The Cheer Up Luv Podcast

In honour of #transawarenessweek, we wanted to re-release one of our favourite episodes with one of our favourite people, Travis Alabanza.

Travis is an established writer, performer, and theatre maker, known for their outstanding pieces that engage audiences in the conversation around trans politics and the queer experience.

In this Ep we speak about using art for activism, victim-blaming, the contradiction of being hyper-visible and invisible in public spaces,  and so much more. *Trigger Warning* We discuss themes to do with transphobia and a story of sexual harassment towards the end of the show.

This episode is the last episode of season 3, can you believe it?! Today I am speaking to a truly inspirational person, who’s work I’ve been admiring on my feed for years now, its the model, activist, entrepreneur and all round superstar, Kenny Ethan Jones! Kenny’s career in activism was launched after appearing in Pink Parcels’ I’M ON campaign, in which he made history by being the first trans man to front a period campaign. Kenny’s impactful work has been featured by the Independent, Teen Vogue, The BBC, Dazed and many more, and I can’t wait to share this episode with you! In this Ep. we speak about how to avoid burn out, being vulnerable and having honest discussions online, and why no one owes you their gender identity.

Hello and welcome back to the penultimate episode of Season 3! Today on the show I'm speaking to changemaker Lou Northcote. Lou is an activist, influencer and ex-model, known for her notable campaign #FreeThePimple, a skin positivity movement. After developing acne, Lou’s modelling career was put on hold, so she decided to challenge the skin stigma by using the hashtag #freethepimple in 2017. By doing this, Lou aimed to bring awareness of other people living with skin conditions, and has created an online space for people to share their skin-positive stories. 

In today's episode we talk about receiving unsolicited advice, why "resting bitch face" for men is not a thing, and why "perfect" skin is a myth. 

TW: In this episode we will be reading out an experience of sexual harassment.

In today's show I'm speaking to life coach, activist and author Michelle Elman. You might be familiar with Michelle’s work from her notable campaign, Scarred not Scared, which came about after Michelle decided there was little representation for people who had scars. Having had many surgeries herself, Michelle wanted to use her platform and share her experience to let others know that they were not alone. In todays episode we talk about the importance of enthusiastic consent, setting boundaries and how to recognise gaslighting behaviour.

TW: In this episode we will be reading out an experience of sexual harassment to discuss and myth bust.

Joining me on today's show are two women, whose podcast has honestly been getting me through lockdown, It's the amazing duo & wonderful hosts of Brown Girls Do It Too,  Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani!! I'm so excited about this episode and had so much fun recording it. If for some reason you’ve been living under a rock for the past year and aren't familiar with Brown Girls Do It Too, then let me briefly fill you in. Brown Girls Do It Too is an award-winning groundbreaking BBC Asian Network show, where they discuss all things related to sex & relationships, and candidly cover the topics which are under-discussed in South Asian households. 

In this episode we talk about accidentally breaking taboo's, removing the shame and stigma when talking about sex and the problematic fetishization of Asian women in society. 

Welcome to another episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast! Today I'm speaking to someone who I’ve been really keen to get on the podcast, it’s changemaker Tyla Grant. Tyla is a model, podcaster and activist who campaigns to raise awareness about autism in adulthood. She is also the founder of Black and Neurodiverse, a platform which supports the personal development of young black neurodivergent adults. 

In this episode we speak about the importance of inclusive language, the gender data gap in health and medicine, and why you should never trust someone stopping you on the street for directions...

Hello and welcome to another episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast! Today I’m speaking to someone whose work I have been admiring online, and in real life for a few years now, it's the incredibly talented illustrator Alice Skinner. I have been obsessed with Alice’s work for a long time, and after I realised she was also part of the activist collective, The Pink Protest, I fell in love with her work even more. Alice’s bold, beautiful and unmistakeable style has lead her to work with Always, Converse, Badoo, The Sunday Times Style Magazine and if that wasn’t enough, she has just illustrated the cover of Grace Campbell’s new Book, "Amazing Disgrace.”

In this episode we speak about how we can hold institutions accountable, growing up with the damaging beauty standards of 00's magazines and the very triggering insult, "You're Butterz". 

Welcome to another episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast! This week I am speaking to the incredibly talented writer, author, performer, and filmmaker Amrou Al-Kadhi, or Glamrou as some may know them. I’ve been looking forward to speaking to Amrou ever since I finished their book, ‘Life As A Unicorn’ , an incredibly moving memoir documenting their journey from shame to pride, navigating growing up in the Middle East, attending the boarding school Eton, questioning their Muslim faith, and finding themselves through drag, as a queer British Iraqi.

In this episode we speak about how TERF's are using the campaign to end violence against women and girls for their agenda, the vocal transphobic right wing media, and how we can make public spaces safer for all. 

TW: In this episode we discuss themes to do with transphobia, and will be reading out an experience of sexual harassment to discuss and myth bust at the end of the show.

Hello and welcome to another episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast. Today I am speaking to a very exciting guest, it's the Labour MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy! Stella has now been an MP for Walthamstow for 10 years, and has worked on notable campaigns to tackle online harassment, domestic abuse and islamophobia. Stella also made history as the first MP to get maternity cover.

In the episode we discuss the campaign to treat misogyny as a hate crime, the gender gaps in our system surrounding childcare and maternity leave, and how we can make the streets safer for women, girls and marginalised genders. 

This week we have another bonus special episode which was made in collaboration with #YouAreNotAlone, a public awareness campaign. This episode is dedicated to addressing the issue of domestic abuse, recognising the broad and varied forms in which it exists and provide valuable information. 

In this episode, I will be speaking to three representatives from the charities Refuge, Surviving Economic Abuse and SafeLives. Each of the guests will talk about the different types of domestic abuse, the stereotypes around it and most importantly, how to access the support available. 

In this week's episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, I'm speaking to someone I've wanted to get on the podcast for ages, it's the phenomenal campaigner and founder of Glitch, Seyi Akiwowo! Seyi is a public speaker, activist and the executive director and founder of Glitch, a charity dedicated to ending online harassment and abuse - which just celebrated it’s 4th birthday as of last week! 

In the Ep we discuss the increase of online abuse during the pandemic, how unregulated tech platforms are, how to combat victim blaming narratives towards online abuse and why we need to hold tech firms accountable. 

TW: We will be discussing themes to do with online harassment

Welcome back to Season 3 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast! Who better to kick start the season, than the amazing intimacy coordinator Ita O'Brien, known for her groundbreaking roles directing scenes in Sex Education, Normal People, I Hate Suzie, I May Destroy You and It's A Sin. 

As well as directing sexual content, Ita founded the organisation ‘Intimacy on Set’, which provides services to TV, film, & theatre like training, consultancy, advocacy when dealing with intimacy and nudity. In this Ep we discuss why there haven't been dedicated roles for directing sex until now, intimacy on set in a post #MeToo era, and the long overdue portrayal of female pleasure in film and TV. 

TW: We will be discussing an experience of sexual harassment at the end of the show.

Guess what? This week we have a bonus International Women’s Day special of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast - how exciting is that?! In today’s episode I am speaking to the remarkable Dame Heather Rabbatts, who is the chair of TIME’S UP UK, but has also had a vast career spanning law, media, government and sport.

In this episode, we speak about Heather’s important work with TIME’S UP UK, and ask the pressing question: How do we shift the culture surrounding sexual harassment in the workplace? We also discuss the polarisation of opinion around #MeToo, and how we can support women and non-binary people of colour in the workplace. 

Hello and welcome to a very special BONUS episode of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast with me your host, Eliza Hatch. Today I’m speaking to the wonderful Valentina Milanova, who is the founder of the CBD tampon and female health company, Daye. (Which you may remember was the lovely sponsor of our previous season!)

In this episode we speak about the myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation, the double standards in medical research, the gender data gap and how tampons were originally invented for men! 

Welcome to the last episode of Season 2!! What better way to end the season, than with the absolutely fabulous Grace Campbell! Grace is a comedian, director, activist, and newly published author of , 'Amazing Disgrace’ a book about shame. Some might know Grace because of her father, the political spokesman Alistair Campbell, and others might know her from her debut, sold out, standup show she took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 'Why I’m Never Going Into Politics', however I discovered Grace through her work with The Pink Protest, a feminist collective committed to engaging the power of young people & utilising online activism.

In this episode we discuss the power of clicktivism, the familiar teenage pilgrimage to the sexual health clinic, and how to banish the shame we feel when talking about sex.

TW: We are covering topics such as sex, sexual violence and will be discussing an experience of sexual harassment.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! In this week's episode I am speaking to the incredibly talented advocate, activist, speaker and campaigner Ben Hurst. Ben is also head of facilitation at Good Lad Initiative, works with Fearless Futures, is the Founding Director of SPACE for PSHE, is also the Co Founder of D/ecology, which facilitates conversations about decolonising shared spaces.

This week we talk about approaching the topic of toxic masculinity from a different angle, why the phrase "boys will be boys" is a get-out-of-jail-free card, and the importance of deconstructing gender roles. TW: In this Ep we discuss an experience of sexual harassment.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! Today I am speaking to the writer and founding editor in chief of Polyester Zine and Podcast, the wonderful Ione Gamble. I’m a huge fan of Polyester, and have been following it for years now! I fell in love with everything about it, as it champions the bodies, clothes and culture not commonly seen in mainstream print. Founded by Ione in 2014, it is an independently published, feminist, identity and culture publication, that champions creativity and diversity. It’s tagline “have faith in your own bad taste” is a true reflection of the zine’s quirky, kitsch and colourful content. 

In this episode we talk about the limits of patriarchal beauty ideals, the concept of 'bad' and 'good' taste, fatphobia and why being told to 'cheer up' is not a compliment.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! Joining me today, is my dear friend, the amazing artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan. I first met Michaela when we studied together at Brighton University, which feels like a lifetime ago now. After graduating with a first in painting, Michaela has shown at the Bloomberg Contemporaries, was accepted onto the prestigious residency at the Sarabande Foundation and is now represented at Tiwani gallery. In this episode we speak about art institutions getting it wrong, the entitlement of strangers on the internet, and why men need to stop asking women to take off their headphones. 

TW: In this ep we discuss an experience of sexual harassment.

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! This week I am speaking to someone whose writing, and podcast I have been following for years, it’s the sensational Emma Gannon. Emma is an award winning broadcaster of the well known podcast Ctrl Alt Delete, was selected in 2018 for the Forbes 30 under 30, and has now written four books! In this episode we speak about why 'work' isn't working, the shaming of child free women, and the problematic reality of being polite to harassers.

TW: In this episode we discuss an experience of sexual harassment. 

Hello  and welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza  Hatch! In this week's episode I am speaking to the amazing author and trans activist, Charlie Craggs. Charlie is an award winning writer of the incredible book, To My Trans Sisters, and In 2013 set up the campaign 'Nail Transphobia'  where she traveled around the UK with a pop-up nail salon offering free manicures and the chance for a chat with a trans woman. 

In this ep we speak about activism fatigue, fighting transphobia fabulously and the importance of looking out for each other. 

TW: In this episode we discuss themes related to transphobia and read out an experience of sexual harassment towards the end of the show. 

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! Today I am speaking to someone I have been speaking to online, and have been wanting to meet in real life for ages! It’s the fabulous illustrator, artist, sex educator and wonderful content creator, Venus Libido. In this week’s episode we speak about receiving unsolicited dick picks, shadow banning and how to stay motivated when the algorithm is working against you.*TW* We will be reading out an experience of sexual harassment later in this episode.

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! This week I am speaking to someone I have been keen to speak to for a while now,  asexuality activist and model Yasmin Benoit. Yasmin is the creator of #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike campaign, which aims to amplify the voices of asexual people and give them the platform and agency to represent themselves. In this episode we speak about the common misconceptions of what it means to be asexual, asexuality misrepresentation in the media, and dealing with online abuse. 

*Trigger Warning* We will be discussing a story of sexual harassment towards the end of the show.

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch! In this week's episode I am speaking to the phenomenal, groundbreaking icon that is Travis Alabanza. Travis is an established writer, performer, and theatre maker, known for their outstanding pieces that engage audiences in the conversation around trans politics and the queer experience.

In this Ep we speak about using art for activism, victim blaming, the contradiction of being hyper visible and invisible in public spaces, and so much more. *Trigger Warning* We will be discussing themes to do with transphobia and a story of sexual harassment towards the end of the show.

Hello and welcome to SEASON 2 of The Cheer Up Luv Podcast hosted by Eliza Hatch. I am so excited to introduce our first guest of the season to you, it's none other than the legendary Megan Barton Hanson!! Many of you will know Megan from when she rose to fame in 2018, appearing on the hit reality tv show, Love Island. Since then, like many others, I have admired her for speaking out publicly about mental health, sex positivity and for calling out the double standards that society holds for men and women.

In this episode we speak about sexist press coverage, slut shaming,  transparency on social media, and the "anything goes" zone of bars and clubs. 

Hello and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch.  This is the last episode of Season 1! Can you believe it? To round this season off, this week I'm having a fascinating chat with a woman whose work I have been admiring online for a while now, the incredible Deeba Syed. Deeba is a political activist, women's rights advocate and Sexual Harassment Lawyer. As well as being a qualified lawyer, Deeba works with Rights of Women, and in 2019 set up a free employment law advice line for women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. In this episode we speak about exactly this, knowing your rights when it comes to harassment in the workplace, the murky world of non disclosure agreements and you guessed it, misogyny.

*Trigger Warning* We will be discussing themes surrounding workplace harassment, and towards the end of the episode we will read out an  experience of sexual harassment.

Resources:

Hello  and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch. This week I'm speaking to the dynamic duo that are Maya and Gemma Tutton, otherwise known as the campaigners behind Our Streets Now, an initiative to make street harassment illegal. In today's episode we speak about the intersections of street harassment, experiencing it in school and taking action to end harassment once and for all! Follow this link to sign the petition to make street harassment a punishable offence: 

Hello and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch. Today I am speaking to the absolute icon that is Char Ellesse! Char is a model, content creator, and founder of Girls Will Be Boys, which is an online platform which aims to blur the lines between Gender Roles. In this week's episode we speak about censorship, breaking down the gender binaries and being your true authentic self. To support Char's work visit:

Hello and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast hosted by Eliza Hatch!

In today's episode I'm speaking to Dr Dan Guinness, who is the dircetor of the Good Lad Initiative. This is an initiative which dedicates itself to promoting positive masculity, and in my opinon, are an example of an organisation who are actively doing the work! Good Lad Initiative specialises in helping men and boys with positive and equal relationships, and in this ep we speak about the "grey area", toxic masculinity, the chase, and how to be an active bystander. 

*Trigger Warning*

We will be reading out a submitted story of sexual harassment at the end of the show to discuss.

Resources:

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the Cheer Up Luv Podcast hosted by Eliza Hatch!

Today I am speaking to the one and only game changing queen, Gina Martin! In this episode we discuss all things upskirting, navigating the world of politics, dealing with trolls, and we do a deep dive into Gina's very own toolkit for activism! I am so excited to bring you this episode, I hope you enjoy it.

*Trigger Warning* 

We will be reading out a submitted story of sexual harassment at the end of the show to discuss and myth bust!

Resources:

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the Cheer Up Luv Podcast hosted by Eliza Hatch!

Today I am speaking to two truly inspiring women, Phoebe Montague and Maiya Michelle from 100 Women I Know. I met these two at an event a few years ago, and have been eagerly following the incredible work they have been doing ever since, as it's a cause thats very close to my heart.

*Trigger Warning*

In this episode we explore themes surrounding rape, sexual violence, victim blaming, internalised shame, sharing trauma and holding space for each other. If you think it might be too triggering, then this might not be the episode for you. However, If you think you are in a place where you can handle these topics today, I would love to encourage you to tune in, as its a really important discussion to have. And ultimately, the work that Maiya, Phoebe and everyone from 100 Women I Know are doing is definitely worth listening to!

We will also be reading out a submitted story of sexual harassment at the end of the show.

Resources:

Hello and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast hosted by Eliza Hatch!

Today I am speaking to the inspirational activist, Amika George. Amika is the founder of the #FreePeriods campaign, which she began at the age of 17. In 2017 she started a petition campaigning for free period products in schools across the UK, and in 2020 it came into action, with the Government implementing schemes around schools uk wide!

In this episode we speak about Amika's journey into activism, challenging the stigma surrounding periods, and discuss harassment in bars and clubs. To support Amika's work visit:

Hello and welcome to the Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch!

Today I am speaking to the one and only Jamie Windust. Jamie is an award winning LGBTQIA+ editor of Fruitcake Magazine, writer, speaker and model. They have written for numerous publications like Cosmopolitan UK, Gay Times and The Independent, and have just written their debut novel, “In Their Shoes,” which gives nuanced insight into life as a non-binary person.

Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Cheer Up Luv Podcast, hosted by Eliza Hatch!

Today I am speaking to gender rights activist Sophie Sandberg, who founded the incredible platform Catcalls of NYC, which aims to combat street harassment through chalking experiences directly onto the pavement. 

In this episode we speak about what inspired Sophie to start her platform, using art for activism, and later in the show we discuss the lasting impacts street harassment can have.