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The Marvyn Harrison Podcast
He Sent N-Dubz a Myspace Message and Became Their Agent at 19 | Billy Wood — HAUS23
This man sent a Myspace message to N-Dubz after seeing them on Channel U. Within a month he was their agent. No business card. No corner office. Just conviction and speed. Billy Wood is one of those names in UK music that if you know, you know. 20 years. Three of the biggest talent agencies in the world — WME, UTA, CAA. Artists like Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder, Wiley, Section Boyz, Run-DMC. Music Week 30 Under 30. Youngest agent in William Morris history at 24.
But the story underneath those headlines is messier. More interesting. It's about losing the act that made you. About being a young man at the biggest talent agency in the world making decisions he wasn't always equipped to make. About managing Wiley for two years and what the unmanageable teaches you about people. About walking away from music entirely to go run a non-league football club in Hastings — and somehow that being the thing that brought him back.
Now he's back with HAUS23, his own agency, five people deep, signing new acts and established names, and building something on his own terms.
We talk about: — Growing up in New Addington and Hastings with no money and no blueprint — Finding N-Dubz on Channel U and signing them from his uni bedroom — Booking 280 shows for N-Dubz and then losing them — and what that did to him — Tinie Tempah, Pass Out, and the fear of losing another act — Getting flown to LA by WME to meet Ari Emanuel, Patrick Whitesell and Cara Lewis — What Wiley taught him about patience, chaos, and genius — The burnout that took him out of music — Running Hastings United FC, breaking attendance records, and losing money doing it — Why he came back with HAUS23 and what he's building now
Billy Wood. Let's go.
Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.
In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.
Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.
This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight.
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The Health Secretary Exposed The NHS's Biggest Secrets On My Podcast
34:29|The Health Secretary sat down with me. And he didn’t hold back. Wes Streeting the man responsible for the entire NHS talks about surviving cancer at 38, the crisis hiding inside Britain’s maternity wards, why Black women are still dying at catastrophic rates in childbirth, what’s really happening with the National Cancer Plan, and why he believes the silent majority needs to start calling out racism before it’s too late. This conversation covers:• His cancer diagnosis at 38 — found by accident, treated by the NHS• 100,000+ patients now diagnosed within 28 days (a stat you won’t see in the papers)• The first ever government strategy for men and boys• Why suicide is the biggest killer of young men — and what’s being done• The sickle cell ward that nearly closed — and what it signals• Black maternal mortality: “The excuses have run out”• “I was told: I assumed you were a strong Black woman” — racism in maternity care• Valerie Amos’s rapid national investigation into maternity (reporting June)• Why he’s calling out the rise of open, unashamed racism in Britain This is not a political interview. This is a human one. 🔗 Full talking points and timestamps in the show notes.---The Marvyn Harrison Podcast. Subscribe. Share. Stay informed.
Childcare Costs Just Got HALVED — Here’s What Nobody’s Telling You
16:29|Childcare in this country just changed. Permanently. New government data shows that the cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two has DROPPED by 52% in just two years — from £305/week to £149/week. Families are saving an average of £8,000 a year per child. Half a million households are now receiving 30 hours of funded childcare. And nearly a third of parents say they’ve been able to increase their working hours as a direct result. In this episode, Marvyn breaks down:• The exact numbers from the 2026 Coram Report• What “funded hours,” “term-time,” and “SENCO” actually mean for your family• The 4 structural moves government is making beyond the headline• Why childcare cost is a gatekeeping mechanism — and who it locks out• 5 questions every parent (and especially every dad) needs to sit with Whether you’re paying nursery fees right now, thinking about starting a family, or employing people who are — this one’s for you. Sources: DfE / Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026 🔗 Full stats and glossary in the show notes below.The Marvyn Harrison PodcastSubscribe. Share. Stay informed.
I Was In The Room When It Happened | BAFTAs, Racism & What Nobody Said
01:42:11|In this episode of The Marvyn Harrison Podcast, three guests — Richie Brave, Manga St Hilaire, Nii Odarte and Rehema Muthamia sit down for one of the most wide-ranging conversations we've had. The BAFTA N-word incident is dissected by someone who was actually in the auditorium when it happened. Richard shares his experience of childhood racism as a seven-year-old child actor, beaten and called the hard-R by his own chaperones. Rehema, the first Black African woman to win Miss England, talks about the racist abuse that followed her title, from doorstep journalists to being called Miss KFC, and how surviving an abusive relationship at 21 led her to reclaim her story publicly. Manga opens up about becoming a father for the first time, his journey from Roll Deep to hosting Red Bull's Mike Flex, and why grime's open-door culture is both its greatest strength and its structural weakness. The conversation moves through code-switching, carnival lineage, boarding school in Kenya, the importance of male friendship circles, meeting Prince William, and why Black men who speak with emotional clarity are constantly underestimated.
Is The Internet Killing Love?
01:25:02|In this episode of The Marvyn Harrison Podcast, we unpack one uncomfortable question: is the internet killing love? From religion and existential doubt to seasonal depression, trauma bonding, toxic relationship dynamics, and the rise of online healing culture, this conversation goes deep into how modern life is reshaping intimacy.We explore:Why social media amplifies heartbreakThe difference between passion and trauma bondingWhether peace is the same as silenceThe mental health impact of winter and isolationWhy so many people feel disconnected despite being constantly onlineWhether faith still offers structure in a chaotic worldHow masculinity and femininity narratives are shiftingThis isn’t surface-level relationship advice. It’s a real conversation about connection, loneliness, identity, healing, and responsibility in modern culture.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Do You Actually Believe in God? 05:12 — Leaving Religion Without Losing Meaning 12:40 — The Existential Void After Faith 18:03 — Who Do You Call When You’re Not Okay? 22:45 — Peace vs Quiet: The Big Misunderstanding 27:52 — Is The Internet Designed To Break Relationships? 31:49 — Love Or Emotional Addiction? 35:01 — Trauma Bonding Explained 42:30 — Are We Addicted To Being Broken? 50:18 — The Attention Economy & Pain 58:44 — Therapy, AI & Healing Culture 01:07:11 — Seeing Your Parents As Humans 01:16:20 — Masculinity, Accountability & Modern Love 01:24:55 — Choosing Love Instead Of Needing ItLove Isn’t Mechanical: Stop Dating Like a Checklist
26:49|Most people say they want love, then date like they’re configuring a device: height, income, politics, trauma level, texting cadence, therapy status, “emotional intelligence,” travel appetite—tick, tick, tick. It feels safe. It feels efficient. It feels like control. But love isn’t mechanical. People aren’t programmable. They have grey areas: prickly parts, warm parts, avoidant parts, tender parts, contradictions, history. A checklist can’t measure inner world alignment, truth-telling, repair ability, or whether two people can actually build safety together. I unpack how romantic idealism can make you naïve—especially when you grew up in warmth and assume everyone else did too. Then reality hits: people don’t always tell the truth, not always under pressure, and if you don’t interrogate someone’s inner world you end up in cycles that feel “mystical” but are actually predictable scripts. The shift is simple: keep your values, drop the robot requirements. Choose moment-to-moment evidence. Build the skill of doing things well with people—clarity, repair, accountability, warmth. Then create a vehicle for connection that’s alive, consistent, and real.I’m Not “Exposing” Anyone — Here’s The Line I Won’t Cross
40:08|This episode sets the rules of the room.This podcast is committed to protecting the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of anyone whose stories, experiences, or submissions may be referenced. We don’t publish allegations as fact without appropriate verification, context, or public record. We anonymise, change details, reframe, or decline stories to reduce harm—especially when other people didn’t choose public exposure. I also explain why listeners sometimes feel “that’s my story”: because many experiences are cyclical and universal—especially when you’re trying to be yourself inside a difficult environment. That doesn’t make the story “about you.” It makes it common. Then we widen out: Britain’s collapsing care reflex (a post office moment that says everything), why I refuse to “chat people’s business,” why men need to lead with repair when harm exists, and why I’m building a show that’s present and unscripted—without turning vulnerability into entertainment.GAME Went Bust… So I Rebuilt It Into Britain’s Home of Gaming Culture
03:09|An old workplace game brand went bust—not because people stopped gaming, but because retail changed: downloads replaced discs and the UK high street kept shrinking. The fix isn’t “sell more games.” The fix is rebuilding the purpose.In this episode I lay out the full turnaround blueprint:Accept traditional retail is over.Redesign stores around play: arcades, competitive setups, racing simulators, mini-arenas. Experience, not product.Build a national grassroots league through every location: after-school and after-work tournaments, city championships, national finals streamed online.Wrap it in a membership model: monthly access to play/compete/status, points and perks, predictable recurring revenue.Keep retail only where digital can’t compete: controllers, headsets, chairs, collectibles—physical identity, higher margin, real demand.Turn flagship locations into creator studios + live event spaces where UK talent is discovered and broadcast.Outcome: footfall returns for belonging, not shopping. Membership stabilises revenue. A national competitive pathway attracts sponsors and media. GAME becomes Britain’s gaming culture infrastructure—not a struggling retailer from the past.The Wildest Week in My Camera Roll (No Filter)
34:07|This is the no-padding weekly panel episode: 12 stories, 4 perspectives, rapid-fire pitches, and then we go in. Each contributor gets 30 seconds to make the case, then the table tests it—facts, incentives, hypocrisy, and what it means for real people.Today’s agenda (12):[Topic] — the 30-sec pitch that changes the framing[Topic] — why everyone’s missing the real incentive[Topic] — the uncomfortable trade-off nobody says out loud[Topic] — who wins, who pays, who gets blamed[Topic] — the headline vs the truth[Topic] — the policy angle in plain English[Topic] — the culture angle nobody wants to touch[Topic] — the numbers that expose the story[Topic] — the moral panic vs the actual risk[Topic] — the media game being played in real time[Topic] — the “this affects your life tomorrow” segment[Topic] — the clip everyone will argue aboutIf you want one weekly episode that gives you ammo, clarity, and context—this is it.