The Dynamo mask protected me: Steven Frayne copes with Crohn’s and feeling unworthy
Happy Place
Fearne Cotton
4.6 • 15.2K Ratings
🗓️ 3 March 2025
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dynamo brought epic magic into a lot of people’s lives, but now Steven Frayne is taking off the mask and choosing to notice the moments of magic he’s experienced around him. In particular, that’s the people – friends, family, doctors, strangers – who’ve helped him find joy again after hitting rock bottom.
In this chat with Fearne, Steven talks about the devastating reality of trialling different medication for Crohn’s and the effect this has on mental health, as well as what he’s learnt from experiencing so much physical pain. Can we choose to connect over pain rather than isolating ourselves from others?
Steven also explains how being an easy target for bullies at school meant he learnt how to problem solve and hustle, but what do you do when success comes and you don’t know how to cope with it?
Steven’s show, Up Close and Magical, is at The Underbelly in Soho, and is opening on the 28th March.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about suicidal ideation so do take care while listening.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before we start, this episode contains chat that you might find difficult to hear. So do check the show notes if you want more details. |
| 0:08.1 | Hello and a massive welcome to Happy Place with me, Fern Cotton. This is the show that lets you take off the mask you've been wearing. |
| 0:15.3 | Today, I'm chatting to Stephen Frayne. As Dynamo, I could do all these incredible things, impossible things, |
| 0:22.6 | but yet on the flip side here, as Stephen, I found myself in hospital beds, not even able |
| 0:27.3 | to get out of bed, not even able to do the simplest of tasks, the oxymoron of a magician |
| 0:32.5 | who can't even make himself a cup of tea. I couldn't fake it anymore. I was in so much discomfort |
| 0:39.3 | and I felt so low in my life. |
| 0:41.3 | I'm like, I can't pretend. |
| 0:42.7 | So I do actually look at the kind of hitting rock bottom |
| 0:47.0 | as possibly the best thing that ever happened to me. |
| 0:50.4 | I hope you're all good and well |
| 0:51.8 | and are finding little moments of time |
| 0:53.5 | to do things that you like doing for yourself. |
| 0:56.3 | I know that sounds quite basic, but that's often the thing I forget to do, like nice little things for me. |
| 1:02.2 | It's obviously hard when you're, well, just a human, quite frankly, but definitely with working kids in the mix. |
| 1:07.5 | But I've recently really tried to get back into my painting. I know I've talked |
| 1:12.0 | about this before, but I'm really into painting hands at the moment. I did a little portrait of my |
| 1:17.3 | own hands, self-indulgent, the other day. And it was so relaxing and so lovely. I had a day off |
| 1:24.0 | work and I thought, I'm not going to waste it by just posturing about doing F all and I just loved it and it boosted me and perk me up for days. So I really hope that |
| 1:32.9 | you're getting time to do that. Next step for me going to an art gallery. God, that feels luxurious |
| 1:38.0 | and decadent, but I really want to go to the National Portrait Gallery, which is my favourite |
| 1:42.8 | gallery ever. So hopefully I'm going to do |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Fearne Cotton, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Fearne Cotton and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.