Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

James O'Brien
James O'Brien

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. You can email the show below and get involved at any time jamesobrienshow@global.com for regular listeners or jamesobrienPlus@global.com for subscribers Full Disclosure with James O'Brien is a Global Production For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: GlobalStudiosSales@global.com

  1. 5d ago

    Charlie Higson: Before The Fast Show, I was someone else entirely

    When Charlie Higson was 18, his mother died, his father moved to Hawaii and he decided to become someone else entirely. He dyed his hair, renamed himself Switch and threw himself into the punk scene in Norwich, where a chance friendship with Paul Whitehouse would eventually help change the face of British comedy. None of it was planned. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Charlie to trace the remarkable journey from a shy, bookish childhood to punk rock, The Fast Show and, eventually, James Bond. Charlie recalls the devastating loss of his mother, the freedom and uncertainty of leaving home, and the unlikely beginnings of a career that would take him from touring America with his band to creating some of the most recognisable characters in British television. He reflects on his lifelong friendship with Paul Whitehouse, the influence of Monty Python and the extraordinary chain of events that brought him into the orbit of Harry Enfield and Vic Reeves. Along the way, he reveals how The Fast Show came together, why its success was less obvious at the time than it seems today, and what made his creative partnership with Paul so enduring. Charlie also talks about his lifelong love of writing, from inventing fantasy worlds as a schoolboy to becoming the author of the bestselling Young Bond series. He explains how fatherhood helped draw him away from television and back towards books, and what it's like to take on one of fiction's most famous characters while trying to remain faithful to Ian Fleming's original creation. It's a funny, warm and surprisingly moving conversation about loss, reinvention, friendship and the strange accidents that shape a life - and about how sometimes the most extraordinary things happen when you have absolutely no idea where you're going. Find out more about King Zero by Charlie Higson here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  2. Oct 2

    John Robins: Why Alcohol Was Never the Real Problem

    This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction and alcoholism, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. John Robins has spent much of his life making people laugh. But behind the award-winning stand-up, broadcasting and podcasts was a relationship with alcohol that he spent years trying to understand, manage and ultimately escape. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with John to trace the experiences that shaped him, from a childhood marked by anxiety and an intensely religious father to Oxford, gambling and the discovery of stand-up. John reflects on growing up with a sense that something wasn’t quite right, learning to use humour as both attack and defence, and becoming fascinated by alcohol long before he understood what it offered him. He talks candidly about the progression of his drinking and the years he spent trying to control it: counting drinks, crossing days off calendars and comparing himself with people who seemed to drink more. Looking back, John describes alcohol not as the problem but as his solution to something deeper - a way to quieten his mind, relieve discomfort and, at times, disappear completely. John also recalls the night in 2022 when, exhausted by years of fighting his drinking, he searched the word “sober” in a podcast app. Hearing two recovering alcoholics speak with calmness, warmth and humour gave him a glimpse of another way to live. He went to his first AA meeting the following day and hasn’t had a drink since. Now, John reflects on the strange and painful process of learning how to live without alcohol, from relationships and work to simply being alone with his own thoughts. He talks about therapy, recovery, meditation and spirituality, and why accepting the things he cannot control has begun to make life feel a little less complicated. It’s a funny, thoughtful and strikingly open conversation about addiction, anxiety, childhood, shame and recovery - and about what happens when the thing you’ve relied on to escape yourself is no longer there. Find out more about Thirst by John Robins here Additional support: If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, please take a moment to read the resources listed: We Are With You, Change Grow Live, Turning Point Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  3. Sep 25

    Eric Idle: “Cheer up. You’re gonna die”

    Eric Idle has spent a lifetime finding the funny side of almost everything. Long before he became one of the defining voices of British comedy, he was a boy shaped by loss, separation and a brutal education. His father died when Eric was just two years old, and at seven he was sent to boarding school in Wolverhampton, where discipline could be violent and laughter became something more than entertainment - it was a way of surviving. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Eric to trace the remarkable journey from a post-war childhood to Cambridge, the Footlights and, eventually, Monty Python. Eric recalls discovering the liberating power of rock ’n’ roll and Beyond the Fringe, learning the mechanics of comedy alongside some of the brightest talents of his generation, and the unlikely chain of events that brought Python together. He reflects on the extraordinary people who have passed through his life, from John Cleese, Michael Palin and the rest of the Pythons to George Harrison, whose friendship changed the way Eric thought about life and death. Along the way, he talks about fame, friendship, family, creativity and the instinct that has repeatedly led him towards the places where the best times were being had. Now in his eighties, Eric also considers ageing, the friends he has lost and the life he has built away from the noise, including the home in Provence at the heart of his latest book. It’s a funny, warm and unexpectedly moving conversation about loss, escape, friendship and the strange turns that can transform a life - and about why, after everything, it still helps to find something to laugh at. Find out more about Idle In Provence by Eric Idle here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  4. Sep 18

    Tony Hadley: “I Didn’t Think True Was a Single”

    Tony Hadley went from borrowing £20 in the pub while appearing on Top of the Pops to fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. Then came the fallings-out, a bruising court battle and a journey from packed arenas back to playing small clubs. Through it all, one thing never changed: he refused to give up. Tony joins James O’Brien to tell the extraordinary story of Spandau Ballet - from a working-class childhood in Islington and the school band that started it all, to the flamboyant world of the Blitz Club and the birth of the New Romantic movement. He remembers the anxiety of watching early success begin to slip away, and the song that changed everything, True - a record he never even thought should be a single, which went on to reach number one around the world. He reflects on the phenomenal success that followed with Gold, the reality behind the glamour of 1980s pop stardom and what happened when one of Britain’s biggest bands began to fracture. Tony speaks candidly about the legal battle that put homes on the line, the humiliation of going from Wembley Arena to club PAs, and why, even at his lowest point, he was determined to get back up and carry on. There are extraordinary stories along the way - including blagging his way backstage to meet Frank Sinatra at 17 - as well as reflections on family, ambition, ageing and the sheer euphoria of walking onto a stage. Nearly 50 years after first declaring himself the man to front the band, Tony is still touring, still making new music and still trying to become a better singer. This is a funny, revealing and unexpectedly moving conversation about what happens after the fame - and the stubbornness it takes to start again. Find out more about Tony Hadley’s tour dates here Tony Hadley Official Website | Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  5. Sep 11

    Francis Fukuyama: The End of History author on democracy under threat

    He famously argued that liberal democracy marked the end of history. Now, with war, populism and authoritarianism reshaping the world, Francis Fukuyama asks whether liberal democracy can still win. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien speaks to the political scientist and author about the ideas, accidents and encounters that shaped his life. Fukuyama reflects on growing up in a highly intellectual family, his early immersion in philosophy, and why a formative period in Paris led him away from literary theory and towards the realities of international politics. They discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union, the enduring misreading of The End of History, and why he believes the idea of equal human dignity remains powerful despite democratic backsliding around the world. Fukuyama also looks back on his time in US government, his break with neoconservatism over Iraq, and the danger of letting pessimism about democracy become self-fulfilling. Thoughtful, wide-ranging and urgent, this conversation is about big ideas, political mistakes and the case for defending liberal societies without pretending they are perfect. Find out more about In the Realm of the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  6. Sep 4

    Jay Rayner: Why Trying to Be Liked Is a Recipe for Failure

    Jay Rayner has eaten some of the best meals in the world - and written some of Britain’s most memorable restaurant reviews. But the story behind the critic is even richer. In this candid conversation, Jay joins James O’Brien to talk about the unlikely path from a famously unconventional childhood to becoming one of Britain’s most recognisable writers and broadcasters. There are school expulsions, tabloid diary columns, high-stakes investigations, celebrity encounters and the restaurant review that became an international news story. Jay reflects on growing up with his mother, agony aunt Claire Rayner; discovering oysters at ten; and learning that food is a doorway into memory, class, politics and pleasure. He also reveals why he walked away from a fast-moving newspaper career, how he accidentally became The Observer’s restaurant critic, and why he still believes every great restaurant has a story to tell. Along the way, Jay talks about his move to the Financial Times, his love of broadcasting and jazz, and why - after decades in journalism - he still cannot retire from the inside of his own head. Find out more about Nights Out in the Kitchen by Jay Rayner here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  7. Aug 28

    Robert Harris: From Tony Blair’s Inner Circle to Hollywood’s Conclave

    From watching Tony Blair win a landslide from inside his living room to imagining a world where Hitler won the war, Robert Harris has made a career out of getting closer to power than most. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien meets the bestselling author behind Fatherland, Pompeii, The Ghost and Conclave. Robert recalls his working-class Nottinghamshire childhood, a mischievous school newspaper, nearly being sent down from Cambridge, and the leap from BBC journalist to one of Britain’s most successful novelists. He reveals what it was really like inside New Labour’s 1997 campaign, why his friendship with Tony Blair eventually fractured, and how the machinery of modern politics keeps reappearing in the ancient world. From writer’s block in a leaking country house to Hollywood adaptations, Roman emperors and the art of turning history into a thriller, this is a fascinating conversation about ambition, access, reinvention and the addictive pull of power. Find out more about Agrippa by Robert Harris here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

  8. Aug 21

    Alexei Sayle: I never thought we’d end up here

    Alexei Sayle has spent a lifetime finding humour in anger, absurdity and the systems that shape us. Raised in Liverpool by fiercely committed communist parents, his childhood was filled with politics, protest marches and unusual cultural influences - from Soviet cinema to family trips behind the Iron Curtain. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the comedian, writer and actor to trace the path from a rebellious schoolboy and struggling art student to the incendiary force at the heart of alternative comedy. Alexei recalls discovering his voice at the Comedy Store, forging lifelong friendships with Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and the Comic Strip generation, and becoming known for a furious on-stage persona that often bore little resemblance to the man offstage. He reflects on success, creative reinvention and the strange experience of falling out of fashion before returning to stand-up with a more personal, contemplative voice. Alexei also discusses his lifelong political activism, the ideals he inherited from his parents, and the tension between wanting to change the world and recognising the limits of protest. It’s a funny, candid and deeply thoughtful conversation about comedy, conviction, reinvention and the complicated business of staying true to yourself. Find out more about How I've Tried to Change the World: By Walking Down the Middle of the Street Shouting by Alexei Sayle here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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4.7
out of 5
125 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. You can email the show below and get involved at any time jamesobrienshow@global.com for regular listeners or jamesobrienPlus@global.com for subscribers Full Disclosure with James O'Brien is a Global Production For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: GlobalStudiosSales@global.com

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