Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr

Carol Kane is the co-founder of Boohoo, the brand Boohoo - she built from a £1,500 website in 2006 into a £1.5 billion publicly listed group. She served as co-CEO and Executive Director of Boohoo Group, overseeing its IPO in 2014 and the acquisition of brands including Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, Dorothy Perkins and Karen Millen. She is a pioneer of influencer and celebrity marketing in British fashion.
In this episode of Origin Story, Carol sits down to share the full journey from growing up as the youngest of four in a three-bedroom house in Jarrow, Northeast England, to building a publicly listed fashion empire worth £1.5 billion. She talks about losing her father at 20, being the first in her family to go to university, landing in Hong Kong at 22 with almost nothing, and how those early years gave her the commercial instincts that would define her career.
We cover the founding of Boohoo, how Carol and co-founder Mahmud Kamani identified e-commerce before the high street even took it seriously, and how they used distressed media buys, MTV bumpers and reality TV stars from Geordie Shore to build a brand that nobody saw coming.
Carol also opens up about the harder chapters the Leicester supply chain controversy, the weight of public scrutiny, the reputational damage that followed, and how meditation, breath work and a Buddhist monk she met in Thailand helped her stay grounded through it all.
This is a conversation about identity, class, resilience, wealth, and what it really means to build something that outlasts you.

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Daniel Sloss is a comedian, author, and father. From a 17-year-old at Edinburgh's Stand Comedy Club to causing 100,000 breakups worldwide, Daniel Sloss shares the moments that nearly broke him, and ultimately transformed him, on his journey to becoming one of comedy's most authentic voices.In this episode, Daniel takes us inside the make-or-break moments behind his career, including the night his Netflix specials dropped and he sat reading 3,000 DMs on ecstasy, the devastating spiral of drinking 3/4 bottle of whiskey on stage every night during his global tour, and the moment his wife told him to go back on the road because staying home was driving them both mad.He reveals how his parents drove him to gigs as a teenager and learned he'd lost his virginity by watching his set, why refusing to move to London's "clicky bullshit" scene was the best decision he made, and how Eddie Izzard convinced him to tour Europe when he thought nobody would understand his comedy.Daniel also reflects on the bold move that defined his career - being the only UK comedian to speak out when everyone else stepped back - the price of doing the right thing, and the bittersweet reality of achieving global fame while hating himself at the peak of success.This is a candid conversation about Robot Wars, imposter syndrome, becoming a father, grief, comedy as truth-telling, and why "I'm Daniel and Dad now" matters more than any sold-out show. Follow Daniel Sloss📸 Instagram 👉 @danielsloss🎫 Tour dates 👉 danielsloss.comOrigin Story takes you behind the scenes with the people whose work has shaped your life. Hosted by David McIntosh, each episode explores the pivotal moments, unexpected challenges, and hard-won lessons from creators, comedians, and change makers who've built something extraordinary.Content Warning: This episode contains strong language throughout, and discussions of sexual assault, grief, death, suicide, addiction, and mental health struggles.

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Ben Barlow is the lead vocalist of Neck Deep — the Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012 that’s become one of Britain’s biggest modern rock exports. Neck Deep are one of my favourite bands
In this episode of Origin Story, we do it properly: in a skatepark — because skate culture and pop-punk aren’t aesthetics… they’re a philosophy. Ben talks about growing up in skateparks, why “living on your own terms” became his whole life assignment, and how the band went from posting “What Did You Expect?” online to global tours, viral hits, and over a billion streams.
We go deep on authenticity vs trends, attention as currency, and why subculture feels like it’s dying — then we zoom right in again: what fame does to young men, how Ben avoided the “rockstar trap,” and the real costs of life on the road (including the moments you miss that don’t show up on Instagram).
And then the episode turns into the stuff fans actually care about: the emotional engine behind the early songs, how Life’s Not Out To Get You became a lifeline for people, and why Ben still believes human art cuts through even in an AI era.
About Neck Deep:
Neck Deep are a Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012, originally sparked when Ben Barlow and guitarist Lloyd Roberts posted “What Did You Expect?” online — a DIY start that snowballed into a decade-plus career of major chart success and global touring.
Their latest chapter includes the self-titled album Neck Deep (released Jan 19, 2024 via Hopeless Records), described by the band as a “return to roots” record made in-house with Ben’s brother Seb involved in the process.
Expect to learn:
Why skateparks produce “no status games” — and what that teaches you about life

The real story of early Neck Deep: DIY beginnings, heartbreak fuel, instant traction

Style vs substance (in skating and in music) — and why “being yourself” wins long-term

Attention economy, trend culture, and why “effort” became social currency

Fame, relationships, and how to stay grounded when your life goes nuclear

Why Life’s Not Out To Get You hit so hard, and how Ben thinks about responsibility to fans

AI, authenticity, and why human-made art still matters

Instagram: @davidmcintoshjrPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/davidmcintoshjr/aboutSubstack: https://substack.com/@davidmcintoshjr?Merch: https://originstoryclub.co.uk/

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Jimmy Carr is back. Jimmy Carr is one of the most recognisable comedians on the planet: world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author - famous for brutal roasts and surgical one-liners.
But in this episode, you get the sharper edge and the deeper thinking: why 2026 is going to feel like a turning point and how young men can get control back.
Jimmy is one of the most respected comedians in the world: a world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author known for brutal one-liners and zero mercy…
but in this episode you get the full range - savage comedy and the deeply human side. We talk about dating, masculinity, porn, cheap dopamine and why so many young men feel stuck - then we go way bigger: AI as a new “god”, the end of old institutions, how podcasts replaced mainstream media, and why politics is entering a genuinely weird new era.
And then the episode turns: Jimmy opens up about grief and love - remembering Sean Lock (including the first joke Jimmy ever heard him say, and why he felt like a father figure), the impact of losing his mum Nora, and a beautiful tribute to Janey Godley and what she said about Jimmy behind the scenes.

Expect to learn:
Why women select for competence and what “safety” really signals.
Jimmy’s advice to young men: porn, risk, rejection, and building a real life
The loneliness trade-off: liver damage vs social isolation How J
immy thinks about anxiety, discipline, and “life assignment”
Sean Lock’s legacy — and what it’s like to lose someone you built a career beside Grief, funerals, and the difference between resume virtues and eulogy virtues AI, institutions, and why the next decade could get very “interesting”and much, much more.
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00:00 — Young Men Are Stuck
01:52 — Jimmy’s Back: Glasgow Banter
04:18 — “Media Diet” & Mental Health
07:27 — ADHD, Boundaries & Discipline
08:23 — Arenas, Imposter Syndrome, Movies
13:46 — Early Comedy Influences
16:21 — How You Build Confidence
17:32 — First Glasgow Joke (DVD Era)
18:52 — Comedy = Friendship
20:28 — Why Dark Humour Helps
22:16 — Dating: Safety, Competence, Chemistry
24:48 — Advice to Young Men: Porn, Games, Asking Girls Out
27:09 — Drinking vs Isolation
29:28 — Dealing Young People In: Agency Over Empathy
31:35 — Trump + Debate vs Deliberation
32:28 — Fourth Turning + Class Politics Flip
34:31 — Podcasts Replaced Mainstream Media
36:52 — “Be Of Service” — Working-Class Agency
37:46 — “Woke”, Status & Suicidal Empathy
39:19 — Jimmy’s Come-Up: Luck + Work Ethic
42:29 — Pre-Show Mindset
44:32 — Jimmy’s Laugh + His Mum
47:48 — Sean Lock: First Meeting + Legacy
53:54 — Grief, Mortality & Talking To The Dead
55:18 — Funerals: Eulogy vs Résumé
01:01:31 — AI, God & The Future
01:04:26 — Secret Struggles: Dyslexia, Body Image, Work
01:07:24 — Pax Americana Ending + The World Shifting
01:10:29 — Kids, Legacy & Meaning
01:13:18 — Janey Godley Tribute

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Benny Higgins is a Scottish Banker and Former CEO of RBS, Bank of Scotland and Tesco Bank. He is also the chairman of a portfolio of companies. He's a lover of Art and Poetry. He is also my good friend.

Benny Higgins grew up in Toryglen tower blocks, captained Celtic’s youth team, and became a defining force in modern Scottish business — from CEO of RBS during the NatWest takeover, to building Tesco Bank from the ground up. But what makes Benny different is the paradox: a numbers man with a lifelong devotion to poetry, art, and culture — and a Glaswegian accent that never moved an inch.
We recorded this in Kelvingrove Art Gallery, a place that shaped Benny as a 10-year-old at his first ever art competition — and still represents the thread running through his life: curiosity, pride, and the desire to win.
We get into Celtic, class, and leadership… the reality of boardrooms at scale… why he hires through trust over “perfect CVs”… and the stories you genuinely couldn’t script: Maya Angelou, the Golden Globes, Soho, and a cocktail named after his fifth wife Sharon.
Why Kelvingrove is symbolic to Benny’s origin story

Toryglen tower blocks: toughness, community, and confidence through football

Celtic youth captaincy and the first leadership lessons that stuck

“I just wanted to win”: the mindset behind academic dominance

Actuarial exams in 2.5 years (when the average was ~7)

RBS context + how the NatWest hostile takeover happened

Building Tesco Bank from scratch: 140 people → 5,000 → 8m customers

Hiring “the best people I knew” and why trust beats process

Social mobility: money, identity, and why he treats everyone the same

Soho stories: tailors, members clubs, and the “Higgins No.5” cocktail

The Golden Globes: Jon Hamm photo… taken by Bradley Cooper

Lunch with Maya Angelou: poetry, Burns, and an unforgettable moment

What people think is true about him (but isn’t)

What’s next — and the ambition that still drives him

Guest
Benny Higgins — former senior leader at RBS, creator of Tesco Bank, chair/board roles across culture and business.
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