Hi, I'm Ewen Thomas, and my new autobiography, Brutal, reveals not only the highs from winning

gold at the European Championships and silver at the Olympics, but also the hard graft, the battles,

and the dark side of the life of an athlete.

When things went well, everything went so fast.

I never had a chance to stop to consider what was happening.

When they stopped, it was tough to see a way through.

I've learned a lot about myself on and off the track.

It's written with brutal honesty and is out now in all good bookshops and online audiobook retailers. This episode is brought to you by Piper's Crisps.

Now, as a gal with my own podcast, bringing you conversations that are full of flavor is one thing I pride myself on.

And funnily enough, it's something which Piper's

take seriously too. For many people the pub is the home of flavorful chats and for

the last 20 years it's also been the home of Piper's where they've provided the perfect accompaniment to the conversations

that really matter.

Now we've all probably been in a situation where the conversation is not full of flavor,

usually a date. It can run a bit dry. Someone has

started scrolling on their phones, silences are lasting what feels like an

eternity. You don't want that, so don't worry, because I have been there and over the years I've noticed

a few things that always keep the conversation flowing. And that's whether you're on a date or just

interviewing a guest on a podcast or even down at the pub with platonic mates.

Have a left field question ready. Take an interest in their

hobbies or life. if you don't know a lot about them already.

There are probing questions that you can ask about sports

...