Straight Up

Latest Episodes:

Lily Allen’s West End Girl, Nobody Wants This and Julia Roberts’ controversial thriller Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Lily Allen’s West End Girl isn’t just a comeback, it’s a brutally honest divorce album and everyone is talking about it! We unpack where art ends and reality begins, who “Madeline” might be and Lily’s viral interview quotes about sex, age, personal branding and the media’s obsession with her private life. Also this week: our reviews of the second season of Nobody Wants This, Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield’s controversial campus cancel culture film After the Hunt, Aimee Lou Wood’s gorgeous rom-com series Film Club and Dave’s new album. Plus: are we rooting for Sophie Turner and Chris Martin? And why is Geri trying to stop Netflix’s Spice Girls biopic? Enjoy hunnies!

Final tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

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Recs/reviews

After the Hunt, in cinemas now
After the Party, Channel4
The Chair, Netflix
Film Club, BBC iPlayer
Aimee Lou Wood reveals how debut writing project Film Club helped her embrace her neurodivergence, Radio Times
West End Girl, Lily Allen
Lily Allen on her sensational new album, Perfect
Lily Allen: ‘Intimacy is messy… I’ve had a tough year’, The Times
‘Madeline’ from new Lily Allen album comes forward after affair with David Harbour, NME
The Boy Who Played the Harp, Dave
Nobody Wants This, Netflix

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

The myth of ‘having it all’ and how to break free Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

The myth of having it all has us trapped and the pressure to excel in every area of life can feel relentless. No wonder there’s a crisis in women’s happiness. Whether you’re single and stretched thin, dating and disillusioned, or juggling work and motherhood, it feels like we can never do enough. In this special ep, economist Corrine Low, author of Femonomics: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours, explains why it’s not all in your head and why women today are overwhelmed from every angle. She breaks down why divorced women are statistically happier, the rise of heteropessimism, why she made the data-driven decision post-divorce to only date women and how to navigate those impossible trade-offs between success and self-care. From dating to fertility and the career ladder, Corrine is here to help us all ensure we get a better deal and ultimately enjoy life more!

You can check out Corinne’s free resources at corinnelow.com and get Femonomics via all major booksellers.

Femonomics: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours
Platonic, AppleTV
All Fours by Miranda July
This Economist Crunched the Numbers and Stopped Dating Men And she’s never been happier, The Cut

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

Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa’s real-life rom com and why fluffy celeb interviews are out Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Celebrity interviews without substance seem to be officially out, as the reaction to Kim Kardashian’s surprisingly flat Call Her Daddy episode proved last week, while thoughtful conversations about art (think Cillian Murphy and Stephen Graham) are in. We discuss! Also this week: Callum Turner’s heart-melting Sunday Times interview about Dua Lipa, Lily Allen’s candid Vogue comeback piece, Britney Spears' response to Kevin Federline’s new memoir, as well as our reviews of Molly Mae: Behind It All S2 and the Austin Butler–Zoë Kravitz film. Plus two gripping true-crime recs: a podcast discovery courtesy of a hun, and Netflix’s ‘revolutionary’ new doc The Perfect Neighbor.

Final tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

Recs/reviews

Wisecrack podcast
The Perfect Neighbor, Netflix
The Perfect Neighbor: How a 'revolutionary' CCTV film captures a shocking US killing, BBC
Callum Turner: ‘Love? It’s never not worth it’ The Times
Gwyneth’s Second Coming: “I’m Much Easier On Myself, I Would Say”, Vogue
‘It Was a Way for Me to Process What Was Happening’: Lily Allen on Marriage, Motherhood, and Her Music Comeback, Vogue
Britney Spears: the brutal media shaming of America’s teen dream, Straight Up
You Thought You Knew, Kevin Federline
Britney Spears, The Woman in Me
Kim Kardashian on Call Her Daddy
Kim Kardashian’s faux pubic hair thong is a patriarchal fever dream, Impact
Molly Mae: Behind It All S2, Amazon Prime
Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes, in all good bookshops
The Beauty Queens of MAGA World, Wall Street Journal
Caught Stealing, available to rent on Amazon Prime etc

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

Celebrity traitors, Ariana Grande and Keira Knightley’s new thriller Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

Celebrity Traitors is giving us the will to live as we battle flu season hunnies, and we are so hooked! We debate our faves to win and round table strategy. Also this week: we review Keira Knightley’s The Woman in Cabin 10, Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut, Joe Wicks’s provocative doc about protein bars and Elizabeth Day’s new book. Plus our thoughts on the rumours surrounding Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner’s relationships, new couple Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau, and the lowdown on Charli XCX’s feature film and Kim K’s TV drama. And make sure you listen to yesterday’s bonus ep on Victoria Beckham if you haven’t already!

Tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

Recs/reviews

Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill, C4
Ultra-Processed People, Dr Chris van Tulleken
Why Karolina Krzyzak Followed the Raw Vegans to Bali, The Cut
Urchin, in cinemas now
Harris Dickinson won’t be your heartthrob, Vulture
The Moment teaser
Father of the Bride Part II, Disney+
All’s Fair trailer
Celebrity Social Media (Ariana Grande story), Lainey Gossip
Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes, in all good bookshops
Celebrity Traitors, BBC1
One of Us, Elizabeth Day
Flesh, David Szalay
The Woman in Cabin 10, Netflix

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

VICTORIA BECKHAM: marriage, money and the Brooklyn fall out Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Victoria Beckham’s docuseries has arrived on Netflix so we’re diving into the glossy three-part portrait of Posh Spice turned fashion powerhouse in this bonus episode! From what it reveals about fame and misogyny, to her relationship with David and the bitter Brooklyn feud, we unpack all the drama and our favourite moments. Is it a boring advert for brand Beckham or juicy TV? We hope you enjoy hunnies, see you back here tomorrow for our regular Thursday debrief!

Get tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on Weds 19 November here! We can't wait to meet you!!

Recs/ reviews

Victoria Beckham, Netflix
Beckham, Netflix
Learning To Fly, Victoria Beckham
Spiceworld The Movie, rent via Sky Store
Nadia Hallgren on directing the new Victoria Beckham documentary, Stylist
Victoria Beckham: ‘It takes a lot to make me cry, but I did cry’,The Times
Louis Tomlinson on Diary of a CEO

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

Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl, The Threesome and Nicole Kidman Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl has caused quite the storm since it’s release on Friday, so we’re getting into everything from the Charli XCX ‘diss track’ to the recent gear shift around music criticism. Also this week: Nicole Kidman’s divorce drama, the new AI actor touted as a real-life The Substance situation, Diddy’s sentencing, two excellent film recommendations and a review of Amazon’s new rom-com The Threesome.

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required!

Recs/ reviews:

I Swear, in cinemas now
I Swear Review, Variety
Weapons, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Sky Store etc
Weapons review — gorgeous, terrifying and the best thriller of the year, Times
The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift
The Life of a Showgirl review, Pitchfork
Taylor Swift says diss track is 'love letter to someone who hates me', BBC
Taylor Swift’s Charli xcx hit job misses the point – and underscores her tedious obsession with conflict, Guardian
Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes
Nicole, Keith, and Maggie, Lainey Gossip
The Threesome, Amazon Prime

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

Emma Watson, Leonardo DiCaprio and open relationships Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Emma Watson’s first longform interview in five years has been making headlines this week, huns, so ofc we had to dive in and dissect the nearly-three hour podcast with Jay Shetty. A bounty of excellent film and TV has also arrived just in time for cosy season, from Dakota Johnson’s dark comedy about open relationships, to Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘era defining’ film One Battle After Another. As well as our five-star review, we discuss why everyone still seems to love Leo despite his controversies. Plus: House of Guinness, Mae Martin’s Netflix thriller Wayward and ITV’s The Hack. Finally, some advice to a hun needing help with a friendship breakup dilemma. Enjoy!

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required!

Get 20% off our favourite ready-to-drink cocktails from Whitebox, including the best spicy margs, espresso martinis and negronis, with our code SU20 at Whiteboxcocktails.com

Recs/reviews:

Emma Watson, Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast
From Palestine to JK Rowling, has Emma Watson taken her final form as the millennial people’s princess? Independent
Splitsville, AppleTV
One Battle After Another, in cinemas now
‘One Battle After Another,’ With Its Thriller Vision of Authoritarianism, Is the Rare Movie That Could Rule the Cultural Conversation, Variety
House of Guinness, Netflix
Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes
Let There Be Light, why modern TV shows are often too dark to See, Independent
The real life Descendants of the Guinness Dynasty to Know Now according to one of the family, Vogue
The Hack, ITV1
Wayward, Netflix
Feel Good, Netflix
Wayward is unlike any other thriller – for one unexpectedly inspired reason, Radio Times
Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre (tickets via OfficialLondonTheatre.com)

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

Harry Styles, controversial new Bumble film Swiped and Reese Witherspoon Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

On the show this week: Reese Witherspoon has teamed up with Harlan Coben to write a thriller, an AI R&B artist has just landed a £2.4 million record deal and Matthew McConaughey’s take on the secret to lasting love has gone viral. Plus, Harry Styles’ marathon run, Charli XCX’s Sicily wedding, the controversial new Kanye West doc In Whose Name and our review of the Bumble founder biopic Swiped. Does Lily James’ portrayal of Whitney Wolfe Herd signal the return of the girl boss, or provide proof that dating apps really are dead? Enjoy hunnies!

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required!

Get 20% off our favourite ready-to-drink cocktails from Whitebox, including the best spicy margs, espresso martinis and negronis, with our code SU20 at Whiteboxcocktails.com

Thanks so much to our partner Official London Theatre! Get can up to 50% off theatre tickets with amazing deals on the biggest shows at OfficialLondonTheatre.com.

Recs/reviews

Reese Witherspoon, The Interview, NYT
Gone Before Goodbye, Reese Witherspoon
Gen Z Only Watches TV Through Social Clips. Hollywood is Scrambling, The Ankler
Matthew McConaughey, Diary of a CEO
Cornfield Chase, Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack
In Whose Name
Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes, from all good bookshops
Swiped, Hulu / Disney+
Tell Me Lies, Disney+
Culture Debrief: Are We Witnessing The Second Coming Of The Girlboss? Grazia
Black Rabbit, Netflix
Lily James leads a Girl Boss social network that is half film, half Bumble advert, Independent
Lily James: ‘Would I use a dating app? Maybe I don’t need one’, Telegraph

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

The Summer I Turned Pretty, marriage resentment and The Girlfriend Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

We prayed for good TV and The Girlfriend more than delivered! We review Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke’s deliciously crazy psychosexual thriller: team Cherry or team Laura? Plus, why millennial women have fallen head over heels for The Summer I Turned Pretty, a look at whether Thailand is as ‘dark’ as Zara McDermott’s new documentary portrays, and our verdict on divorce comedy The Roses starring Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Also: our thoughts on Yellowface author RF Kuang’s new book Katabasis. Enjoy hunnies!

Thanks so much to our partner Official London Theatre! Get can up to 50% off theatre tickets with amazing deals on the biggest shows at OfficialLondonTheatre.com.

Get 20% off our favourite ready-to-drink cocktails from Whitebox, including the best spicy margs, espresso martinis and negronis, with our code SU20 at Whiteboxcocktails.com

Recs/reviews

The Roses, in cinemas now
Thailand: the dark side of paradise, BBC
Antioxidant scanning at BACKSTAGE Salon
The Girlfriend, Amazon Prime Video
The Girlfriend: Warning! This sexy oedipal thriller may be too shocking for vanilla viewers, Guardian
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Prime Video
Why Are Forty-Something Women Obsessed With The Summer I Turned Pretty?, Vogue
Why Almost Every Woman You Know Is Obsessed With The Summer I Turned Pretty, Elle
In ‘The Girlfriend,’ Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke ‘go feral.’ But who’s the real villain?, LA Times
Katabasis by RF Kuang
The Problem With RF Kuang's Fiction, Slate
Katabasis by RF Kuang review – a descent into the hellscape of academia, Guardian

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

Wuthering Heights, Jacob Elordi's next role and a wild RichTok wedding Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Saltburn director Emerald Fennell seems to have enraged the internet with the trailer for her new Wuthering Heights adaptation starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, but is this really ‘ragebait cinema’ or just her signature ‘stylised depravity’? We discuss! Also this week: Elordi’s other big trailer for Netflix’s Frankenstein, the Thursday Murder Club adaptation, queen of RichTok Becca Bloom’s wedding and the Etsy witches she credits with banishing bad weather, a viral Wired long-read about surrogacy, the rise and fall of Vice magazine, and what a new ‘nepo baby’ editor means for Vogue.

Thanks so much to our partner Official London Theatre! Get can up to 50% off theatre tickets with amazing deals on the biggest shows at OfficialLondonTheatre.com.

Get 20% off our favourite ready-to-drink cocktails from Whitebox, including the best spicy margs, espresso martinis and negronis, with our code SU20 at Whiteboxcocktails.com

Recs/reviews

Popbitch, Substack
Thursday Murder Club, Netflix
Attack of the Rotten Tomatoes, Puck Magazine
Atomic, NowTV
Bland, easy to follow, for fans of everything: what has the Netflix algorithm done to our films? Guardian
Emerald Fennell’s Hyper-Sexualized ‘Wuthering Heights’ Gets Polarized Reception at First Test Screening, World of Reel
Is Emerald Fennell the Bonnie Blue of cinema? Dazed
$3 Million Watches and Caviar for the Cat: How Becca Bloom Became the Queen of RichTok, WSJ
I hired an Etsy witch to save my wedding day weather. Here's what happened, Glamour
Vice is Broke, Amazon Prime Video
The Baby Died. Whose Fault Is It? Wired
Can Vogue Go Niche, Business of Fashion
The Memification of Nepotism and How Proud Nepo Babies Are Rebranding Inequality, Substack

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

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