Available to book
Max Dickins
Transform workplace culture with Max Dickins, speaker on male mental health and friendship. Max helps organisations address the friendship recession through engaging talks on social connection and wellbeing, delivering expert insights featured in the Sunday Times, GQ, and his British Podcast Award-winning show.
Max Dickins is the author of Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem, which has been translated into multiple languages and is currently being adapted for television. An expert on modern masculinity and the global ‘friendship recession’, Max is an in-demand speaker and media commentator.
Max's writing has been featured in the Observer, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, and GQ. Meanwhile, on stage, he can be seen in his acclaimed live comedy show, Giant Steps. Max's most recent project, The Inbetween Man podcast, won Gold at the British Podcast Awards 2025 in the Health and Wellbeing category. It also won Bronze for Best New Podcast and was nominated for Best Entertainment.
No one wants to be left without friends. So why does it happen to so many men? The topic of male mental health and its connection to social support has been at the forefront of the cultural conversation. Research has consistently shown that men tend to have fewer close connections than women. But what leads to this disparity, and how can we address it? Through his journey writing the book, Max has emerged as an expert on this phenomenon. Drawing from his years of broadcasting and stand-up comedy, he combines his witty charm with expert knowledge gained from personal experience and research.
Through his PepTalks, Max brings the crucial conversation about male mental health to the forefront in a captivating and impactful manner. By shifting the perspective from being a taboo subject to one that should be openly discussed, his PepTalks are certain to positively impact your workplace culture. They create a safe and non-judgmental space for everyone to share their experiences with mental health.
Topics, sessions and talks
When Max Dickins decided to propose to his girlfriend, he realised he had no one to ask to be his best man. This prompted him to explore why many men struggle with forming close friendships. Studies have shown that men generally have fewer close friends than women, and this issue worsens with age. Max will share his insights on why this occurs and offer solutions for men seeking to improve their friendships.
1 in 5 people are lonely at work. Here’s the good news: while connection will never be a hard science, we know more than ever before about the ‘rules’ that create it. After a career spent researching the art and science of connection, Max Dickins shares these principles in this engaging keynote.
Max brings a unique blend of humour and deep insight into male mental health, transforming a traditionally taboo topic into an engaging conversation. By booking him, you'll foster a workplace culture that values open discussions on connection and mental wellbeing, creating a supportive environment for all employees. His expertise and personal approach will not only enlighten but also inspire your team to build stronger, more empathetic connections.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Max Dickins draws on the research and personal journey behind his book Billy No-Mates, using his own experience of having no best man as a narrative entry point into the broader evidence on male friendship and loneliness.
Max Dickins speaks on male friendship and loneliness, workplace connection and belonging, and modern masculinity and mental health. He is the author of Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem, which has been translated into multiple languages and is currently being adapted for television, and his podcast The Inbetween Man won Gold at the British Podcast Awards 2025 in the Health and Wellbeing category.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
