Traitors & England Rugby Star, JOE MARLER: Being An Alpha Male Comes At A Price

Joe Marler is a former England rugby player who spent fifteen years as one of the sport’s biggest personalities, both on and off the pitch. He’s described himself as a bully who battled through a rocky career… and maybe that’s true. But what really stands out to me is how openly Joe talks about his mental health and how passionate he is about encouraging other men to do the same.

Talking about your feelings can be really hard - it’s something I’ve found tough over the years too. But hearing someone like Joe, a proper “man’s man” speak so vulnerably is really refreshing.

We cover:
•⁠ ⁠Tackling toxic masculinity in rugby - learning that he didn’t need to be the alpha male all the time
•⁠ ⁠Why he thought quitting rugby would fix his depression
•⁠ ⁠How Joe has used his big personality for both good and evil
•⁠ ⁠His relationship with his wife Daisy who he credits with saving his life
•⁠ ⁠Why The Celebrity Traitors was the most fun (and bonkers) experience he’s ever had

Joe inspires me to be more open with my male friends. And to reach out, because you never know when someone is struggling… This conversation will make you laugh, think and hopefully encourage you to talk to your friends too.

00:00 Trailer
02:05 Introducing Joe Marler
03:16 Being uncomfortable doing Traitors
05:58 Being called “Fat Boy Fat”
07:51 What’s an insecure kid?
09:31 Meeting my wife at fourteen
12:58 Playing Bulldog
15:21 Wouldn’t be here without my wife
17:21 Navigating depression
18:26 Eyes don’t lie
21:17 Not wanting to be a burden
21:40 Showing no weakness but being weak
22:22 Pressure is a made-up thing
23:08 Retiring again
24:38 The squirrel was the breaking point
25:18 Being described as poisonous
26:13 Being a bully
27:58 Apologising and people not receiving it
30:02 Dark thoughts of depression and s*icide
31:08 Talking to a psychiatrist
31:50 First meeting with my therapist
33:20 Professional stranger
35:34 Being diagnosed with depression and being put on antidepressants
39:17 The embarrassment of being depressed
41:51 Finding a new identity outside of rugby
43:50 Advice on fatherhood
48:24 Rugby and dementia
58:01 Final eight questions
01:03:42 Jamie’s rundown

And I've got a new book coming out, Boys Don't Cry which you can pre-order here:http://boysdontcry.co.uk

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THE CREDITS
Exec Producer: Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Rhoda Abrokwa
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Audio: Rafi Amsili
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot