Over The Influence: The Alcohol Free Podcast
Welcome to Over the Influence, the podcast where sobriety isn't just a choice - it’s a celebration! Hosted by Sharon Hartley and Ben Anderson, both BBC professionals by day and passionate advocates for alcohol-free living by night, this is your go-to space for real, raw, and uplifting stories of what life looks like on the other side of alcohol. Each episode shines a light on inspiring, often hard-hitting journeys to sobriety. From personal struggles to incredible triumphs, we bring you heartfelt conversations with guests from all walks of life - whether they're celebrities, experts, or everyday heroes. Their stories might trigger deep emotions, but they’ll also inspire hope, empowerment, and a renewed sense of what the human spirit can overcome. Whether you're sober curious, walking your own path to sobriety, or simply looking for some inspiration, you're in the right place. Let’s talk openly about the highs, the lows, and everything in between - and most importantly, let's celebrate the joys of a vibrant, alcohol-free life together. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and not necessarily those of Over The Influence (OTI) Ltd. The information shared is for general purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. If you are physically addicted to alcohol - or even think you might be - it's essential you seek qualified medical advice from your doctor or other medical professional. Stopping drinking suddenly can be very dangerous and in some cases fatal. You can find links to support services on our website here.
Episodes
Last weekend they took on the mighty Northumbrian Full Ironman challenge with fellow OTI community member Kelly, all to raise money for Alcohol Change UK. Now they're here to tell us all about it!
We're very proud of their achievement and are absolutely delighted that th...
Steve grew up in a culture where he felt like alcohol was celebrated. Whenever something fun happened, it always seemed like booze was at the centre of it.
He became a flare bartender (all the cool acrobatics with the bottles) and actually won the Flare Bartender Championships which we have to admit, is very impressive.
Being ...
Today's guest is Barney Whiter, a writer and financial expert perhaps better known by the name The Escape Artist. Financially, Barney had it all together; after a troubling finance related experience while growing up, he decided that his adulthood would be about f...
Kelly, a.k.a. K-Marie, has been sober since missing a flight on 30th December 2023 when she decided that all this getting drunk nonsense was getting a bit O.T.T. She packed it in, listened to OTI and decided to help spread the word about how great sobriety can be!
Kelly is a house music lover and recognised that there aren't enough sober events out...
This week we have the wonderful Janine Connelly joining us on the pod!
Janine is one of our OTI Community members and we are delighted that she's joined us on the pod today.
She shares with us how she knew she had to stop drinking after a health scare in which she knew that she simply couldn't carry on drinking. She has manage...
Elin is a fitness fanatic and PhD student in Norwich, specialising in researching gut science.
She's come to alcohol free life very young (and yes Sharon goes full Auntie Shaz) after she felt like her relationship with alcohol was becoming unhealthy during lockdown. Her university experience was brought to an abrupt halt by the p...
Ben and Shaz don't have a guest and instead will be giving you their top tips for staying strong and sober through the bank holiday weekend in the UK.
If you're not in the UK, don't worry - these tips all still apply!
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Get In Touch:
Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials - @alcoholfreepod o...
What a story we have for you this week, courtesy of the fantastic Sean Willers!
Sean is now nearly two years sober and is a lifestyle and fitness coach having been a DJ travelling all over Europe.
You'll find out about how his troubled youth led to problematic drinking which then led to recreational drugs as an adult. You'll also hear ...
This week we welcome the wonderful Samantha Southern from onto Over The Influence!
Sam felt like she needed to stop drinking alcohol, but it wasn’t because of what it was doing to her; it was the reasons that she was drinking that worried her. As you’ll hear in this episode, she has suffered some tragic bereavements and s...
Austin is now ten years sober and talks to us today about why it's so important to always strive for happiness. Becoming sober is a major hurdle but once you've jumped that hurdle, it's important to not become complacent.
It's always a pleasure to have Austin on the podcast and if you'd like to keep up t...
We had Neil & Ian on the podcast a few weeks ago telling us all about it and now we're going to hear about it from the woman who had the idea in the first place.
If you would like to donate (please do if you can!) then please visit justgiving.com/page/teamoti. If you would like to take part in ...
She’s now five and a half years alcohol free, she’s a coach and focussing specifically on the ‘grey area drinkers’: the people who don’t drink enough to have a problem, but drink enough that it is causing them problems.
On the podcast, you’ll hear Sarah talking up the ‘Thirty Day Power ...
James is first and foremost a Dad and a husband and decided just under 18 months ago that he was going to take the plunge into sobriety to be the best he could possibly be for his family.
He had been drinking to mask the pain that he felt from not having that from his own fat...
This time we're going to take a deep dive into a topic that Sarah is dedicated to: understand shame. We talk about why you might feel it and how best to deal with it.
Many people feel shame about the past when going sober for all sorts of reasons, so if that is you then this will be a really interesting listen.
For more on Sa...
We're delighted to welcome Sharon and Lauretta Gavin to Over The Influence!
Both sisters have been alcohol free now for twelve years and much like most others who drop the booze, it wasn't meant to be forever. What started as a break, developed into something which triggered an enormous amount of good chan...
James is a Dad, partner, coach, drummer, key note speaker and soon to be author!
During his teens growing up just outside of Belfast in Northern Ireland, alcohol started to play a bigger and bigger role in his life. When he then got the opportunity to move to New Zealand, he felt like part of his identity as an Irishman was to be the goo...
They're here to tell us all about their upcoming Iron Man challenge which they'll be taking on alongside OTI Hall-of-Famer, Scottish Kelly.
If you would like to donate (please do if you can!) then please visit justgiving.com/page/teamoti.
Good luck team, we know you're going to smash it!!
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Get...
Sarah is originally from Manchester and now lives in the much sunnier Perth, Australia. We've wanted to get together for ages but with time zones it's been tricky. We found out she was back in the UK so we took our opportunity to get her on the pod!
Sarah is author of the best selling book “Beyond Booze, How to crea...
Annalise from North London is now two years alcohol free and absolutely smashing it.
Her relationship with alcohol started from a young age and when she came to give it up, she discovered as so many others do that it's not as easy as just moving on. She relapsed but now she's here to tell everyone, don't give up!
Thanks so much to An...
Lauren is now 18 months alcohol free and it's safe to say that at the start of her journey she wasn't quite sure about all of this alcohol free stuff. Everyone seemed a bit OTT about how great they felt and it was all a bit suspicious.
She gave it time though and it's certainly paid off. She's now better than ever and l...
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