Episode Details

Neil 'Sam' Samworth spent 11 years as a prison officer at HMP Manchester - better known as Strangeways, one of Britain’s most notorious jails.

Building rapport with the men incarcerated there, he prided himself on de-escalating violent and threatening situations; an approach becoming increasingly impossible as the prison service churns through staff.

In this interview with Olly, he confronts corruption; considers the toll his job took on his mental and physical health; and explains why, in his view, officer training is inadequate for purpose…

Neil’s books, ‘Strangeways: A Prison Officer’s Story’ and ‘Strangeways Unlocked’ are out now. His video series, ‘Real Porridge with Sam Samworth’ is on YouTube.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart tries his hand at white labelling and drop-shipping.

Using Chinese wholesalers Taobao and AliExpress, can he stumble upon the next big consumer sensation? How do Western brands ‘add value’, ensure decent customer service and client satisfaction when they’re flogging goods they’ve never even SEEN?

If you run a small business making stuff… we’d love to hear from you for our Christmas Collab! Drop us a line using the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox runs through Plenty of Fish's dating trends for 2023, from ‘bae realing’ to ‘eco-dumping’ - is it time for online courtship to enter a ‘sincerer era’?

Plus, it’s No-Nut November; when members of the NoFap movement encourage one another to abstain from masturbation for an entire month… Are there any health benefits to taking part? Does the original study that kicked off the NoFap movement bare scrutiny? Alix dives deep into the manosphere to discover more.

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Finally, our record of the month is the Jungle-produced single from Poppy Ajudha - the turbo-charged and rebellious ‘NO!’ (It isn’t about No-Nut November, apparently).

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Wine52, the wine discovery club that sends delicious wine to your door from a different country each month. Claim your FREE case now - just pay