Over The Influence: The Alcohol Free Podcast

S3 Ep225: The OTI Goodbye

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've got some news to share with all of our wonderful listeners. Thank you for an amazing five and a half years, we've had an absolute blast! The p...

S3 Ep224: Six Top Tips For Summer

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

No you're not seeing dublé - Shaz and Ben have done another episode with some top tips in for if you're going alcohol free this summer and need a few...

S3 Ep223: Team OTI: The Northumbrian Ironman Challenge

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have two of our wonderful community members Ian and Neil on the podcast who make up two thirds of the Team OTI Ironman squad! Last week...

S3 Ep222: Steve Smith: Soberilliant

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our own on the pod, the fantastic Steve Smith!  Steve grew up in a culture where he felt like alcohol was celebrated. Whene...

S3 Ep221: Barney Whiter: The Escape Artist

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We at Over The Influence pride ourselves on going out and finding the most interesting guests in the podcast universe, and today is certainly no diffe...

S3 Ep220: Kelly Marie: Sober Sound System Ibiza

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the fantastic Kelly Marie on the podcast! Kelly, a.k.a. K-Marie, has been sober since missing a flight on 30th December 2023 when ...

S3 Ep219: Janine Connelly: Start Quitting, Start Living

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast contains references to eating disorders and health issues. This week we have the wonderful Janine Connelly joining us on the pod!  Ja...

S3 Ep218: Elin Smith: What's Your Gut Telling You?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode we're delighted to welcome Elin Smith onto the podcast! Elin is a fitness fanatic and PhD student in Norwich, specialising in...

S3 Ep217: 6.5 Tips To Thrive Through the Bank Holiday Weekend

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's a bit of a different one this week... Ben and Shaz don't have a guest and instead will be giving you their top tips for staying strong and sober...

S3 Ep216: Sean Willers: Take Back Control

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: this podcast contains references to recreational drugs What a story we have for you this week, courtesy of the fantastic Sean Willers! Se...

S3 Ep215: Samantha Southern: Solace

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: this podcast contains references to suicide and suicidal thoughts throughout. This week we welcome the wonderful Samantha Southern from on...

S3 Ep214: Austin Karr: Striving For Happiness

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome back one of our all time favourite guests onto Over The Influence this week. It's Austin Karr! Austin is now ten years sober and talks to ...

S3 Ep213: Kelly: The Team OTI Iron Man

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the pod we complete the Team OTI trio by welcoming the fantastic Scottish Kelly onto the podcast!  We had Neil & Ian on the podcast...

S3 Ep212: Sarah Connelly: The Thirty Day Power Pause

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brisbane’s finest Sarah Connelly is back for another round on the podcast and blimey, she’s been busy since we last spoke!  She’s now five and...

S3 Ep211: James Ruiz: The High-Flying Dad

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our fantastic community members on the podcast, James Ruiz calling us all the way from Stamford, Connecticut! James is first...

S3 Ep210: Sarah Chamberlain: UnashamED

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome back the wonderful Sarah Chamberlain to the podcast! This time we're going to take a deep dive into a topic that Sarah is dedic...

S3 Ep209: The Gavin Sisters: The Detox Barn

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have a first on the pod this week; we've had all sorts of family duos but never sisters... until now! We're delighted to welcome Sharon and Lauret...

S3 Ep208: James Laughlin: The Habits of High Performers

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the pod we welcome James Laughlin onto Over The Influence! James is a Dad, partner, coach, drummer, key note speaker and soon to be auth...

S3 Ep207: Neil & Ian: The Team OTI Iron Man

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the pod we welcome back two legends of the OTI Community, Neil and Ian! They're here to tell us all about their upcoming Iron Man chall...

S3 Ep206: Sarah Rusbatch: Beyond Booze

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the pod this week, we finally welcome the wonderful Sarah Rusbatch to Over The Influence! Sarah is originally from Manchester and now lives in th...

S3 Ep205: Annalise Woolfson: Don't Give Up!

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the fantastic Annalise Woolfson on the podcast! Annalise from North London is now two years alcohol free and absolutely smashing it...

205: Lauren Newhouse: Sticking With It

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the podcast this week we have one of our own on the pod, the fantastic Lauren Newhouse! Lauren is now 18 months alcohol free and it's safe to say ...

S3 Ep204: Jen Mugan: Maybe You Already Have Everything That You Need

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome one of our own on to the pod, Jen Mugan! It's safe to say that Jen is a big fan of the pod and we're delighted that she's come ...

S3 Ep203: Tabbin Almond: Wine To Water

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the wonderful Tabbin Almond on to Over The Influence!  Tabbin is a sobriety coach, podcaster and author who is now seven years ...

S3 Ep202: Mikey: The Five C's

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode we have one of our wonderful community members Mikey on the pod! Mikey, a teacher from Liverpool and now based in London, decided to ...

S3 Ep201: Andy Garwood: I'm Not Even A Runner!

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of Shaz's AF day ones on the podcast, we're welcoming the fantastic Andy Garwood back on to Over The Influence! Andy is an Alc...

S3 Ep200: James Gwinnett: Ready, Set, Life

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the wonderful James Gwinett on the pod! James is nine years alcohol free this year and we think it's safe to say he's definitely m...

S3 Ep199: Hamza Najam: Starting Your Sober Journey

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Over The Influence we have the wonderful and wise Hamza Najam on the podcast! Hamza is nearly five years alcohol free and is now a brea...

S3 Ep198: Louis & Andreas: AF Brothers

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have a lovely story to kick off our 2025 podcasts with the AF Brothers from Copenhagen on the podcast, Louis & Andreas! Over three and a half...

S3 Ep197: Sharon Hartley: The Life-Changing Magic of Quitting Alcohol

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For our last episode of Over The Influence in 2024, we have a major milestone to celebrate! Coming up on 2nd January 2025, our Shaz is officially go...

S3 Ep196: Rich Gross: Second AF Christmas!

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our fantastic community members Rich Gross joining us on Over The Influence all the way from Tennessee! We hear some stories...

S3 Ep195: Sarah Allen Benton: Parents In Recovery

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode we are delighted to welcome Sarah Allen Benton from Connecticut, USA to Over The Influence! Sarah is twenty years alcohol free and is...

S3 Ep194: Hadley Sorensen: Sobriety Hype Girl

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have author, fitness coach, mum, wife and all round wonderful person Hadley Sorensen on the podcast! Hadley, who is from just outside W...

S3 Ep193: Jack Cotterill: The Sober Musician

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have a fascinating chat with jazz drummer Jack Cotterill! Jack is six years alcohol free after deciding to quit drinking at just 25 yea...

S3 Ep192: Niall Davison: One Year AF!

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our fantastic community members Niall Davison joining us on Over The Influence! Niall is nearly at the 500 day milestone wit...

S3 Ep191: Tammy & Brennan: Like Mother, Like Daughter

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have not one but two guests joining us on Over The Influence! They are Tammy and Brennan, a mother and daughter from San Diego in Califor...

S3 Ep190: Stuart Reeves: One Year AF!

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our wonderful community members Stuart Reeves joining us on Over The Influence! Stuart decided that it was time for a change...

S3 Ep189: Emma Cleal: Be More Frank

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the wonderful Emma Cleal joining us on Over The Influence! Emma has been sober now for a year (congrats!) and while she is here to...

S3 Ep188: Millie Gooch: Sober Girl Society

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re delighted to finally say that in this episode we welcome the wonderful Millie Gooch on to the podcast! Millie is based in Kent and quit drink...

S3 Ep187: Kate Nichols: Freedom Affect

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome the fantastic Kate Nichols on to the podcast! Kate, originally from near Derby in the UK but now based over the Atlantic i...

S3 Ep186: Holly Walsh: Hello Holly

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome the wonderful Holly Walsh on to the podcast! Holly quit drinking in January 2023 and since then has gone on to become a Po...

S3 Ep185: Barbara Williams: Sober In Colour

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome the fantastic Barbara Williams on to the podcast! Barbara is using her sobriety to try and encourage more women of colour...

S3 Ep184: Melodie: A Better Life For My Children

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we have one of our wonderful community members Melodie on the pod!  At the time of recording, Melodie is one year, one month and one...

S3 Ep183: Maggie Klaassens: The Sober Summit 2024

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome back the founder of The Sober Summit, Maggie Klaassens, who is also one of our fantastic community members! The Sober Summ...

S3 Ep182: Andy Delderfield: Ordinary To Extraordinary

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome back Andy Delderfield, the founder of Alcohol Free Runners and a member of our AF community. Andy is completing his hat-t...

S3 Ep181: Hayden Syers: Time For Change

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We've gone worldwide again this week as we are joined by the wonderful Hayden Syers on Over The Influence! Hayden is one of our fantastic community m...

S3 Ep180: Rafael Briceño: Making The Most Of Today

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are joined by one of our fantastic community members Rafael Briceño on Over The Influence! Rafael is here with a simple question: if to...

S3 Ep179: Ali Press: Discovering Who You Really Are

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are joined by the fantastic Ali Press on Over The Influence! Ali is a counsellor and coach from London who has a passion for helping peo...

S3 Ep178: Seana Smith: Going Under

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode contains references to abuse which some listeners may find distressing. This week we are joined by the wonderful Seana Smith on Over T...

S3 Ep177: Michael Sargood: Happy Without The Hooch

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode contains references to suicide which some listeners may find distressing.  This week we are joined by the fantastic Michael Sargood on...

S3 Ep176: The Ben Nevis Special!

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode comes from base camp following a challenging (yet rewarding) hike up Ben Nevis with the wonderful OTI community members! We have...

S3 Ep175: Caroline Evers-Endacott: cee-change.com

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are delighted to welcome Caroline Evers-Endacott to Over The Influence! In 2018, the loss of a loved one led Caro to rethink the w...

S3 Ep174: John Whaite: Ruff Puff Brownies

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's one of our faves, the wonderful John Whaite is back on the pod! Since we last spoke to John on the pod, he has been diagnosed with ADHD. He tal...

S3 Ep173: Pippa Morris: AF In The Goldie

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the wonderful Pippa Morris onto the podcast! Pippa gave up drinking around the same time as our Ben after the first lockdown in ...

S3 Ep172: BIG News

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We don't have a guest this week because blimey have we got some big news for you! --- Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us ...

S3 Ep171: Sarah O'Mara: Red Rose Recovery

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the fantastic Sarah O'Mara onto the podcast! Sarah is the Drug and Alcohol Lead for Lancashire (our Shaz's neck of the woods!) ...

S3 Ep170: Ellie Webb: Caleño

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the wonderful Ellie Webb to the podcast! Ellie is the founder of one of our favourite AF drink brands, Caleño. While taking a b...

S3 Ep169: Ian Thurlbeck: Four Years AF!

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our community member Ian Thurlbeck is back for his third round in the OTI ring! We spoke to Ian after one year, then two years and so now we're catc...

S3 Ep168: Alex Clapp: Claritee

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week Shaz and Ben are joined by Alex Clapp, a sober events organiser with his company Claritee based in the North West of England. Alex chats e...

S3 Ep167: Annie Knowles: The Sober Rainbow Rider

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're delighted to have a member of our OTI Community on the pod again this week, and it's the wonderful Annie Knowles! Annie is a NHS Healthcare work...

S3 Ep166: Sharon Returns!

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sharon is back recording pods following her surgery so her and Ben are catching up to see what she's missed. Welcome back Shaz! --- Get In Touch: ...

S3 Ep165: Dana White-Guerrie: The Yarn Consolery

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the pod we have the wonderful Dana White-Guerrie joining us all the way from Colorado, USA! Dana battled with a variety of addictions f...

S3 Ep164: Sarah Turner: The Unmumsy Mum Returns!

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're delighted to welcome back author Sarah Turner, who's also known as The Unmumsy Mum! We catch up on how Sarah is getting on with alcohol free li...

S3 Ep163: Gary Mairs: Sweary Sobriety Mentor

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome the fantastic Gary Mairs onto Over The Influence! Gary is ten years (yes a whole decade!) alcohol free and is smashing lif...

S3 Ep162: Sharon Hartley: The Not Very Patient Patient

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our Shaz is the one doing all the talking (even more so than usual). You may or may not already know that she's about to take some time of...

S3 Ep161: Sue from Halifax: Two Years AF!

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome our lovely community member and jet setter Sue to the podcast! Sue is just about to hit her two year alcohol free milesto...

S3 Ep160: Kelly from Scotland: The Fighter

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome Kelly from Scotland onto Over The Influence! Kelly has just celebrated a whole year alcohol free - although she has been p...

S3 Ep159: Scott Woolley: Arclett

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome Scott Woolley onto Over The Influence! Scott is a FDAP Substance Misuse Professional and the founder of Arclett, which is...

S3 Ep158: Venessa McPhie: The Sober Bus

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the fantastic Venessa McPhie onto the podcast! Venessa is a listener to the pod and was keen to share her story with all you oth...

S3 Ep157: Dan: One Year AF!

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have one of our own on the pod, Big Dan from Essex!  Dan has successfully smashed his one year milestone and now in his year two, he’...

S3 Ep156: Justin B. Long: The Righteous Rage Of A Ten Year Old Boy

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are joined on the podcast by the fantastic author Justin B. Long! Justin takes us through the reasons why his drinking got out of contro...

S3 Ep155: Luke Colson: Well, That F*cked Me Up!

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the fantastic Luke Colson onto the podcast all the way from sunny California! Luke is a fellow sobriety advocate and has come a...

S3 Ep154: Chris: Our OTI Community

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome back the lovely Chris to the pod! Chris is a big part of our OTI Community, joining us all the way from New York (the stat...

S3 Ep153: Danny: 500 Days AF!

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

He's a man that goes by many names in our community. Some call him 'The Porky Prince', others 'The Prince of Pastry'. It's even been claimed that he i...

S3 Ep152: Grace Cowley: An AF Anniversary Surprise!

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shaz and Ben recently received the best e-mail ever to the OTI inbox. It's author was the guest on this episode, the fantastic Grace Cowley. Grace i...

S3 Ep151: Todd Kinney: I Didn't Believe It Either

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the fantastic Todd Kinney on to the podcast all the way from Omaha, Nebraska in the US of A! Todd is an attorney by trade but s...

S3 Ep150: Dr Helen: Ten Years AF!

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome our OTI Community's very own medical professional to the podcast, the fantastic Dr Helen! Now a decade into her sobriety,...

S3 Ep149: Aran: Our OTI Community

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome back the wonderful Aran to the pod! Aran is one of our lovely OTI Community members and he joined us just over a year ago...

S3 Ep148: Professor David Nutt: Alcohol and the Brain

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To those of you doing Dry January, we salute you! Keep up the great work. We are delighted to be joined this week by Professor David Nutt (Imperial ...

S3 Ep147: Craig Beck: Dry January and Beyond

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our old mate Craig Beck is back on the pod! He's back this Dry January to discuss with us why we shouldn't put a time frame on sobriety and if you're ...

S3 Ep146: William Porter: Making the Most of Dry January

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we catch up with friend of the podcast William Porter, the author of Alcohol Explained! William talks us through what happens to your...

S3 Ep145: The Dry January Special

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! It's the most wonderful time of the year - Dry Jan! To celebrate, we've invited on some members from our community here at Over The ...

S3 Ep144: Ruth Jones: The Christmas Special!

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas!! As an extra special gift for you lovely lot today, we've got the one and only Ruth Jones on the podcast! She's a much-...

S3 Ep143: Dupe Witherick: Thrive Alcohol Free

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the fantastic Dupe Witherick on the pod! Dupe is an accredited alcohol free & wellbeing coach and the author of "A Cocktail of...

S3 Ep142: Karl Considine: Love From

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome Karl Considine onto the pod, founder of the AF bar Love From in Manchester! Karl is also the host of sobriety pod (big up t...

S3 Ep141: Chris & Aran: Transatlantic Mates

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to two of our fantastic community members, Chris and Aran. One of our favourite things about the pod and the community is th...

S3 Ep140: Marcus Jones: Kitchen Talker to Mountain Walker

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome Transformation Coach Marcus Jones onto the podcast, who shares his own sobriety story with us in the hope of helping other men wh...

S3 Ep139: Happy Birthday Sharon!

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No guest this week because our Shaz is turning 50! Her and Ben are taking a moment to reflect on the last decade and how quitting the booze half way...

S3 Ep138: Andy Delderfield: The Fire Runner

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome back Andy Delderfield, the founder of Alcohol Free Runners and a member of our AF community.  Last time we had Andy on t...

S3 Ep137: Gayle Macdonald: Sober Bliss

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we welcome Gayle Macdonald onto the pod, who is a transformational sobriety coach and author who is here to give her insight into alco...

S3 Ep136: Danielle Cooper: Flourish And Thrive

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to our fantastic community member Danielle, who joins Ben & Shaz on the pod fresh from the OTI Edale trip. It’s Daniell...

S3 Ep135: Helen Brown: Effin Hormones

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are delighted to have the fantastic Helen Brown from the Effin Hormones podcast join us this week to discuss her reasons for ditching the booze.  ...

S3 Ep134: Maz: Two Years AF!

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to our amazing community member Maz, who celebrated being two years alcohol free on the day we recorded! Maz has been an OTI ...

S3 Ep133: Sara Britcliffe MP: The Daughter

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest on this episode is the MP for Hyndburn & Haslingden, Sara Britcliffe. She was elected to the UK Parliament at the age of 24, making her ...

S3 Ep132: Austin Karr: Being Honest With Yourself

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest on this episode Austin Karr reached the end of his tether with drinking and decided that enough is enough. It wasn’t as simple as giving u...

S3 Ep131: Matt Evans: Finding Out Who You Are

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to Matt Evans from 'The Ultimate Birmingham Event' which is taking place at the ICC in May 2024. Matt talks to us about how h...

S3 Ep130: Graham Ashton: One Year AF!

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to our lovely community member Graham, who is just down the road from Ben in Liverpool. Graham has been an OTI Community memb...

S3 Ep129: Ella Hartley: The Daughter

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a very special episode of Over The Influence... Because to celebrate Shaz's 5 years of sobriety, Ben secretly invited her daughter Ella on the...

S3 Ep128: Clare Pooley: The Sequel

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The guest who's so nice, we've had her on twice! Of course we are talking about one and only Clare Pooley. She's the author who penned the essential...

S3 Ep127: Nicole Hacking: 2 Years AF!

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat to the wonderful Nicole, who joins us from sunny Brisbane! Nicole has been an OTI Community member for a few years now, and d...