I’m a family mediator, founder of Way Forward Mediation, and proud to sit on the Board of the Family Mediators Association.

Having been through my own complex divorce, I know just how overwhelming and emotional separation can be. I’ve felt the stress of court, the anxiety of lawyer-led negotiations, and seen how it all seeps into everyday family life. That experience is what drives me now to help others find a calmer, clearer, more empowering way forward.

I didn’t become a mediator by accident. After a long and successful career in broadcasting, including hosting over 3,000 radio shows on the BBC, I felt pulled towards something more personal, somewhere I could make a real difference to children and parents. Oddly enough, the skills I used behind a mic turned out to be exactly what’s needed in mediation: listening well, building trust, helping everyone feel at ease, and creating space for people to be heard and to tell their story.

It’s this combination of professional, personal, and lived experience that shapes the way I mediate.

I’m not here to judge or take sides. My role is to hold the space, keep things steady, and help people find the clarity and courage to move forward. I’m naturally relaxed, empathic, calm under pressure, and not easily rattled. I am also boundaried, strong, and not afraid to speak up – qualities that really count in high-conflict situations.

Above all, I care about helping families separate while limiting parental hostility. Conflict doesn’t have to mean chaos. I work hard to support parents in communicating better, so decisions are made with everyone’s wellbeing in mind. Especially the children.

I live in Harpenden and when I’m not mediating, you’ll probably find me in the kitchen baking sourdough (my quest for the perfect loaf is bordering on obsessive) or cooking for a crowd. Back in the day, I had two successful family cookbooks published, and feeding people is still one of my greatest joys. I’m a dad to six brilliant kids of all ages (three mine, three I’ve gathered along the way) and live with a princess of a cavapoochon called Leila, who flatly refuses to walk on wet grass. Or bring back a tennis ball. Not even mediation has cracked those issues.