Toby Freeman, Founder of The Robin Cancer Trust – and a man who runs marathons dressed as a 7ft high pair of testicles – joins communications specialist Sue Keogh to explain how the charity uses humour brilliantly to break the stigma and enable honest conversations about cancer.

He outlines why it’s so important to make yourself the butt of the joke – not the people with the condition – and how charities can convert these moments of laughter into actual donations. He’s also got some great advice if you’re a business who wants to use humour in your marketing – but are holding back for fear of getting cancelled.

We’re also joined by standup-comic-turned public speaking coach Jon Torrens, who’s got some very practical tips in using humour to win over your audience.

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to us.

About Toby Freeman

Toby Freeman is Founder & CEO of Robin Cancer Trust, the UK's only dedicated testicular, ovarian, and germ-cell cancer charity.

He founded the charity in 2012 after losing his brother, Robin, to late-stage testicular cancer when he was just 24. Toby’s personal mission was simple: to prevent another family from going through what mine did.

A men's health advocate and podcast host, he uses honesty, humour and purpose-led leadership to break stigma and create impact. These bold campaigns turn taboo topics into normal conversations – like his Big Ballsy Challenge, which saw him run the London Marathon in 2026 dressed as a 7ft high pair of testicles to attempt a Guinness World Record for “fastest man dressed as a body part” and raise vital funds to support every man diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK.

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Donate to The Robin Cancer Trust

Discover Toby’s Big Ballsy Challenge

Visit Jon Torrens’ website

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.

Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.

Start here: sookio.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you get when you cross a basketball coach, orchestra conductor and two funeral directors with a doctor, criminal defence barrister and a man dressed as a giant pair of testicles?

Series 3 of Communication Untangled! The podcast which explores the tiny facets of communication which shape our behaviour – but often go unnoticed.

And it’s all hosted by me, Sue Keogh. Founder of Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and behavioural science enthusiast.

In my 3-decade career in comms, working for the BBC, ITV, GOV.UK and with clients like the NHS and the University of Cambridge, I’ve always been fascinated by those little elements of communication which influence us in a big way.

And for this series, we’re shifting the focus to different communication environments and untangling the techniques you can use within them.

In each episode I’ll be joined by a guest who’s a brilliant practitioner in their field, with a short blast of tips in the middle from a specialist….sharing secrets you can steal to help convey ideas more powerfully in your own marketing, business or brand. Click subscribe to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to us

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.

Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.

Start here: sookio.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sound designer Sian Harris (Star Wars, LEGO, Need for Speed) from Fuse Games explains how audio in games has a huge impact on our emotional response as we play. We talk elephants, toucans, and why she’ll never replace humans with robots.

Plus, remember the classic Nokia ringtone? It was heard nearly 2 billion times a day at its peak – but now we keep our phones on mute.

Whether you're accelerating at speed in Grand Theft Auto, collecting coins in Super Mario, or you've just caught a fish in Animal Crossing with a satisfying splosh, the way the sound is designed in gaming has a huge impact on our emotional response as we play. It helps you become immersed in whole new worlds, and alerts you to points won – and lives lost.

Someone who knows all about games audio and the techniques used to heighten our emotions is Sian Harris, Lead Sound Designer at Fuse Games. She's worked on numerous titles in the Star Wars and LEGO franchises, along with racing game Need for Speed and Sea of Solitude, set in a flooded city with big monsters making scary noises!

She tells host Sue Keogh about all the subtle ways she uses sound to get people really tuned into the game...and how she strikes a balance between using AI technology and keeping it old school.

Speaking of which! We’ll also remember the famous Nokia ringtone, a total classic from the early days of mobile phones which at its peak was heard nearly two billion times a day.

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to us

About Sian Harris

Sian Harris is an award-winning Lead Sound Designer currently working at Fuse Games. With over a decade of experience in sound design, audio direction, leadership and mentoring. Sian has played a pivotal role in shaping the soundscapes of some of the most innovative games in the industry such as the Need for Speed, Battlefield and Star Wars franchises.

Take a look at her reel to see some of her work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MXt35X2Ts&t=2s&ab_channel=SianAudio

Useful links

Connect with Sian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-harris-b4a13644/

Subscribe to her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SianAudio-pq6tg

Fuse Games: https://fusegames.com/

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Sookio podcast page: https://www.sookio.com/podcast

Produced by Rob Birnie at Made By DBM: https://madebydbm.com

Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.

Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.

Start here: sookio.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.