This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan meet with Smith & Liddle, the songwriting duo formed after both artists reached a crossroads in their solo careers. They talk openly about why working alone started to feel creatively draining, the uncertainty of giving up individual identity to become a duo, and how starting again from scratch helped reduce pressure and reignite their love for writing music.

The conversation explores their songwriting process, how songs change meaning over time, and the real stories behind their tracks - including how a disagreement about food unexpectedly turned into one of their album songs.

Away from the music, the episode leans heavily into personality. There’s a deep dive into food habits on tour, fussy eating, Greggs orders, last-meal choices, Sunday dinners, and a surprisingly serious debate about whether a Jaffa Cake is a biscuit or a cake.

These moments reveal the dynamic between the duo and the humour that underpins their partnership. They also discuss touring, social media, viral moments, dealing with online criticism, and how engagement - even negative - can shape visibility as an independent artist.

The result is a loose, honest and funny conversation that balances music, real life, and the everyday chaos that comes with building a band together.

To help support the podcast visit our Patreon - patreon.com/LocalHeroesVIP

One year on from Chris and Dan’s original sit-down with Si King, we are welcoming the PROPA engine room to the Local Heroes Podcast to mark a major milestone - one full year of PROPA.

In this episode, we talk to the PROPA kitchen crew (left to right) - Tom Cuthbert, Josef Blythe and Rory Welch - reflecting on a whirlwind first year that has seen PROPA grow from an idea into a defining part of the North East food scene. From opening the doors in a tiny former stable to producing thousands of pies, navigating match days, media attention, collaborations, and constant demand, the lads look back on a year that moved faster than anyone expected. The discussion celebrates not just the success, but the craft behind it.

Tom, Josef and Rory talk about what makes a proper pie: generous fillings, the right texture, gravy that takes time, and food rooted in tradition rather than trends. They reflect on how the menu has evolved over the year, how customer demand shaped decisions, and why respect for local produce and familiar flavours remains central to PROPA’s identity. This is also a celebration of teamwork and shared graft.

Drawing on years spent in high-pressure kitchens, mass catering and restaurants, the lads explain how being willing to do every job - from pots to prep - helped PROPA survive its most intense moments. They discuss adapting to takeaway life, finding better balance, and learning how to scale without losing standards.

As always, the conversation is full of North East food nostalgia and humour - from chip-shop debates and saveloy dips to corned beef, Greggs orders, and the smells and memories that define the region’s food culture.

Above all, this episode marks a year of PROPA - a celebration of the humble pie as a symbol of North East food heritage, done properly, with heart, graft, and pride.

Help support the podcast via our Patreon - patreon.com/LocalHeroesVIP

On this week's Local Heroes Podcast, your average hosts Chris and Dan talk to the electric and entrepreneurial Steffi Smith - a true North East legend and one of the region’s most inspiring business role models.

As the founder of The Chocolate Smiths, she has built not just an iconic brand, but a blueprint for creativity, resilience, and modern entrepreneurship. Steffi opens up about discovering her ADHD later in life, how it shaped her path, and how embracing it became one of her greatest strengths.

She takes us from the early days of making chocolate bars in her kitchen with a microwave, to becoming a social media favourite, earning a viral shoutout from Joe Wicks, and navigating the overwhelming pressures that came with rapid growth.

Steffi speaks with rare honesty about burnout, self-doubt, and the moment she nearly walked away — before rebuilding her business with more clarity, courage, and conviction than ever.

From designing bespoke moulds, elevating her brand, and switching to ethically sourced Colombian chocolate, to investing deeply in her team and leading with creativity, Steffi demonstrates exactly why she’s become such an incredible entrepreneurial example for emerging founders everywhere.

Packed with laughter, spills, wild ideas, breakfast-and-brainstorm sessions, and even a call for a Greggs × Chocolate Smiths collab, this episode showcases the brilliance, passion, and heart that make Steffi a local hero in every sense.

If you love powerful founder stories, creativity, neurodiversity, or just really good chocolate — this conversation will stay with you.

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This Week on the Local Heroes Podcast, the inflexible Chris and Dan Meet Jo Hutton - yoga teacher, creator of Yoga for Tired People, accidental viral sensation, and proud North Eastener.

From ASMR mishaps and camping confessions to deep chats about mental health, self-talk, and the realities of wellbeing, this one has everything: laughs, nostalgia, local banter, and powerful insights.

Jo shares her journey from drama school burnout to running a Newcastle yoga studio for a decade, then unexpectedly blowing up online with an 8-million-view neck stretch video.

She talks honestly about why yoga isn’t just for flexible people, how shame stops us from starting, and why tiny habits matter more than perfection.

You’ll also hear:

- Greggs orders and fish-and-chip philosophies 🍟

- Memories of Metroland, the pop man, and broken biscuit shops

- Why the North East sometimes resists new ideas

- and why that’s changing

- How to calm your mind when life is chaotic

- The truth about self-discipline, burnout, and doing what you can with what you've got Whether you’re a yoga newbie, a stressed-out parent, a lover of nostalgia, or just here for a laugh and a stretch, you’re going to love this episode.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this deeply chilled episode with yet another one of our Local Heroes.

Help support the podcast on Patreon - patreon.com/LocalHeroesVIP

Local Heroes Podcast - Special Edition: Ivanna Fundraiser 8-Hour Pod-A-Thon

Live and in collaboration with Arrow Strength in Sunderland in aid of raising money for a 4yr old Ivanna, a local girl who needs a heart operation in Boston.

Please donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/arrow-ivanna-potts

This special edition of the Local Heroes Podcast takes you inside our 8-hour live Pod-A-Thon - a full day of conversations with the real heroes of our local community.

From illustrators and motivators to bakers, restaurateurs, community gardeners, mental health and fitness advocates, and even a surprise cameo from the crew at Gym Possible, it was a celebration of the people who keep Sunderland’s spirit alive. From ice creams that kept us cool, to donuts that kept us going, to pink slice bites that kept the sugar levels high.

Oh, and a nostalgic conversation about monkeys blood (aka raspberry sauce) - if you know, you know.

The wheels turned. The conversations churned. The energy never dropped.

With vibrant storytelling and live illustration from Hannah Graham, and smooth behind-the-scenes production from Flat White Alice and Lottie, the Pod-A-Thon captured the creativity, grit, humour, and heart of our community.

Jump in and experience a full day of community spirit, connection, and proper Local Hero energy.

This week, Chris and Dan sit down with James Dixon, the creative force behind Lines Behind - the instantly recognisable artwork that’s become a true North East success story. Inspired by Keith Haring - immediately scoring points with Chris - James takes us on a journey from his early days working with global brands like LEGO and Nickelodeon to building his own independent creative studio that now collaborates with everyone from Fenwick and Chilly’s Bottles to Newcastle United.

What began as a small stall at Tynemouth Market has grown into a thriving brand rooted in community, collaboration, and unmistakable style. James opens up about the defining projects that have shaped his career - from designing the Great North Run finisher shirt and medal to creating bespoke artwork for NUFC’s cup final, a piece that went viral and even raised over £4,000 for charity.

He also shares the story behind his partnerships with major retailers like Fenwick, the surge in demand that saw his products reselling online for hundreds, and the huge response to his collaboration with Jade Thirlwall on a limited-edition Cancer Connections charity T-shirt that sold out in hours and brought his work to a global audience.

But beyond the commercial success, this episode is a heartfelt look at what drives James: his commitment to giving back, running art workshops with the Newcastle United Foundation, supporting students at Newcastle College, and inspiring the next generation of North East creatives. He talks about staying humble, keeping positive through challenges, and building a legacy that celebrates local culture and community.

Looking ahead, James reveals plans for two large-scale public sculptures to mark the ten-year milestone of Lines Behind, and his ambitions to take the brand global - from Saudi Arabia to Japan - while staying true to his Geordie roots. His message is simple but powerful: hard work, kindness, and creativity open doors you never see coming.

And, of course, Chris and Dan couldn’t let him leave without diving into the essentials: the “picky tea” philosophy, pineapple on pizza, butter bans, and the all-important Greggs order.

It’s an episode packed with positivity, local pride, and plenty of laughs - a perfect celebration of what makes a true Local Hero.

Keep helping support via our Patreon - patreon.com/LocalHeroesVIP

This week, Chris and Dan meet sisters Coleen and Karen, two remarkable women who turned one of Britain’s most shocking romance fraud cases into a story of strength, survival, and hope. For years, they were caught in the lies of Greg Wilson - a conman who called himself “James Scott”, a supposed firefighter, devoted fiancé, and local hero. Behind the uniform was a man living multiple lives, manipulating emotions, stealing money, and weaving an astonishing web of deceit.

Coleen and Karen open up about discovering the truth, the media storm that followed, and how they fought back against victim-blaming, online abuse, and trauma. They share how they reclaimed their story through bestselling books (Playing with Fire, Healing from the Burns), the hit BBC podcast Love Bombed, and a new screenplay now in the works. It’s an extraordinary conversation filled with honesty, humour and heart.

From police investigations and courtroom revelations to late-night breakdowns, cancer battles, and ultimately the courage to rebuild their lives, Coleen and Karen talk about what it takes to survive the unthinkable - and how to find laughter again in the darkest places.

Powerful, warm, and surprisingly uplifting, this episode explores how two sisters turned deception into defiance and used their voices to help others recognise the red flags of coercive control and emotional abuse.

After everything they’ve endured, it’s the laughter that lingers. By the end of the chat, talk of fake wedding menus, pulled pork flashbacks and Greggs sausage rolls becomes something more than small talk. Even after betrayal, heartbreak and public scrutiny, Coleen and Karen can still share a joke, raise a smile, and reclaim their story on their own terms. It’s proof that humour can heal, and that even the darkest chapters can end with coffee, cake, and a good laugh.

Trigger warnings: romance fraud, coercive control, emotional abuse.

Proceeds from Coleen and Karen’s books support Women’s Aid.

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What happens when a fisherman swaps the North Sea for a mission to preserve his hometowns heritage? In this lovely conversation, Terry McDermott, chair of the North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project, takes Chris and Dan from diesel-scented decks and 40-foot waves to statues, school trips and a living legacy on the North Shields Fish Quay.

He recalls the 800 Years of North Shields celebration - 300 schoolchildren singing on the quay, 30 boats parading the Tyne, tugboats spraying arcs of water under the Lord-Lieutenant’s command - gathering people, honouring workers, and keeping stories alive. Founded in 2015 by Terry and the late Henry Howard, the project began with a child’s question: “Where’s the statue for fishermen, Grandad?” From cold calls to potential funders to learning how to do things “by the book,” Terry shares a fundraising journey built on passion and persistence.

Fishing runs in his family - his Granda worked the boats, and so did he. He’s lost friends to the sea and speaks candidly about the danger, laughter and loyalty that defined life on deck. Dyslexia shaped his path too; school failed him, but the sea - and later, community work - gave him the purpose that drives him today. We explore the creation of the “Fisherman” and “Herring Girl” statues and the untold history of the women who followed the herring down the coast, gutting fish for pennies and singing through exhaustion.

For Terry, it’s not nostalgia - it’s education. He wants children to grasp the industry’s reality: trawl models in classrooms, trips to working quays and fisheries, and memories that last a lifetime. North Shields Fish Quay is changing - from fishing to food vendors, trawlers to taverns- but Terry welcomes progress as long as its roots stay visible.

The project now preserves memory through a hand-turned Book of Remembrance and the Key Master’s Diaries, soon to be digitised for schools.

And yes, there’s time for the usual Local Heroes banter: haddock over cod, curry with chips, vinegar on mushy peas, and a toast to the Low Lights Tavern, where the North Shields community still thrives.

This episode is a warm, salt-soaked love letter to people, place, hard work and purpose - and a masterclass in turning community passion into lasting impact.

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