Ben West

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Mental Health Campaigner, Best-Selling Author, Strategic Advisor & Social Media Influencer Ben is one of the most engaging and inspiring young male voices in the UK today.

In 2018 Ben very unexpectedly lost his younger brother to suicide. It was a horrific experience that left him trying to grapple with grief, guilt and complete confusion at only 17 years old.

7 years on, Ben has become one of the UK’s most powerful young voices in mental health advocacy, making change on a national scale to improve access to education and support and been on the front line of making mental health first aid compulsory training for teachers. Now 25 years old, Ben brings a rare and deeply informed perspective: combining his personal story, frontline experience, and real-world involvement within the healthcare, education and private sectors.

Ben’s bestselling book, This Book Could Save Your Life (HarperCollins), his presenting work across BBC One’s Morning Live and Sunday Morning Live and his social media platforms have made him a leading voice in the movement to break stigma, improve education and support, and drive real change.

This has included hosting a broad range of films for BBC One, including a special 3 part series for Health Awareness Week in May 2024; covering specific issues such as body dysmorphia in men; exploring different religious and ethical approaches to raise suicide awareness and prevention; discussing children’s mental health safeguarding as part of the wider educational system; and an in-depth look at the rise in road worker attacks across the country.

He was also the focus of an episode for the viral Snapchat series I Want To Get Better, being interviewed by Jameela Jamil. And has appeared on Lorraine (ITV), the smash hit podcasts Private Parts, Dr Alex’s Stompcast Podcast, and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place.

A leading keynote speaker, Ben empowers audiences to embrace vulnerability, create mentally healthier workplaces, and make simple, meaningful changes to better support themselves and the people around them. Through honest storytelling and practical education, he helps leaders and teams feel more confident recognising when someone is struggling and knowing what to do to make a difference.

Using his positive and passionate voice for storytelling on his social media platforms, Ben has worked closely with international brands, developing meaningful and creative content for companies such as Dacia and LADBible. He has also written for a number of high profile publications, having been featured twice in The Times and Sunday Times Magazine, as well as a feature in Men’s Health Mental Health Awareness Month special.

Ben works closely with businesses to develop sustainable wellbeing strategies, advises on mental health leadership at board level, and is a member of the brand board at Wagamama, helping shape their mental health, DEI, and sustainability policies. He is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor, delivering essential training to individuals within organisations. Recently Ben trained and certified a new team of Mental Health First Aiders at Pfizer UK.  As well as this he is Strategic Advisor to one of the UK’s largest NHS mental health trusts, and a crisis support volunteer with Shout, the national mental health textline, providing 1 to 1 support to people in need of urgent help.