After Hours with Jimmy Thistle

Jimmy Thistle

Join Jimmy Thistle for After Hours — the brutally honest, funny and heartwarming podcast that dives deep into alcohol, addiction, and recovery. Each week, Jimmy sits down with real people who’ve faced the highs, lows, and hangovers of drinking culture. Through unfiltered conversation, laughter, and raw honesty, they explore what happens when we start questioning our relationship with alcohol — and what life looks like on the other side. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just wondering if alcohol’s got too much of a grip, this show is for you. Expect real stories, a few laughs, and plenty of lightbulb moments from people who’ve been there. Recorded in the UK and Isle of Man but shared worldwide, After Hours is here to prove that recovery can be real, relatable, and even a little bit funny. My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode 67 - Laura McKowen

    Send us Fan Mail Laura is the author of the bestselling memoir We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). Her work explores the intersection of addiction, recovery, emotional sobriety, and the complexities of relationships. She has written for The New York Times and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The TODAY Show, and more. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community, and she writes Love Story, a popular Substack newsletter about sobriety, relationships, and writing. She is currently working on her third book. Laura lives with her daughter on the North Shore of Boston. You can find Laura on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/laura_mckowen?igsh=MjBnbDE5eHExbjY2 And all Laura’s other links on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/laura_mckowen We Are The Luckiest - Laura McKowen https://amzn.eu/d/0gKzYmnJ Push off From Here - Laura McKowen https://amzn.eu/d/0hZASeMq John O’Donohue - The Inner Landscape of Beauty https://amzn.eu/d/0dQokDBM Sentimental Value https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27714581/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Drinking: A Love Story - Caroline Knapp https://amzn.eu/d/0dQokDBM Support the show My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

    1h 20m
  2. MAR 20

    Episode 64 - Dawn

    Send us Fan Mail “Retired party animal. Professional life-changer.” My name is Dawn, although these days, many people know me as ‘Sober Fish’. For most of my adult life, I lived the party lifestyle. On the outside it looked fun, but behind the scenes it was sleepless nights, extreme emotions, toxic relationshits, two-day hangovers and a growing sense that something wasn’t right. By 2016, I was overweight, my eczema was out of control, and I felt stuck in a loop that was slowly draining the joy out of my life. Something HAD to change so I decided to do a personal experiment: one whole year without alcohol or cigarettes, and I’d document the journey publicly on social media. I drank my last alcoholic drink on 27 November 2016, fully expecting to return to my old lifestyle once the year was up. But something unexpected happened. That experiment didn’t just change my habits — it actually changed my life! What began as a one-year challenge became a completely new way of living, and I’ve remained alcohol and smoke free ever since. Today, I support others who feel stuck in the same cycle I once did through coaching, mentoring and my private community, helping them change their relationship with alcohol and build a life they no longer feel the need to escape from.  🐟 Catch Dawn on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/soberfishie?igsh=ZjVwbjJqaDJmczR3 or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/share/18vvijBris/?mibextid=wwXIfr Dawn's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Soberfish?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQqhjhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadjo2U7bFrRAONzzbycrGG000G7TntaAHX6KJAa7Y141EdsrbGnDAFn3jmhLw_aem_NIEBd5DpI53j1Sa6L4HNPQ Alcohol Explained - William Porter https://amzn.eu/d/01rqPozm Glorious Rock Bottom - Bryony Gordon https://amzn.eu/d/014kt028 Rain in my Heart Documentary - BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00793zq/rain-in-my-heart Support the show My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

    1h 14m
  3. MAR 12

    Episode 63 - Mikey Banks

    Send us Fan Mail On June 15, 2022, Mikey got clean and sober after years of battling addiction and multiple attempts to take his own life. His journey to recovery came only after reaching a place of deep desperation, when enough had been taken from him that he finally found the strength to fight back. Through those darkest years, Mikey’s beautiful wife never left his side. She stood by him faithfully, even though watching him slowly destroy himself hurt her just as deeply as it hurt him. Her love and loyalty became part of the foundation he would eventually build his recovery upon. Since becoming clean, Mikey’s life has been transformed. Recovery opened his eyes to beauty in places he once could not see. Today, Mikey considers himself rich not because of money, but because of the abundance of love, connection, and purpose in his life. What was freely given to Mikey in his recovery, he now gives freely to others. It has become his personal mission to leave the world better than he found it, helping people one by one, bit by bit. Find Mikey on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/mikeybanksrr?igsh=cjdqbGVwcTY1YW0x Mikey’s I AM movement: https://ko-fi.com/s/08ce0f2ede?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAVERFWAQfukxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaeufUiTElMI_NykYbXbptQYoXX3jW8qHGmrEfdWwTPdsVqnctQH_vN_UxE89Q_aem_iwdJxxQaejNGs8CkjSgBkg The Better Together Ball: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-better-together-ball-tickets-1981878757715?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=PAVERFWAQfuphleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAac8fyV2wmls0UytOODHCIKo1bKuwHc6sgNLvqvs9_ni9Skk2ifuX2TvXbZmUA_aem_mkjXW3KvC70e598ed3yWuw A Star is Born: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk The Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate: https://amzn.eu/d/0d5xfdRI Support the show My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

    1h 25m
  4. MAR 7

    Episode 62 - Rachel Sereni

    Send us Fan Mail Rachel’s story begins with neglect, resilience, and a whole lot of sadness. Her mother lost custody of her sister & her due to her own addiction, being raised by their father alone, A heartbreak that forced her to grow up fast. She lost her mom to an overdose at just sixteen, an even bigger heartbreak that forced her to grow up even faster. With a hardworking dad who was always trying to keep the family afloat and a younger sibling who depended on her, Rachel learned early how to survive chaos. But survival came with pain, and that pain eventually pulled her down a darker path. By twenty, Rachel became a mom herself, trying to figure out adulthood while fighting battles she didn’t know how to name yet. Drinking led to blackouts, benzos numbed everything, and holding a job became almost impossible. Life felt like it was slipping through her fingers. Everything changed on April 11, 2024; the day she chose sobriety and never looked back. Since then, she’s lost over 70 pounds, rebuilt her life from the ground up, and become the steady, reliable version of herself she once never believed possible. Today, Rachel is nearly two years sober, a co-host of the growing podcast Rock Bottom with Ryan, and a powerful voice for women & mothers in recovery. She is a present mother, a woman who shows up at work every day with pride, and the creator of a life she once only dreamed about. She’s also preparing to marry the man who stood by her through every breakdown and breakthrough on her two years of sobriety. Her passion now is helping other women see that healing is possible, no matter how far they’ve fallen, you can get back up and fight the fight! Catch Rachel on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/realtalkwithrachie Rock Bottom with Ryan Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rock-bottom-with-ryan/id1827151504 Mel Robbins - Let Them https://amzn.eu/d/0d5hYimk Dr. Anna Lembke - Dopamine Nation https://amzn.eu/d/09Td17HH  Support the show My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

    1h 11m
  5. FEB 22

    Episode 60 - Ash Shepherd

    Send us Fan Mail Ash’s relationship with alcohol began at sixteen, drinking Lambrini down the park with her friends. For many years, alcohol was her idea of fun. It led her into dangerous situations, and many of the negative experiences she carries would not have happened had she not been drinking. As she got older, her drinking evolved. Park benches turned into sophisticated nights out and glasses of Whispering Angel on the sofa. But alongside this shift, her hangovers grew heavier and more debilitating. They began to affect her mental health and erode her self worth, leaving her feeling like a horrible person in the aftermath. Around six years ago, Ash’s sober curious journey began. She picked up quit lit, educated herself, and started following sober accounts on Instagram. A quiet but powerful seed was planted, the idea that life could be lived differently. After many ups and downs and several sober stints, at thirty three she decided to give sobriety a real try and see what life could look like without wine. Becoming a mum made the decision feel more meaningful. She wanted to take it seriously and be the best role model she could be for her daughter. Ash realised she had been getting through life while drinking, but she wanted more than just okay. She wanted a life where she wakes up with a spring in her step and finds joy in the simple, booze free moments 🌱 You can find Ash on Insta at: https://www.instagram.com/boozefreesparkle Sober Stories From Everyday People - Sassy Sober Mum https://amzn.eu/d/dR6xhhv Lucy Rocca - How to Lead a Happier, Healthier, and Alcohol-Free Life : The Rise of the Soberista  https://amzn.eu/d/dR6xhhv We are the luckiest - Laura McKowen https://amzn.eu/d/g7QaCV5 Support the show My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

    1h 13m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join Jimmy Thistle for After Hours — the brutally honest, funny and heartwarming podcast that dives deep into alcohol, addiction, and recovery. Each week, Jimmy sits down with real people who’ve faced the highs, lows, and hangovers of drinking culture. Through unfiltered conversation, laughter, and raw honesty, they explore what happens when we start questioning our relationship with alcohol — and what life looks like on the other side. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just wondering if alcohol’s got too much of a grip, this show is for you. Expect real stories, a few laughs, and plenty of lightbulb moments from people who’ve been there. Recorded in the UK and Isle of Man but shared worldwide, After Hours is here to prove that recovery can be real, relatable, and even a little bit funny. My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy And you can find all my other links at: https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle Buy me a coffee… https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt

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