How a Phone Call on Air Changed Iain Lee’s Life Forever

On The Mend

High Performance

Healing, Resilience, Education, Relapse, Growth, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Redemption, Trauma, Vulnerability, Alcoholism, Mentalhealth, Hope, Addiction, Mental Health, Menshealth, Recovery, Identity, Sobriety, Personal Journals

4.9 • 566 Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After decades in the spotlight as a broadcaster, comedian, and writer, Iain Lee found himself in a moment that would change and possibly save, more than one life.

In this powerful episode, Iain recounts the night a caller to his late-night radio show shared that he had taken an overdose. What followed was a raw, real-time crisis that showed the power of being present and how connection, even through a radio line, can save someone’s life.

Iain opens up about how that moment led him to retrain as a counsellor, his experience living with ADHD, and what it means to sit with people in their darkest moments. With vulnerability, insight, and deep empathy, this episode is a reminder that healing starts with being heard.

Partners:

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Need Support?

Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

Narcotics Anonymous: na.org

Alcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Mental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.uk

Shout: https: giveusashout.org

IAPT: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Want to know who's coming up next?
0:01.6	Hit follow wherever you get your podcast and you'll be the first to find out.
0:09.9	Hey everybody, welcome to On the Mend.
0:11.7	I'm your host, Matt Willis.
0:13.1	In this podcast, we look back on life's toughest moments to figure out ways to move forward.
0:16.8	And today, I'm joined by British TV radio personality term podcaster, counsellor,
0:23.9	Ian Lee. Yes, mate. Thank you, man. More conversations like this coming up in season three.
0:29.2	Lovely to see you. I'm so pleased to see you, mate. I was saying we met, neither of us will really
0:33.7	remember. Yeah. We met in 2003, you came on a TV show.
0:37.7	I was doing breakfast TV.
0:39.0	Right.
0:39.5	That was the height of my insanity.
0:43.0	That was approaching the height of my insanity.
0:45.3	In 2003.
0:46.7	Right, that was very much in the midst of mine.
0:49.4	What kind of beginning of mine, really?
0:51.7	Yeah, 2003.
0:52.4	Well, you were a pop star man.
0:54.0	And I was a TV presenter. Yeah. Pop star is a different kind of insanity. Anyway, I've jumped in. I'm doing the hosting thing. I love it. I love it. I love it. It makes my job way easier. Fantastic. You should come on all the time. Yeah, all right. Right, so where do we start? Right, Ian, okay, for people who don't know your career, your kind of recovery journey,
1:15.3	what do you think people should know about you?
1:18.2	Okay, so 26 years ago, I hosted a TV program, The 11 o'clock show.
1:24.2	I've got hay fever for the first time.
	...

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