
Hosted by Ellie Mckay · EN
More Than a Podcast. A Mission.
On a Mission is more than a podcast. It’s where the stories behind the stories are told. Every episode goes beyond the headlines and achievements to explore what it really took to get there.
Hosted by UK Number 1 podcaster Ellie McKay, On a Mission brings together people from all walks of life to share the moments that shaped them, the setbacks they never saw coming, the lessons they learned the hard way and the experiences that made them who they are today.
On a Mission is for people who believe some of life’s greatest lessons come from listening to those who’ve lived them.
No topic is off limits because life doesn’t come with a script. That’s what On a Mission is all about.

Most people don’t need more information. They need the right answer, from the right person, at the exact moment they need it. In this special episode, TalentDec co founders Dean Kelly and Ellie McKay reveal the thinking behind a new expert marketplace designed to make valuable knowledge and real world experience far more accessible. Dean sold his first company at 30 for an eight figure sum before becoming the youngest CEO on the stock market. He has since built and sold multiple businesses, chaired companies in the UK and overseas, invested in founders and developed an international network spanning the UK and Dubai. Ellie is the host of the On a Mission podcast, which has ranked in the top 0.5 percent of podcasts globally and regularly appeared in the UK Top 10. After more than 300 interviews with leading entrepreneurs, thought leaders and experts, she has seen how one relationship, conversation or piece of advice can completely alter someone’s direction. TalentDec stands for Talent Decentralised. It gives people direct access to vetted experts across business, finance, health, legal, HR, sport, performance and many other areas. Instead of committing thousands of pounds to a mentor or programme, users can ask a specific question, compare different perspectives and pay for the knowledge they need. The idea is simple. You don’t always need months of coaching or another generic course. Sometimes you need ten minutes with somebody who has already faced the problem sitting in front of you. Dean shares how access to experienced business leaders helped him navigate recessions, complex financial decisions and challenges that could have cost his companies millions. He also explains why the most famous person isn’t necessarily the person with the best answer for you. Ellie opens up about losing everything, declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding her life as a single mother of three. The relationships she had built through the podcast became an essential part of finding her feet again, creating new opportunities and moving forward when her circumstances changed beyond recognition. Together, they explore the true value of experience, why successful people still need guidance and how TalentDec allows experts to earn from knowledge that has often taken decades to acquire. They also discuss the pressure to pretend we have all the answers, the importance of asking for help and why several informed perspectives can lead to far better decisions. Whether you’re building a company, facing a difficult decision, trying to improve your health or looking for clarity in another area of your life, TalentDec helps you reach people whose experience could save you time, money and years of avoidable mistakes. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ The eight figure entrepreneur building a completely new way to access expertise ✔ Why the right person can be almost impossible to reach ✔ What is 30 years of experience actually worth? ✔ The one answer that could change the trajectory of your life ✔ The board level advice most small businesses can’t afford ✔ The uncomfortable truth about self proclaimed experts on LinkedIn ✔ Why the biggest name in the room might give you the worst advice ✔ The conversation with a billionaire that changed Dean’s entire perspective ✔ Dean sat in Canary Wharf pretending he understood what the bankers were saying ✔ How admitting he didn’t know potentially saved Dean £2 million ✔ The relationships that carried Ellie through losing everything ✔ Why the questions Dean gets asked most have nothing to do with business ✔ The part of success most entrepreneurs completely overlook ✔ How the right people can help you build the life you actually want ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Dean Kelly: 🔗 Website: https://kellstar.co.uk 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deankelly_kellstar_mentor?igsh=MTIydWpqM2locHYxaA== 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d3anukelly?igsh=MWw5ZzBwY2g0YXp6aw== 🔗TalentDec: www.talentdec.com

Millions of people know Adam (ADMT) for his incredible voice, but what I love most about him isn’t his music. It’s the person behind it. It was an absolute pleasure to sit down with one of my good friends and an all round brilliant human being, Adam Taylor. Behind the sold out shows, record deals and millions of views is someone who, for years, struggled to believe he was good enough. Adam speaks with incredible honesty about growing up feeling like he never quite fitted in, the impact bullying had on his confidence and working in a glass factory before music took off. We also talk about the reality of depression and the darkest moments of Adam’s life. He shares how therapy helped him understand himself in a way he never thought possible and ultimately became one of the most important turning points in his life. Adam is still the same grounded lad from Doncaster who cares deeply about people, values genuine connection over fame and has used some of the darkest moments in his life to create music that has helped millions of others feel less alone. We talk about everything from the dark side of social media and mental health to purpose, biohacking and what success really means when you strip away the numbers. ⸻ In this episode: ✔ Why Adam changed his name to AT and the story behind it. ✔ Growing up feeling like an outsider and the lasting impact of bullying. ✔ The teacher who saw something in him when nobody else did. ✔ Working in a glass factory while chasing his dream of becoming a musician. ✔ Thinking he’d made it in America before everything suddenly fell apart. ✔ Why songwriting became his therapy and how his most personal songs have connected with millions. ✔ His experience with depression, suicidal thoughts and the role therapy played in changing his life. ✔ His perspective on social media, authenticity and staying true to yourself in a world that’s constantly asking you to be someone else. If you’ve ever struggled to believe in yourself, questioned your own worth or wondered whether you really belong, I think you’ll get a lot from this conversation. ⸻ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:38 Does Success Actually Change You? 03:32 Knowing He Wanted To Be A Musician 04:20 Never Fitting In At School 08:33 Why The Education System Doesn't Work For Everyone 10:55 The Teacher Who Changed His Life 12:54 Getting His First Break In Music 14:01 Going To LA & Thinking He'd Made It 15:43 The Dream Suddenly Falls Apart 18:09 Becoming A Singer 20:06 Battling Self-Doubt & Fear Of Rejection 21:29 The Reality Of Hate On Social Media 24:45 Why He Refuses To Take Fans' Money 26:10 From Factory Worker To Successful Artist 28:45 Turning Pain Into Music 31:08 The Darkest Period Of His Life 34:12 Why Therapy Changed Everything 37:29 Psychedelics, Microdosing & Mental Health 41:46 The 50 Cent Moment That Changed His Career 46:54 How Social Media Led To A Record Deal 49:21 The Truth About Record Deals 51:11 Imposter Syndrome In The Music Industry 58:53 Why Music Is Still Therapy 01:02:54 Opportunity, Inequality & Life In Britain 01:04:34 Will AI Destroy The Music Industry? 01:14:41 Adam's Mission In Life ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow ADMT: 🔗 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/33M0vL5kF0AMJqXYxeX7kF 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamadmt/?hl=en 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMADMT/?locale=en_GB

We’ve never had more access to information, yet it’s never been harder to know who or what to trust. Social media has created a generation of experts who look successful. AI can give two completely different answers to the same question. Millionaires are selling courses on building wealth, despite making more money from the courses than the thing they’re supposedly teaching. So how do you separate genuine expertise from clever marketing? How do you build real wealth instead of just looking wealthy? And in a world that’s changing faster than ever, what skills are actually going to matter over the next decade? In this episode, I’m joined by entrepreneur, investor and chairman Dean Kelly. Dean became a multimillionaire before the age of 30, has built, scaled and exited multiple businesses, advises CEOs around the world and has spent decades sitting in rooms where the biggest financial decisions are made. This isn’t another conversation full of motivational clichés or recycled business advice. It’s an honest, often controversial discussion about money, success, AI, critical thinking, health, entrepreneurship and why so many people are following advice from people who’ve never actually done the thing they’re teaching. We explore why making money is only half the battle and why keeping it requires a completely different mindset. Dean explains why successful entrepreneurs lose fortunes, why wealth managers won’t care about your money as much as you do, why social media has blurred the line between perception and reality, and why genuine experience is becoming more valuable than ever. We also dive deep into artificial intelligence. Is AI the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had, or are we outsourcing the very skill that makes us human? As more people rely on ChatGPT and other AI tools to think for them, Dean explains why critical thinking could become one of the greatest competitive advantages anyone can develop. The conversation also moves beyond business. We discuss high performance, health, longevity, discipline, family, fulfilment and why success without your health, relationships or peace of mind is a price neither of us is willing to pay. Finally, we tackle one of society’s biggest questions. Why has wealth become something we’re encouraged to resent instead of understand? Is Britain developing a culture that punishes ambition? And what really separates the people who continue building from those who spend their lives blaming everyone else? Whether you’re building a business, rebuilding your life, navigating uncertainty or simply trying to think more clearly in an increasingly noisy world, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and leave you questioning far more than you expected. ⸻ In this episode: ✔ Why fake experts are thriving and how to spot genuine credibility. ✔ The uncomfortable truth about business gurus and online courses. ✔ Why making money and keeping money require completely different skills. ✔ The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make after achieving success. ✔ AI, critical thinking and the future of human expertise. ✔ How successful founders make decisions under pressure. ✔ Why health, fitness and longevity are competitive advantages. ✔ The habits Dean has followed for more than 30 years to stay at the top of his game. ✔ Britain’s attitude towards wealth, success and ambition. ✔ Why fulfilment matters far more than simply chasing money. If this episode challenged your thinking, share it with someone who needs to hear it and subscribe to On a Mission wherever you get your podcasts. The biggest breakthroughs often start by asking better questions. ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Dean Kelly: 🔗 Website: https://kellstar.co.uk 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deankelly_kellstar_mentor?igsh=MTIydWpqM2locHYxaA== 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d3anukelly?igsh=MWw5ZzBwY2g0YXp6aw== 🔗TalentDec: www.talentdec.com

How do you go from working on one of the biggest films ever made to delivering post just a few years later, and then going on to build a multi million pound business from scratch? Joining Ellie McKay on the On a Mission podcast, Liam James Collins tells the full story. At 19, he landed the role of Tom Hardy’s body double in The Dark Knight Rises. From the outside, it looked like Hollywood was calling. Then the auditions stopped, the work disappeared and everything he’d spent years building came crashing down. Liam opens up about working on one of the biggest films ever made, what Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman and the rest of the cast were really like when the cameras weren’t rolling, the networking opportunities he wishes he’d handled differently, surviving the London terror attacks, losing his father to suicide, battling panic attacks, delivering post to make ends meet, and the mindset that helped him rebuild his life and create a multi million pound business. This is a conversation about success, failure, grief, identity, self belief, taking action when life falls apart, and why sometimes the chapters people never see are the ones that shape everything that comes next. For more conversations like this, make sure you’re subscribed to the On a Mission podcast so you’re notified as soon as the next episode goes live. ⸻ In this episode: ✔ From Batman to the Post Office ✔ Landing the Role in The Dark Knight Rises ✔ What Tom Hardy Was Really Like Off Camera ✔ The Networking Opportunity Liam Still Regrets ✔When the Hollywood Dream Fell Apart ✔ Delivering Post and Starting Again From Scratch ✔ Surviving the London Terror Attacks ✔ Losing His Father to Suicide ✔ Battling Panic Attacks and Rebuilding His Life ✔ Building a Multi Million Pound Business ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Liam James Collins: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liam.james.collins/?hl=en-gb 🔗 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/liam-james-collins 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liam.James.Collins.Coach/ 🔗 Website: https://thecoachingmasters.com

Twenty one years ago, serial entrepreneur and wellbeing expert Hannah Lanel made a split second decision that saved her life. On the morning of the 7/7 London bombings, Hannah was sitting on the Tube when she looked up and made eye contact with another passenger. An overwhelming sense of dread washed over her. She got up, ran off the train and left the station, despite the fact it wasn’t even her stop. Hours later, she discovered she’d been sitting in the carriage where the deadliest of the London bombings took place. The man she’d made eye contact with was the bomber. If she’d stayed on that train, she would almost certainly have been among those who lost their lives that morning. What almost nobody knew at the time was that Hannah was secretly battling a crack addiction while running a successful business. To everyone around her, she appeared to have it all. Behind closed doors, she hadn’t slept for days, was falling apart and desperately needed something to change. That day became the catalyst for rebuilding her life. Ellie sits down with Hannah to explore everything that followed, from addiction, ADHD and survivor’s guilt to entrepreneurship, nutrition, mental health and why she believes we’ve got the conversation around addiction completely wrong. They also discuss the realities of building businesses, overcoming trauma, the failures of the modern wellness industry and why connection, not shame, is often the key to lasting recovery. Whether you’re interested in the 7/7 London bombings, addiction recovery, ADHD in women, mental health, trauma, entrepreneurship or nutrition, this is a conversation that will stay with you long after it ends. ⸻ In this episode: ✔ Hannah’s miraculous escape from the 7/7 London bombings ✔ Crack addiction and recovery ✔ ADHD diagnosis later in life ✔ Survivor’s guilt and PTSD ✔ Entrepreneurship and resilience ✔ Nutrition and wellbeing ✔ The psychology of addiction ✔ The wellness industry ✔ Rebuilding after trauma ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Hannah Lanel: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlanel/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-lanel-a28970194/ 🔗 The Fore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefore_london/

In this episode of On a Mission, I sit down with female entrepreneur, author and founder Chloë Bisson to talk about the reality of building and scaling a seven figure business whilst raising a newborn. This is an honest conversation about female entrepreneurship, motherhood, postnatal depression, burnout and the mental load that comes with trying to balance it all. Chloë opens up about becoming a director at just 24, building a successful career in finance, and then being diagnosed with severe clinical depression at the very point she thought she had made it. We talk about high functioning depression, how easy it is to hide when you are still performing at a high level, and why so many ambitious women can miss the warning signs until they hit breaking point. Chloë also shares her experience of postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter, the impact it had on her identity, and what it looked like navigating new motherhood whilst leading a fast growing business. This episode explores the realities of being a female founder, the pressure of business growth, the guilt that can come with motherhood, and the challenge of building success without losing yourself in the process. We also get into people pleasing, trauma, boundaries, purpose and why creating a business around your values matters more than ever when life changes. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ Scaling a seven figure business as a new mother ✔ The reality of postnatal depression and maternal mental health ✔ High functioning depression and burnout in female entrepreneurs ✔ The pressure of balancing motherhood and business growth ✔ Identity shifts after becoming a parent ✔ How trauma can shape ambition and success ✔ Why boundaries are essential for female founders ✔ Building a business that supports your life and not the other way around ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Chloë Bisson 🔗 Website: https://www.chloebisson.com/hello 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloebissonofficial/?hl=en

What happens when the life and soul of the party can no longer escape himself? In this episode of On a Mission, Eth Power joins Ellie McKay for a raw and deeply honest conversation about addiction, shame, identity, self destruction and recovery. For years, alcohol and drugs were at the centre of Eth’s life. What began as chasing confidence, connection and escapism eventually spiralled into chaos, leaving him battling addiction, suicidal thoughts and overwhelming shame. Eth opens up about the reality of addiction, the choices he made whilst under the influence, the guilt that followed, and why he believes cocaine is ultimately a drug fuelled by shame. This conversation goes far beyond sobriety. We explore what happens when your entire identity is built around being the entertainer, the party animal and the person everyone expects you to be. We discuss the difficult process of rebuilding your life, learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions, forgiving yourself for the past and finding purpose beyond external validation. Most importantly, we discuss how peace is often found on the other side of the very things we’ve spent years trying to avoid. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ Why Eth describes cocaine as “the drug of shame”. ✔ The reality of addiction and the guilt that follows. ✔ Living with suicidal thoughts and reaching breaking point. ✔ How therapy changed the course of his life. ✔ Learning to live without alcohol and drugs. ✔ The challenge of discovering who you are without the mask. ✔ Self forgiveness and letting go of the past. ✔ Why external validation never fills the void. ✔ Finding meaning, purpose and peace. ✔ Reconnecting with your authentic self. ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Eth Power: 🔗 Forever Young Retreat: https://www.weareforeveryoung.co.uk 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ethpower_?igsh=bDlqMDFsbDF5bmh4

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Ramage, former City broker turned one of the leading voices in the alcohol free movement, for a raw conversation about alcohol, stress, identity and the habits many of us have normalised for years without ever really questioning. What starts as a discussion about drinking quickly becomes something much bigger. We talk about the reality that alcohol is often the only drug people feel pressured to justify not taking, despite the growing links to anxiety, poor sleep, depression, chronic illness and multiple forms of cancer. We also get into the way drinking has become embedded into almost every part of modern life, from networking events and holidays to parenting, celebrations and stress relief. Andy reflects on the moment he realised many of the people he once viewed as successful were privately exhausted, disconnected and unhappy behind closed doors, despite outward appearances suggesting otherwise. I also speak openly about my own experience of doing 14 months alcohol free, slipping back into old habits, and eventually reaching the point where alcohol no longer felt like something I was sacrificing. We get into confidence, emotional regulation, social conditioning, performance, relationships and the uncomfortable truth that many of us spend years running on empty whilst convincing ourselves everything is fine. There are also some pretty controversial conversations around the industries that profit from unhealthy coping mechanisms, the cultural conditioning we grow up with around alcohol, and why younger generations are increasingly rejecting it altogether. This isn’t about judgement or preaching to people. It’s an honest conversation about awareness, health, mindset and whether the things we’ve been told help us relax are actually keeping many of us anxious, depleted and disconnected from ourselves. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ Why alcohol is often the last thing many of us are willing to question ✔ The growing research linking alcohol to cancer, anxiety, poor sleep and declining mental health ✔ Why society normalises drinking but questions people who choose not to drink ✔ The identity shift that comes with removing alcohol from your life ✔ Andy’s transformation from burnt out City broker to one of the biggest voices in the alcohol free movement ✔ My honest reflections on slipping back into old drinking habits after 14 months alcohol free ✔ Why moderation works for some people and completely unravels for others ✔ The hidden impact alcohol has on productivity, emotional regulation, relationships and parenting ✔ Why younger generations are beginning to reject alcohol culture altogether ✔ The financial and cultural systems that continue to profit from unhealthy coping mechanisms ✔ Why so many people never truly discover what they’re capable of because they spend decades either drinking or recovering from drinking ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Andy Ramage: 🔗 Website: https://andyramage.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyramageofficial?igsh=MWU3Nmt2cWMwZDg3bQ== 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1LZip6V4qn/?mibextid=wwXIfr 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyramage?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

This episode was actually recorded a couple of years ago, before alcohol became the mainstream conversation it is today. Listening back now, it’s fascinating how many of the things we discussed then are starting to become widely talked about in 2026. Ahead of tomorrow’s brand new episode with Andy Ramage, I wanted to re release our original conversation because so much of it still feels incredibly relevant. In this episode, Andy and I talk about alcohol, stress, identity, social conditioning and the uncomfortable reality that many of us spend years normalising habits that quietly impact our energy, confidence, relationships, focus and mental health. At the time of recording, I was at the very beginning of my own alcohol free journey, still questioning my relationship with drinking and trying to understand why something so socially accepted could also leave so many people feeling anxious, depleted and disconnected from themselves. We talk about the culture surrounding alcohol, the pressure many people feel to drink in social and business environments, and the growing evidence linking alcohol to anxiety, poor sleep, depression and even cancer, despite how normalised drinking has become in modern society. Andy also opens up about his own transformation from burnt out City broker to becoming one of the leading voices in the alcohol free movement, after realising many of the people he once viewed as “successful” were privately exhausted, unhealthy and unhappy behind closed doors. What makes this conversation even more interesting listening back now is hearing some of my own thoughts and beliefs at the very start of this journey, especially knowing how much my perspective has evolved since recording it. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ Why alcohol became embedded into almost every part of modern life ✔ The hidden pressure people feel to drink in social and professional settings ✔ The growing links between alcohol, anxiety, poor sleep and chronic illness ✔ Why so many successful people are privately struggling despite outward appearances ✔ Andy’s journey from professional footballer to City broker to one of the biggest voices in the alcohol free movement ✔ Why many people never realise how much alcohol is impacting them until they remove it ✔ The cultural blind spots around alcohol that most of us never question ✔ My own honest reflections from the very start of my alcohol free journey ✔ Why younger generations are beginning to rethink drinking culture altogether ✔ The mindset shift that changes alcohol from something you’re “giving up” into something you no longer want This isn’t a preachy anti alcohol conversation. It’s an honest discussion about awareness, health, mindset and questioning behaviours many of us have accepted for years without ever really stopping to think about them. ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Andy Ramage: 🔗 Website: https://andyramage.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyramageofficial?igsh=MWU3Nmt2cWMwZDg3bQ== 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1LZip6V4qn/?mibextid=wwXIfr 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyramage?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Maajid Nawaz was radicalised as a teenager and built his life around an extremist ideology that led to his arrest in Egypt, prison, and torture, before walking away from it and rethinking everything he once believed. Years later, after becoming a well-known voice in counter extremism, he lost his role as a presenter on LBC during Covid, publicly labelled and ridiculed for his views. This conversation lands at a time when the Home Office has apologised for what’s being described as one of the darkest periods in British history around the grooming gang scandal, and that’s where things open up. We get into what actually happened, the cover ups, the corruption, the scale of what was allowed to go on, and why so many people were ignored or shut down for speaking about it, along with his take on who benefits when something like that is kept quiet for so long. From there it builds into the bigger picture, power, influence, how decisions are made behind the scenes, from public narratives to government contracts, and what starts to come into view once you begin connecting the dots. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ 00:00 Being drawn into extremism at a young age and how that path took hold. ✔ 09:00 Arrest in Egypt, time in prison, and the reality of torture and its impact. ✔ 22:00 Grooming gang scandal, the Home Office apology, and what was happening while it was being covered up. ✔ 36:00 Why people who spoke out were shut down and what that says about the system. ✔ 48:00 Covid, losing his role at LBC, being labelled publicly, and the personal fallout of that. ✔ 1:05:00 Power and influence, how decisions are shaped behind the scenes, and what drives them. ✔ 1:18:00 Government contracts, incentives, and what sits underneath public facing decisions. ✔ 1:30:00 Where this leaves people now and why more are starting to question what’s really going. ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Maajid Nawaz: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maajidnawaz?igsh=OHZxMWI5OWxidGVh 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1J9SUJ4cZn/?mibextid=wwXIfr