The Hushed

Martin Coul • OTII®
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Hushed® explores modern masculinity, beyond bravado and beyond stereotypes. A space for real conversations by men, for men, and for those who love them. Thanks to listeners who’ve shared it widely, the show was recognised in Spotify’s 2025 Unwrapped as an 'Instant Hit', a 'Most Shared Show' and one of the year’s 'Most Talked About Shows'. Each episode brings honest, human stories about what it means to be a man today, the hopes, fears, and the unspoken truths. Although a mental health podcast for men, there's a twist in each episode: questions from women to discover what men really think.

Episodes

  1. The Questions, Answered by Women

    FEB 5

    The Questions, Answered by Women

    S1 / E12: This episode continues the conversation started in Episode 11. A small group of women return to the same questions that have been put to men throughout the season, staying with what emerged last time and noticing what deepens when there’s more space to listen. Together with the previous episode, this conversation brings Season One of The Hushed to a close.

    44 min
  2. The Questions, Answered by Women

    FEB 5

    The Questions, Answered by Women

    S1 / E11: All season, the questions have been put to men. In this episode, those same questions are answered by a small group of women. They reflect on the questions that have shaped The Hushed so far, noticing where they land, where they don’t, and what shifts when familiar questions are heard through different voices. This is the first part of that conversation.

    42 min

  3. JAN 22

    Legacy & Letting Go

    S1 / E10: What do you want to be remembered for? This episode explores meaning and the quiet choices that shape how we live. We talk about the legacies three men hope to leave behind, not just through work or family, but in the everyday impressions that stay with others. It’s about what we carry, what we pass on, and how priorities shift as we move through different stages of life. We ask what it means to let go, and what comes into focus when the goal is no longer achievement, but peace.

    54 min

  4. JAN 8

    The Bit No One Talks About

    Season 1, Episode 9 From testicular cancer to vasectomies, this episode explores what happens when men are forced to confront their bodies, sometimes by choice, sometimes without one. It’s not about oversharing. It’s about how illness, surgery, and survival can shake identity, surface fear, and quietly reshape how men see themselves. Caring for your health doesn’t make you less of a man. It means you’re planning to stick around, and to understand what comes after. Within the wider arc of The Hushed®, this conversation sits at the core of what a men’s health podcast can offer: a place to talk honestly about the parts of male experience that rarely make it into everyday conversation. We explore how medical procedures can unsettle confidence, how shame or silence can delay help, and why so many men minimise symptoms until they’re forced to face them. These stories aren’t sensational; they’re human, vulnerable, and quietly brave. Through grounded reflection and lived experience, the episode invites listeners to rethink what it means to care for their bodies, not as a chore or a crisis response, but as an act of self‑respect and long‑term presence. It’s a reminder that acknowledging fear doesn’t diminish masculinity; it deepens it. And that “the bit no one talks about” might be one of the most important conversations men can have. --- Host details ⁠Martin Coul on Linkedin⁠ ⁠Otii: Navigating life's journey together

    44 min

  5. 12/25/2025

    Anger, Fear & Grief

    S1 / E8: Some emotions are easier to show than others. For many men, anger, fear, and grief are learned early as things to manage, suppress, or carry alone. In this episode, two men reflect on what happens when those feelings are buried for too long, how they surface, how they shape relationships, and what it takes to give them space without causing harm. These are honest conversations about restraint, release, and the quiet strength that can emerge when men learn to face what they’ve been taught to hide.

    55 min

  6. 12/11/2025

    Love, Intimacy & Being Understood

    S1 / E7: Gay men often move through the world carrying stories they’ve never said out loud - about rejection, desire, trust, and the search for a love that feels like home. In this episode, they share those quieter truths: what intimacy costs, what it gives back, and how masculinity can expand when you’re no longer performing for it. These are stories about connection, heartbreak, healing, and the power of being seen as you really are.

    1h 8m

  7. 11/27/2025

    Appearance, Ageing & Avoidance

    Season 1, Episode 6 As men move into middle age, the body becomes a quieter, more complicated place. This episode explores how men think about appearance, ageing, and the things we tend to avoid — from unspoken dress codes to check‑ups we delay. We look at how denial shows up, why so many men downplay what they notice, and what it might take to stop treating our bodies as afterthoughts. It’s an honest conversation about noticing change, paying attention, and learning to show up before something breaks. In the wider context of The Hushed®, this episode sits right at the heart of what a men’s mental health podcast can offer: space to name the subtle anxieties that come with getting older, the quiet fears we rarely admit, and the cultural scripts that tell men to “push through” instead of tuning in. We explore how ageing can trigger old insecurities, how appearance becomes tied to identity, and why avoidance often feels easier than honesty, especially when it comes to our health. Through grounded stories and gentle reflection, the conversation invites listeners to rethink their relationship with their bodies, to recognise the signals they’ve been ignoring, and to consider what care might look like if it wasn’t driven by crisis. It’s a reminder that paying attention isn’t vanity or weakness; it’s a form of self‑respect, and a way of staying present for the people who matter. --- Host details ⁠Martin Coul on Linkedin⁠ ⁠Otii: Navigating life's journey together

    1h 6m

  8. 11/13/2025

    Friendship, Loneliness, and the Quiet Load

    S1 / E5: Many men have mates, but few they can be fully open with. This episode explores the gap between banter and real connection - and why isolation can persist even in a room full of people. We ask why male friendships so often feel passive compared to the way women tend to nurture theirs, and what it might take for men to move beyond surface-level camaraderie toward deeper, sustaining bonds.

    1h 2m

  9. 10/30/2025

    Work, Worth And Pressure

    S1 / E4 From “provider first” to the quiet pressure to always deliver, this episode explores why so many men still measure their value in work, and what happens when that stops feeling enough. Three voices, American, British, and Finnish share how success, stress, and self-worth collide, and what they learned when stepping back became the only way forward. At its heart, we ask: if you’re not what you do, who are you?

    52 min

  10. 10/16/2025

    Fatherhood and Showing Up Imperfectly

    S1 / E3: Being a dad is often framed as provider first, person second. In this episode, two voices, British and Italian, explore the joys, worries, and unspoken weight of raising children. We talk about identity, guilt, pride, and the quiet pressures that come with wanting to be a good dad. From neurodivergence to legacy, we ask what we pass on, what we carry, and what showing up really means.

    1 hr

  11. 10/16/2025

    The Mask of Masculinity

    Season 1, Episode 2 What does it mean to be a man? In this episode, we look at the early blueprints we were handed from dads, coaches, media, or mates, and how those roles shaped us. Alongside two Australian voices, we explore how bravado can mask vulnerability, and what it takes to step outside the stories we were taught and find our own way. Building on the wider themes of The Hushed®, this conversation digs into the quiet pressures men absorb long before they have the language to name them and the expectations to be strong, stoic, or self‑sufficient, even when life is anything but simple. We talk about how these inherited scripts can fuel mental health stigma, making it harder for men to speak openly about fear, grief, or uncertainty, and how unlearning those patterns can become an act of courage in itself. Through honest reflection and grounded storytelling, the episode invites listeners to rethink the “mask” they’ve worn, the parts of themselves they’ve hidden, and the possibility of showing up in the world with more truth and less armour. It’s a gentle, human reminder that modern masculinity isn’t a performance, it’s something we get to redefine together. --- Host details Martin Coul on Linkedin Otii: Navigating life's journey together

    1 hr

  12. 10/16/2025

    Why We Need This Conversation

    Season 1, Episode 1 We open Season 1 with a conversation about why so many men struggle to talk about what really matters. Not because they don’t care, but because they’ve been taught not to. This first episode sets the tone: open, human, and unpolished. Three voices from the UK, the US and Zimbabwe explore why silence isn’t strength, and how honest conversations, even the messy ones, can help us feel more connected, understood, and less alone. As the starting point for The Hushed®, this episode lays the groundwork for what a modern space for men can look like, one that sits alongside the work of men’s mental health support groups, community circles, and grassroots initiatives like Blokes and Black Dogs, which gets a mention in the conversation. We explore why so many men still default to holding everything in, how cultural expectations shape our emotional habits, and why vulnerability often feels risky even when connection is what we crave most. Through candid stories and gentle reflection, the episode invites listeners to rethink the idea that men should cope quietly or carry everything alone. It’s a reminder that speaking honestly about fear, hope, grief, or uncertainty, isn’t a sign of weakness but a way of finding our footing. This is where the season begins: with the belief that when men talk, really talk, something shifts. Something softens. And something opens that might just help us feel a little less isolated in the world. --- Host details ⁠Martin Coul on Linkedin⁠ ⁠Otii: Navigating life's journey together

    1h 2m
  • 12 Episodes

About

The Hushed® explores modern masculinity, beyond bravado and beyond stereotypes. A space for real conversations by men, for men, and for those who love them. Thanks to listeners who’ve shared it widely, the show was recognised in Spotify’s 2025 Unwrapped as an 'Instant Hit', a 'Most Shared Show' and one of the year’s 'Most Talked About Shows'. Each episode brings honest, human stories about what it means to be a man today, the hopes, fears, and the unspoken truths. Although a mental health podcast for men, there's a twist in each episode: questions from women to discover what men really think.

Information

  • Creator
    Martin Coul • OTII®
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martin Coul • OTII®
  • Show Website
    The Hushed