Jake Humphrey: “I Ate My Lunch Alone” Childhood Bullying, Forgiveness & Being A Girl Dad!

About this episode

Do the moments that feel like they’re breaking you actually shape who you’re meant to become? In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur Jake Humphrey for an honest conversation about failure, bullying, masculinity, fatherhood and learning to define success differently. Jake opens up about the loneliness of being bullied at school, failing his A-levels and being told by the BBC, “we don’t employ people like you”, experiences that ultimately helped shape his extraordinary broadcasting career. He also reflects on the pressures facing men today, why he believes young men are being led towards dark corners of the internet, and how empathy, vulnerability and honest conversations can offer a different vision of masculinity. From the powerful influence of his father to becoming a dad himself, Jake shares what parenting has taught him about being present, letting children fail, prioritising what really matters and creating a safe space for them to talk. This is a hopeful conversation about resilience, parenting, masculinity, success and discovering that most of life’s hardest moments lead us towards something extraordinary. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain  🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod  ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm  Follow Jake Humphrey here: https://www.instagram.com/jakehumphrey/  Buy Jake's new book 'Game Plan' at https://dk.com/products/9780241734445-game-plan?_pos=2&_psq=gamepl&_psid=5929c8573&_ss=e/ We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/ (00:00) Intro (01:10) Why Service Matters (07:23) Learning From Older Generations (09:59) How Bullying Shaped Him (17:11) Garnier Ad (19:04) Monzo GBL Ad (20:33) From Kids’ TV to Sport (24:27) His Grandmother’s Suicide (27:07) Failing His O-Levels (31:10) His Take on the Manosphere (39:51) Monzo 90 Days Ad (41:00) British Heart Foundation Ad (45:13) The Joy of Being a Dad (46:54) What Really Matters in Life (54:19) A Letter From His Daughter (58:02) Embracing Embarrassment Sponsored by: Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme  Monzo: Results from the 2024 Lost Pensions Survey by the Pensions Policy Institute. The value of your pension could go up or down and you could get back less than you put in. You need a free Monzo current account to open a Monzo pension. Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 18-70 years old only and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply. Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/  British Heart Foundation: To help fund lifesaving research, visit https://bhf.org.uk/keepusbeating to donate now and keep us beating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices