The Gareth Cliff Show

Personal brand or just an influencer with a ring light? Gareth and Ben kick off the Friday with a real conversation about whether building a personal brand actually matters, and where the line is between genuine influence and just performing for the algorithm. They also take a look at the Enhanced Games, which promised to rewrite the record books and largely didn't, and ask a spicy question: is aspiration just the rich putting their lifestyle on a pedestal for everyone else to stare at?

Then Mike Sharman pulls up a chair. Gareth and Mike get into what actually makes content worth watching, and the entrepreneurial journey gets an honest autopsy. Yes, there are moments of pure joy. But mostly? It's a grind. Blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of staring at a screen wondering if any of it is working. They close out on a fascinating question about narcissism and whether a healthy ego is a business asset or the thing that quietly burns it all down.

Gareth and Mash kick off Friday with a rant about people who feel the need to be loud all the time… especially in places like the gym bathroom. That spirals into a debate about the absolute worst places to take a phone call — and yes, the gym remains high on the list. Ben joins the show fresh off his club’s Premier League title win, bringing all the humility you’d expect. The guys also unpack China cars and ask the important question: are they actually any better than the stuff you’d find on Temu?

Later, Rory Phelan from Tourvest Destination Management joins the show for a must-listen chat for sports fans, breaking down the incredible Rugby World Cup travel experiences available as the Springboks chase an historic three-peat. Plus, Jonathan Fine returns to discuss the FMAS Summit and how crypto is beginning to reshape industries across the globe.

Leigh-Ann Mol is back and the team wastes no time diving into the big debates. Why do women love flowers, and why can't men see the value in them? And is being a short king actually an underrated advantage, or is height still the ultimate flex? The crew unpacks both. The team also speak on the latest findings around the Ramaphosa Phala Phala situation.

Then, Jonathan Fine and Lourens Reichert join Gareth to break down everything from the Finance Magnates Africa Summit — what it means for the continent, how crypto is reshaping the way we think about money, and why AI is accelerating the change faster than most people are ready for.

The team is back and the world didn't exactly slow down while they were gone.

Gareth and Ben catch up on everything that's been happening, including yet another assassination attempt on Donald Trump. They also turn their attention closer to home — or at least, closer to the couch — as they unpack the growing Gen Z trend of grieving the end of a weekend. Is it a mental health conversation worth having, or has an entire generation gone soft? Either way, it makes for great radio.

Then, Simon Phillips joins the show — the man behind the inspiring #SimonSaysServe movement. Simon's story is one of the most compelling you'll hear: a life rebuilt from the ground up, a decision to follow his heart when nothing was certain, and a reminder that reinvention is always possible. His message is simple but powerful — everyone has a story — and his is one you won't want to miss.

Gareth and Ben kick off Friday by taking aim at influencers who are willing to literally beg for brand deals just to make it to Coachella — but are influencers even influential anymore? The conversation then shifts to the surprising return of old-school dating trends that feel straight out of the early 1900s. Mash jumps in to stir things up with a take on “looksmaxxing” and body image, before DA Deputy Federal Chair Cilliers Brink joins the show to unpack the party’s 2026 manifesto and their plan to fix some of South Africa’s most broken cities.