Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma

ReNew

Believe in People is the UK’s leading podcast dedicated to addiction, recovery, lived experience storytelling, and the power of peer support in transforming lives. Produced by ReNew, the series brings honest, unfiltered conversations with people who have faced addiction, homelessness, trauma, stigma, prison, relapse and recovery and found a way forward. Hosted by Matt Butler and produced by Robbie Lawson, each episode provides real insight into the experiences behind substance use, the roots of trauma, and the pathways into healing and long-term recovery. You will hear from public figures, frontline workers, peer mentors, musicians, parents and people with lived experience who are changing communities across the UK. Whether you are in recovery, supporting someone, working in treatment services, or simply curious about what real recovery looks like, this podcast offers depth, truth and hope. With new episodes released regularly, Believe in People is for anyone seeking honest stories, practical learning, and a deeper understanding of how people rebuild their lives. 🎙 2025 British Podcast Award Nominee - Best Interview 🎙 2025 British Podcast Award Nominee  - Best Factual 🎙 2024 British Podcast Award Winner - Best Interview 🎙 2025 Radio Academy Award Nominee - Best Speech & Entertainment 🎙 2024 Radio Academy Award Nominee - Best New Podcast www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com  Search terms: addiction, recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, substance misuse recovery, trauma and recovery. 

  1. Joe Sealey: Cocaine Addiction, Alcohol and Recovery Behind the Real Housewives Of Cheshire

    4D AGO

    Joe Sealey: Cocaine Addiction, Alcohol and Recovery Behind the Real Housewives Of Cheshire

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Joe Sealey joins us to discuss cocaine addiction, alcohol misuse, grief, and recovery. Known to millions as a cast member on The Real Housewives of Cheshire, Joe shares the story that existed long before the cameras - the career-ending injury that ended his football dream, the sudden death of his father, and how trauma and loss of identity pulled him into addiction. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped Joe’s journey. Joe describes the moment cocaine felt like it saved his life, how quickly things escalated into dependency, the cycle of relapse and secrecy, and the impact addiction had on his family. He also reflects on what finally changed, why honesty became his turning point, and how routine, communication, and taking recovery one hour at a time helped him rebuild. This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change. Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, substance misuse. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 2m
  2. Struggling to Stop Drinking? What Michelle Heaton Learned About Recovery

    DEC 12

    Struggling to Stop Drinking? What Michelle Heaton Learned About Recovery

    In the first episode of Believe in People Extra, our new spin off miniseries, Michelle Heaton speaks openly about what it feels like to want to stop drinking and not be able to. She explains the medical dangers she didn’t understand, the shame that kept her stuck, and why addiction isn’t about a lack of willpower. Michelle shares the moment that changed everything: seeing someone else in recovery who had what she wanted - and realising she didn’t have to do this alone. This short episode explores: Why stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafeHow peer support works when willpower doesn’tWhy rehab helped, but free AA and CA meetings keep her soberIf you’re thinking about recovery, supporting someone else, or searching for a place to start, this clip may help you take the next step. To listen to the episode in full  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1THTnfwpdcL22CaDFTkvNm Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    9 min
  3. Alcohol, Relapse, Women’s Recovery Spaces & Breaking Generational Patterns

    DEC 5

    Alcohol, Relapse, Women’s Recovery Spaces & Breaking Generational Patterns

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Patti reflects on a lifetime shaped by silence, trauma, and survival. Growing up in a dysfunctional home in 1970s San Francisco - marked by alcoholism, emotional neglect, and parents who barely spoke - she began using alcohol and drugs at just 13 to escape overwhelming pain. By 16 she had lost her mother to alcoholism, a loss that profoundly shaped her understanding of addiction, identity, and generational trauma. Patti shares candidly about early experiences with hallucinogens during the counterculture era, the years she spent bartending in Alaska amid heavy cocaine use, and the moment she chose life over self-destruction. She describes the powerful impact of her first women-only 12-step meeting, the birth of long-term sobriety, and the choice to get clean before having children so she would never repeat the patterns she grew up with. After nearly 13 years in recovery, Patti later faced relapse - driven by disconnection, loss of community, motherhood identity shifts, and the seductive “yummy mummy” drinking culture. She unpacks how secrecy, co-dependency, and convincing self-talk sustained her relapse, and the moments that finally brought clarity: writing her first book while still drinking, confronting her own hypocrisy, and acknowledging that recovery requires honesty, therapy, and belonging - not just abstinence. Together, Patti and Matt explore the deeper roots of addiction: trauma, loneliness, the search for meaning, and the societal and gendered pressures that shape women’s drinking. Patti critiques patriarchal elements of traditional 12-step structures, highlights the importance of women-centred spaces, and explains why she has gone on to start recovery groups in New Zealand, Portugal, and beyond. This is a rich and layered conversation about breaking generational cycles, redefining identity in motherhood, and building a recovery community grounded in compassion, inclusion, and truth. In this episode: Growing up in silence, emotional neglect and an alcoholic homeEarly use of alcohol, speed and acid from age 13Hallucinogens in 1970s San Francisco drug cultureLosing her mother to alcoholism at 16Bartending in Alaska, cocaine use, and the “fClick here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 13m
  4. Trauma, False Accusation, Alcohol Recovery and Rebuilding Life After Collapse

    NOV 21

    Trauma, False Accusation, Alcohol Recovery and Rebuilding Life After Collapse

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we conclude our two-part conversation with Andy Woodward, who reflects on the long-term psychological effects of childhood trauma and how those experiences shaped his later struggles with alcohol use, anxiety and identity. Andy shares how a false rape accusation in 2015 became a devastating turning point - stripping away the structures that once grounded him, including careers in both professional football and policing. Without those frameworks, unresolved trauma resurfaced, and alcohol became a way to cope with fear, panic and overwhelming emotional distress. Through honest reflection, Andy discusses the spiral into binge drinking,the psychological impacts of trauma,the difficulty forming safe relationships,the misconceptions around addiction,and the challenges of seeking meaningful help within rigid or judgemental systems.He also speaks candidly about the profound media attention following his 2016 disclosures, and the lack of aftercare that left him vulnerable and unsupported. A central theme of this conversation is the recognition that substance misuse often develops as a response to prolonged emotional pain - and that sustainable recovery begins with understanding that link. This episode is a powerful and compassionate exploration of trauma, survival and change - and what it means to rebuild life with honesty, humility and hope. In this episode: How childhood trauma resurfaced later in lifeThe psychological fallout of a false rape accusationAlcohol use as coping, binge cycles and relapse psychologyAnxiety, panic, fear and relationship difficultiesMedia exposure, vulnerability and lack of aftercareRehab, 12-step work and multiple recovery pathwaysMindset, meditation and living in the presentHope, acceptance and rebuilding life after collapseSearch terms: trauma and addiction recovery, false accusation lived experience, alcohol recovery UK, mental health and panic, relapse and recovery psychology, lived experience stories, stigma and trauma. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 23m
  5. Childhood Trauma, Football Abuse and the Silence That Hid a Predator

    NOV 21

    Childhood Trauma, Football Abuse and the Silence That Hid a Predator

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we begin the first of a powerful two-part conversation with Andy Woodward, the former professional footballer whose bravery exposed one of the biggest safeguarding scandals in British sporting history. Andy was the first to go public with his experience of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of youth coach Barry Bennell, a predator enabled by a culture of silence that protected reputations instead of children. With striking honesty, Andy explains how abusers groom not only children but entire families, using trust, authority and the “position of trust” to create a fortress around their behaviour. This episode also explores the wider emotional toll of Andy’s early experiences, including the devastating connection between his abuser and the man who murdered his aunt - a trauma that echoed across generations and shaped the course of his adult life. Part One lays bare the origins of a profound reckoning: how childhood trauma fractures identity, how the football world concealed the truth for decades, and why speaking out became the catalyst for change. Part Two will explore Andy’s journey through pain, addiction, survival and healing - a testament to how recovery begins with telling the truth. In this episode: Growing up in football and the culture that enabled abuseHow Barry Bennell groomed families as well as childrenThe weaponisation of trust, authority and reputationThe psychological and emotional impact of long-term abuseThe connection between Bennell and the murder of Andy’s auntThe beginnings of a personal reckoning that would change British sportSearch terms: childhood trauma podcast, football abuse scandal, Andy Woodward interview, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, safeguarding in sport, mental health, addiction and trauma Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 19m
  6. Racism, Culture, Trauma and Addiction Recovery as a British-Pakistani Muslim

    NOV 14

    Racism, Culture, Trauma and Addiction Recovery as a British-Pakistani Muslim

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we are privileged to sit down with Taz, whose life story spans racism, identity conflict, culture, trauma, addiction, and the long path to redemption. Born in Britain to Pakistani parents, Taz grew up between cultures – navigating violence, racism, and confusion around faith, masculinity, and belonging. Forced into an arranged marriage, his life spiralled into addiction, offending, and prison before honesty, therapy, and self-reflection helped him rebuild with compassion and clarity. This episode examines how culture and religion are often conflated, how expectations can fracture identity across generations, and how misunderstanding faith can deepen shame, anger, and emotional repression. Taz speaks with rare openness about guilt, forgiveness, fatherhood, and the truth that recovery begins when survival mode ends. In this episode: Growing up British-Pakistani in 80s and 90s EnglandRacism, violence, identity confusion, and early traumaThe clash between cultural expectations and personal faithArranged marriage, shame, anger and emotional repressionPrison, relapse, and the realities of addictionHow honesty, therapy and understanding shaped long-term recoveryRebuilding life with compassion and purposeSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, British-Pakistani lived experience, culture and identity, substance misuse. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 11m
  7. Katie Price & Kerry Katona: Cocaine Addiction, Recovery, Motherhood and Surviving Fame

    NOV 6

    Katie Price & Kerry Katona: Cocaine Addiction, Recovery, Motherhood and Surviving Fame

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Katie Price and Kerry Katona sit down for a raw, unfiltered conversation about cocaine addiction, recovery, motherhood, mental health, and the double standards women continue to face in the public eye. Recorded live behind the scenes at Hull City Hall during their UK tour, Katie and Kerry speak candidly about ADHD, bipolar diagnoses, self-medication, toxic circles, fame, exploitation, and how accountability transformed their lives. They share how friendship became a protective factor, why authenticity matters more than gossip or headlines, and the practical tools that helped them rebuild after the darkest moments. This episode offers a rare, honest insight into women’s experiences of addiction, shame, media pressure, relapse, and long-term recovery. In this episode: How cocaine became a “best friend” and how they broke the cycleWhy disclosures still carry more stigma for womenExploitation, tabloid culture and the pressure to fail in publicMotherhood, relapse, and choosing healthier circlesPractical recovery tools: therapy letters, affirmations, exercise, boundariesKatie Price: instagram.com/katieprice Kerry Katona: instagram.com/kerrykatona7 Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    41 min
  8. Alcohol Misuse, Cocaine, Identity, Boxing and Building a Recovery Toolbox

    OCT 1

    Alcohol Misuse, Cocaine, Identity, Boxing and Building a Recovery Toolbox

    In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Mel shares a powerful and deeply honest account of her journey through alcohol misuse, escalating substance use, mental health struggles, and the non-linear path toward recovery. Growing up as a triplet in a family where drinking was normalised, Mel describes early identity struggles, belonging within pub culture, and how her use escalated in Brighton – from drinking to dangerous encounters with dealers and a chaotic lifestyle that felt increasingly out of control. A moment of clarity in Spain shifted everything. Mel reflects on the complexities of giving up alcohol while continuing to use cannabis, the emotional roots behind her coping behaviours, and how recovery eventually took shape through boxing, community, medication, 12-step fellowships, and building a personal sobriety toolbox that actually works. This is a grounded, practical, and compassionate story about rebuilding identity, finding strength in healthy routines, and learning what recovery really looks like beyond abstinence or expectation. In this episode: Growing up as a triplet and early identity conflictPub culture, belonging, and escalating use in BrightonDrinking, cannabis, dealers, and unsafe situationsThe moment of clarity in Spain that shifted everythingBoxing as a recovery tool and protective factorCommunity, fellowship, medication, and building a sobriety toolboxThe reality of non-linear recovery and self-compassionSearch terms: alcohol recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, substance misuse, boxing and mental health, trauma and recovery, addiction recovery. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly! 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please take a moment to leave a review — it helps others find us. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from it. Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone. If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service. https://www.changegrowlive.org/local-support/find-a-service 📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com 🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six) 🔗 Listen & Subscribe Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Cr4wzZ6bxku1cRcoYKbGK Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923 ...

    1h 8m
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About

Believe in People is the UK’s leading podcast dedicated to addiction, recovery, lived experience storytelling, and the power of peer support in transforming lives. Produced by ReNew, the series brings honest, unfiltered conversations with people who have faced addiction, homelessness, trauma, stigma, prison, relapse and recovery and found a way forward. Hosted by Matt Butler and produced by Robbie Lawson, each episode provides real insight into the experiences behind substance use, the roots of trauma, and the pathways into healing and long-term recovery. You will hear from public figures, frontline workers, peer mentors, musicians, parents and people with lived experience who are changing communities across the UK. Whether you are in recovery, supporting someone, working in treatment services, or simply curious about what real recovery looks like, this podcast offers depth, truth and hope. With new episodes released regularly, Believe in People is for anyone seeking honest stories, practical learning, and a deeper understanding of how people rebuild their lives. 🎙 2025 British Podcast Award Nominee - Best Interview 🎙 2025 British Podcast Award Nominee  - Best Factual 🎙 2024 British Podcast Award Winner - Best Interview 🎙 2025 Radio Academy Award Nominee - Best Speech & Entertainment 🎙 2024 Radio Academy Award Nominee - Best New Podcast www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com  Search terms: addiction, recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, substance misuse recovery, trauma and recovery. 

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