Blethered

Earlier this year, Sarah Rhind released her autobiography, ‘Scars Under the Jersey’, detailing a life filled with personal challenges, and some incredible personal achievements.

We talk about being in the grips of a serious heroin addiction, and we get an insight into just how that can happen, the difficulty in overcoming it, and the wisdom accrued after leaving that in the past.

Sarah also talks about her new beginnings with the incredible charity Street Soccer Scotland, becoming a professional footballer at the top level in Scotland, representing her country and so much more.

Sarah has achieved some really remarkable things in her life, as you’ll hear in this conversation. But for me, the greatest tribute I can pay her is to reflect on who she is as a person. Despite being dealt a very tough hand at times, she’s warm, open, funny, empathetic, admired by so many, and fantastic to be around. That’s what I define as being successful.

This episode is quite a long one, but each segment is connected to the next, and some conversations are worth spending the time on. Hope you enjoy!

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Six years after his first appearance on Blethered, legendary Scottish songwriter Graham Lyle is back, fresh from being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York alongside Taylor Swift, Alanis Morissette and Gene Simmons.

We talk about that extraordinary night, recognition at home in Scotland, and his recent sit-down with myself and First Minister John Swinney at Bute House.

And I play Graham a new, unreleased song I’ve co-written with Sandi Thom, inspired by Antoni Gaudí and my years living in Barcelona, to get the immediate reaction of one of the greatest songwriters ever to do it.

And as always, there's plenty more.

contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com
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The Lindsay Clancy case in America has been one of the most scrutinised, analysed and talked-about cases in a long time.

Clancy is a Massachusetts mother who killed her three young children in 2023, in a case centred on whether she was criminally responsible or suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her trial very recently ended with a hung jury, meaning that a decision could not be reached.

One of the by-products of the entire case has been the realisation that mothers, and fathers, are often let down when it comes to matters of pre- and postnatal depression. I started to realise how little I know about the entire subject, and how little I’ve ever heard about it in general.

Then, in a bit of a serendipitous discovery, I saw Mhairi talking about her own experience with pre- and postnatal depression. I was really struck by the coherence, candour, sincerity and even humour of her recollections of an utterly awful experience.

Now, I know Mhairi well, and I know how she expresses herself, so the podcaster in me kicked in, and we had a chat about having the conversation. I’m really glad that we did.
I found it revealing, enlightening, educational and, in the end, uplifting. She went through hell, and I think probably experienced what a huge amount of people do, without ever speaking about it out loud.

Mhairi isn’t someone seeking the spotlight or trying to draw out a traumatic experience for personal gain. She’s a young, devoted mother with a lovely wee boy who she lives for. And her insight will contribute, even if it’s only microscopically, to a challenging and misunderstood subject that shouldn’t be ignored or demonised.

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Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com
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Karen Koren founded the Gilded Balloon on Edinburgh's Cowgate in 1986. Her daughter Katy joined the business in 2014 and now runs it alongside her.

In this episode, Karen and Katy join me to talk about building the venue from a single 150-seat theatre into one of the defining names of the Edinburgh Fringe, the comedians they helped launch, the fire that destroyed their original venue, running the business through the pandemic, and what it's like working together as mother and daughter.

Recorded during the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe.

Listen to No Funny Business

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Filmmaker and Cosmic Cat Films founder Ged Fitzsimmons joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about filmmaking, creativity and finding your way into an industry that can be notoriously difficult to navigate.

Ged talks about his unconventional route into film, building Cosmic Cat Films, and becoming an impact producer, using cinema as a vehicle for social change. We discuss his work with Ken Loach, including I, Daniel Blake, and the experiences that shaped his approach to making and distributing films.

We also get into the realities of Scotland’s film industry, class, opportunity, rejection, the value of life experience, and what separates work that simply entertains from work that can leave a lasting impact.
Later, the conversation turns to one of Ged’s most personal projects: a new documentary about former Celtic player George Connelly.

We explore George’s remarkable career, the mystery surrounding his early departure from football, and the anxiety, addiction and mental-health struggles behind a story too often reduced to one of wasted potential. The film aims to celebrate what George achieved while finally exploring the question that has followed him for decades: what happened to George Connelly?
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Ged also explains the crowdfunding campaign helping bring the documentary to cinemas, and his ambition to give George, his family and the supporters a long-overdue testimonial on the big screen.

Support The Crowdfunder

Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com
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