Hold or Fold

About Hold or Fold

A podcast for anyone who has suffered from gambling related harm. 'Hold or Fold' explores the 'hidden addiction' that is gambling with a keen eye on how this affects those with experience of the Criminal Justice System.Your hosts Ben & Steve both spent time in prison as a direct result of their gambling addiction - On Hold or Fold they share the stories of people who, like them, have been taken to the brink by gambling. You'll hear how gambling took a hold of people's lives, the dark places this led them to and how they were able to embark on the road to recovery.This is part of the 'Life After Prison' podcast network from the multi-award winning 'National Prison Radio' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

National Prison Radio

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   31. Clive Tyldesley - Why one of the most iconic voices in broadcasting took a stand against gambling

   The 'British Podcast Awards' PODCAST OF THE YEAR 2026 Returns for a brand new series What happens when one of football’s most recognisable voices decides there’s a line he won’t cross? In the first episode of the new series, Hold or Fold sits down with legendary football commentator Clive Tyldesley to talk about gambling, advertising, personal values and the responsibility that comes with having a public platform. Clive opens up about why he walked away from a role at talkSPORT rather than promote gambling on air, and reveals some deeply personal experiences that have shaped his views. It’s a thoughtful and revealing conversation that goes far beyond football. USEFUL LINKS: Article on Clive (https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/clive-tyldesley-talksport-commentary-itv-30186821) Gambling with Lives (https://www.gamblingwithlives.org/) The Big Step (https://www.the-bigstep.com/) Reframe Coaching (https://www.reframecoaching.org.uk/) Gambling Harm UK (https://gamblingharm.com/) Gamcare (https://www.gamcare.org.uk/) Gamble Aware (https://www.gambleaware.org/) Bet Know More (https://www.betknowmoreuk.org/) Breakeven (https://www.breakeven.org.uk/) Gamfam (https://gamfam.org.uk/) Gamlearn (https://www.gamlearn.org.uk/) Gambler's Anonymous (https://gamblersanonymous.org.uk/) GAMSTOP (https://www.gamstop.co.uk/) Gamban (https://gamban.com/) Whysup (https://www.whysup.co.uk/) Gordon Moody (https://gordonmoody.org.uk/) ARA (https://www.recovery4all.co.uk/) Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133 If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at... 📧: Podcasts@prison.radio 💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF This episode is hosted by... Ben Jones & Steve Girling You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here: https://prison.radio/ (https://prison.radio/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   23 Dec 2025

   30. Listener Questions, Series Highlights & Previously Unheard Bits | Series Finale

   For the final episode of the series, Ben and Steve are laying it all out. Every question, every truth, every angle left unexplored. This is a full-length “Cards on the Table” special, created because there were simply too many listener questions to squeeze into the series… and far too many worth answering. In this unfiltered, deeply personal finale, the hosts dig into the topics listeners most wanted to know about: • How did prison really shape their recovery? • What became of the money they stole and gambled? • What does life look like after addiction, crime, and time behind bars? But this episode isn’t just Q&A, it’s a celebration of the journey so far. Expect moments of emotion and surprise as Ben and Steve share unheard clips that never made previous episodes, spotlight powerful poetry, and reflect on the guests and stories that left the biggest mark on them this series. Honest, reflective, and packed with never-before-heard content, this finale brings the heart of Hold or Fold into sharp focus: real people, real consequences, and real recovery. USEFUL LINKS Reframe Coaching (https://www.reframecoaching.org.uk/) Gambling Harm UK (https://gamblingharm.com/) Gamcare (https://www.gamcare.org.uk/) Gamble Aware (https://www.gambleaware.org/) Bet Know More (https://www.betknowmoreuk.org/) Breakeven (https://www.breakeven.org.uk/) Gamfam (https://gamfam.org.uk/) Gamlearn (https://www.gamlearn.org.uk/) Gambler's Anonymous (https://gamblersanonymous.org.uk/) GAMSTOP (https://www.gamstop.co.uk/) Gamban (https://gamban.com/) Whysup (https://www.whysup.co.uk/) Gordon Moody (https://gordonmoody.org.uk/) ARA (https://www.recovery4all.co.uk/) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK BY FILLING OUT THIS QUICK SURVEY (https://forms.gle/Gd8dY27WnHMJppVV9) - THANKS SO MUCH Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133 If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at... 📧: Podcasts@prison.radio 💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF This episode is hosted by... Ben Jones & Steve Girling You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here: https://prison.radio/ (https://prison.radio/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   16 Dec 2025

   29. Religion & Recovery | Naman

   In this powerful must-listen episode of Hold or Fold, Steve sits down with Naman, whose extraordinary journey lays bare the complex intersections of gambling harm, culture, faith, and the Criminal Justice System. Naman opens up about how his religion shaped both his addiction and his recovery, a belief system that ultimately helped save his life. He reflects on how cultural expectations kept him silent for far too long, pushing him deeper into gambling as he tried to provide his partner with the love and security he felt his own mother never received His story takes unexpected turns: being mistaken for the prison doctor, completely misjudging what life in an open prison would be like, and an almost darkly comedic, but ultimately dangerous, incident born from his naivety around drugs behind bars. For Ben and Steve, who both served prison sentences for gambling-related crimes themselves, Naman’s story feels strikingly familiar, yet it also challenges them, revealing new layers of harm, identity, and resilience they haven’t explored before. Raw, reflective, and at times astonishing, this episode shines a fresh light on the hidden pathways that lead people from gambling addiction to prison, and the unexpected forces that help them find their way back USEFUL LINKS: Gamlearn (https://www.gamlearn.org.uk/) Gordon Moody (https://gordonmoody.org.uk/) Reframe Coaching (https://www.reframecoaching.org.uk/) Gambing Harm UK (https://gamblingharm.com/) Gamcare (https://www.gamcare.org.uk/) Gamble Aware (https://www.gambleaware.org/) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK BY FILLING OUT THIS QUICK SURVEY (https://forms.gle/Gd8dY27WnHMJppVV9) - THANKS SO MUCH Call the National Gambling helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133 If you would like to get in touch with Hold or Fold and ask us a question, suggest a topic or start a conversation, you can E-mail us at... 📧: Podcasts@prison.radio 💬 DM us: @holdorfoldpod on Instagram & Twitter (X) ✉️ Write to us: Life After Prison, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF This episode is hosted by... Ben Jones & Steve Girling You can find out more about the work of the 'Prison Radio Association' and 'National Prison Radio' here: https://prison.radio/ (https://prison.radio/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Hold or Fold

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.