Straight Up
By Straight Up
Adolescence, Fourth Wing and what ‘really’ counts as cheating
Adolescence on Netflix has fast become the most talked about TV show of 2025, with Stephen Graham’s new drama igniting much-needed conversations around corrosive social media misogyny and violence against girls. We get into it all from our review to the reception. First, though, a chat about polyamory, non-monogamy and what constitutes ‘cheating’ in light of Ne Yo’s polycule reveal and the fallout from Danny Jones and Maura Higgins’s Brit Awards kiss. And also this week: we debrief on publishing phenomenons Fourth Wing now that we’re both Rebecca Yarros converts, share a listener update on the Let Them theory and return yet again to crisis PR.
Please leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! Say hi by DMing us @straightuppod, or email at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reviews/ recs:
- Still Bad, Lizzo
- The Dynamics Of This Relationship Will Expand Your Definition Of Black Love, Huffington Post
- Mel Robbins and Plagiarism, Sage Justice, Substack
- Let Them: Words for the Healing Soul by Cassie Phillips
- Flack, BBC iPlayer
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Rebecca Yarros on Navigating Fame and What to Expect From ‘Onyx Storm’, Elle
- Rebecca Yarros Talks ‘Onyx Storm’, Variety
- Adolescence, Netflix
- Netflix drama Adolescence has lessons for us all about alienated young men, Observer
- Ctrl Hate Delete by Cecile Simmons
With Love Meghan, a Blake Lively update and being abandoned by friends
How has one of TV’s blandest cooking shows ignited such a storm of controversy? We review Meghan Markle’s new Netflix offering to see if those one-star reviews are valid. We also share our honest thoughts on The Cut’s viral piece about the fallacy of the nuclear family. Is it fair to say that friends flake once they have kids? And is the media exacerbating friction between women? Plus, why Blake Lively’s latest big-guns crisis hires suggests something major might soon rock Hollywood, our favourite quotes from the latest Lady Gaga press run, and a look at Adrien Brody’s highly questionable art.
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reviews/ recs:
- The Brutalist
- Miss Me
- It Ends With Urgh, Reality Bites podcast
- With Love Meghan, Netflix
- Furious About With Love, Meghan? Go Cool Off With A Lavender-Scented Flannel, Mate, Vogue
- Five key takeaways from With Love, Meghan, Guardian
- Running Point, Netflix
- Never Have I Ever, Netflix
- My Friends Abandoned Me When They Had Kids, The Cut
- The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake by David Brooks, Atlantic
- Mayhem, Lady Gaga
- Lady Gaga: ‘People don’t always make it through success. I did’, Times
Millie Bobby Brown, ageing and Lucy Boynton on domestic violence
We always love it when a guest comes to help us decipher the week in pop culture, and who better to make sense of the Oscars than British actor Lucy Boynton, brilliant star of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Ipcress File, The Politican and Sing Street. She's also in ITV's A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, a gripping new drama about the last woman to be hanged in Britain, which reveals the horrific elitism and misogyny of the 1950s, and has become horribly relevant in light of the increasing violence against women. We discuss everything from how the media reports on domestic violence to why our society is built for men. Also on the show: Millie Bobby Brown’s powerful statement in response to media trolling of her appearance, a quick debrief on the Brits and our review of new no1 Netflix hit Toxic Town.
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reviews/ recs:
- Toxic Town, Netflix
- A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, ITV
- Witches (documentary)
- Nickel Boys
- Rosewater, Liv Little
- Island, Aldous Huxley
- Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
- Burn After Reading
- When The O.C. Killed Marissa: “What Have We Done?”, Vanity Fair
- The Politician, Netflix
Girlfriend robots, Justin Bieber and blowing up your life
We are finally getting stuck into the book everyone has been talking about hunnies: All Fours by Miranda July, which has prompted an 'erotic revolution', with a wave of women 'blowing up their lives' by ending their marriages and pursuing sexual liberation. Why is older women’s sexual desire so taboo? Next, following the viral pictures of a 'gaunt' Justin Bieber and Tuppence Middleton’s memoir on her struggle with OCD, we discuss the ethics of media speculation into celebrity health. And also this week: the debate on AI voice recreation as American Murder: Gaby Petito trends at No1 Netflix, a Substack suggesting Booktok content is becoming soft porn for teenage girls (ft our Forth Wing review) and new AI girlfriend thriller Companion.
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Reviews/recs:
- Harris Dickinson on Chicken Shop Date, YouTube
- Harris Dickinson on Off Menu
- Is Rose Gray the Next Big British Pop Star? Vogue
- All Fours, Miranda July
- Miranda July’s Lucrative Fantasies, Substack
- Why Gen X Women are Having the Best Sex
- Scorpions: a memoir excerpt in the Guardian by Tuppence Middleton
- Companion, in cinemas now
- Her, Amazon Prime
- American Murder: Gabby Petito, Netflix
- If BookTok Was a Community Of Men We Would be Calling the Police, Substack
New York recs:
- Carbone
- Baretto
- Bemelman's, Carlyle
- Moxy Chelsea
The White Lotus, botox in cinema and Louis Theroux’s Armie interview
Happy Thursday huns! We’re checking in at the White Lotus in Thailand to debrief on the start of season three, from our fave characters this time around, to the wild tales from the seven months cast and crew spent on set. But first this week: BAFTAs gossip, Amelia Dimoldenberg’s new boyfriend and a big debate on whether botox is really ruining cinema, as per a recent piece in Dazed. And finally, Louis Theroux’s viral podcast interview with cancelled star Armie Hammer. Could the actor have made any more of a mess of it?
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs/reviews
- Rye Lane, Disney+
- Rev, BBC iPlayer
- This reeks of a chemistry recession, Substack
- Is botox ruining cinema? Dazed
- Bridget Jones: Mad About a Boy
- This is not a Pity Memoir, Abi Morgan The White Lotus, HBO
- Mike White’s Mischevious Vision for White Lotus, New Yorker
- Meet the White Lotus series 3 cast: ‘It’s a big, dark, beautiful symphony’, The Times
- The Louis Theroux Podcast with Armie Hammer
- Podcasts were ruining Louis Theroux – then along came Armie Hammer, Independent
- House of Hammer, Discovery+
- Will I survive getting trolled again? Polly Vernon on Substack
- Boarders s2, BBC iPlayer
Bridget Jones 4: grief, friendship and magical men
It’s Bridget Jones season, huns, and so obviously we had to review the latest and fourth film in the franchise, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy as a special bonus episode. We laughed, we cried, then dissected everything from Bridget's new boyfriends to Pandora Sykes' official podcast. Be warned, there are spoilers! And don't worry, we’ll be back here tomorrow with our usual pop culture debrief.
Let us know what you thought of the film by DMing us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Recs discussed:
- Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy The Official Podcast with Pandora Sykes
- Renée And Hugh Reunite For British Vogue’s February Issue
- Hugh Grant on Smartless
- If the original Bridget Jones was released today, people would still call her fat, Glamour
Dating advice, Apple Cider Vinegar and the return of horny
It’s Valentine’s week, hunnies, so ofc romance is top of the agenda on today’s show – kicking off with with a review of Elizabeth Day’s brand new podcast ‘masterclass’ How To Date, which she cohosts with MAFS’s Mel Schilling. Do you really have to be ‘healed’ to find love? And are we the only ones feeling a bit triggered by the ‘take your younger self for coffee’ TikTok trend? Plus: Netflix and Amazon Prime’s new rom-com efforts, Amy Schumer’s Kinda Pregnant and Reece Witherspoon’s You’re Cordially Invited, Jordan Stephens’ wonderfully refreshing take on male sexuality and the Bonnie Blue phenomenon, as well as life post-divorce in Amandaland. And, as promised, we’re getting stuck into Apple Cider Vinegar, the highly-anticipated Netflix series about Australian wellness scammer Belle Gibson.
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs/ reviews:
- How To Date, Elizabeth Day
- Sludge Magazine
- Everyone Is Horny Again, Dazed
- Miss Me? Let’s Talk About Sex... with Jordan Stephens
- Jordan Stephens: sex on screen, male shame and Andrew Tate, Straight Up
- Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs, Jordan Stephens
- Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix
- You’re Cordially Invited, Amazon Prime
- Kinda Pregnant, Netflix
- Amandaland, BBC iplayer
- ‘I met my younger self for coffee’ TikTok trend
Timothée Chalamet, the Romantasy craze and the ‘real’ Ryan Reynolds
We finally got swept up in the Romantasy craze huns! Following the news that Rebecca Yarros’s latest novel Oynx Storm has become the fastest selling adult novel in 20 years, we’re giving her first book in the series, Fourth Wing, a whirl. What is it about these fantasy romances that has millions of women hooked? Plus, our reviews of Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-tipped turn as Bob Dylan, an excellent book about building your own boyfriend (if only), Disney’s latest dystopian murder mystery, and Khloe Kardashian’s new podcast. Also, is Mel Robbins’s self-help mantra ‘Let Them’ helpful or just classic therapy speak? And how much weight do these rumbling Ryan Reynolds rumours have: is he the real villain of the It Ends With Us saga?
DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs/ reviews:
- A Complete Unknown, in cinemas now
- Khloé in Wonder Land Podcast with Mel Robbins
- ‘Let them’: can this viral self-help mantra change your life?, Guardian
- Blob: A Love Story, Maggie Su
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Rebecca Yarros’s ‘Onyx Storm’ Is the Fastest-Selling Adult Novel in 20 Years, NYTimes
- Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Novelist Steal Another Writer’s Story? The New Yorker
- Paradise, Disney +
The Traitors, Holly Willoughby’s return and our splintered 'selves'
The Traitors finale was so juicy we HAD to have a big old debrief: was Charlotte robbed? Did it all get too personal? What are the funniest The Traitors tropes? We also discuss Holly Willoughby’s first interview since a terrifying plot to kidnap and kill her was foiled a year ago, as well as Jameela Jamil’s unique ‘protection method’ against misogyny. Plus: has Angelina Jolie been snubbed by the Oscars because Hollywood favours Brad Pitt, despite her abuse allegations? We’re also sorry to report that our honey Leo Woodall’s ‘maths thriller’ Prime Target is... not thrilling. But luckily we do have plenty of other excellent recs for you to get stuck into!
Make sure you leave us your books recs in Spotify comments, DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Reviews/recs
A Good House, Royal Court Theatre FKA Twigs did this for herself, Vulture FKA Twigs, Eusexua Central Cee, Can’t Rush Greatness Holly Willoughby: ‘It’s been tough. There’s no way of sugar-coating it’, Times Jameela Jamil, The Making of Me, the i paper Prime Target, Apple TV There had never been a sillier thriller about maths, Vulture High Potential, Disney Plus 100 Years of Solitude, Netflix What I Learned Visiting the Set of Netflix’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Vogue Why Do TV Title Sequences Have So Much… Stuff, The Beast ‘Severance,’ ‘The Substance’ and Our Increasingly Splintered Selves, NYTimes We Run The Tides
Cameron Diaz’s comeback, the Molly Mae doc and Lively vs Baldoni (again)
We were not expecting to be weeping over the glossy Molly Mae Amazon doc hunnies, but it got us!! We discuss all the revelations and ‘the Molly Mae paradox’. We also had to dive into the latest explosive lawsuit in this increasingly wild It Ends With Us saga, which has now pulled in Taylor Swift and, er, Game of Thrones. Does the flippant public reaction suggest the worrying end of the MeToo movement? And we’ve got a veritable spy extravaganza of reviews and recommendations this week, including Cameron Diaz’s first return to acting in over a decade. Plus, is We Live in Time up to the hype?
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs/ reviews
- Anora’s Mikey Madison: ‘I never felt naked filming those scenes’, Style
- Are You a Charlotte? podcast
- I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers, Guardian
- Willem Dafoe, The Louis Theroux podcast
- Molly Mae: Behind it All, Amazon Prime
- The paradox of Molly-Mae Hague, The New Statesman
- How the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively legal battle ends, to us, Vulture
- Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and the collapse of the Hollywood
- MeToo era, New Yorker
- We Live In Time, cinemas or pre-order on Apple TV
- Let’s Talk About the Way We Live in Time Deals With Death, Time
- Back In Action, Netflix
- Day of the Jackal, Sky Atlantic
- The Agency, Paramount Plus
- Killer, Netflix
- Severance, Disney+
Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl, Lily Allen and money anxieties
Nicole Kidman’s erotic thriller Babygirl is finally out and so ofc we had to see it and give you our verdict this week huns! Before our spoiler free-review, though, we discuss all the latest pop culture stories, from Lily Allen’s reported divorce to Heidi Montag’s musical comeback. As always we’ve got lots of TV chat, plus our thoughts on two of our favourite books of 2024, both about the financial anxieties of young women. Debates on OnlyFans, money diaries and more ensue!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on the biggest and best London shows until Jan 31. officiallondontheatre.com/seeitlive
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs/ reviews:
- Infactuation, Heidi Montag
- Missing You, Netflix
- Playing Nice, ITV
- Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Netflix
- When women do anti-ageing it’s called Goop, when men do it, it’s science, The I
- Avicii - I'm Tim, Netflix
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe
- Come And Get It, Kiley Reid
- Babygirl, in cinemas now
- Harris Dickinson, the Run-Through with Vogue
- Women Really Want to Talk After Seeing ‘Babygirl’, New York Times
- The Secretary, Amazon Prime Video
- Birth, Amazon Prime Video
Blake Lively’s lawsuits, crisis PR and raunchy vampire remake Nosferatu
Happy 2025 hunnies and welcome back, we’ve missed you! First up this week we’re debriefing on the holidays, from New Year’s resolutions to the culture that kept us entertained. Next, a deep-dive into the explosive developing story on the numerous (and ongoing) lawsuits surrounding It Ends With Us costars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. Is the world of crisis PR as dark as it seems? And finally, some great new film recs for you, randomly both starring Nicholas Hoult: Lily-Rose Depp’s ‘sexy vampire’ film Nosferatu, and Clint Eastwood’s crime thriller Juror #2.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/
Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on the biggest and best London shows until Jan 31. officiallondontheatre.com/seeitlive
Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/
Recs discussed:
- The Traitors, BBC One
- Supacell, Netflix
- Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, BBC iPlayer
- Blake Lively’s Suit Exposes the Twisted World of Hollywood Misogyny, The Nation
- 'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine, New York Times
- Who Trolled Amber, Tortoise
- Juror #2, rent via Amazon Prime, Google Play and Sky
- Nosferatu, in cinemas now
Fertility, pop culture parenthood and unspeakable truths
Male infertility accounts for half of all IVF cases, so why does society so often consider it a ‘women’s issue’? We get into the taboo around fertility and masculinity, as well as the thorny topics of egg freezing, the 'queer tax' and the commodification of reproduction in this second part of our exploration of why more and more people are putting off having children. We also dive into plenty of other unspeakable truths, from 'unnatural' parents, the fantasy mother vs monster mother tropes in Hollywood, and loss of identity. Plus, we discuss some of the most joyous things about being a parent, how social media is shaping parenthood norms, and much more.
As mentioned in last week's intro, this is the part two of our Big Kids Question re-run , so that our new listeners can discover the two episodes we're proudest of, and because it feels so timely still given November's new fertility data! Plus we didn't want to leave you without anything during the holidays. If you've already listened, maybe give it another go!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk
Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on over 50 London shows until Jan 31, from Mean Girls to Tina the Tina Turner Musical, Stranger Things and more! Check them out at OfficialLondonTheatre.com/seeitlive
Reccos discussed
- Stand Up to Infertility, BBC
- 'Elizabeth Day: At 45 I will never be a mother. I’ve made peace with it', The Times
- Magpie by Elizabeth Day
- The Birth of My Daughter, The Death of My Marriage by Leslie Jamison, New Yorker
- Laura Jackson on Grace Beverley's podcast
- Why Must We Pay Queer Tax? the Guardian
- 'I’m a sexual and single but wanted to become a mum’, Stylist
- Straight Up with Tove Lo, and Straight Up with BabyQueen
- Diary of a CEO: No.1 Neuroscientist: "Kids will make you unhappier"
- I chose my marriage over having kids by Ruby Warrington, The Times
- The School for Bad Mothers, Jessamine Chan
- Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
- The false escapism of soft girls and trad wives, Time
- How Long Can You Wait To Have A Baby? The Atlantic
The Big Kids Question: does anyone want to be a parent anymore?
The startling new data revealing the sharply declining fertility rate in the UK taps into the fraught and personal conversations that we’ve been having since turning 30: are we ready to have kids, financially and emotionally? How has everything from increased gender equality and the thriving child free movement to social media and the pandemic skip affected our reasoning? We try to answer all these questions and more in this two-part series on the societal and cultural issues shaping how we think about parenthood in modern Britain.
Next week we will discuss: male infertility, IVF & egg freezing, the child free movement, the taboo of the ‘unnatural’ mother, how pop culture has influenced our idea of parenthood, plus loads more listener DMs.
As mentioned in the intro hunnies, this is a re-run of our most popular episode from this year, so our new listeners can discover, and because it feels so timely still given November's new fertility data! Plus we didn't want to leave you without anything during the holidays. If you've already listened, maybe give it another go! Part two will run next week.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk
Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on over 50 London shows until Jan 31, from Mean Girls to Tina the Tina Turner Musical, Stranger Things and more! Check them out at OfficialLondonTheatre.com/seeitlive
Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow’s new thriller plus the best TV and films of 2024
Hunnies we’ve made it to the end of the year! And our Christmas present to you is a definitive top 10 across both TV and film of 2024, so that you are happily entertained over the next few weeks. Also, we thought it was a good time to dive into Hugh Grant’s ‘freak show era’ now that his intriguing new horror film Heretic is out, and of course it wouldn’t be Christmas without a feminist reappraisal of Love Actually. We hope everyone has a lovely festive break, but we send big hugs and thoughts to anyone struggling at what can be such a difficult time of the year. We are also VERY sorry about the glitching audio which begins part way through this episode due to a mysterious tech diff. We didn’t want to leave you with nothing this week, so we’ve tried our best to make do with the audio we have. Hopefully you can forgive us!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk
Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on over 50 London shows until Jan 31, from Mean Girls to Tina the Tina Turner Musical, Stranger Things and more! Check them out at OfficialLondonTheatre.com/seeitlive
Recs:
- Heretic, in cinemas now
- Hugh Grant’s Most Convincing Character ‘Hugh Grant’? New York Times
- No more Mr Nice Guy: how Hugh Grant transformed himself into an edgy national treasure, Observer
- Smartless podcast episode with Hugh Grant
- No Good Deed, Netflix
Our best TV & film of 2024:
- Anora
- Challengers
- Blink Twice
- Poor Things
- La Chimera
- Wicked
- The Substance
- All of Us Strangers
- Speak No Evil
- Inside out 2
- Baby Reindeer
- One Day
- Rivals
- After The Party
- Say Nothing
- Mr and Mrs smith
- Kaos
- Boarders
- The Perfect Couple
- High Potential
Sabrina Carpenter, Keira Knightley’s Black Doves and brain rot
Sabrina Carpenter has been accused of ‘marketing’ herself using problematic Lolita references, so we discuss in light of her new Netflix Christmas special A Nonsense Christmas. Plus, Keira Knightley is back on our screens with the highly entertaining spy thriller Black Doves, but will the media be kinder to her this time? Also, ‘brain rot’ is the word of the year, to which we hard relate, and Amy Adams’s new motherhood horror film, Nightbitch, has left us reeling.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
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Recs:
- Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore, Siân Boyle, Guardian
- Black Doves, Netflix
- Black Doves review – Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw’s gleefully pulpy Christmas gift, Guardian
- In ‘Black Doves,’ Keira Knightley is a mother and an assassin, LA Times
- Keira Knightley: 'Turning 40? It looks rather great', the Times
- A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, Netflix
- Your fave is selling a pedophilic fantasy, Jade Hurley on Substack
- She was a child influencer. Her fans were grown men, New York Times
- Nightbitch, in cinemas now
- Amy Adams and Marielle Heller on toddlers, incontinence and Nightbitch, the Guardian
Lindsay Lohan, Hollywood transformations and hit thriller The Madness
Linsday Lohan’s new Christmas film is being billed as her big comeback, so why is her alleged facelift at the centre of the story? We discuss the uncomfortable discourse around Lindsay’s recent transformation, from the hunt for her Hollywood surgeon, to our obsession with ‘ageless’ celebrities. Obvs we then had to get into The Cut’s latest viral piece on what a 30-something should look like, not to mention the millennial mid-life crisis. Plus some fab book and TV recs, including the drama that Ellie is calling the best of 2024 and Kathleen’s fave new Netflix thriller.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk
Get 20% off our fave adaptogenic coffee using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Recs discussed:
- Our Little Secret, Netflix
- Hot Frosty, Netflix
- Joia, Battersea Power Station
- What Should a 30-Something Look Like? The Cut
- Welcome to the millennial mid-life crisis, The Cut
- How to Murder Your Life, Cat Marnell
- The Madness, Netflix
- After the Party, Channel 4
- Buy Now, The Shopping Conspiracy, Netflix
- Nightbitch, in cinemas from Dec 6
- Joia Battersea
Wicked, Gladiator's flop and AI pets
Everyone is talking about Wicked and so of course we had to share our review with you this week, from just how much we loved the cinematic spectacle, to the best moments from the utterly hilarious press tour. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s crying and hand-holding has us in a chokehold. Surely you’ve been holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity too? Also, Ellie delivers some sad news about Paul Mescal’s Gladiator performance, while Kathleen has much to report on Pandora Sykes’s brilliantly thorough dissection of literary behemoth Colleen Hoover’s work. Plus: freakily life-like AI pets have launched in Japan and are targeted at women in their thirties. We discuss!
Recs/culture discussed
- Gladiator II, in cinemas now
- The Secret Of Us (deluxe version), Gracie Abrams
- Afrikan Alien, Pa Salieu
- The Real Reward Of All These Celebrity Lookalike Contests, Raven Smith for Vogue
- Rita’s, Soho
- White Horse, Shepherd’s Market
- Pandora Sykes’ Books and Bits, Substack
- Scrapper, BFI Player
- My weird, emotional week with an AI pet, Guardian
- My AI Girlfriend, Slow News Cast, Tortoise
- Wicked, in cinemas now
- Theatre Camp, Disney+
- Emilia Perez, Netflix
- Say Nothing, Disney+
- Blitz, Apple TV+
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at https://www.yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk
Get 20% off our fave adaptogenic coffee using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Bad Sisters, Molly-Mae and film of the year Anora
Bad Sisters, the brilliant black comedy by Sharon Horgan, is back for season two, so this week we’re getting stuck into the Garvey girls’ return with our review. First, though, some celeb news, from Romeo Beckham’s new girlfriend Kim Turnbull, to Molly-Mae’s Vogue feature. Plus, a debrief on Anora, the award-winning new film touted as the modern day answer to Pretty Woman (consider us Mikey Madison stans). And finally, a raving review of bonkbuster Rivals now that we’ve both finished the first season. We absolutely get the hype.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, beloved by foodies like us. Find out more at https://www.yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Stream now at player.bfi.org.uk
Get 20% off life-changing adaptogenic coffee brand using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs discussed:
- “People Find Me Quite Controversial”: Molly-Mae for British Vogue by Sirin Kale
- Nightbitch (out 6 December)
- Wolf Like Me, Amazon Prime
- Anora, in cinemas now
- A Night at Cannes With the Strippers of Sean Baker’s Anora, Vulture
- Mikey Madison: from Tarantino bit part to hot tip for an Oscar playing a sex worker, Guardian
- Better Things, BBC iPlayer
- The Oscar contender with a Russia problem, Telegraph
- Bad Sisters, Apple TV
- Rivals, Disney +
- Memo to my family: Stop asking me when I’m going to make you grandparents, Independent
- People Aren’t Sure About Having Kids. She Helps Them Decide, Time
Jamie Oliver’s controversy, The Substance and Margot Robbie’s My Old Ass
What would an 18-year-old you want to ask your 39-year-old future self if you met them during a hallucinogenic mushroom trip? That's the amazing conceit behind new Margot Robbie-produced rom-com My Old Ass. We review the film while chatting all about teen nostalgia and the passing of time. Plus, why on earth didn't Jamie Oliver hire a sensitivity reader for his cancelled new children's book? And Kathleen has only just recovered from watching the ever-divisive Demi Moore body-horror The Substance, which Ellie reviewed here last month, so we discuss!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, beloved by foodies like us. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We’re also over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on BFI Player. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs discussed:
- Barry Keoghan on the Louis Theroux podcast
- The Outrun, in cinemas
- A Different Man, Apple TV
- The Apprentice, in cinemas
- Trump spoke directly to young men online. Young men spoke back, The Face
- All Those A-List Celebs Couldn’t Save Harris, But Joe Rogan Helped Trump, Hollywood Reporter
- So Good, Emily English
- My Old Ass, Amazon Prime
- The Fall of My Teenage Self, Zadie Smith for New Yorker
- The Substance, streaming now
- Living with Yourself, Netflix
- Anora, in cinemas now
When did dating become so depressing?
You asked and we have delivered hunnies: an investigation into why modern dating feels so broken. Is it just a case of dating app fatigue and chronic ghosting or are there bigger societal issues pegged to the widening gender gaps when it comes to education, pay and politics? And how helpful is this very modern idea of self love over romantic love? We address all your requests, from positive dating stories and top tips for the apps and offline dating, as well as cautionary tales and horror stories for a little much-needed camaraderie. Plus, how dating affects friendships for better or worse and pop culture’s empty promises.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre, coffee and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We’re also over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on BFI Player. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs discussed:
- Martha, Netflix
- Kill List, Wondery
- Young women are starting to leave men behind, Financial Times
- ‘Falling birth rate? It's difficult to imagine having kids when dating is this hard’ Chanté Joseph for Women’s Health
- The Age of Abandonment, Girls by Freya India, Substack
- Fear and Loathing on Feeld, Moya Lothian-McLean for The Londoner
Saoirse Ronan, Louis Theroux’s lost touch, Tom Holland and Zendaya
Happy Halloween hunnies! Why does it feel like the once brilliant Louis Theroux has become our embarrassing uncle? His new Spotify podcast season has revealed him to be narcissistic and underprepared, so we assess potential causes. Plus, our thoughts on two viral celeb videos: Saoirse Ronan's mic-drop moment on Graham Norton, and Tom Holland 'saving' Zendaya. We also come armed with two excellent what to watch reccos: zombie drama Generation Z and a biopic about the most provocative rappers today.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre, coffee and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos/culture discussed
- Law Roach, the architect of Zendaya’s red carpet style, The New Yorker
- Generation Z, Channel 4
- Sue Johnston is the greatest zombie to grace our screens in decades (Joel Golby) Guardian
- Kudu Grill
- The Louis Theroux Podcast, Spotify
- The Louis Theroux Podcast review — his worst interview yet, Times
- Grounded with Louis Theroux BBC Sounds
- Kneecap, BFI Player
- “She’s Fascinating Eating Cornflakes”: The Endlessly Alluring Saoirse Ronan On Blitz, Kids And Marital Bliss
- The Outrun, in cinemas now
- Blitz, in cinemas now
- Paul Mescal enters the arena, GQ
- Big Boys, Channel 4
Liam Payne, Angelina Jolie and Woman of the Hour
Liam Payne’s passing has reignited important conversations around the cost of fame and media exploitation, so we’re discussing everything from journalistic ethical standards, to the music industry’s duty of care for popstars. What can we learn from this all-too-familiar tragedy? Also on the show, we review Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, ‘bonkbuster’ Rivals and new comedy The Franchise. Plus: Angelina Jolie’s alleged romance with London’s own Akala, dating octogenarians, and Netflix’s adaptation of the hit podcast Sweet Bobby.
If you've been affected by anything in this episode, Samaritans are here to help, you can call 116 123.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Culture/reccs discussed
- AARP-Breaker, Airmail
- I’m 33 and my husband is 77 – this is why I only sleep with older men, Guardian
- Magnolia Cafe, Lisbon
- Woman of the Hour, Netflix
- Love Life, BBC iPlayer
- Liam Payne: journalistic ethics are often ignored when celebrities die, The Conversation
- Rivals, Disney Plus
- Sweet Bobby, Netflix
- The crunch, the flavours, the rituals: how crisps became a British snack obsession, Guardian
Andrew Garfield, Stormzy’s new relationship and men under curfew
Stormzy has a potential new girlfriend and we are SHAKEN by this breaking news huns (and the pics of them kissing at Heathrow) but trying our best to process — it helps that she is the incredible musician Victoria Monet who we already happened to adore. Plus, why we’ve fallen in love with the ultimate modern man Andrew Garfield ahead of his new film We Live In Time, ft. a hilarious story from filming with Florence Pugh. Also, our thoughts on the deeply uncomfortable Boris Johnson interview with Steven Bartlett, not to mention the recently unearthed Anne Hathaway press junket clips, as well as our verdict on the absolute stinker of a Netflix Rom-com Lonely Planet. And is the new show Curfew about making all men stay at home from 7pm to 7am onto something? We discuss!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to experiences from the theatre to flights. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.
We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Recs/ culture discussed
- Andrew Garfield on the Modern Love podcast, The New York Times
- Learning to Measure Time in Love and Loss, NYTimes
- Andrew Garfield on All There Is with Anderson Cooper
- The Confessions of Andrew Garfield, Esquire
- Oliver Burkeman's last column: the eight secrets to a (fairly) fulfilled life, Guardian
- Kjersti Flaa YouTube (Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway interviews)
- Boris Johnson on Diary of a CEO
- Lonely Planet, Netflix
- Will and Harper, Netflix
- Disclaimer, AppleTV
- Curfew, Paramount Plus
Beyoncé conspiracy theories, Industry and a kinky Kit Harington
Can Hollywood recover from the Diddy scandal? With more than 120 new lawsuits and related conspiracy theories reigning supreme on TikTok, the allegations surrounding the music mogul have gripped the pop culture conversation this past few weeks From the many theories that hone in on Beyoncé, to a reframing of Zoe Kravitz’s Blink Twice, we provide a much needed update on it all. Plus, a debrief on Kamala Harris’ Call Her Daddy controversy, the happy news that The Princess Diaries 3 has been confirmed, and lots of TV and film recommendations, from our current cinema and Netflix picks, to a review of the new season of HBO/BBC sleeper hit Industry. Kit Harington’s brilliant new character has a love of, ahem, watersports, so the chat takes an unusually kinky turn. Enjoy!
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
And we’re partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. Subscribe here to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.
We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Reccs/culture discussed
- Call Her Daddy, Kamala Harris
- Speak No Evil
- Force Majeure
- Heartstopper s3
- Prima Facie, NT Live
- Blink Twice
- The cheap tricks of MeToo thrillers, Vulture
- Industry s3
- Cheapskatelondon newsletter
Sally Rooney, Naomi Campbell and Nobody Wants This
Are we the only ones not head over heels for Nobody Wants This? Critics are unanimously (and unusually) full of five-star praise for the Netflix Rom-com which has left us a little puzzled — we discuss! In other news, Naomi Campbell has fallen foul of the Charity Commission for allegedly spending money from her charity on lavish hotel rooms and cigarettes, so we put this in the context of her many controversies and ask whether the ‘diva’ label has insulated her from serious scrutiny. Finally, of course we’re debriefing on Sally Rooney, having read her latest bestseller Intermezzo over the weekend. We get into her couple dynamics, how she writes men vs women, marketing hype and why some readers have called out a thematic ‘glorification of thinness’.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.
We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to https://player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!
And we’re partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. Subscribe here to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Reccs/ culture discussed
- Nine Lives, Bermondsey Street London
- The Barbary, Notting Hill
- Nobody Wants This, Netflix
- The Impeccable Smoothness of Nobody Wants This, Vulture
- Netflix’s Nobody Wants This and the Persistent Jewish Stereotype, Glamour
- Nobody Wants This Mean-Spirited Depiction of Jewish Women in Nobody Wants This, Time
- Drama GCSE, Mathilde Barker, TikTok
- Baby Reindeer was wrongly billed by Netflix as a ‘true story’, judge finds, Guardian
- Tyra Banks recalls ‘evil and awful’ conflict with Naomi Campbell in early career, Independent
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
- 'The Interview': Sally Rooney, The Daily Podcast
- Glimpses of Utopia: Sally Rooney's Couples by Joanna Biggs, London Review of Books
- Sally Rooney in her own words: ‘I’m fighting a cultural battle’, The Times
- Why Are All the Characters in Sally Rooney’s Novels So Thin?, Vogue
- Are you cool enough to have the next Sally Rooney book? Esquire
Diddy, Justin Bieber and Demi Moore’s anti-aging horror
The Substance starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley has fast become the most talked-about horror of the year, with audiences divided on whether it’s a feminist masterpiece, or a ‘vile and disgusting’ exemplar of the male gaze. We get into how the film taps into our own fears around ageing and how Demi’s role was influenced by career-long toxic media scrutiny. Also this week, we deep-dive into the horrific allegations and rumours that have come to light since Diddy’s arrest, from his ‘freak offs’ and disturbing relationship with a young Justin Bieber, to the music mogul’s careful curation of a ‘legit’ celebrity persona. Is all of Hollywood as dark and sinister a place as it seems? As part of our conversation about male sexual assault, we also discuss the No1 show on Netflix right now, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to world-wide travel insurance and no FX fees for your hols. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.
We're also thrilled to be partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. Subscribe here to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Reccs/ Culture discussed
The Substance (in cinemas)
I’m a 50-something woman and nothing about Demi Moore’s anti-ageing body horror rings true, Telegraph
‘We can be violent to ourselves. Brutal’: Demi Moore on body image, reinvention and her most shocking role yet, Guardian
Real Ageing is scarier than what’s going on in The Substance, The Cut
Helter Skelter by Ninagawa Mika (2012)
Once More From The Top by Emily Layden
Blink Twice (2024), Apple TV
I Survived Diddy’s White Party, YouTube
Yummy, Justin Bieber (YouTube)
The staggering fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – from music mogul to criminal charges, Guardian
The Powerful Celebs Who Acted as Diddy’s Human Shield, Daily Beast
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Netflix
The Wild, True Tale Behind Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Vanity Fair
Behind every Al-Fayed and Diddy there is a small army of enablers, Guardian
Jacqueline Wilson, the celeb assistant reckoning and Vogue’s new doc
Jacqueline Wilson's GIRLS books were a defining part of our childhoods, so how does the author's 20-years-on sequel (for adults!) match up? We discuss whether the books were a good influence and how her real life inspired her writing. Also this week, we dissect all the juiciest bits from Anna Wintour's Vogue doc, and question how 'guilty' Matthew Perry's long-time assistant was in his death. Plus, a round-up of our fave TV shows, and whether star ratings matter.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to experiences from the theatre to flights. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup
Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.
We're also thrilled to be partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. Subscribe here to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
There are still virtual tickets to our event next Thurs (26th) with the Trouble Club! Use our code STRAIGHTUP50 for 50% off!
Reccs/ culture discussed:
- Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson (the ‘Girls’ series follow up)
- Jacqueline Wilson: the children’s author who’s now writing graphic sex for adults, The Times
- Jacqueline Wilson’s girls seem depressingly unable to grow up, The Telegraph
- In Vogue: The 90s, Disney+
- In Vogue: The 90s review – Anna Wintour and pals offer up hour after hour of fabulous nothingness, Guardian
- In Vogue: The 90s review — proof of Anna Wintour’s pulling power, The Times
- Anna Wintour: The Biography, by Amy Odell
- Confessions of former Vogue assistants, Amy Odell’s Back Row (Substack)
- Did Matthew Perry’s Assistant Have a Choice? Hollywood Veterans Aren’t So Sure, Vanity Fair
- Why being a celebrity assistant is truly the worst job in Hollywood, Telegraph
- The Assistant, BFI Player
- Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Disney +
- How To Die Alone, Disney +
- We Might Regret This, BBC
- Nightsleeper, BBC
- Colin from Accounts, BBC
- Slow Horses, Apple TV
- English Teacher, Disney+
- Cooking for People, Mike Davies
- Cook As You Are, Ruby Tandoh
The Perfect Couple, Taylor and Travis and womens’ wildest fantasies
Nicole Kidman’s badly-behaved-billionaires thriller The Perfect Couple is no1 on Netflix but we are divided! Kathleen loved it, Ellie didn’t, so we hash it out…(no spoilers!) and look forward to Kidman’s VERY racy film Babygirl. On that note, is The Times right to say that women’s ’dirty talk’ has become big business in pop culture? Gillian Anderson might agree: the star has just published an anonymous collection of sexual fantasies from women around the country, and Ellie reads out her, um, favourites. Plus: we dissect whether that viral Travis/Taylor ‘breakup contract’ can possibly be real, and Kathleen recommends a heartbreaking but empowering new podcast about fertility from our fellow pod hunnies at Shameless.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card that allows you to collect points for every pound you spend and then redeem at amazing local restaurants and bars, as well as against experiences like theatre tickets (such as Shifters!), online shopping and more. Plus, worldwide travel insurance and no fees abroad.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Reccs/ culture discussed:
- Kaos, Netflix
- Jeff Goldblum is a tracksuit-wearing Zeus in Netflix’s Greek myth series, Financial Times
- Shifters, Duke of York theatre
- Little Violet Door, Soho
- The Bear S3, Disney +
- How Kylie Jenner Won At Fashion, Family And Dating On The DL, British Vogue
- The Perfect Couple, Netflix
- She just unravels so beautifully’: how Nicole Kidman conquered the world – then kept on going, The Observer
- A Family Affair, Netflix
- Babygirl (out Jan 10)
- Substance (out Sept 20)
- WANT by Gillian Anderson
- Kinky sex — what a turn-off! Gillian Anderson’s sexual fantasy book, review in The Times
- Cat Brushing, Jane Campbell
- How women talking dirty became big business, The Times
- Submit, anon
- All Fours, Miranda July
- Cleavage, Cleo Watson
- Erotic audio platforms Quinn and Dipsea
- Living With Yourself, Netflix
- Glass podcast, Shameless Media
Dolly Alderton, the year of the break up and Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice
We didn’t think celeb breakups could get bigger than Maya and Stormzy, or Bennifer, but now Molly Mae and Tommy Fury have just proven that this very much is the year of the celeb breakup (and it’s killing us!!). We try to understand why we’re all taking it so personally, and assess the very icky rumours surrounding Tommy’s recent trip to Macedonia as well as the friction between Molly’s boss bitch success and the Fury’s traditional values. We’re also devo to report that our faves Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter may have joined the heartbreak train. Plus, Ellie gives us the verdict on Zoe Kravitz’s buzzy directorial debut Blink Twice, a sinister horror film seemingly inspired by Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘paedo island’. And of course we had to debrief on Dolly Aderton’s interview with the Sunday Times (anyone else have a Dolly Google Alert..?).
Enjoy hunnys! And we're on a one-week break next week but back straight after - dive into our archive while you wait!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner Whitebox Cocktails, who make the tastiest canned cocktails we have ever tried, from Maragritas and Negronis, frozen Martinis to Old Fashioneds. GET 20% OFF with our code SU20 at https://whiteboxcocktails.com/
Reccs
- Short N’Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
- Chicken Shop Date with Sabrina Carpenter, YouTube
- At Home with the Furys, Netflix
- Dolly Alderton on fashion: There’s more fun to be had in heels, The Times (and have a listen to our big Dolly Alderton deepdive from Nov 2023!)
- Blink Twice (in cinemas)
- Blink Twice is guilty of a vile horror trope, Slate
- Promising Young Woman, Amazon Prime Video
- The Lost City, Netflix
- Inside Out 2, Disney +
- Big Boys, Channel 4
- The Conversation We Should Be Having Around It Ends With Us, The Cut
We are so excited to have finally announced our live event with The Trouble Club on 26th September at The Dally in Islington. Get your ticket for £15 with the code STRAIGHTUP50 here, or a virtual ticket for £7: https://www.thetroubleclub.com/events/straight-up-live-podcast-recording
Bumper book special: from 2024’s hottest titles to all-time fave reads
We’re talking books this week, hunnies, as what better time of year than to get stuck into some summer reads than holiday szn? From the hottest books of 2024 (think: Butter, Blue Sisters and Brotherless Night) to the all-time faves we're still thinking about years on, these are the titles we suggest adding to your bucket-list immediately. Thank you so much for your reccs so far, we've added the ones we didn't get a chance to talk about today below and will keep on ploughing through, please do send more!
We are so excited to have finally announced our live event with The Trouble Club on 26th September at The Dally in Islington. Get your ticket for £15 with the code STRAIGHTUP50 here: https://www.thetroubleclub.com/events/straight-up-live-podcast-recording
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Whitebox Cocktails, who make the tastiest canned cocktails we have ever tried, from Maragritas and Negronis, frozen Martinis to Old Fashioneds. GET 20% OFF with our code SU20 at https://whiteboxcocktails.com/
Incite Nutrition, a UK based supplement company making our favourite Vitamin D spray and biotin (plus marine collagen and lots more). Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. GET 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
Books / culture discussed:
- Butter by Asako Yuzuki
- Slutty Chef column, Vogue
- Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
- Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler
- Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
- A Little Dust on the Eyes by Minoli Salgado
- Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
- The Island of the Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
- 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
- Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
- Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
- Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagnee
- Kill Your Friends by John Niven
- The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
- Reach For the Stars by Michael Cragg
- Educated by Tara Westover
- How Lucky Blue and Nara Aziza Smith Made Viral Internet Fame From Scratch, GQ
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
- What Tweens Get from Sephora and What They Get from Us, Jia Tolentino for the New Yorker
- No one is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
- The Unwilding by Marina Kemp
- You Are Here by David Nicholls
- Us by David Nicholls
- The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
- Sandwich by Catherine Newman
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
- Margot’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
- Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagen
- Doppelganger by Naomi Klein
- Experience by Kate Young
- Mrs S by K Patrick
Blake Lively’s ‘It Ends With Us’ drama, orgasm portals and Euphoria news
Everyone’s talking about ‘It Ends With Us’ atm, huns, as some very bizarre things seem to be going down on the film’s press tour, with rumours of a feud between stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. We get into it all, from the Colleen Hoover book it’s based on, to the allegations of bad behaviour from both Blake and Justin. And what’s with the way it’s being promoted? Also this week, we recommend a fab new show about a woman who travels to parallel universes when she orgasms, Slip. We review ‘Babes’, a pregnancy comedy that was touted as the ‘new Bridesmaids’ (wtf?). And debrief on Hunter Schafer’s Call Her Daddy Interview. Given her Euphoria update, we dissect the recent Hollywood Reporter investigation into what’s really happening with the show and its controversial creator Sam Levinson.
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DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Whitebox Cocktails, who make the tastiest canned cocktails we have ever tried, from Maragritas and Negronis, frozen Martinis to Old Fashioneds. GET 20% OFF with our code SU20 at https://whiteboxcocktails.com/
Incite Nutrition, a UK based supplement company making our favourite Vitamin D spray and biotin (plus marine collagen and lots more). Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. GET 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
Reccos/culture discussed:
Babes (2024)
Passages (2023)
Slip, ITVX
The Instigators, Apple TV
It Ends with Us (in cinemas now)
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (book)
Hunter Schafer on Call Her Daddy
How Hunter Schafer Became ‘A Badass Thriller Bad Bitch’, Rolling Stone
What’s Ailing ‘Euphoria’? Tragedy and Trauma Inside TV’s Buzziest Show, Hollywood Reporter
Stealing Girlhood: The Legacy of Women's Work Being Stolen, Final Girl Studios YouTube
Inside The Cult of the Far Right, The Newsagents
What Do The Riots Say About Britain? Ash Sarkar, Aaron Bastani and Rivkah Brown Discuss, Novara Media YouTube
Death of England: The Plays, Soho Place theatre
Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and the new Bridgerton
Charli XCX and Billie Eilish’s new collab might just be the hottest song of the summer – and we are here for it! We get into all the discourse surrounding the pop culture-dominating duo: from BRAT and Charli’s birthday party to Billie’s insane charisma and those absurd queer-baiting allegations. Next, we debrief on the Suki Waterhouse Vogue cover and Ryan Reynolds on Chicken Shop Date, before running through some of the best new TV series we’ve seen. My Lady Jane, a hilarious revisionist comedy recommended by lots of you lovely listeners, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, about the con-man behind the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync, and, of course, a quick debrief on the House of the Dragon finale. Also this week: we return to one of the most inescapable topics of 2024, age gap relationships, as Leonardo DiCaprio appears to have broken his ‘25 and under only’ rule with Vittoria Ceretti, and a 21-year-old British influencer comes under fire for having a 16-year-old boyfriend.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Whitebox Cocktails, who make the tastiest canned cocktails we have ever tried. We keep drinking our fave classic Margarita on air, but they stock everything from frozen Martinis to Old Fashioneds. GET 20% OFF with our code SU20 at https://whiteboxcocktails.com/
Incite Nutrition, a UK based supplement company making our favourite Vitamin D spray and biotin (plus marine collagen and lots more). Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. GET 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
Culture discussed:
- May December (see our age gaps ep from Nov ‘23 for more)
- Glen Powell’s meteoric rise proves audiences don’t actually care about age gaps, Independent
- Guess (remix) featuring Billie Eilish by Charli xcx
- Twisters (2024)
- Amelia Dimoldenberg What’s in My Bag, Vogue
- Miranda Kerr, What’s in my Bag, Vogue
- Phoning It In, Billie Eilish, Elle
- Suki Waterhouse On Her Wild Ride From London It-Girl To LA Mum, British Vogue
- Chicken Shop Date with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, YouTube
- He’s So Annoying: For years, being “sexy” didn’t work for Ryan Reynolds, Vulture
- Longlegs (2024)
- It Follows (2014)
- Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, Netflix
- My Lady Jane, Amazon Prime Video
- House of the Dragon, HBO
- How House of the Dragon’s Ewan Mitchell became TV’s most chilling villain, the Times
Simone Biles, Ballerina Farm and Josh O’Connor’s best film yet
How much should a journalist impose their own judgement in an interview? That’s the row raging on social media this week, after the Times published a profile of mega-influencer Hannah Neeleman, better known by her handle and business name ‘Ballerina Farm’. Writer Megan Agnew spent a day at Ballerina Farm in Utah with ‘queen of the tradwives’ Hannah, her eight kids, and husband Daniel, exploring the complexities of her ‘homemaker’ life as a Mormon mother. Is this important journalism exposing the underbelly of the ‘tradwife’ movement and a blatant case of coercive control? Or is it, as some have argued, a ‘hit piece’ with a ‘toxic’ faux-feminist agenda? We examine the many contradictions at the heart of this conversation, along with the rise of the Mormon influencer and the pro-natalist movement (ew, Elon Musk). Also, our verdict on the new Netflix Simone Biles documentary in time for the Olympics, Josh O’Connor’s incredible film La Chinera, which has just landed on streaming, and Apple TV’s Lady in the Lake starring Natalie Portman.
Ps: Please leave us some recommendations for uplifting books for August! We need happy content!!
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Whitebox Cocktails, who make the tastiest canned cocktails we have ever tried. We were drinking our fave classic Margarita on air but they stock everything from frozen Martinis to Old Fashioneds. GET 20% OFF with our code SU20 at https://whiteboxcocktails.com/
Incite Nutrition, which is a UK based supplement company that makes the best and tiniest biotin which has given Ellie the healthiest nails of her life. Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. GET 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
Reccs discussed:
- Simone Biles Rising, Netflix
- Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ (and her eight children), the Times
- My day with the trad wife queen and what it taught me, the Times
- Trad Wives: The influencers selling 1950s house-wife life, The Story podcast for the Times
- Meet the influencers repackaging the Mormon dream, Hunger
- La Chimera, Amazon Prime
- Lady in the Lake, Apple TV
- Land of Women, Apple TV
Bella Hadid, branding disasters and Maya Jama's breakup
Maya Jama and Stormzy’s sad but beautiful breakup statement had to be the first port of call today, huns, as obviously we have been trying desperately to reconcile ourselves with their shock separation. Why are we still surprised that social media doesn’t paint a full picture of relationships? Next, we review The Jetty, Jenna Coleman’s new BBC police thriller, before recommending two recent Netflix shows we have absolutely loved, albeit in very different ways. First, the incredible superhero drama Supacell by Rapman, which has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. And second, the compelling but creepy four-part documentary The Man With 1000 Kids, about the world’s most prolific sperm donor. Also this week: Adidas has apologised to Bella Hadid after putting her in an unbelievably negligent campaign for its new ‘it-shoe’. How can an ad this ill-advised and damaging possibly have slipped through the net? We examine why on earth this keeps happening, reflecting on other recent horrifying brand missteps from Bumble to Balenciaga.
Reccs discussed:
- The Dakota hotel Manchester
- Erst Manchester
- Bar Levan and Levan Peckham
- The Jetty, BBC One
- Wilderness, Amazon Prime Video
- Supacell, Netflix
- Delaney Rowe on TikTok
- Attack The Block, Netflix
- Shiro’s Story, YouTube/LinkUpTV
- Blue Story, BBC iPlayer
- The Man With 1000 kids, Netflix
- The Lady in the Lake, Apple TV
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Incite Nutrition, which is a UK based supplement company that makes the best and tiniest biotin which has given Ellie the healthiest nails of her life. Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. Get 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Katy Perry’s ‘comeback’, Zara McDermott and PR relationships exposed
What was Katy Perry thinking making a female empowerment anthem with one of music’s most problematic men, Dr Luke? We discuss the absolute flop that is the pop star’s comeback song Woman’s World. Much more inspiring is Zara McDermott’s courageous statement following the shocking abuse she endured on last year’s Strictly from her dance partner Graziano di Prima. Why does the performing arts world normalise extreme behaviour? Also this week: a snappy but hilarious tangent on the rumours that profesh celebrity BFF Derek Blasberg had an accident in Gwyneth Paltrow’s bed. Apparently, their friendship may never recover. And finally, we investigate the ‘cheating’ slash ‘PR relationship’ drama between rapper Central Cee, TIkToker Madeline Argy and rapper Ice Spice: is it the best marketing ploy the music industry has seen in years?
Reccos discussed:
- Katy Perry, Woman’s World review, Guardian
- Katy Perry, Woman’s World review, Pitchfork
- Scat’s Out the Bag, Popbitch
- TAR
- Whiplash
- Black Swan
- Did it First by Central Cee and Ice Spice
- Madeleine Argy on Call Her Daddy podcast
- 14 Celebs Who Admitted To Fake Relationships And Other Publicity Stunts For Attention, Buzzfeed
- The Jetty, BBC One
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
Incite Nutrition, which is a UK based supplement company that makes the best and tiniest biotin which has given Ellie the healthiest nails of her life. Incredibly reasonably priced and amazing quality. Get 15% OFF via Amazon with the code STRAIGHTUP at https://amzn.to/4eY4odu
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
The dark side of celebrity: from Armie Hammer to Jay Shetty
Why have we normalised celebrities abusing their power? This week we are joined by fellow journo and fab friend Olivia Petter to talk about celebrity narcissism, manipulation, power trips and industry open secrets. It's right on theme with her excellent debut novel Gold Rush, which explores the dark consequences of when Rose, a 20-something single woman working in the press office for a magazine publisher in London, spends the night with the most famous man on the planet. It's a gripping exploration of power, consent and celebrity, add it to your summer reading list right now!
Ps: we are taking a one week break next week as Kathleen is getting married! Normal service resumes 18 July :)
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos:
- One Taste, Bloomberg
- One Taste, Netflix
- American Nightmare, Netflix
- Baby Reindeer, Netflix
- Painful Lessons podcast (Armie Hammer)
- Spacey Unmasked, Channel 4
- Jeanne du Barry (Depp film)
- Who Trolled Amber? Podcast, Tortoise Media
- Unbelievable, Netflix
- Freedom, and Corrections, both by Jonathan Franzen
- Joe Alwyn profile The Sunday Times
House of the Dragon, A Family Affair and the year of the cougar
House of the Dragon is the biggest show on TV right now huns, but how does it compare to Game of Thrones? Kathleen is a huge fan of both so gives us her verdict. And hot on the heels of The Idea of You, we now have Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron playing out a hefty on-screen age gap in a new Netflix rom-com A Family Affair. Are critics right to say Hollywood has entered its cougar era, and what’s driving it if so? Plus, Ellie debriefs on whether Disney’s new Karl Lagerfeld drama goes too easy on the highly problematic late designer. Finally, we pick apart Tom Bower’s new book attacking brand Beckham: assessing his motivations for writing such a snide book, and whether these ‘explosive’ revelations offer anything new.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos discussed:
- IF (2024 film)
- House of the Dragon, HBO Max
- The Last of Us, HBO Max
- A Family Affair, Netflix
- The Cougar Bites Back, Financial Times
- The Mother (2003), Amazon Prime Video
- Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, Disney Plus
- America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Netflix
- Business Barbie: Margot Robbie on how she built an empire, The Times
- House of Beckham, Tom Bower
Taylor Swift’s killer strategy, Miley Cyrus and Kevin Spacey’s tears
Taylor Swift’s tour has hit the UK and so of course we’re kicking things off with a debate on the queen of pop herself, most notably the recent suggestions that she is employing a calculated release strategy that keeps other artists like Billie Eilish and Charli XCX off the top spot. Is her Ed Sheeran-style obsession with having the best numbers admirable, or annoying? Next, we drill into Miley Cyrus’ interview with David Letterman last week, covering everything from her only celeb friendship (with Beyoncé no less) and her mum Tish Cyrus’ potent weed, to how she’s navigated fame since the age of 13. Plus, Kristen Stewart’s incredible new film Love Lies Bleeding, with a look back at her 2012 ‘affair’ scandal and public apology to Robert Pattinson, as well as her hilarious recent interviews and quite frankly iconic quotes. Finally, a recap of Kevin Spacey’s car crash interview with Piers Morgan, where the actor, despite having been found not guilty of sexual assault, seemed to incriminate himself, turning his previous supporters against him.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod. And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos discussed:
- Miley Cyrus on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
- Miley Cyrus Finally Gets Her “Flowers”, W Magazine
- Love Lies Bleeding (film)
- Kristen Stewart, Rolling Stone (May)
- Personal Shopper (film)
- Kevin Spacey on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored
Sabrina Carpenter, Hit Man and the Queenie adaptation
Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter’s relationship is top of our hit-list today hunnies, since the singer released a music video all about an embarrassing boyfriend with a cameo from none other than… her 'embarrassing' boyfriend, Barry. Is he a secret scumbag, or is this all a PR ploy? Next, we revisit Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s podcast, Miss Me?, specifically the episode on sabotage and the Billie Eilish interview, followed by a review of the eagerly-anticipated TV adaptation of Candice Carty Williams’ book Queenie, which has divided critics and audiences. Plus, an ode to Clarkson’s Farm, which has returned to Amazon for a third season. How does a man with an unsavoury reputation as Jeremy Clarkson manage to make such charming, hilarious TV? And finally, a fascinating interview with the founders of London Nootropics, longtime partner of the pod and makers of the best adaptogenic coffee on the market. With Shez and Zain, we cover everything from medicinal mushrooms and coffee to biohacking trends like barefoot shoes and life-extending supplements.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos discussed:
- Sabrina Carpenter, Please Please Please
- Dua Lipa Has No Lore, LA Times
- Miss Me? Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s podcast
- Hit Man, Netflix
- Hit Man by Skip Hollingsworth, Texas Monthly
- Kiss The Ground, Netflix
- Queenie, Channel 4
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (novel)
- Rye Lane, Disney +
- Queenie review – so half-baked it could have been made by AI, Guardian
- Queenie Reminds Us That Black Women Have A “Right To Exist Messily”, Refinery 29
- Clarkson’s Farm, Amazon Prime Video (season 3)
- Vivobarefoot shoes
Ozempic, ‘nepo baby’ North West and Netflix’s Eric
Ethical non-monogamy, platonic friendships and TikTok dating coaches: we get into all manner of divisive topics this week, huns, before a big old debate on North West, who has recently reignited the nepo-baby conversation with her controversial performance as Simba in the Lion King. Should adults be critiquing a child on the internet? And how does Kim and Kanye’s parenting approach figure? Speaking of, the Kardashians have returned to Disney for a new season and the elephant in the room is Ozempic. From Kylie and Kims’ shrinking frames, to scenes blatantly showing Wegovy in Scott Dissick’s fridge – are they now knowingly positioning themselves as the poster family for weight loss drugs? And how do we as a society navigate the glamorisation of Ozempic; can the benefits really outweigh the side effects? Next is a look at Will Smith’s upcoming comeback, why Brad Pitt’s daughter is dropping his surname and, finally, a review of the new Netflix series everyone’s talking about, Eric, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Vincent, a puppeteer in 1980s New York whose nine-year-old son goes missing. Is Eric the most divisive show of 2024?
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos discussed:
- Sentimental Garbage, Caroline O’Donoghue
- Aubrey Marcus on the dark side of open relationships, Diary of a CEO
- Where Have All My Guy Friends Gone? The Cut
- Gone Girl (the ‘cool girl’ monologue)
- The Case for Marrying an Older Man by Grazie Sophia Christie, The Cut
- The Cult of the Provider Man, The Cut
- The Kardashians Season Five on Disney +
- Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari
- Our review of Jada Pinkett’s memoir (19 Oct 2023 episode)
- Eric, Netflix
- Eric review – Benedict Cumberbatch will win awards for this wildly ambitious drama, The Guardian
- Eric review: Benedict Cumberbatch excels as a weirdo in dark, misanthropic missing-child drama, The Independent
- Eric Shows Everything That’s Wrong With Mid TV, The Atlantic
- Dark Days (2000 documentary film)
- Machinal at The Old Vic
The Bennifer drama, AI gone wrong and Ryan Gosling’s rom-com
Jennifer Lopez’s latest film has arrived on Netflix and, phew, do we have thoughts! From its botched messaging around AI, to J.Lo’s absurd (if admirable) commitment to her role as a serious scientist, we review Atlas in all its ridiculousness before debriefing on the latest Bennifer drama. Are the reports suggesting that Jen and Ben are separating after less than a year of marriage really true? And can Ben Affleck possibly be claiming temporary insanity as grounds for divorce? Also this week, we recommend The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, a charming rom-com meets action thriller about a stuntman that promises good vibes and classic Gosling unlikely leading man energy. And finally, an update on Sarah Jessica Parker, whose recent podcast appearances show an intriguingly different side to the ‘cruel’ one we’ve read about amid all the SATC drama.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Things discussed:
- MOTH Drinks and Vinca Wine
- The Mother, Netflix
- Atlas, Netflix
- The Fall Guy
- Babylon starring Margot Robbie
- A Quiet Place
- Glad We Had this Chat, with Caroline Hirons
- Ruthie’s Table with Sarah Jessica Parker
- This Is Not A Pity Memoir, Abi Morgan
- Eric (Netflix)
Sophie Turner, ‘sluts’ and the sexiest film of 2024
Sophie Turner has given a tell-all interview to Vogue all about her explosive divorce from Joe Jonas, her experience of mum-shaming, her mental health, and becoming friends with Taylor Swift. We have MANY thoughts (and a few hot takes), which prompted a look at how so much mum-shaming online in the UK is linked to classism and slut-shaming. Plus, Ellie has seen Challengers and reveals whether it's up to the hype.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner:
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs discussed
- Sophie Turner Talks Mum-Shaming, Misogyny And Why The Best Is Yet To Come, British Vogue
- Joan (coming to ITV in Autumn)
- "My abortion story went viral - because even though I wanted it, the process was still painful", Cosmopolitan
- Nelly London’s reel
- ‘I joined the childfree movement - and discovered its dark side’, Beth Ashley for Inews
- Sluts: The truth about slutshaming and what we can do to fight it, Beth Ashley
- Nicholas Galitzine interview, GQ
- Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, Netflix
- All anyone wants is a hot rodent boyfriend, Dazed
- Eudelo inaugural facial, Eudelo Sloane Avenue London
- Mr Bao and Daddy Bao, Peckham and Tooting
Piers Morgan’s Baby Reindeer interview, Kate Moss and celebrating singledom
Fiona Harvey, the woman unearthed as 'the real-life Martha' by internet sleuths following the wild success of Baby Reindeer, gave a highly controversial interview to Piers Morgan on his YouTube channel last week, so of course we had to debrief. Was she lying? Was Piers wrong to interview her? What are the ethics of all this? Plus, since we love an age gap, we discuss Kate Moss holding hands with a 27-year-old Skip Marley, while Ellie has read a brilliant memoir on living a single life and has many wise nuggets to share with us all.
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Thanks so much to our amazing partner:
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs this week:
- This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan
- The Split, BBC
- Dark Matter, Apple TV
- Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key
- Sex and the City Season 6, Episode 9: A Woman's Right to Shoes
- Dear Dolly: ‘My boyfriend of 12 years doesn’t want to get married’, The Times
- One Pot, One Portion by @good_food_mood__ on TikTok
- Piers Morgan Uncensored interview with Fiona Harvey
- New Moth cocktails – Paloma and Cosmopolitan, www.mothdrinks.com
The Idea Of You, Dua Lipa and Pandora Sykes’ podcast
Dua Lipa’s third album came out last week, huns, and we had such high hopes. So why has Radical Optimism fallen a little flat for us? This got us discussing the general ‘mood’ around the superstar: is she reaching her potential? And how authentic is her media empire, Service95, At Your Service podcast and her new production company Radical22? Plus, we’ve both watched the much-hyped new Anne Hathaway rom-com, The Idea of You, which explores the relationship between a 40-year-old divorcee and the 24-year-old frontman of a superstar boyband (Nicholas Galitzine), based on the hit 2017 novel of the same name. And finally, Kathers gives us the lowdown on the new season of Pandora Sykes’s new podcast, How Do We Know If We’re Doing it Right.
Thanks so much to our amazing partners:
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
AMBL, the London reservations app that finds you incredible restaurants and bars in real time, tailored to you, from vibe to cuisine to cocktails and live music! Search Ambl in the App store; ambl.co
Recs discussed
- Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism (album)
- Dua Lipa, Service95 (newsletter)
- Dua Lipa, At Your Service (podcast)
- Dua Lipa Manifested All of This, Time magazine
- Dua Lipa on pop, psychedelics and proving her haters wrong, The Guardian
- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (book)
- The Idea of You, Amazon Prime
- Anne Hathaway Is Too Hot for 'The Idea of You', The Cut
- The Mother (2003), Amazon Prime
- Anne Hathaway on Tuning Out the Haters and Embracing Her True Self, Vanity Fair
- How Do We Know If We’re Doing it Right podcast, Pandora Sykes
- Decolonising My Body, Afua Hirsch
- Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, Afua Hirsch
- Omnilux contour face mask
Billie Eilish’s erotic advice, Zendaya and Bridget Jones 4
Bridge will soon be back on our screens with a new love interest we are VERY excited to see: young Leo Woodall. Do we like this 28 year age gap for our fave clumsy hun? We discuss! Plus, why everyone is talking about the steamy new psychosexual film Challengers, and why its star Zendaya is becoming one of the most powerful people in Hollywood. Also: our thoughts on Billie Eilish’s highly candid Rolling Stone interview, why J Lo’s is having some personal PR problems, and a debrief on Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper’s wedding.
Thanks so much to our incredible partners:
Innermost Nutrition, our favourite new plant protein that's actually really good for you, full of immune-boosting ingredients, a whopping 31g of plant protein and no nasty additives. It's stocked in Ocado, John Lewis, and Soho House, or visit LiveInnermost.com
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
AMBL, the London reservations app that finds you incredible restaurants and bars in real time, tailored to you, from vibe to cuisine to cocktails and live music! Search Ambl in the App store; ambl.co
Reccs discussed
Bridget Jones Diary 4: Spoilers, cast, trailer and plot, elle.com
Zendaya talks Challengers, talks to Serena Williams and considers her future, Vogue
Jimmy Carr: "There's A Crisis Going On With Men!", Diary of a CEO
Challengers, in cinemas now
Dune: Part Two, Netflix
'Challengers' Star Josh O'Connor Is Filthy in Every Movie, Vulture
3 Body Problem, Netflix The Last of Us, HBO
Blue Lights, BBC
Billie Eilish Would Like to Reintroduce Herself, Rolling Stone
Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut, Netflix
Meet Emily English, the nutritionist everyone’s talking about, The Times
The Truth About Nutrition With Em The Nutritionist, Working Hard, Hardly Working podcast
Yuka app
The Call Her Daddy breakup, Shameless podcast
Inside Alex Cooper And Matt Kaplan’s Intimate Beachside Wedding In Riviera Maya, Vogue
Baby Reindeer, Nicola Peltz Beckham’s mortifying movie and The Tortured Poets Department
Baby Reindeer is of course our main talking point this week, huns, as we debate the deeply ironic investigation undertaken by internet sleuths trying to uncover Martha and Darrien’s real identities. Sure, to uncover the ‘truth’ behind the chilling story of stalking is tempting, but is it fair to speculate when Richard Gadd has asked us not to? Ellie has also watched Nicola Peltz Beckham’s toe-curlingly vain attempt at filmmaking, Lola, and we mull over whether it could ever be OK for a billionaire’s daughter to write a screenplay from the perspective of a working class stripper. And of course we had to give our verdict on Taylor Swift’s new record, including an inside look at the power moves of her longtime publicist Tree Paine.
Please do send us a DM @straightuppod or email hello@straightuppod.co.uk. We absolutely LOVE hearing from you and so appreciate it. LYSM!
Thanks so much to our amazing podcast partners:
Innermost Nutrition, our favourite new plant protein that's actually really good for you, full of immune-boosting ingredients, a whopping 31g of plant protein and no nasty additives. It's stocked in Ocado, John Lewis, and Soho House, or visit LiveInnermost.com
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccos discussed this week:
- Baby Reindeer, Netflix
- ‘I was severely stalked and severely abused’: Richard Gadd on the true story behind Baby Reindeer, the Guardian
- Baby Reindeer review – Richard Gadd's solo theatre debut is a haunting hour, the Guardian
- Richard Gadd: how I turned my stalking nightmare into a Netflix drama, The Times
- Nicola Peltz Beckham, a billionaire’s daughter, made a movie about abject poverty. It’s as bad as you think, the Guardian
- Memmo Alfama terrace bar, Lisbon
- Magnolia restaurant, Lisbon
- Mama Shelter rooftop, Lisbon
- Praia da Adraga beach (one hour from Lisbon)
- Nat's nourishments harissa potatoes
- There Are Plenty of Power Publicists. But Only One Works for Taylor Swift, Wall Street Journal
Amy Winehouse, celeb booking and Prince Andrew’s teddies in Scoop
The new Amy Winehouse biopic is finally out, but Back to Black has bitterly divided critics and fans. Some are disgusted by the ‘sanitisation’ of key figures such as her dad Mitch Winehouse and former husband Blake Fielder-Civil, while others are delighted to see a film that doesn’t revel in the sordid details of her drug addiction. We get into the thorny debate around the Sam Taylor-Johnson directed ‘love story’, starring Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell, as well as the wild recent reporting on how Mitch is currently suing two of Amy’s best friends for auctioning off items she gave them. First, though, we give our verdicts on Netflix’s Scoop, the thrilling dramatisation of Prince Andrew’s car-crash Newsnight interview from 2019, told from the perspective of BBC celebrity booker Sam McAllister, played by an excellent Billie Piper. How accurate is the show when spotlighting the inner workings of celebrity booking?
DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!
Reccos discussed:
- Scoop, Netflix
- Prince Andrew would 'scream and shout' if his 72 teddies were not put back properly, Express
- Wendy Ide on Scoop for The Guardian
- Clarisse Loughgrey on Scoop for The Independent
- Peter Bradshaw on Scoop for The Observer
- Off the Fence newsletter on Scoop, Substack (9 April edition)
- Sam McAlister, Emily Maitlis and the drama behind Netflix’s Scoop, Telegraph
- Civil War (in cinemas now)
- My Amy by Tyler James
- A Private War (film and book)
- Back To Black (in cinemas now)
- Sam Taylor-Johnson on art, age gaps and Amy Winehouse, The Guardian
- It’s a grotesque insult for Back to Black to suggest Amy Winehouse died of heartache over her childlessness, Laura Snapes for The Guardian
- The Amy Winehouse I knew — by our critic, Will Hodkingson for The Times
- The row raging between Amy Winehouse’s father and her best friends, The Times
- Emily The Criminal, Netflix
Thanks so much to our amazing podcast partners:
Innermost Nutrition, our favourite new plant protein that's actually really good for you, full of immune-boosting ingredients, a whopping 31g of plant protein and no nasty additives. It's stocked in Ocado, John Lewis, and Soho House, or visit LiveInnermost.com
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Mind games, Sacha Baron Cohen and gold digging intellectualised
There’s yet another headline-grabbing ‘feminist’ debate raging on the internet, angels, so we give you the lowdown on The Cut’s viral piece The Case for Marrying an Older Man, from the intellectualization of gold digging (lol) to the persistent cultural misinterpretations of Lolita. Next, we debrief on the exposé on Andrew Huberman, the world’s biggest pop scientist and host of the third biggest podcast globally. How did the self-styled Mr Perfect manipulate six different women into believing they were his only partner? And should his questionable personal choices have bearing on his work? Very fittingly, we also cover the allegations detailed in Rebel Wilson’s book against Sacha Baron Cohen, including a look back at his highly questionable output, and he and Isla Fisher’s announcement last week that they are going through divorce. Finally, we recommend Lily Allen’s new podcast Miss Me, and chat all things Cowboy Carter and virginity.
Please do leave a review on Apple, and send us love, feedback and gossip on Instagram @straightuppod, our DMS are always open and we love chatting with you!
Thanks so much to our partners:
Innermost Nutrition, our favourite new plant protein that's actually really good for you, full of immune-boosting ingredients, a whopping 31g of plant protein and no nasty additives. It's stocked in Ocado, John Lewis, and Soho House, or visit LiveInnermost.com
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com
Reccs discussed:
- The Case for Marrying an Older Man by Grazie Sophia Christie, The Cut
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
- Andrew Huberman’s Mechanisms of Control, The Cut
- My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
- We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Exes Who Froze Embryos and Regret It, The Cut
- Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
- The Molecule of More by Dr Daniel Z Lieberman
- Uncovering the Higher Truth about Jay Shetty, Guardian
- Miss Me with Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver (podcast)
- The Hunks Du Jour Need to Start Having Fun on Instagram Again, Vulture
- All of You (film)
- Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
Katie Price, Netflix’s The Gentlemen and where the Skins actors are now
Why do the tabloids write about Katie Price nearly every day? The former glamour model better known as Jordan has said in a recent interview that her relationship with the media has changed from a ‘game’ to ‘mental health abuse’, so we get into what has prompted such a media frenzy. And, is it hypocritical of Price to say women in their 20s shouldn’t get cosmetic surgery? We also give our brutally honest thoughts on Channel 4’s much hyped new millennial comedy about mental illness, Big Mood, while Kathleen’s review of The Gentlemen, starring Kaya Scodelario (aka Effy from Skins) prompts a trip down memory lane…
Vote in our Spotify poll, leave a review on Apple, and send us love, feedback and gossip on Instagram @straightuppod, our DMS are always open and we love chatting with you!
Thanks so much to our partners:
Innermost Nutrition, our favourite new plant protein that's actually really good for you, full of immune-boosting ingredients, a whopping 31g of plant protein and no nasty additives. It's stocked in Ocado, John Lewis, and Soho House, or visit LiveInnermost.com
London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.com