Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: MIKA On Being Tormented by His Teacher & Finding Safety in Music

January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this moving and candid episode of Great Company, Jamie Laing welcomes platinum-selling pop artist MIKA for a conversation that dives deep into topics of resilience, vulnerability, family bonds, the power of music as sanctuary, and embracing life’s chaos. MIKA shares, often with humor and raw honesty, stories of childhood trauma, his extraordinary mother’s influence, overcoming public and private embarrassment, and the path to self-acceptance as a gay artist. The episode is rich with powerful anecdotes, memorable quotes, and essential insights into creativity, identity, and healing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins, Family Trauma, and Early Embarrassment

• MIKA recounts being raised in Beirut during civil war, the family’s escape, and his father’s eight-month ordeal as a hostage.
• The family’s displacement led to poverty, loss, and adjusting to new lives in France and the UK.
• His mother, an artist and creative force, responded to hardship with music and art, fostering resilience in her children:
  • "She responded to life with music, with art, with color. And when you have that, that is an enormous luxury." — MIKA (25:42)

Timestamps:

• [18:16] MIKA discusses parents’ encouragement of music and storytelling.
• [19:20] MIKA details his father’s hostage experience.
• [22:12] Adapting to the UK, dyslexia, and tough school experiences.

2. School Trauma & Music as Safe Harbor

• MIKA describes severe bullying and abuse by a teacher in his UK school, leading to emotional shut-down, withdrawal, and being expelled.
• Music, especially the piano, becomes MIKA’s escape, solace, and core of identity:
  • "Music was my escape hatch from fear. The piano became my safest place." — Jamie Laing quoting MIKA (45:00)
  • "It became like a hug, but a hug that went inside." — MIKA (53:21)
• His mother pulls him from school and arranges for four to five hours of daily music study, with a Russian teacher who recognizes his unique learning style ([23:27], [23:54]).

Notable Segment:

• [50:34] MIKA describes the public humiliation by a teacher, and the saga culminating in his father confronting the school.

3. Embracing Embarrassment & the Art of Hustle

• MIKA and Jamie discuss the formative power of embarrassment in building character and creative courage.
  • "Every single thing that was important in my life was associated to embarrassment." — MIKA (09:45)
  • "Overcoming embarrassment is important." — MIKA (11:06)
• Anecdotes include MIKA’s mother making him “hustle” by cold-calling at record companies as a child and gatecrashing industry parties:
  • "She made me gatecrash Diana Ross's Christmas party and I sang to Shaka Khan." — MIKA (36:29)

Timestamps:

• [11:06] Embracing embarrassment as growth.
• [13:23] Weekly trips to Warner Music at age 12.
• [35:36] Stories of gatecrashing label exec parties.

4. The Mother–Son Bond

• MIKA reflects on his mother’s pivotal role in his artistry and emotional survival. Their relationship was both creative partnership and deep friendship.
  • "We were collaborators and friends. And then she was also my mom." — MIKA (27:26)
  • "When I lost my mother, it felt like losing my compass." — Jamie Laing quoting MIKA (27:46)
• MIKA finds peace in knowing he shared his journey and success with her.
• On grief and resilience:
  • "It gets better. It just takes time." — MIKA (29:15)

Timestamps:

• [26:07] Jamie observes MIKA’s body language when speaking of his mother.
• [27:14] MIKA on fulfilling his mother’s dreams.

5. Finding An Authentic Voice: Sexuality & Pop Stardom

• MIKA recounts being told he was “too weird, too colorful” for the mainstream, prompting him to embrace his identity all the more:
  • "Fine, I'll be whoever I want." — MIKA (39:30)
• He describes negotiating his sexuality publicly, weaving it into his music from the start, and attending queer clubs as a teen:
  • "Thank God we've moved on. Thank God. Yeah. I was never embarrassed about my sexuality." — MIKA (41:04)
• The importance of alternative pop as a vessel for truth and joy.

Notable Segment:

• [40:24] Jamie on the record company’s reaction to MIKA’s persona.
• [42:17] The euphoria of queer club culture as formative for live performance.

6. Resilience, Chaos, and Self-Acceptance

• MIKA and Jamie celebrate the necessity of chaos for creativity and love:
  • "Chaos is great. Chaos is really important. We should do a whole other episode on that." — MIKA (63:02)
• The pair riff on standing out versus fitting in, the importance of not conforming, and the long process of becoming comfortable as an outsider.
• On survival:
  • "I'm like a cockroach. Survive nuclear attack. I really can. I'm cockroach." — MIKA (66:50)

Timestamps:

• [62:00] Both discuss the beauty and role of chaos.
• [66:50] MIKA’s favorite trait: “stubborn resilience.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Music as Sanctuary
  • "I would literally put my head in between the two speakers, put music on and put it as loud as possible... Just to feel. Yeah. Something." — MIKA (52:43)
• On Bullying and Outsider Status
  • "Making me stand on my chair for hours in front of everyone. And if you had to go to the toilet, well, tough... public humiliation, bullying." — MIKA (50:34)
  • "You don't understand that this is wrong. You don't understand that it's not your fault. So I shut down." — MIKA (52:43)
• The Role of Embarrassment
  • "Embarrassment is an emotion we never explore and we should go out and make a fool of ourselves." — Jamie Laing (08:30)
  • "If you're not going to write about love, what are you going to write about? Might as well read the yellow pages." — MIKA (61:12)
• On Survival
  • "Restlessness. You know, throwing babies and bathwater out at the same time. That sort of thing... Without even realizing it." — MIKA on what scares him (63:44)
• On Legacy & Joy
  • “It’s fearlessly joyous. It’s joyful and joyous, and it. It takes no prisoners.” — MIKA on his new album (59:32)
• Favorite Self-Written Lyric
  • "As I wander, I listen to your words and play with them between my fingertips like embers on my chapstick lips..." — MIKA, from “Nicotine” (67:39)

Highlighted Timestamps

• MIKA’s musical upbringing: [15:19], [17:43]
• Family trauma, father’s kidnapping: [18:16], [19:20]
• School struggles and bullying: [22:12], [50:34]
• Embarrassment and performing as a child: [09:44], [13:23]
• Mother’s encouragement, loss and legacy: [26:07], [27:46]
• Sexual identity & pressure as a pop star: [34:44], [40:24]
• Music as emotional refuge: [45:02], [53:21]
• Creative process and ‘chaos’: [62:47], [63:02]
• Rapid-fire questions & personal quirks: [61:34] onwards

Closing Sentiments

Through honesty, humor, and vulnerability, MIKA’s story on Great Company is one of triumph over adversity, creative courage, and embracing messy, authentic living. Jamie Laing’s empathetic hosting draws out laughter and wisdom in equal measure, making this episode a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration to face their own fears, embrace their weirdness, and find comfort in music, chaos, and community.

Key takeaway:
"If you can lean into embarrassment, that will be a good thing." — Jamie Laing (69:10)