ADOLESCENCE CREATOR JACK THORNE on Golden Globes, Being an Outsider & the Dark Side of Social Media

Feb 18, 2026

Jack Thorne, award-winning writer behind Skins, This Is England and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, talks storytelling and being an outsider. He recalls locking eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio at the Golden Globes. They explore Adolescence, the dark side of social media, his autism diagnosis making sense of his past, and his lifelong love of cinema.

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ANECDOTE

Frozen By A Golden Globe Moment

Jack Thorne locked eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio mid-Golden Globe speech and froze on stage.
He found awards thrilling but said the feeling of belonging there evaporates quickly.

ANECDOTE

E.T. And An Enchanting Uncle

Jack fell in love with cinema watching E.T., taken by his Uncle John who struggled with schizophrenia.
Films became his refuge and way to be still as a child with a noisy brain.

INSIGHT

Solitude Fuels Deep Writing

Jack writes in solitude in a hut with no Wi‑Fi to fully immerse and 'stop being me' while creating.
Writing and swimming provide him the same loss-of-self concentration he values.

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You might not know Jack Thorne’s name but you’ll definitely know his work. He’s the award-winning writer behind Adolescence, Skins, This is England and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

For years, he has created intense, thought-provoking dramas - stories that speak to millions of us around the world. His work doesn’t just entertain, it creates conversations about who we are and the world we live in.

I loved this conversation with Jack. What surprised me most was learning that behind his success is someone who grew up feeling like he didn’t quite belong. It was through his writing that Jack found his purpose: telling stories that matter.

We cover:

Locking eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio during his Golden Globes speech
Adolescence and the dark side of social media
E.T. - the film that made Jack fall in love with cinema
His creative partnership and friendship with Stephen Graham
How his autism diagnosis helped him make sense of his past

If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: stories have a quiet power to help us see the world, and ourselves, a little differently.

You can watch Jack's Lord of The Flies series now. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.

Jack Thorne is Great Company.

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This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS

Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt

Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins

Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

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