Roman Kemp: Football’s Role in the Fight for Men’s Mental Health (E372)
The High Performance Podcast
High Performance
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 29 September 2025
⏱️ 73 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, yet the stigma around mental health still keeps too many silent. In this episode, Roman Kemp opens up to Jake and Damian about his own battles with depression, the devastating loss of his best friend, and why talking openly about suicidal thoughts can save lives.
Motivated by personal tragedy, Roman has turned his pain into action. He discusses the new initiative he’s designed alongside Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham for the Premier League – Together Against Suicide, connecting football clubs with local charities, creating spaces where men feel safe enough to speak.
He also reflects on the strength of family support, and the role both football and community can play in changing the conversation.
This episode is a raw, heartfelt call to break the silence, challenge the stereotypes, and create real, accessible help for those who need it most.
Need Support?
Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
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 | Watch it early on the high performance app. |
| 0:02.0 | Available now, Roman Kemp, the broadcaster, opens up a powerful conversation on success and mental health. |
| 0:10.0 | Before we start, please be advised that there is some themes of trauma and suicide in this conversation. |
| 0:16.0 | One in four men will experience some form of suicidal thoughts. |
| 0:21.6 | I never thought to ask that question to him and then all of a sudden bang, gone. |
| 0:25.6 | 70% of football fans are more likely to speak to their club than their own GP. |
| 0:30.6 | That's pure connection. |
| 0:32.6 | And that's huge. |
| 0:33.6 | Every 90 minutes, someone goes through that same situation that we went through, where you get |
| 0:37.7 | that phone call, you get that knock on the door from the police. And that is earth-chattering. |
| 0:45.7 | That is the voice of Roman Kemp, broadcaster, podcaster, and one of the most important voices |
| 0:50.8 | in the UK right now regarding mental health and suicide prevention. |
| 0:55.8 | And today's episode we really hope will be a useful one because this is a conversation about |
| 1:00.8 | what so many of us feel, but so few of us, are brave enough to say. It's built on devastating |
| 1:06.8 | truths. Someone in the UK takes her life every 90 minutes. And for people under 35, suicide is the biggest |
| 1:15.5 | killer. More than cancer, more than car crashes. And this is a very different episode actually |
| 1:21.5 | to the one that you might be expecting or to the kind of episode that we normally record. |
| 1:25.8 | I guess this is less of an interview, more of just a conversation. |
| 1:29.4 | It's three men talking about our past struggles, the things that are on our minds right now. |
| 1:34.4 | We open up about therapy, about medication. |
| 1:38.6 | And actually, we try and work out the three of us, just why men are struggling so much |
| 1:43.1 | with their mental health. And of course, |
... |
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