That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Billy Monger

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

Gaby welcomes former racing driver turned pundit and commentator, Billy Monger, to the podcast. They chat about his brilliant career, love of racing, his new book - and all things joy! Billy is a pundit for the F1 coverage on Channel Four, along with Steve Jones, David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Lee McKenzie and many others....His passion for the sport is infectious, and his zeal for life is wonderful to listen to! We hope you enjoy the chat

Billy Munger, at last, find your drive. And I mean, at last, I'm talking to you. But find your drive. Challenge yourself, maximize your potential. It's meant to be for young readers. No. It's for everyone. It's wonderful.

So when I was given this book, I took it back and I devoured it. And I just thought, I know so many people this is going to help. Oh, that's amazing. Thank you. So whose idea was the book? Did it just come from you? Yes, the idea for the book, basically, it's been in the background for a couple of years now. And the reason for me even thinking about doing the book in the first place was my documentary driven that came out after my accident that sort of journeyed my recovery back to racing. I basically, a few years ago, got sort of all of a sudden getting messages from kids that were at school that were getting shown clips of the documentary in school lessons in like PSHC to teach them about,

resilience and sort of overcoming adversity, those sort of themes, which was amazing, was obviously not planned when I made the documentary in the first place. It just made me think that, oh, okay, it's being used for the younger generation. It's being used in schools. Is there something that we can do in that space? It's a bit more targeted to try and help that younger generation out just from my experiences and what I've learned so far in life. And it's tough.

I mean, it's tougher now than ever. We're very aware of the high rates of loneliness, of anxiety, in young and actually having something like this, you know, in your back pocket. Or do you need a big back pocket for that? Yeah, you need a big back pocket. Having your advice ringing in their ears and this that they can go to, it's really going to help. Did you have people like that around you? Yeah, I think I had role models in the sporting world when I grew up because that's been my background.

That's what I know. So I had like people that I looked up to when I was getting into racing, Lewis Hamilton, for example. He was like someone that I sort of idolized. But for me, it was, I guess, the perspective of I want to do what he's doing. I want to be a Formula One driver one day. So I guess when I was younger, I didn't have, like, people that were kind of got life experiences that were willing to share them with, like, the younger generation. It's kind of changed in that way, I guess. That's interesting. But did you have people around you that believed in you? Yeah. I had my family and friends who were really supportive of everything I was doing when I was

growing out. So when you said this, I mean, obviously, you know, all of that and it's well documented and we will talk about all of those things. But it's just that, you know, when you have that dream, that hope, their ambition, when was the first time that you turn around, you said, this is what I want to do? And there's somebody, what was the reaction? Can you remember that? Yeah, I can remember the moment of sort of racing, moving from just a hobby as a kid to something that was like, oh, maybe I can do this like for like my job, like as a profession. And that was probably when I was 10 was I won my first British championship and go karting.

It's amazing. And at that point, you're kind of like, oh, well, I'm actually quite good at this thing. And like, I wonder where this could take me. So that was probably the moment in my head where I was like, maybe this could be more than just a hobby. This could be a career. And then I think my dad probably knew that I wanted to do it before I even had that thought myself.

He probably was like, you know, I feel like my son's family. his passion. He's found like the thing that makes him tick. And he was just willing to support me however he could really. That's what's so remarkable. And I think that's what's really important is having people. I was very lucky because I had the same thing. But, but I think a lot of people don't. And that's why your book, I'm really, I know you're not on just to talk about your book, but I really love this book. Oh, I appreciate it. Yeah, it's really nice to hear. Obviously, it's just in the early stages of coming out to the world. So I'm hoping that there's more people that enjoy it as much as you have clearly.

But also I just, you know, that you're doing something that's not patronising for young people as well. It speaks to them. It's very honestly. I was, so I, I loved F1. I remember going to my first one with Chris Evans. He took me along and I just thought it was the most exciting thing. And I'm not, but as sports go, when I was at school, I was never picked for the rounders team and all of that. I was a sprinter. I did everything. Fast, fast, fast.

So having to do rounds up and hanging around. Oh, my goodness. And I never play to win. I always play to be the fool and make everybody laugh. Yeah. So, but this speaks to the people who aren't picked for the team. And that really resonated with me. Yeah, I think at school was an interesting place for me

because I found myself when I was at school trying to find things in common with people because what I did outside of school was so different to what everyone else was doing. So when I was at school, I was like, okay, I just kind of want to blend into the crowd. Oh, that's interesting. Find that common ground with people where I can and kind of like just make school an easier place to be because it's hard to, it would have been hard for me as a kid to kind of go in and be like,

oh, well, I was racing at the weekend and I was doing this. Did they not know? They knew that I would do it and we'd have conversations about it, but I wouldn't chew people's ear off about how much I loved racing when I went to school because school was a different place. And it's hard to connect with people if you're not doing the same thing as them. That's so interesting. Because I was three years old and I knew wanted to be a TV presenter. But people knew at school, but I didn't talk about it all the time because I thought they'd think,

oh, that's not going to happen. So I totally get that. But were you, were you, were you sporty though at school? I was sporty, but I definitely wasn't, again, first to get picked, like the football team and stuff like that. I did football on the weekends where I wasn't racing to spend time with friends. but it was more for the social sort of side of it rather than because I loved the sport or I was really good at it. I was kind of there. I was normally picked one of the last few people, but I was just there giving it a go basically.

And then what happened and everything that's happened in your career to now? Are there any of those people that you were friendly with at school who say, look what you've done? Yeah, I'm still very close with like four or five of my like really like school friends. that I've grown up for years and years with. So we still see each other a lot and we all live near each other still. So, yeah, I don't think any of them would have probably guessed

all the sort of different things that I've ended up doing across my life. I think they knew that I would have probably and be involved in racing some way, somehow because even for example, when I was at college and, you know, everyone's talking about which university you're going to, who you're applying to be with.

I was like, I'm not going to university. And everyone was kind of like, looked at me, shocked. What do you mean? You're not. going to a university. I was like, I don't need it for racing. That's racing is what I want to do. I don't have a passion to go to university to study something that I didn't think I was going to need because it wasn't what I was going to do. So yeah, I think it was fairly clear that I wanted to do

something in the world of motorsport. So, but your, your drive through everything that's happened and after the accident sort of feels like it's never waned at all. Has it ever, have you, did you ever have those moments where you just say, I'm doing strictly, I'm doing race across the world. I'm, I'm the strongest. You are a superhero. I'm allowed to say it. Okay, I'm allowed to say it. And you just blushed.

But you are a superhero. But, you know, all of those things that you've done that have taken you away from your comfort zone. I mean, in every single way. Yeah, Strictly was definitely the one that probably that blushing reaction of that was at his peak where the red light went on the camera. we were live right here's your one shot bill you've got a dance now i've got two your left beat at the best of times and so it was it was just again that was probably the most out of my comfort zone because i didn't dance when i was growing up sports been my thing sports been my comfort zone so even when i was doing like the iron man challenges for comic relief and stuff like that it's sport it's put in the

hard work get better at a skill and kind of it's it's sport at the end of day and there's a lot of crossover too strictly in that sense of like it's quite yes it's competitive isn't Yeah, having that competitive mindset, wanting to get better, wanting to, but it's quite the strictly I did with the Christmas special. It's like a three-week whirlwind where you're in, you're learning the dance, it's flat out, it's all the strictly costumes and outfits, and then you're done. It's not like the main show in a sense where you just build your confidence week on week. You're kind of in and out. And I remember being fine and feeling pretty confident and comfortable, like I say, until the red light on the camera went on. I was like, oh right, this is actually happening now.

Did you dance before though? You say you didn't as a child. Well, like, nothing serious. I didn't have dance lessons or anything. The only dance experience that I remember that my parents brought up when I said that I was going to do strictly was me and my sister went to the British Grand Prix when we were kids. On one of the fan zone stages, they had a dance competition for the kids.

And if you won, you won like a big scale electric set. So me and my sister, my parents were like, oh, go on, go up, go up. So we got up on stage of like 20, 30, kids and me and my sister came first and second in this dance competition and my parents got asked they like when they said my sister came second she would put her hand up put parents in the crowd put your hands up my parents put their hands up and then I've won and then my parents put the hands up again and that's the only dancing sort of experience I'd ever had and then but TV experience TV just comes so naturally to you I mean race across the world did you well I know you've been

asked endlessly about it but did it i mean you've had so many life-changing moments you know really truly life-changing moments i mean bigger than a lot of people deal with but but everyone says that race across the world must be something pretty high up there as changing because it changes your mind doesn't it yeah massively i mean having the opportunity to to do that with my sister was great and we'd always talked about going traveling together that had been something that since my accident have been sort of spoken about. And then when everyone got,

but they got in touch with me about race across the world, I'd never watched the show before I got asked to do it. So I basically sat down at home with my sister. I said, we've been asked to do this show together. Like, should we watch an episode, see what you think? And I was thinking in the back of my head,

my sister's not used to being in front of cameras. She's, the idea of being on TV is not going to appeal to her. She's going to be like, oh, it would be fun to travel, but I'm out. Anyway, we watched the episode, really enjoyed it. My sister was like, yeah,

I think we should do it. I think it's an awesome opportunity. I was like, right, okay, well, we're in then. I can't say no now. My sister's up for it. And it was an incredible experience, to be honest, race across the world, because no technology, no phones. You get given your envelope of cash and it's like, right,

get from one side of the world to the other. You don't speak the language a lot of the time. You're kind of trying your best to kind of work your way around the world. And someone with a disability, it made me very aware of what we have in the UK of just some of the places you go to you think sometimes and don't get me wrong the UK still could be better in some aspects when it comes to lots of friends might say the same thing yeah and but going to places like Morocco and to like the you know the parts of the world that are you know haven't quite developed and been built around people with disabilities in that sense and aren't as

accessible I'm like okay actually maybe it's not so bad you know having to walk up a flight of stairs of a lifts not working in the UK when you're going to places like that and there's like like big, you know, gaps in the road that you've got to sort of hop and jump over, and I'm kind of trying to navigate that as a double amputee. So, I mean, you know, let's talk about that. You know, being a double ampity, life is you've, it seems to me that you've said anything is possible. Obviously, you say that in the book and you've said that in, you know, on television and

interviews, but there must be some things that frustrate you, friends of mine who are in the same, or similar situations to you, like you say, it's the lift not working. They say sometimes you go, okay, I actually can't go up the stairs. And they go, sorry, lift not working, you know, it's that. And sometimes they feel it gets the better of them. And then they just go, nah, I'm here, I'm here. I'm not going to let it affect me.

Do you ever get those moments? Yeah, exactly. I think the frustrations and sometimes the problems you have to solve being disabled on a day-to-day basis, that is the simple daily tasks that can be the most frustrating. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, the big challenges and the big hurdles that you've got to overcome. Well, everyone has big challenges and hurdles and goals that they set themselves where they've got to find a way through it all. Like, we're all in the same boat there. But it's sometimes it's the simple things, especially from my experience, because I wasn't disabled for 17 years of my. life and now I have become disabled. You notice those things more so I think you kind of feel that frustration. So what are those little things? It's just simple things like you know just even like for me I'm very lucky that I'm disabled but I'm very able where I can kind of make my way and I'm quite flexible getting around lots of scenarios of the lift's not working. I can walk upstairs. I can do that

sort of stuff but it just more makes you think of like how reliant a lot of people are on these things and how easy it should be to make sure that everything works and it's simple and that I think disabled people kind of sometimes feel like they're actually, I don't look at myself as being disabled. I think I'm able, but then sometimes the environment around me actually disables me from doing things. And I think that's the same for lots of disabled people. They're not disabled. They're people that are very able and capable, but the environment is the thing that stops them from being able to do things sometimes, which is frustrating. I was with an amazing bunch of kids this week at the World Child Awards.

And interestingly, the one thing that they all wanted to talk to me about, after we'd done the event and everything, they were all talking about playgrounds for children and how they're not accessible. And it has been ringing in my ears ever since they spoke to me about it. And I thought, I do want to talk to you about that. because obviously, like you said, you were 17, so there weren't playgrounds. But when you look at playgrounds and then you've got a book like this, can we all do something? What can we do?

What can we do? I mean, it's wrong. I sort of walked past our local playground after these kids had said it to me. And I just thought, hold on a minute. There's nothing. There's climbing frames. There's a zip wire, which they can't get onto because there's steps. There was nothing for wheelchair users there.

There's no swings that. something can be maybe that's your task there we are leave that to you yeah i think i think you're right i think it sometimes it takes a simple conversation to to get people thinking in a certain way and sometimes you know we can overlook these simple things like and and i didn't have to worry about that because like i said i wasn't disabled when i was at school but for a lot of people and kids with disabilities that are at school that could you know you instantly are i i'm becoming isolated in those scenarios, which is not what anyone wants. We want to find a way to connect with one another,

and playground should be the easiest way to do that. You need to find your drive playground, and then build them around the UK and then around the world. You see, I've got your next thing. Yeah, you've got it lined up. I don't, do you ever say no? Yeah, I do. I think I say no if I don't think it's going to serve me in some way or form.

I don't rush to many decisions. I do like to take my time to think about decisions. I would have thought from watching you on television and reading all the interviews and I read in the book

that you go, come on then, we'll do it. I don't, yes, I suppose there's thought in the coming. Yeah, it's more taking the time to think about it. But it's like, it's a balance, isn't it?

Because you don't want to say yes to everything without thinking about the consequences of what you're signing yourself up to. But equally, you don't want to give yourself enough time to talk yourself out of doing things if they're out your comfort zone.

There's a balancing act in there of, okay, getting these opportunities presented to you that are different, that are out of your comfort zone. And it's a balancing act of weighing up the pros and the cons and why you might want to do something. I find it hard to say no, I would say. I think that's what I thought. That is definitely the sort of thought, the conclusion I've come to with me and decisions is that I'm up for saying yes a lot more of the time than I ever say no.

So what would you like to do is, you know, you look at something and you know, something on telly or something in the films or you read about or you hear about and you think, oh, I'd love to do that. Is there something you haven't done that you'd love to? You just nodded. Yes, like there is. Yeah. I'm an adrenaline junkie. So anything that sort of provides like an adrenaline rush, that's for me. Like I've done a skydive.

I've done those sorts of things. and I just love the idea of doing more of stuff like that. So what else is there that you can do? I mean, there's all sorts, really, isn't there? There's, like, there's just so many different adrenaline. Like, I've seen, for example, online, like, the people that jump off of, like, cliffs with the wingsuit. Yeah. Don't do, no, don't do that.

That to me, I don't know why, but I see that. And I'm like, I reckon I could give that go. I'm slightly tempted. I love zip lines. Yeah. I really love, and I want them higher, and I want them faster, and I want them longer. Yeah. And there is a part of me that they go, oh, that looks good.

It's just that adrenaline rush. I've done the one where you do the parisending where you run and you've got this, it's like a parachute, but it's like you're on the cliff. Yeah. And you run and you've got it like that. I was when I was doing kids telly years ago and you had to put it on and then just they run and then you put your arms up and then you're off. Oh, what was that like? It was incredible. I remember coming, this is many years ago.

I remember coming home and my parents was going, you. You did what? My parents had a similar reaction when I said that I'd been and done a skydive. And I hadn't told them that I was doing a skydive. And I said it was amazing. I loved it. Have you done powerboat racing? No.

That's another one. I did that for another TV show. And that's the other one that came back. See your word like me. No, I love it. I love speed. But I remember coming back and my mom just said, you did what? She went an absolute man.

That you'd love it. I think I would probably. Oh my word. I didn't used to like the sea actually when I was growing up. I used to be a little bit scared of the sea. So that's something that's... You're scared of something? Yeah, I have fears like everyone.

And when I was a kid I used to be scared of like... Originally when I was really young, it was the dark. And then with the sea, it was like, if it's deep sea and I couldn't see the bottom. It was like, okay, that kind of freaked me out a little bit. Be better now. I'm better now. Well, I had to get better for the Iron Man because I was swimming out in the ocean for miles on end. Oh my.

Word. Okay, so that's the next thing, Powerboat Racing. That could be on the list. Your family might really be annoyed with me for saying that. Yeah, I won't put them. It's dangerous. Just be careful. Don't listen to that podcast. It was a great podcast, but you guys don't need to listen to this episode. Yeah, don't listen to this episode.

Yeah, just the family involved. You could tell them that it's sort of, you know, 25 minutes in. Yeah. Yeah, not to listen to that bit. That's fine. We always ask everybody, we'd love you to share with us something that brings you real joy. And obviously we know speed and challenges and all of that. What else brings you real true joy?

I would get up a picture of my family and my dogs. Okay, dogs people always, but it's lovely. Dogs are joyful, aren't they? Yeah, just being at home and I live quite an active, adventurous lifestyle, but that doesn't mean that I don't love sometimes just sitting down on the couch on the sofa and kind of being at home with family, just chatting about all sorts. the dogs having them there walking around the garden. Bebe and Benny.

And what are they? Cockapoo and Golden Doodle. Oh. A miniature golden doodle. Photo. You have to actually find a photo. I find a photo for you. Yes.

Oh, okay. I love that that brings you joy. And do you do any sort of gentle dog walking? But when you go dog walking, do you do an extreme, extreme dog walking? I like the gentle variety. Yeah, we've got a nice, garden at home so letting them out in the garden they'll run for days the dogs so i can literally just throw them a bone throw them a toy and they'll they'll tire themselves out but it will take

hours honestly oh how lovely um billy what do you want now i'm not asking you what's next yeah because i hate that question i hate it but what would you like next to be so that's different and then what's next? Okay. For me, it's almost, it's more of the same mindset. Because the last few years, I feel like my mindset has been particularly, it's allowed me to do loads of different exciting things, whether that's race across the world, strictly,

the Iron Man for Comet Relief. And I've thoroughly enjoyed the last few years. So in my head, I'm just like, just keep the same mindset. Something will, you know, things will crop up that you really love to do. Just keep, just chasing things with the same mindset. mindset, that's been a big learning for me, is that, you know, some years or some months, you're like, oh, and, you know, I want something to kind of do. And it hasn't quite popped up yet. If you have the same mindset to be like, I'm up for this stuff, yes, excited for the next

thing that comes my way, then it normally does tend to crop up. I love that. And you'll be doing some playgrounds for kids. Yeah, that's on the agenda now. Billy, thank you. You really are a true hero. So just take it. You're a superhero. Thank you. Thank you.