Diary of a CEO Guest List 2026: The Complete Guide to Every Must-Watch Episode
With nearly 800 episodes and counting, Steven Bartlett's podcast is the biggest in the UK and one of the top 5 globally on Spotify. This guide organizes 50+ notable guests by category with key takeaways — so you can skip the 1.5-hour episodes and get straight to the insights that matter.
Business & Entrepreneurship Guests
The Diary of a CEO started as Steven Bartlett's own entrepreneurial diary, so business guests form the backbone of the show. These episodes are gold if you're building something — or thinking about it.
Alex Hormozi — Building $100M Businesses
Alex Hormozi broke down his approach to creating irresistible offers and why most entrepreneurs fail because they chase new ideas instead of doubling down on what's already working. His episodes consistently rank among the most-watched DOAC content.
Key Takeaways:
- Your offer is more important than your marketing — if your offer is strong enough, even mediocre marketing works.
- Most business problems aren't strategy problems; they're volume problems. You're simply not doing enough of what's already working.
Read our full Alex Hormozi episode summary →
Gary Vaynerchuk — Social Media, Patience, and Legacy
Gary Vee's conversation with Steven was one of the most energetic on the show — two young entrepreneurs who built media empires going back and forth on hustle culture, content creation, and what success actually looks like.
Key Takeaways:
- Document, don't create. The best content comes from sharing your real journey, not manufacturing a fake one.
- Attention is the most valuable asset in business. If you can capture and hold it, monetization follows.
Steven Bartlett — Solo Episodes on Building Social Chain
These solo episodes are where DOAC started, and they remain some of the most raw, honest content on the show. Steven holds nothing back about the loneliness, financial stress, and personal cost of building a company.
Key Takeaways:
- The "highlight reel" of entrepreneurship hides the reality — most of the journey is unglamorous problem-solving.
- Your network compounds like interest. The relationships you build in your 20s define your opportunities in your 30s.
Sir Richard Branson — Risk, Adventure, and Virgin
Key Takeaways:
- Screw it, just do it — Branson's philosophy is that overthinking kills more businesses than bad ideas.
- Protect the downside. Take risks, but always know what the worst-case scenario is and make sure you can survive it.
Mo Gawdat — Former Chief Business Officer at Google X
Key Takeaways:
- Happiness = reality minus expectations. If your reality meets or exceeds your expectations, you're happy. That simple.
- AI will change everything about work within 10 years, and most people aren't preparing for it.
Health, Nutrition & Fitness Guests
DOAC has become a go-to source for health conversations that go beyond surface-level advice. These episodes dive deep into the science of what actually makes us healthier, stronger, and longer-lived.
Dr. Tim Spector — The Truth About Food and Gut Health
Dr. Spector is one of the most frequently referenced DOAC guests. His research on the gut microbiome has fundamentally changed how millions of people think about food.
Key Takeaways:
- Calorie counting is outdated. Two people can eat the exact same meal and have completely different metabolic responses.
- Eat 30 different plants per week. Diversity in your diet feeds the diversity in your gut — one of the strongest predictors of overall health.
Dr. Mindy Pelz — Fasting and Hormonal Health
Key Takeaways:
- A 16-hour fast triggers autophagy — your body's cellular cleanup process — one of the most powerful anti-aging mechanisms we know of.
- Women shouldn't do extended fasts in the week before their period. Hormonal health requires a more nuanced approach.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee — The 4 Pillars of Health
Key Takeaways:
- A 15-minute walk after meals is one of the most impactful things you can do for blood sugar regulation.
- Stress is the invisible killer. Most chronic disease has a stress component that gets overlooked.
Bear Grylls — Resilience, Adventure, and Near-Death Experiences
Key Takeaways:
- Courage isn't the absence of fear — it's taking action despite fear.
- Your body can handle far more than your mind tells you it can. The limiting factor is almost always mental.
Psychology & Mental Health Guests
Some of the most-watched DOAC episodes are about the mind. Steven Bartlett has a genuine talent for getting psychologists and therapists to share actionable insights, not just theory.
Dr. Alok Kanojia (HealthyGamerGG) — Loneliness, Male Mental Health, and Gaming Addiction
This January 2026 episode generated massive discussion online about why so many young men are struggling with isolation, purpose, and motivation.
Key Takeaways:
- Loneliness has measurable physiological effects equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
- Gaming and social media have created "junk food" for the brain's reward system, making real-world achievement feel less satisfying.
Dr. Julie Smith — Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Key Takeaways:
- You don't need to feel motivated to take action. Action often creates motivation, not the other way around.
- Journaling for even 5 minutes a day is one of the most evidence-backed mental health tools we have.
Dr. Gabor Maté — Trauma, Addiction, and the Myth of Normal
Dr. Maté's episode is one of the most emotionally powerful in DOAC history. His framework for understanding trauma has helped millions recontextualize their own struggles.
"Ask not why the addiction, but why the pain."
Key Takeaways:
- Addiction isn't about the substance or behavior — it's about the pain underneath.
- Most personality traits we think are "just who we are" were actually survival adaptations formed in childhood.
Dr. Paul Conti — The Hidden Epidemic of Mental Health
Key Takeaways:
- The unconscious mind drives the vast majority of our behavior. Self-awareness is the foundation of change.
- Shame is the most destructive emotion and the root of most mental health issues.
Neuroscience & Science Guests
Professor Matthew Walker — The Science of Sleep
One of the most-viewed DOAC episodes of all time. Professor Walker's data on what happens when you don't sleep is genuinely alarming — in a motivating way.
"The number of people who can survive on less than 7 hours of sleep without cognitive impairment, rounded to a whole number, is zero."
Key Takeaways:
- Every major disease killing people in developed nations has significant causal links to insufficient sleep — Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes.
- If you're only sleeping 6 hours and think you're fine, you're wrong. The research is unequivocal.
Dr. Andrew Huberman — Optimizing Your Brain and Body
Dr. Huberman's episodes are essentially master classes in applied neuroscience with specific, actionable protocols.
Key Takeaways:
- Morning sunlight exposure (within 30-60 minutes of waking) is one of the most powerful tools for circadian rhythm, sleep quality, and mood.
- Deliberate cold exposure causes a sustained dopamine increase of up to 250% that lasts for hours — far more effective than caffeine.
Read our full Andrew Huberman episode summary →
Chris Van Tulleken — Ultra-Processed Food and What It Does to Your Brain
Key Takeaways:
- Ultra-processed food isn't "food with additives." It's industrially manufactured edible substances designed to be over-consumed.
- Eating only ultra-processed food for 30 days measurably changed his brain — reward pathways started functioning like substance addiction.
Relationships & Personal Development Guests
Jay Shetty — Purpose, Mindfulness, and Monk Philosophy
Key Takeaways:
- Your identity should be built on your values, not your achievements. When identity is tied to outcomes, every failure becomes an identity crisis.
- Gratitude literally rewires your brain's default processing pattern from threat-scanning to opportunity-scanning.
Read our full Jay Shetty episode summary →
Robert Greene — The Laws of Human Nature
"To understand anyone's true motivations, watch what they do when they have nothing to gain — that's who they really are."
Key Takeaways:
- People wear masks. Watch behavior when stakes are low to see the real person.
- Envy is the most dangerous social emotion because people will never admit to feeling it.
Read our full Robert Greene episode summary →
Mark Manson — The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Key Takeaways:
- You can't have a meaningful life without suffering. The question isn't "how do I avoid pain?" but "what pain am I willing to endure?"
- Entitlement and victimhood are two sides of the same coin — both avoid responsibility.
Chris Williamson — Masculinity, Dating, and Modern Culture
Key Takeaways:
- The crisis in male loneliness is real, but the solution is building genuine competence and purpose.
- Social media has fundamentally changed the dating market. Understanding the data makes you strategic.
Entertainment & Culture Guests
Tyson Fury — Depression, Addiction, and the Comeback
Key Takeaways:
- Reaching the top doesn't fix what's broken inside. Fury became champion and immediately spiraled.
- Asking for help isn't weakness. Fury credits his recovery to finally telling someone what he was going through.
Molly-Mae Hague — Social Media, Pressure, and Entrepreneurship
Key Takeaways:
- Social media comparison is the fastest way to destroy your mental health.
- Building a brand takes years of consistency. There are no overnight successes.
Louis Theroux — Documentaries, Anxiety, and Being an Outsider
"The most revealing moments in any conversation happen when you let silence do the work."
Key Takeaways:
- Most people can't tolerate silence and will fill it with truth.
- Feeling like an outsider can be your greatest professional asset.
Davina McCall — Menopause, Addiction, and Reinvention
Key Takeaways:
- Menopause deserves proper medical support and open conversation, not silent endurance.
- Recovery from addiction is never "done." It's a daily practice.
👑 Leadership & Motivation Guests
Simon Sinek — Start With Why
"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it."
Key Takeaways:
- This applies to hiring, marketing, leadership — everything.
- Finite-minded leaders optimize for quarterly results. Infinite-minded leaders build organizations that outlast them.
Read our full Simon Sinek episode summary →
Tony Robbins — Mastering the Mind
Key Takeaways:
- Your emotional state determines the quality of your decisions. Learning to manage your state is the most valuable skill in business.
- Most people's goals are too small. The bigger the goal, the more resourceful you become.
Read our full Tony Robbins episode summary →
Ryan Holiday — Stoicism for the Modern World
Key Takeaways:
- The obstacle is the way. Every setback contains an opportunity — but only if you train yourself to look for it.
- Ego is the enemy of growth. Stay a student.
James Clear — Atomic Habits
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Key Takeaways:
- Goals set direction; systems determine progress.
- Make good habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Make bad habits invisible, unattractive, hard, and unsatisfying.
Read our full James Clear episode summary →
How to Get the Most from DOAC Episodes
Start With Your Biggest Problem. Don't just pick the most popular episode. What's the one area of your life that needs the most help right now? Find that category above and start there.
Take Notes Like You'll Teach It. If you can't explain the key takeaway to a friend after the episode, you didn't really absorb it. One actionable note per episode.
🤖Use AI to Go Deeper. Each episode contains enough material to change your life — if you engage actively. Use tools like ChatGPT to break down concepts and create action plans. Our
AI prompt packs are designed exactly for this.
🔄Revisit, Don't Just Binge. The episodes that change your life aren't the ones you listen to once. Bookmark your top 5 and revisit them quarterly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests has Diary of a CEO had?
As of early 2026, The Diary of a CEO has released nearly 800 episodes. While some are solo episodes from Steven Bartlett, the vast majority feature guest interviews — making it one of the largest libraries of long-form conversations available.
Who are the most popular DOAC guests?
The most-viewed episodes typically feature Professor Matthew Walker (sleep), Dr. Andrew Huberman (neuroscience), Alex Hormozi (business), Dr. Gabor Maté (trauma), and Dr. Julie Smith (psychology). Health and psychology episodes consistently draw the biggest audiences.
Is Diary of a CEO still recording new episodes in 2026?
Yes. As of March 2026, DOAC is actively releasing new episodes and remains the fastest-growing podcast in the world, adding 300,000–500,000 new subscribers per month.
What topics does Diary of a CEO cover?
DOAC covers business, entrepreneurship, psychology, mental health, neuroscience, nutrition, fitness, relationships, leadership, and pop culture. Steven's style focuses on extracting practical, actionable insights.
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This guide is updated regularly as new Diary of a CEO episodes are released. Last updated: March 2026.
Visit diaryofceo.online for full episode summaries, quotes, and more.