Straight Up

Latest Episodes:

OZEMPIC: medical miracle or body image nightmare? Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

Hi hunnies! We had so many messages about Serena Williams’ weight-loss jab ad that we knew we had to dig deeper behind the headlines into the world of GLP-1s for this extra episode. From the shame still clinging to these drugs, to the groundbreaking new research on how they could help treat psychiatric disorders, addiction and even Alzheimer's, we’re weighing up the pros and cons. We also share how a GLP-1 has transformed the life of one listener with PCOS, ask what’s really driving the obesity epidemic and get into the difference between GLP-1s for medical vs. aesthetic use.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Reccs:

How is Ozempic changing the world? Why? With Emma Kennedy podcast
A GLP-1/obesity expert breaking down Jameela Jamil's post
How weight-loss wonder drugs are redefining the way our bodies work, Guardian
Here’s Why Doctors Are Hopeful That GLP-1s Can Help Treat PCOS Symptoms, Women's Health
Health and productivity losses from obesity ‘far outstrip weight-loss jab costs’, Guardian
A Year on Ozempic Taught Me We Are Thinking About Obesity All Wrong, New York Times

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

Sabrina Carpenter, the Lily Phillips doc and Meghan Markle’s return Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

British OnlyFans creator Lily Phillips comes second to Bonnie Blue for her extreme sex stunts, yet she has a very different public image, as a new Stacey Dooley doc makes clear. What does this say about our notions of femininity? And is the criticism around Stacey ‘platforming’ Lily fair? Also on the show: Sydney Sweeney’s new romance, Molly Mae’s nanny furore, our verdict on Sabrina’s new album and another season of With Love, Meghan on Netflix. 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

Inter Alia, National Theatre (or National Theatre Live)
Lilo and Stitch, Disney+
Disney's latest unnecessary remake is a monstrosity, Guardian
Chief of War, Apple TV
The Inheritance, C4
Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over with Lily Phillips, S6 E1, U
Lily Phillips: I slept with 100 men in a day, YouTube
ONLYFANS: Bonnie Blue, sex stunts and the rise of the porn 'influencer' (Straight Up ep from May)
Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter to Taylor Swift: Why female pop stars embracing sex is still controversial in 2025, BBC
With Love, Meghan, Netflix

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

Serena Williams’ weight-loss ad, Millie Bobby Brown and the twisted tale of Amanda Knox Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

Serena Williams has sparked a serious debate with her sponsored content promoting an Ozempic-style weight-loss jab. We get into the pros and cons of these so-called ‘miracle drugs’ and the inevitable media-fuelled fall-out with Jameela Jamil. Also this week, we dive into the Millie Bobby Brown adoption ‘backlash’, give an update on the most divisive film of the year (match-making rom com The Materialists), and review the controversial new Amanda Knox Disney drama, along with Netflix’s number one show Hostage. And, of course, as promised, our verdict on The Real Housewives of London!

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

The Materialists, in cinemas now
The Logic of the ‘9 to 5’ Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day, The Atlantic
Speculating about Millie Bobby Brown’s adoption is unacceptable, Stylist
Op-Ed: I Judged Serena Williams For Using A Weight-Loss Drug — Now, I Get It, Essence
Fears that sport will be the loser as Serena Williams embraces weight loss jabs, The Observer
Dua Lipa, #SkinnyTok and the labubu doll craze, Straight Up May episode
Why with Emma Kennedy podcast: How is Ozempic changing the world?
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, Disney+
Why the new Amanda Knox TV drama is misguided, BBC
‘It’s a new kind of prison’: Amanda Knox on redemption , rage, and her unlikely friendship with the prosecutor who hounded her, Guardian
Hostage, Netflix
The Real Housewives of London, Hayu

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

Taylor Swift, the horror renaissance and another Beckham update Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

Taylor Swift has officially entered her sexy era, announcing a new album in her first-ever podcast interview with Travis Kelce, alongside a showgirl-themed shoot that’s got everyone talking. We debrief on both! Also this week: from Weapons to 28 Years Later, we’re deep in a horror renaissance, Chris Hemsworth drops a wellness doc with an appearance from pal Ed Sheeran, the mind-blowing new science of signs, Netflix’s depressing Biggest Loser doc and of course, yet another Beckham update, this time courtesy of Brooklyn and Nicola’s vow renewal.

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 discussed:

28 Years Later, in cinemas now
Weapons, in cinemas now
Together, in cinemas now
Limitless: Live Better Now, Disney
Neuroscientist (Dr. Tara Swart): Evidence We Can Communicate After Death! Diary of a CEO
The Signs: the New Science of How to Trust Your Instincts, Tara Swart
Pillow Talk. What Travis Kelsey does that's made Taylor Swift suddenly so sexy, Daily Mail
Taylor Swift’s Sultry, Spangled Next Act, Vogue
Taylor Swift has gone raunchy for the life of a showgirl. What can it mean? Times
Wait, Is Taylor Swift Teasing a Super Bowl Halftime Performance? Vulture
David and Victoria Beckham face fresh heartache as new details emerge of Brooklyn's vow renewal speech to wife Nicola Peltz, Daily Mail
Fit for TV: The reality of the Biggest Loser, Netflix

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

THERAPY: ChatGPT, false memories and therapy speak Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

From unqualified therapists planting false memories in vulnerable people and an obsession with labels to ‘therapy boasting’ on Hinge and the weaponisation of ‘therapy speak’, we deep-dive into the dark side of the therapy boom. Plus, what makes a good therapist, and can AI offer an accessible alternative to what has become a luxury? We hope you enjoy this special bonus hunnies, we’ll be back with our usual Thursday pop culture debrief tomorrow!

Recs:

Dangerous Memories podcast
My therapist told me Mum had abused me. She hadn’t, Times
The therapist who planted false memories, Pandora Sykes, Substack
How the language of therapy took over dating, NYT
Nobody has a personality anymore, Substack
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns users not to trust ChatGPT agent with sensitive or personal data, Decoder
Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens, NYT
He Had a Mental Breakdown Talking to ChatGPT. Then Police Killed Him, Rolling Stone
What does bad therapy actually look like? Stylist
Can AI therapists really be an alternative to human help? BBC

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

Freakier Friday, Pamela Anderson and why 'all the good men are taken' Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

‘Heteropessimism’ is all over our feeds right now, so this week we’re asking: where are all the eligible men? Plus, our verdict on the Freaky Friday sequel (Freakier Friday), Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson’s rumoured romance, “recreational argument” families and the recent but inescapable rise of rage-bait, from Sydney Sweeney’s genes and the Skims chin strap, to sex stunts and wedding cake-smashing. Also: why Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne’s Platonic might just be our favourite TV show of the year!

Recs/reviews:

Freakier Friday, in cinemas now
Freakier Friday is humiliating to everyone involved, Time
Cosmetic procedures make Freakier Friday confusing as hell, Allure
‘Generations of women have been disfigured’, Jamie Lee Curtis, Guardian
Platonic, AppleTV
My Oxford Year, Netflix
The Store, Oxford
How the Right Shaped the Debate over Sydney Sweeney ads, New York Times
From Kim Kardashian’s ‘face shapewear’ to Sydney Sweeney’s jeans controversy, is everything rage bait now? Glamour
Heteropessimism and our declining faith in the straight, cis man, Glamour
Where Are All The Eligible Men? British Vogue
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson Are Dating: 'It's Clear They're Smitten' People
The Emma Guns Show

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

Caroline O’Donoghue, stolen time and the problem with selling trauma Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

This week we're diving into the pressure female authors face to turn their personal trauma into marketable content. Why is women’s fiction so often mistaken for ‘autofiction’? And why does the publishing world seem to reward pain over imagination when it comes from women? Writer (and returning guest!) Caroline O’Donoghue joins us to unpack her brilliant recent piece in The Bookseller, deep-diving into everything from the first-person industrial complex, stolen time and tweakments, to her current pop culture picks including books, TV and film. Also this week, K has been to see match-making rom-com The Materialists and E has a book rec!

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Recs/reviews:

I Who Have Never Known Men, Jaqueline Harpman
Orlanda, Jaqueline Harpman
The Materialists, in cinemas
Materialists review – Celine Song’s Past Lives follow-up is a mixed bag, Guardian
‘Materialists’ Review: When Dakota Met Pedro (and Chris), New York Times
Past Lives, Amazon Prime
Up close and personal, Caroline O’Donoghue for The Bookseller
Skip Shock, Caroline O’Donoghue
Where's the 'you'? Naoise Dolan on Substack
I felt myself split into before and after’: how giving birth triggered a life-changing illness, Guardian
The Terrible Things I Have To Do To Be Me, Philippa Snow
In Love With Love, Ella Rusbridger
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
The Cinemile podcast
You’re Wrong About podcast
Lena Dunham’s C Word podcast
Ologies podcast

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

Bonnie Blue’s shocking new doc and the ‘real’ Gwyneth Paltrow Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

Is Bonnie Blue a ‘sexual predator’ or an empowered businesswoman? That’s the question driving the controversial new Channel 4 documentary about the porn star’s sex extremism, including sleeping with 1057 men in 12 hours. We went to the doc’s press screening last week, with Bonnie herself in attendance for a post-screening Q&A, so we discuss the its most uncomfortable moments, as well as Bonnie’s motivations, societal responsibility and what she’s really like in person. Also in this ep, a look at the juiciest revelations from the new and unauthorised Gwyneth Paltrow biog, from Goop’s toxic work environment to her fallout with Madonna. Plus a couple of TV reviews for you to get stuck into!

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 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.

Recs/reviews

The Assassin, Amazon Prime
The Secrets of TikTok Shop: UNTOLD, Channel 4
ONLYFANS: Bonnie Blue, sex stunts and the rise of the porn 'influencer' (our 28 May bonus ep)
100 Men and Me: the Bonnie Blue Story, Channel 4
Bonnie Blue: 1,000 men and the worrying normalisation of porn, The Times
Confronting Andrew Tate & Bonnie Blue: World Exclusive: Have Men Lost Their Power & Has Feminism Ruined Society? Disruptors podcast
Bonnie Blue, Channel four and the problem with commodifying sexual violence, Glamour
The Affair podcast
Gwyneth: The Biography, Amy Odell
Back Row, Amy Odell’s Substack
Sorry, you’ll never be Gwyneth Paltrow. Whoever she really is, Washington Post
Shakespeare in Love, BBC iPlayer

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

Cheating ethics, sextortion scammers and Love Island’s manosphere Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

The Coldplay KissCam controversy has everyone talking about cheating, so this week we’re weighing in on affairs and internet sleuthing, as well as the scary rise of ‘sextortion’, investigated by Jordan Stephens’s brilliant new doc. Also on the show: Love Island’s toxic masculinity problem, Charli XCX’s wedding, yet more Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni drama and plenty of fab recs, from a fascinating memoir about the News of the World scandal and the new Jurassic World, to Eric Bana’s slick Netflix detective show and the funniest comedy you’ll see all year.

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Recs/reviews

Jurassic World:Rebirth, in cinemas now
Pulp Kitchen, Jurassic World Rebirth
Could we make a real Jurassic Park? Why? with Emma Kennedy
The Return of the Dire Wolf, Time Magazine
Heads of State, Amazon Prime
Lion, Amazon Prime
Love Island 2025, brought to you by the manosphere, Glamour
Hunting My Sextortion Scammer, Channel 4
Don’t Let it Break You Honey, Jenny Evans
Untamed, Netflix
Such Brave Girls, BBC iPlayer
Sweet Bobby, Tortoise Media
Why does Gen Z smell like sugar? Vox
Yuka app
Weleda Skin Food

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

Surgery, celeb gossip, dating and babies: your questions answered! Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Today’s topics have all been chosen by you, huns, in our first ever ask us anything Q&A ep! From tweakments and our most embarrassing celeb encounters to dating, the apps and planning for children, nothing is off limits as we dive into your nosiest questions. We also weigh in on the Tattle Life debate and get into whether the influencer gossip forum is toxic or necessary, as well as advice for a listener going through it and the myth of having it all. Thank you sooo much to the hunnies who sent in questions, we’ll be answering some more in another ep v soon x

We love hearing from you, so please DM us questions, recs or bonus ideas ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod on Insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk.⁠ Plus follow us on TikTok @straightuppod! And please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going!

Recs

“Trolls on Tattle Life mercilessly tore me apart. The police told me there was nothing they could do” Grace Victory, Stylist
The Big Kids Question: does anyone want to be a parent anymore
Choosing love over IVF, with Camille Charrière, Conversations on Love with Natasha Lunn, Substack

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected