We always like to see encouraging recovery stories pop up in unconventional locations. The Financial Times, for example, is not a place where you’d expect to hear about people beating their addictions. But the famed economy site did just that this past week, highlighting young entrepreneurs channeling their sobriety for the greater good.
England-based Jade Wye and Melissa Rice have been making international headlines for their irreverent and honest podcast, Hooked: The Unexpected Addicts. Not only is it attracting dedicated listeners from around the world, Hooked is even winning contests and awards.
In fact, Hooked’s origin story dates back to a big win early in 2019. During that time, BBC Radio 5 helped initiate a special contest to overtake a timeslot previously used by the very popular cancer-related podcast You, Me and the Big C. After overcoming some very stiff competition, Wye and Rice were voted in for the grand prize, receiving the full support of BBC Broadcasting.
What made these two hostesses so popular was their honesty and everyday background. Wye and Rice are not socialites or the children of celebrities. In fact, they describe themselves as middle class working girls who got caught up in addiction just like countless others.
Financial Times writer Fiona Sturges summed up their overall philosophy quite well.
“The Hooked podcast aims to talk honestly about addiction and recovery while debunking the myths and stereotypes,” Sturges wrote. “The first myth is that addicts are either super-rich types struggling with success or homeless people who have lost everything. Rice is a former primary school teacher and alcoholic while Wye is a mental health nurse and recovering drug addict. Both managed their addictions through university and later hid them from their employers.”
Both Wye and Rice are also incredibly honest with their listeners. Rice, for example, has opened up about blacking out, losing her hair and even pouring Jack Daniels on her breakfast cereal during her dark periods. Wye discussed a suicide attempt tied to her addiction, which ultimately left her in a coma and clinging to life.
What Sturges touched upon makes a lot of sense when you think of Hooked’s success (and the success of many independent podcasts).
“Informal, honest and frequently funny, Hooked is the kind of intimate and unfiltered conversation that two close friends might have in private,” Sturges concluded. “Except that, in this case, they have invited the world to listen in.”
You can give a listen to Melissa and Jade yourself, by clicking here for the complete episode list.
