Different with Nicky Campbell – Details, episodes & analysis

At school Nicky, along with many other pupils of Edinburgh Academy, was the victim of vicious abuse from teacher John Brownlee. Nicky didn’t think Brownlee’s crimes would ever be answered, but in March 2024, they went to court.

John Brownlee is 89 and was declared unfit to stand trial, instead an “examination of the facts” was held to establish the truth. Brownlee was found to have committed 31 charges of assault and assault to injury relating to incidents spanning from 1967 to 1991, as well as a composite charge of cruel unnatural treatment across the 20 years he worked at the school.

Now Nicky sits down with two other survivors who gave evidence, Frazer Macdonald and Neil MacDonald, and Scottish journalist Marcello Mega. They discuss how the story of the historic abuse at Edinburgh Academy has unfolded, what it was like to be in court and the consequences of childhood abuse.

WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of physical abuse, suicidal thoughts and strong language

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound: Ailsa Rochester

Jarren Rocks tells Nicky about creating Seance AI, a programme that allows us to speak to people we have lost. They discuss the rise of grief tech - how it can be a great tool to helpfully grieve, but also it's dangers. They discuss dystopian futures v utopian futures, how AI can change everything and the complexities of owning an image that can be used to create...anything.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound: Tom Hinckley

Nicky talks to Dr Melvin Vopson as Associate Professor in Physics at the University of Portsmouth. Melvin explains why he believes things like nature's symmetry and quantum physics point to our reality being a simulation - and whether information is the fifth state of matter.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Assistant Producer: Mansi Vithlani Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Ailsa Rochester, Mansi Vithlani

Author, ex East End gangster and convicted murderer meets Nicky to tell him about surviving prison, how the justice system needs to change and why she’s innocent of the murder she served 15 years behind bars for, but guilty of an armed raid on a Post Office.

Nicky and Linda discuss the standard of living in prison, what it’s like to have to tell your children you're going to prison and why young female prisoners need more support.

WARNING: This episode contains strong language, descriptions of violence, self harm, criminal acts, and adult themes.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Mansi Vithlani, Ailsa Rochester

Author and evolutionary biologist Lucy Cooke tells Nicky what the world of science got wrong because it was looking at the world through a patriarchal lens. From the amazing bonobo apes bonding through sapphic intimacy, to the menopausal whales leading their pods, to ducks evolving to choose which male fertilises her egg.

WARNING: This episode contains strong language and adult themes.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Ailsa Rochester

Dr Anna Colton tells Nicky about her work assessing potential reality TV contestants for shows like The Voice and My Mum, Your Dad. They talk about red flags, the effects of appearing on a reality TV show and Nicky explores his joyful experience as Dippy Egg on the Masked Singer and what the lead up to the big reveal has felt like.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Ailsa Rochester

Jordy Cernik was an up and coming TV and radio presenter when a rare disease called Cushing Syndrome started wreaking havoc on his life. After a string of life or death brain surgeries Jordy was left with one unexpected symptom - he is physically unable to feel fear. He told Nicky about jumping out of a plane to prove it, what life is like without fear and what it’s like to die on the operating table.

WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of surgical procedures.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Ailsa Rochester

WARNING this episode contains strong language and descriptions of sexual violence. Suzy Angus tells Nicky how she joined forces with two other women to fight the law of corroboration - a law previously described as the “cornerstone” of Scottish justice.

Suzy tells Nicky why the law meant there was no chance to prosecute her rapists and talks about her hopes for how these reforms will affect change for other survivors.

Produced by Audio Always Producer: Ailsa Rochester Editor: Jo Meek Sound Design: Ailsa Rochester

Holistic sex educator and tantric yoga teacher Jenny Keane meets Nicky to chat misconceptions about sex, being a sex educator in Ireland and why sex education matters.

Warning: This episode contains adult conversations about sex.

Nicky meets Joseph Paris, a man who spent several decades making wigs for Frank Sinatra. He tells Nicky what kind of man Frank was, what New York was like in the 70’s, which famous band Sinatra chased out of a Vegas steam room…And Nicky writes a swing song for Joe in the style of the late, great Frank Sinatra.

Warning: This episode contains strong language and adult themes