Tyler West Opens Up About The Traumatic Event Age 14 That Shaped His Life

32:02And I was doing it in a separate room at the Old Bailey via video link. And then I said to this chaperone that was with me, I was like, can they see me in there? Because my biggest fear at the time was like, this man's going to come and kill me. Like there's no way about it. He's gonna get out of prison. He's gonna come and stab me. I'm about to send him down." And then she was like, yeah, yeah. All of a sudden this massive plasma screen's come out in front of the man. And he's watching me testify against him. That'd be interesting. And I'm like, man, I'm 14 at this time, you know, 15. It was hard.

32:36Like that court case there was, yeah, it was horrible. And also the thing that will never ever leave me to this day, I know what I saw. And there was another man there. And the other man was kicking the body and moving the body, trying to put it in the bag. And I testified against him. I deed him on an ID parade at a police station in Lewisham. And then still, that man got rehoused by the council to the other side of Croydon. Wow. And he got let go. Because he didn't have any drugs or alcohol in the system. And it was a 14-year-old's testimony going against him. So the second man was let go. so you must be very fearful at that point because you know he's i used to go croydon all the time like all the time with my school friends right i i wouldn't go there i would not go there it's only until like now more recent days i'm like yeah i can go there now but it's it's a place i've grown up so it's hot yes hard like the thought process that from the get-go i've always been feeling like my voice has never been enough like even when i then i finally did start to just discover my voice it's like well it's not enough right they don't believe me right because look what happens yeah the the gentleman who uh actually perpetrated the the crime of uh of stabbing that gentleman what happened to him so he said that he had um mental health difficulties um and he he has gone away for he has gone away to prison um and he got like an extra something like 300 life in prison and then the next 350 days or something for putting a damaging imprint on a 14-year-old's mind.

34:16But he's gone to a mental health prison, and that's where he currently is. Okay, okay. When you reflect back, is there anything that you think the system, society, individuals could have, should have done better? So much. Like I, for example, I'm sat in this room, and the chaperone first of all just then now told me yeah absolutely everybody can see your face that's not good enough like i'm 14 like what's the point i might as well be sat in the room next to him giving it live in person what's the point in doing it via video link and then there's also the case of um with this evidence portfolio in front of me and then the defense will go can you turn to page 56 and then i'm going through on the first page is there's the man's body on the second page there's the knife on that i'm i'm now seeing things that were in his apartment that i hadn't even seen i'm seeing blood splatters i'm seeing like different parts of the street it's it's all of these things that then now it's just made that imprint worse now it's made it like oh here's a flashback tie don't worry just get to page 56 and say yeah is this the view from your window yes it is is there's so much that could have been handled in a different way um and i think you know you said the statistics yourself like knife crumb hasn't changed hasn't gone anywhere it's still here it's still it's worse so at what point does there come a change at what point i don't know what the answer is like my whole career so far in the back of my mind i've been you know speaking with people and trying to learn so much more about it but nobody can seem to to get to the answer sure sure but what what do you you know what do you believe because i would imagine this is one of those equations where it's 50 different things that need to change you know for us to have actual change but what do you believe are the two three most substantive things that that that need to change the access obviously they've changed the accessibilities of how easy it is for you to go and purchase a knife and things like that there's some amazing people in the community that are like doing different schemes where you can have like gangs and people that have have knives can hand like in the police that are coming up with schemes as to how you can get these knives off the streets.

36:33I think one thing that has stuck with me, by talking about it and sharing my experience, hopefully it can make somebody who's thinking about getting a knife or thinking about protecting himself with a knife or anything like that, hopefully it can make them go, well, I don't want to feel like that. So by talking about it, that exposure right there, that's a game changer. It really is. you know i've there's one guy i know called gideon who he came he came into my radio show was a young person that had won an award um and he was stabbed and the the knife was 0.3 millimeters away from his heart and he now goes around public speaking and talking about it and i'm like you you are a prime example of a young person that needs to be talking about this and sharing your experience yes so that hopefully the next person isn't one of those statistics yes Yes, yes, absolutely.

37:27And you, to this day, you still carry those memories. And you just mentioned that you'll still, you'll all forever have. Yeah, yeah, without a doubt. But also, if that hadn't have happened, I wouldn't be sat here with you right now. There's no way about it how I would be sat here with you right now. Because I went through like two years of pain, which led into some of the best accomplishments and achievements of my life. off the back of that, off the back of feeling like that. Yes, yes. All right, so I want to talk about this. But one area that I think we have to talk about, and it's interesting because when you came in, you talked about Jordan Stevens' book and how brilliant it was, right?

38:11Absolutely brilliant book. When I think back, because he was a guest here, I think back, I had such an incredible conversation. We talked about so many things. And when we have a guest come, we'll clip up different pieces of the interview and we'll put them out. there's one clip from Jordan Stevens' interview that is one of the most viral clips out of all of the guests that we've had. And you know what the clip is? You could probably guess what the clip is and what he's talking about. The one about, when he's talking about growing up mixed race. Yeah. Exactly. Think about that. Right? So he was expressing how he didn't feel black enough in certain circles, in certain circles, didn't feel white enough, maybe in certain circles, didn't know how he fit into society.

38:59There are an endless number of comments, good, bad, and ugly. Yeah. Right? So enter this one with caution. But what was your experience? And the reason why I think Jordan and I went down that road was because in the States, and this was my experience in the States, because not everyone went through this experience, is that there was a court case called Plessy v. Ferguson in the United States many, many, many, many years ago that stated if you had, quote, unquote, one drop, I think it equated to one-eighth or one-sixteenth drop of black blood, you were black. So for the longest, it wasn't a mixed race category.

39:44It was, no, you're black, right? So if we grew up together in New York, it would be, no, Tyler, you're black. Regardless of your lived experience, it's just, you're black. Your father's black. Okay, you're black. But when I got here, I'll never forget, I was on Celebs Go Dating. Yeah. It could be my first week. Okay. And there was a gentleman, won't give his name, but he was one of the celebs. and I said, I asked a question of, okay, so who do you want us to set you up with? Now, in the States, race and ethnicity would typically be like in the top three things that people would outline. But maybe it was because of his TV show or maybe because he was just trying to be politically correct.

40:31He didn't give me a race or ethnicity. So I said, well, would you like to date someone black or not? And he asked me, well, why did I immediately jump to black? I said, because you're black. He said, no, no, I'm not black. I'm mixed race. Okay. Right. I went home. I was so confused, right? I went to my wife. I was like, this guy doesn't know he's black. This guy does not know. But then I was really schooled on the category of mixed race. Yeah. So I say all of that because I'm so curious about this in the UK. Yeah. What has been your lived experience? I think the surroundings that you're in really affect how you feel about yourself.

41:22I was in a very similar sense to Jordan. I'd have my black friends going, oh, you're mixed race. You don't understand. You don't get it. You'll never understand. So then I'm being pushed away from that side. And then all of a sudden I'm on my walk to school and people are shouting the M word at me. And people are saying, go back to Africa. I'm like first of all I'm Jamaican we're going with that but still it's like you're caught in this limbo between a rock and a hard place and I just think that the one thing and I spoke out about this as well and I had a comment under one of the videos and it was like bad parenting not knowing who you are and I'm like I understand I've had phenomenal parenting it's actually the world that we're in that makes it such a confusing place to navigate but I never ever want my kids to grow up not knowing who they are or being unsure of who they are.

42:14Do you see what I'm saying? Yes. I don't want them to go through that pain of questioning their identity like I had to because I was there. I was like, I was torn. I was like, do I go with my white friends? Do I go with my black friends? Like they weren't getting on in the playground. I was like, so I'm sort of in between floating and I don't really have a home. So, and I'm not trying to sit there and plead like, oh, I've had it tougher or anything like that because it's just one of those things. I was always going to take offense from both angles. I was always going to take offense from both people, you know, saying stuff towards me or hateful comments.

42:50Yes. So this is interesting. So do you, let's say there's a literal checkbox, and I see also I find it interesting is that there's like a million options in the UK. Yeah, I don't understand that. I don't understand what we're doing there with those checkboxes yet because I promise you now, that's why the forms take so long. That's why they take so long. Yes. I just tick Caribbean, which is the only thing that says Caribbean. All right, I like it. I like it, J-A, all the way. Yeah. So eventually you find your voice, right? Mm-hmm. I'm curious as to what do you believe was that moment, that inflection point where you went from reserved, could I say introverted?

43:29Yeah, very, very. Very introverted to I found my voice. it was when i was so in the in the process of me trying to overcome like get back outside basically because i was just i was in my room i was watching indiana jones movies i was obsessed with movies right i was i loved them like every will smith movie i've seen martin lawrence film it was it was like the thing i would do i would come home from school and i would just sit there and watch movies with a cup of tea and rich tea biscuits and um other biscuits available by the way but um And in that process of me trying to get out of my bedroom again, I was big into sport when I was younger.

44:09I used to play basketball, right? Okay. At school. And my school was a sports college. And then I started going back in and I started playing this new sport called handball. And I was like, it's kind of like basketball. It's like football with your hands. And also, because I was quite tall and skinny, my hands were quite big. And the size of the ball we'd play with was like a miniature football. And I could grab the ball like that and I could just dash it in the goal. And I was like, is that it? I was like, that's easy. And then all of a sudden, like, my school started really adopting. It became like a Southeast training academy.

44:38And I got into the Southeast England team. And then I got into the England team. And then I carried on training, training, training. And I got into the Great Britain squad. And it was during a training session for the team that CBBC came in to introduce kids to new sports. And handball was one of them. and CBBC were just coming along for a training session. It was a show called Friday Download. And they were like, oh, who can explain the rules? Who wants to do a little bit on camera? And I was like, nobody else wanted to do it. I was like, all right, fine. I had a Mohican. And I was there and I was like, I was in my training bag and I was like, look, it's just 30 seconds on camera, sweet.

45:19And I did it. And then somebody there said, oh, you're pretty good at chatting on camera. You ever done this before? And I was like, no. Like I've never ever imagined like being on telly. And then after that, they contacted my mom. My mom took the details and they contacted my mom and said, oh, hey, does Tyler want to do a guest presentation slot? Like we're going to send him to go learn how to do trampolining with the GB trampolining team up in Northampton. And then I did my first ever, I remember going to Debenhams, right? and had to go and get a makeup color uh match in in store because the the team didn't know at that time they didn't know what skin color i hadn't like how to match it it was really anyway so they gave us a budget for that i've got the makeup done in store and we've gone up to northampton and um i've done this like it's literally like a two minute vt for for a cvbc show right and it was during that moment they're filming that once once we wrapped on set i was I was like, mum, I wanna do this for the rest of my life.

46:22And she was like, whoa, like, that's sick. And also when I got that call to do the guest presentation slot, I was like, mum, pack your bags, we're going to Hollywood. Like I was like, this is how, I was like - You're like Will Smith? I'm watching the TV, I'm watching the films. I'm like, yeah, I can do that, Fresh Prince, yeah, sweet. Yeah, let me jump into that. But that was it, that was my first introduction to CBBC. That was like children's television, something that I've like loved and grown up watching. And it was the sport aspect of it that sort of, like I had a really hard decision to do at the end of my A-levels right it was either go to uni and study digital television production it was either go to um I was still playing handball and they were like uh this this Danish team offered me a contract out there oh well but it wasn't it was like lower league and it was just like so I could barely survive on on the wage that they were paying they'll give me accommodation and whatnot and I'll just train over there or um stay working at McDonald's and take a gap year and try and break into television.

47:23And out of those three options, what do you think it went for? Mickey D's. The double cheeseburgers. Oh, yeah. Was it in Sutton? The Mickey D's at Sutton? Yeah. Oh, not the one on the high street, but the one up the 817. Okay. Yeah, I know that one. Yeah. Yeah. I drive by it when I come to. Drive through. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Actually, every time we go to Sutton to watch, my son is like, Stop this! There you go. Yeah. Yeah. All right, so now I have to ask, you had no training as a TV presenter. No. Right. So you go in, they ask you to do this thing. What was it that happened in that moment that made you feel like this is it?

48:03And this is such an important question, I think, to so many people because that was a true inflection point in your life. Yeah. And so many of us are trying to figure out what are we actually passionate about? Mm-hmm. you found your thing but how did you know it was your thing it was so far outside of my comfort zone i promise you i'll show you once once we wrap here today i'll show you a snippet of it and when i when i look back i can answer that question for you i'm like that was dreadful tyler that was the worst bit of television i've ever seen in my whole entire life but in the moment i loved it i thought wow i wonder where this could take me i wonder what the possibilities are if i just like get over this little bit of a fear and i just dive in like and just give it my full undivided attention yes and that was it that that fire within me like that's never left me i still to this day get shy i still to this day get nervous i still have all of those feelings and emotions back then from when i first started but i always think back like well you you did that like yeah you fist bumped the king yeah you did uh charleston on saturday night television yeah you did those things that you've done a radio show like it's all these like little accomplishments so everybody was says to me like what's your end goal?

49:10I don't have an end goal. It's like a checklist. It's like a load of things that I'm like, I want to be able to accomplish that in my career and I will do it. Yes. Yes. Do you still consider yourself an introvert? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I do. Even though I'm like the loudest in the room and the vibiest and would always be the last to leave the dance floor. Deep down, it's taken me a lot to get to that moment. Yes. Yes. I mean, you're doing very, very well in your career. Very, very well. And over a short period of time, because let me just, Let me run down some notes. Oh, good. 2015 is when we're talking about Kickabout.

49:44We'll be hosting that. You're 19 years old, right? 2017, 21, you become a host at MTV News. 2018, you start your own podcast, Everyday Hustle, to explore the journey of successful entrepreneurs. 2019 is when you join Kiss FM, and then you're just announced alongside Chloe Burroughs. Yeah. Which that is going to be a whole lot of fun. Yeah. Because Chloe's always a whole lot of fun. Chloe's great, man. As the new host for Kiss FM Breakfast. Yeah. Right, which is big. This is, if you think about this, so this is 2025, we're saying that you, 20, 2015. So within a 10-year period, there's been quite a lot of success.

50:32but at what point in that line do you feel like you actually stepped into your true voice that's a good question um i think it was probably it was probably actually like quite recent like probably i'm talking after strictly come dancing It was probably after Strictly. And that was like, what, 2022? So only for the last three years do I feel like I've been absolutely everywhere that I can walk and look. I'm fully like, that's my voice. That's me going through. That's my opinion. That's my creativity. Okay. I do think to a degree, and I'm looking back at my career, is that I do think that I was largely showing up the way people told me to show up early in my career.

51:26Like I always talk about how I was forced to wear suits early in my career on TV. It was one of those things where Tyler, literally, this year is almost over. This is 2025, right? I have successfully gone through this year without wearing one suit. You see that win there? That is big, man. Congratulations. Thank you. If that's what you're taking away from this year, that's the. This is my big thing. And I'll tell you the reason why is because I will never forget the first time I ever was on a television show. They said, Paul, look, here's the fact of the matter is that you really don't look like an expert.

52:11So if you wear a suit, people will actually listen to you. So it was one of those where I thought, okay, I have to wear a suit. So I would just wear suits because that's what they told me to wear. So I was showing up how I felt like I was told to show up. I'm not saying this is your experience, but I feel like this is often the experience of so many people in TV early on. What was your experience like early on? I was trying to look like the person that I thought people might want me to be. I was trying to, you've got to remember, like, growing up watching telly, there was not a lot of people that looked like me and sound like me that I could look up to.

52:50there was people like from back in the day i'm talking um lenny henry yes yeah reggie yates yes yeah legends like that i would i would glorify i'd be like oh my days i just need to be like them but then the problem that i found is is when i started doing this kind of work they'd be like oh no yeah but you're like reggie yates and they'll be putting us in the same category like we're now becoming one person and i'm going right okay so i actually have no choice but to be my whole authentic self you know the tyler that would watch indiana jones movies and has a torch collection back at home the tyler that loves food yeah loves chicken nuggets loves uh wings and and and loves to go out and be the last on the dance floor all of those things make me who i am and when you lean into that rather than sort of going oh no but that's not really what the professionals say that we should be doing the whole point when i start doing that that's when the whole thing becomes way more enjoyable.

53:44And you start doing things that you're like, oh, this feels great. Like I want to be doing this for the rest of my life. Not, oh, I've started talking in a very funny accent and now I've got to keep it up for the whole of my career. I'm not doing that. I can't, I can't change how I'm made up. Mom, dad, brother, incredibly proud. Yeah, yeah, it is. And Nana as well, you know. Yes, yes, facts. Always. I'm incredibly grateful right now for the One Better Guide by our sponsor, Adobe Express, for helping me to elevate one of the most important moments of the year for me, and that is the Amber Rising campaign at Sutton United.

54:23Amber Rising is a campaign I started last year to help increase the number of people attending football matches who had never been before. It was such a great day. There were so many incredible moments that we captured lots of content. Now, I want to share with you a clip. It's one of my favorites of the day. It's a mother with her two kids. I didn't think I'd actually enjoy it as much. I thought this one would be more into it. Now, the audio wasn't great on that clip, but that's where the One Better Guide comes in. I couldn't help but recall a lesson from Lucy Warner about refining the small details so that your audience feels cared for.

54:56So I open Adobe Express, drop the clip in, click Enhance Speech, and it lifts her voice to a place where it's crystal clear. I didn't think I'd actually enjoy it as much. I thought they'd probably be far into it. So much better now. This tiny 1 % adjustment allows me to share the heart of what Amber Rising is all about to the people who made that day so special. So if you want to unlock the One Better Guide for free, you could find it yourself in Adobe Express. Genuinely, I can't remember a time when the lead up to the holidays hasn't been busier. I mean, I've got the school activities for the boys.

55:29They also have sports activities. Then there's the holiday shopping for not only the family, but the wife. Then I have the podcast. I'm filming a few TV shows. I mean, things are busy. I drink our sponsor, Huel, throughout the year. But I got to say, I really appreciate their products the most in December. It's one less thing to think about. Now, I switched between the two. The Huel Black Edition ready to drink when I want to feel fuller. And then the Huel Light ready to drink when I need something a bit lighter. Black Edition has 35 grams of protein, 26 vitamins and minerals, and it's high in fiber.

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57:22All right. If you've made it this far, I know you're loving the conversation. So please do me one small favor. Hit that bell icon. Join our community. Thank you. All right. So thinking about the career, though, is would you say that Strictly was the biggest moment, maybe prior to the current, but would you say Strictly was kind of the biggest moment of your career professionally? at the time yeah at the time all right all right there's only two people who've not heard of strictly yeah yeah right in the world yeah but how would you describe it and is that a project that you've always wanted to be a part of i would describe strictly as a beast it is a beast in every aspect and it put me on the map in terms of like getting into households and being able to connect with a with a bigger audience which i love i love being able to either make someone laugh make someone smile or or listen out for their story or showcase another story i love it um so it was a the biggest blessing in that way but then also the i'd say the worst because it it has you on such a high that they don't warn you about and i know you know we watch it and we're like oh strictly of course it'll be a dream to do that and everything you have all these conversations about it but when you're there and you're in it you've genuinely it does become a world it becomes like a separate world you do feel like i'm on cloud nine yeah this is it this is the peak and everything's a lot deeper everything's a lot harder to process and the pressure is on and then all of a sudden it's just gone yes and nobody talks about like the after bit like and and what that's like and then you because one of the most nerve-wracking things where in the mind coming from me like growing up and i didn't really have a voice and everything like that one of the most nerve-wracking things is going out and dancing in front of millions of people live on a Saturday night.

59:17Bear in mind, I'm not a professional dancer. That is, that's scary. Like that is, and that's like squeaky bum time, man. That's, that's me there nervous. But once you've accomplished that, your confidence and how you felt, how I felt coming off the back of Streetly, I was like, oh, I'm flying right now. This is it. And then it's, you then start looking at your life and go, well, how can I feel that again? Yes. And that's the difficult part about it. Yes. coming off the back of the show i think i had a different experience to anybody else that's ever done it because i've met love in my life do you know what i mean and and also so it was kind of like we were there for each other and my work never stopped during the show everybody goes like some people when you get given the opportunity to go on strictly some people just like oh yeah i'm going to stop work i'm just going to focus on dance whereas i was like back to the old days when i was doing you know working as a support worker and working on cvbc i was doing multiple job still i was still i was doing i was getting up i was going to rehearsals um from like eight till two and then i would go across to kiss three till seven and then i'll go back in the evenings eight till ten and that was monday tuesday wednesday thursday and then all of a sudden stay up near the l street studios did the tech run on the friday do my radio show from there then still do the show on saturday and then feet and ice on sunday and you would just make it work and And I think that for me, because I always knew that this is going to come to an end at some point, even though I'm feeling great like this, I'm thinking about the next step.

1:00:47I'm always thinking about the future. I'm always trying to make sure everybody's safe. Yes. Especially myself. That sort of helped me in coming out of the show in that process. I love that. I love that. You took advantage of the moment. When people say took advantage of the moment, it's like, no, no, you leveraged the moment. and then they help you to get so many other moments. There's something I want to show you. Oh, God. Give him the balance. You know what? You're like Mary Poppins on this show. You just keep... Every single time Paul moves his cushion, he brings out something else. I'm like, how far is it going down?

1:01:21I have so many things in these cushions. This, my friend... Oh, wow, yeah. I believe happened during Strictly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can describe. So that's me, my brother, and my dad at my brother's wedding in Mauritius. right yeah that was uh that was really special that i could be there and you so you're training for strictly you fly out how many miles i can't tell it's mauritius yeah it's mauritius it's far it's like uh it's a good it's over like 11 hours 11 hours and then you're back i do i do i walk my brother down the aisle um i do do this the ceremony with him i was there for three three hours and i got back on the flight to come home just so that i could be there yeah look at that now uh celebrity race across the world yeah it's a show that you could sit down with your entire family sit around be inspired at any age and the numbers are just i had no idea how big the show was so in the week this is this is this is this past month no no last month the week of the 17th through the 23rd alone, the show hit 5.48 million viewers.

1:02:36It's crazy. One of the most watched shows in Britain. It's like incredible. Yeah. It's incredible. How do you describe that show? That show is a genuine once in a lifetime experience. If you even think about it, say for example they do another series and they try to go back and do the same route from Mexico through to Colombia, it's still going to be different. do you know what i mean it's it's completely different every single time and it's so bespoke that um you just feel again it's like it's almost like that that high that i had on strictly right but i now have it with me in my memories forever because of what it was like being on it because you're you're traveling to some untouched places you're off the beaten track you are um fully immersing yourself you're disconnecting from the world back at home you don't have your phone you have minimal budget i'm very bad at maths right so that 5.48 million witnessed me you know just absolutely not counting the budget at all and and doing dreadful with that we finished with one percent of the budget left right it was like 17 pound and that was honestly we probably wouldn't have made it to the end of the show i don't know how we did it but um yeah it was it was it was life-changing man life-changing is it so you literally only have that budget to spend, truly.

1:03:55Yeah, yeah, you don't get it. Well, I mean, you can do jobs along the way to try and earn a bit more money to boost it up a little bit. But I mean, we're talking like minimum wage jobs. Minimum wage. You've got a budget here. And, you know, it was, we learned a lot about ourselves throughout that show. But it was the best experience. Like the best experience. Traveling like that and seeing a part of the world was, yeah. Was just beautiful. So it was, what, Mexico? Through to Colombia. Through to Colombia. All right. Had you ever visited Mexico? No, I think I'd been via Cancun once, but that was like, yeah, that was ages ago.

1:04:32But I'd never ever thought about me backpacking, wildlife, we don't do well. I'm not an outdoorsy type of person or anything like that. I can't, I'm petrified of insects. Like I don't do it. Whereas, yeah, Mexico through to Columbia, I mean, it's always one of those parts of the world that you would love to travel to. Yes. you think, oh, so far, I can't do that. No, I can't get the time off. And then some people say it's dangerous. I mean, Medellin is where you're at. Yeah. That was one of my favorite places. Really? Yeah, one of my favorite places. There's a place called Cartagena. We did a confeture dance class, and it was amazing.

1:05:10Like, it was just, it was so good. And then there was the Gunayala Islands in Panama. And as we're traveling through, we got off on this island, and it's like, there's nobody else that's been here. and we're like an indigenous family and they're serving up, going fishing and cooking up on a fire. You don't do that. You don't get to experience that, you know? No, no. What is the, from a production standpoint, who is with you? Is it? We've got a team. We've got a team. Every pair has a team, but there's different people throughout the show that just pop up and fill in different spots. Logistically, it's a nightmare because me and Molly was on it with our map And with We Say, we're going in that direction.

1:05:53The crew, any crew that's with us, no, yeah, that's the wrong way. And they just have to go with it. They have to go. They have to go with it. Like, we stayed in like this$5 sex motel one time. And it was so funny. Like, our producer, director Sam, he's just coming in to film like the end of day interviews. And these people are just watching us go into this$5 sex motel room. And Sam's just coming in with this big TV camera and me and Molly. And we're like, guys, this doesn't look great. This doesn't look great from the BBC. Oh my God. It's incredible. I love that though, that they're giving you no guidance whatsoever.

1:06:25No. There's not even a wink like you're going in the wrong direction. It's got to fly. That's it. Do it. How competitive did you get? Oh God, yeah. It caught up with us. I've always had the competitive nature from young, from playing basketball, playing handball. Yes. And I was all, any sort of competition I get into, I'm like, yeah, we need to show up. But I'm more of a team player, which is good. So obviously, it's good that I was in a pairing and not just on my own. and Molly is 10 million times more competitive than me. So it was like, so having that balance of us both, like we was like, yeah, it was like the A team.

1:07:01Like we were ready to go, like every given moment. If we're running, we're sprinting. Like we don't care, we got to get that sort of thing. Love it, love it. What do you believe was the most challenging moment for you? The most challenging moment on that show? There was a moment that wasn't, it wasn't shown because obviously there's this there's you gotta remember so many days that are confided down into one episode and there was one border crossing we went through and it was particularly tough um it was quite rural and it was uh there was a lot of um it was almost like the town had had a party but the town obviously for the local people they had like the gun shop right there they had machetes like everywhere and everybody was kind of like couldn't take us like they couldn't drive us anywhere so we had to you know get to safety um because it just it looked a bit shady but it was in that moment there where i felt so out of control and out of my depth trying to protect molly trying to trying to think about like right cool we've got to make the decision to get out of here like where are we going to go to and it made me panic because it made me go back to when I was like 14.

1:08:12Do you see what I'm saying? Like mentally in my head, I was like, there's knives around me. I don't feel safe right now. But then also I'm in a new environment that I can't control. Whereas back in London, I know that if we're out in the street and trouble kicks off, I know where we can go to get to safety. I know what to do. I know what we need to, how we should handle this situation, you know? But yeah, over there, that was like, that was one of the most toughest, toughest points. But aside from that, I mean, navigating it like mentally, just thinking about where you're gonna eat, where you're going to stay, how you're going to get there.

1:08:42That's like, it's a lot, but we rely so heavily on our phones over here. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You look at how we are dependent. It's an appendage, our phones. So you end up finishing second. Yeah. All right. You proud of that? Yeah. Oh, no, no, no. I am. I'm never going to be a sore loser. Is Molly proud of that? Yeah, no, we both are. And well, in the moment, it was so tough because you've got to remember, we've been racing for six weeks to get to this point and um and like roman and harley they're just they're the best people we wouldn't have like honestly couldn't have had like a better like last final stretch of that race uh when we got up to the finish line um it was it was really weird because we was all we was literally it was like a two horse race right to the finish yeah it was like it was a foot race and we then gone up there and we could have all just put our hands on the book at the same time but then was like you know what that they're literally like just there like harley was then coming up behind me and i was like look let's just leave it and then me and molly had our moment there and there was a really special moment where like roman and harley are celebrating and the camera's on them and then it pulls focus and it goes through and it's me and molly like hugging in the background and like supporting one another and it was just like i will never forget that like that's where i feel like we tapped into a different kind of love really yeah on that moment that i'll never never ever forget that it was really special how would you describe that new love that you tapped into oh gosh just the the the best feeling in the whole entire like i almost thought it was unattainable it's like that level wow yeah new level unlocked to go through that experience with someone that you love must make it a different type of experience yeah because a lot of people would say oh i can never go through that with my partner what 24 four hours a day for six weeks.

1:10:33But let me tell you, Paul, there was some moments on that show where, you know, and Molly will kill me for saying this, but we was like, we had food poisoning at one point, right? And we, let's just say an accident happened, right? And she's just like started crying and looking at me. And then also I'm then like throwing up and, you know, we're yo-yoing from the same toilet, right? And it was like, we just looked at each other and we thought, you can never leave me now. Nobody else is ever going to date me after this moment right here. Too many things. Oh yeah. We're like, but I prefer it like that.

1:11:12She's my best friend. There's all levels of feeling comfortable there. It's my safest space I know. Yes. Yes. So you experienced the lows, but then also highs. You have the highs. I have a moment that I want to show you right here. Mm. You know I've got things. Mm. I've got something. This is so over, man. Tell me about this moment. oh yeah what was going on in that photo? this was lit so this was we had travelled to Costa Rica so this actually wasn't shown right so this was my birthday I had my birthday whilst I was away on the show and there was so much to include from all the episodes it was just one of the things that got cut and we worked at a nightclub in Costa Rica and I'll never forget the production calling us up and saying hey listen guys you need to finish that job now that you're doing and go because we've got a TV show to fill because we were having such a great time.

1:12:01They did like a bottle service, gave us like a little cake in the club. But that was, that's a birthday I can never forget. That's what I say. Yeah, it's like, yeah, the memories. It's incredible. Don't get me wrong. We was massively underdressed. Like I will never turn up to a club like that. But yeah, it was, and we stunk and we were dirty. We were filthy, but either way, it was just like, we just didn't care. Yes, yes. I love it. I love it. I'm going to give that one back to you. But I love that. All right, so then, can we talk about Molly? Yeah. All right. You first met Molly. Was it on Strictly?

1:12:37Yeah, so this is really weird how our lives are sort of intertwined. But the first time I met was the first day that I arrived at L Street Studios. It was like day one of Strictly rehearsals. And she was at the other end of the corridor. I arrived early, and she was there early, and she was at the other end of the corridor. And obviously it got announced. And everybody, the minute that her picture went up, loads of my boys were sending me pictures, like, oh, here we go, Molly's a bit of you. And stuff like that. And I'm like, guys, it's professional, chill out. I'm not doing that. I had some traumatizing relationships in the past and I was like, I'm not doing it.

1:13:14I'm staying single, I'm focusing on my career. That's it, I'm me now. The day that I walked into Strictly, she was at the other end of the corridor. Yeah, I just said, ah, that's out the window. is long I was like she's so hot I was like that's it I was just yeah I was obsessed from moment one it was like this initial like feeling but then I've gone oh no I was like sabotaging I was like nah surely not no we're just here to keep it professional like Strictly professional and everything like that and she was in the same mindset as well which I found out but yeah the first day we met was the first day that we went to Strictly so we literally did the whole experience side by side wow Okay, so not to go too far beyond that point, but I have to mention, you said you had some traumatizing relationships.

1:14:03So how long had it been since you were in a committed relationship? Oh, God, it was probably, wait, it was in 2022. I probably spent like the most wholesome year, year and a bit on my own. because one thing I've always struggled with from from the get-go was um this feeling of abandonment I've always had it I've always I've always stayed in things a little too long thinking that I'm this hopeless romantic and it's got to work I was like yeah no of course we're arguing it's toxic and but yeah no we've got to stay at it because I'm like you can't leave me because every every single moment in my life I've always it's always come with like a oh but they're gonna leave in a minute and they're going to leave in a minute so I would hold on for dear life and then what I then realized is that I need to be comfortable in being on my own before I can then be with someone else and I weren't perfect and I've made mistakes and I've done all those things in the past but then it's like the growth that I've had and the understanding and clarity that I have now I'm like I was so after that year when I when I then met Molly I was like self-sabotaging and And then my friend Christian, I remember being on the phone to him and he was like, bro, what are you holding back for?

1:15:17Like, you just described like you're a perfect person. You've met someone that you can't stop smiling when you're talking about. Like, what are you holding back for? Right. But you just saying this at least helps me to understand that you were walking into that scenario saying, I have been traumatized. I have self-sabotage. But you know what? The last year, I'm good. So therefore, let me not shake anything. From a professional standpoint, you're on the rise as well. so you don't want to maybe exert energy out there so you can stay focused. Yeah. So you were just locked in, but you saw her, she unlocked your situation quick.

1:15:53So do you remember the first conversation that you had with her? Yeah, it was like, where do we need to go in the corridor? It's like that, because we were both lost as anything. But then, I mean, that was like the first sort of interaction. But then there's been so many moments because when you're in the Strictly bubble, like you're staying up there at the hotel and you're like having these conversations i just remember having deep chats with her out of the middle of nowhere about like our our exes and previous relation and what we've gone for in our lives and things like that and i just felt like right why does this feel like such a safe space to communicate with you like it feels it shouldn't be like this i'm like wait what's the catch yes that's where i was at all right so so not to break any bro code and not to unleash any secrets but please because i think a lot of ladies will want to know this is that you saw molly you knew you were interested in her but then you have all of these conversations in a very platonic friendly way yeah with her in your mind were you thinking it's only a matter of time before this becomes a thing like is this a plot are you being methodical because because like as in like am i leading her exactly because so many people say well, men are basic.

1:17:10Yeah. They just, they don't have any strategy. People say women are all about strategy. I plotted on my wife for a year. Yeah. Like a year. Like I was like, I'm going to play this friend thing as long as I need. So I was very, so what was your approach? Well, I mean, I've got a lot of friends in my life. I weren't really looking for another friend. I mean, it was like, I think when we first started having those deeper chats, I think a big thing for me was eye contact I was like she was locked in and I was like wow this is like I'm just listening and then I'm like not even hearing what she's saying and then I'm like going back to and I'm like this is this is incredible but yeah I think deep down there was always me sitting and going this I knew and we've always spoke about it we knew that we could be together but because of the environment that we was in we were both sort of like whoa let's let's not do this now let's not be just another headline in a in attached to this show interesting and yeah that was that was the best decision i ever made so what do you do next um it was like straight up molly said to me so is that one of our first interactions i got i got the first tens of the series right yeah so we was up there in claudia's area and then molly comes up to me and goes oh um congratulations on your 10, like that.

1:18:31And I'm like, this is so cringy. In my mind, this was so cooler at the time, yeah? And I go, I'm looking at a 10 right now. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then, I've walked, I've walked, I've walked away, like the cameras have been cut to the next person dancing. I've walked away behind like the little curtain thing and I've just had a word myself, I was like, what did you just say? Whoa, was that you? Like I was, I was gassing myself up. I was so happy. And then Molly, this typical different way of thinking, right? And how she's perceived it. And then that was that there. But we still kept it professional and we still did not have anything.

1:19:11Like romantically until the beginning of the tour. And then the tour, it was just like, yeah. It happened. So then do you fall into the strictly quote unquote curse? No way. But the press though, I would imagine coming off of such a big show, one of the biggest in the UK. And that's where you met. You're now forever attached to that. But then the press, and I see it happens. You know, it's so unfortunate because we know at the end of the day, the whole notion, if it bleeds, it leads, right? So if it creates controversy, people want to click into it, people want to see it. You two are both public figures.

1:19:52But you think about the press. Do you feel like you ever read those articles and it impacts you? No. It never does? No. Does it ever impact Molly? I think it has done for both of us in certain parts. As long as you know what's real at home, then who cares about the noise? Yeah, there you go. Who cares about the noise? And I would imagine that Molly provides for you not only a safe space, But she's in the industry, so she can help you to navigate different issues. She can provide inspiration as well. You know, I think that when I think about, like, the relationship I have with my wife is, and I'll just use yesterday, for example.

1:20:39Oh, my God. Yesterday was a very challenging day for me professionally. Lots of different things happening. And I remember going back home, got home late, and I always eat dinner with my family. We have certain rules, certain rituals. One is that we always try to eat dinner. And I got home super late, like 11 p.m., but the boys are waiting for me, right? That's really sweet. So we all eat dinner. We get ready for bed, get into the bed. I remember just holding my wife's hand saying, how could I survive without you? How could I get through this moment without this? And holding her hand helped to just regulate me, just calm me down.

1:21:28So now I can go about my day. What would I have been able to do without this, especially in this industry? what you see is what you get with us and we yeah it's not a perfect relationship people have arguments and people fall out but it's like at the end of it and i always say to him like i love you so much and when you say that and you mean it it doesn't matter what goes on in between like you will you will care for each other you will protect each other's hearts and that's it absolutely absolutely you know i have another surprise for you oh god ready for this all right okay I want you to take a look at this.

1:22:04Hello, Tyler West. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how happy you make me every single day. You are literally the most thoughtful person, the most caring person I've ever known. And you just light up every room you go into, especially with your massive smile. that I love so much. Just hilarious. I just wanted to say quickly how proud I am of you for continuing to just push through day in and day out and still manage to bring joy to everyone around you, even when I know you're burnt out and tired and I'm so proud for your new venture. And, yeah, I just love you so much. and I am very, very lucky to call you my fiancé.

1:23:05Love you, Ty. Oh, man. Right, yeah, don't reload it. Damn it. Yeah, that's beautiful. Do you know what? To have someone talk like that about you is a really special thing and I think it's something that I've craved throughout my life. But I had to sort of be, again, be okay with myself before I opened myself up to a relationship like that. But I couldn't have asked for anything more from a really good mom. You know, I could see how much that you need Molly. And you need your brother. You need these people. And the reason why I say that is because I've noticed this correlation between what Molly just said what your brother wrote in the letter is they both acknowledge that you deal with a lot and they know the weight that you carry and it seems like you are close enough with them you feel safe enough with them to unload so they know that weight and it's so important for us to have a place that we can go to where we feel safe enough to unload the weight yeah you know and i can see that they are there for you they're that outlet for you and that's so important we all need it but you're blessed to have it yeah yeah i really am man i i can't count my lucky stars that's that's i couldn't have asked for anything any any more than that this is what i often say is that the true measure of a great partnership of love is safety yeah that's it i think it's that it's it's black and white it's cut and dry right it is do you feel safe emotionally and physically with your partner the answer is no bounce bounce get out of you can't be doing that yeah no way yeah um so then i see there's quite a large number of non-profit organizations that you're involved in and the through line that i see with all of them is it's about mental health when i look at it i mean you talked about running the marathon was that for uh uk youth yeah uh you are became an ambassador for water aid you led a fundraising event for cash for kids yeah you're an ambassador at the king's trust yeah you know uh so the through line to a lot of the work that i see you doing and i didn't even realize you talked about after mcdonald's you were uh working in the in the community yeah yeah i was a support worker support worker yeah this is about to me mental health from your lived experience what advice do you have for those who are struggling and want to be able to open up.

1:25:43I think it's like it's the mistake that I made right when I went for all those traumatic things when I was younger I just kept burying it under the carpet and you bury it and bury it and bury it so tall but then it becomes unavoidable and then it comes out in so many different ways it can come out and you know you can just be angry all the time you can be you know going to some really dark places in your mind you can be you know not nice to be around and you can fail at your work and there's there's so much like a trickle effect that can come up after it whereas if you sit there and open up about it and talk about it you might i might i might confess my world to you ball yeah and you might not know the correct answer to give to solve my situation but in and amongst me just talking about it it triggers something within me that goes ah okay that doesn't feel so heavy now yes loads of little like micromanaging like moments of that can build up to make you feel so at ease and it can and then and then before you know it you might somebody might say to you oh how are you and you're like oh yeah not bad everybody always says not bad not bad but if you actually just explain how you're feeling they might say one thing within that and you're going i haven't thought about that i mean that's the whole point of why i've always gone when i've gone to therapy like wow it's changed my life yes because it's and okay if you don't want to burden you know your partner or someone else then then reach out to some of these services because that's what they're there for and i didn't understand that when i was growing up i thought oh okay well i don't know why i'm here chatting to this stranger it's not going to help me but you reaching out and sometimes talking to a stranger is better because then that person whoever's in your life that you usually go to doesn't you don't need their opinion on it because that coming from it one-sided right absolutely i've seen the research show that uh in traumatic events uh especially if uh i think it was a research around sexual assault that most people will open up to a stranger well before they'll open up to any loved one, anyone in their social circle, because it's someone that they perceive will not place any judgment on them.

1:27:48And ultimately, that's what we're looking for. We're looking for people who are not judging us. So to your point of if you just open up, if it's to a loved one, to a stranger, ideally what you're looking for is you're looking for someone not to place the blame, but by you just mentioning something, it will connect with the something that they've gone through and that those two little things could put your mind at ease that's it you know and and talking talking really is everything yeah and and i always say like attack your fears daily i always say i was like just do something to step outside of your comfort zone because that's the only time you ever grow yes when you're outside like even and it sounds stupid like bearing in mind i was a massive introvert and i just would be so shy talking to people even now like going up and saying someone hey i like your trainers Like that's it, you've made their day.

1:28:33And you've had that little one second interaction. Game changer, full on game changer. Yeah, you know what I say, I was telling someone that I forgot who I was talking to, it's probably on one of these shows. I was like, tell people the truth. So if it's something that you like about what they have on or what they're doing, just tell them the truth. Like when you said that, I was like, I love the color palette. I just do, it's perfect. It's actually your color palette. Truly is, by the way, I'm a color fiend. This is it. It is perfect. Collection available soon. So don't be dodging. Right here.

1:29:11We will provide a link to the Tyler West collection right there. Because. But it is, it's just tell people the truth. Yeah. You know, and if the truth is going to be unkind, keep it to yourself. It's that simple. There's a last photo I have for you. Right. Okay. Now, this is a photo that I have. You are the only person that I've ever seen do this to this person. So I need to understand. Yeah, that seems a little wild, right? You need to give context. Because I don't know what you're about to pull out of me, bro. Come on, man. We need to talk. And I don't want to talk no more depending on where you're going.

1:29:50But what do you mean, bro? The only person that I've seen do this to this person. Yeah. And this is a person that this is rarely done to, if ever done to. Show the photo. And you... You dig it. This sounds weird. And you did it to this person all in front of cameras. And I was like... That sounds even weirder! And stranger, what do you mean? You ready for the photo? Yeah. This. Oh, Charlie Blank. Yeah, what? You could've... You went round the houses to say that. So yeah, me fist bumping King Charles. Yes. How about that? Look at Anna's face. Yeah, yeah, and that's the girl... She's like, look, he's fist bumping him.

1:30:28Yeah. How did this come about? What did this moment mean to you? I'll tell you what. I've been passionate about working with young people for the longest. I'm like, my story, if I can talk to somebody that looks like me, sounds like me, has had the same sort of upbringing, then maybe they might pick a different route. And that's what it was. I was working as a support worker since the youngest, like 18. and um i've and then the king's trust like charity which was the prince's trust at the time uh said like oh do you want to do some work with young people and things like that and i became an ambassador for them and then all of a sudden uh me and anna were actually hosting one of the events one one year right um it was at the jewelry lane theater and all of a sudden they're like oh yeah the king's coming like you're gonna meet him like this is it so you guys stand here and we'll be back in a minute to come and brief you all of a sudden bearing in mind i'm from south london council state right the king has walked in with andrew lloyd webber yeah they mean name dropping because i didn't know who andrew lloyd was but either way he's walked in and then we haven't been given the brief so then anna's like doing like little curtsy and he's like that and i've forgotten where i am for a second and i've gone what's like i've gone to go like that right and it's almost been like this weird cap you know when somebody when you try to fist bump someone and then they like shake your hand and it's like a cabbage situation that's going on.

1:31:55Yes. That happened. And then before you know it, we've kind of done like that with a ration. I was like, oh, fine. We'll just fist bump. And then before you knew it, every year they do this thing where all the ambassadors get together and you get to meet the king at Buckingham Palace and he comes around and says, thank you for your work and things like that. And then all of a sudden, like three years on the trot now, we've got a handshake. It's like up, down, boom, boom. Like we're there. You got a private handshake with the king. Yeah. And he was saying that he was going to come down to Brixton Market and try some jerk chicken.

1:32:25Really? He was saying that. I'm still holding him to it. I said, that was the coronation case. He was like, oh, no. And I was like, what about planting and jerk chicken? He was like, yeah, great. Look at that. Look at that. Imagine. That's a cool photo. Yeah. That's a really cool photo. That's a cool photo. So there is an official protocol. And there is one. I think so. But I don't know. I'm the worst person to ask. If you go and meet him, just keep it formal. Just keep it formal. Don't cabbage it, though. When I cabbaged it, oh, my gosh. Don't, don't, don't. Okay, okay. It was strange. Strange interaction.

1:33:01But who would have thought, like, from where I started, I would ever end up in Buckingham Palace? Look at that. That's mad. Look at that. And you're just at the beginning. I am. As well. Like, this is just first quarter, like, first chapter, second chapter, maybe, of a 24-chapter book. Yeah. You know, there's so much more that you have to do. So when you reflect back, though, throughout everything that you have gone through in life, can you pinpoint a proudest moment? Proudest moment, one of them was when I first got my show on Kiss. because that was the first time I was like, mum, I'm going to be able to support you.

1:33:43I'm going to be, I've always, always, always supported my mum. I was like, you've given me everything. I'm like, I'm going to be able to support you now. We don't have to be in debt no more. And I worked every hour under the sun to make sure that I can be supportive. And that was a real big moment. But also, I guess one of my proudest moments was actually last night before we was here, watching the race across the world final. like and i'm there and i consider where my life is now all the things i've got in my life i once would always just think oh that's end game the minute that i found the love of my life the minute that i've moved out um the minute that i i've had like a consistent job that i'm happy with and things like that and i've you know bulked up because i was like really like short of that and then i was tall and skinny i was like i want to bulk up at the gym i want to be like i want to have a good friendship circle like all of these things were like end game for me and now i'm here I'm like, bro, I'm actually really just only at the start.

1:34:38And that's the beautiful thing about it. You've got to keep on going. Like you've got to, if you've got a dream, then you've got to go further than that. Like think about something way further than that, because I promise you now it would just feel like a checkpoint. There you go. That's beautiful. You're going to marry us, right? Oh my goodness. You've been ordained. You know, you don't even need to be ordained. You can just come and say a blessing. Can I say this? I'm glad that we brought this up. So in the US, I have married couples before. No way. And I don't know what the rules are here. Right.

1:35:09But I would definitely do that. And you've talked about children, I would imagine. Yeah, I mean, like, obviously, that's just something that we would want to then eventually go on and do. We're not, like, rushing or in any way, shape, or form. But obviously, where we then got engaged, we're like, well, that is naturally. You get married, and then, you know, you're going to build a family at some point. But it's all got to, like, just fit in with work and careers and goals and things, you know? Can I ask you a question? This isn't to try to prolong you being here. But I have to ask this. This is interesting.

1:35:40So you and Molly, age-wise, you both are. So I'm 29. She's 25. Right. So not 30. Okay. Not yet 30. Yeah. You are part of, I would say, you are, well, you're Gen Z. Gen Z, early millennial. Yeah. All right. You just said, you were like, hey, Paul, the process is you get engaged, you get married, you have kids. Yeah, that's our process. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's our process. Yeah, I was going to say, because that's not the atypical process right now in that generation. It's interesting that you have that philosophy. Why is that? I think it's when you've been through the trenches with this stuff, when it comes to relationships.

1:36:27Some people lose hope when it comes to relationships, right? And I think, yeah, so in my head, I've gone, well, if I've got that person, then of course I'm going to do the whole, the big package. Of course I'm going to go and get engaged and get married and have kids because I'm like, because I just want to express my love and also continue pushing that to its limit. Like you wouldn't want to, you know, you wouldn't want to go into a restaurant and just have a start when you know that the main dessert and the main and the dessert are great, right? Yes. Now, I just wouldn't want to do that. I'm like, well, of course it's endgame and you can do all those things.

1:36:59But again, other people, they put themselves under so much pressure and they're like, oh, we're going to need to have kids or we're going to need to sit down and do this stuff. No, you don't. You don't have to just because somebody's doing it. Yes. I want to. 100 percent. All right. Love it. OK, so final question for you. Think back to all of the conversations that you've had in life. Which one stands out to you as the most memorable? Who was it with and what did you learn? I was so excited for this question. So excited for this moment. so there was there's a few that popped to mind but the one that comes to my mind you may know him it's a guy that I met at an event when I was like starting out in CBBC I think I think I bumped into him or something and his name's Ruben Christian oh yeah I don't know Ruben Ruben yeah I definitely know Ruben Ruben used to do I think he might still do it I haven't caught up with him in years but he did a it's called like dream rehab dream rehab absolutely special great work he does and it's working on people with like building their confidence and and basically bringing their dreams back to life he's an amazing guy so funny and he um he said something to me once and it was like it doesn't matter about doesn't matter about how you get there it's about how willing you are and he said he gave me an example and he said like say for example your usual route to work is like you you jump on the tube and you come in on the northern line oh tube's closed today all right fine i'm gonna get the bus oh the bus is broken down and it's like okay right cool well then you're gonna take your bike oh your your bike's got a flat tire it's like okay i'll walk and it's like no matter which way you go about things there's always a way to do it it's just about how willing you are and so when i think about that and i go i think about everything that's happened throughout my life and I'm like okay cool I really want to have a good strong week with with like my mental health oh no I've just been triggered somebody got involved in a knife fight it's like okay cool take a step back take your space and bounce back from it and like it's just every single point throughout my life there's always been something else or another way I've found it to just keep on going I didn't have I didn't grow up with money I didn't have solutions I didn't have access to like oh I'm just gonna go away on a holiday and just and feel freedom over there I didn't run away I I couldn't run away.

1:39:23It was like directly in my face. Yes. So by having those experiences and navigating it in that way, it's given me this sort of like foundation where I'm like, all right, if it goes wrong, we'll find a way, it'll be okay. We'll keep going, keep stepping. Keep stepping, I love that. I love that and I love that you got that from Ruben. Yeah. He has been a very good friend to me and to my family and so insightful and wise. Incredible guy. Yeah. that's beautiful I'll take that I'm gonna share that with my boys that's it how willing you are to take out this trash tonight there's another way to do it there is another way go out this door Tyler I wanna say thank you of course it's been a pleasure man thank you this has been really I've been inspired I've been inspired listening to your journey I am inspired by the tenaciousness of the hustle you know and I think what you have done is you've inspired There's so many people beyond the people that you know.

1:40:26I think you touch people that don't realize, that you are unaware of. And I think it's important for you to carry that with you, that you are changing lives simply by your presence. That's pretty special. Yeah, so thank you, man. Thank you. I wish you and Molly all the best. If you need me for anything. Yeah, don't. You going to regret saying that? Are you going to regret saying that? I know, I'm on. I like how you're going about the relationship. I like it all. I like it. I appreciate you, man. And thank you, honestly, for providing such a space to open up. Like I said, there's nowhere else on this earth where I'm currently standing where I'd be confident or safe enough to open up about things in my life.

1:41:12But this is it. Tyler West, great guy. His life is a great example of how crime ripples through the community and how that moment that happened 13 years ago, how that still stays with him today, still impacts who he is and how he shows up. He and his brother have essentially created a safe word to talk about their feelings and their emotions. I guess the more complicated the coffee, the more complicated the emotion, the more basic it was just coffee. It's not. That is something that we can all learn from. We can all use. You know, it's interesting. When I see Tyler West in almost every photo, Tyler West, the smile.

1:41:56And it's true. It's genuine. It's pure. And it's not to say, and he said, it's not to say that he's not dealing with a lot, because he is. But he still smiles. Like, if we can all take a scoop of that, it's to our benefit. Thank you.

1:42:42Right, made in Germany. More info on www.unserbestes.persil.de If it's deep in the middle, it's Persil. Unser Bestes von Persil