Podcast Summary: Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: Adolescence Creator Jack Thorne on Golden Globes, Being an Outsider & the Dark Side of Social Media

Original Air Date: February 18, 2026
Guest: Jack Thorne (Writer, Creator of "Adolescence", Playwright, and Screenwriter)
Host: Jamie Laing

Episode Overview

This episode features acclaimed writer Jack Thorne, fresh off his Golden Globe-winning series "Adolescence" on Netflix—a powerful drama exploring the dark side of social media and its damages to younger generations. Jamie and Jack discuss the pitfalls of online culture, Thorne's experience as an outsider, his battle with illness, insight into his creative process, adaptations like "Lord of the Flies", and reflections on self-acceptance. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, industry wisdom, and an urgent call to protect children from the worst of digital life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Adolescence & Social Media’s Impact

(00:02; 03:57; 22:32; 24:24; 26:22)

• "Adolescence" explores the lure and danger of social media algorithms, especially for vulnerable young users.

  "The thing about algorithms is as soon as you’re watching the darker stuff, more, more darker stuff gets fed and soon that’s all you’re consuming." – Jack Thorne (00:23)

• Jack outlines how characters like Jamie are shaped not just by big influencers (“Andrew Tate and the manosphere”) but subtler, community-level influences on platforms like Minecraft and Reddit.
• Both Jamie and Jack express support for banning social media and smartphones for children due to their "plastic" brains and the addictive, damaging nature of these platforms.

  "We should be trying to keep kids away from that in the same way that we keep kids away from cigarettes." – Jack Thorne (26:33)

• Calls for investment in after-school programs and avenues for belonging outside the digital world.

  "We need to be encouraging those that don’t love sport to have something...that gives them some ego boost or some feeling of belonging." – Jack Thorne (27:49)

2. Jack Thorne’s Outsider Experience & Autism

(00:49; 09:19; 13:01; 13:59; 36:05)

• Jack shares growing up feeling on the margins, not having a true best friend until meeting his wife at 32.

  "I don’t think I really had a best friend until the age of 32. And then I married her." – Jack Thorne (13:01)

• He discusses the delayed understanding of his own neurodiversity, being diagnosed autistic in adulthood—a relief for understanding the past.

  "Autism helped me understand why I behaved in a certain way...and gave my anger with that younger version of myself a sort of nice flannel to soothe it with." (36:22)

• Recognizes lifelong comfort with solitude, whether through writing or swimming, both described as “perfect solitude”.

  "When I’m writing, I stop being me. And I like that." – Jack Thorne (21:47)

3. Creativity & Adaptations ("Lord of the Flies", "Harry Potter")

(17:21; 19:24; 38:38; 42:48)

• Thorne illustrates the immersive, solitary process of writing—retreating to his "hut" with no wifi, emphasizing full absorption in story and character.
• On adapting major works, he describes the challenge of honoring the complexities of classic stories:

  "[Golding] cares about all those characters. He cares about Jack...He presents a 3D portrait." (44:07)

• Thorne’s personal connection to “Lord of the Flies”; reflects on how seemingly small choices and group dynamics can have massive, tragic consequences.

  "Jack is the match that sparks the rift. Jack is the match that then sets fire to the island... if one or two moments were different, the whole story would change." (44:07)

4. Pop Culture Influences: ET, Free Willy, and Cinema’s Power

(09:19; 11:27)

• Both Jamie and Jack recall formative early movie experiences (“ET” for Jack, “Free Willy” for Jamie), linking childhood feelings of outsiderdom to the need for connection through fiction.

  "I don’t have many friends at the moment, but maybe there’s an extraterrestrial that might like me." – Jack Thorne (12:43)

• ET is hailed as a “perfect film”—a rare achievement for its emotional depth and narrative structure.

5. Resilience & Illness

(01:11; 40:02)

• Jack recounts living with a rare heat allergy (cholinergic urticaria), leaving him bedbound for six months and disabled for 15 years.

  "I became allergic to sunlight, radiators and finally became allergic to body movement...I was flat on my back for six months...quite seriously disabled by it." – Jack Thorne (40:02)

• This adversity reframes his perspective on gratitude and self-worth.

  “If I hadn’t been that ill…I wouldn’t find myself here. So then I’ve got to be grateful for the illness.” (40:35)

• Dispels the myth that suffering automatically produces great art:

  "Everything I wrote was so self absorbed and absolute bullshit. It was horrific. It was so crap...I felt so sorry for myself." (41:27)

6. Family, Campaigning, and Passing Down Values

(28:51; 29:18)

• Jack’s parents were passionate campaigners—his mother even went to jail for activism.
• Reflects with nuance on how activism and engagement may “skip generations” and how he’s struggled to create the same environment for his son Elliot.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fleeting sense of belonging in elite circles:

  "Feeling like you belong in a club which you’ve long admired is very nice. But I can tell you that feeling...evaporates very, very quickly." – Jack Thorne (07:33)

• On social media and profit motive:

  "We live in an age of the four richest men in the history of mankind and they have been made rich by keeping us on our devices." – Jack Thorne (26:33)

• On craving solitude in creativity:

  "The bit that distracts me whenever I’m in any situation is me. And when I’m writing, I stop being me. And I like that." – Jack Thorne (21:47)

• On "Lord of the Flies" and small decisions:

  "It’s a tragedy that’s about the little things we do, the little decisions we make. And trying to capture that is almost impossible in story form. But Golding does it." – Jack Thorne (44:07)

• On resilience from illness:

  "Everything builds you and then you end up in a situation where you are who you are. And I’m very happy with who I am." – Jack Thorne (40:59)

• On being a “Ravenclaw” not a “Ralph”:

  "If you’re on Gryffindor, you want to be at the front holding the sword...if you’re in Ravenclaw, you want to be behind and part of the mission to change things." – Jack Thorne (37:13)

Engaging Anecdotes & Interactions

• Golden Globes Night:
  Jack recalls making “perfect eye contact” with Leonardo DiCaprio mid-acceptance speech for "Adolescence", leaving him tongue-tied and overwhelmed (05:51).

• School & Lord of the Flies:
  Jamie tells stories of tough hierarchy and bizarre “respect” rituals at his British public school, linking it directly to understanding "Lord of the Flies" (49:23–52:25).

• Sports Fandom:
  A light-hearted exchange about American football, with Jack a passionate Tampa Bay Buccaneers supporter, lauding wide receiver Mike Evans' resilience (61:03).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Adolescence and Social Media: 00:23, 24:24, 26:22
• Feeling Like an Outsider & Autism: 13:01, 13:59, 36:05
• Creative Process & Adaptations: 19:24, 44:07, 42:48
• Inspirational Movie Memories: 09:19, 11:27
• Family/Campaigning: 28:51, 29:18
• Coping with Illness / Resilience: 40:02, 40:35
• Public School/Lord of the Flies Parallel: 49:23–52:25
• Rapid Fire Questions / Ending Lighthearted Segment: 59:44–63:29

Conclusion & Takeaways

Jack Thorne’s journey—from feeling like an outsider, dealing with intense personal adversity, to shaping cultural conversations through his writing—offers layered perspectives on resilience, creativity, and social responsibility. The episode highlights the profound dangers lurking in unregulated digital spaces for youth, while also urging listeners to foster real-world opportunities for community and dignity. It's a conversation rich in both vulnerability and authority—essential listening for parents, educators, creatives, and anyone concerned with the state of culture and mental health today.

Notable Quote to Close:

"We should be trying to keep kids away from [smartphones and social media] in the same way that we keep kids away from cigarettes. It’s about ideas, but it’s also about...attention spans." – Jack Thorne (26:33)