The Couch to 5K Podcast

About The Couch to 5K Podcast

Whatever stage you're at in your running journey, Giovanna Fletcher will gently encourage you to get to the next step. High profile guests will bring their stories of success and failure in health and fitness.

Publisher

BBC Sport

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Apr 2025

Latest episode

9 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

18 of 21 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   John Robins - from Alcohol Addiction to Becoming a Runner; "The Act of Beginning is Where the Magic is"

   Podcast host John Robins shares his inspiring journey from addiction to running with interviewer Giovanna Fletcher, revealing how exercise transformed his mental health and life.

2. 

   2 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Jodie Ounsley - on Defiance to be a Gladiator, Rugby Player and Runner whilst Profoundly Deaf

   Giovanna Fletcher introduces Jodie Ounsley as her latest Couch to 5k guest. Jodie has a remarkable back-story. She was profoundly deaf as a baby and became the youngest person in the country to have a cochlear implant. She takes us on her journey to being a sport loving youngster and taking up rugby despite the risks of a contact sport. Jodie became a professional rugby player but her life took another twist when she successfully applied to be a Gladiator on the BBC TV series. She's now best known as Fury from that programme. She's gone on to appear on Masterchef and Strictly Come Dancing and worked as part of the presentation team for Channel 4 at the Paris Paralympics. She's very honest about her struggles to run 5k. She also talks about how deaf people can now use the NHS Couch to 5k app. The NHS Couch to 5K app is audio-based, which can create barriers for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or experience tinnitus. To help address this, the Department of Health and Social care have worked with the charity RNID to help better understand these challenges and identify ways to remove some of the these barriers and improve accessibility. Insights from RNID, combined with technical guidance, have changed the app with things like dynamic transcriptions and haptics(vibrations). Presenter: Giovanna Fletcher Producer: Mark Shardlow Exec Producer: Katherine Hogan For more information on the NHS Couch to 5K programme follow the link below and download the free app. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/?WT.mc_ID=Couch_Podcast_BetterHealth&wt.tsrc=display What is Couch to 5K? It’s a simple, free running plan for absolute beginners How do you do Couch to 5K? Download an app(details below) and away you go! Can you do Couch to 5K on a treadmill? Yes, on a treadmill or outside. How does Couch to 5K work? You will have a trainer in the app starting you off with a mix of running and walking. How long does Couch to 5K take? You’ll be going out 3 times a week for 9 weeks at a pace that feels right for you. You’ll run a little further each week. You can repeat weeks and take longer if you want to. You'll find the NHS Couch to 5K app in all the usual places you get your apps from.

3. 

   16 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Harry and Izzy Judd - from teen pop star to serious marathon runner

   Musician Harry Judd and author Izzy Judd discuss Harry's transition from pop star to marathon runner and Izzy's journey navigating exercise amidst fertility challenges in an interview with Giovanna Fletcher.

Inside a recent episode

John Robins - from Alcohol Addiction to Becoming a Runner; "The Act of Beginning is Where the Magic is"

Published 9 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So, in fact, I'm now consigned to the pavement, which I hate. But it is getting a bit better. You do something called eye climbing, which I've never heard. Talked to me about that because all I've seen on Instagram is you in really gorgeous places. That looks like there's no one else around. And then it says something in the caption about eye climbing. Yeah. Talked to me about eye climbing. Eye climb Alps with my eyes. Now, this is my kind of climbing where I just sit down at the bottom and just look at them and kind of go, I'm climbing you right now. It's a very different discipline. My record, you can do an open about seven seconds from a static position always. […]

Who has been a guest on The Couch to 5K Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• John Robins
• Reece Parkinson
• Sally Chambers
• Bryony Gordon
• Steve Cram CBE

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

31 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

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

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact The Couch to 5K Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

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Questions about The Couch to 5K Podcast