ADHD, Fame & Addiction Secrets - S3E3

18 May 2023

Welcome back y’all to Hope & Anchor, home to fascinating conversations with incredible characters where everyone’s welcome.

This week’s guest needs little introduction. After all, he’s already introduced himself to millions across his nearly 30 year broadcast career in TV & radio - it’s the remarkable Iain Lee!

Iain is neurodiverse, has recovered from addiction, and ditched radio to become a counsellor - his story’s brimming with wit and wisdom alike!

Join us this week as we dive into broadcast, beating addiction, and not blowing out other people’s candles...

This episode covers:

Iain’s stellar career in broadcast, comedy and radio

The clarity afforded by his neurodiverse diagnoses

Saving a radio caller’s life

Becoming a trained counsellor and finding happiness in it

Not blowing out other people’s candles

Episode highlights

“I became really hard to work with because I was terrified. It was awful, and also I was just starting to become a drug addict. Suddenly, I’m getting paid a few thousand pounds a week and there are coke dealers that will come and deliver to the office - I didn’t handle it very well.” - 7:10 - Iain Lee

“I got the diagnosis of ADHD and Bipolar on the same day. I loved it because suddenly everything fell into view. Everything started to make sense. It doesn’t excuse my behaviour, but it explains it, and I was able to be a little bit kinder to myself.” - 9:35 - Iain Lee

“I had to accept there was something bigger, because when I lived life on my own will it was unmanageable. If people are of different religions, that’s great. Go for it, all religions are based on love. There’s problematic bits with some, but that’s generally the people that misinterpret it, but be what you want to be.” - 15:00 - Iain Lee

“I came away thinking ‘What if I’d had some training?’, so I got in touch with a college and that was it. I thought, ‘I’m going to take a punt, I’ll quit broadcasting after nearly 30 years, and I’m going to do this’. As soon as I handed my notice in, everything changed. I felt happier. I felt lighter.” - 20:00 - Iain Lee

“If I’m feeling depressed, I go and play a bit of Call of Duty or Sea of Thieves. It doesn’t necessarily lift it but for an hour or two hours, I’m somewhere else. It’s fun, man. Have you ever played Monopoly online? It’s incredible.” - 27:25 - Iain Lee

“Every time I meet someone, I want to show up as my full-fat human self for that person. I meet a lot of people, and there’s some times when I can’t and I don’t know them well enough to say ‘I’m really sorry, I’m just exhausted and can’t bear another human right now’. So I know that I must blow people’s candles out unintentionally.” - 32:30 - Jaz Ampaw-Farr

“Does there have to be an element of suffering for it to be a pilgrimage? I’m wondering if the hero of all good stories has to go away, enjoy something and come back as either a man or whatever? There’s Jesus in the 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. I’m not comparing the two, but there’s the entire plot of The Empire Strikes Back…” - 42:50 - Iain Lee