Great Company with Jamie Laing

Chris Olsen is one of the biggest social media stars in the world. He joined TikTok in 2020 and quickly became a viral sensation. I’ve admired him for a long time - his social media content is so funny, honest, and just impossible to scroll past.

But what I didn’t fully appreciate until this conversation was just how much he’s been through to get to where he is today.

Chris opens up about getting sober at 19 - before he’d ever had a legal drink - and the intervention that forced him into an impossible choice: choosing between his family and alcohol.

We cover:
His journey to sobriety and what it’s taught him
The heartbreaking moment his mum told him she was an alcoholic
How he handles online criticism without it defining him
The best advice Meghan Trainor ever gave him
How Chris met his new boyfriend Harrison

This conversation is about choosing yourself, even when it’s hard, and about building a life that feels worth protecting.

Chris Olsen is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister
Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often talk about the impact our parents have on us growing up but what happens when one of them isn’t there?

For Shirley Ballas, growing up without a father didn’t just affect her childhood. It influenced her confidence, her relationships and how she saw herself - in ways she only began to understand much later in life.

In this Great Moment, Shirley opens up about the emotional gap her father left behind and how facing his death brought an unexpected closure.

This is for anyone who’s felt the quiet impact of someone missing.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might not know Jack Thorne’s name but you’ll definitely know his work. He’s the award-winning writer behind Adolescence, Skins, This is England and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

For years, he has created intense, thought-provoking dramas - stories that speak to millions of us around the world. His work doesn’t just entertain, it creates conversations about who we are and the world we live in.

I loved this conversation with Jack. What surprised me most was learning that behind his success is someone who grew up feeling like he didn’t quite belong. It was through his writing that Jack found his purpose: telling stories that matter.

We cover:

Locking eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio during his Golden Globes speech
Adolescence and the dark side of social media
E.T. - the film that made Jack fall in love with cinema
His creative partnership and friendship with Stephen Graham
How his autism diagnosis helped him make sense of his past

If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: stories have a quiet power to help us see the world, and ourselves, a little differently.

You can watch Jack's Lord of The Flies series now. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.

Jack Thorne is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister
Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spend more than 2 HOURS every day thinking about food: what to eat, when to eat and what we’re craving next…

But how often do we stop to ask, is this actually what my body needs? And more importantly, how is my diet affecting the way I feel?

Professor Tim Spector is the co-founder of the ZOE health app and one of the world’s leading experts in gut health. His groundbreaking research has completely transformed the way we understand food.

In this Great Moment, he breaks down the powerful connection between our gut and brain, explaining how simple dietary changes can help lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olivia Attwood first captured the nation’s attention on Love Island, quickly becoming a fan favourite on series 3 of the show.

She’s gone on to build an incredible career across TV and radio and is loved for being open, honest and unapologetically herself.

I couldn’t wait to have Olivia on the pod - she’s been on my wish list for a while - and this conversation didn’t disappoint. Olivia opens up about the rollercoaster journey she’s been on, from the highs and lows of living life in the public eye to past relationships, self-acceptance and learning to be happy on her own.

We cover:
Why relationships take work and it’s easy to become disconnected
ADHD and experiencing panic attacks as a child
Toxic relationships and dating men who don’t like women
What she really thinks about Only Fans
Improving her relationship with herself and embracing being alone
Her encounter with a jellyfish on Love Island

If you take one thing away from this conversation, remember this: the most powerful thing you do is learn how to be there for yourself.

Olivia Attwood is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister
Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.