The Beginning of May heralded and new podcast, from an already existing partnership. Comedian James Acaster had been telling us to "be the mate you'd want" on DAVE TV for some time, and now CALM [The Campaign Against Living Miserably] have continued that partnership with the TV Channel to present a set of podcasts which are hosted each week by Aaron Gillies [CALM ambassador and author] and Lauren Pattison [comedienne], with the addition of a celebrity guest comedian each week as they navigate the dangerous and murky water of depression, loneliness, fear and other anxieties along the bumpy road of mental health through humour and bonhomie.
It all sounds very 'worthy' and perhaps not something that you would want to relax to; and to be honest it isn't. That being said however, after listening to the first three in this series, with guests Zoe Lyons, Ellis James and Laura Lexx you realise instantly two things: the first of these is that just because these people being interviewed are 'household names' or have 'celebrity status' doesn't mean they are any less human and they all have their own personal quirks, hang-ups and times of loneliness or depression too. The second thing is the way in which this subject is handled. Both Gillies and Pattison are calming influences throughout and ellicit much from their guests without it becoming maudlin or boring. The humour isn't laugh-out-loud funny, nor is there very much of it - these are serious broadcasts and have a message to put forth afterall, but the humour is present and the conversational style and upbeat nature of the hosts makes sure the whole is kept light and enjoyable.
Further guests in the series are to include Matt Richardson, Darren Harriot and Cariad Lloyd, and the podcasts average out at about half an hour long and so they are kept snappy and happy. Hosts Gillies and Pattison have been quoted as saying, "whatever situation our listeners are in, we want them to be safe in the knowledge that they are not alone and things will get better. We've had a lot of fun recording each episode and we hope that everyone can take something from the brilliant stories and journeys our guests have shared."
The podcasts are available for free on all major sharing sites, or if you want to click this link here then they are all listed here too! https://player.fm/series/2505115
Go on, have a listen! It might just be the thing you need to hear right now!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
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