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The Holiday That Changed My Life

The Holiday That Changed My Life

Written by: What Media
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About this listen

‘The holiday that changed my life’ is a podcast that combines travel, business and lifestyle.

Holidays are normally measured in terms of days or weeks but, for some, they have the potential to change your life forever.

In every episode co-hosts Jen Atkinson and Chris Maguire interview someone about that one holiday that changed the direction of their life.

Those experiences can be happy or sad, funny or serious, life-changing or life-ending.

From finding yourself at the centre or a terror attack to going on a honeymoon with a total stranger; from being washed away by a ferocious tsunami to finding love in the most unlikely places.

The podcast has the power to make listeners laugh out loud or cry uncontrollably so get strapped in and prepare for a journey you’ll never forget.

A new episode of ‘The holiday that changed my life’ podcast drops ever fortnight and one lucky listener will have the opportunity to go on the holiday of a lifetime.

‘The holiday that changed my life’ podcast is a What Media production and is recorded at the Ministry of Work, in Swinton, Manchester.

What Media 2024
Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Series 1, Episode 10 – ANGELA LUGER – ‘Dream Caribbean holiday turned into a nightmare in a split second’
    Jun 11 2024

    Angela Luger is an experienced and well respected FTSE 250 CEO and non-executive director but nothing could have prepared her for what happened in 2022.

    She’d been enjoying a dream catamaran holiday in the British Virgin Islands with her American husband Michael and two other couples when tragedy struck.

    The couple had been snorkelling when Michael suffered a heart attack and died despite frantic efforts to save his life.

    Angela described it as the ‘worst hour of my life’ and a police investigation was launched as it was initially treated as an unexplained death at sea.

    However, she told The Holiday That Changed My Life podcast, that the tragedy made her realise she owes it to Michael and her family to continue living her best life.

    · Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and X @THTCML

    Our hosts

    Jen Atkinson is a veteran of the travel industry. The former CEO of £90m turnover company ITC Travel Group, she’s now the co-founder and executive chair of Travel Seen.

    Chris Maguire is an award-winning editor and events host. A journalist for more than 30 years he’s the executive editor of BusinessCloud and TechBlast.

    Sponsor: Travel Seen

    Producer: Ellice Street, What Media

    Studio engineers: James McDonald, Charlie Battson & Olivia Barrens, What Media

    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Series 1, Episode 9 – APRIL HUTCHINSON – ‘How travel helped me overcome trauma’
    Jun 4 2024

    APRIL HUTCHINSON is a doyen of the travel industry. She’s the editor and publisher of TTG Luxury and has been a journalist for 30 years.

    However her devotion to travel has been at tremendous personal sacrifice.

    She was in a trip to Antarctica when she discovered her mother had died and she couldn’t get back in time to attend the funeral.

    Then, in 2008, on a short break to Amsterdam her husband told her he didn’t love her anymore and the pair got divorced.

    During Covid, April’s beloved cat Clio died and then she herself was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.

    However April has never been defined by her personal setbacks, preferring to find her salvation in travel.

    In the latest episode of The Holiday That Changed My Life podcast, April recalls listening to bears in Western Canada; driving on the back of a moped through the Cambodian jungle with an anti-poaching unit; meeting the last two Northern White Rhinos in Kenya; and a (brief) trip into North Korea.

    · We’d love to hear about the holiday that changed your life. Email jen@travelseen.co.uk

    · We’d also like to send one lucky listener on a life-changing holiday of their own. You can nominate yourself or nominate someone deserving of a lucky break. Just email nominate@travelseen.co.uk with the reasons why.

    · Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and X @THTCML

    Our hosts

    Jen Atkinson is a veteran of the travel industry. The former CEO of £90m turnover company ITC Travel Group, she’s now the co-founder and executive chair of Travel Seen.

    Chris Maguire is an award-winning editor and events host. A journalist for more than 30 years he’s the executive editor of BusinessCloud and TechBlast.

    Sponsor: Travel Seen

    Producer: Ellice Street, What Media

    Studio engineers: James McDonald, Charlie Battson & Olivia Barrens, What Media

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Series 1, Episode 8 – PETER HOPTON – ‘Skiing off a cliff made me a nicer person’
    May 28 2024

    Serial entrepreneur PETER HOPTON may have been successful in business but he admits his people skills left a lot to be desired.

    As the keen skier stood at the top of the mountain in Lake Tahoe, California, in 2019, his focus was getting to the bottom as quickly as possible.

    An app recorded his descent at 49mph – but then disaster struck.

    Peter didn’t see a fast-approaching cliff and skied off the side of the mountain.

    He fell from the equivalent of a two-storey building and suffered horrendous injuries as he crash-landed.

    At one point Peter thought he was going to die – but then something amazing happened.

    After his brush with death Peter vowed to grab his second chance at life with both hands and become a better person and use his unique skillset to help budding entrepreneurs.

    Peter recalls his life-changing fall on The Holiday That Changed My Life podcast.

    · We’d love to hear about the holiday that changed your life. Email jen@travelseen.co.uk

    · We’d also like to send one lucky listener on a life-changing holiday of their own. You can nominate yourself or nominate someone deserving of a lucky break. Just email nominate@travelseen.co.uk with the reasons why.

    · Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and X @THTCML

    Our hosts

    Jen Atkinson is a veteran of the travel industry. The former CEO of £90m turnover company ITC Travel Group, she’s now the co-founder and executive chair of Travel Seen.

    Chris Maguire is an award-winning editor and events host. A journalist for more than 30 years he’s the executive editor of BusinessCloud and TechBlast.

    Sponsor: Travel Seen

    Producer: Ellice Street, What Media

    Studio engineers: James McDonald, Charlie Battson & Olivia Barrens, What Media

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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