Caitlin Moran Meets Alex James - Cocaine, Crash Diets and the Return of Blur (Summer Repeat)

Caitlin Moran Meets Alex James - Cocaine, Crash Diets and the Return of Blur (Summer Repeat)

Author: How To Academy August 26, 2025 Duration: 1:09:18
One winter’s night, Alex James received an unexpected call. Blur had been invited to play their biggest gig ever: Wembley Stadium. The only trouble was, he and his bandmates hadn’t spoken to – or even shouted at – each other for years. And he now had five children, an out-of-control menagerie of cats, and a sprawling farm to run. This is the story of what happened next. Taking us behind the scenes of a raucous, rollercoaster year, Alex tells Times journalist and bestselling author Caitlin Moran how the band made a surprise – and emotional – return, recording an acclaimed album and playing sold-out shows around the world, from Colchester to Colombia and beyond. Plus: how he went on a crash diet to fit back into his ‘Britpop Trousers,’ a chastening encounter with the President of Columbia, and the magical story behind She's So High. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every other week, the How To Academy Podcast opens a door into conversations that reshape how we see the world. Stemming from London's vibrant hub for big ideas, this series brings you extended, thoughtful dialogues with the very minds shaping contemporary thought. You'll hear from laureates and prize-winners, yes, but more importantly, you'll get the substance behind their headlines. These aren't quick soundbites; each episode allows for a deep, meandering exploration of topics that span society, culture, and the latest scientific discoveries, all with an eye toward practical understanding and personal growth. Tuning in is like securing a front-row seat to a private lecture, where the goal is always to leave you with something tangible-a new perspective, a clearer question, or a genuine sense of possibility. It’s for anyone who believes that ideas, when given enough space to breathe, can genuinely change us from the inside out. This podcast draws directly from the How To Academy's mission, transforming their stage into an intimate audio experience that connects global thinking to your daily life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How To Academy Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Yung Pueblo - How To Love Better [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:07
We might know how to love deeply, but when tensions rise and miscommunication mingles with blame, how can we learn to love better? New York Times bestselling poet and author Yung Pueblo shares with Poppy Jamie his own jo…
John Higgs - The Story of Doctor Who [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
How did a low budget sci-fi show widely loathed by its creators the BBC go on to become a bedrock of British culture that means the world to millions of children and adults alike? Today, the Doctor and his extraterrestri…
Edward Fishman - How the Global Economy Became a Weapon of War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:25
Foreign policy expert and Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University, Edward Fishman, joins us to reveal the history of sanctions and the threats to economic security today. From the role of sanctions during the Cold…
Journalist Annabelle Hirsch - A History of Women in 101 Objects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:10
There is a neglected history. Not a sweeping, definitive, exhaustive history of the world but something quieter, more intimate and particular. Now in this episode, journalist Annabelle Hirsch reveal that history: a singl…
Gary Lightbody - On Grief, Love, and the Power of Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:26
How do we comprehend the depths of love in hindsight, and the immensity of grief? How can we say 'I love you' to a listener who is no longer alive? And how do we find forgiveness and learn to forgive ourselves? Lead sing…
Assyriologist Selena Wisnom - Mesopotamia and the Making of History [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:23
Mesopotamian civilisation filled more than half of human history: a culture with advanced mathematics and astronomy, a religion that influenced both ancient Greece and the Bible, and a literature that continues to inspir…

«1...678910