Episode 9: Jack Marriner-Brown on Mental Health Awareness Week

Jack Marriner-Brown is in the hot seat for the latest episode of Moving Minds, as we mark Mental Health Awareness week. A Yorkshire lad, Jack rose to fame after his appearance on The Traitors and in this candid conversation he discusses the impact being in the spotlight had on his mental health.

Jack also chats to host Gemma Oaten about how he finds time to unwind, the importance of nature and his love for Hull!

Find information and support for your mental health on the NHS website or contact Samaritans who offer help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at samaritans.org

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hi Gemma Rotin here and this is another episode of Moving Minds with Whole Trains and this time we've got Jack Mariner Brown with us. Yes, the one and only. He was in the traitors last year, and now he is going from strength to strength with his work at BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Morning Live, and more. So get your earphones out, get your telly on if you're watching our YouTube and get a brew. Welcome, welcome, Jack Mariner Brown, to the whole trains podcast Moving Minds.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

I am a little bit nervous about this episode because I know you and you're a cheeky chappy. Really?

SPEAKER_02 0:42

You're nervous because I'm probably the biggest celebrity you've ever had to interview.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Absolutely that. And your rider, clearly, your rider is a good one.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

But my bit my biscuits and uh and this Moving Minds whole train's mug, actually.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Well, I mean I mean we've already had a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 0:59

Is there anything in I just thought it'd look good for camera? It does.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

We've already had a little bit of a clash though, because um so Jack, you were in the traitors last year.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Are you sh are you sure?

SPEAKER_02 1:14

I was just I didn't know if it was this year or last year, but it was last year.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

It was last year. Um but also you are apparently the face of whole trains, which has made me feel a little bit like I'm not sure, I'm not sure how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Well no, I can be the You can be the face, I can be the shoulders. Or the feet. Oh no, or you can be the voice.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

No, but you're the voice because you Radio Humbers are doing all the bluming.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Anyway, I'm only Joe.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

True. No.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

We can share and share our.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

We can share. Well, listen, I might I'm gonna to be honest, I'm gonna for your job on the. I want to be in the.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Do you know what? I knew you were gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

I want to be in the driver's seat.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

I knew you were gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

No, I don't. No, you're doing fantastic you're a fantastic host.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Host?

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Host is or presenter?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Hmm. Present. Are you a podcast host or are you a podcast presenter team? What do we think? Uh host. Host. Host, okay. Well that sounds better in Hull, doesn't it, as well. Host.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Host. Host. Yeah, okay, I like that.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

So, Jack, what have you been up to since the traitors last year? And how mad was that?

SPEAKER_02 2:11

Ha, what have I been up to? Um, as much sleep as possible.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Rest when you can.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Um Yeah, or do you know what? It's been really crazy to be honest. I didn't expect this to happen. So this literally this time, not last year, the year before, I was cutting grass for the council.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Uh, selling flowers on a market uh for my mum and dad, which I still sometimes tunnel.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

It's real time. Okay, yeah, that's a scared.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

A little bit, yeah. No, it's fine. It's fine. Um, okay. Um yeah, no, so I still I still sell flowers on the market every now and again, but yeah, so I was just, you know, working in a job which I wasn't really uh I just didn't really feel like I had a direction. And then the traitors thing happened, and obviously I was r off right at the start before I even got a chance to get into the competition.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Just go back like how how how was that? Did you know that you were gonna go back?

SPEAKER_02 3:08

No, so I didn't know we didn't I didn't get told we didn't know anything. Um yeah, it was it sounds so trivial, right? Because it's just a game show, right? But for me, I'd turned it into something so much more because I'd obviously was working a you know, like a job which I didn't have any prospects of future really, you know. Um I was desperate to to do something with my life, and I thought that traitors was gonna be the the thing that the thing that changed the direction. So I'd put I'd put so much into it, you know, like mentally, I was I was I was just so focused on that being. Yeah, I'd put so I'd just put so much, I'd I'd I'd pinned all my hopes on it, and then I was and then I through no one else's fault but my own got off the train before we even got into the castle and to be honest spent every day kicking myself for it after like ridiculously like I'm saying like the the sleepless nights because it was a long time between the the filming and it was aired. It gets filmed right, you know, like in the springtime, and it didn't air until the following January. Yeah. So obviously I had all this time of not being able to talk to anyone about it because you've got all these non-disclosure agreements, you can't say anything. And uh oh, I was so anxious, I didn't want it to come on tele because I thought I was so embarrassed because I got left swinging in that big cage.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, but you made something of it, didn't you? Like, don't you don't you feel like real proud of it? No.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Yeah, I do, but there have defin there have definitely been days I'm proud of myself, but I feel like there have definitely been days where I was thinking, oh my gosh, like was it was it worth the the the pain of it at the time? Because at the time I was so down. You know, like oh god, yeah, massively, and it sounds so daft because it's just uh a part of a game show. Yeah, there was there were definitely a couple of times where I thought oh dear.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

But you come across as you're like, and I mean this in the nicest way, like a big, a big cuddly bear.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

Well, how could that be taken in a bad way?

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Like you're so tenacious and so like out there, but then underneath it all there's just this like softness and loveliness. But I think that's why you're gonna skyrocket because you you you fight for yourself, you back yourself, but you haven't lost that integrity and kindness.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Humbleness.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

There's still that that pat that that person who got off that train in the traitors because I thought everybody else would have done this. I don't know. Do you know what? In in all honesty.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

So hang on a minute, Jack. For anybody who's not seen the traitors or or or that series, tell talk us through what happened.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

So obviously, traitors, big murder mystery game, castle in the Scottish Highlands. Watch it. If you haven't watched it, watch it. Um on the journey into the competition, so on your way to this big castle where you're gonna spend your days murdering and mysterying and guessing, yeah. We were given an ultimatum, all the passengers, all the contestants were given an ultimatum, um, which essentially was like some people needed to leave in order for everyone else who remained to get more money. Um discuss.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

I remember like I remember what.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

So I was sat on a train just like just like I am now, I was on like a four-seater area. Obviously, there was a lot that happened. I to be fair, I was the first person to speak. I said, let's all play rock, paper, scissors.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Losers play the losers, losers play the losers. And then some people would be like, that's no, I'm not doing that, that's not fair, and stuff. Which I was like, which is fair enough, because I suppose you know if you if you They've got their game and journey, exactly, you've got your game and your journey, and yeah. Um and yeah, we we we all kind of had a bit of time before chatting about why we wanted the money. I think I was sat next to two new parents for a start. Obviously, I'm well at the time was single and living at home with my mum and dad. Yeah, yeah. Working a semi-stable job, um, and not in you know, I wasn't. So your jeopardy's not in the street. I wasn't in financial danger, is the way that I saw it, but obviously I've got a lot of friends who are young parents, and I appreciate the obvious first of all the meaning of of starting a family, but also that some people do deserve to get that to get that money, and I just kind of put their needs before yours? Yeah, sort of. It was also very awkward how everyone just sat there and nobody did anything, and I was thinking, oh my god, some something has to something has to happen now. But yeah, yeah, so I so I got so I just hopped off. I just hopped off and then um was was brought back in at like the fourth episode.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

In a in a massive cage. I say a massive cage, a small cage, with the other two contestants who'd got off the train. Yeah. And we had a minute to fight our case as to why we should be brought back in. Um and that was that. And that was that, and I had my wow!

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Coffee!

SPEAKER_02 8:47

But it's not but it's not but it's not in my um trains moving.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Decanter, my love, decanter. See if you can do this. Oh, well done, steady hand.

SPEAKER_02 8:57

You didn't even spill a drop.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Uh well done, well done.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

Look at that.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

See, this is where the train being on the train.

SPEAKER_02 9:03

Moving mine's cheers.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Cheers bit.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Oh, you've not even got an in y'all.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

No, I have a water. Uh-uh. How nice of water is that.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

I'll tell you what, that is the best, the best coffee I think I've ever had on a train. No, it is. No, it is. No, it is.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

You are gonna for my job, aren't you? No, she's gonna be. You are, you are. So after after so that, to be honest, that sounds like horrific. That whole but not but but Does it not trigger it would trigger me like back to my days of being bullied? I'd have been triggered like mad, like being left to swing.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

That sounds really wrong. Left swinging in the trees. Yeah, um Yeah, I was. No, I would yeah, and to be honest, like, yeah, because there was a I've I've definitely got picked last for the footy team a good few times to fall like. So to have that in front of 10 million people, to get picked last for the footy team in front of 10 million people, obviously Mad has a bit of an effect on you.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

You know, and it's hard to not to not dwell on it, yeah. But I think through that, obviously, everybody on everybody at the BBC must have felt sorry for me because now they've started hiring me for other jobs and other bits of work. You are doing so.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

I I started on BBC Radio Humberside um doing the summer Saturdays two years ago. You started doing the summer saturdays last year and have started doing more and more. Yeah. BBC Morning Live.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

I feel like we're on like you're you're you're the you're the whole man and the whole ass, and we're both going to be.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

We are no because I feel like we do constantly keep going like that. Like we are being in the same circles out.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

But I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

So you're doing BBC Morning Live, and you do also can I just say it's nice to have a friend in the industry to know somebody who's who knows. Yeah, like you you are like you are absolutely amazing, and obviously you know so much more about it than me. So I I do appreciate having a friendly face there who can support me and can like so cheers for that. It's a pretty uh sorry.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Thank you. I remember as soon as you were you were in the BBC Radio Humberside studios, and I was just like, I felt like I I knew, yeah. Yeah and and I feel like that is a big whole thing, isn't it? Like I don't so I just moved back from um London after 16 years, and I love going to London, hence, hence the whole train connection, living there for 16 years, same as you, like back and forth, back and forth. But there's something about being in whole and how people support the whole folk, yeah, that I just I just maybe you do find it in other places, but there's something really special and unique about it. Yeah, it doesn't seem to be about competition, it's like Jaxie, go jack. So we've gone from um doing acting and then your flower shop working outside, going into traitors, life opening up, um new experiences, yeah. But you do still work with your mum and dad on the flower store. And the the stuff you do at BBC Morning Lab, a lot of that is agriculture, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Always tends to be outdoor kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

Well, yeah, so how important is that to you?

SPEAKER_02 12:18

But being outside and getting out and about, um especially in this last year, I was gonna say it's been absolutely massive. Um yeah, like I still have a couple of clients, so I used to do a bit of uh, you know, like uh freelance gardening work in Bridlington. I've still got a few clients who I go to, so it's like I'll be doing radio, BBC radio, or I'll go live on the BBC One on Monday morning, and then Tuesday morning I'm digging out a rosebush. I still need that outdoorsy element because I think for me personally um it's just a si it's just a soother. Yeah. You know, and I think especially now, like tran completely transitioning industry. I've gone from being um cutting grass for the council, yeah, doing the occasional acting job where I might do like a little somewhat on like a TV commercial or you know, some at small time, to then suddenly being on, albeit for a very short amount of time, the biggest reality show.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Yeah, but you made a big impact.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Thanks, darling. In thank you, okay. Uh, in the UK at the minute, and then going on to doing like live TV segments in front of 2.5 million people and hosting my local BBC branch of the radio, like it's obviously a massive switch, right? So obviously that comes with uh the imposter syndrome, the uh the nerves, the anxiety. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing, and I love it, but there are still some moments where I just have to take a sit and be like, Yeah, what you know, like take a breath. And for me, it's getting outdoors, it's like getting outside, that's what sorts it out. I'm so lucky to live near the seaside, or at least, you know, live near the countryside, and you know, anybody who's got whole trains, a train, you know, a train station that drops off with the whole trains nearby, yeah, is also just as lucky because they can just nip on and go to somewhere different and spend the day out. Yeah, um so yeah, so for me, getting outdoors is and it's been such a hard start to the year as well, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Like in terms of the how bad the weather has been. Like I've really struggled to like get into 2026 just because it's not stopped raining, but now we're sort of like coming out into spring and and happier, not happier times, but you know greener times. That's it. Brighter times brighter times.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Brighter.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

But I just think well, you've got a bright future, massively. You reckon? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just keep keep keep doing you and and being you and anti-Gem here will always have you back, and I'll always be there if you need any support. You know that, Jack. I love that, thank you. I mean, to wrap up, I am so proud of you, you know. It's mad, isn't it? Like, I don't know. Getting a bit emotional thinking about it. I am really proud of you.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Thank you. Um, can I ask you a question before we wrap up?

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Obviously, when you first started out going into Emadel and you started going into all that kind of stuff, what like if you ever feel like you're getting to a point when you you're not feeling grounded and you're feeling a bit up in the air and a bit panicked, like what's your go-to? Or if you're just about to go on stage, or if you're about to, I don't know, even just go outside and you're feeling a bit anxious or any, like, what's your do you have a process, do you have a go-to? Like, what what advice would you give me?

SPEAKER_00 15:44

I look at my evidence pot, right? So I pretend I've got a pot in front of me, and when I think I'm not gonna remember my lines, I look at my evidence pot and I go, when have I ever forgotten my lines live on stage? And if I have, when have I ever not been able to get out of it?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

It's not happened.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Say I feel um like I can't do a job because I'm not good enough for it. Evidence pot tells me that actually I didn't choose the job, the person hired me for the job, and they know that I'm good enough to do it. Evidence pot might be I'm feeling gross, disgusting, and and not wanting to go outside today. Evidence pot is remember you are beautiful inside and it doesn't matter what's on the outside. Uh like so. I kind of like I had this like metaphorical pot that I go into.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Have you got a spare one? Can you can you lend it to me after this? It can be anywhere you want.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

You can you can literally do that.

SPEAKER_02 16:40

Oh my gosh, that does that mean I get to keep this whole trade moving mind mug.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Yes! Oh yes! A little bit of commercial. But that can be that can be your evidence pot. Honestly, Jack, like I I mean this with all sincerity. Anytime that you have a wobble, look at your evidence pot, it works brilliantly with online trolls as well. Like, say Greg Head250 tells me that you know I um I hate that guy. I hate that guy. He's the worst that I can't act. I go, well, awkward because like I've consistently acted since I went to drama school. So since I left drama school. So it's stuff like that. That's how I deal with it. My evidence part. What about you? That's that's gonna be one of my last wrap-up questions, a little quick fire. How do you deal with I think you've kind of already touched on it, but what is your what is your well-being hack?

SPEAKER_02 17:26

My what my well-being hack is is talk to someone. For me, that's for me that's massive, is I need I need a back and forth, a chat. Um, be it either either I speak to you or I go outside and just try and lay my thoughts out.

unknown 17:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

You know, as as I'm walking, I think that's just so important. So yeah, so to get out and get active, yeah, and if you can get socialising, even if it's really tough, even if it's just speaking to, I don't know, somebody in the break room at work.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

You know, even if you even if you don't just just and just any opportunity you can to vocalise your thoughts because I feel like it's so easy to catastrophise when when it's all bottled up in your mind, because you're not, you know, you've got that internal monologue, you're not always forming full sentences, it's just thoughts and feelings, and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and hello. How are you doing, dude? Do you alright? No, not at all. Honestly, what I was saying is probably terrible anyway. You can say you're saying stop here.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Your evidence pot is saying pot is saying actually, as you say, no. It's good, it's good, and also travel hack. What's your travel hack for a train?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Travel hack for a train.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Oh, like for when you're travelling. Now, if it's a long journey or like, is there any sort of like my travel hack is I always bring um earplugs in case I need a snooze.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Earplugs?

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah, and an eye mask. I know I'm very bougie.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Yeah, you have actually. Um my travel hack every time is first of all, travel early.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Early morning for tr early morning travel is always better than late night travel.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Okay, great then.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Even if you even if you're checking for your place isn't until two o'clock, even just getting to wherever you need to go as early as possible, and dropping your bags off at the hotel and going for a walk around. I think it's so much better arriving at your destination when it's daytime if you can.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Don't ask me why.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

And then I feel like also it's nicer in the morning having a snooze on the train as opposed to end the other night having a snooze on the train, because then it kind of messes up with your party. So, yeah, travelling early.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

Um, traveling early and bringing a book and reading instead of spending three hours scrolling. And maybe listening to music as well, but I feel like listening to music for me, then I'll my phone will ding and I'll be like, oh god, you know, I'll go through it and then so yeah, so I'd say bring a book and travel early.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Love that.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

And that's my travel action.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Cheers, my dears.