Joe Rowntree, founder of Anxiety Uncovered
Joe Rowntree
Founder  ·  Anxiety Uncovered

Hello - I’m Joe,
founder of Anxiety Uncovered.

Anxiety Uncovered was born from my own experience.

I was the young person overwhelmed by anxiety who struggled to find his voice.

Over time, and particularly after witnessing the impact of the pandemic on young people when I returned to schools across the UK, I realised something important: anxiety steals confidence. It stops people speaking up, joining in and finding their voice. And the quieter someone goes, the louder their anxiety gets.

The two aren’t separate problems. They feed each other.


I thought it was a young person’s problem

At first, I thought this was mainly a challenge for young people. Later, I realised it isn’t.

When anxiety takes hold, people often become quieter. They stop putting their hand up. They stop asking questions. They stop sharing what they’re struggling with, and asking for help.

I know because I did exactly the same.

I was a professional speaker and stand-up comedian. I knew how to use my voice. What I didn’t understand was the anxiety and avoidance that were stopping me from using it when I needed it most.

It took me two years to ask for help.


Finding your truthful voice

Finding your voice isn’t just about speaking confidently or passionately. It’s about communicating honestly. Not fake confidence, but the confidence to say what you really think, what you really feel, and what you really need.

It’s finding your truthful voice, so that what’s happening on the inside matches what’s happening on the outside, and having the courage to express it with passion instead of keeping it to yourself.

Anxiety has a habit of growing in the silence. That’s why helping people find their voice matters.

That’s why Anxiety Uncovered exists.


Many hats, one thread

I wear a few hats: husband, dad, stand-up comedian, psychology graduate, anxiety specialist, oracy practitioner, presenter, and podcaster.

What ties all those roles together is a deep interest in what makes us human, how our minds work, why anxiety so often gets in the driver’s seat, and how we can take back the wheel.


What I do now

Through Anxiety Uncovered, my podcast, live shows, school workshops and staff CPD, I help young people and the educators who support them understand anxiety, build confidence and communicate more effectively.

Because here’s the truth: I get an eight-page instruction manual explaining how to put batteries in my kids’ walkie-talkies, but when it comes to the brain, the most complex bit of kit we’ll ever own, growing up it felt like all I got was the equivalent of a single Post-it note stuck on my back that read: “Good luck, champ.”

I think we deserve better.

Behind the laughter

Anxiety has been part of my story since school. The pressure to fit in, exam stress, social struggles, all of it left me with a brain that felt like it had its own built-in alarm system permanently set to high alert.

Later, as a comedian performing across the UK and internationally, that alarm only got louder. Behind the laughter, I wrestled with worry, fear and the kind of self-doubt that doesn’t clock off when the gig ends.


When it all clicked

A traumatic incident in adulthood later led to PTSD and OCD. Seeking help, studying psychology and leaning into therapy changed everything. I began to understand anxiety not as a personal failing, but as a very human response that could be understood, managed and even used as fuel.

That’s when things clicked. If I could learn to manage this, I could help others do the same.


An F1 car with bicycle brakes

Later, I was clinically diagnosed with ADHD, which explained a huge amount. The best way I can describe an ADHD brain is an F1 racing car with bicycle brakes. Extraordinary potential, but difficult to control if you don’t yet understand how your brain works. Once you do, it can become one of your greatest strengths.

I’m still learning to drive mine, but I’m a lot further down the track than I used to be.


My background

  • BSc (Hons) in Psychology
  • Specialist qualification in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health (RQF)
  • 20+ years experience working in schools, colleges, and universities with students, staff, and parents
  • Trainer and specialist for leading oracy organisations including Speakers Trust and Talk The Talk
  • MADE Training specialist the UK’s leading experts in thinking, learning and revision strategies
  • Event Presenter for the Jack Petchey Foundation, hosting prestigious Achievement Awards celebrating the achievements of thousands of young people across London and Essex
  • And yes - years of writing jokes for TV, put-downs for Anne Robinson on The Weakest Link and performing stand-up comedy, which means I can bring humour into heavy topics without making them feel heavy.
Joe Rowntree with Ethan Bousoula, winner of Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge
🏆
Joe trained the winner of the UK’s largest youth public speaking competition
Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge - run in partnership with Speakers Trust - with over 35,000 young people taking part annually. Grand Final winner Ethan Bousoula delivered his winning speech at the Cambridge Theatre, judged by a panel including a member of the House of Lords.
▶️ Watch Ethan’s winning speech
Joe Rowntree with Lilli, winner of the Cambridge Speak Out Challenge
🏆
Joe trained the winner of the Cambridge Speak Out Challenge
One of the most prestigious regional public speaking competitions for young people in the country.
▶️ Watch Lilli’s winning speech

The Mission

Right now, too many young people are growing up without the tools they need to understand anxiety, manage it effectively and find their voice. I think they deserve all three, and the confidence to use them.

If I can make that journey even a fraction easier for the next generation, that’s the legacy I want to leave.

Whether you’re a student making sense of your own mind, a teacher building confidence in your classroom, or a school leader improving wellbeing across your school, you’re in the right place.

Together, we can understand anxiety, find our voice and have the courage to use it.

Cheers, Joe x
Founder, Anxiety Uncovered