The Modern Mann

It began as a threesome, arranged through dating app Feeld [https://t.co/bnW6ABCrcW?amp=1]. But soon, Maggie and Cody realised their connection to Janie [https://www.tiktok.com/@tobejaniefrank?lang=en] was more than sexual…  No longer just an adventurous couple in an open relationship, they had become a ‘thruple’ - whose relationship with Janie (their ‘third’) was as vital and equitable as their marriage to each other.  In this interview with Olly, they explain the importance of communication in a three-way relationship, the dangers of jealousy and bigotry - and the complexities of sleeping arrangements and decision-making when you love two people at once.  This interview first aired in 2021 - now remastered and with an update from the thruple in question, we're pairing this with our last Foxhole discussion on legal rights for thruples - check it out now! [https://youtu.be/qQHir8E3fvY] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

When Armin Samii signed up to deliver food for Uber Eats, his intentions were to explore his city, and help pay off his new bike. He soon realised the app was poorly configured for cyclists, and uncovered glitches including a non-existent branch of McDonald’s. But getting support from Uber was frustrating. When he believed they were also underestimating his mileage - and therefore underpaying him - he used his background as a computer coder to create ‘Uber Cheats’, a Chrome extension that got the attention of gig workers around the world. In conversation with Olly, he sheds light on life as a gig worker and considers the future of worker’s rights. The company has not acknowledged any systemic error in how distances are calculated. An Uber spokesperson told us: "More drivers and couriers are choosing to earn on Uber than ever before and we know that the vast majority are satisfied with their experience. "The Uber app reviews real-time information to provide the best price to appeal to the drivers or couriers in the area, helping to minimise waiting times for customers and maximise earnings. Our matching tools follow a process that balances a number of different factors such as time and distance to provide the best possible experience for everyone using the app." —----- Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for gourmet sandwiches. Do they really taste better, or are they just for showing off on Instagram? Olly and Ollie head to award-winning London sandwich shop Sandwich Sandwich to taste for themselves…  After studying sandwich influencers Max Halley and Sensational Sandwiches, can Ollie go viral with his own take on a Steak Frites Entrecote sandwich? —----- Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the legal status of consensual non-monogamy. For example, can a thruple inherit each other’s possessions when they die, as married couples can? What paperwork exists to evidence each part of a polycule?  With the help of lawyers Rachel Frost-Smith and Lucy Bluck, and phychotherapist DK Green, Alix has the answers… … and, in light of research from BackMarket about the increasing issue of sex toy e-waste, Alix discovers that ‘Vibrators’ are now an official category for ‘Small Electricals’ recycling in the UK!  —----- Music this month comes from Mann-favourite Self Esteem. After a few years moonlighting in the West End, she’s back with new track, If Not Now, It’s Soon'  BUY US A BEER Your support keep this show going! So, if you can afford to, please buy us a beer 🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer] _______ Meet Other Mann-Fans on the Modern Mann Discord:  🤹➡️  https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 [https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72] _______ CONTACT US… If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️ https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback] _______ … and we’ll see you on May 10th! This episode is supported by Readly. Get your exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines at https://www.readly.com/mannreadly.com/mann [http://readly.com/mann] Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Armin Samii, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Self Esteem. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Sperm donors are anonymised in British clinics. Recipients don’t even get to see a photo of the man who will father their child. Donor-conceived kids can only discover the identity of their biological father upon reaching adulthood themselves. But Mitch Kennedy is a private donor. His sperm has been used by 23 couples - and he’s met them all. In most cases, he’s slept in their spare room during the conception. He has around 40 children. In this fascinating interview with Olly, Mitch explains the logistics of his bespoke donation process, the legalities of his paternal responsibilities, and the ‘dark cloud’ that deters him from donating to hetrosexual couples... This episode first aired in October 2017 - now remastered and with an update from Mitch, we're replaying this with the news that sperm in the US is now one of their most priciest resources. [https://www.ft.com/content/350c3ebe-5afe-41c0-a90a-adc70e3ab771] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

California wildfires ripped through L.A. this year, killing 29 people, destroying more than 18,000 buildings, and putting wildland fires back into the headlines. But what’s it like being one of the poorly-paid workers sent in to risk your life to fight the flames?  Wildland firefighter Nathan Bell has ‘held the line’ across the United States: in Elk City, Idaho; on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Utah; and in the desert conditions of Sedona, Arizona. For 16 hour workdays, for weeks away from home, he will hike up a mountainside towards a raging fire with a 40 pound backpack on his shoulders, and a chainsaw over his shoulder. And his starting salary is less than a worker at Burger King... In conversation with Olly, he exposes the back-breaking, exhilarating life of a wildland firefighter - and the unspoken trauma so many of his peers experience ‘between seasons’... _______ Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for A.I. makeovers.  From LolaAI, the ‘stylist and shopping copilot’ baked in to Open Wardrobe [https://www.openwardrobe.co/], to the at-home body scans offered by Bodymapp, can Ollie get himself a fresh Spring look - using only A.I? As ever, frankly, the results are mixed… _______ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox pops into Kiiroo to see how their teledildonics have adapted to the world of OnlyFans - and answers a listener question from a new Mum struggling with sex after breastfeeding.  Once a source of pleasure, her boobs now feel sore, sensitive, and more like functional tools than instruments of intimacy. Will they ever feel sexy again? With the help of breastfeeding peer support worker Emilie Wardle, Frome Birth Talk’s Lucy Plummer and sex and relationship therapist Rhian Kivits, Alix explores considers the under-discussed issues of milk mishaps in the bedroom and babies getting a little too handsy; and proposes new erogenous zones for when ‘boobs are off the table’... _______ Music this month comes from Manchester indie band The Lottery Winners [https://thelotterywinners.os.fan/], and their infectious single, ‘Turn Around [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0vPB8KsTuY]’. It’s our Record of the Month, and it’s out now. _______ SUPPORT US - every penny counts: THANK YOU SO MUCH for your generous donations - independent shows like ours only exist with your support:  🍺💰👉https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer] _______ WANNA CHAT TO MANN-FANS? JOIN OUR DISCORD!  ➡️https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72 [https://discord.gg/SKHnY6ZB72] _______ CONTACT US If you have a challenge for Ollie, a question for Alix, or some feedback for Olly; if you’d like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, or have a suggestion of a future interview for the show, just fill out our Feedback form: ✍️https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/feedback] _______ … and we’ll see you on April 10th! CONTENT WARNING: references to suicide. SUPPORT: In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here. CREDITS: Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Nathan Bell, The Lottery Winners. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Falling overboard following a fit of food poisoning, Brett Archibald [http://brettarchibald.com/] survived 28 hours alone in the Indian Ocean. In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he re-lives his onslaught of hallucinations, his encounter with a shark and how he contemplated certain death... Read more about Brett's amazing story on his website [http://brettarchibald.com/], and in his book, Alone [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alone-Lost-Overboard-Indian-Ocean/dp/1472139364/ref=oosr].  This episode first aired in October 2017 [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/2017/10/24/61-lost-at-sea]. Now remastered, we have paired this episode with our latest episode, Naked And Exhausted [https://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/rebecca], for reasons known only to our producer. Watch the moment he's rescued: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOq5g0O9v9s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOq5g0O9v9s] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]