In Their Words: COA Lives with Jonathan Ashworth – Details, episodes & analysis

I’m Jonathan Ashworth, 

As a politician, in parliament I championed the cause of COAs, the children of alcoholics. It opened up a word of voices to me I’d never heard before. 

Now it’s my mission to share real stories from people from all walks of life affected by parental addiction. 

I know how healing it can be to find a common thread of fellow feeling. I know how painful it be to feel alone. 

And through these conversations I want to shine a light on experiences too often kept in the shadows. 

Come with me on this journey to explore the challenges, the hope, and the healing. This is, ‘In their Words: COA Lives.’

Former Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth sits down with Calum Best — TV personality, entrepreneur, and son of football legend George Best — for an open and emotional conversation about family, addiction, and hope.

Calum shares powerful stories of growing up with his famous father, how he learned to channel pain into purpose, and why he’s dedicated to supporting the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa UK). Together, they explore fatherhood, resilience, and how to break the cycle for future generations.

 

Support Nacoa UK: https://nacoa.org.uk

Nacoa provides vital help and resources for children affected by parental drinking. Please donate or become a member if you can.

 

Topics in this episode:

• George Best’s football legacy and personal struggles

• Calum’s journey through fame, loss, and recovery

• The emotional impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent

• Finding purpose through charity, running, and helping others

• The importance of breaking stigma around addiction and mental health

Follow Jonathan Ashworth for more conversations that shine a light on untold stories and real lives.

YouTube Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Jonathan Ashworth on why this podcast matters 00:29 – Welcoming Calum Best: TV personality and Nacoa patron 02:12 – George Best’s legacy and early life at Manchester United 04:53 – Growing up as George Best’s son 06:35 – Finding meaning and gratitude through hardship 07:23 – “I wouldn’t change a thing” – lessons from childhood 09:17 – Family connections, Manchester memories, and shared history 10:16 – The love behind the chaos: remembering their fathers 11:08 – Why telling these stories matters for children of alcoholics 13:24 – Life in California and visiting his father in London 15:08 – Lessons learned from fame, family, and the press 16:31 – The pool hall fight: a wild memory from youth 20:01 – How trauma shaped Calum’s mindset and resilience 25:14 – Reflections on addiction as illness vs. choice 29:12 – The genetic side of addiction and breaking the cycle 30:30 – Masculinity, stigma, and men’s mental health 32:18 – Running for Nacoa: the Chasing Yesterday challenge 35:26 – The tribute football matches and Calum’s love of the game 37:13 – Carrying George Best’s legacy with pride 39:57 – Using pain for purpose: the power of Nacoa 41:34 – George Best as an icon and the “fifth Beatle” 43:41 – Reflections on family, love, and his mother’s strength 44:59 – Calum’s message of gratitude and hope

Marking Children of Alcoholics Week 2026, we’re releasing a powerful and deeply personal episode of COA Lives featuring journalist, broadcaster and Nacoa patron Camilla Tominey.

In this candid conversation, Camilla joins Jonathan Ashworth to reflect on growing up with an alcoholic parent, the hidden realities behind a seemingly picture-perfect childhood, and the lasting impact of parental addiction into adulthood. Together, they discuss resilience, drive, family loyalty, and why speaking openly helps others feel less alone.

Recorded as part of our ongoing commitment to shine a light on the experiences of children of alcoholics, this episode highlights the importance of awareness, understanding and support — and why Children of Alcoholics Week remains such a vital moment to share these stories.

COA Lives returns with a deeply honest conversation about what it means to grow up in a family affected by alcohol problems — and the long-term impact that can have on identity, relationships, and wellbeing. In this episode, Jonathan Ashworth is joined by Loti Nambombe and Amy Dickson, who share their experiences of being part of the Children of Alcoholics (COA) community. Together, they explore the realities of navigating childhood in an unpredictable environment, the coping strategies many people carry into adulthood, and what recovery and healing can look like over time. Loti and Amy also speak about their professional work supporting children and young people in school settings, and why schools can play such a vital role in providing safety, stability, and early support for those affected by alcohol problems at home. They discuss the importance of peer support, finding language for your story, and the power of community in breaking cycles and building healthier futures. A compassionate, insightful episode for anyone who grew up with alcoholism in the family — or wants to better understand its hidden effects. 🎧 Listen now and follow COA Lives for more conversations on recovery, resilience, and connection.

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of COA Lives, host Jonathan Ashworth sits down with Lucy Norfolk and her 13-year-old daughter Amelie Peek—two extraordinary voices bravely speaking out about the realities facing children of alcoholics. Together, they share the story of Daniel, Amelie’s father and Lucy’s long-term partner, whose lifelong struggle with alcoholism ended tragically in 2022. Lucy offers an unflinching account of navigating a system that repeatedly failed her family—from the lack of mental-health and rehabilitation support to the stigma and judgment that too often surrounds addiction. She describes Daniel’s rapid physical decline, the emotional toll of caring for him largely alone, and the extraordinary act of generosity he made at the end of his life: becoming an organ donor and saving others. Amelie, wise beyond her years, talks about recognising her dad’s drinking, writing a courageous letter to the Prime Minister, and taking her campaign all the way to Downing Street. She shares her hopes for change—better support for children, restrictions on alcohol advertising, and a world where talking about addiction doesn’t come with shame. Through honesty, humour, grief and hope, this conversation shines a light on the unseen struggles so many families face. It is a testament to resilience, to speaking up, and to the belief that by sharing our stories, we can make lasting change.

Welcome to the first episode of “COA Lives”, a new podcast hosted by Jonathan Ashworth, former Labour MP and long-time advocate for children of alcoholics.

In this moving conversation, Jonathan speaks with Sarah Drage — a Nacoa ambassador, podcaster, and mental-health advocate whose life changed forever after losing her father, Steve, to alcohol addiction.

Sarah opens up about the emotional complexity of loving someone with addiction, the years of gaslighting and denial, the heartbreaking moment she had to decide to switch off her father’s life-support machine, and how that trauma led her into national advocacy work.

Together, Jonathan and Sarah explore:

• What it means to grow up as a Child of an Alcoholic (COA)

• The guilt, anger, love, and confusion that shape COA families

• Why stigma kills — and how silence harms families

• The price of public advocacy, both healing and painful

• How childhood trauma shapes identity, adulthood, and parenting

• What breaking generational cycles really looks like

This episode is tender, honest, and full of hope for anyone affected by a loved one’s drinking. You are not alone.

Ian Stringer’s voice is familiar to football fans across the country — a commentator who has lived the highs and lows of the beautiful game. But behind the microphone is a story shaped by loss, trauma, and the lasting impact of growing up with a parent struggling with alcoholism.

In this deeply personal and courageous conversation, Ian shares the devastating story of losing his mother, Christine, whose body lay undiscovered for seven weeks after her death in 2016. He speaks with honesty about the guilt, anger and grief that followed — and the impossible choices children of alcoholics are often forced to make in order to protect themselves.

Ian Full export transcript

Ian reflects on a childhood marked by instability, domestic violence, and the gradual realisation that he could not save the person he loved most. He describes the complex emotions that come with loving someone whose illness takes them further and further away — and the burden so many children carry in silence.

Now a father himself, Ian explains how his experiences shaped his determination to break the cycle, protect his own children, and find healing through sharing his story. He also talks about his extraordinary fundraising challenge — running marathons across the international date line to “chase yesterday” — and why supporting children affected by parental alcoholism has become his mission.

This episode is a powerful testament to resilience, love, and the lifelong impact of growing up in the shadow of addiction. It’s also a reminder that no child should feel alone — and that by telling these stories, we can help others find understanding, support, and hope.

In this episode of COA Lives, Jonathan Ashworth sits down with resilience coach, author and Nacoa ambassador Josh Connolly for an honest conversation about growing up around addiction, recovery, and what it really means to break the cycle.

Josh shares how getting sober at 24 led him to re-examine his childhood and recognise the impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent. What followed was a journey that would see him become a powerful voice for children of alcoholics — through his writing, public speaking and the widely followed COAs Are A Thing platform.

Together, Jonathan and Josh explore the complicated emotional reality many children of alcoholics experience: loving a parent deeply while also feeling hurt, let down or confused by their behaviour. They discuss how chaotic childhoods can create resilience, but also why that resilience often comes at a cost.

Josh also speaks about his work helping people break free from toxic family dynamics, the importance of boundaries, and why children need to hear one crucial message early on: their parent’s drinking is not their fault.