Men fear their 'weaknesses' will be used as leverage over them

Rizzle Kicks' Jordan Stephens opens up about mental health and why men need to be brave enough to be vulnerable. By SARA KEENAN

- SARA KEENAN

JORDAN Stephens - best known for being one half of musical duo Rizzle Kicks - has called for a revolution in male attitudes to mental health.

It's an approach shaped by his own experiences managing the stresses of the modern world.

"I actually used to cope with my mental health quite poorly and now I think I cope with it quite well - so I'm trying to help others do the same," says the 33-year-old, who features in a new campaign for the charity Movember.

Ahead of the announcement of England's first Men's Health Strategy by the UK government, Jordan and other famous faces, including Professor Green, Ugo Monye, Olly Bowman, Paul Olima and Dominic Lawrence, have taken part in a series of interviews on Movember's YouTube channels to explore masculinity, mental health and resilience. The two episodes are entitled Roasts & Toasts and Fired Up, and are available now.

Jordan says he has been in a "very fortunate position" to afford therapy and various experiences that have reframed his outlook.

"I've learned in real time how important it is to feel and connect," says the performer and writer. "I now consider it as a kind of duty to try and spread that message, as it's certainly not easy to find this information out."

A recent Movember poll found that 60% of UK men believe it's harder to be a 'good man' today than it was 10 years ago. Jordan adds to this idea saying: "I think because of the proportion of men that can cause havoc in the world, people forget that the everyday man goes through a lot.