Straight Up

Latest Episodes:

The best books of 2026 so far Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

This week we’re sharing our favourite reads of the year so far, from the novels we couldn’t put down and 2026’s most-talked about titles to the memoirs that kept us up at night. Consider this your summer reading inspo: including the ultra-hyped Strangers by Belle Burden, Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash and Devil Wears Prada-style thriller Workhorse. As promised, we’re also reviewing the trad-wife thriller Yesteryear again, as well as the addictive true story of how actor Hannah Murray found herself sucked into a creepy wellness cult. Enjoy huns and please do share your book recs in the comments!

Our next book club will be announced in the next couple of weeks – watch this space hunnies! You can also find our 10 best books of all time over on Patreon, where we drop bonus eps every month and offer our main eps completely ad-free.

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:

Strangers, Belle Burden
Belle Burden on the Collapse of Her 20 Year Marriage & Her Bestselling Memoir, The Oprah Podcast
Why I Don't Feel Sorry for Belle Burden, Kathleen Harmer on Substack
Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke
I’m obsessed by the trad wife world — this was the best way to expose it, The Times
The Caro Episode, Diabolical Lies
Lost Lambs, Madeline Cash
“I Always Felt Ripe for a Cult”: Meet Madeline Cash, Author of the Year’s Buzziest Debut, Interview Magazine
The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, Hannah Murray
Workhorse, Caroline Palmer
Hooked, Asako Yuzuki

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why we’re all bored of everything Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

We have more entertainment than any generation in history, so why does everything feel boring now? Fatigue, the death of originality and digital overwhelm are things we’ve been mulling over a lot recently, after finding ourselves sick of the onslaught of mid-level media, the memeification of politics, nihilism, AI slop and remake after re-release upon algorithm-driven copycat. Is this all just a symptom of the attention economy in overdrive? And what can we do to reclaim our interest? This week we’re deep-diving into why we all feel so bored of everything and how we fight back in the age of average.

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs / reviews:

“Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?” The Atlantic
The decline of Hollywood talent and originality, Brad Starks on LinkedIn
This is what it looks like when nothing matters, The Atlantic
What Does '6-7' Mean? Don't Expect Gen Alpha to Explain It. New York Times
What Does Boredom Do to Us—and for Us? New Yorker
When Did Reading Become A Competitive Sport? Elizabeth Day on Substack

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift’s wedding, Olivia Wilde and the rise of singles nights Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are supposedly getting married this weekend, so we discuss how much of a spectacle it will be. Plus, what Olivia Wilde’s unfiltered Call Her Daddy episode says about the demonisation of mothers, what the glamourisation of smoking says about today’s weight-loss era, and why the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe feels so deeply relevant today. Also, the return of Caroline Calloway, boyfriend shaming, and why singles nights are revolutionising dating. Thank you to this week’s wise and wonderful guest co-host Olivia Petter, award-winning journalist, author of the brilliant debut novel Gold Rush and founder of Red Lips Dating.

Hear Olivia answer your juicy dating questions in our exclusive bonus ep now on Patreon! patreon.com/StraightUpPodcast

Olivia’s IG: @oliviapetter

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews

Red Lips, @redlipsdating on IG
Gold Rush, Olivia Petter
Olivia’s first Straight Up ep in 2024
The Unheard Tapes, Netflix
Marilyn Monroe–The Rest Is History
Letters from Scamelot, Airmail
My Week with Marilyn
I recognise the person in Netflix’s Wellmania — it used to be me, The Times
Olivia Wilde, Call Her Daddy
Olivia Wilde has to disappear, The Cut
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Two Weeks in August, ITV
The Invite, in cinemas Friday

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ariana Grande, Brooklyn Beckham’s ad and reporting a police officer Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Did Brooklyn Beckham just blow up any chance of a family reunion with his controversial $1m Door Dash ad, or is it straight out of the Victoria Beckham playbook? Also this week: the increasingly fraught discourse about Ariana Grande's weight loss, and whether Emily Ratajkowski is ragebaiting us with her viral new essay and accompanying photoshoot that’s ‘sexualising breastfeeding’. Plus, why women are obsessed with Off Campus, the must-read, five-star book about the Kardashians, and the traumatising experience of reporting sexual misconduct within the Met Police. Thank you to this week’s incredible guest co-host, broadcaster, writer, pop culture queen and OG hun Jackie Adedeji!

Jackie’s IG: @jackieadedeji

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews

DeKonstructing the Kardashians, MJ Corey
The Moment, AppleTV
Off Campus, Amazon Prime
Off Campus’s Hannah Finally Makes Me And My Big Boobs Feel Seen, Pedestrian TV
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, SkyTV (out July 8)
Karen Carpenter offers a haunting warning for Ariana Grande fans, Telegraph
What if we're not actually worried about Ariana Grande? Liz Plank, Substack
Reporting ‘police sexual misconduct’ - my traumatic experience, Channel 4 News
My Big Boobs: Untold, Channel 4
I Don't Trust My Therapist: Untold, Channel 4

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margot Robbie, Emma Grede and the politics of pregnancy Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

Pregnant women are being unfollowed in their droves on social media, but at the same time, pronatalist messaging has never been harder to escape. So why is it that both the child-free community and parents alike feel so under siege? We take a look at the celebs at the centre of the discourse, from Margot Robbie facing backlash for “pretending she’s not a mum” and Emma Grede catching heat for her comments on balancing work and motherhood, to Rihanna’s body being under constant surveillance and Nara Smith-style ‘momfluencer’ culture. Plus: K’s personal experience of pregnancy, why society isn’t set up for people to procreate and postpartum representation.

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:

Madeleine White Responds to Commenters Who Say They Are Unfollowing Her for Being Pregnant, People
Margot Robbie, stop pretending you’re not a mum, The Courier Mail
The Bump Watch That Won't Quit, Yahoo Entertainment
Influencers are selling a delusional fantasy of being postpartum. Why is it so easy to believe? Substack
The Kardashian Whisperer Who Says Three Hours With Her Kids Is Enough, WSJ
Emma Grede: from the East End to $300m with the Kardashians, The Times
The Big Kids Question: does anyone want to be a parent anymore? Straight Up
Dispatches from Motherhood, Substack

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dua Lipa's wedding, the Alex Cooper backlash and sex therapy Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Did Dua Lipa just host the celebrity wedding ‘of the decade’? We rake over all the gossip from the three-day bash in Palermo and debate over whether Callum Turner’s status as ‘Mr Dua Lipa’ is reductive and career-damaging. Also on the show: how former ‘kidfluencer’ Piper Rockelle monetises a Lolita fantasy on OnlyFans (including a countdown to her 18th birthday), Bonnie Blue's 'golden' baby shower and Euphoria star Chloe Cherry’s viral interview about how we’re having the wrong conversations about sex work. Plus, Cara Delevingne’s incredible Call Her Daddy episode, the Right-wing backlash to Alex Cooper’s pregnancy, and the woman selling ‘good wife’ courses to Christian women. Thank you to this week’s very special guest Emma-Louise Boynton, journalist, broadcaster and author of the incredible new book Pleasure: The Reclamation of My Body, about how sex therapy transformed her relationship with her body and broke a 17-year-cycle with bulimia.

Pleasure: A Reclamation of My Body, by Emma-Louise Boynton is available to buy here.

Come to see Ellie and Emma-Louise at our How to Date Better event next Wednesday in London! Tickets

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews

Michael Jackson: The Verdict, Netflix
Margot’s Got Money Troubles, AppleTV
The strange surveilled life of Piper Rockelle: why did a former child influencer decide to go on OnlyFans?, Guardian
Euphoria’s Chloe Cherry On Cassie’s OnlyFans Storyline: “Holy Sh*t, That’s Where We Are In Society?”. Refinery29
The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, Netflix
Why is the Right so mad about Alex Cooper’s pregnancy? New York Magazine
Gen Z Women's New "Anti-Woke Voice", Diabolical Lies
‘A husband expects a yes’: how wife schools are shaping submissive Christian women, Guardian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ASK US ANYTHING: Tweakments, body image and gender disappointment Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Insecurities from body image in the Ozempic era to aging and whether we’d have cosmetic surgery are first up on the agenda today, huns, as we answer all your juiciest questions! We get deep into changing our minds about having children, gender disappointment, pregnancy, the single life and getting back with an ex, as well as whether incel culture is making dating harder. Also: book recs, subreddits and our absolute fave things about one another! Enjoy and please do let us know any questions you might have for future ‘ask us anything’ eps x

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptagenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Married at First Sight, Rivals, and Maya Jama's break up May 28, 2026

Show notes

The BBC’s disturbing new Panorama documentary about Married at First Sight’s abuse allegations should be a watershed moment for reality TV, but will anything actually change? Plus, the problem with Harper Beckham’s new skincare line, the rise of tween skincare influencers and the ‘toe-dipping’ rumours around why Maya Jama split with Reuben Dias. Finally, a big debrief on Rivals s2, from Rupert Campbell Black’s potentially problematic redemption arc to the show’s female stereotypes.

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptagenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:

1536, Ambassador’s Theatre
The Dark Side of Married at First Sight, iPlayer
‘An element of exploitation’: the world of TikTok child skincare influencers, Guardian
Rivals s2, Disney Plus
Rivals is a depressingly familiar study of women and the toxic workplace, Glamour
Topology Interiors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Frances-White: dating apps, manosphere ideology and Steven Bartlett May 21, 2026

Show notes

The Guilty Feminist, aka Deborah Frances-White, is on the show this week and we couldn’t be more excited! In this fascinating chat with the OG podcasting queen, we get into everything from whether feminism is currently on the defensive in mainstream culture and the eroding of women's rights, to the rise of the manosphere, ‘brocasters’ and her thoughts on Steven Bartlett. Plus: the threat of Christian nationalism, dating apps, identity politics and Deborah’s culture recs!

You can buy Deborah’s book Six Conversations We're Scared to Have: How to Change Minds, Including Your Own here. Deborah's IG: @theguiltyfeminist

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptagenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, Susan Faludi
Feminism on the defensive in the mainstream culture, The iPaper
Money, Lies, and God: Inside The Movement To Destroy American Democracy, Katherine Stewart
The Conspiracists, in cinemas
Manhunt, Apple TV
Stalked (podcast)
All British Comedy Explained (podcast)
ROAD TO GILEAD: Fascism with Desiree Burch and Professor Roger Griffin, Guilty Feminism
In The Print, King’s Head Theatre

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dua Lipa’s lawsuit, Britney Spears and the peptides craze May 14, 2026

Show notes

Dua Lipa and Britney Spears have been embroiled in very different legal dramas this week, so we’re breaking down exactly what’s going on with both. Kris Jenner has been raving about peptides – but what actually are these supplements and why are celebs and biohackers alike so obsessed? Plus: the tragic passing of reality TV star Jake Hall and the so-called “TOWIE curse”, those Sarah Ferguson and P Diddy romance rumours, Amandaland series two and gossip from the set of Rivals, from Alex Hassell’s prosthetic penis fitting to Danny Dyer’s return as Britain’s most unlikely heartthrob.

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptagenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod

Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:

But First, Dinner, Eleanor Steafel
Amandaland s2, BBC iPlayer
Legends, Netflix
All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now, Ruby Tandoh
Britney Spears Embraces ‘Spiritual Journey’ After Pleading Guilty to Reckless Driving: ‘All a Blessing in Disguise,’ Singer Says, People
Alex Hassell: ‘On Rivals we’re all filthy with each other’, The Times
‘Men are so frightened of being too cuddly or affectionate’: Danny Dyer on going from hardman to heart-throb in Rivals, Guardian
Kris Jenner Is a Peptides Devotee, Too, The Cut
Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides? The New Yorker
What are peptides, are they safe and is there evidence to back up the hype? Guardian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.