Why men's mental health must stay on the agenda after BIBA 2026

Peter Crouch on pressure, humour and the fear of showing weakness

Kaushal then welcomed football legend Peter Crouch to the stage, opening with the line "let's kick things off", with an immediate apology for the pun.

Pundit and football legend, Peter Crouch, spoke candidly about the start of his football career, including his debut with QPR in 2000. At the time, players were expected to "man up", and showing weakness was not an option.

That environment was difficult for many young players. Some had the physical ability and technical talent to succeed but found the mental demands of the game harder to manage. For Crouch, humour became a form of protection. He learned to make jokes about his height and appearance before anyone else could. “It tended to stop them in their tracks,” he said.

That defence mechanism helped him cope, but it also highlighted a mental challenge he was carrying with him. When people feel they need to get in first with a joke about their appearance, it often means it’s an ongoing insecurity of theirs.

Crouch explained that this fear of vulnerability has not disappeared. Many men still worry that opening up will make them look weak.

He also spoke about a friend who he mostly kept in touch with over WhatsApp. When the messages stopped and the phone went unanswered, Crouch went to check on him and found him in a bad place. The experience changed the way he thinks about friendship. It taught him to ask properly, follow up carefully and take silence seriously.

As his talk continued, he reflected on the pressures on his family. As a 6ft 7in striker with a distinctive frame, Crouch felt he had to be the best player on the pitch in every game. That pressure only increased when he played for Liverpool and England. At one England match at Old Trafford, he was booed by sections of the crowd, a moment made even harder because it upset his family who were watching on.

There were times when he did not want to leave the house. His father's response was tough, but important – that the world did not revolve around him. It was a blunt message, but it helped Crouch regain perspective at a difficult time.

Luke Ambler on grief, stigma and the start of ANDYSMANCLUB

The next speaker was Luke Ambler, co-founder of ANDYSMANCLUB, the men's suicide prevention charity that gives men a place to meet, talk and support each other.

Luke began by talking about success. For some people, success means career progression or financial stability. For others, it means family and strong friendships. His point was that men often measure themselves against expectations that may not be what they truly need to feel successful.

A former Leeds Rhinos rugby player, Luke knew what it was like to exist in an environment where showing weakness was not an option. Behind that public strength, he was dealing with the impact of his mother's severe mental illness. He struggled to cope and found himself falling off the rails.

He eventually turned his life around. Life was good. And then he was hit by the devastating grief of his brother-in-law taking his own life, just hours after appearing to be ‘fine’.

Luke described the impact on his family as a tsunami of emotional destruction. His mother-in-law, his wife, his young son and the wider family all had to deal with the shock, pain and unanswered questions.

That tragedy became the starting point for ANDYSMANCLUB. At the first meeting, nine men came together and opened up to one another. Today, the organisation runs 350 groups every Monday across the country, with an ambition of reaching 1,300 groups.

Luke explained that three stigmas often stop men from talking: burden, weakness and embarrassment. Men do not want to burden others. They do not want to appear weak. They feel embarrassed by what they are going through.

The truth is that everyone is carrying something. Talking about it should never be a source of embarrassment.

Industry leaders share their own experiences

Next up was a panel discussion that brought the subject of mental health even closer to home, with three senior figures from across the industry sharing their personal experiences.

One speaker described how life had felt manageable until his mid-forties. Then his marriage ended, he experienced a health scare and his mother died. At work, he continued to function. At home, he was “a mess”.

A chance conversation at a work conference changed things. He found himself seated next to a mental health first aider, who encouraged him to see a counsellor. He went reluctantly, believing he did not need help. The counsellor said something that stayed with him - you do not fix yourself, you heal.

With counselling, meditation and time, things began to improve.

Another panellist spoke about being highly focused, intense and hard working. Those qualities had helped him succeed, but he suddenly experienced a complete breakdown. It began with poor sleep, feelings of impostor syndrome and crying in the morning. Then it got worse.

His doctor advised him to take time off, and his boss encouraged him to take more. When he tried to return at the same pace, he quickly relapsed. This scared him and he thought his career was over. It wasn’t, but he needed better balance, support and the ability to recognise the warning signs before they became overwhelming.

The final panellist spoke about the pressure he had faced as a first-generation British Asian. His family's expectations were high; GCSEs, A levels, a degree, a masters, a car, and a house all formed part of an unspoken expectation to succeed and elevate the family.

He succeeded in achieving their expectations, but cultural pressures remained. During the previous evening at a BIBA function, he felt conscious of being seen by community peers in an environment involving alcohol and close social contact with women he didn’t know well. He also spoke about the suicides of two people close to him, both linked to the pressure to succeed.

He now uses his voice to challenge stigma in his community, raise awareness of mental health and support wider inclusion – especially of women in sport.

Three courageous moves for the week ahead

The session closed with Steve Heath, Director of Mental Health in Business, who trains people across organisations in mental health awareness and mental health first aid.

Steve offered three practical actions every person in the room could take within the next seven days.

• Put your own oxygen mask on first. Try to decompress at the end of the day in whatever way works best for you.
• Take steps to build your self-esteem. For some people, that may mean speaking to a therapist or seeking professional support.
• Finally, take time to build other men up. There is a place for humour and banter, but there must also be room for encouragement, kindness and direct support.

A conversation that should continue

The Men's Mental Health Breakfast sent a clear signal that the insurance industry has a role to play in changing how men talk about pressure, vulnerability and support.

For Markel, sponsoring the event reflected what being a trusted partner should mean. It means showing up for people, listening and creating space for difficult conversations before they become urgent ones.

The challenge now is to take that energy back into workplaces, broker relationships, leadership teams and everyday conversations.

Ask properly, listen closely and follow up. Sometimes, that is where real support begins.