How Do You Cope?

Significant Productions

Comedian and broadcaster John Robins sits down with guests each week to ask the very simple question; How Do You Cope?

Send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod.

Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

How Do You Cope is a Significant Production.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

92 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes92

Newest first

Aug 11, 2025 · 56 min
Jordan Stephens: ‘I had an appetite for self destruction’ (Encore)
How do you recover from a breakup you feel is your fault? John sits down with musician and writer Jordan Stephens, best known as one half of Rizzle Kicks, to talk about how his self-destructive behaviour led to infidelity and heartbreak. Jordan opens up to John about how he set his life back on the right path by admitting his faults, accepting his ADHD diagnosis, and throwing himself into group therapy. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Jordan shares the 5 things that he is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 7, 2025 · 22 min
Tom Rosenthal: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, author and comedian Tom Rosenthal shares the 5 things he is grateful for. He explains why he thinks dogs resonate at a higher frequency to people, and why he’s grateful to be part of the comedy world. Head to the main episode to hear about Tom’s spiritual journey from sceptic to believer, his experiences of losing an unborn child, and his approach to living life by being a vessel for a higher power. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 4, 2025 · 56 min
Tom Rosenthal: ‘I’ve had personal experience of a higher power’
How do we live the most fulfilled life possible? John sits down with his friend the comedian and actor Tom Rosenthal to discuss faith, coming to terms with loss, and experiencing a higher plane of existence. Tom describes how taking part in the BBC documentary Pilgrimage led to him confronting buried trauma around the loss of his unborn child. He also explains how he experienced a transcendental episode where he encountered a different plane of existence, and outlines his approach to spirituality. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Tom shares the 5 things that he is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 31, 2025 · 13 min
Chermal Williams: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, Chermal Williams from the charity Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse shares the 5 things she is grateful for. She explains how getting up at 5am every day has changed her life, and why she’s grateful for herself. Head to the main episode to hear about Chermal’s experiences of domestic abuse as a child at the hands of her stepfather. And how coaching a boys’ football team allows her to give children the childhood she didn’t have. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 28, 2025 · 47 min
Chermal Williams: ‘I want children to have the childhood I didn’t have'
How do you escape and recover from abuse by a parent? John talks to Chermal Williams, Head of Services for Health and Training at the charity Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, about her difficult childhood. Chermal was the victim of domestic abuse as a child at the hands of her stepfather, experiencing physical and psychological abuse. Later as an adult, she found herself in an abusive relationship. But through reading self-help books, working with children, and finding time for herself, she managed to escape the cycle of abuse, and forge her own identity. You can find out more Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse on their website: https://www.standingtogether.org.uk/ Other helpful links: Childline: https://www.childline.org.uk/ Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline: https://dsahelpline.org/ On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Chermal shares the 5 things that she is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 24, 2025 · 32 min
Angela Scanlon: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, broadcaster and writer Angela Scanlon shares the 5 things she is grateful for. She explains how gratitude came into her life via Irish dancing, and expresses her love for the mundane. Head to the main episode to hear about Angela’s battles with anorexia and bulimia, her journey into parenthood, and how meditating for 10 minutes on the tube can change her day. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 21, 2025 · 55 min
Angela Scanlon: ‘My eating disorder made my world feel safe’
How do you recover from an eating disorder? John speaks to presenter, writer and broadcaster Angela Scanlon about living with anorexia and bulimia in her younger years. Angela noticed her relationship with food change in her late teens, and went on to struggle with eating disorders for 15 years. She talks about how controlling her eating gave her a sense of safety, which years later morphed into an addiction to work. Angela also explores how giving birth to her first daughter changed her mindset, and explains how meditating for 10 minutes on the tube can change her day. Her new podcast ‘Get A Grip’ with Vicky Pattison is out now. If you need support head to: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Angela shares the 5 things that she is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 17, 2025 · 30 min
Your Correspondence #3
In a special episode, John reads a selection of your questions and emails. There are reflections on Megan Jayne Crabbe’s message of body positivity, reactions to Naga Munchetty highlighting the misogyny of the health service, and John answers questions about making big life decisions, and how to effectively check in on loved ones. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 14, 2025 · 59 min
Anton Ferdinand: ‘It felt like me versus football’
Why should footballers have to tolerate racism? John sits down with ex-footballer Anton Ferdinand, who found himself at the centre of a national racism scandal. Anton was playing for Premier League team Queens Park Rangers in October 2011, when Chelsea and England defender John Terry was caught on camera apparently saying a racist slur. Terry was subsequently charged with racially abusing Anton, but was found not guilty. Anton talks to John about the impact this incident has had on his life - from his memories of what happened on the day, to how he coped with the aftermath when he became the target of further abuse from football fans and the press. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 10, 2025 · 20 min
David Challen: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, domestic abuse campaigner and author David Challen shares the 5 things he is grateful for. In what turns out to be one of John’s favourite ever gratitude lists, David expresses his love for his bike and the film ‘You’ve Got Mail’. Head to the main episode to hear about how David fought to get his mother released from prison after she’d killed his father. He explains what men can do to combat violence against women. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 7, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
David Challen: ‘My mum killed my dad but I fought to get her free’
How do you reconcile your mother killing her abuser, when her abuser was your father? John speaks to domestic abuse campaigner and author David Challen. He shares his experiences of fighting to get his mother freed from prison after she killed his father. David was just 23 when he found out his mother Sally was close to ending her own life after the incident. She was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. But David felt the need to speak out and uncover his parents’ relationship for what it was; one of serial abuse and coercive control. David talks about the challenges of reassessing his childhood, his fight to release his mother from prison, and why more men should speak up about violence against women. Helpful Links: https://www.standingtogether.org.uk/ https://www.womensaid.org.uk/ If you need help, or just to speak to someone, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247. David’s new book ‘The Unthinkable: A Story of Control, Violence and My Mother’, is out now. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, David shares the 5 things that he is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 3, 2025 · 17 min
Megan Jayne Crabbe: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, author and digital creator Megan Jayne Crabbe shares the 5 things she is grateful for. Megan explains how her relationship with gratitude initially started from a place of scepticism. She also discusses the benefits of writing morning pages, and why she’s grateful for Gilbert the cat. Head to the main episode to hear about Megan’s journey with anorexia, transforming her relationship with food and body image, and her thoughts on modern dating. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 30, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
Megan Jayne Crabbe: 'Making my body smaller has only ever made my life smaller'
How do you learn to love your body? John sits down with writer, presenter, and digital creator Megan Jayne Crabbe to talk about her experience of eating disorders, her journey into body positivity, and the reasons why women make themselves small. Megan began posting online about body positivity under the handle Bodyposipanda at the age of 21. In her teens she struggled with anorexia and binge eating. Since then, she has amassed over 1 million followers and written 2 books. The latest - ‘We Don’t Make Ourselves Smaller Here’ - is out now. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Megan shares the 5 things that she is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 26, 2025 · 11 min
Leslie Ash: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, actor Leslie Ash shares the things she’s grateful for, including The Chelsea Detective, and her blue roan Cocker Spaniel. Head to the main episode to hear about Leslie’s ordeal with the life-threatening infection MSSA, her long road to recovery, and her treatment by the tabloid press after a procedure to plump up her lips went wrong. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 23, 2025 · 52 min
Leslie Ash: ‘I was 2 hours from death’
What do you do when your career is derailed by a life-threatening infection? John speaks to actor Leslie Ash, best known for playing the role of Debs in the 90s sitcom Men Behaving Badly, about catching an infection that nearly killed her. After being admitted to hospital with cracked ribs, Leslie contracted the life-threatening infection MSSA, which left her unable to walk. She discusses her long road to recovery, and how the illness affected her career. She also talks about the ridicule she suffered after a cosmetic procedure to plump up her lips went wrong. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Leslie shares the 5 things that she is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 19, 2025 · 18 min
Pierre Novellie: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, comedian Pierre Novellie shares the 5 things he is grateful for. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gets a shout out, as does Pierre’s own memory. Head to the main episode to hear about Pierre’s experiences of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder later in life, how hyper-focusing at school led to teachers thinking he was deaf, and why Pierre thinks TV show The Big Bang Theory loses its humour when you reframe its main characters as autistic. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 16, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Pierre Novellie: 'I wasn't able to get what I wanted out of life'
What do you do when a stranger at a gig tells you they think you have autism? Comedian, writer and broadcaster Pierre Novellie sits down with John to talk about his experiences of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pierre wasn’t diagnosed with ASD until the age of 31, after an audience member at his stand up show told him they thought he was on the autistic spectrum. He talks about masking at a young age, and his fascination with comedy and the impact jokes have on people. The pair also discuss Pierre’s coping mechanisms for living in a neurotypical world, including learning what his face should do in certain situations, and knowing when to say no to holding hands. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Pierre shares the 5 things that he is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 12, 2025 · 15 min
Self Esteem: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, shares the 5 things she is grateful for. Rebecca praises her hair and make up team, and expresses gratitude for a device that lets her listen to Peep Show whilst falling asleep. Head to the main episode to hear about Rebecca’s need to reinvent both herself and her career, and the coping mechanisms she’s developed for the days when she struggles to get out of bed. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 9, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
Self Esteem: ‘It was easier to be a sexualised version of myself'
At what point do you decide to take the plunge and make that life-changing decision? John sits down with musician and actor Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, to talk about how she reinvented both herself and her career. Rebecca left the band Slow Club in 2017 and started releasing her own music under the moniker Self Esteem. She talks about the years leading up to the band’s split, and how the pressure to do her own thing became an urge she could no longer ignore. She also talks about the role that women are expected to play in the music industry, her journey with therapy, and the coping mechanisms she’s developed for the days when she struggles to get out of bed. On Thursday in our bonus episode The Gratitude List, Rebecca shares the 5 things that she is currently grateful for. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing jo@samaritans.org or calling 116 123. How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 5, 2025 · 17 min
Hannah Maguire: The Gratitude List
In this week’s bonus episode, RedHanded host Hannah Maguire shares the 5 things she is currently grateful for. Narrow ruled notebooks make an appearance, and there’s a heated debate around Lime bikes. Head to the main episode to hear about Hannah’s experiences of receiving an ADHD diagnosis aged 33, how taking the first dose of medication left her in tears, and how the loss of her father at the age of 12 affected her childhood. You can send in your thoughts and reflections to hello@howdoyoucopepod.com or via howdoyoucopepod.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepod Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @howdoyoucopepod How Do You Cope is a Significant Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.