Men's wellbeing
Honestly, Man
Why masculinity feels confusing, shame doesn't help and what to do about it
An evidence-based, compassionate keynote that moves beyond stereotypes to answer three critical questions: Are men struggling? Why? And what can we actually do about it?
Looking for the book? The keynote shares its title with Andrew’s book on purpose: Honestly, Man – the book
Why this talk
If we're serious about addressing men's mental health, we need to move beyond well-trodden assumptions that men don't naturally talk, or that men are the architects of their own problems.
If we're serious about addressing men's mental health, we need to accept that we can speak up for women's equality and men's wellbeing at the same time. The latter does not contradict the former.
If we're serious about addressing men's mental health, we need to ask better questions so we can safeguard the mental wellbeing of our sons, brothers, dads, uncles, male friends, husbands and partners.
In plain words
Man code
The stereotypical code for how a man should be. Honestly, Man asks how we redefine it, so it is fit for the 21st century.
Watch Andrew
Hear it from the stage
Filmed at Andrew's men's mental health talk, November 2025.
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The scale of the challenge
- Over 70% of homeless people, globally are men.
- More than 90% of people in prison, globally are men.
- Globally, men's life expectancy is five years less than women.
- Globally, more than twice as many men die by suicide each year than women.
In this talk, we will answer 3 questions
- 1 Are men struggling?
- 2 Why are men struggling?
The figures, and who publishes them
Every figure names its source, linked so you can check it.
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In England and Wales in 2024, the suicide rate for men was 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, against 5.7 per 100,000 for women — around three times higher.
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In the autumn 2025 rough sleeping snapshot for England, 3,938 of the 4,793 people counted sleeping rough on a single night were men — 82%.
What this session covers
The agenda, point by point
Everything your audience will move through – so you can judge the fit before you book.
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The testosterone crisis: why it's so important for male physical and mental health, why levels of testosterone are dropping globally (and across all age groups) and how we reverse the decline.
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Toxic Masculinity: as a phrase, is this a wall builder or bridge builder? And if it's a wall builder, how do we create a positive narrative which calls men in?
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How do we redefine the stereotypical man code, so it's fit for the 21st century?
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Psychological safety: we know it's the magic ingredient behind the best performing teams of people, but why is it so important for men to grasp as a concept? And how do you create it in a busy working environment?
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Gender bias: how do media, politics and wider society perpetuate gendered stereotypes? And why is this bad news for everyone?
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Allyship: how do we become effective allies for each other? (understanding that allyship is a cross cultural and cross gender term)
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Men's communities: are they a return to the old boys network, or an important, safe space where men can find community? And how do you build a thriving men's community in the workplace?
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Fatherhood: how do we become more present as fathers, and support fathers whose wellbeing may be at particular risk? From new dads to dads who no longer live with their children, to dads caught in family court warfare as victims of Parental Alienation, and the men who are childless (not by choice).
Go deeper
From the podcast and Insights
- Episode 53 The Men's Therapy Hub Launch and why more male therapists helps men Chris Hemmings is a therapist and coach who specialises in working with men.
- Episode 12 Men and the Testosterone Crisis Ryan Parke is The Men's Coach, a TEDx and international, award-winning public speaker.
- Episode 2 Men and Suicide Prevention Steve Philip – a successful speaker and consultant, historically on social media and marketing, but who on December 4th, 2019, received the phone call that is every parent’s worst nightmare, his son, Jordan had died by suicide.
- Episode 54 Why the narrative on men and boys has shifted, and where's it going next! Ally Fogg is a British writer, journalist, and commentator based in Manchester with a long track record of engaging with social and political issues, especially relating to men and boys.
- Article The Testosterone Crisis: men's levels are in decline and it's not just bad news for libidos and biceps Men's testosterone is falling at every age, mostly due to lifestyle, and the risks go well beyond libido – the good news is that in most cases, it's reversible.
What your people leave with
Concrete outcomes, not vague good feelings
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Understand the statistical and societal scale of challenges facing men today
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Reframe the 'toxic masculinity' narrative into one that calls men in rather than shuts them out
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Learn how dropping testosterone levels affect male physical and mental health – and what reverses the decline
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Grasp why psychological safety is the foundation of male wellbeing at work and how to build it
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Recognise the role of gender bias in media and society and why addressing it benefits everyone
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Gain practical tools for allyship across gender and culture
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Understand the unique wellbeing risks facing different groups of fathers and how to support them
Who it's for
Organisations, leadership teams, HR and wellbeing professionals, employee resource groups, and anyone who wants to create environments where men can genuinely thrive.
Mental Health & Resilience Keynote Speaker
Andrew speaks from lived experience – warm, honest and human, with the experience to back it up.
Andrew Pain is a TEDx speaker with 25 years’ HR experience, and his credentials include CPD-accredited keynote programmes; Member, International Coaching Federation; and Campaigner of the Year 2023, Men and Boys Coalition.
- TEDx speaker .
- Host of the Men on Show podcast (60 episodes) .
- Author of the book Honestly, Man .
- Member, International Coaching Federation .
Formats & logistics
Shaped to fit your event.
Andrew tailors every talk to your audience, theme and time slot. Here's how the practical side usually works – tell him the room and he'll shape the rest.
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Talk length
Keynotes usually run 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes 90. Around two hours it becomes a workshop; longer than that is rare.
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Audience size
From an intimate group of 8–12 to a main-stage audience of 200–250. Interactive workshops usually sit around 40–70.
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AV & tech
Andrew works with whatever setup you have. And if the tech fails, the show still goes on – he'll present without slides.
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In-person or virtual
Delivered on-site or online, on the platform you already use – most often Teams or Zoom.
“Andrew delivered a hugely engaging and thought-provoking session. We received hugely positive feedback from both the men and women who attended the call, who found Andrew's talk incredibly insightful and took a lot of practical steps and resources away.”
Amy Lange
Communications Associate, Pepper Advantage UK
The podcast
Men on Show
- Episode 13 Men, Midlife Crisis and Hiking. Joe Horton is a Husband, Father, Podcast Host Coach and Business Owner, who helps men to live more meaningful lives by focussing on what is really important to them.
- Episode 17 Men and Lads Need Dads A wise take on the solutions needed for boys in education.
- Episode 36 Men, Parenting and Mental Health Scott Mair, is an expert in paternal mental health and parenting.
- Episode 58 The Power of Menfulness and how to spot the signs your mate is struggling. Jack Woodhams is a passionate mental health advocate and co-founder of Menfulness, a UK-based charity dedicated to encouraging men to talk openly about life, wellbeing, and emotional challenges.
- Episode 59 Liberating Masculinity: why people pleasing pleases no one and how to stop it Sam Adams is a men and masculinity coach and trainer with over 20 years experience.
31 more episodes for this talk
- 57 Empowering men to stand tall: why it matters and how to do it .
- 55 The Relentless War on Masculinity and How to Stop It .
- 51 Why acrimonious parental separation is bad for the kids and how to prevent it .
- 49 Boys don't need fixing, but a failing system does .
- 48 How Porn & Body Shame Are Destroying Young Men .
- 47 When Men Break Down: Why It’s the Beginning, Not the End .
- 46 How to nurture boys into healthy, young men, without banning social media!
- 45 Why the motherwound stops men from growing up and realising their profound potential .
- 41 Why Men Are Choosing Running Over Therapy .
- 37 From Gang Member to Mentor: How I broke the cycle and why it's never too late to get out.
- 35 Men, Rap Music and Getting Sectioned.
- 34 Men and Neurodiversity .
- 33 Men, Gambling and Addiction.
- 32 Men, and Closing the Education Gap For Boys .
- 30 Men, Grenfell and PTSD .
- 28 Men, Nature and Climate Change .
- 26 Men and the impact of childlessness.
- 25 Men, Rugby and Life After Sport .
- 24 Men, Islamophobia and Inclusion .
- 22 Men Policing and PTSD.
- 21 Men, Alcohol and Sobriety .
- 20 Men, Crisis and Recovery .
- 19 Men, Boys and Progressive Masculinity .
- 18 Men, Prison and Reform.
- 15 Men, Blindness and Sport.
- 14 Men, the Media and Therapy.
- 11 Men, Addiction and Recovery .
- 8 Men, Boys and Education.
- 7 Men, Paralysis and Recovery.
- 4 Men, Guns and Forgiveness .
- 3 Men, Policing and Psychological Safety .
Before you book
Frequently asked
What is Honestly, Man about?
An evidence-based, compassionate keynote that moves beyond stereotypes to ask whether men are struggling, why, and what we can actually do about it.
Can you speak up for men's wellbeing and women's equality at the same time?
Yes. Speaking up for men's wellbeing does not contradict speaking up for women's equality – the talk argues for both.
Who is Honestly, Man for?
Organisations, leadership teams, HR and wellbeing professionals, employee resource groups, and anyone who wants to create environments where men can genuinely thrive.
Is this talk medical or therapeutic advice?
No. The talk draws on lived experience and is educational – it is not medical or therapeutic advice. If you or someone you know needs support now, the helplines are on this page.
Bring this to your organisation
Ready to talk it through?
Tell us your event's date, audience size and venue – we'll come back with availability and how Honestly, Man could land for your people.
- Booking for an awareness day? See International Men's Day and World Mental Health Day.
- Booking from outside the UK? See global bookings.
- Comparing speakers? Read the questions to ask any speaker.