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00:00Hello and welcome to the start of your Wednesday evening live on The One Show with Geffen Jones
00:11and Angelica Bell and tonight's show is guaranteed to help banish the January blues as we bring you
00:17comedy stars Dawn French and Marquise some inspirational tips to kickstart your new year
00:22and Matt is back fighting for your consumer rights in the first watchdog of 2026.
00:28Yes, Storm Goretti is on its way so you may now be thinking about a summer escape to somewhere warmer.
00:36Millions are booking holidays this month so I'll be telling you about some customers left high and dry
00:41after things went wrong with a holiday rentals platform.
00:44Plus the company using people's personal details without their consent.
00:50Great, lots of fantastic advice to come and as we mentioned we'll be joined by two sitcom superstars
00:56best known for their hilarious performances in the Vicar of Dibley and Friday Night Dinner.
01:01And now Dawn French and Marquise have teamed up to play husband and wife in Can You Keep a Secret?
01:06It's a new BBC comedy airing tonight about a retired couple who get caught up in a world of crime.
01:13The secret is out tonight and if there's one man who'd uncovered them in a heartbeat,
01:18it's crime-fighting clergyman Father Brown ahead of the new series which returns this week.
01:23We head behind the scenes to find out how the drama is being brought to life
01:27with the help of the community in Blockly.
01:29Also coming up, he's interviewed some of the world's most successful people
01:33from Matthew McConaughey to Serena Wiegman
01:35and now a broadcaster and best-selling author Jake Humphrey is using his insight
01:39to share how their small everyday habits could help transform your life
01:43and they're not as hard as you think.
01:45One man always making a difference to people's lives is Matt.
01:48He is here with Watchdog and he's starting with a story
01:51that will be of interest to millions of people.
01:54Ah, thanks, Kev.
01:55Yeah, after years of having been missold car finance,
01:59many drivers across the UK could be due compensation now.
02:03But if you're thinking, that's got nothing to do with me, think again.
02:07Because we're hearing from some viewers whose personal details
02:10are being used by a claims company whether they've made a claim or not.
02:14Imagine being shown a signed contract with your name on it
02:21that you've never seen before.
02:24That's exactly what's happened with some drivers
02:26who've been sent contracts by consultation claims,
02:30a company that promises to represent motorists
02:33in claims for missold car finance.
02:36But those we've spoken to say not only have they not provided
02:39the signatures in these documents,
02:41but they've never even spoken to the company before.
02:44In October, Mike from Northern Ireland got a contract
02:49and this email thanking him for signing up with consultation claims.
02:54They had all my details, date of birth, my phone number,
02:58my address, everything,
03:00and said that I'd actually electronically signed these documents,
03:05which I've never seen before.
03:06How did you respond to that?
03:08I started to think, where the hell have we got all this information from?
03:12What's more, there's one simple reason why Mike's not eligible
03:15for any car finance compensation.
03:18I've never had a car on finance.
03:19Why would I sign up to anything like that?
03:21Despite never having car finance,
03:24Mike could still be out of pocket.
03:26That's because a termination fee applies
03:29if the contract is cancelled 14 days after it was signed.
03:33A fee of £166 for every hour the company works on it to sort it out.
03:41Look, they want to charge for you to cancel it.
03:43How can you prove it if they've got these documents that say,
03:46you've signed this, you've signed that.
03:48There's something not right here.
03:50Unlike Mike, Jane from Bristol has had car finance
03:54and is making a claim directly through BMW.
03:58Despite that, a contract arrived,
04:00complete with the signature that was not Jane's.
04:04The contract entitled consultation claims
04:06to take up to 30% of her payout.
04:10I have absolutely never signed anything.
04:13Why should I give them my money?
04:16Online reviewers of the company say
04:18they too have had claims submitted without permission
04:21using documents they've never signed.
04:24So, we took a closer look at the paperwork.
04:28In the contracts that consultation claims provide,
04:31they include an IP address, your IP address.
04:35Effectively, what they're saying is
04:37this must be your signature because it came from you.
04:42But cyber security expert Graham Stewart
04:44says the IP address numbers provided aren't adding up.
04:48We looked at those IP addresses
04:50and they don't relate to anything to do
04:52with either the email address or the device.
04:55So, these numbers, you feel, have been randomly generated?
04:59Yep.
05:00That means that they mean nothing?
05:02Correct.
05:03From a technical point of view, absolute nonsense.
05:06With IP addresses we can't ID
05:08and unrecognisable signatures on documents people have never seen,
05:13these contracts lack credibility.
05:16But legal expert Denise Nurse told us
05:18that people could be legally bound to these contracts
05:21if those named in them don't challenge them.
05:24So, they're not to be taken lightly.
05:27I mean, the temptation is just to rip it up and ignore it.
05:30I totally understand the temptation.
05:32However, the right thing to do to protect you is to take action.
05:37So, first of all, contact the company and say,
05:40I don't know anything about this.
05:41Please, can you confirm that this is not me and cancel it?
05:45I would secondly, contact the relevant authorities
05:47because if your signature is being purported onto a legal document,
05:53then that is very serious.
05:55Our case studies believe that this is what's been happening.
05:59If someone falsifies a document
06:02with the intent of misrepresenting something,
06:05we're straying into something that's an unlawful activity
06:07and can have very serious consequences for the perpetrators.
06:12Consultation claims said that after an investigation,
06:15it found the issues had been caused by the actions of another company
06:18that supplied it with customer information.
06:22The claims company apologised to customers affected
06:25and said it was taking steps to put things right
06:28and prevent it from happening again.
06:31Consultation claims.
06:32You promised to get money back for people who are owed it,
06:36but many of the people we've spoken to say
06:38they never got in touch with you in the first place.
06:41So, here's a promise for you.
06:43Unless you start doing this thing right,
06:46we won't let it lie.
06:49Do you know what?
06:49It's really scary to think you can be signed up to something
06:51without your knowledge.
06:52I know, right?
06:53There is some very good news for Mike and Jane.
06:56Since we wrote to consultation claims,
06:58both have received £150 in compensation
07:01and, most important, the firm will not be contacting them again.
07:05That's the first Watchdog win of the year, everyone.
07:07Woo!
07:09We can guarantee plenty more in 2026.
07:13If you've got a problem and you'd like us to investigate,
07:15email watchdog at bbc.co.uk
07:17or tag us at BBC Watchdog on the socials.
07:20Now, as I said, Storm Goretti is on the way.
07:24So, it's no wonder that January is one of the busiest times
07:27for holiday bookings for so many people.
07:29It's the thing that you get booked in
07:32so that you have something to look forward to
07:33for half of the year.
07:35Isn't that right, Gary?
07:35Well, yeah, it's a bit gloomy this month, isn't it?
07:37Just a bit.
07:38You're just thinking about the sun the whole time.
07:39And, like you say, something to look forward to.
07:41Yeah, we've just got to get through it.
07:43Well, there's one company which offers plenty of private holiday homes
07:46claiming to be the perfect choice for a getaway.
07:50And that company is Vrbo,
07:52a company we've mentioned before here on Watchdog.
07:54As you can see by its glossy advert,
07:55it's a marketplace for beautiful rental properties.
07:58And, to give customers peace of mind,
08:01the platform offers VrboCare,
08:04a promise to be on call if things go wrong.
08:07But when some customers discovered their holiday homes weren't legit,
08:11they told us this support was nowhere to be seen.
08:14Angelica, tell us what happened to Hannah and her mates.
08:17OK, Hannah and her friend Gavin found a property to rent in Greece
08:19on Vrbo costing €3,650.
08:23Now, the host sent an invoice via Vrbo's messenger service,
08:26and Gavin transferred the money to the named account.
08:29But just eight days before they were due to stay,
08:32and already on the first leg of their holiday,
08:34the group received a message from Vrbo stating
08:36the property was falsely represented
08:38and had to be removed from the site.
08:41I mean, you'd be totally gutted after that.
08:43Yeah, absolutely.
08:44And here's the absolute shocker.
08:45Gavin then received an email saying that
08:47because the payment wasn't processed through
08:49Vrbo's official payment page on the website,
08:52the group wasn't eligible for a refund.
08:54Gutted doesn't even cover it.
08:57Holiday ruined, lost a lot of money,
09:01and subsequently the support from Vrbo has been shocking.
09:07We would never book with them again.
09:08It was absolutely awful.
09:10Yeah, you can tell they're incredibly upset.
09:12And the thing is, the invoice came through the Vrbo messenger,
09:16so you might think you're in the actual platform.
09:18Yeah, you would think that's where the payment was.
09:20That's what Gavin thought, certainly.
09:21And have a look at the invoice.
09:23It's really convincing.
09:24Looks like it comes from Vrbo,
09:26but unfortunately for Gavin, it was a fraudulent invoice.
09:30Vrbo told us payments should be made directly through Vrbo.com
09:34because this payment was made outside of the platform,
09:37directly to the host.
09:38They say they're not covered by Vrbo Care.
09:41Geth, tell us about Russell and Joanne from York.
09:44Russell and Joanne from York booked a house in Sydney
09:46for a family trip through Vrbo.
09:48They paid a deposit of £1,800 to the hosts.
09:51A couple of months before the trip,
09:52Joanne could no longer see the listing on Vrbo
09:54and was finally told by the host that the booking was in fact cancelled.
09:58When she asked Vrbo about a refund,
10:00it told her to contact the host and then her credit card provider.
10:04Joanne says no further support was offered
10:05and at no point did Vrbo inform her the listing had been removed.
10:10So a close call for Joanne there.
10:12I mean, there's a chance that she and the family
10:13could have gone the other side of the world to Australia
10:15and found the accommodation wasn't there.
10:18The big question is here, did she get her money back?
10:21Well, luckily for Joanne and Russell,
10:23the bank refunded them personally.
10:25I'd want it the other way round.
10:27Vrbo sorts it, failing that.
10:29The credit card or your charge card,
10:31if it's a debit card, charge back then,
10:33is your backup.
10:35Since we got involved, I'm pleased to say
10:37Vrbo has reimbursed Hannah and Gavin
10:40and their mates, the €3,650.
10:44Vrbo told us it's sorry.
10:46It takes fraud seriously, it says,
10:47and continues to invest in technology
10:49to eliminate fraudulent activity.
10:51The good news is both property hosts
10:53have now been suspended from the platform.
10:56If you are using Vrbo, this is the lesson,
10:58or any other booking platforms,
11:00don't be tempted away to pay from the site.
11:04Otherwise, you may not be covered in the case of fraud.
11:06And always pay on a credit card if you can.
11:09Bit of protection.
11:10Great result, Matt.
11:11Thank you so much.
11:12Flying start to the year.
11:14Selves come tonight.
11:15Broadcaster Jake Humphrey will be telling us
11:17what he's learnt from interviewing
11:19some of the world's most inspiring people.
11:21But first, we're speaking to comedy stars
11:23Dawn French and Mark Heave
11:24about their thrilling new BBC sitcom,
11:27which starts tonight and follows the story
11:29of a man called William.
11:30Through a bizarre turn of events,
11:32he is mistakenly declared dead,
11:34but he's actually just hiding in the loft.
11:36A mishap that sparks a comedy of errors
11:38that soon sends him tumbling into a life of crime.
11:43Now, before we welcome Dawn and Mark,
11:45let's take a look.
11:48Can you keep a secret?
11:51Dad.
11:52It turns out I hadn't died.
11:54The money from your dad's life insurance
11:56finally came through.
11:57Please, this is fraud.
11:58You have to give the money back.
11:59What sort of friend blackmails their own mates?
12:03We're a crime family.
12:04Oh, don't be silly.
12:04We're just a bit complicated, like the Beckons.
12:08William!
12:09And joining us now is Mark Heave and Dawn French.
12:15Yay!
12:16Yay!
12:18Dawn and Mark, we love it.
12:20It's brilliant.
12:21It's very funny.
12:22It's a sitcom with a bit of thriller thrown in there.
12:24It is.
12:25And you both play a husband and wife,
12:26Debbie and William.
12:26So tell us about how you've come together
12:31and have got into this dodgy situation.
12:35Well, you know, this is a very oddball family
12:39and they find themselves in the middle
12:41of this terrible sort of fraud.
12:43They don't set out to find it, actually.
12:45It happens to them.
12:47His character is declared dead
12:49by a very incompetent doctor
12:51and then an incompetent funeral director.
12:53And so it just so happens that it would suit them
12:57to claim the insurance.
12:58Now, we know this is morally wrong, isn't it?
13:00It is morally wrong.
13:01It is morally wrong, but it suits their purposes.
13:04And also this character, his character, William,
13:07has Parkinson's.
13:09And our writer's dad has Parkinson's.
13:12And so, you know, I didn't know
13:15that you sort of get shafted, really,
13:17by insurance companies when you have Parkinson's.
13:20And so she, I think my character, Debbie,
13:23feels that this is retribution, really,
13:25and that it's justice that they can claim this money.
13:28Although, of course, it's wrong.
13:30I know, but you really want them to have the money,
13:33in a way.
13:33It's so bizarre.
13:34That's the thing, isn't it?
13:35It's like, you know, the Corleoneism thing.
13:37You find yourself watching, tell you, watching,
13:39you have Breaking Bad, the main guy.
13:40You think, oh, this is what he's doing.
13:41But you think, oh, come on, I hope, you know.
13:43You kind of end up rooting for him.
13:45It gets worse and worse, though,
13:46from the family dynamic point.
13:47I mean, you've got Craig Roberts and Mandip Gill
13:49who are playing your son and daughter-in-law.
13:51Then all of a sudden, they're involved,
13:53and then it's the most extraordinary family dynamic.
13:56Yeah, it is.
13:58I mean, they, both of them are brilliant, by the way.
14:01And Craig, especially, is very good
14:03at playing such an anxious person.
14:07He's all bottled up, and he just wants to say,
14:09shut up!
14:10You know, he's like, he does it brilliantly.
14:12And I think Debbie is a bit of an agent of chaos, actually,
14:16and brings everybody into this swamp of chaos with her,
14:20including William, who's quite resigned to it, actually.
14:23And she does make the point to you at the beginning
14:25that nobody would really miss you.
14:28No.
14:30That's a sign of a good marriage.
14:31I've seen William for a while.
14:33Herbie's just endorsed.
14:34You've already mentioned the writer,
14:35and I've learned the series were created
14:36by Simon Mayhew-Archer,
14:38who also wrote the BAFTA award-winning This Country.
14:41But it was his dad, Paul,
14:43who co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley,
14:45who convinced you to do a sitcom,
14:48because you said you would never do a sitcom.
14:49No way!
14:50Yeah.
14:50You said, no, never again!
14:51I said it would be very unlikely,
14:53because, you know, good sitcoms are rare, aren't they?
14:56And, you know, I've been lucky enough to do a good one,
14:59and I've been involved with Jennifer's sitcom as well,
15:01you know, and I just thought,
15:02oh, well, that won't happen again.
15:04And Paul bullied me, frankly.
15:07I mean, he...
15:08I said convinced.
15:09I said convinced, you said bullied.
15:10Yes, it is.
15:11OK, yes.
15:12No, it's definitely bullied.
15:12OK, fine.
15:13And he sent me an email, and he said,
15:16look, you know, I know I'm supposed to go via your agent
15:18and all of that, but I'm old now,
15:20and I've got Parkinson's, and you should read this.
15:22And it's my son who's written that,
15:24and I had met his son many years before.
15:27And he said, and this is the first time he's written a sitcom,
15:30he's produced them before.
15:31But I thought, oh, no, now I'm going to have to read this.
15:34I'm going to have to make that embarrassing sort of phone call
15:37with the notes that explain why I gently, carefully,
15:41diplomatically can't do it.
15:44And then I read it, and it's really good.
15:45And I thought, oh, damn.
15:46I can't see you doing that.
15:47You just go, nah.
15:49Nah.
15:49No, thanks.
15:50No, I can be kind.
15:51I'm not kind to you, ever.
15:53But I can be.
15:54That works in the sitcom.
15:55You touched there on Paul and his Parkinson's diagnosis.
15:59He's been very open about it.
16:00And William, your character, lives with the condition.
16:04Yeah.
16:04But you play it with so much humour and so much heart.
16:08Paul Mayhew-Arch does himself, and between them,
16:11they're almost like a comedy double act about Parkinson's.
16:14And so a lot of what I'm doing is what is the writer's view of his dad
16:19and having to deal with his dad.
16:21And they, between them, are quite extraordinarily good-humoured about it.
16:26They don't sugarcoat it at all.
16:27They're quite savage with each other.
16:29Really savage.
16:30About it.
16:30And Paul, you know, has made light of it.
16:33He's taken shows to Edinburgh.
16:35He does a podcast about Parkinson's.
16:37He's the most cheerful person with Parkinson's you could ever hope to meet.
16:41He's very realistic about it.
16:43But I think Simon is writing about his own family's experience.
16:47And, you know, they cut through the nonsense, really.
16:50I mean, it's not a documentary about Parkinson's by any stretch.
16:53It's just incidental that he's got Parkinson's,
16:55he's got early-onset Parkinson's,
16:56so it's not the really, really nasty stuff.
17:00But he doesn't show away from it.
17:01And as a character, it's great because, you know,
17:02you use that for your own ends.
17:04You put a bit of self...
17:05Oh, I can't do that because of my Parkinson's, all right.
17:07You know, it's a bit of pity.
17:09Yeah, and we had sort of permission, really.
17:11Permission to do that, yeah.
17:12It's in the script anyway, so...
17:13Yeah.
17:15You kind of have to.
17:16You can't go, no, I'm not doing that.
17:18I mean, I think Simon has written about both of his parents,
17:21to be honest.
17:22Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:22And a lot of this show is about the son, Harry, that Craig plays,
17:28who really is sort of Simon,
17:30who is trapped in a sandwich between two mad parents
17:35who are sort of incompetent, incontinent people...
17:38Literally, yeah.
17:39..two children that are also incompetent and incontinent.
17:43He's in a sort of mad sandwich
17:45and he's very anxious about all of it.
17:49And so that's really where the heart of it is.
17:52Talking about the script, we've been told to read hours, haven't we?
17:54Yeah, let's get on with it.
17:55Oh, OK.
17:56Do you want to mark a sitcom?
17:57Can you keep a secret?
17:58Starts tonight at 9.30 here on BBC One and iPlayer
18:01when all the episodes will be available.
18:03It is brilliant.
18:04Can you keep a secret?
18:05Oh, you can trust me.
18:06I'm no traitor.
18:07Oh, I saw tonight as well.
18:09Got traitors on before you.
18:11What a line-up on BBC One.
18:12But before all of that, still to come on The One Show tonight,
18:15Jake Humphrey will be sharing the secrets
18:17to stick into your New Year resolutions
18:19as he tells us how small everyday habits can make big changes.
18:23But first, this next film may take Dawn back to her bicker of dibley days
18:27as we've been given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look
18:30at Father Brown ahead of its return this week.
18:32Yes, Mark Williams reveals how the show's magic is created
18:34from the music right down to the smallest prop
18:37as the local community help bring the drama to life.
18:42Every summer, a film crew sets up camp in the Cotswolds village of Blockley.
18:47Action!
18:49Welcome to Kembleford.
18:51It's the fictional setting for the BBC detective series
18:54Father Brown, starring Mark Williams.
18:57Good morning, Chief Inspector.
18:59How can we help?
19:00Loosely based on a series of books by G.K. Chesterton,
19:04this is the 13th year the village has opened its doors
19:07and its church to the priest with an uncanny knack for solving crimes.
19:12That's St Mary's in our stories, but he's actually Sts Peter and Paul.
19:18And I'm not the real vicar.
19:20Canon de Lapp is the incumbent here.
19:24It's a real buzz to have them here.
19:27Did have somebody once say to me,
19:29you can't be the priest here because you're not Father Brown.
19:33We do make the place look untidy, that's for certain.
19:37That is absolutely true.
19:39Each episode takes just over two weeks to film,
19:43which is great for villagers like Nicky from the local cafe.
19:46During the time that they're here,
19:48it creates lots of excitement for the village.
19:50I'm not saying it's always easy because, you know,
19:53Blockley's quite a small community.
19:55Certainly for us, it creates good trade.
19:58The series is set in 1953.
20:01The cast get their 50s makeover at Father Brown HQ,
20:04which has set up camp on the outskirts of the village.
20:08Siraca Cusack, who plays Mrs McCarthy,
20:11Father Brown's no-nonsense parish secretary,
20:13is getting into character.
20:16I do like her.
20:17It's because she's opinionated.
20:20She's rather like me, actually.
20:23Have they been feeding you properly, Father?
20:25I think you've lost weight.
20:27And feeling better for it.
20:29It's the job of costume designer Anne Rudd
20:32to make sure the outfits look authentic.
20:35We've got Mrs McCarthy there, Inspector Sullivan.
20:38This is Father Brown.
20:40This is the cassock that he's worn a lot.
20:44Anne was inspired at an early age.
20:47I can't really remember a time when I didn't love clothes.
20:50I mean, my mum.
20:51Doing this show is great because it reminds me of my mum.
20:54And she used to make all her own clothes and all of mine.
20:57I started trying to make things myself about six or seven on her sewing machine.
21:03It probably is in my DNA.
21:05Now they look the part, the actors are preparing for the first take of the day.
21:09First of all, we will go through the lines.
21:12Then we'll decide when we're going to stand, what we're going to do.
21:15Then we show it to the crew.
21:16And then the crew will come in and do their stuff.
21:19So the whole thing's very collaborative in a sort of military way.
21:23As well as the actors, there are over 150 crew working behind the scenes,
21:28including production designer Martin Bodderson,
21:31who has to make sure nothing modern ends up in shot.
21:34We have these little things called, what we call cover-ups,
21:37which we take with us everywhere and are always very useful for hiding things like that.
21:42The music plays its part too.
21:44From her home studio, composer Debbie Wiseman writes the score.
21:48The music is another character in Father Brown.
21:50It's telling the story alongside the characters.
21:53And I get very excited when I get a new episode.
21:57Oh.
21:59What are these?
22:01They're savoury.
22:03What's going on in the character's mind?
22:05Are they searching for clues?
22:06Are they scared?
22:08You scroll symbols on the window shutters.
22:12Are they feeling romance or love?
22:15That's what the music is doing at its best.
22:18Back in Blockley, actor Tom Chambers, who plays Inspector Sullivan,
22:22is catching up with the locals.
22:25They've become friends.
22:26You really don't mind us being here in your beautiful village.
22:29Oh, I do.
22:30Do you?
22:30Yeah, I love it.
22:31I think it's great.
22:32And for Father Brown fans, it's a treat to see the cast and crew in action.
22:36We're from Newcastle.
22:38We love Mark Williams.
22:39And they're all here, so, yeah, it's very nice indeed.
22:42We're having a fabulous scene.
22:44It's a cherry on the top scene in the actual filming.
22:46We weren't expecting that at all.
22:47The new series promises plenty of intrigue, a seaside adventure,
22:52and there'll be some famous faces joining the cast.
22:55I got rid of you once before.
22:58Then I can get rid of you again.
23:01Right, that's enough of you lot lurking round our set.
23:04If you want to know who done it, you'll have to watch your television.
23:10Enjoyed that.
23:10It's amazing to see how everything comes together.
23:12So good.
23:12Father Brown returns with a brand-new series this Friday at 2 o'clock
23:15on BBC One and iPlayer, where you can watch all the episodes.
23:18Time now to introduce our next guest.
23:19It's broadcaster and best-selling author, Jake Humphrey.
23:22Hello, friends.
23:23Hi.
23:24Hi.
23:24Hello.
23:26High performance of the podcast.
23:27It goes from strength to strength,
23:29where you interview some of the most inspirational people around the world,
23:32you and Damien Hughes, of course,
23:34from Usain Bolt to Professor Brian Cox.
23:39When you have these conversations,
23:40you were saying there's one sort of theme that comes through
23:43from all these high-performing people.
23:45Yeah, I think the thing that comes through,
23:47actually having spoken to a lot of people,
23:49is that I used to believe,
23:50and I started the podcast way back in 2019,
23:53thinking that to do what we want to do in life,
23:55we have to take huge leaps in certain directions.
23:57We have to completely change our life, right, to change our life.
24:00But then we've spoken to hundreds of people
24:02who've basically told us that we kind of,
24:05we think too much about the outcome and the motivation,
24:08and we don't think enough about the daily habits.
24:10And so as we've spoken to all these guests,
24:12over 400 over the last six years on the podcast,
24:15we've realised that actually it is about the tiny,
24:18insignificant daily things that we do
24:19that we almost don't even notice that makes the difference,
24:23which is where the books come from.
24:24And I feel kind of bad, really,
24:25sitting on this show talking about the book,
24:27because it's like it's a self-help book
24:28for people that don't read self-help books,
24:30because the stuff in it is so simple.
24:32You'll read it and go,
24:33that can change my life?
24:34I don't believe it, but it does.
24:36Well, it's called micro habits.
24:37And I think it's quite timely,
24:38because January is a time of year where we reset,
24:41we want goals, and we want to be a better person,
24:43you know, all these sort of things.
24:44But you say that these micro habits can help with that.
24:46Yeah, absolutely.
24:47Because the way the human brain is wired,
24:49and by the way, I know, like you guys,
24:50I'm a former kids' TV presenter.
24:52I didn't start off knowing this stuff,
24:53but I sat next to an amazing guy called Professor Damien Hughes
24:56for the last six years on the show.
24:58And he sort of explained to me
25:00that the human brain tries to conserve energy
25:02as much as possible,
25:03which is why so often in life you think,
25:05did I just put the washing on?
25:07I did it on autopilot,
25:08because the brain is trying to conserve energy.
25:10So actually, it's kind of hard to change
25:12the way that you live your life,
25:13because your brain is always looking
25:14for the shortcut you've always done.
25:15So the way to change your brain,
25:17and therefore change your life,
25:18is to create habits, micro habits,
25:20which is what the book's called,
25:22that are so small and so insignificant
25:24that there's no added friction to the brain.
25:26But actually, the place you end up at the end
25:29is so different to where you start.
25:30And you pick up a habit that's probably good for you.
25:32It'd be very personal, I'd imagine.
25:34Is there one that you've seen or heard
25:36over the 400 interviews we think
25:39that's actually had a huge impact on your life?
25:41Definitely.
25:42A guy called Shane Parrish,
25:43who's an amazing thinker from the United States,
25:46and we had him on the show a couple of years ago.
25:48And at the time, my life looked really good.
25:50I was hosting Champions League
25:52and Premier League football.
25:53I had a couple of businesses that I'd created,
25:55hosting the podcast.
25:56Two amazing kids.
25:57Hi, guys.
25:57But I felt overwhelmed and I felt unhappy
26:01and I didn't really know what was going on.
26:03And I said this to Shane,
26:04you can hear it on the podcast,
26:06and he said,
26:06well, what really matters in your life?
26:08Like, what do you need for you?
26:10And I said, well, number one,
26:12time with my wife, Harriet.
26:13Number two, time with my kids,
26:15Flo and Sebastian, who are watching right now.
26:17And number three,
26:18a little bit of time each week for myself,
26:20just to go to the gym
26:21or walk the dog or something.
26:22And he said, great,
26:23well, show me your diary
26:24and let me see where those things are in your diary.
26:27And I was like,
26:27well, they're not in my diary
26:28because I love them so much
26:29I make sure they happen.
26:30And he said, well, are they happening?
26:32And I was like, no.
26:34And that was why,
26:35despite my life looking great,
26:36it didn't actually feel very good.
26:38And what he explained to me was,
26:39those things are important,
26:41but life is full of urgent stuff.
26:42And the urgent will always
26:44kick the important to the side.
26:46So his advice was at the start of the week,
26:48look at your diary,
26:49find three or four places
26:50that you can just chat to Harriet
26:51or be with the kids
26:52or walk the dog
26:53or have a game of paddle.
26:55And that tiny thing
26:56that almost looks like nothing
26:58has been transformational for me.
27:00And the book's packed
27:01with those kinds of lessons from guests.
27:03Do you have any micro tips?
27:05I would like to,
27:05I would need someone to tell me,
27:08you know,
27:08you know you're doing that.
27:11Well, that was what the book will do.
27:13I will give you a copy.
27:13So, but like a person,
27:15can you come round
27:16and say,
27:17why are you doing that?
27:19I would tell my wife,
27:20why is she doing that?
27:21Right.
27:22So you want me to come to your wife,
27:24come to your house
27:24and tell your wife.
27:25I think that you two need
27:26to sort that out
27:26in your own diary.
27:27I also like that.
27:28You just told me
27:29I can play more paddle,
27:30which is the best part of it.
27:31Jake and Damon Hughes' book,
27:33Micro Habits,
27:34Tiny Habits
27:34that supercharge high performance
27:36is out now.
27:37That's all we've got time for
27:38this evening.
27:39Thanks to all our guests
27:40and of course to Matt
27:41with Watchdog.
27:41Tomorrow JB and I
27:42will be joined by actor
27:43Rebecca Ferguson
27:44plus Denise Welsh
27:45will be here with Waterloo Row
27:46talking about it.
27:46See you then.
27:47Bye.
27:47Bye.
27:49Bye.
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