Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

LBC
  • 4.8 (120)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

  1. 1D AGO

    Mark Constantine: Homeless at 16 to Founding LUSH

    From a fractured childhood in Weymouth to the creation of one of Britain’s most distinctive ethical brands, Mark Constantine’s life has been shaped by loss, sensitivity and an intense drive to make sense of the world through the senses. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the co-founder and CEO of the British cosmetics retailer, LUSH. Expect a wide ranging and deeply personal conversation about abandonment, creativity and the long shadow of early experiences. Constantine traces his story from a family marked by absence and instability, through periods of homelessness and self doubt, to an unconventional career that fused science, intuition and care. He reflects on grief, panic and the “entrepreneur’s wound”, and explains how synaesthesia shapes the way he understands people, memory and emotion. Smell, he suggests, can communicate what words cannot, reaching places in the brain where language falls short. Along the way, he speaks candidly about failure, fear of pride, and the mentors and partners whose kindness helped steady him. They explore the unlikely origins of LUSH, the principles that guided its growth, and the tension between success and insecurity that has never fully gone away. Thoughtful, intimate and unexpectedly tender, this is a conversation about resilience, care and finding meaning through sensation rather than certainty. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

    1h 4m

  2. JAN 30

    Jonathan Pryce: I was told for years that I was worthless

    From a small village in North Wales to some of the most iconic stages and screens in the world, Jonathan Pryce’s career has been shaped as much by doubt and accident as by talent and ambition. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the actor to trace an extraordinary life in performance, beginning with a childhood marked by class, kindness and upheaval, and moving through art school, repertory theatre and a late discovery of confidence in his own abilities. Pryce reflects on failure at school, the teachers who held him back and the mentors who quietly opened doors, as well as the personal loss that shaped his most searching work on stage. He talks candidly about imposter syndrome, the slow realisation that he might actually be good at his job, and why acting only began to make sense to him later in life. They discuss the freedom and chaos of seventies theatre, the strange mechanics of success, and the moments that changed everything, from Comedians and Hamlet to Brazil, Miss Saigon and beyond. Along the way, Pryce shares stories that are funny, bruising and deeply human. Warm, reflective and quietly profound, this is a conversation about craft, luck and resilience, and about learning, eventually, to trust your own voice. Under Salt Marsh will launch with two episodes on Sky and streaming service NOW on January 30th, followed by one episode weekly for 4 weeks EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

    1 hr

  3. JAN 23

    Rutger Bregman: What are we actually doing with our lives?

    From calling out billionaires at Davos to challenging institutions that would rather stay comfortable, Rutger Bregman has built a career around one simple question: what are we actually doing with our lives? In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the historian and author of Moral Ambition to talk about purpose, power and the quiet pressure to go along with things we know are wrong. Bregman reflects on his upbringing, his loss of religious faith, and how that search for meaning became a drive to make ideas matter in the real world. They discuss why small groups of people have always been the engine of change, how ego and idealism often overlap, and why so many smart, capable people feel stuck doing work that doesn’t align with their values. From abolitionists and resistance movements to modern politics, media cowardice and the rise of authoritarianism, Bregman argues that change usually starts when someone simply asks others to step up. Thoughtful, accessible and quietly challenging, this conversation is about agency, responsibility and the uncomfortable idea that waiting for someone else to act is itself a choice. Find out more about Moral Ambition: How to Find Your Purpose by Rutger Bregman here EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

    1h 8m

  4. JAN 9

    From The Vault: Daniel Radcliffe

    From the intensity of life as one of the most recognisable children on the planet to the creative freedom he has carved out as an adult, Daniel Radcliffe’s story is one of curiosity, discipline and quiet resilience. In this conversation with James O’Brien, recorded six years ago, Daniel reflects on the unusual contours of a childhood spent on film sets, the luck and judgement that helped him grow up with his feet on the ground, and the agency he has learned to exercise over what he shares with the world. He speaks candidly about the gap between how fascinating others find his life and how ordinary it feels to him, the early lessons in saying no, and the responsibility he carries toward those who met him first as Harry Potter. He reflects on guidance from older actors, the grounding influence of his parents, and the strangeness of growing up inside a global phenomenon, tracing his love of film sets, the friendships that endured, and the ways fame has shaped him. He also discusses loneliness, the shock and freedom of life after Potter, and the delight he takes in unpredictable roles, inventive collaborators and the intellectual challenge of Beckett. Wry, thoughtful and self aware, this conversation offers a rare, unvarnished portrait of an actor who has grown up in public yet remains grounded, curious and determined to follow his own creative path.

    38 min

  5. JAN 2

    From The Vault: Dawn French

    From the dislocated, sun soaked childhood of an RAF family to a life spent shaping British comedy, Dawn French’s story is one of resilience, warmth and hard won self knowledge. In this generous conversation with James O’Brien, recorded five years ago, she reflects on the moves that defined her early years, the confidence gifted to her by loving parents, and the shock of losing her father just as adulthood was beginning. She recalls her time at boarding school in Plymouth, the drama teacher who changed her life, and the year she spent in New York after winning a fiercely competitive debating scholarship. Dawn speaks openly about stumbling into comedy by accident, her early days at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and the moment living with Jennifer Saunders set the course for their four-decade partnership. She revisits the wild beginnings of The Comic Strip, moonlighting as a teacher by day and performing in a smoky Soho club by night. Along the way, she discusses the unusual pressures of fame, the introversion that sits behind the jazz hands, and the fierce, uncomplicated love that shaped her as both daughter and mother. Warm, candid and often very funny, this episode offers an intimate portrait of a national treasure who remains thoughtful, grounded and endlessly generous in spirit.

    47 min

  6. 12/26/2025

    Full Disclosure 2025: The Year Reviewed

    A Boxing Day reflection on a standout year of Full Disclosure. James O’Brien revisits key guests and conversations from 2025, offering perspective on the ideas, stories and people that shaped the podcast over the past twelve months. With sincere thanks to everyone who has listened, shared and stayed curious, your company makes these conversations possible. We’ll be back in the new year with even bigger guests and more in depth discussions.

    7 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Martin Shaw: The Professionals was a monster that swallowed my career

    From bomb sites in postwar Birmingham to the centre of British stage and screen, Martin Shaw’s life has been shaped by curiosity, kindness and a refusal to play the part he was expected to play. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with one of Britain’s most enduring actors to trace the journey behind the performances. Shaw reflects on growing up with parents marked by war and frustration, discovering storytelling at school, and the teachers who unlocked a sense of freedom, confidence and purpose. He talks about leaving security behind for drama school, confronting imposter syndrome, and the moment he realised that great acting is not about showing off but about listening. The conversation moves through a remarkable career. From early theatre work and transformative mentors, to working with Roman Polanski on Macbeth, sharing kitchens with Anthony Hopkins, and navigating the highs and costs of fame after The Professionals. Shaw speaks candidly about alcohol, masculinity, spiritual searching and the quiet anger that can linger beneath success. He also explains why kindness on set matters to him, how one encounter with a fan reframed his view of his own work, and why the stage has always remained his creative home.

    1h 1m

  8. 12/12/2025

    Sir Gareth Southgate: There were days I didn’t want to get out from under the duvet

    From missing the most famous penalty in English football to leading the national team into a new era, Gareth Southgate’s story is one of quiet resilience, modern leadership and emotional intelligence forged under relentless public pressure. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Gareth to trace the long road that shaped him. From being an introverted, late-developing youngster released by Southampton, to captaining Crystal Palace, enduring searing public failure, and eventually becoming England manager. They talk candidly about masculinity in football, learning to lead without bluster, and why authenticity matters more than authority. Southgate reflects on the moments that changed him most. The heartbreak of rejection, the pressure of managing people older and wealthier than him, the lessons drawn from defeat, and the responsibility of becoming a role model far beyond the pitch. He explains how England became a mirror for modern Britain, why he wrote Dear England, and what leadership really looks like when things go wrong. Thoughtful, honest and quietly powerful, this conversation goes well beyond football. It is about growth, failure, emotional courage and the belief that leadership is something you learn, not something you pretend to be. Find out more about Dear England: Lessons in Leadership by Gareth Southgate here

    58 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
120 Ratings

About

Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

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