Thick No More

At 10 years old, Bernadette Haigh was made to stand in front of a classroom of children and explain why she was repeating the school year.Her answer?“I can’t read.”The shame from that moment stayed with her for decades.Today, Bernadette is a proud dyslexic, mum, author, mentor and founder of Daring Dyslexic helping parents protect something that can so easily be lost when a child struggles at school: their belief in themselves.In this episode of Thick No More, Bernadette and I have a very personal conversation about growing up dyslexic, being labelled by education, bullying, parenting neurodivergent children and the damage that can be done when a child starts believing they're stupid.We also get into:• Why confidence can matter as much as academic intervention• The signs that a child's self-esteem may be disappearing• Why parents shouldn't blame themselves for spotting dyslexia late• Why Bernadette doesn't share school grades with her children• The pressure on parents to become advocates, educators and even legal experts• Whether calling dyslexia a “superpower” can sometimes do more harm than good• Why understanding your dyslexia can completely change the story you've been telling yourselfAnd Bernadette shares the moment, aged 35, when she finally received her own dyslexia diagnosis and one thought immediately came into her head:“So I'm not stupid.”If you're dyslexic, raising a dyslexic child, teaching one, or supporting someone who is struggling to believe they're capable, this conversation matters.🎙️ Thick No More with Jay GiddensBecause learning to read matters.But making sure a child doesn't lose themselves along the way matters too.

At 31 years old, Lisa Marshall's life changed with a knock at the door.Her husband Alan had died by suicide.She was suddenly a widow and solo mum to three young children, trying to understand something that made no sense while somehow continuing to make packed lunches, do the food shopping, get the children to school and simply survive.Recorded on World Suicide Prevention Day, this episode of Thick No More is an incredibly open conversation about what happens after suicide to the people left behind.Lisa talks about the Alan she knew before his death: funny, kind, a brilliant dad, making plans for holidays, coaching his son's football team and even talking about what he wanted to do for his 40th birthday.There was no obvious goodbye.No carefully tied-up loose ends.And no note explaining why.Lisa describes the moment police arrived at her home, the shock of being told Alan wasn't coming back, and the unanswered questions that followed.We talk about something people rarely admit openly after suicide: anger.Can you desperately love somebody and still hate what they've done?Can you be furious with them for leaving?Can you blame yourself for not seeing something that nobody else saw either?And what happens when the “why?” you're searching for may never have an answer?Lisa also shares how speaking to people who had survived suicide attempts completely changed her understanding of suicide and challenged beliefs she herself once held.Then there were the children.Lisa talks incredibly honestly about having to tell her young sons their dad wasn't coming home, how differently they processed their grief and how one son's distress appeared through intense anger before autism was later identified.That opens another deeply personal conversation about autism, masking, neurodivergence, parenting and the behaviours we see on the outside versus what may actually be happening underneath.But this isn't an episode solely about death.It's also about living.Lisa remembers laughing just days after Alan died — and the guilt and disbelief that came with discovering she was still capable of it.We even get into dark humour, dating after bereavement and something called “widow's fire” — which definitely wasn't on my podcast bingo card.And we talk about why Lisa eventually created The Widow Diaries, the community she couldn't find when she desperately needed it herself, and the extraordinary messages she now receives from people who tell her that seeing her content made them reconsider ending their own lives.This conversation is raw. At times it's uncomfortable. At others, surprisingly funny.Because grief isn't one emotion.And surviving doesn't mean forgetting.Alan died. Lisa didn't.Living again doesn't mean loving him less.🎙️ In this episode we talk about:• Suicide and the people left behind• World Suicide Prevention Day• The unanswered “why” after suicide• Anger, guilt, blame and rejection• Why suicidal distress doesn't always look like we expect• Parenting after the death of a partner• Explaining suicide to young children• Autism, masking and neurodivergence• How grief can appear through behaviour• Finding joy without feeling guilty• Dating and intimacy after bereavement• The Widow Diaries• Why talking openly about suicide matters• Finding purpose after unimaginable lossIf this episode makes you think of somebody who needs to hear it, please send it to them.And if you're struggling yourself, please reach out to someone you trust or an appropriate crisis or suicide-prevention service where you live.You don't have to carry it alone.🌶️ Thick No More — real stories, real people, real change.

What happens when the signs were always there, but nobody joined the dots?Adam Petrie grew up knowing there was a gap between what he was capable of and what he actually produced at school.He was monitored, labelled and struggled with impulsivity, but it wasn't until the age of 35 that he finally received an ADHD diagnosis.His reaction?“YES!”Because suddenly, decades of his life started to make sense.In this episode of Thick No More, Adam talks openly about his experience at school, the impact of going unidentified for so long, becoming a teacher himself and recognising the same patterns in the children sitting in front of him.We talk about why ability and performance are not the same thing, why parents and teachers often hold different pieces of the same puzzle, the children who quietly slip through the cracks, and why waiting until a child reaches crisis before offering support simply isn't good enough.Adam also shares the story behind Early Signals, the system he's developing to help schools capture those small observations, join the dots earlier and build a clearer picture around a child before those signals become something much bigger.This is a conversation about ADHD, SEND, education, confidence and what can happen when somebody finally looks beyond the behaviour.🎙️ Nobody Joined the Dots | Adam Petrie on ADHD, School & the Signs We MissBecause what a child produces on paper should never define what they're capable of.Thick No More.

What happens when a child fails the same exam again… and again… and again?Hannah Gee knows exactly what that looks like.After watching her son struggle through repeated GCSE Maths and English exams, Hannah recorded an emotional video from her car that resonated with thousands of parents.But she didn’t stop at sharing her frustration.She decided to fight for change.Hannah is the founder of the Fair Exams Campaign, and in this episode of Thick No More, we ask whether our current examination system is really measuring intelligence and ability or simply measuring which young people are best able to succeed within that system.Hannah shares the reality of watching her son’s confidence disappear, the experience of having to persuade him to attend yet another exam, and why she believes repeatedly putting young people through the same system and expecting a different outcome has to stop.We also discuss:🎓 Why Hannah believes exams need to become fairer, not easier📚 Functional Skills and why Hannah believes they could offer a genuine alternative for some young people💷 Fair Exams’ calculation that around £338 million is spent each year on GCSE resits📊 Why Hannah says the average GCSE resit pass rate over the last five years has been around 21%🧠 The huge disparity Hannah highlights between SEND and non-SEND young people achieving English and Maths GCSEs❤️ The impact repeated failure can have on confidence, self-esteem and a young person’s relationship with education📻 Hannah and her son’s appearance on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour🏛️ What Hannah wants politicians and the Department for Education to do differently✊ And, most importantly, what we can all do to support Fair ExamsThis isn't about lowering standards.It's about giving young people a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they actually know.As Hannah says in our conversation:“We’re trying to make them fairer, not easier.”SIGN THE PETITION:Create an applied pathway within GCSE English and Maths, like Functional Skills - PetitionsFAIR EXAMS WEBSITE:Fairer exams. Fairer futures. — Fairer ExamsFOLLOW FAIR EXAMS ON INSTAGRAM:Please don't just listen.Sign the petition. Share it with your school WhatsApp groups. Send it to another parent. Talk about it.The more people who get behind this campaign, the harder this conversation becomes to ignore.If this episode resonates with you, please follow Thick No More on Spotify and share this episode with one person who needs to hear it.Instagram:Every follow, share and listen helps us take these conversations further.Because a grade on a piece of paper should never determine a young person's belief in their own intelligence.You were never thick. You deserved to be understood.🎙️ Thick No More with Jay Giddens✍️ SUPPORT THE FAIR EXAMS CAMPAIGN🎙️ FOLLOW THICK NO MORE

Millions of adults with dyslexia still believe they're the problem.Not because they aren't intelligent.Because nobody ever explained how their brain actually works.In this deeply honest conversation, dyslexia coach and author Natalie Brooks joins Jay Giddens to unpack the realities of adult dyslexia—from working memory and masking to confidence, executive function and why so many people spend decades believing they simply aren't good enough.This isn't another conversation about famous entrepreneurs or "superpowers."It's about understanding yourself.Inside this episode you'll discover:🧠 Why working memory affects conversations, meetings and everyday life💜 Why confidence isn't just emotional—it changes how your brain functions🎭 What masking really looks like in adults with dyslexia💡 Why "picture thinking" can be one of your greatest strengths📖 The inspiration behind Natalie's new book, Dyslexia UnlockedWhether you're dyslexic, neurodivergent, a parent, teacher or employer, this episode will leave you understanding dyslexia in a completely different way.🎙️ Guest: Natalie Brooks📚 Book: Dyslexia UnlockedIf this conversation resonates with you, please follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.