Jake Humphrey on Grief, The Trauma Of Childhood Bullying & His Mission To Save Young Men

Begin Again with Davina McCall

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Thursday, 24 September 2026 - 1 hour 7 minutes

Do the moments that feel like they’re breaking you actually shape who you’re meant to become?

In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur Jake Humphrey for an honest conversation about failure, bullying, masculinity, fatherhood and learning to define success differently.

Jake opens up about the loneliness of being bullied at school, failing his A-levels and being told by the BBC, “we don’t employ people like you”, experiences that ultimately helped shape his extraordinary broadcasting career.

He also reflects on the pressures facing men today, why he believes young men are being led towards dark corners of the internet, and how empathy, vulnerability and honest conversations can offer a different vision of masculinity.

From the powerful influence of his father to becoming a dad himself, Jake shares what parenting has taught him about being present, letting children fail, prioritising what really matters and creating a safe space for them to talk.

This is a hopeful conversation about resilience, parenting, masculinity, success and discovering that most of life’s hardest moments lead us towards something extraordinary.

🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again.

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Buy Jake's new book 'Game Plan' at https://dk.com/products/9780241734445-game-plan?_pos=2&_psq=gamepl&_psid=5929c8573&_ss=e/

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(00:00) Intro

(01:10) Why Service Matters

(07:23) Learning From Older Generations

(09:59) How Bullying Shaped Him

(17:11) Garnier Ad

(19:04) Monzo GBL Ad

(20:33) From Kids’ TV to Sport

(24:27) His Grandmother’s Suicide

(27:07) Failing His O-Levels

(31:10) His Take on the Manosphere

(39:51) Monzo 90 Days Ad

(41:00) British Heart Foundation Ad

(45:13) The Joy of Being a Dad

(46:54) What Really Matters in Life

(54:19) A Letter From His Daughter

(58:02) Embracing Embarrassment

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