It’s 15 years since David Gandy first made a splash as the face of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Since then, the world’s most famous male model has become a father of two and has launched his own leisurewear brand. SLMan caught up with him to chat style tips, life advice and partying with J. Lo…

Jake Humphrey is the sports TV presenter you’ll recognise from Formula 1 on the BBC back in the day and, more recently, BT Sport’s football coverage. But he’s also spent the last few years speaking to remarkable people from Gareth Southgate to Matthew McConaughey about their methods for success. Jake told Tobias Gourlay what he’s learnt from these exceptional characters – and why those lessons have been so important in his own life.

Kelefa Sanneh has been obsessed with music since he went to a wild punk gig in his early teens. As a music critic for both the New Yorker and the New York Times, he’s spent a lot of this century living out that obsession. Kelefa filled Tobias Gourlay in on where everything’s at right now: from the classic albums you might have missed to the new acts to know – and how Lionel Richie once wrote the perfect song.

Chef Jackson Boxer is from a family that’s serious about food. He was always going to end up in hospitality and has become known as the creative mastermind behind much-loved restaurants like Brunswick House and Orasay. Now he’s teamed with his brother to launch a dive bar in Soho. He told SLMan where he loves to eat, why he loves to eat – and how on earth he’s going to open a dive bar now he’s sober.

If you grew up listening to Radio 1 in the 90s, you’ll know all about Pete Tong – his Friday-night Essential Selection show made him a legend of the airwaves. In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and music. Here, he tells us more about his incredible career, how the pandemic has affected the capital’s dance scene, and his upcoming album release.

Matthew Jukes entered the drinks industry at 19. Three decades later, he’s owned a wine bar, looked after the wine list at a legendary London restaurant and hosted Wine Hunt on Channel 4 – all while writing a longstanding wine column for the Daily Mail. Most recently, he launched Jukes Cordialities, a luxe take on non-alcoholic wine that might be the first genuinely viable alternative to the real thing. We asked Matthew what he’s learnt throughout all of this…

It may sound like something from the dark age, but blacksmiths are still very much at work – and have an important part to play in everyday life. Alex Pole is founder of Alex Pole Ironwork in Somerset, and has spent more than 20 years working in forges around the world. Now, he’s written a fascinating book about his trade. From the 20-year journey to becoming a master to unique collaborations with top London restaurants, he spoke to Tobias Gourlay about what it takes…

After a volatile upbringing, Liam Meredith was 18 when he went to prison for drug-related offences. Behind bars, he was introduced to rehabilitation charity Key4Life, which helped him find employment and then go on to start his own food truck business. Here, he tells that story in full – before Sarah Mead, his mentor at food company Yeo Valley, explains why more businesses need to get involved and support Key4Life.

Joe Navarro was an FBI special agent for 25 years. He analysed human behaviour in order to pursue spies and other dangerous criminals around the world. In the course of his career, he interviewed more than 13,000 people from every walk of life, while also studying the science of communication. Across all of this work, he started to see a pattern of behaviours that mark out a select few as exceptional people who are worthy to lead. Joe spoke to Tobias Gourlay about working for the FBI and what it takes to be a leader…

Jay Rayner is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who’s best known as restaurant critic for the Observer. He chairs Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet, and is a regular on TV, where he is one of MasterChef’s more formidable judges. Somehow he also finds the time to be a jazz pianist, touring with the Jay Rayner Quartet, and a writer. As he publishes his latest book – Chewing The Fat – he spoke to SLMan about lockdown learnings, dining trends that need to disappear, and how to write a restaurant column when restaurants are closed...

Akash Mehta is a British entrepreneur and influencer who recently made it onto Forbes’ ’30 under 30’ list in media and marketing. A digital expert, he has harnessed the power of social media to quickly build Fable & Mane, the haircare and wellness business of which he is founder and CEO. Akash told Tobias Gourlay what it takes to be successful in an online world.

Design runs in the Conran family, so it made sense for Felix to join forces with his dad Alex and launch a business that follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Sir Terence. Today, Maker&Son is the luxury sofa brand with a reputation for making the comfiest furniture around. We spoke to Felix to find out where it all started, how the business pivoted during the pandemic, and what it’s like working with family…