Explore every episode of the podcast How to have Extraordinary Relationships
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falling In Love Again: Valentine’s special with Sophie Ziegler founder of single club The Otto Connection | 10 Feb 2026 | 00:46:59 | |
Sophie Ziegler is the founder and creative force behind The OTTO Connection, a real-world social community designed to reconnect single people through relaxed, fun, low-pressure events and friendships. After finding traditional dating scenes uninspiring, Sophie launched OTTO in 2022 to build a welcoming space where being single feels vibrant and where people can expand their lives alongside like-minded friends rather than swiping through apps. Today, OTTO thrives as a growing community that champions genuine connection, shared experiences, and joyful socialising beyond the digital dating treadmill.
http://www.theottoconnection.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| It was never about food; Weight Loss and the Psychology of being Overweight with Lucy Cavendish and Sarah Vine | S4 Special Episode | 05 Feb 2026 | 00:54:53 | |
A subject that has caught the imagination of the nation. Fat Jabs! A special episode with Sarah Vine and Lucy Cavendish, with role reversal - Sarah interviewing Lucy! A fascinating, relatable and insightful conversation. Hello and welcome to the podcast where we talk honestly about weight loss, body image, and everything that comes with it, emotionally, socially, and psychologically. Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| When the dust settles; how to survive life changing challenges and disaster with specialist Lucy Easthope (S4 Special Episode) | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:55:00 | |
Lucy Easthope - The UK's Number One Disaster Recovery Expert! Easthope is one of the UK’s foremost experts on disaster recovery, emergency planning and the long-term aftermath of major incidents. Among her roles, she has been:
Her work spans the real-world consequences of disasters: implementation of recovery, supporting bereaved families and communities, and critiquing the “recovery myth” (the assumption that communities return to “normal” after a disaster) in her academic writing. Major works & impact In March 2022 she published her memoir When the Dust Settles: Stories of Love, Loss and Hope from an Expert in Disaster, which brings together her experiences with major incidents (including 9/11, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 7/7 London bombings, the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire and the COVID-19 pandemic) and reflects on what recovery really means. Her work emphasizes how disasters reshape lives permanently, how response must account for human and social dimensions (not just infrastructure) and how voices of impacted people must be heard. From interviews, she speaks candidly about hope, fragility and the human dimension of her work. For example, she says: “I think one of the things is … just take incredible joy from a moment in the day … My work is one of the greatest privileges … just seeing people being great a lot. So that gives me a lot of hope."Lucy and Lucy dive deep into a fascinating conversation here: Key Points of the Episode:
Reach Out To Lucy On: Insta: @whenthedustsettleslucy Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| Stories of Espionage and Nazi wives - The Dark Side of Life | Jane Thynne (S4 E3) | 12 Nov 2025 | 01:01:09 | |
Jane Thynne is a British novelist and journalist, best known for her historical fiction set in pre-war and wartime Germany. Born in Venezuela and educated at St Anne’s College, Oxford, she worked as a journalist for publications including The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, and the BBC. Her acclaimed Clara Vine series — beginning with Black Roses (2013) — follows an Anglo-German actress drawn into espionage in 1930s Berlin, blending meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling. Writing also under the pen name C. J. Carey, she is the author of Widowland (2021), an alternative history imagining a Nazi-occupied Britain. Thynne’s novels are praised for their atmospheric detail, strong female protagonists, and exploration of politics, culture, and power in turbulent times.
All her books are in good bookshops and Amazon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaneThynne Insta: https://www.instagram.com/janethynne_cjcarey Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| Sex, Death, and Living Life Outside of the Ageing Archetype…. Rose Rouse and Suzanne Noble on the Advantages of Age. (Special episode) | 05 Nov 2025 | 01:00:44 | |
Advantages of Age is a UK-based social enterprise and community platform founded by Rose Rouse and Suzanne Noble. Created to challenge the negative stereotypes surrounding ageing, the initiative celebrates the creativity, vitality, and entrepreneurial spirit of people over 50. Through its online magazine, workshops, and community network, Advantages of Age promotes a positive, empowered view of later life. It highlights stories of reinvention, creative expression, and business innovation, showing that ageing can be a time of growth and opportunity rather than decline. The founders bring a dynamic mix of experience to the project. Rose Rouse, a journalist, writer, and poet, has written extensively for The Guardian, The Independent and others, often exploring themes of identity, community, and social change. Suzanne Noble, an entrepreneur and jazz singer, co-founded the app Frugl and later created Startup School for Seniors, helping over-50s develop new business ventures. Together, they’ve built Advantages of Age into a movement that celebrates wisdom, creativity, and resilience—encouraging people to live fully, regardless of age. Key Points of the Episode:
Reach out and learn more here https://advantagesofageawards.com https://presenterly.com/profile/suzanne-noble Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| How to grieve; death, the dead and one woman’s relationship with learning how to live . Halloween special with writer Hannah Betts (S4 E2) | 29 Oct 2025 | 00:58:59 | |
Hannah Betts is an award-winning feature writer, interviewer and columnist across a range of subjects for an array of British newspapers and magazines, principally The Times and The Telegraph. She has been a journalist for almost three decades. After a career as a junior Oxford academic, Betts spent nine years at The Times, writing and editing in a number of guises, including op-ed columnist and Deputy Chief Leader Writer. She went freelance in 2007. Betts’s interests cover all aspects of the zeitgeist: not least, feminism, social and sexual mores, mental health, fashion, royalty, the arts, literature and history. Since July 2021, she has written a popular weekly column for The Daily Mail entitled: “Better…Not Younger”. She is also Senior Contributing Beauty Editor for UK Harper's Bazaar, and has consulted widely in this field. Perfume is her particular passion and expertise. She pens a monthly style column for The Critic, writes internationally for Air Mail, and is a frequent radio and documentary guest. Her interview subjects include Margaret Atwood, Taylor Swift, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jean-Paul Guerlain and Mona Hatoum. For journalistic purposes, she has played the part of Scarlett O’Hara, Marie Antoinette, a Victorian servant, lighthouse-keeper, dairy farmer, Arctic explorer, red-carpet celebrity, naked diner and ferret handler. In 2019, Hannah Betts was awarded a President’s Medal by the Royal College of Psychiatrists for improving the lives of people with mental illness through her journalism. She is a respected voice on the subjects of depression, sobriety and relationships. Betts is a Londoner with a penchant for blue whippets. Her favourite periods are the 1590s and the 1180s BC. Key Points of the Episode:
Her podcast links: Ghosts https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0012pcb Drink https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1501716010?i=1000672152841 Troy https://www.theoldie.co.uk/podcasts/troy-the-cradle-of-a-thousand-heroes-and-heroines Subscribe on hannahbetts.substack.com Follow Hannah Betts on X & Instagram: @HannahJBetts Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| Raw reflections from the woman who spent her life editing others - Jo Elvin Unedited (S4 E1) | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:52:23 | |
Jo Elvin is an Australian-born journalist and editor best known for her influential role as the founding editor of the British edition of Glamour magazine. Born in Sydney, Elvin began her career in journalism in Australia, working for publications such as TV Week and Cleo. She later moved to London, where she established herself in the UK media industry. In 2001, Elvin launched Glamour UK, pioneering the concept of the “handbag-sized” glossy magazine. Under her leadership, Glamour became the UK's best-selling women's magazine, known for its accessible tone, celebrity features, and focus on modern women’s lives. Her innovative editorial approach earned her multiple industry awards and cemented her reputation as one of Britain’s most successful magazine editors. After leaving Glamour in 2017, Elvin became the editor of You magazine, the Sunday supplement of The Mail on Sunday. Beyond her editorial work, she is also known for her charity involvement, witty public commentary, and presence on various media panels and podcasts. Elvin remains a respected voice in fashion and lifestyle journalism, admired for her sharp editorial vision and trailblazing influence on women’s media.
Reach out: www.instagram.com/jo_elvin Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E11 Natural Medicinal Healing | Menopause Month | Melinda McDougall | 08 Oct 2025 | 00:42:12 | |
Melinda McDougall is a registered Medical Herbalist (MSc, MNIMH) specialising in women’s health, based in London. She holds a Master of Science degree in Herbal Medicine, where her training included anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmaceutical medicine, botany, biochemistry, diagnostic skills, and traditional herbal knowledge. Melinda is particularly passionate about supporting women through key life transitions such as menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause. She works holistically, aiming to discover and treat root causes of symptoms rather than merely masking them. She has consulted with women across the UK and internationally, offering support and guidance via an online clinic in addition to her London-based practice. McDougall has also served as Vice President of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), a professional body for medical herbalists in the UK (founded in 1864).
Melinda’s professional philosophy blends scientific research with traditional herbal wisdom, emphasizing an integrative, patient-centred approach. Key Points of the Episode:
Reach out to her here: Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E10- The Ghostwriters Handbook | Imogen Edward-Jones | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:46:05 | |
Imogen Edwards-Jones (born June 1968) is a British author, journalist, and broadcaster best known for her sharp, witty exposés of hidden worlds and her bestselling Babylon series. Born in Birmingham, Edwards-Jones grew up in the Midlands and was educated at Malvern Girls’ College before going on to study Russian at the University of Bristol. Her fascination with language and culture led her to spend time in Russia, an experience that would later inspire her first book, The Taming of Eagles: Exploring the New Russia, an account of life in the early post-Soviet years. She later trained in journalism at City University, London, setting the stage for a career that would combine reportage with a flair for storytelling. Edwards-Jones first gained recognition as a novelist with works such as My Canapé Hell, Shagpile, and Tuscany for Beginners. But it was the Babylon series that made her a household name. Beginning with Hotel Babylon in 2004, the books offered an insider’s view into glamorous but tightly guarded industries—from aviation to fashion, restaurants, hospitals, and even weddings. Written with a blend of humour and scandal, and often based on real insider testimony, the series sold over a million and a half copies in the UK alone and was translated into dozens of languages. Hotel Babylon went on to be adapted into a BBC1 drama, bringing her work to an even wider audience. Her writing has also taken a more personal turn. The Stork Club is a candid and moving account of her own experiences with IVF treatment, while The Witches of St Petersburg draws on her love of Russian history and culture, re-imagining the story of two aristocratic sisters in the court of Tsar Nicholas II. Alongside her books, Edwards-Jones has written widely as a journalist, contributed to newspapers and magazines, and appeared frequently as a broadcaster. Her style—part investigative, part satirical—makes her a distinctive voice in contemporary British writing. She lives in London with her husband, television producer Kenton Allen, and their daughter, whose godmother is the Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell. Outside her professional work, she has a long-standing interest in the esoteric, counting herself as a member of London’s College of Psychic Studies, and she jokingly describes herself as an “honorary Cossack.” With a career spanning more than two decades, Imogen Edwards-Jones has carved out a niche as a storyteller who thrives on lifting the lid on closed worlds, whether glamorous, absurd, or deeply personal. The secret of a 27 year successful marriage. *Why ghostwriting is a learning curve each time. All her books are on Amazon, and her website is here: www.imogenedwardsjones.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E9 - The Psychology of Love - Dr Kalanit Ben Ari | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:46:20 | |
Key points of the episode:
Insta: @drkalanit Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E8 - Pleasure, Empowerment and Healing Through Kink | Miss Erica Storm | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:49:22 | |
Miss Erica Storm, formerly Madam Storm, is a former International Dominatrix. Her infamous Mistress training was featured in a Louis Theroux documentary on channel 4, “Sex Actually” with Alice Levine, where she showcased her teaching and coaching of female empowerment using the art of BDSM to help women find their voice and be sexually liberated. Miss Erica has recently launched her Power of the Pussy Retreat and the “Yoni Circle”, both of which were featured in the Metro Newspaper, featured on the front page and interviewed by ELLE Magazine, BBC London, and currently being documented by Channel 5’s new show. Her work is constantly being documented as her style is unique, fun and liberating, featured in Timeout, Daily Star, The Sun, Chat Magazine, New Magazine, The Metro, BBC, and The Mirror, just to mention a few. Miss Erica has rebranded herself as she evolves to the next level of her career as a qualified Yoga teacher and Clinical Sex and Relationship Therapist; her new YouTube Channel “Ask Miss Erica” showcases her work as a qualified confidence coach and sex educator. Subscribers send or call in their questions, which range from how to introduce kink into your relationship to how to walk into a room and own it. Miss Erica Storm first hit our TV screens with her powerful “STRUT Masterclass”, which shows women how to walk correctly in their high heels, whilst owning their space. featured on the Channel 5 TV show, 10 years younger, helping the programme subject recapture her confidence and self-esteem. Miss Erica is also a powerful Motivational Speaker; she has shared the stage with Mayor Sadiq Khan and worked with companies such as WeWork, Red Run, Meetup, Platform 9 and Ann Summers. She is regularly booked for her sexy, fun and empowering speaking style, appearing on panels for women's events, radio shows and podcast. Miss Erica was the face of Ann Summers's Halloween campaign. Her role involved personal appearances and delivering her Masterclasses in their flagship stores, helping couples to introduce kink into their relationship and educating consumers on how to use BDSM toys correctly. She has gone on to work with several brands, such as LELO, Hot Octopuss and Killing Kittens, where she delivered her Sexual and Body Confidence Masterclass to their members. Miss Erica has written several blog pieces for brands, magazines and charities, sharing her expertise in sexual confidence and female empowerment; her work has been featured in Refinery 29, Galdem Magazine, and The Metro; more articles of her work can be found here https://www.missericastorm.co.uk/press. In January 2021, Miss Erica Storm launched her blog, “Power of The Pussy” she created her blog to educate and inspire women to become connected to their pussies and embark on a journey of sexual confidence; you will find stories of her life as a Dominatrix and saucy events with her lovers. Miss Erica believes every woman should feel sexy and confident; she continues to empower women one STRUT at a time, advocating Pussy Power! For more information, please visit Miss Erica Storms' website www.missericastorm.co.uk. Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E7 - The Burned Haystack Dating Method | Jennie Young | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:55:28 | |
Key points of the episode:
Get in touch to learn more: Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| What To Do When Your Life f**** up! with Eve Simmons | S4 Special Episode | 03 Feb 2026 | 00:59:27 | |
Eve Simmons is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster known for making complex topics feel human, practical, and refreshingly honest. As co-author of What to Do When Life Fcks Up*, she draws on years of reporting on health, psychology, and wellbeing to offer clear-eyed guidance for navigating life’s messier moments. Alongside her writing, Eve is a familiar media voice, regularly contributing expert insight on mental health and resilience, with a style that blends compassion, credibility, and straight-talk reassurance. Key points of the episode:
Her book: What She Did Next- What to Do When The Life You Planned is F**ked Up Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@evesimmonsjourno Insta: https://www.instagram.com/eviesimm Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E6 -The Spirit of Style | Barbara Ayozie Fu Safira | 27 Aug 2025 | 00:43:05 | |
Barbara Ayozie Fu Safira is a remarkable Italian-Nigerian creative powerhouse based in London. She is celebrated as a creative director, art director, costume designer, and fashion stylist, whose work spans across editorial, commercial, film, music, and more. Her styling and creative direction have appeared in prestigious publications, including Vogue Italia, GQ, Elle, Glassbook, Metal, and Aesthetica. Her editorial work “Unfolded Love” was published in both Vogue Italia and Nataal. Key points of the episode:
Check her out! Insta: @fu_safira Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 - On The Far Edge of Humanity | Wendy Holden | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:53:40 | |
Wendy Holden, also sometimes known as Taylor Holden, is an experienced author and novelist with more than thirty books published, fifteen of which are bestsellers. She has also had numerous works transferred to radio and television, and four of her books have been optioned for film.
A journalist for eighteen years, her first novel THE SENSE OF PAPER was published by Random House, New York, to widespread critical acclaim and has recently been released as an ebook. Her second novel THE CRUELTY OF BEAUTY has been published in English as an ebook and in Czech as a hardback. Her non-fiction titles have chiefly chronicled the lives of remarkable subjects, including the international bestseller BORN SURVIVORS which tells the true story of three young mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis and gave birth in the concentration camps.
ONE HUNDRED MIRACLES tells the true story of the teenage piano prodigy Zuzana Ruzickova who survived three concentration camps to become one of the world’s foremost Baroque musicians. FIVE MINUTES OF AMAZING is the moving memoir of a young soldier with early onset Alzheimer’s and how he chose to deal with the hand Fate dealt him. Her other memoirs include that of the only woman in the French Foreign Legion in TOMORROW TO BE BRAVE (soon to be a film), the mother of a woman killed after marrying a Sudanese warlord in TILL THE SUN GROWS COLD, A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD the memoir of actress Goldie Hawn and LADY BLUE EYES, the autobiography of Frank Sinatra’s widow Barbara – all of which were New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers.
Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E5 - The Youth Code | Dr. Alka Patel | 12 Aug 2025 | 00:50:08 | |
From her website: I don't just study longevity — I've lived the cost of ignoring it. After 25 years in medicine, leadership, and entrepreneurship, I've seen firsthand what relentless drive can do to a body. But I’ve also seen what precision, strategy, and lifestyle mastery can rebuild. My journey began at the University of London, Guys and St Thomas’, where I earned my MBBS in medicine and surgery. A fascination with the body and brain led me to deepen my expertise further — gaining advanced qualifications in lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, coaching, therapy, gynaecology, obstetrics, and dermatology. But true mastery comes not just from study, it comes from lived experience. A hospital bed became my greatest teacher — not knowing whether I would see my three children again. That was when I finally realised: success means nothing without sustainable health. Since that day, I've devoted my career to helping ambitious individuals secure the energy, clarity, and resilience their future demands. Using data-backed biohacking and personalised longevity strategies, I put tour healthspan potential back in your hands. What if you could have the vitality of 20, 30, 40 years ago?? It's feasable. Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 - Not That I'm Bitter | Helen Lederer | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:48:48 | |
Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954 is a British comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series Naked Video and BBC One's Absolutely Fabulous, in which she played the role of Catriona. In 2015, her comedy novel Losing It was published by Pan Macmillan It was nominated for the P.G. Wodehouse Comedy Literary Award and the Edinburgh Book Festival First Book Award. She recently released a biography, " Not That I'm Bitter" she wanted people to connect with her experiences in a humourous way. At the time of writing she is in a run starring in the stage version of Fawlty Towers. In 2018, Lederer launched a new literary prize for comic fiction written by women. The 2019 published winner of the CWIP award was The Exact Opposite of Okay by Lauren Steven- Kirsty Eyre was the inaugural winner of the unpublished prize with her comic novel, Cow Girl, which was published in 2020. The 2020 awards added a humorous graphic novel prize. The award was created because of dissatisfaction with the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize , which was not awarded in 2018 and had up to that point only been won by a woman three times. Key points of this episode:
You can see more about this talented lady here: @helenlederer on X and Instagram Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E4 - Spirit and Story | Santa Montefiore | 29 Jul 2025 | 00:52:42 | |
From her website: Since I could first hold a pencil I have been writing stories. It was my most enjoyable hobby and one I never expected would become a career in adulthood. I am so lucky to do something I adore and luckier still that you, my readers, enable me to do it. For that I am incredibly grateful. Over the last four decades my love of storytelling has never changed, the only thing that has changed is my audience (once only me), which now includes you! I hope to carry you away to sunnier shores, while at the same time to remind you of all that is wonderful about England. Above all, my novels are about love – not just romantic love, but Love with a capital L, because when you boil life down to its essence, love is what you’ll find. I hope to sweep you away, to make you laugh and cry in equal measure, but most of all to make it possible for you to escape for a while. Key Points of the Episode:
Email through contact in website Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E3 Inside Dementia Prevention | Susan Saunders | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:46:36 | |
From the website: My determination to reduce my dementia risk grew out of my personal story. I spent 12 years caring for my mum, who had severe dementia. When she was diagnosed, I was 36 years old with a toddler, new born and a full-time job. My world was turned upside down – not only was I mum, wife, boss, I was now a carer too. What made this even harder to bear was that, as a teenager, I’d watched my mum going through the same thing with her mother. Now, I have two teenage daughters myself and I do everything I can to reduce the chance that they will have to look after me. I started researching everything I could about ageing well. I read a PhD paper, claiming that a healthy lifestyle at 50 reduces the risk of dementia, by up to 90%. This research is controversial – that’s a huge reduction – but at the time it felt like the sun bursting through some very dark clouds. Most importantly, it gave me a sense of purpose: an idea that I could change the way I age. So I spent years studying scientific data on healthy ageing, Qualifying as a health coach and overhauling my own health. And guess what? I’ve found that as I’ve worked to do all I can to prevent dementia, I feel better than ever right now. And I want to share that with you. Key Points of the episode:
http://www.susansaundershealth.com See her 3 books available here. More group coaching coming soon. Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E2 - Music in the Darkness | Anne Sebba | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:45:56 | |
From her website: Anne Sebba Historian Welcome to 2025! Worries about Covid may have receded but war, brutality and uncertainty are still with us four years on. So it has seemed fitting that I have been researching a new book about a grim subject for grim times… the extraordinary story of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. It’s about female solidarity and the redemptive power of music as well as survival against the odds and will be published in March 2025 in the UK to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the camps. there are various translations planned in the course of 2025 and 2026! watch this space. 2023 was the 70th anniversary of the execution of Ethel Rosenberg, electrocuted for for Conspiracy to Commit Espionage without any evidence against her, and I was very honoured that my biography of Ethel was published in France. Having spent years thinking about one woman in one prison, I am now contemplating the lives of hundreds of women in one of the most appalling prisons in history. Living in isolation during Covid helped me a little in my understanding of the tragedy which befell Ethel. But entering imaginatively into the lives of women in Auschwitz is a far harder task and listening to their testimonies (thankfully there are hundreds of these online) does keep me awake at night. I never forget that as the great giant of biography Richard Holmes wrote, self identification with one’s subject is the first crime of the biographer, but it still is a kind of duty to try and help the women who survived as well as those who did not bear witness to what they saw. I tried to tell the story of an era through the story of a woman, Ethel Rosenberg, I shall try and do the same with the current book. Incidentally Ethel has a variety of titles – An American Tragedy in the US Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy in the UK and for the paperback it is called The Short life and Great betrayal of an American wife and mother. My previous book was published on July 14th 2016 – Bastille Day – Les Parisiennes, about women in Paris from 1939-49, in US, UK, France, Czech Republic, China and other countries. There are stories in it about resisters, collaborators, spies, writers and actresses, couturiers and jewellery designers, housewives, concierges and prostitutes. It won a prize and is being turned into a multi-part screenplay for TV (watch this space!) I have always been fascinated by French History and the reverberations from this period are still being felt in the country today. Although I loved writing the story of Wallis Simpson (and she even has a cameo role in this book) I wanted to write a book of history this time and move away from biography for a change. For two years of my research I was chair of the Management Committee of Britain’s Society of Authors, a great honour and privilege in difficult and challenging times for authors as the Society fights for Authors’ rights in a number of areas and is desperately needed. I am now on the SOA Council. But when I am not busy reading or reviewing someone else’s book, I will be concentrating on talking about my books, including Les Parisiennes. As any writer will tell you, you never quite leave your old books behind. New material keeps coming your way and you are constantly re thinking your work! In 2011, I published That Woman: a life of Wallis Simpson Duchess of Windsor in the UK alongside a C4 television documentary ba Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S3 E1 - Life Behind the Headlines | Sarah Vine | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:47:02 | |
WELCOME TO SEASON 3! Sarah Rosemary Vine was born in Swansea, Wales on 16 April 1967. When she was five, the family moved to Italy, initially staying in Rome before moving to Frascati. After graduation, Vine worked in customer services for the retailer Hobbs Ltd. She then worked in a series of jobs within journalism, including TV listings sub at the Daily Mirror and features editor for the magazine Tatler before joining The Times. She was promoted to arts editor at that newspaper. And now, she ia an author and in this podcast you will understand why and perhaps have a shift in perception.... Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E11 - When love turns to control. | 16 May 2025 | 00:39:13 | |
In this anonymous episode we talk to "Mary" who shares her experience of coercive control. **TRIGGER WARNING**
For obvious reasons there are no contact details here. We hope this podcast has helped and inspired you. If you have been affected by anything you have heard here - support and help can be found here: Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E10 - Catherine Ducker | 14 May 2025 | 00:41:39 | |
Since studying at Central Saint Martin’s in the 90s, she has been farming, and planting, and growing, and mothering, but always, at heart, painting. She sees myself as someone who watches, quietly, but also as someone who gets on and does, so I’ve grown multiple biodiverse wildlife corridors around her home in Oxfordshire, and painted magical and challenging moments. She is surrounded by plants at all times, and whenever something takes her eye and moves her, she works with the feeling and paint, using colour to evoke the emotion. Sometimes her work veers towards the abstract, but she always circles back to the use of flowers, as a metaphor for my feeling of the fragility of life;the need to be in the moment. She chooses to make uplifting work which reminds her to be present, to live fully, to be the best she can be, both aesthetically and in her life. She also chooses to express her need for peace, and her determination to be conscious of the way she lives and its impact.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| Men In Love: Dating and friendships and AI relationships with author and journalist Nick Harding | 27 Jan 2026 | 00:46:30 | |
Nick Harding is an award-winning British freelance journalist and feature writer known for his engaging, often personal take on health, lifestyle, relationships, science and well-being topics. He regularly contributes articles to The Telegraph, writing about fitness experiments, ageing, food, and everyday life challenges, mixing evidence-based insight with first-person reflection. His work also appears across other major publications and platforms such as Daily Mail and MSN, and he has bylines on a wide range of subjects from scientific explainers to real-life stories that connect with everyday readers. He explores also the world of dating and relationships from the male perspective often with hilarious results! Key points of the Episode:
Reach out - Google "Nick Harding Telegraph" Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E9- Bibi Lynch | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:50:52 | |
Reach out to Bibi and see her work here: www.bibilynch.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E8- Lindsay Nicholson | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:44:01 | |
Lindsay Nicholson has worked Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping magazine and is now Editorial Director of the National Magazine Company. Her articles have appeared in many leading newspapers and magazines including the Guardian and the Observer. From her website: It’s natural to fear it - but to be alive is to experience loss. The only way to avoid loss is to die first. (Not recommended!) I am a former magazine editor, now a writer and researcher, who has experienced tragic and painful bereavements, specifically the tragic early deaths of my husband and young daughter. In the course of my life and work I have met many people whose experiences mirror my own and discussed ways of coping with grief with renowned experts. In these posts I will bring you the valuable lessons I have learned and remind you that whatever you are going through, there will come a day when you will smile again. I promise! These posts are currently free so do pass on to anyone in your life who is suffering. Together, we will get through this Interested? Sign up here: www.lindsaynicholson.substack.com Key points of the episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E7- Xanthe Clay | 01 Apr 2025 | 00:40:53 | |
With 25 years of experience as a Telegraph columnist, chef and food writer Xanthe Clay provides guidance on everything from roasting a Christmas turkey to baking the perfect loaf of bread. As the Telegraph's thrift expert, Xanthe can regularly be found taste-tasting staple supermarket products to find the best value, as well as taking a deep-dive into topical issues such as ultra processed foods, ethical farming and sustainability. How she will eat all things- apart from one! Follow her! : www.instagram.com/xantheclay Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E6 - Rosie Wilby | 19 Mar 2025 | 00:42:04 | |
Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, writer and podcaster who has appeared on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman's Hour, Saturday Live, Unsafe Space and Four Thought and TV programmes including Good Morning Britain and Sunday Morning Live. Her latest book The Breakup Monologues is based on her acclaimed podcast (a British Podcast Award nominee and recommended by Chortle, The Observer, Psychologies and more) and is published globally by Bloomsbury. She regularly contributes to The Guardian, The Independent, Stylist, Cosmo and Perspective and has hosted programmes for Virgin Radio, BBC and Resonance FM. See her LIVE on the 24th April https://wegottickets.com/event/651454 Key points of the episode:
Find out more here: Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E5 - Anna Murphy | 05 Mar 2025 | 00:51:59 | |
From her biog:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E4 - Liz Jones | 19 Feb 2025 | 00:51:23 | |
She began her career as a fashion journalist, but her work has broadened into confessional writing. Jones divides opinion. While she has gained positive responses, a "beautifully natural writer, as well as a funny one" according to Deborah Ross in The Independent, some of her articles have been fiercely criticised A former editor of Marie Claire, she has been on the staff of The Sunday Times and the Evening Standard. As of 2019 Jones writes columns for the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Now, she talks to Lucy all about relationships and just about everything else...
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E3 - Eleanor Mills | 05 Feb 2025 | 00:50:34 | |
Eleanor Mills (born 1970) is a British journalist formerly associated with The Sunday Times and The Times. She was the editorial director of The Sunday Times and editor of its magazine until March 2020.[1] Mills was employed by Times Newspapers for 22 years.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E2 - Livvy Bentley | 22 Jan 2025 | 00:40:14 | |
Made in Chelsea star - Livvy Bentley talks to Lucy today.. Introduced as a former love interest of Sam Thompson, she initially clashed with Tiff Watson, though the two have since become friends. Olivia has since enjoyed a "holiday romance" with Francis Boulle, creating a love triangle and feud with Georgia "Toff" Toffolo resulting in a divide between the girl groups. Olivia later began dating Francis' close friend Fredrik Ferrier, and the two have since entered a relationship.
Reach out www.jomolondon.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S2 E1 - Bryony Gordon | 08 Jan 2025 | 00:49:02 | |
Bryony Naomi Gordon is an English journalist, author, broadcaster and podcaster. She is the author of the novels, Mad Girl, You Got This, and The Wrong Knickers which were all nominated for British Book Awards. She founded Mental Health Mates in 2016 and hosts the Mad World podcast.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E14 | Season Two Look Ahead | 26 Dec 2024 | 00:05:18 | |
Some incredible and interesting guests coming up in Season 2. Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| When the Drugs Don't Work - One Woman’s Descent into the Madness of Antidepressants | Katinka Blackford Newman (S4 - E5) | 20 Jan 2026 | 00:49:59 | |
Katinka Blackford Newman is a London-based documentary filmmaker, author, journalist, and life coach. In 2012, during a personal crisis connected to divorce and insomnia, she was prescribed an antidepressant which triggered a severe adverse reaction. She is also a published author: her book The Pill That Steals Lives recounts her ordeal and research into the risks of psychiatric medications. Her work has been featured in national media and was adapted into a BBC Panorama episode titled “A Prescription for Murder”. Throughout her career, Katinka remains committed to telling human stories with empathy, exposing hidden risks in medicine, and supporting people to find agency over their mental and physical health. Key points of the episode: PART 1
PART 2
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E13 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - Author Jenny Colgan | 20 Dec 2024 | 00:49:50 | |
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E12a | Season Two Look Ahead | 11 Dec 2024 | 00:06:15 | |
Some wonderful and interesting guests are coming in Season 2 - here we look ahead. Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E12 - Jessica Yip | 11 Dec 2024 | 00:43:30 | |
In conversation with Jessica Yip - from her website: But underneath my material success, I was reliving all the toxic patterns that I was raised with: Even so, I was no stranger to self-development. A lifelong learner, do-er, and achiever — just like you — I read, listened to, and practiced it all. For years. But the many tools I had weren’t the ones I needed to put a stop to this cycle of heartbreak. LOVE IS NO LONGER A MYSTERY, A STRUGGLE, OR A FANTASY. When I tell you that I’m healthy, I mean that I feel confident and connected to myself in a way that I didn’t know was possible. All of my dreams — of being in love, of being an entrepreneur, of making a music album, of belonging to a community, of writing a book — have become a miraculous reality. I coach because, despite all the ways we may have been actively and/or passively taught otherwise, everyone deserves to love and be loved. I coach because the joyful future you want is more than possible. It’s waiting for you, and I’m here to help you get there. · How an on/off situationship she realised was not serving her. · How she reclaimed her voice in every sense- the journey. · The two incredible brothers she met that worked magic in he life. · Her musical heroes journey. · The unhealthy patterns and beliefs we carry and how to break them. · How we find our voice in relationships. · How we do not need anyone to be anything for us to be happy. · How to cultivate generosity of spirit in relationships.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E11 - Sophie Slade | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:48:32 | |
Sophie is a senior Imago Clinic instructor, a global citizen, speaks multiple languages, and has a highly successful relationship. Lucy has also trained with her. She brings a fantastic energy to the room.
Key points of the episode:
· How she never expected to focus so much on sex, and why she does. · How talking about the pain, never helps one to feel “hot and horny” · Where she thinks the wounds come from. · How people do not know what their sexual needs are – or express them badly if they do. · The adaptive strategies we develop if our needs are not met. · Spontaneous desire contrasted with responsive desire. · How she wanted to reclaim her own sexuality which she had disconnected to. · Sexual appreciation dialogues · Curiosity. Connection. Capacity. Willingness.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 - E10 Anna Anderson | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:43:58 | |
Anna Anderson is an established spiritual coach, and author, and has her own podcasts too. She empowers women to tune in and lead from their heart. Key points of the episode: · How she guides people to do their own work and lead in Love · How women come to her when they have "ticked the boxes" but are still not happy. · How she teaches an inner connection of "I am" consciousness..... · to find a life where we are self validating. · How we are supposed to have all the good things, but not be defined by them. · How we are all going through alchemical stages - "shedding the old to allow the new" · Her story and where she came from we do not have to hit rock bottom. · How growth happens.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E9 - Jeanne Byrd | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:31:52 | |
Jeanne Byrd- from her website: My desire for you… I want to help you create a successful, soulful love life that matches your most intimate desire for partnership. I want to help you nourish and support your physical body so that you feel congruent and comfortable in your own skin, able to offer your heart and body to your Beloved as a gift, without shame or ambivalence. I want to help you catalyze heartbreak and suffering so that the people and experiences that informed you, no longer define you, or impact your future.
· How mood is the missing link - Food=Mood · How stress and her eating was breaking her body down. · How stress absolutely has an effect on our immune systems. · And how self care is absolutely necessary. · Bring ALL parts of yourself to the table. · Why we struggle with self care. · What the "Calling In The One" process is. · How our patterns run us, but are ultimately not true. · How as a child, we blame ourselves for other peoples behaviour. · Films that portray happy healthy love. (Jeanne has a film background) · A little on conscious uncoupling. Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E8 Lynn and Sam Crilly | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:46:22 | |
· How the Troublemuncher and the poetry came into being. · Samantha's journey with anorexia and OCD. · How the whole family and the local GP was very supportive. · How the OCD manifests in Samamtha. (in a somewhat unusual way) · How Lynn removed Samantha from all the mental health services and nursed her back to health - a true story of a mothers love.... · ...and how this helps Lynn serve her clients now. · How the family dynamics were affected. Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E7 - Louisa Young | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:58:16 | |
Louisa Young is a writer and songwriter whose twelve novels include the award-winning ‘My Dear I Wanted to Tell You’ trilogy. She’s half of the children’s author Zizou Corder (with her daughter Isabel Adomakoh Young), and half of the band Birds of Britain (with Alex Mackenzie). She’s a Londoner, a former journalist, a singer, a feminist, a reader, and ‘a masterly storyteller’ – The Washington Post. Her latest novel, Twelve Months And A Day, is published by Borough Press in June 2022. ‘A tale of two love stories with a supernatural twist, Twelve Months and a Day is poignant and sad as well as funny, and beautifully written and imagined. What if our beloveds lived on as ghosts and watched us grieve, what if they never really leave us, and what if some of these ghosts even meet?’ — Monique Roffey Her ‘beautiful’, ‘heartbreaking’. spectacular’, ‘unflinching’, ‘bruising’, ‘brilliant’, ‘honest as the morning after’ memoir, You Left Early: A True Story of Love and Alcohol, is out in paperback. She released her debut album, You Left Early, also about love, death and addiction, in 2018. Louisa has taught at Arvon, Skyros, Moniack Mhor, at Guardian Masterclasses, and for Birkbeck (University of London). She has been a Visiting Specialist Lecturer in Creative Non Fiction at the University of Kent at Canterbury.
Reach out on www.louisayoung.co.uk Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E6 - Dr. Joe Kort | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:46:14 | |
In this interview a truly leading edge conversation with an extaordinary man Dr. Joe Kort - from his website:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E5 - Lis Cashin | 04 Sep 2024 | 00:41:59 | |
Liz is a a female leader with purpose - just like you (?) Her mission is to lead a self-worth revolution for women leaders.
Reach out on www.liscashin.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| 'Hair loss was my worst nightmare,'; Sarah Vine on wigs, hair systems, female baldness and what the future holds | 14 Jan 2026 | 00:44:12 | |
Sarah Vine is a British journalist and columnist best known for her opinion writing on politics, culture, family life, and social change. Over the course of her career, she has written for major UK publications including the Daily Mail and The Times, establishing herself as a prominent and often polarising voice in British media. Her columns are characterised by a highly personal style, combining political commentary with reflections drawn from her own experiences, relationships, and domestic life. Vine is particularly known for her confessional approach to journalism, frequently using her platform to examine issues such as marriage, motherhood, ageing, and female identity in midlife. She has written openly about personal challenges, including her experience of hair loss, treating it not simply as a cosmetic issue but as part of a broader exploration of vulnerability, self-image, and the pressures placed on women in the public eye. By addressing such subjects candidly, she has contributed to wider conversations about honesty and stigma around women’s health and appearance. Alongside personal themes, Vine’s work often engages directly with contemporary political debates, reflecting her interest in conservatism, culture wars, and the shifting nature of British society. Her writing style is direct, provocative, and unapologetically subjective, attracting both loyal readership and strong criticism. Through this blend of political opinion and personal disclosure, Sarah Vine has carved out a distinctive place in modern British column writing. Key Points of the Episode:
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E4- Madeleine Black | 21 Aug 2024 | 00:46:37 | |
Madeleine has an unusual personal story which she uses to inspire and motivate others. A deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity. We are not defined by what knocks us down – we are defined by how we get back up.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E3 - Nick Breau | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:38:22 | |
Nick Breau is a multifaceted spiritual and personal development teacher, currently running two online programmes one being The Breakthrough Club, assisting people in many areas of their life - personal development, health and well being and spiritual growth. He brings his wealth of varied life experience to his current work - formerly in IT - he's gone from "computer hacker to people hacker!"
Reach out to Nick on www.nickbreau.com
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E2 - Kat Byles | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:41:46 | |
Kat is currently based in the Caribbean, does "PR with heart", is the authour of "Creative Happy Work" (with a quote from Lucy in it!), she is deeply involved in cleaning up the shores and the seas, was involved with the homeless world cup, she podcasts, creates wonderful meditations, and seems very chilled out!
Fascinated? Reach out to her here: https://www.katbyles.com Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||
| S1 E1 | Clover Stroud | 10 Jul 2024 | 00:48:39 | |
In this inaugural episode, I talk to Clover Stroud, she is an author, writer, journalist, podcaster, teacher and a Mum andbased in Washington.
Has this podcast inspired you and would you like to learn more? | |||