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Former Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland joins Dan for an honest conversation about the person behind the football career. Chris reflects on his childhood in Leicester, his journey from Coventry City to his boyhood club Liverpool, the pressures of professional football and his memories of playing alongside some of the game’s greatest names.

He also speaks candidly about anxiety, depression and prescription-painkiller addiction, including the moment he realised he had to tell the truth and seek support. Now using his experiences to help others, Chris explains why recovery begins with speaking up, the importance of purpose and structure, and why however desperate life may feel it is always possible to fight back.

Content warning: This episode discusses addiction, depression and suicide.

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Thanks for listening to The Danifesto. If this episode meant something to you, follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs that little push to back themselves. You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for behind the scenes clips and updates. If you want early episodes and bonus content, you can join The Danifesto Plus through my Buzzsprout page. Your support helps me keep growing this and bringing bigger conversations to the mic.

Send Me A Text Message

Jamie Webster joins me on The Danifesto Podcast for a proper honest conversation about how life has changed from playing pubs in Liverpool and working as an electrician to selling out huge shows and becoming one of the biggest voices to come out of the city.

We talk about what really goes through his head before walking onto a massive stage, the nerves and adrenaline behind performing, the emotional side of releasing music, how the industry has changed with social media, and why there’s no magic algorithm for making a song connect.

Jamie also opens up about the more personal side of his new album, Running Round the Sun, and why he wanted this record to explore feelings and experiences he hasn’t written about as openly before.

One of the most meaningful moments for me was getting the chance to tell Jamie how much his music helped me after losing my grandad and during one of the hardest periods of my life. His response about grief, sadness and sometimes just needing somebody to tell you that things are going to be alright is something I won’t forget.

We also talk about North End Kid, the new song Wherever You Are, and whether anything on the new album can finally knock North End Kid off the top spot for me.

A short episode, but definitely one of the most personal and special conversations I’ve recorded.

Thank you to Jamie for taking the time to come on.

Running Round the Sun is out 4 September.

🎙️ The Danifesto Podcast

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Danifesto. If this episode meant something to you, follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs that little push to back themselves. You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for behind the scenes clips and updates. If you want early episodes and bonus content, you can join The Danifesto Plus through my Buzzsprout page. Your support helps me keep growing this and bringing bigger conversations to the mic.

Send Me A Text Message

In this episode of The Danifesto Podcast, I’m joined by Peter Oliver OBE, the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, and Sue Higginson OBE DL, Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside.

We go behind the scenes of one of the oldest public roles in the country to explore what the Lord-Lieutenant actually does on a day-to-day basis, how Peter and Sue were appointed, and what it means to represent His Majesty The King across Merseyside.

We discuss the history of the Lieutenancy, royal visits, the King’s Honours system, OBEs, MBEs and BEMs, recognising ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and why volunteering is so important to local communities.

The conversation also explores Liverpool’s unique identity, what makes the people of Merseyside so special, the city’s sense of community, music, football, and why service to others sits at the heart of everything they do.

As always on The Danifesto Podcast, we also have an open conversation about neurodiversity, autism, ADHD, mental health, education and supporting young people. Peter and Sue share their thoughts on making schools and communities more inclusive, why understanding matters, and how organisations can better support neurodivergent people.

Finally, we talk about leadership, resilience, balancing voluntary roles with everyday life, the importance of recognising people for the difference they make, and why leaving the world a little better than you found it is something we should all strive for.

If you enjoy honest conversations about community, leadership, mental health, neurodiversity and the people making a real difference, this episode is for you.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Danifesto. If this episode meant something to you, follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs that little push to back themselves. You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for behind the scenes clips and updates. If you want early episodes and bonus content, you can join The Danifesto Plus through my Buzzsprout page. Your support helps me keep growing this and bringing bigger conversations to the mic.