On The Mend

In this solo episode, Matt Willis reflects on parenting through the lens of recovery in “The Parent I’m Trying To Be.” With honesty and vulnerability, he shares how fatherhood has shaped his growth, from owning up to mistakes to breaking cycles from his own upbringing.

This isn’t a guide to perfect parenting, but a candid reflection on presence over perfection, the value of everyday “junk time,” and allowing children to fully fe...

Deryck Whibley joins Matt for a powerful and unfiltered conversation about addiction, recovery, and the lessons hidden in life’s hardest moments.

The singer-songwriter opens up about why he chose to write his book entirely in his own words, valuing authenticity over polish, and reflects on the role of memory, mistakes, and vulnerability in personal growth. He also shares openly about his struggles with addiction, the courage it ...

What if failure was the key to success?

In this solo episode, Matt Willis opens up about his own fear of failure, from the nerves of launching a new season to the deeper anxieties that have shaped his life. Drawing on Simon Sinek’s ideas and his own lived experience, Matt explores why fear of failure is universal, how it can hold us back, and how it can also drive us forward.

With raw honesty, he shares practical ways to refr...

This week's guest is Gary Stevenson, a former top trader who knows firsthand what happens when success becomes an addiction. At the height of his career, he was winning big, but behind the scenes, his health, happiness, and humanity were breaking down.

Gary pulls back the curtain on the trading world, revealing why “money = happiness” is a dangerous lie, how high-stakes trading mirrors gambling, and the hidden addiction spreadin...

In this raw solo episode, Matt Willis shares the untold side of his journey, from Busted fame to hitting rock bottom, and why real recovery only began when he stopped trying to do it alone.

Matt opens up about the power of vulnerability, the fear of rejection, and the moment he had to admit relapse to his wife. He explores why connection is the one thing that saved him, and why healing isn’t possible without it.

From the fear...

After decades in the spotlight as a broadcaster, comedian, and writer, Iain Lee found himself in a moment that would change and possibly save, more than one life.

In this powerful episode, Iain recounts the night a caller to his late-night radio show shared that he had taken an overdose. What followed was a raw, real-time crisis that showed the power of being present and how connection, even through a radio line, can save someon...

We’re back! In this brand new season of On The Mend, Matt Willis opens up about what he’s been up to recently, alongside his struggles with overwhelm and the ongoing work of recovery. He shares what’s been helping, from hobbies to gratitude and sets the tone for a season full of raw, real conversations with guests, experts, and you. 

Expect new segments, deeper honesty, and powerful stories about what it really means to mov...

This week’s guest is the musician, actor, writer, and podcaster Jordan Stephens.

Jordan’s probably best known for Rizzle Kicks, the chart-topping duo he formed with his friend Harley Alexander-Sule, back in 2008.

He's since released music as a solo artist, starred in various TV and film projects, published a children’s book, and now he’s written a memoir: Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs.

In this conversation the pair discuss edu...

This week’s guest is the entrepreneur and mental health advocate Dan Murray-Serter.

Dan has ten years’ experience of building up businesses but, also, of winding them down. He’s spoken publicly about his failures, as well as his personal experience with anxiety, insomnia, depression, burnout, body dysmorphia and bulimia. And the steps Dan took towards improving his own mental and physical health, led him to a new business in nutriti...

Gabby was the first female football anchor on terrestrial television and she’s perfected the art of asking great questions, while covering a wide range of international sporting events. 

In this episode, Matt turns the tables on Gabby, and she speaks with great honesty, sharing moments and insights from her life and career.

Sporty and very driven from an early age, Gabby competed at the Commonwealth Games when she was still a teenage...

This week Matt is sharing the top 3 books that have shaped his life and his journey as a recovered addict. He’ll be breaking down exactly why they mean so much to him – and why you should consider checking them out too!
Matt has sprinkled some bonus honourable mentions, plus some feedback from all of you lovely listeners! We recently asked Matt’s Instagram followers to recommend their life-changing reads, and boy did you guys de...

This week’s guest is Johann Hari, whose books and TED Talks on depression, anxiety, and addiction have reached millions of people.

His 2015 talk Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong had a huge impact on Matt, changing how he thought about his own recovery.

Matt then devoured Johann’s first book Chasing The Scream which looked at the war on drugs, through the story of Billie Holiday. While writing this book, Johann...

Matt dives into the world of hypnosis with the psychiatrist Dr David Spiegel.

In this episode, Matt finds out just how susceptible he is to hypnosis, with results that truly blow him away, and he gets some practical tips on how to reduce anxiety.

Dr Spiegel is the Director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford University School of Medicine and a leading authority on hypnosis. He has 50 years experience in this field and he u...

Matt chats to the BAFTA Award-winning YouTube star, and campaigner, Nikki Lilly.

At the age of six, Nikki was diagnosed with a high flow craniofacial AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation). A rare condition which causes life-threatening nose bleeds and extreme swelling. Since then, Nikki’s had almost one hundred medical procedures, as well as therapy, to help process the trauma and pain.

When Nikki started vlogging two years later, she was...

We’re 8 episodes into series 2 of On The Mend… and what a journey it’s been so far!

It’s about time we looked back on some of our best moments. So today, Matt is reflecting on the lessons his recent guests have taught him. Unpicking the key messages that have stuck with him for weeks on end – and are sure to stick with you too. 

We’re looking back on our chats with Geordie Queen Vicky Pattison, Alcohol-Free Advocate Andy Ramage, and ...