The Hostage Negotiator

What would you do if your phone rang and someone told you they'd kidnapped a member of your family? Scott Walker knows. As one of Britain's most experienced hostage negotiators, he spent years helping families through the worst moments of their lives before moving into the private sector, where he negotiated with pirates and organised crime gangs across the world. In this revealing conversation with Olly, Scott explains why lying almost always backfires, why the calmest person in the room usually wins, and how to keep your nerve in a seriously stressful ‘Red Centre’. Scott’s books, Order Out Of Chaos and The Eye of the Storm, are out now.  _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart takes time out of his holiday golf regime to discuss humane alternatives to rat traps. Are rodent populations on the rise, thanks to global warming? And how should you stay safe while dealing with droppings and drains that spread disease? _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox tackles the thorny dilemma of what to do when a man you used to hook up with turns up on Are We Dating The Same Guy? Are you responsible for warning his current spouse of his non-consensual history? Alix consults blogger and activist Girl On The Net to discuss…  (Content warning: rape, sexual assault). If you need support with any of the themes discussed, the following organisations can help:  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/ https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/ https://thesurvivorstrust.org/ _____________ Finally, our record of the month is Antony Szmierek’s new single, ‘Seminal’. But, if you’d rather listen to some more speech… do check out Olly’s BBC Sounds series about the Universal Studios project in Bedfordshire, ‘Rollercoaster: Universal’s Bedfordshire Journey’. _____________ If you’ve got a letter for Olly, a relationships question for Alix, or a challenge for Ollie, please head to our website (where you can also donate to the show 🙏): https://modernmann.co.uk And/or join our Discord here. _____________ Thanks for listening - and we’ll see you on September 10th. Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Scott Walker, Antony Szmierek. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices