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
Natalie Haynes and Robin Ince - The Myth of Medea, Reimagined [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:55
Priestess, witch, daughter of a brutal king: Medea is the greatest tragic heroine of the classical world. But, as Sunday Times bestselling writer Natalie Haynes reveals, Medea can be so much more than that too. Joining h…
Wayne McGregor – How to Unlock Your Physical Intelligence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:38
How much do you know about your body? How much does your body know about you? The most acclaimed choreographer of our age, Sir Wayne McGregor’s trailblazing innovations have radically defined dance in the modern era. And…
Filmmaker Petra Costa - Democracy on a Knife-edge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:10
When we spoke to Petra Costa last, her film Apocalypse in The Tropics had just been released on Netflix. The film, which leaves us in the aftermath of January 8th 2023 and the storming of the Brazilian Congress by hundre…
Stanford's Ben Rein – The Neuroscience of Social Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:41
It’s not just what you feed your brain that matters—it’s who. From your morning coffee order, to weaving through commuters on the train, sitting through work meetings, riding in a packed lift, heading to the pub with col…
Tim Minshall - Your Life is Manufactured [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:02
Where do the things we buy actually come from? And how did they become the products on our store shelves, the food in our pantries, and the familiar items in our homes? Cambridge Professor and expert in manufacturing and…