The Alcohol Free Revolution Podcast
The Alcohol-Free Revolution is an honest, uplifting, and thought-provoking podcast hosted by Steve Smith and James Lloyd—two people who didn’t hit “rock bottom,” but simply reached a point where drinking no longer matched the life they wanted to build. Each week, we explore what happens when you step away from alcohol: the clarity that returns, the identity shifts, the surprising challenges, and the unexpected joys. This isn’t a lecture, a rulebook, or a moral crusade. It’s a real conversation about modern life, habits, wellbeing, and what it means to create a life that actually feels like your own. We talk openly about the social pressure to drink, the fear of standing out, the role alcohol plays in relationships, confidence, work, and weekends—and why so many people are quietly questioning it. Along the way, we share personal stories, reflections, mindset shifts, and the lessons we’re learning as we navigate our own alcohol-free journeys. Whether you’re sober-curious, taking a break, already alcohol-free, or simply exploring a different way of living, this podcast is here to help you feel understood, supported, and part of something that’s growing fast: a new normal where feeling good is more important than fitting in. Welcome to the Revolution.
Episodes
No guest this week just Steve and James, and it's a milestone episode.
James has just hit five years alcohol-free, and we take a moment to mark it before getting into something that's been doing the rounds — Brad Pitt's decision to return to drinking after seven years of sobriety.
We're not here to judge him. But it does open up a really important conversation about moderation, desire, a...
This week is a big one!!
We've wanted to get Millie Gooch on the pod for a long time, and it's finally happened.
Millie is the founder of Sober Girl Society, one of the largest alcohol-free communities in the world, author of three books, TED talk speaker, and holds an MSc in Mental Health and Addiction. She's been one of the most important voices in the alcohol-free movement since she gave up...
This week we're joined by Emma Gilmour — licensed counsellor, psychotherapist and alcohol coach, based in Australia. Emma spent 20+ years running on adrenalin, coffee and booze before her own messy breakup with drinking and a late Autistic ADHD diagnosis rebuilt her from the ground up. She now supports women in midlife through menopause, alcohol and the identity shift that comes with both.
It's a gen...
This week we're joined by Miriam Lene Roland — Norwegian sommelier, entrepreneur, and founder of Miris Blend, a premium alcohol-free wine brand that is quietly turning heads in the wine world.
Miriam completed her WSET Level 3 in London, spent three years immersed in the wine regions of Portugal, and wrote her master's thesis on the technology and marketing of alcohol-free wine — before going b...
This week we're joined by Toby Bailey — former professional cricketer turned international coach, currently heading up the Qatar National Cricket Team. Toby has been alcohol-free for nearly three years, which is quite something when you consider he spent decades in two of the booziest environments going — professional cricket and the City.
We get into what drinking culture really looked like in...
This week we're joined by our good friend from over the pond Ted Gibson. Ted is a fellow coach, and someone we have been meaning to get on the pod for way too long.
Ted's story is genuinely one of a kind. An alcohol free adventure that started with no real plan. Deep into a hospit...
No guest this week — just Steve and James, and things got all nostalgic.
In this weeks episode we take a step back and look at how the 90s shaped the way our generation drinks — the advertising, the 90's culture, and what it was that made seemed to make us drink differ...
This week we finally get Barclay on the pod. James has been dropping hints about him for weeks, and he absolutely does not disappoint.
Barclay is 57, drank for 40 years, and came into coaching with one very clear position — he just wanted a short break, not sobriety, absolut...
No guest this week — just us catching up on summer so far and ending up in a really good conversation about alcohol-free holidays.
Steve's just back from the New Forest with his mate, James went to the Eden Project and saw Bastille in Cornwall, and how and howe AF holidays a...
This week we're joined by Sarah Connelly, a grey area drinking coach, speaker and educator based in Brisbane, Australia. Originally from Hertfordshire, Sarah has been alcohol-free since 2019 and coaching since 2020. Her approach is science-backed, identity-focused and built around small group coaching for high performers.
This week we're joined by Henry Beercock: What Henry has accomplished since making the decision to go AF 1000 days ago s simply astonishing , he's a community builder, run club organiser, loneliness campaigner, and someone who has built something simply remarkable in his hometown of Hull.
Henry went ...
This week we're joined by good friend - Siobhan O'Connor. Journalist, former Dublin radio presenter, and four years alcohol-free on the 4th of July. Independence Day. As Steve points out, it doesn't get more fitting than that.
Siobhan's story is one we haven't heard quite like this before. Growing up...
No guest this week just Steve and James, and we're recording on a very special day.
27th June 2026. Five years alcohol-free for Steve. We crack open an ice-cold Estrella Zero and mark the occasion properly.
So this week we break down ...
No guest this week — just Steve and James, and it's a big one. Episode 52. One whole year on the sound waves, and we can't believe it
We reflect on the last 12 months, the guests we still can't quite believe said yes. Andy Ramage, Catherine Gray, William Porter, Laura Willoughby, Anna Donaghy, ...
No guest this week — just Steve and James, and with Steve's five-year alcohol-free anniversary on the 27th of June fast approaching, it felt like the right moment to talk about something we don't cover enough: what the long game actually looks like.
In this episode we get into how both of our f...
Episode 50 — William Porter | Alcohol Explained
This is a big one. For our 50th episode, we sit down with William Porter — author of Alcohol Explained, the book that for so many people, including ourselves, finally made the whole thing make sense.
No guest this week — just Steve and James, and the sun is very much out.
This one's all about summer. The triggers, the habit loops and the reality of how to stay AF when the hot weather hits. We get into why summer feels like the hardest time to stop drinking &mdash...
No guest this week just us and honestly, and it's been a while so great to have a good chin..wag!
We take a look back at the behaviours we now recognise as red flags — the ones hiding in plain sight for years before either of us made a change.
This week we welcome Emily Taylor-Rice: artist, educator and mental health advocate whose work is simply incredible.
Emily is a multidisciplined artist working across printmaking and photography, exploring themes of mental health, addiction, vulnerability and recovery. She...
This week we welcome the wonderful Tabbin Almond — coach, speaker, podcaster and author of Bottling Up Trouble.
Tabbin grew up in a home where alcohol was just part of the furniture, spent her career in 80s advertising where the office bar was literally called The Gy...
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