Power And Purpose Podcast

What does it take to come through difficult times stronger?Alastair Campbell joins Maro and the Power & Purpose team for a candid conversation about leadership, depression and why resilience alone isn’t enough.From his controversial team talk on the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to the pressures of working alongside Tony Blair, Alastair reflects on handling scrutiny, learning from setbacks and the influence of sport on how a country feels about itself.He introduces the idea behind his book, Persevilience, shares the habits he uses to manage depression, and speaks openly about Fiona and the people who have helped him through his hardest moments.Plus, how he first met Maro, what he would say if Manchester City called for advice, and a quick-fire round covering Blair or Brown, Obama or Trump, and Ferguson or Guardiola.00:00 Introducing Alastair Campbell01:08 Joining the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour05:40 The team talk that upset the players07:45 When your reputation becomes the story10:35 How Alastair and Maro first met13:35 Why sport matters more than people realise15:04 Manchester City, money and power17:29 What if Manchester City called for advice?20:11 Should football fans be allowed a beer?24:22 Politics and reaching people through social media25:55 Persevilience: why resilience isn’t enough28:28 His breakdown and rebuilding his life30:12 What does coming through stronger actually mean?32:44 Can resilience be taught?33:58 The tactics Alastair uses to manage depression36:32 What he has learned since Living Better38:12 How depression affected Fiona and his family39:06 Where the idea for the book came from40:48 Finding perseverance in ordinary people42:31 Who inspires Alastair?45:22 What Fiona means to him47:21 Quick-fire: Blair, Brown, Trump and Guardiola50:50 Closing thoughts and podcast rivalry52:13 The hosts’ debrief58:09 Maro on Alastair’s advice: “Don’t be a robot”

Power & Purpose returns for Series 3, with Maro Itoje and Leon Mann together in person to talk leadership, sport and the value of stepping back.Maro shares what he learned from spending time with Mikel Arteta and how taking a break from rugby renewed his motivation. They also discuss cancel culture and genuine apologies, why building something great takes patience, and the changing relationship between sports journalism and content creators. Leon reflects on how losing a valued colleague became an opportunity to rethink his business.William Troost-Ekong couldn’t join this episode, but remains part of the Power & Purpose team.

When would you walk away from something you love — and on whose terms?Maro Itoje is back on Power and Purpose. He's sitting out England's entire summer tour on the recommendation of head coach Steve Borthwick and head of performance Phil Morrow — a "factory reset" after twelve months that included the Lions series win in Australia, a Six Nations, and his mother's passing. William Troost-Ekong joins from Doha where he's back in preseason after five weeks broadcasting the FIFA World Cup 2026 for SuperSport. Leon Mann is in London. First all-three episode in a while.Two captains at this virtual table, both of whom chose their endings before anyone told them to. Maro on why he plans to retire at thirty-five and what his two-word Instagram post — "mine won't" — actually meant. Will on eighty-three caps for Nigeria and being a custodian of the shirt, not the owner. Contentment as the hardest skill. And the workload debate the whole game is quietly having — Fabio Capello, Maheta Molango, Van Dijk, and PSG's Enrique.This is the conversation that reframed the summer for us. The body is fine. It's the mental load that decides.Listen to the full episode below:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5acio7AdrIGnrGU7pXgrv2Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/power-and-purpose-podcast/id1838671753Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@listenpowerandpurpose

When was the last time a player sent off at a World Cup was allowed to play the next game? 1962. And who made the call this week that changed that?In this FIFA World Cup 2026 special, William Troost-Ekong joins Leon Mann live from Doha, where Will is back in preseason with his Qatari club after a summer broadcasting for SuperSport. Maro Itoje is away. Together they tell two stories from the same fortnight: nine African teams in the knockouts of Africa's best-ever World Cup, and one phone call between the White House and FIFA that overturned a red card.Will opens up about Nigeria not being there — taking personal responsibility, retiring from international football, and preparing for post-playing life through a sports directorship course at the University of East London. Leon lays out the 85-seats question: Africa's 54 FIFA Congress seats plus the Caribbean's 31 equal Europe's 55 — so why aren't they moving together? And they close with what has to change before the World Cup lands in Africa in 2030.This is the conversation that reframed the summer for us. Africa has the talent. The question now is who gets to shape what happens next.Listen to the full episode below:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5acio7AdrIGnrGU7pXgrv2Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/power-and-purpose-podcast/id1838671753Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@listenpowerandpurpose

How does a goalkeeper wake up with 50,000 Instagram followers and go to bed with nearly 14 million — and still not be able to get his mother a visa to watch him play?In this FIFA World Cup 2026 special, William Troost-Ekong joins Leon Mann live from SuperSport in Johannesburg, where Will is doing analyst work through the tournament. Maro Itoje is away. Together they use the World Cup 2026 as a lens on the question mainstream coverage isn't asking: who actually gets to take part in the global game, and who gets left at the door?Will opens up about his own transition from Premier League defender to broadcast analyst — the punditry homework, the twenty-five-second windows, and the social media clips athletes now sign into their contracts. Leon tracks the Omar Artan story: Somalia's referee, Africa's best of 2025, turned back at the US border with a valid visa. And together they unpack the Vozinha story from Cape Verde's opening game — the one the whole episode turns on.This is the conversation that reframed the tournament for us. Fame is loud. Access is who gets in the room.Listen to the full episode below:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5acio7AdrIGnrGU7pXgrv2Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/power-and-purpose-podcast/id1838671753Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@listenpowerandpurpose