Crisis What Crisis with Andy Coulson

The two guests joining us in this Crisis Cures episode have both enjoyed stellar careers in broadcasting, but it’s not been a straightforward journey at all for either of them.Richard Bacon started out as a fully paid-up Blue Peter badge holder, presenting one of the longest running and most successful children’s television programs of all time. A tenure cut short when his private life came under tabloid scrutiny, temporarily bringing his time at the BBC to a premature conclusion.Ruby Wax, of course, has been a regular fixture on our screen since the mid-1980s, both as a writer and television personality, interviewing some of the biggest names on the planet. But behind all the comedy, all the professional brilliance, ruby was struggling with her bipolar disorder and ongoing battles with depression, something she now campaigns for and speaks very openly about.So in this Crisis Cures episode you can expect to learn about:Resilience and hard workCommunity and belongingState of mindPersonal enrichmentAs you will hear, it seems that there is much common ground in Richard and Ruby’s approaches to finding an equilibrium and the right state of mind in order to see them through the tough times.Richard’s Crisis Cures:Avoid alcohol: ‘I think if I’m going through a dark day the thing is to not drink because that can very quickly bring out anger.’Vinyl music: ‘I often play sixties bands, whether it’s The Who or The Kinks or The Beatles or The Stones… nothing makes me happier than putting on a piece of vinyl, I just love everything about it.’Babington House: ‘I got married there and it still retains its kind of magic quality…it’s hard not to go there and do anything other than feel much better.’Richard’s full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/richard-bacon-on-battling-scandal-addiction-and-nine-days-in-a-coma/Ruby’s Crisis Cures:Community: ‘Not just a wine tasting club, but a place where you genuinely talkto each other’.Compassion: ‘When I’m in a queue sometimes I’ll find somebody in a really bad mood, and I’ll start talking to them or somebody who’s giving me grief. It’s just an experiment… I’m trying to exercise those [stress] muscles.’Mindful exercise: ‘Tai chi, Pilates, Yoga… but not something mindless. You have to notice what’s going on in your body.’Ruby’s full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/ruby-wax-on-anger-optimism-and-taking-ownership-of-your-crisis/Links:ADHD Foundation – https://www.adhdfoundation.org.ukRuby’s Frazzled Café – www.frazzledcafe.orgRuby’s latest book – A Mindfulness Guide for Survival – https://amzn.to/3xbSEzHStream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy CoulsonCWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs, Jane Sankey, Linus Difford.With special thanks to Global.FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

“You start wondering if your own life is worth continuing. It’s obvious that you think about that. But what do you learn? I don’t know. I think people learn different things and people react to grief very differently.”Joining us for this episode is Professor Robert Winston – scientist, author, broadcaster and politician. Devoting much of his adult life to the crisis of infertility – IVF pioneer Lord Winston is that rare breed … a scientist who can speak fluent human.With fertility and genomics never far from the headlines, Lord Winston continues to face down considerable controversy – periodic media storms that would send most scientists sprinting back to the safety of the lab. In this conversation Lord Winston lays bare the harsh statistical truth about IVF … facts, he says, you will not learn from the fertility industry.A one-time Peer of the Year winner, Lord Winston also has an active political life beyond his career addressing the crisis of infertility. Sadly, it was in the Lord’s last year, that he revealed an altogether different, very personal crisis with the sad loss of his wife Lira, who died suddenly at their home. In this episode you’ll hear how, with Lira in his arms, he called 999, only to be met with an operator who wasted precious time in getting an ambulance. Lord Winston also tells us movingly how Lira’s death caused him to question whether he could live on without her.Topics covered:The truth about fertility success ratesCollaboration & resilienceHow to cope with public scrutinyGrief & guiltThe NHS CrisisThe dangers of genomicsRobert’s Crisis Cures:Find mentors who you trust. Anne McLaren was a very good example – a brilliant female scientist.Work in collaboration with a team you get on with.Be persistent but recognise your failures. Because failure teaches you to do it better next time.Links:Twitter – https://twitter.com/ProfRWinston?s=20&t=VwMwUWMFtNTrBsbDXgHvzAWebsite – https://www.robertwinston.org.uk/Genesis Research Trust – https://genesisresearchtrust.com/Inventors: Incredible stories of the world’s most ingenious inventions – https://amzn.to/3Xtp04qAsk A Scientist: Professor Robert Winston Answers 100 Big Questions from Kids Around the World! – https://amzn.to/3GXY7ya Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bmSome Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682 Host – Andy CoulsonCWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane SankeyWith special thanks to GlobalFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

This is one of the most difficult crisis conversations we've had to date and some will find this episode distressing. It’s a discussion about unimaginable trauma - the loss of a child in the most horrendous circumstances. Our guest is Lisa Squire, mother of Libby, a 21-year-old student who disappeared after a night out in Hull with university friends in January 2019. 48 days later Libby’s body was discovered in the Humber Estuary. She had been raped and murdered by Polish 24year old Pawel Relowicz.The terrifying initial uncertainty of Libby’s abduction, the horror when her death was discovered and the pain of a court case that ultimately offered only some degree of closure, make this a crisis like few others. Lisa, as you will hear, has taken these experiences and is now putting them to work in her own unique way, on behalf of others and, of course, Libby. Relowicz had committed a number of non-contact sexual offences against other women in Hull before he abducted Libby. Lisa is now campaigning for those types of crime to be taken more seriously, to encourage victims to report them, but also for sentencing levels to be raised. She is also campaigning for mandatory life sentences for those convicted of rape and murder.My thanks to Lisa who felt strongly that this episode should be heard. First and foremost to raise her campaigning issues in Libby’s name. But also to offer perspective and lessons to those facing grief or other challenges.Full episode transcript available on our website.Lisa's Crisis Cures: 1. Talking – Whether that's to my husband, the children, my friends, my mum and dad, or Libby. You have to get it out.2. Writing – I write things down when they come to me, that lessens it because you can see it in black and white.3. Work out what you can and can’t manage that day – break it down into little bits, because the mountain is huge. I take it in five-minute blocks.Get involved:We’ll keep you updated on the Libby’s Legacy campaign on our social media channels. In the meantime, if you take anything away from our conversation today let it be the following: 1. Report. Report. Report. Take non-contact sexual offences seriously.2. If your friend can’t get into a nightclub there’ll be another opportunity. Don’t leave your friends.3. If you see somebody, like Libby, and you feel it in your gut that something doesn’t seem right, pick the phone up and call the police, call an ambulance.4. Don’t let the conversation end here.Links:The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/Police launch campaign with Libby Squire's family urging people to report low-level sex offences - https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/police-launch-campaign-libby-squires-7810156 You can watch Libby, Are You Home Yet? On Sky Crime or online at - https://www.nowtv.com/watch/libby-are-you-home-yet/iYEQYZaTURDhxvGMpm3auU/iYsxVNCF7Je7re1w9JukrJ/seasons/1 Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682 Host – Andy CoulsonCWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane SankeyWith special thanks to GlobalFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

In this Crisis Cures episode we hear from two remarkable women who faced down two very different challenges. For Roopa Farooki, that took the form of facing down the daily crisis of Covid, with all its drama and tragedy, during the peak of the pandemic in her role as an NHS junior doctor. And for Virginia Buckingham, the former boss of Logan international airport in Boston, it was the shocking personal impact of being widely, and very unfairly, blamed for the 9/11 attacks in New York. In these extracts from our full podcast conversations (links below) both women explain what they relied on to get through the toughest of times.Roopa & Virginia’s Crisis Cures:1st Crisis Cure –Roopa – Stick to your routine during a crisis.Virginia – Create a haven in your home in which to heal.2nd Crisis Cure –Roopa – Writing – I like to make sense of what’s happening in my life.Virginia – Find a purpose outside of yourself and your crisis.3rd Crisis Cure –Roopa – Believe in what you’re passionate about.Virginia – Do Good with something badLinks:Virginia’s full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/virginia-buckingham-on-9-11-the-unbearable-burden-of-blame-and-moving-forward/Roopa’s full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/shortcuts-roopa-farooki-on-grief-betrayal-and-boris/Charity – https://www.911memorial.org/donate‘On My Watch’ – Memoir by Virginia Buckingham – https://amzn.to/3RJ8pGOEverything is True: A junior doctor’s story of life, death and grief in a time of pandemic – https://amzn.to/3U6KfrpStream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy CoulsonCWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs, Jane Sankey, and Linus Difford.With special thanks to Global.FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Legendary musician Nile Rodgers has endured and managed dramatic crises for him and his loved ones throughout his life. Here he gives us his three top Crisis Cures for when life unravels. You can listen to this valuable conversation in full and all previous episodes, here or wherever you get your podcasts.Nile's full interview is available here: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/nile-rodgers/Full episode transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/nile-rodgers-crisis-curesNile's Crisis Cures: 1st Crisis Cure – Work – I look to my art and my work. 2nd Crisis Cure – Simple exercises – I train myself to do something new to make my body and brain aware.3rd Crisis Cure – Music – John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’. It puts me in a space where the world becomes a peaceful place.Links: https://www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bmSome Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy Coulson.CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane Sankey.With Special thanks to Global.FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Andrew Milburn is the British educated would-be lawyer who became a decorated US Marine Colonel. A 31year career spent in the midst of crisis in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Now, as the Founder and CEO of the Mozart Group – a response to Putin’s evil Wagner Group – he trains and rescues Ukrainian civilians. In this conversation, Andrew gives us an extraordinary insight into the psychology of those fighting on both sides and describes how Putin has misjudged the incredible resilience of the Ukrainian people. Andrew is also no stranger to personal crisis. He suffered a terrible personal loss with the death of his daughter, Kaela in a road traffic accident. Andrew sets out in moving detail how, despite a life of successfully managing extreme crisis, he could not, for a period time, cope with his grief. A conversation that provides crisis lessons from geo-politics to the most personal of challenges. My thanks to Andrew.Full episode transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/col-andrew-milburn-on-putins-big-mistake-addiction-to-crisis-and-grief/Andrew's Crisis Cures:1st Crisis Cure – Writing – Alongside my book I also enjoy writing articles – it’s something I will always maintain.2nd Crisis Cure – Reading has been my companion since childhood. Most of my favourite books are non-military with one exception – Quartered Safe Out Here by George McDonald Fraser.3rd Crisis Cure – Exercise – It’s a daily graft for me but essential for my mental health – it’s more about clearing my mind.Links:Support The Mozart Group - https://www.themozartgroup.com/donate/Andrew's book - When the Tempest Gathers - https://amzn.to/3hPaELv Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bmSome Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy CoulsonCWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs and Jane SankeyWith special thanks to GlobalFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Fergal Keane is the multi-award-winning BBC Foreign Correspondent and author - a man who through the very nature of his job has spent much of his 33-year career immersed in crisis. The newsreels of genocide and mass atrocities in places like Rwanda and Sudan, that we all have watched from the comfort of our homes, are first-hand horrors embedded in Fergal’s mind. Memories that have caused him to be diagnosed with complex PTSD and other mental health issues. So, this is a conversation first and foremost about resilience. But it is also a discussion about how to find positive ways to, as Fergal brilliantly puts it, mitigate against your difficulties. A useful episode, I hope, for anyone struggling with traumas of the past. My thanks to Fergal for sharing his story.TW: this episode includes references to multiple forms of trauma, including intergenerational trauma, sexual assault, and violence.Fergal's Crisis Cures:1st Crisis Cure – Writing a gratitude list – reminding myself each day of the things I am thankful for.2nd Crisis Cure – My dog Deilo. He can sense when I’m in difficulty and will nudge me to take him for a walk.3rd Crisis Cure – Watching Ireland’s greatest rugby tests. Watching sport takes me so far out of myself.Links:Pre-order Fergal Keane’s brilliant new book - https://amzn.to/3Wy23wyFergal's Twitter - https://twitter.com/fergalkeane47?s=20&t=-2xWWUDhvzsgJI0XTZdMqgStream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bmSome Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Full episode available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/fergal-keane/Host – Andy CoulsonProducer – Louise DiffordFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

In what is possibly our most topical episode to date our guest is the former Chancellor George Osborne. Talking on the day after Liz Truss’s resignation, George delivers a detailed view on the unravelling political and economic crisis and explains why he fears the end is nigh for the Tory government. And he also talks revealingly about the crises that came before … from the 2008 financial collapse to Brexit and his role in it. Delivering a lesson that any employer should hear, he tells me what happened on the day he was brutally fired – after six years as Chancellor – by Theresa May. And why it caused him to seek revenge. It’s quite a story. I hope you enjoy this timely and useful conversation.George's Crisis Cures:1st Crisis Cure – Finding the time to clear your mind.2nd Crisis Cure – Not being afraid to take advice3rd Crisis Cure – A glass of red wine at the end of the day.Links:1.Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bmSome Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host – Andy CoulsonProducer – Louise DiffordFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

In this special episode we reveal the ongoing crisis being endured by the Forgotten 500,000 … those British people whose compromised immune systems mean they live in constant fear of infection, serious illness or death. For a large number of those men, women and children lockdown has never ended because of a government refusal to act. You’ll hear a shocking first-hand account from English Professor Martin Eve, who is now entering the 134th week of isolation at home. He’s joined by Dr Lennard Lee – a leading NHS oncologist who is campaigning with Martin to bring an end to this appalling situation. They want to see the introduction of the Cambridge made drug Evusheld which acts as a barrier against infection, allowing patients to live more normal lives. Although Evusheld has been exported and is being used successfully in 32 countries, it is being denied to people living here in the UK. This is the story of a crisis that has been out of sight and out of mind for too long. Please support the campaign if, after listening to this episode, you agree it’s time to act.Martin’s Crisis Cures:1st Crisis Cure – Providing a home for an unwanted pet: I found comfort in adopting an older dog from a shelter.2nd Crisis Cure – Making music and creative writing: Creativity offers a fantastic therapeutic outlet and can put you back in control.3rd Crisis Cure – Technology: Dependence on technology whilst I continue to shield gives me invaluable access to the people I love.Links:Campaign website – https://getevusheld.uk/500k/Write to your MP here (letter templates available) – https://www.writetothem.com/Sign the petition here – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/611884Full episode transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/britains-lockdown-shame-the-story-of-the-forgotten-500k/ Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host– Andy CoulsonProducer – Louise DiffordFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Gay and Roxy Longworth are a mother and daughter who overcame an incredibly difficult, long and dangerous mental health crisis and collaborated to write a powerful book, ‘When You Lose It’, documenting each shocking step. Although at times extraordinary, the story they tell in this episode will, I think, resonate with parents and teenagers struggling to navigate the dangers of the modern, digital world.When Roxy was just 13 years old, she was pressurised by much older boys from her school into sending intimate photographs of herself. Over time, these demands grew and finally after a series of coercive and threatening messages, Roxy, who was hiding all of this from her family, returned to school to find the pictures had been widely shared amongst her peer group and brought to the attention of her teachers.What followed was a series of events which led to Roxy suffering a psychotic breakdown. She was admitted to a mental health facility - voices in her head now controlling her every move. Roxy’s breakdown caused deep distress for her of course, but it also ripped through her family and in particular her relationship with Gay, a successful author. The book tells the story of Roxy’s illness from both their perspectives. It is, at times, a brutal account of their relationship.This conversation is an important one, because, of course, this is not an isolated incident. With phones now such a central part of our children’s lives – and from such a young age - it’s easy to lose track of what they are looking at, who they are communicating with, what they’re sharing and of course what pressures they’re under. As Roxy says in this conversation, “Once they had those photos, they owned me.”Roxy, is now studying maths and statistics with neuroscience at UCL. Although at times it’s clear she finds it hard to talk about some of these events, she has moved forward in her life brilliantly and wants her story to send a powerful message. Not only to discourage youngsters from doing what she did, but also to boys who may coerce others and to teachers who as she says, “tell you a million times what not to do, but not what to do if you’ve already done it.”My thanks to Roxy and Gay for sharing their story and I hope you find this episode useful.Gay's Crisis Cures: 1. Find people who know more than you do. Friends, neighbours.. anyone. That’s key in the position I was in.2. I need to go to a really quiet place by coming out of my head and back into my body. I have a trick which is to stand on one leg because you have to focus to balance. If that doesn’t work, try doing it on tip-toes or with your eyes closed. That definitely gets you to focus the mind.3. When you have big decisions to make – particularly when the outcomes could be life altering, try to view them as informed choices. So if they don’t work out in the way you need, you can look back and think – I did the best I could with the information I had at the time.Roxy's Crisis Cures:1. I work very hard and fully commit all of the time. I always make sure I’m doing at least four things at once too because I manage best when there’s as little time to think as possible.2. I found an amazing therapist who helped me navigate my way through, working out where I could take responsibility for things I’d done and where I needed to accept I’d been taken advantage of. He showed me how to manage my brain and use it to my advantage.3. I draw cubes – literally everywhere. I can use them to help ground myself and keep myself calm when I feel like I’m spiralling.Full transcript available on: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/gay-and-roxy-longworth-on-coercion-psychotic-breakdown-and-the-long-road-back/Links:When you lose it - https://amzn.to/3xn3KC8Stem 4 - https://stem4.org.uk/Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.ukYour Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682Host– Andy CoulsonProducer – Louise DiffordFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/?hl=enTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod