Lord Brooke talks of a father who wanted a daughter, not him. How finding his feminine side helped him succeed in running trade unions. How addiction to sex & booze nearly killed his marriage.
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Description
From the House of Lords to the depths of addiction—this is Lord Brooke’s story, unfiltered.
Clive Brooke, now Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe, grew up knowing he wasn’t the son his father wanted. That lingering shadow shaped him in ways he only truly understood later in life. Finding his feminine side helped him navigate the world of trade unions and politics, but behind the scenes, he was battling booze, food, and sex addiction—a spiral that nearly destroyed his marriage, his health, and his life.
Then came the wake-up call: a doctor’s stark warning that death was just around the corner. What followed was a fight for survival, redemption, and healing, with an unlikely trio of saviours—a dog, cancer, and the 12 Steps.
Now considered one of the hardest-working peers in the House of Lords, Lord Brooke reflects on public service, marriage, recovery, and why the words “one day at a time” are inscribed on his coat of arms.
A brutally honest, deeply human story of power, pain, and the long road to making things right.
Life Jackets
Lifejackets in this podcast refer to the personal tools and rituals that keep us afloat in the waves of life. Whether it’s a film, tv show, music, a favourite book, a crossword puzzle, or the steady presence of a dog, these are the things that keep us afloat. Everyone needs their own lifejackets—small but essential things that help us stay sane in an insane world.
- Book – Confessions of St Augustine – Confessions (Latin: Confessiones) is an autobiographical work by Saint Augustine, consisting of 13 books written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. The work outlines Saint Augustine’s sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity.
- Films – Zany films – Naked Gun(American crime spoof-comedy) – Leslie Nielson, Priscilla Presley, “Weird Al Yankovic” 1988, Director David Zucker, Blazing Saddles (Satirical western black comedy film) – Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder 1974 Director Mel Brooks. Forest Gump (American Comedy Drama) – Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson 1994 Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
- TV – The Antiques Roadshow, Fawlty Towers, Sweeney
- Gardening – They have a terrace surrounded by a shrub called Continus Grace which they both adore. it is beautiful and constantly changing colour, they often give it away as gifts to family and friends.
- Hobbies/Exercise – Meditation and mindfulness he prefers to do this on his knees and really be invested in the moment.
- Pets/Best Friends – Cairn Terriers – Daisy was the first, Barney is his current pet – He first was inspired to get a dog when suffering with cancer following an operation in hospital, he became fascinated by a picture on the wall by artist Helen Paul of a French Village scene – as he was on morphine he saw the dog nodding at him and it made him want to have a dog in the future once he had recovered from it all.