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PODCAST

Blethered

Glasgow & Barcelona based podcast, hosted by Sean McDonald. Sean interviews people from various segments of society, discussing serious topics with Scottish humour. From life stories, to social commentary and discussion on current topics, modern culture and more. Contact at seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

1:20:58

Part 2: From al-Qaeda to MI6 — Aimen Dean LIVE

Blethered ·

2025/10/20

How Aimen Dean went from al-Qaeda member to undercover MI6 operative — his full account of recruitment, betrayal and escape.Aimen tells a never-before-told story about his haunting interaction with the lead-hijacker of the September 11th attacks in New York City...We hear about Aimen's decision to join MI6 as an undercover spy, and the extensive debriefing process in Scotland...Aimen discusses his progression into mainstream media such as Newsnight and the Conflicted podcast...And Aimen reflects on

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1:02:08

'My Time With al-Qaeda, MI6 & Osama bin Laden' //...

Blethered ·

2025/10/06

Part 1 of Blethered Live at SWG3 in Glasgow, with former MI6 Spy Aimen Dean.Aimen talks about his early life in Saudi Arabia and how religious clerics shaped his young mindset...His decision to go and fight in Bosnia at 16 years old, in defence of Bosnian Muslims, and the horrors that he saw...And about when his path first crossed with Osama bin Laden.And as always, there's plenty more. Contact: seanmcdonald,podcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:27:27

Why Are There Flags Hanging From Lampposts? // with...

Blethered ·

2025/10/03

The pervasive, mendacious and downright malevolent diatribe directed towards immigrants in the UK – or those wrongly categorised as such – irrespective of their social, economic or citizenship status, is at what feels like an all time high.So who better to hear from than someone who’s experiencing this continuing embarrassment to Britain. Step forward, Aarti Joshi.Aarti is a good friend of mine and was previously a guest on Blethered back in 2021, where we discussed what it’s like to be a

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59:49

Burnout: Your Body Keeps The Score // with Dr Aisan...

Blethered ·

2025/09/21

We all know someone who brags about never stopping, but what looks like productivity is often burnout – and it quietly erodes health, relationships, and enjoyment of life.Dr Aisan joins me to explain what burnout really is, how to recognise it before it takes hold, and why recovery starts with reframing rest as strength, rather than weakness. We discuss practical steps for spotting the signs, breaking the cycle, and building a healthier, more sustainable way of living.While burnout has a devastating

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55:16

Cheap Weight Loss Injections, Deadly Consequences:...

Blethered ·

2025/09/05

In this follow up episode, I chat with expert pharmacist Sehar Shahid about the recent UK price increase of weight-loss drug Mounjaro, the consequences of turning to the black market, and how she aims to help people in the way that's best for them, and not solely for business profit.Price increases will see a spike in counterfeit medicine, meaning a spike in people suffering adverse side affects, ranging from serious health issues to fatalities. Complete your personal weight-loss consultation with

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1:22:36

What Do You Think About Margaret Thatcher? // with...

Blethered ·

2025/08/21

Sally is an SNP candidate for the upcoming Scottish Elections in May next year, for Edinburgh Southern, and is currently Head of Office for SNP MP Graham Leadbitter.In this episode we get into the detail of why Sally has decided to put herself in the firing line of frontline politics, and the volatile nature of the political landscape in general…We get into her credentials as a party staff member and all that she’s achieved and been recognised for, as it’s quite the list… plus an insight into

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1:19:17

Carol Looks Like Ken Dodd // with Comedian Lee Peart

Blethered ·

2025/08/05

Lee’s star in the world of comedy is rapidly rising and has been for quite a while. If you haven’t seen him on stage, then you’re very likely to have seen one of his many viral videos, online. To quote the man himself: Only Slags Use Plastic Bags.In this episode we talk about Lee’s early daysgrowing up in Grimsby, before going to university in Manchester. He explains his first steps in comedy and how that very quickly turned in to a full time career...We discuss comedy as an art-form – including how

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41:00

Belfast, Bombs & A Better Future // with Paddy 'The...

Blethered ·

2025/07/25

Paddy’s sold out the SSE Arena in Belfast multiple times, and he’s back again in October to the same level of demand. The SSE’s about the same capacity as the Hydro in Glasgow – so that’s a good gauge of where he’s at.He’s got that acerbic wit and ruthless humour that’s typical of Belfast, and just as common in Glasgow – something we get into in detail.Paddy talks about growing up in the middle of an active civil-war zone, and the blunt, brutal reality of it…You’ll hear his take on how we can keep

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1:24:36

Football’s Dark Side: From Chelsea’s Youth System to...

Blethered ·

2025/07/17

Alfie’s Edinburgh Fringe Show ‘Dropped’ intimately tells his very personal tale of being picked up by Chelsea Football Club’s prestigious academy, before being unceremoniously discarded after a routine medical uncovered a congenital heart defect. After then moving on to North West London side Barnet, he remarkably found himself in and around the first team at only 15 years old, and at one point playing in midfield with Champions League Winner Edgar Davids.Politics, personal dynamics and luck then

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1:40:14

Skinny by Injection: Miracle Cure or Dangerous...

Blethered ·

2025/07/09

Expert pharmacist Sehar Shahid talks to me about weight-loss injections.Their existence and use generates headlines nationwide, but how many of those are accurate, and how many are misrepresented in the name of generating ad-revenue, via online clicks?Well we’re cutting through the conjecture, the marketing, and the media noise to get to the facts — the good, the bad, and the in-between.These drugs are being hailed as a miracle by some, dismissed as dangerous by others, and quietly used by a rapidly

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1:16:33

From Labour to Reform // Councillor Jamie McGuire

Blethered ·

2025/07/02

This conversation is with Jamie McGuire, a councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead, who made headlines recently after leaving the Labour Party and joining Reform UK—becoming the first Labour councillor in Scotland to do so. At just 24, Jamie’s political journey has already seen him involved with Labour, and now Reform—two parties that many would see as ideologically incompatible.I've taken the time to sit down and understand why, and scrutinise some of the main talking points, centred around

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1:38:18

Surviving Abuse and Working As An Undercover Police...

Blethered ·

2025/06/18

Nicola used to be a police detective. Now she’s one of Scotland’s most sought after wedding photographers.It’s not the kind of career change you hear every day — but once you know what she’s lived through, and what drove her decisions, it all makes perfect sense.Nicola is a survivor of child sex abuse, and at a young age, decided that she wanted to go after people who cause harm.And she did exactly that — but over time, the way she was treated in the job pushed her to breaking point. Then, during

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1:29:48

The Scars We Can't See: Child Abuse, Burying Trauma &...

Blethered ·

2025/06/12

Satinder is an integrative psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and author who specialises in working with trauma, particularly in the aftermath of child sexual abuse.In this conversation, we discuss the long and debilitating shadow that kind of abuse can cast into adulthood, and how the damage often goes unseen or unspoken, for decades.We also explore the idea of therapy - when it works, when it doesn’t, and the lessons that can be learned across the board. Satinder’s book, When Therapy Goes Wrong,

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2:02:36

Rehabilitation or Repetition? // Inside Barlinnie:...

Blethered ·

2025/06/04

This episode is about how justice and humanity can intersect, and what happens when you treat people like they can still be more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.I’m viscerally aware of how serious crimes affect victims - I’ve felt that pain myself, but every conversation needs space for nuance.And in this episode, you’ll hear former Barlinnie prison officer Frank and I have a very detailed one.We discuss his expansive work history and his view of life inside Barlinnie, how modern innovations

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1:28:09

Bringing TV Back To Where It Started // with Claire...

Blethered ·

2025/05/28

Author, producer and screenwriter Claire Duffy talks to me about The Glasgow Telly Festival, her interesting and unconventional formative years, the significance of accents and loads more! Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:03:43

Similar Worlds, Through A Different Lens // with Dr...

Blethered ·

2025/05/22

Dr Kevin is a writer and researcher whose work looks at where data meets identity - basically, where hard facts and statistics collide with the more personal, subjective sides of who we are.Sexuality shouldn’t ever need to be a focus, but it 's relevant in the context of our conversation, because our identities shape how we see the world.Kevin and I are the same age, from the same country, working in similar fields - but our life experiences have been vasty different.As we talk, we realise we

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55:36

Radicalisation, Sextortion & Domestic Violence //...

Blethered ·

2025/05/14

In Part 1, I got a good sense of John as a man, his connection to his family and how politics became his vocation. In Part 2, we get into the here and now, and some of the issues that are affecting people in Scotland, particularly young men and the concept of masculinity.We consider the concept of radicalisation and extreme ideologies masquerading as benevolent influences...We examine the disparity between the gravity of domestic and sexual crimes, and the sentences handed out in the Scottish

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58:01

First Minister John Swinney // Part 1

Blethered ·

2025/05/06

This is the start of an ongoing mini-series on the topic of masculinity in the modern world, and who better to launch it than the man at the highest position of political influence in our country.This is part 1 of 2, and focuses on John Swinney the man, his formative years and how his family shaped him, and what inspired him to get involved in politics.This whole topic is about being human, and how easy it is to be influenced by what we see and hear in popular culture, and John is no different in

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59:31

Islam, Spirituality & Fighting For Money // with MMA...

Blethered ·

2025/04/23

*WATCH ON YOUTUBE*I love having expansive and unpredictable conversations and that’s exactly what this is.This is probably the opposite of what you’d expect to hear based on your preconceptions about the guest, but as you’ll hear, those will prove to be quite inaccurate.We discuss the congruity between materialism and spirituality, in pursuit of a happy and fulfilled existence…We talk about Brian’s devotion to Islam, and about religion in general, in the 21st century…And we chat travel, learning

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1:02:51

Less Hashtags, More Action, Please // with...

Blethered ·

2025/04/18

Dr Aisan Ghaemian is a Chartered Psychologist and accredited Cognitive Behavior Therapist, and has a PhD in the field of Health Psychology.This was a fascinating conversation on a variety of topics, and I thoroughly enjoyed having such an expansive conversation with such an expert authority in her field.We discuss the impact of social media - and I don’t mean the mealy-mouthed, surface level bullshit we hear on a regular basis - we REALLY discuss it, and I express some uncomfortable truths about my

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245 results

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