The Brilliant Humans Podcast

About The Brilliant Humans Podcast

The Brilliant Humans Podcast is a show that celebrates extraordinary people, but with a twist...our guests never talk about themselves. Instead, each episode shines a light on a Brilliant Human who inspired them, changed their life, or helped them see the world differently. From everyday heroes and unsung champions to iconic figures and innovators, you’ll hear stories of kindness, courage, creativity, resilience, generosity, and love. These conversations, with host Jonathan Griffiths, are real, uplifting, and full of the lessons that make us more connected and more human. This is not a podcast about success. It’s a podcast about the best of humanity. And in a world that often rewards self-promotion and noise, The Brilliant Humans Podcast creates space for reflection, appreciation, and acknowledgement - for saying thank you to the people who helped make us who we are. If you’re looking for thoughtful, moving conversations that restore faith in people - and remind you of the power one human can have on another - this podcast is for you. Subscribe or follow us now to discover the humans who shaped us and be inspired to celebrate the brilliance in others. Got someone you’d like to honour? Apply to be a guest: brillianthumanspodcast@gmail.com (mailto:brillianthumanspodcast@gmail.com) Connect & Share: Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @brillianthumanspodcast

Publisher

Jonathan Griffiths

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Sept 2025

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

33 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Ep 30 | Henry Cavill: The nerd king who gave AJ permission to stop hiding

   What happens when a man who built his identity inside the armed forces walks out the other side with nothing to show him who he is? For AJ — 3D print business owner, tabletop gaming lead at Luton Comic Con, and dad of four — the answer came from an unlikely source: Henry Cavill. Not just Superman. Not just Geralt of Rivia. But the man who sat on the Graham Norton sofa talking about Warhammer 40,000 with zero apology and total conviction — and made AJ feel like his passions were worth owning out loud. In this special episode, recorded in partnership with Luton Comic Con 2026, AJ traces a journey from post-military identity crisis to full-time creator, and explores why a Hollywood actor's unashamed nerdiness changed the way he sees himself, parents his kids, and shows up in the world. Along the way they dig into tabletop gaming, the controversy around Henry's casting as Superman, his battles to keep The Witcher true to its source material, and the Warhammer film that's quietly in development. If you've ever hidden a passion because you thought it wasn't cool enough — or needed someone to show you it's safe to be exactly who you are — this one's for you.

2. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Ep 29 | Agatha Christie: The disabled novelist who became the best-selling author of all time

   She had a condition that made writing physically and mentally painful. She was a woman working in a genre dominated by men. And in 1926, she vanished for 11 days — a mystery she took to her grave. Yet Dame Agatha Christie went on to become the best-selling novelist of all time, with over two billion copies sold. Gen Dearman, CEO of disability charity Challengers, first picked up an Agatha Christie novel as an eight-year-old in a hotel in Worthing — and hasn't stopped since. In this conversation, Gen traces forty years of companionship with Christie's work: the accessible, put-it-down-and-pick-it-back-up quality of her writing, the feminist defiance hidden in plain sight, the disability Christie never let define her, and the Poirot theme that still conjures the warmth of Gen's late mum on a quiet evening. Gen also shares the work she leads at Challengers, a Surrey-based charity that transforms the lives of disabled children and young people through the power of play — with a non-exclusion policy as radical as anything Christie herself might have championed. Find out more at disability-challengers.org (http://disability-challengers.org). If you've ever found a book that felt less like reading and more like coming home, this one's for you.

3. 

   27 Aug 2026

   Ep 28 | She Never Stopped Trying | With Nicky Banger

   She was born at two pounds, three ounces — three months early, fighting for her life before she'd even begun it. Then came the cerebral palsy diagnosis, the surgeries, the bullying, the anorexia. And through all of it, nobody knew whether Sophia would ever live independently, hold down a job, or simply be okay. In this episode, Jonathan is joined by Nicky Banger — former professional footballer and CEO of the Knights Foundation — who has dedicated his life to supporting families with children who have additional needs. But today, Nicky isn't here to talk about his work. He's here to talk about his daughter. Sophia's story is one of extraordinary, quiet courage. Multiple major operations. Cyberbullying. An eating disorder. A system that repeatedly told her family she wasn't worth the fight. And yet, at 21, she's studying law — and one of the world's biggest law firms has come looking for her. Nicky reflects on what it meant to parent through fear without showing it, why resilience can't be taught but can be modelled, and how Sophia is becoming the role model she never had. Learn more about the work Nicky leads at the Knights Foundation: https://www.theknightsfoundation.org/ (https://www.theknightsfoundation.org/) If you've ever watched someone you love face odds that felt impossible — and seen them win — this one's for you.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

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