Manopause with Brendan Cole & James Jordan

Colin Jackson was once the fastest hurdler on the planet. Then on the day he retired, a friend told him: “Today you’re somebody. Tomorrow you’ll be nobody.” His response was something nobody expected: In this raw, revealing and funny interview, the world-record-breaking athlete and Olympic medallist joins Strictly Come Dancing legends Brendan Cole and James Jordan to confront the identity crisis that followed his retirement from professional sport.Colin reveals why he initially rejected the achievements that made him famous, fought to prove he was more than “Colin Jackson the athlete” and eventually realised he could embrace his past without allowing it to define his future.He also speaks candidly about being gay, why he kept his sexuality private during his athletics career and why he came out publicly at 50. At first, Colin did not understand why that decision mattered. Then messages arrived from LGBTQ+ people who finally saw themselves represented in one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen.The conversation turns deeply emotional as all three men discuss grief and losing their fathers. Colin reveals that he still listens to his father’s voice messages, while James admits his own grief became so overwhelming that it affected his entire family.Colin also tells the extraordinary story behind his public fallout with fellow athletics legend Linford Christie. Their friendship and business relationship collapsed, Colin was locked out of his own office and his fury almost drove him to a decision that could have changed his life forever.Brendan and James discuss their own brief fall-out and the events leading up to it, plus James reveals how he missed out on a life-changing opportunity and the emotional crash that follows fame and live performance. They also take their fierce rivalry to the track in a 100-metre sprint before James tells Colin how he once thought he was about to beat one of Britain’s greatest athletes.In this riveting episode, Brendan and James debate competition, parenting and whether children are being protected from losing. Moan of the Week tackles British humour and loud people, while Viewers’ Questions reveals what it was really like being paired with Strictly celebrities they knew could never win, failing to connect with a dance partner and the live tours bringing Brendan and James back together.This powerful Manopause episode explores coming out, LGBTQ+ representation, grief, bereavement, male mental health, retirement from sport, life after Strictly, midlife identity, friendship, fatherhood and learning how to start again.Tell us in the comments:Did Colin Jackson’s story change how you think about life after success?Should parents ever let their children win?Who was really at fault in Brendan and James’s Strictly argument?Subscribe to Manopause for more honest, unfiltered conversations about the issues men often struggle to discuss.SUPPORTIf you are exploring your sexuality, considering coming out or need confidential LGBTQ+ advice and support, contact LGBT Foundation:https://lgbt.foundation/Helpline: 0345 3 30 30 30For grief or bereavement support, contact Cruse Bereavement Support:https://www.cruse.org.uk/Free helpline: 0808 808 1677LIVE TOUR TICKETSThe Legends in Vegas: After Hours 2026:https://musicalsontour.co.uk/legends-of-the-dancefloor-tour/Brendan Cole and James Jordan’s Dance Rebels: Strictly Unleashed 2027, combining dance, candid conversation and behind-the-scenes Strictly stories:https://www.awaywithmedia.com/tours/strictly-unleashed #ColinJackson #Manopause #BrendanCole #JamesJordan #StrictlyComeDancing #Strictly #ComingOut #LGBTQ #LGBTQSupport #GayAthletes #MensMentalHealth #Grief #Bereavement #LifeAfterSport #BritishAthletics #Olympics #LinfordChristie #Midlife #Fatherhood #CelebrityPodcast #Podcast #Celebrity

In Episode 1 of Manopause with Brendan Cole and James Jordan, Wynne Evans reveals why he believes one joke cost him his place on the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, his radio show, his reputation and very nearly his life. The Welsh opera singer, broadcaster and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant gives his account of the controversies that changed his life and career. Wynne describes making an off-camera joke after a Strictly tour press call using the phrase “spit roast boy”. He says the remark referred to a nickname and a colleague’s pose, but claims it was stripped of its original context and reported as a sexual comment about another member of the cast. He explains how he received an email warning that a newspaper was preparing to publish the story, why he was advised to apologise and how he later discovered through the Daily Express that he had been removed from the tour. Wynne says the BBC subsequently informed him that he was also leaving his radio show. Wynne also discusses the earlier Katya Jones incident, a private birthday prank involving a sex toy and the intense scrutiny he experienced throughout Strictly and the live tour. With a broken ankle and already living with depression, Wynne describes being left alone in a hotel and being told that he could not attend his own birthday celebration while the rest of the tour went ahead without him. He speaks openly about the devastating effect the media coverage and loss of his career had on his mental health, receiving crisis care, psychiatric and ketamine treatment, and surviving repeated suicide attempts. James Jordan and Brendan Cole also share their experiences of Strictly Come Dancing, the pressures of leaving one of Britain’s biggest television programmes, cancel culture, career uncertainty and the challenge of reinventing yourself in middle age. Brendan speaks publicly about being born with hypospadias and the numerous operations he underwent as a child. He explains the physical and emotional impact the condition had on him throughout childhood and into adult life. There are lighter moments too, including James and Brendan visiting students at Canterbury Academy, behind-the-scenes Strictly stories, arguments about school holiday prices, modern chivalry and the first Manopause Moan of the Week. Manopause with Brendan Cole and James Jordan is an honest, funny and sometimes difficult conversation about men’s mental health, midlife crisis, relationships, work, health and the pressures men often keep to themselves. CONTENT WARNING This episode contains frank discussion of depression, suicide attempts and childhood genital surgery. If you are struggling or need somebody to talk to, Samaritans are available free at any time on 116 123: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ For information and support about hypospadias, visit the Hypospadias UK Charitable Trust: https://www.hypospadiasuk.co.uk/ #Manopause #WynneEvans #StrictlyComeDancing #JamesJordan #BrendanCole #MensMentalHealth #Spotify #Audible #suicideawarenes #podcast

James Jordan and Brendan Cole are swapping the ballroom for the man cave in Manopause, a bold, funny and refreshingly honest new video podcast about the realities of male midlife. Expect candid conversations, celebrity guests, outrageous challenges and plenty of rivalry as James and Brendan tackle relationships, fatherhood, mental health, ageing, fitness, prostate awareness and the subjects men often avoid discussing. Watch or listen to the official trailer now. Manopause launches on 20 August 2026, with new episodes available on Spotify, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.