Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface

Here is a special re-released episode of Stories of Men for the New Year.

You’re facing down 15 angry men. It’s just you and your dad. You clamped their cars earlier and you’ve been waiting for the me…

Here is a special re-released episode of Stories of Men for the Christmas period.

You’re a soldier driving through a warzone. You pass through a deserted village. Later you see a lonely crucifix in a …

ep 11: It’s Christmas Eve. You’re 6 years old. Your father is taking you shopping for an early Christmas present. He buys you a dictionary, a symbol of his wish for your future education.

It’s the nex…

ep 10: You’re estranged from the mother of your child. You’re jobless. You have no permanent home. You find yourself living in your ex-mother-in-law’s spare room surviving on £20 a week. You’re lying…

ep 9: You’re 29 years old and you get the worst news you could ever imagine receiving. It’s about your best friend, the person you’ve known since you were a child. He’s ill and he isn’t going to reco…

ep 8: You’re struggling at work. Your energy levels are perilously low. You’re losing confidence. Even the minutest of challenges feels like a massive hurdle. On the train ride home, you are in parox…

ep 7: You’ve just been out partying with your friends. You’re walking home and it’s late at night. You hear footsteps behind you. They seem to be getting louder with each stride. Do you turn around t…

ep 6: You’re working in a job that you hate. It’s become so bad that you’ve started searching for other vacancies during working hours. But one day you get called into the office and you’re told that…

ep 5: You’ve just started at a new school. You’re standing in the playground. You’re minding your own business. Suddenly, you’re attacked by three boys. They fling you to the ground. Your nose hits t…

ep 4: You’re at a party with your girlfriend surrounded by your closest friends. You’re smiling and laughing and appear to be having a great time. But, after this moment of celebration, it is your in…

ep 3: You’re facing down 15 angry men. It’s just you and your dad. You clamped their cars earlier and you’ve been waiting for the men to arrive. You knew they weren’t going to be in a good mood. They…

ep 2: You’re a soldier driving through a warzone. You pass through a deserted village. Later you see a lonely crucifix in a field. You find out what it symbolises: one night all of the people in the …

ep 1: Your dad’s on life support. Do you turn it off? All eyes are on you to make the ultimate decision. What do you do? 

Alexander Lindsay was struggling with burnout. Having just left the job he lov…

Traditional ideas of masculinity are dead, and now men struggle to find their place in the world.

In Stories of Men, Alex Melia speaks to men who’ve overcome challenging circumstances to find out wha…

We're changing direction.

After 98 episodes and 2 years making Our Voices, I've decided to switch the focus of the show.

It will now be called Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface.

I want to continue …

Darren openly discusses the plethora of negative feelings that contributed to his emotional breakdown on his way to work. He was working in finance. It was an industry that had provided him with the …

Tim discusses his struggle with expressing emotions. He also talks about the way in which his outbursts of temper are linked to societal expectations. Working as a delivery driver, Tim already had a …

Kenny discusses his struggles with drinking and his battle to stay alcohol-free. He reflects on how alcohol use damaged his relationships with his wife and children. He also discusses how support fro…

John discusses a particularly intense confrontation caused by the expression of an unpopular opinion. In Leeds in 1981, John was taking part in a local council meeting. The debate that was taking pla…

John discusses his vulnerability when experiencing financial stress and his reluctance to open up about his financial situation to his family. He talks about his initial desire to hide the reality of…