gill) This week’s episode is very important. Today I spoke with Dr. Bob Gill a British-based GP who is fighting against the privatisation of The NHS (In Britain, that is the National Health Service.) Dr. Gill explains, clearly and thoroughly, how ...
09.18.2021 #203 Should We Hijack Political Parties or Start A Revolution? This week I spoke with Krystal Ball. Krystal is a progressive American commentator who, along with right-wing commentator Saagar Enjeti, co-hosts the podcast/video show Breaking Points. (The duo previously hosted a popular show for The Hill.) Krystal and I discuss ...
09.11.2021 #202 The Moral Conundrums of Politics This week I spoke with Tim Pool. Tim is a journalist, activist, and one of the biggest political YouTubers of the moment. He initially became known for livestreaming the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests. Tim is also known for discussing ...
09.04.2021 #201 Finding Light (with John Higgs) This week I spoke with John Higgs! John is a writer, journalist and cultural historian. He writes extensively about William Blake and counter-cultural figures like Alan Moore and Timothy Leary. "William Blake vs the World" and "The Future Starts Here: ...
08.28.2021 #200 Your Mind On Plants (with Michael Pollan) This week’s guest is Michael Pollan! Michael is an american author and journalist. He is best known for his books that explore the socio-cultural impacts of food, such as The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma. His latest book ...
08.21.2021 #199 Censorship and Consciousness (with Bret Weinstein) This week’s guest is Bret Weinstein! Bret is a professor of biology, an evolutionary theorist, and well known political and cultural commentator. He hosts the DarkHorse podcast with his wife Heather. His new book A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st ...
08.14.2021 #198 The Matter with Things (with Iain McGilchrist) This week I spoke to one of my favourite guests on Under the Skin - Iain McGilchrist. Iain is an author, psychiatrist and former Oxford literary scholar. He came to prominence with his publication "The Master and His Emissary - ...
08.07.2021 #197 Craft, Food and Vision (with Tom Kerridge) This week I spoke with Tom Kerridge! Tom is a Michelin-starred chef and founder Meals for Marlow a campaign set up during the pandemic to help over worked front line and key workers. They cooked and prepared over 100,000 meals ...

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