Chris Olsen is one of the biggest social media stars in the world. He joined TikTok in 2020 and quickly became a viral sensation. I’ve admired him for a long time - his social media content is so funny, honest, and just impossible to scroll past.

But what I didn’t fully appreciate until this conversation was just how much he’s been through to get to where he is today.

Chris opens up about getting sober at 19 - before he’d ever had a legal drink - and the intervention that forced him into an impossible choice: choosing between his family and alcohol.

We cover:

• His journey to sobriety and what it’s taught him
• The heartbreaking moment his mum told him she was an alcoholic
• How he handles online criticism without it defining him
• The best advice Meghan Trainor ever gave him
• How Chris met his new boyfriend Harrison

This conversation is about choosing yourself, even when it’s hard, and about building a life that feels worth protecting.

Chris Olsen is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:

Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast

TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS

Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt

Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins

Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often talk about the impact our parents have on us growing up but what happens when one of them isn’t there?

For Shirley Ballas, growing up without a father didn’t just affect her childhood. It influenced her confidence, her relationships and how she saw herself - in ways she only began to understand much later in life.

In this Great Moment, Shirley opens up about the emotional gap her father left behind and how facing his death brought an unexpected closure.

This is for anyone who’s felt the quiet impact of someone missing.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:

Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast

TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS

Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone

Producer: Helen Burke

Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins

Video: Jake Ji

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might not know Jack Thorne’s name but you’ll definitely know his work. He’s the award-winning writer behind Adolescence, Skins, This is England and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

For years, he has created intense, thought-provoking dramas - stories that speak to millions of us around the world. His work doesn’t just entertain, it creates conversations about who we are and the world we live in.

I loved this conversation with Jack. What surprised me most was learning that behind his success is someone who grew up feeling like he didn’t quite belong. It was through his writing that Jack found his purpose: telling stories that matter.

We cover:

• Locking eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio during his Golden Globes speech
• Adolescence and the dark side of social media
• E.T. - the film that made Jack fall in love with cinema
• His creative partnership and friendship with Stephen Graham
• How his autism diagnosis helped him make sense of his past

If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: stories have a quiet power to help us see the world, and ourselves, a little differently.

Jack Thorne is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:

Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast

TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/Great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS

Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Producer: Helen Burke & Jack Claramunt

Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins

Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.