“If you’re going to have a breakdown, try not to have it in a top secret secure naval dockyard.” 

You might know Alastair Campbell as the formidable former press secretary of British prime minister Tony Blair and co-host of popular podcast The Rest is Politics. 

But back in 1996, when Alastair was a high-flying tabloid journalist, his mind suddenly unravelled. “I was hearing voices and seeing things that weren’t there.” 

Alastair thought his breakdown would spell the end of both his marriage and his career. But these days, he sees it as the best thing to ever happen to him. He offers candid insights into his struggles with addiction and depression.  

Alastair also takes you inside 10 Downing Street at some critical moments in history, such as the death of Princess Diana, and the controversy over the Iraq War. “Deep down, I wish it never happened. But at the same time, I can still defend the decisions that Tony Blair made at the time.” 

You’ll hear Alastair’s take on what’s gone wrong in politics and how to fix it. Plus, what could happen to democracy if Donald Trump is re-elected as US President.  

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Sourcing/credit: Archival media clips from BBC News. 

This episode was produced by Monique Ross with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Thanks to the technical staff at the at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.