A local community talk show host is inviting Frodsham business owners and creators to share their experiences of lockdown in a new interview series.

Josh Smith, who is an ex-community radio presenter, launched The Josh Smith Talk Show in a bid to get more people talking about the challenges they have faced in recent months.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our mental and emotional health is a well-documented and widespread concern, but Josh is positive that giving voice to internal struggles can help tackle feelings of isolation and anxiety.

This is why Josh's talk show centres on exactly that: talking.

He believes that the talk show format is a great way of emphasising the importance of in-depth conversation, which moves beyond superficial chatter to the thoughts many of us might gloss over, but which nonetheless affect us all.

"I've created this talk show to help other people," Josh says.

"It's vital that people all over the world talk to their loved ones and friends as this is known to be helpful with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression."

"My aim is to build a community focused on bringing back the art of conversation."

"So," he concludes, "if you're bored and have nothing to do, try watching my show. I hope you come away feeling happy, feeling that it's helped you out a bit."

So far, Josh's guests have ranged from fitness and lifestyle coaches to comedy entertainers.

Together, they discuss lockdown from a range of different business and personal perspectives, examining its impact on mental and physical health, as well as exploring ways to keep active and engaged despite current restrictions.

Most recently, Josh welcomed Halton Makefest's Sean O'Hare, who chatted about the challenges and opportunities involved in moving this year's festival online.

Keen to make his interviews varied and wide-ranging, Josh is looking for local people from across the gamut of business, arts, design and entertainment who would like to chat about the projects they have been working on in lockdown.

You can watch all episodes from the Josh Smith Talk Show series on his YouTube channel and Facebook page.

If you would like to get involved with the talk show project, please contact Josh through his Facebook page, or by emailing [email protected]