In this episode of Recovery Room, Mitchell opens up about feeling like he never fit in, chasing a career in music, performing internationally, navigating mental-health struggles, and building a new life through sobriety, comedy, content and entrepreneurship.

He shares the reality behind the funny TikTok persona, why talent alone is not enough in the modern music industry, and how learning to connect with an audience changed the way he approached his career.

Follow Mitchell:
Instagram and TikTok: @mitchellgodwin
YouTube: Awaken by Mitch

Own the fame.
Learn from the f@ck ups.
Keep fixing it.

In this episode of The Recovery Room, Jennis & JC get brutally honest about the stuff that usually stays off-camera: our own secrets, the highs that come with fame, the pressure behind the success, the choices we got wrong, the mistakes we’d rather forget, and, most importantly, the f@ck-ups that taught us the most.

Because the truth is, nobody gets through life without screwing things up. We’ve both had moments where we thought we knew better, got it spectacularly wrong, had to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and figure out what to do next.

We talk about the parts of our stories that don’t always make the highlight reel. The wins, the losses, the ego, the lessons, the ridiculous moments and the uncomfortable truths.

It’s honest. It’s personal. It’s sometimes uncomfortable. And yes… there are a few things we probably shouldn’t be admitting on camera. Just two friends talking about life, fame, failure, ambition and everything we’re still figuring out along the way.

Because maybe the goal isn’t to get everything right?

Maybe it’s to keep fixing it.

Own the fame. 
Learn from the f@ck ups. 
Keep fixing it.

Long before she became a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, Annie was a child actor, appearing in iconic South African productions including Fiela se Kind, Saartjie, That Englishwoman and ’n Pot Vol Winter. 

In this episode of Fame, F@ck Ups & Fixing It, Jennis and JC sit down with Annie to unpack an extraordinary career that has crossed acting, business, advertising and media.
She talks about being on a film set at just 11 years old, stepping away from acting, building a business, eventually returning to the industry, and what she has learned about failure, leadership and knowing your own strengths.

This is a conversation about fame, reinvention, business, acting, failure and the importance of simply asking:

"What do we do next?"

Own the fame.
Learn from the f@ck ups.
Keep fixing it.

In this episode of The Recovery Room, Jennis and JC sit down with actress, photographer and creative storyteller Blyde Smit for a deeply honest conversation about the realities of building a creative career — and rebuilding yourself when life doesn’t go according to plan.
Blyde opens up about starting her acting career at just nine years old, being recognised as Gabby from 7de Laan, and eventually finding another creative outlet through photography. She shares how her own experiences of feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable in front of the camera inspired her to create a space where actors could feel seen, understood and confident.
But the conversation goes much deeper.
Blyde speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, the pressure to equate your worth with your work, freelancing, heartbreak, anxiety, rebuilding her life after a long-term relationship ended, and learning that one person doesn't have to fulfil every role in your life.
The conversation also explores creativity, concept development, accountability, the courage to pursue a dream that scares you, and Blyde’s ambition to become a writer and director.
From pitching a series to Showmax to turning that rejected idea into a novel, Blyde’s story is a reminder that a “no” doesn't mean the end of the story — sometimes it just means the idea needs more time to breathe.
This is an episode about evolving, starting again, trusting the process, and continuing to create even when you don't know exactly where it's going.

In this episode: * Blyde’s journey from child actress to working creative • Life after 7de Laan and the uncertainty of freelancing • The reality of imposter syndrome • Photography as a way of capturing someone's energy and story • Rebuilding your life after heartbreak • Why one person doesn't have to be everything to you • Creativity, concept development and creative fatigue • The importance of accountability • Turning rejection into a new beginning • Blyde’s dream of becoming a writer and director • Learning to trust your own evolution

🎙️ Watch, listen and join the conversation.
And remember: Own the fame. Learn from the fuck-ups. Keep on fixing it.

#TheRecoveryRoom #RecoveryRoomPodcast #ImposterSyndrome #CreativeJourney #SouthAfricanCreatives #Acting #Photography #Storytelling #StartingOver #Reinvention #Creativity #TrustTheProcess #PodcastSouthAfrica

In this episode of Fame, F@ck Ups & Fixing It, Jennis and JC sit down with one of South Africa's fastest-growing content creators to talk about identity, adoption, belonging and growing up in an Afrikaans family as a Black woman.

Thandi shares what it was like constantly being questioned because of her surname, speaking Afrikaans fluently, and feeling like she didn't fully belong in either world. She also reflects on how her upbringing shaped her values, why discipline still matters, and how social media gave her a platform she never expected.

For Janina Oberholzer, losing her place on Toks ’n Tjops initially felt like a disaster. But with hindsight, it became the catalyst for an entirely new chapter.

In this episode of Recovery Room, Janina joins Jennis and JC for an honest conversation about growing up wanting to perform, finding her voice in radio, becoming a familiar face on South African television, and eventually making the leap from being in front of the camera to working behind it.

Janina opens up about the reality of being recognised everywhere she goes, the unexpected hate that can come with being yourself in the public eye, and why sometimes the doors that close are the ones that force you to grow.

Because sometimes the biggest f@ck up in your life turns out to be the thing that fixes it.

Remember to own the fame, learn from the f@ck ups, and keep fixing it.

From a struggling global economy to the rapid rise of AI, it seems like every industry is being forced to evolve—and the film, television and advertising world is no exception.

In this episode, Jen and JC unpack what they've experienced firsthand during one of the toughest years in the industry. They discuss shrinking production budgets, changing consumer behaviour, the reality of AI in creative work, and why authentic human connection is becoming more valuable than ever.

This isn't just a conversation about the entertainment industry—it's about adapting to change, finding opportunity in difficult seasons, and choosing growth instead of fear.

If you've been wondering where the world is heading, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

• Why the entertainment industry changed so dramatically
• How AI is reshaping creativity and advertising
• The global economy's impact on everyday business
• Why audiences are craving authenticity again
• Finding opportunity during uncertain times
• Why mindset may be your biggest competitive advantage

Because sometimes... new growth only comes after the fire.

In this episode, Reynardt sits down with Jennis and JC to go back to the beginning - a military kid from Palabora who moved to the city wearing shoes to school for the first time, sat alone at breaks from primary school through to his Binnelanders years, and somehow ended up as one of the most recognisable faces in Afrikaans television without ever planning to be an actor.

He talks about booking Binnelanders at 21 when he was too young for the role, co-founding ADAM and running a boyband and a soap career simultaneously for a decade, the burnout that finally forced him to step back in 2025, and why becoming a father changed everything he understood about his own dad. He also opens up about living with a chronic mental health diagnosis, the book Soldaat, and why he thinks mental wellness is still the conversation the Afrikaans entertainment industry refuses to have.

In September 2023, her husband Phil died suddenly of a heart attack. She was getting ready to go on air. Two weeks later, she was back at work. A year after that, her father took his own life.

In this episode, Danny sits down with Jennis and JC to talk about all of it - the weighing every Monday on kids TV, her double life at 21, the vodka-on-the-bathroom-floor phase of grief, dating again, and what it actually means to move forward without forgetting.

It’s raw, funny, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful.

In this episode, Divan talks to Jennis and JC about the full arc: the decision to quit banking, building The Whippet from scratch with zero hospitality experience, the Melville branch that didn't survive, the community fundraiser that saved 12 jobs, and launching Smoke in Pretoria. He also opens up about presenting Winslyn on kykNET for nine years - including the nights he was on TV talking about business while crying in his dressing room over the Melville collapse.

And in the second half, a conversation nobody expected: Divan came out publicly at 38. What that looked like, why he waited, what it says about the world his kids are growing up in and why living authentically became more important than living quietly.

Own the fame.

Learn from the f*ck ups.

Keep fixing it.

Screens. Cell phones. YouTube. Uber Eats. School WhatsApp groups. Kids wanting sushi for lunch. And somehow we’re all expected to know exactly what we’re doing.

This week, it’s just Jennis and JC in The Recovery Room, having an honest conversation about modern parenting. As two dads raising boys in Johannesburg, they wear every hat: mom, dad, disciplinarian, safe space, hype man and tooth fairy. Sometimes all before breakfast.

This is the parenting conversation nobody is having from the guy's perspective. And they don't hold back.

This isn’t an expert parenting guide.

It’s two dads trying to figure it out in real time.

Own the fame.
Learn from the f@ck ups.
Keep fixing it.

Not in a dismissive way. In the way that makes you realise you've been thinking about success completely wrong.

Dean Goldblum - actor, philosopher, and Jennis and JC's long-time friend - sits down for one for an unexpected conversation on The Recovery Room. They came in expecting to talk about career. They ended up talking about life.

Together they unpack:
•⁠  ⁠Why difficult conversations matter
•⁠  ⁠The problem with “I don’t see colour”
•⁠  ⁠White guilt and why it can become a barrier to growth
•⁠  ⁠Adoption, culture and belonging
•⁠  ⁠Why asking questions is often better than staying silent
•⁠  ⁠How genuine relationships help us understand each other better

This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to have the conversation.

Remember to own the fame, learn from the f*ck ups and keep fixing it.

From growing up in Springs to working as a PA at Barclays Capital in London and then walking away from security to chase an acting dream she didn't even know had a name yet. Angelique's story is not the one you think you know.

After four back-to-back guests: JP Geldenhuys, Chanley Wong, Wim Steyn and Danielle Retief. In this episode, they unpack what actually stuck: the things each guest said that kept running through their heads after the recording stopped. And in the process, they end up going somewhere much more personal.

They talk about The Cutting Room Chronicles. A printed book in their office of every single project that was pitched, developed, and rejected over the years. The pivot they took from Life-in-a-Bulb Productions to Life ETC, and why staying would have cost them everything. Why creative people never mourn their losses, and why that might quietly be destroying them. What it felt like posting something vulnerable about a parent and watching a silly TikTok dance video go up from the company account on the same day. And the one currency that Chanley said in her episode that neither of them can stop thinking about.

This is the episode for anyone who has ever given everything to a project, watched it disappear, and had to just keep moving.

In this episode of The Recovery Room, Wim traces the full arc: sitting in MNET's foyer for three days to get his first break on Idols. Building MK from scratch. Pitching Devilsdorp without knowing what the show would be. And the very real human cost of making true crime. The team members who've had to tap out, the psychologist he keeps on standby, the moment you have to ask a grieving father to relive the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Honest, generous, and full of hard-won wisdom about South African storytelling. One of our best episodes.

She was the only Asian girl at every casting. She got her first TV job, then got pulled off air a month in. She went through a heartbreak that left her not wanting to wake up. She spent seven years building herself back up before finally landing her dream: a presenting seat on Expresso Morning Show.

In this episode, Chanley gets completely real with JC and Janice. She talks about what it actually means to be mixed-race in the SA entertainment industry, the racism she still faces in shopping malls in 2024, her 75-year-old dad becoming a TikTok star, imposter syndrome that never goes away — and the moment at Hartebeespoort tunnel where she finally felt like she could breathe again.

Funny, honest, emotional, and worth every minute.

Now he's Mr SA 2025 and he wore the sash while his arm was in a sling after tearing his bicep off the bone in three places during finals week.

JC and Jennis sit down with JP for one of the most stripped-back conversations The Recovery Room has produced. They cover grief, masculinity, the famous "41" tattoo, viral TikTok comedy, fame f***ers, and what it really means to be a role model when you've got skeletons and tattoos to show for it.

If you've ever thought pageants were about looking perfect, this episode will change your mind.

We watched Netflix's "Into the Manosphere" and it broke our brains so we're talking about it. What does masculinity actually mean? Why does fake bravado sell so well online? And why do influencers keep getting away with saying one thing and living another?

We also get into:
-Why clickbait works (and how to use it for good)
-Helén Zille swimming in a Joburg pothole - good content or great content?
-What we actually want to teach our kids about being men

No magazine covers. No PR spin. Just honest, unfiltered conversation from two people who've been in this industry for 25+ years and have the stories to prove it.

In this episode, Jennis and JC sit down with one of South Africa's most recognisable Afrikaans entertainers, Nadia Beukes, for a conversation that's as honest as it is warm. Nadia opens up about the moment a cancelled contract sent her hiding in a wardrobe, the theatre night she fell asleep in her dressing room and had to sprint onto a live stage mid-song, and the harder, quieter question of what it means to build a career and a family without dropping the wrong ball.

She talks about learning to say no, finding the humanity in characters she doesn't agree with, and why she thinks people should stop chasing dreams and start chasing their talents. There's faith, there's gratitude, there are a lot of Barbies — and there's a glass of hot chocolate that saved the day.

This one's for anyone who's ever hidden from a hard moment and needed someone to coax them back out.

In the first full episode of Fame, F@ck Ups & Fixing It, Jennis and JC sit down with Sami Hall to unpack the reality behind a public career — the highs, the pressure, and the moments when things don’t go according to plan.

Sami opens up about the journey into the spotlight, the challenges that followed, and what it really takes to rebuild when things fall apart.

This conversation dives into the messy middle that most people never see — the mistakes, the self-reflection, and the process of figuring out what comes next.

Because the real story isn’t just about success.

It’s about what you do after the f@ck ups.

Remember to own the fame, learn from the f@ck ups, and keep fixing it.

This is not a highlight reel podcast.
It’s about what happens after the applause.
After the headlines.
After things don’t go according to plan.

In the coming episodes, we sit down with creatives, public figures, and industry leaders to unpack the real stories behind success — the wins, the collapses, and the rebuilding.

Remember to own the fame, learn from the f@ck ups, and keep fixing it.

Before the success.

Before the f@ck ups.

We tried to say the tagline.

Welcome to Fame, F@ck Ups & Fixing It — a candid, story-driven podcast hosted by Jennis and JC exploring what really happens behind public-facing success.

In this teaser, we give you a glimpse of the energy behind the mic… and prove that even saying the line isn’t always easy.

Real conversations.

Real failures.

Real lessons.

Full episodes launching soon.

Remember to own the fame, learn from the f@ck ups, and keep fixing it.

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