In the Hot Seat

Aloha! In this weeks' episode I was over the moon to have the chance to speak to, and record with, a comedian who is tearing it up in England and the North East, Cal Halbert. Cal rose to fame in his first appearance on Britain's Got Talent in 2011, followed by a second appearance in 2016 alongside his comic counterpart Alfie Joey. While unfortunately on both occasions he didn't make it to the semi-final stage, he recounts some of the brilliant stories from his time behind the scenes as well...

Wow. One word to summarise how I felt coming off recording an episode with the broadcasting and commentating legend that is Ryle Nugent. Ryle - Head of Sport for RTE for 8 years, CEO of Premier Sports Asia and a voice and commentator known to so many millions over the years, joined me to discuss his pathway to profession, iconic moments and so much more. Join us as we discuss Ryle's approach to a sporting colossus, combining a love for sport with a full time profession, incredible memories...

Welcome back to the podcast! After a much longer hiatus than planned, the podcast is back and with a bang - with one of the best and most inspiring guests I've ever spoken to. Allister MacSorley is one of life's great ones - but someone who's personal story over the last few years - where he faced life-changing injuries while carrying out his job as a motorcycle paramedic - will leave you gobsmacked and on the edge of your earphones / speakers. Join us and listen as Ali regales us with...

This week I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with BLK BOX CEO and Founder, Greg Bradley. BLK BOX – if you don’t know – are a Belfast-born company who specialize in the design & manufacture of some of the best quality gym equipment in the world right now, as well as selling to and installing with key partners such as With a mission to be the best fitness equipment company in the world, hear directly from Greg about what drives him and his business forward, what world class leadership...

Join me in this weeks' episode as I speak with Martin Buckley -a Dublin born business and brand guru - and someone who knows a fair bit about leadership! Martin has seen a professional career rising through the ranks of Doc Marten before an 18 year career at Nike which saw him lead the categories of Golf, Tennis, Skateboarding and Football globally. An absolute gentleman of the highest degree, Martin shares with us some of what he has learnt through the years as well as fitting in stories...

Welcome back! It's been a while...8 weeks in fact since we released our episode with Will Addison of Ulster Rugby. After some gentle life recalibration figuring out a new routine with new job and a 15 month old baby etc, this episode with Doug signals a return to our new weekly episodes...hurrah! In this week's episode I spoke with Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Doug Beattie MC MLA. A recipient of the Military Cross during his 27 years working full time in the British Army, Doug has...

In this weeks' episode of the podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with former Sale Sharks captain & current Ulster and Ireland back Will Addison. Join us as he candidly chats through; One of my most enjoyable episodes to record yet - so much so it's being published earlier than usual! Sit back, enjoy and don't forget to give the podcast a follow or suscribe.

Welcome to Season 2 of the In the Hot Seat podcast! Delighted to have In the Hot Seat for the first week of the new season - a man I have a great deal of respect for - former BBC Security Correspondent turned political commentator and author - Brian / Barney Rowan. In the episode we chat through a whole host of areas across Northern Irish politics and the future of Stormont beyond the global pandemic, but most importantly we discuss Barney's newest book "Political Purgatory: The Battle to...

In this weeks' episode of the In the Hot Seat podcast, we explore Gordon D'Arcy's career in detail with the man himself, likely in many ways you won’t have heard before, as well as a host of other points surrounding the game of rugby; This was an absolute joy to record, edit and listen back to, so I hope you'll find it just as enjoyable yourselves. If you do, please hit the follow / subscribe button to be first in the know when new episodes drop - with a number of rugby episodes landing in...

In this weeks' episode, I spoke with the brilliant man behind the NI Greenways and Bikefast initiatives in Northern Ireland - Jonathan Hobbs. Jonathan - a keen rail enthusiast and cyclist himself - took to forming these initiatives in 2012 and 2013 respectively - and has seen a multitude of successes representing all of Northern Ireland in lobbying government and Ministers for Instrastructure for better active travel amenities and spending by the NI Executive. Join us on the episode as we...

In this weeks' episode I was given an absolute treat by speaking with Northern Ireland's very own broadcasting royalty - Pete Snodden. Pete has been on our airwaves with Cool FM for over 20 years and throughout that time has become a voice we all instantly recognise. What I hadn't anticipated with Pete prior to speaking with him to arrange a recording - was just how in sync we were on our mindset of critical thinking and reflecting on the world around us and our own roles in it - in the...

After a short one week hiatus, the podcast is back with a bang and a very special episode at that, with the lovely Donal O'Shaughnessy. Donal has been a GP working in his village in County Down for the best part of the last 40 years, but also ventured into sports medicine when undergoing his training - taking in stints at club level rugby in the local game as well as long stints with the Ulster set-up at junior and senior level, then moving into the Irish National Team and in the early...

In this weeks' episode, I welcomed Jonny McCambridge on the podcast to talk about all things mental health, his lived experiences with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts which culminated in the release of his book "Afraid of the Dark" in January 2021, available at all good booksellers. Jonny is quite simply an incredible human being - for sharing his story so candidly but also for opening himself up in both the book and this episode so that his story could help others who are either...

In this special episode - the third part of a COVID mini-series after episodes with Dr Lindsay Broadbent and Diane Thompson - I speak with respiratory physiotherapist Jenny Finney. Jenny - in her own brilliant way - takes us through what it has been like on the hospital wards fighting COVID-19 for the last 12 months for her and her colleagues, outlining moments she thought she would never see with a third surge and the tragic circumstances of some patients in the care of the hospital during...

In this weeks' episode I spoke with Ulster Rugby & Northampton Saints legend Neil Best. Neil - living in Singapore now plying his post-professional playing trade in the marine industry - takes us through some of his highlights and lowlights from his playing career that spanned Ulster, Ireland, Northampton Saints, Worcester Warriors and London Scottish, including some hilarious stories that you would come to expect from a player who enjoyed his time off the pitch as much as he did on it. We...

In the second episode of the podcast mini-series documenting the fight against COVID-19, I spoke with Diane Thompson - a Band 6 Physiotherapist working in the Southern Trust at Craigavon Area Hospital. Diane has been working on the frontline with COVID since March 2020 when a pandemic was called, impacting all our lives in such incredible and never-before-seen ways. Diane takes us through how it has been for her and her colleagues facing this unknown virus, how it impacted her role within...

In this weeks' episode - a special episode marking the first of a limited time "mini-series" on the fight against COVID-19 released across February 2021, I speak with the remarkable Dr Lindsay Broadbent - virologist and research fellow at Queen's University, Belfast. In the last 12 months since the inception of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Lindsay has become one of the most sought-after guests for TV and radio shows discussing the intricacies of the virus - particularly given her innate...

In this week's episode I spoke with Graham Keddie, Managing Director of Belfast International Airport. Graham has been in the aviation industry for over *3 decades* and been MD of BFS since 2014 - quite simply, if there's anything in the aviation sector worth knowing, Graham knows it. In the episode, Graham gives candid responses and discussion on each of my question - where we covered the below and much more; This was a hugely enjoyable episode to record with a gentleman - someone I've...

In this weeks' episode, I spoke with the hugely inspirational Chris Lynch. Born in Northern Ireland with osteogenesis imperfecta - or as you and I might know it more commonly as "brittle bone disease", Chris has been overcoming adversity from the time that he was a baby all the way through to adulthood. Suffering his first fracture as a baby while his parents changed him, he was then diagnosed and what followed has been a life with major milestones, incredible achievements and a massive...

In this weeks' episode - a must listen in my eyes for everybody out there - I spoke with Siobhan O'Neill, Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland. Siobhan was appointed MHC following the agreement of the "New Decade, New Approach" deal which saw the Northern Ireland Assembly back up and running after 3 years of no first-hand government in NI - and it was Siobhan's many years of psychology and mental health research & teaching that put her forward as the best person for the role. In the...