Traitors & England Rugby Star, JOE MARLER: Being An Alpha Male Comes At A Price

Joe Marler is a former England rugby player who spent fifteen years as one of the sport’s biggest personalities, both on and off the pitch. He’s described himself as a bully who battled through a rocky career… and maybe that’s true. But what really stands out to me is how openly Joe talks about his mental health and how passionate he is about encouraging other men to do the same. Talking about your feelings can be really hard - it’s something I’ve found tough over the years too. But hearing someone like Joe, a proper “man’s man” speak so vulnerably is really refreshing. We cover: •⁠ ⁠Tackling toxic masculinity in rugby - learning that he didn’t need to be the alpha male all the time •⁠ ⁠Why he thought quitting rugby would fix his depression •⁠ ⁠How Joe has used his big personality for both good and evil •⁠ ⁠His relationship with his wife Daisy who he credits with saving his life •⁠ ⁠Why The Celebrity Traitors was the most fun (and bonkers) experience he’s ever had Joe inspires me to be more open with my male friends. And to reach out, because you never know when someone is struggling… This conversation will make you laugh, think and hopefully encourage you to talk to your friends too. 00:00 Trailer 02:05 Introducing Joe Marler 03:16 Being uncomfortable doing Traitors 05:58 Being called “Fat Boy Fat” 07:51 What’s an insecure kid? 09:31 Meeting my wife at fourteen 12:58 Playing Bulldog 15:21 Wouldn’t be here without my wife 17:21 Navigating depression 18:26 Eyes don’t lie 21:17 Not wanting to be a burden 21:40 Showing no weakness but being weak 22:22 Pressure is a made-up thing 23:08 Retiring again 24:38 The squirrel was the breaking point 25:18 Being described as poisonous 26:13 Being a bully 27:58 Apologising and people not receiving it 30:02 Dark thoughts of depression and s*icide 31:08 Talking to a psychiatrist 31:50 First meeting with my therapist 33:20 Professional stranger 35:34 Being diagnosed with depression and being put on antidepressants 39:17 The embarrassment of being depressed 41:51 Finding a new identity outside of rugby 43:50 Advice on fatherhood 48:24 Rugby and dementia 58:01 Final eight questions 01:03:42 Jamie’s rundown And I've got a new book coming out, Boys Don't Cry which you can pre-order here:http://boysdontcry.co.uk If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/greatcompanypodcast/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@greatcompanypodcast And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk THE CREDITS Exec Producer: Jemima Rathbone Producer: Helen Burke Assistant Producer: Rhoda Abrokwa Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett Audio: Rafi Amsili Social Media: Laura Coughlan Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot