He was joined by great friends of the show, Tom from TLB Plumb and James Robinson, the Yorkshire Stone Dresser for their thoughts.

Tom said: “Basically, I did my apprenticeship when I was 16 and worked for four years there after. I was my own band for a few years until I decided I wanted to work for someone so I worked all over the UK. I am from South Wales as you can tell from my accent and I have worked in Scotland, I have done work at Buckingham Palace with a company that I worked for and it was during the COVID pandemic and I was travelling to Coventry when I got a call informing me that the company had lost a contract and was scaling back so they had to let me go. I had just bought a house then and I went to tell the missus and it was scary but it turned out to be the best phone I ever received.

“So, since I was made redundant, I started my own business and took my brother as an apprentice who is doing his MVQ and has recently completed it. Everything is positive at the moment.

A caller Sean from Stroke of Genius Ltd said: “I started my own business in 2021 after qualifying as a painter and decorator in 1993 but leaving the trade, I was a prison officer for 16 years but during Covid left for a return to the trade, best decision I've ever made.”

Another caller Mathew from Jarrow added: “Working for the company I used to, wasn't too bad, just when owners started bringing brainless family members as a managers. That was unbearable. I've left the company in November 2022 and now kicking myself, why oh why I didn't do it 10 years ago.”

And Steve from TopBuild, said: “More money, in control of my own future, only answer to me. I always pay the lads a top rate. More than I ever had working for someone else.”

Robinson explained that it goes back to COVID when he was furloughed. “Before that, I was very unpopular with the kids as I worked 50 to 60-hour weeks. Things were a bit had at home so in September 2021 when things slowly started getting back to normal, I went to the company that I worked for and things started to change there too so, I felt like it was time for me to move on.”

For the full show, listen below.