Simon Thomas | Coming Back From Anxiety and Grief to Take a Second Chance at Life

Georgie welcomes her former Sky Sports screen husband, and now Soccer Saturday host, Simon Thomas, into the Performance People studio. Simon opens up about his journey through sports broadcasting, revealing the truth behind his big break on Blue Peter, explaining the personal challenges of overcoming anxiety and the pressures of live television, how the sudden death of his wife, Gemma, left him utterly broken and he shares the shaping forces that helped him rebuild his life again. He discusses how he handles pressure through preparation, the inside stories on what really happens in live TV, describes what it’s like to follow Jeff Stelling into one of live football’s most demanding jobs and he gives Georgie a dressing down for misidentifying the Blue Peter ship.

In this episode, we have an honest and important conversation about mental health, including experiences with suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone—support is available. If you are struggling with either, you can contact the Samaritans at:

https://www.samaritans.org/

Simon is President of Blood Cancer UK. Since losing his wife, Gemma, suddenly to acute myeloid leukaemia in November 2017 he has been raising awareness of blood cancer symptoms ever since.

For more information or to donate, go to:

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/

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The ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.

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