Letters To My Fanny - The Podcast show

Letters To My Fanny - The Podcast

Summary: Women who are changing the world - how they get sh*t done and why they do it. Production assistance by Shola Aleje and opening music by Gerald Healey

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 EP. 20 - Starting a business, health and brain-time | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:49:28

In this episode I talk to Angelica Malin, founder of the online lifestyle magazine About Time. We talk about starting a business, the highs and lows of being your own boss, the modern work world, wearing spandex to work, being responsible online, being on shpilkies and vitamin drips!

 EP. 19 - Sex in a long term relationship: can it be hot? With The Hotbed Collective | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:53:39

We talk about how and why the Hotbed as born, why sex is hard in long term relationships/with kids, why confidence is such a big issue in having good sex, is it possible to have hot hot sex after the age of 30? And obvs we talk about masturbation and vibrators. The heart of it is, the question Hotbed is trying to answer is...can you have a good sex life in a long term relationship, with kids, busy jobs, arguments about where the socks are? We will be doing lots of of these, possible as it's own Hotbed podcast, as this is a huge subject. We want to find some real answers people. WEBSITE: www.thehotbedcollective.com INSTAGRAM: thehotbedcollective LIVE EVENTS: the next one is on the 9th November...details on our insta

 EP. 18 - What the hell is a doula anyway, the cesarean debate, birth rights, sex fiends | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:11:46

In light of the backlash against Kate Hudson's comment (which I'm sure was entirely a joke but the reaction is definitely interesting) that the laziest thing she's ever done is to have a c section, I chat to the brilliant director of Birthrights, Rebecca Schiller. She has a MA in war studies. Yeah. Her passion for human rights and, after years of being a doula, she realised that there were some series issues around women, birth and human rights. After too many stories of women feeling a lack of power or respect she decided to do something about it. I highly recommend reading the articles on http://www.birthrights.org. uk. We aslo move, somehow, onto the subject of women being pigeon holed. The working mum, the organic mum, the stay at home mum. And how we get pitted against eachother. And wouldn't it be fun if we could just be women, 360 degree women that change and are layered and are not defined by whether we have children or not, whether we bottle or breastfeed, or if we decide we want to give birth through the love tunnel or the sun roof. Perhaps we can be a chardonnay drinking, homework nailing, organic pie making, sex fiend woman and break all the stereotypes. And I realised I was an organic cucumber, cesarean sex fiend. And we might even do tshirts. We cannot be defined as simply as society would like. But we do deserve all the information and the respect that we can make strong decisions. She's also written an absolutely brilliant book called Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter, that the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives said 'should become essential reading for all maternity professionals'. I can't wait to read Rebecca's new book coming out in April. I promise to do another interview with her, partly so she'll bring me more duck eggs from her home, and also because I think she is so wonderfully balanced, informed, highly respectful and compassionate. In a sea of layered, complicated, important and sometimes angry debate around childbirth, she is a mast to hold onto.

 Ep. 17 - Steph, Founder of 'Don't Buy Her Flowers' | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:02:00

Steph Douglas on the appropriate height for blowjob chairs...we talk thoughtfulness, starting up a business, chicken or fish, the pressure to start your empire when you become a mum, honest parenting, equality at home and, well, sex. Of course. Don't Buy Her Flowers is a genius idea that started when Steph noticed that new mums were often inundated with beautiful bouquets of flowers that were, of course, a glorious and generous gesture, but, to the new and exhausted and overwhelmed mum, they are admin that can sometimes be the straw that breaks the camels back. So thus Don't Buy Her Flowers was created. The site has a brilliant range of packages that are right up a new mum's street - no matter how sore or tired that street is - I've sent loads to new mums and, well, anyone that needs some lovin and I highly recommend- I love flowers but the packs are such a lovely surprise and everything included is a treat for a weary soul. Steph is also a wonderfully honest blogger and one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet.

 Ep. 16 - Natasha Devon | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:00:07

Natasha Devon on the Prince Harry mental health moment, Nigel, the Gap Theory, anxiety, being fired by the government and exercising freedom of information. Le Fanny Podcast is back and this week is a goodun - last week was national mental health awareness week and so who better to chat to than Natasha Devon - ex government tsar for children's mental health, founder of the Self Esteem Team and Body Gossip, political pundit, writer, campaigner And generally one of the most baddass, intelligent, brilliant, fighting-all-of-our-corner's human I've ever met. She's basically a SuperHero.

 Ep. 15 - Elizabeth Kesses | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:55:58

Elizabeth Kesses on looking out for the signs, the French diet, anti-ageing and proper lunches. Hello! After a three week hiatus Letters To My Fanny is back with a cracking episode - this week I chat to Elizabeth Kesses...author of The Ugly Little Girl and campaigner for greater awareness of the serious consequences of low self-esteem. Elizabeth suffered with poor confidence as a teen and in her twenties and then, in her 30s, dramatically changed her life after losing her high powered job, getting divorced and coping with her father's terminal illness. Elizabeth coaches girls who also have low self esteem and eating disorders and I love how she has turned her suffering into such a powerful movement for change. If you'd like to get in touch with Elizabeth, she's at @britchickparis.

 Ep. 14 - Clemmie Hooper - Mother of Daughters | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:09:37

Clemmie Mother of Daughters on instagram, sex after kids, masturbation and licking salt off chips in a carpark. This week I had the pleasure of chinwagging with Clemmie Hooper, otherwise known as Mother Of Daughters. Clemmie has a popular blog called Gas and Air and has just written a brilliant book called How To Have A Baby and Push It Out. She is a trained NHS midwife and has four children, with the last batch being a 2-4-1, with her hubbie Simon, otherwise known as Father of Daughters or MOD. Team for lyfe. And her instagram feed, particularly her stories, is a wonderful antidote to the perfect, misty, sunlit portrayal of parenthood. Thank god. We go deep into the nitty gritty...about why it's good to not eat bacon bagels on instagram....how she ended up in a car park licking chips... why she rejects the name mumpreneur...sex after kids...masturbation...and her non book tour book tour for How To Have A Baby and Push it Out. I'm off to Kenya this week for a filming trip so I'll be back in two weeks with more Letters To My Fanny nitty gritty and nuggets of wisdom. And for those that have joined me on the #scrollholedetox, good luck. Let me know how you get on - I have definitely scrolled through instagram less and I have definitely felt the benefits - such as not falling asleep feeling as though everyone else is doing something more fun than me - but I still find myself automatically flicking through reems of pictures of god knows what. All tips and tricks and modes of discipline welcome...see you in two weeks!

 Ep. 13 - Clemmie Telford | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:41:12

Clemmie Telford on social media, working at Facebook, comparison and the bailiffs. This week I popped on a lanyard and visited the social media cathedral of Facebook and Instagram to interview Clemmie Telford who is a very sexy sounding creative strategist and yes, the rumours are true, there is free food. All day long. You may know Clemmie from her brilliant blog, Mother of All Lists, or from her honest instagram account which previously went under the name of Peckham Mama but you'll now find it under Clemmie Telford. In this episode we discuss the secret, for Clemmie, of getting shit done, anxiety, whether social media has negatively affected our interaction with other humans, our increasing addiction to social media and boundaries around children and the internet. As always please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment on my instagram or email me via my website. Here it is!

 EP. 12 - Karen Hobbs | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:58:24

Karen Hobbs on being tall, having cancer and saying the word vagina alot. In this episode of Letters To My Fanny I interview comedian Karen Hobbs. Karen was diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 24 and, being a self confessed massive show off, likes to share her experience in the hope that anyone experiencing the same symptoms will find it helpful. She's the author of the blog Quarter Life Cancer and has written a wonderful guest post on my website about the ten things every woman needs to know about gynae cancer. She also works for The Eve Appeal - a brilliant charity that raises money for research into gynae cancers and also aims to raise awareness. If you'd like to ask more questions please leave a comment under the podcast post on my instagram - or email via my website. ALSO if you'd like one of Karen's 'Check Your Chuff' or 'It's Just A Vagina' badges get in touch and I'll send you one.

 EP. 11 - Charli Howard | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:00:40

Chari Howard on starvation, sample sizes, living the dream in Paris and 'that' Facebook post. This week I chat to model and founder of The All Woman Project, Charli Howard. After years of criticism and starvation Charli was pushed to breaking point and she wrote a Facebook post expressing her anger at the sizeist fashion industry. Her post went viral and she has since become a prominent voice in the battle for more diversity within the fashion industry. While 'living the dream' modelling in Paris (but actually hating it) she was told to lose an inch in a week, just like that scene from Zoolander. But real. Knowing that her career depended on her shifting that final inch she walked and walked and didn't eat and went to sleep at 6pm, waking up in the middle of the night with hunger pains. She was living in a model's house with a bulimic flatmate, who would be wined and dined in the evening by rich men and then come home and threw it up. Which also couldn't have helped. She tells me that being a model is a fulltime job - she could never have a blowout, she had a fear of salt, bread, most foods. But after trying everything she was unable to meet the required measurements. Even though she was skin and bones. The clients response to her agency was openly "why did you send her when she's not thin enough". But at that point, rather than feeling angry with the industry, she felt shame, embarrassment and as though she had let them down. She suffered with anxiety around food and panic at having to eat in social situations - and it contributed to the end of her then relationship. She also sporadically made herself sick. Yet she didn't see it at bulimia, to her it was getting rid of stress, feeling control and to manage her anxiety. She kept it secret fearing that she would be made to stop if people found out. After an incident involving leather trousers she was dropped by her agency and Charli, thank god, flipped out and decided she couldn't take any more shit. She wrote a raw Facebook post that went viral and was, the next day, picked up by pretty much every newspaper. She then got signed up by an American agency and started getting work, including a campaign for Maybelline and it was at this time that she also created the All Woman Project.

 EP. 10 - Sarah Turner | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:08:13

The Unmumsy Mum on putting pics of your kids online, finding time for sex, robotic milking machines and what happened to Sunday Funday sex? Some fun facts about The Unmumsy Mum, otherwise known as Sarah Turner or Mummy depending on where you stand on things. She's surprisingly tall Her first book is a Sunday Times number 1 bestseller She got a first in Philosophy She knows tons about robotic milking machines There is no translation for Unmumsy in German She doesnt have a wizzy wazzy blog Her non wizzy wazzy blog has had 8 million hits We kick things off with WHO ARE YOU SARAH TURNER and she kindly talks about what she was doing before she was The Unmumsy Mum...and it turns out Sarah was working in banking...doing sexy things like financing robotic milking machines...what she doesn't know about robotic milking machines isn't worth knowing. Then she had her first child Henry and BOOM she became The Unmumsy mum (well, nearly)...but, realising that she couldn't do her job less than fulltime, she decided not to go back but instead went to work at Exeter Uni three days a week. And it was at this point that she started her globally adored blog, absolutely not whilst at work at her desk when she should have been doing her real work, no no no. She started writing because, upon finding that child rearing wasn't all cuddles and sun-lit fields of sunflowers, she decided to document her REAL experience of being a mum. She started with 36 followers and now has had over 8 million hits...even though she goes against the Number 1 Golden rule of blogging to 'Be Consistent'. We also chat about the Bad Mum Revolution that Sarah is credited as being at the forefront of - however she's not a fan of the movement in it's current guise but would rename it The Honest Mum Revolution. We ponder upon where the line is between slummy mumminess and actual neglect...and how to avoid it becoming Crap Mum Top Trumps. She also gives her Tip Tops for people who write a blog or want to start a blog...they're cracking. And then of course it's time for HOW DO YOU DO LIFE? We talk about the sexy stuff....money....sex....admin. So we talked cash...how does she earn money in the mysterious world of blogging? Does she monetise her blog (I was gobsmacked that the answer was no) AND we talk about sex...what does a 'good place' look like with sex for her? And what happened to Sunday Funday? Is there room for fantasy after kids? And then it's FANNY CHAT...and I was happy to hear that Sarah has a good relationship with her fanny...although her first encounter of her fanny was after birth when it looked like a puffa fish... AND FINALLY Sarah donates her FANNY CONFESSION to the Fanny Bank.

 EP.9 - Taryn Brumfitt | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:29:58

Taryn Brumfitt on embracing your body, tackling a global self esteem deficit and boobs that double as a scarf Taryn is my Obi Wan. She is the founder of the Body Image Movement and maker of the documentary Embrace which was released on the 16th of January this year in selected cinemas. This brilliant film follows Taryn as she challenges the pervasive message that we all have to conform to one body type - and if we deviate we are disgusting and less valuable than those that do. I was so excited to interview her. But I was THIRTY minutes late for my ONE HOUR slot with her. So I went ninja and dove straight in. But then my bloody cats started playing with a paper bag and I decided to leave it rather than waste valuable minutes putting them into the laundry room. Hence why it sounds like there is a squirrel tap dancing in the background. So. I start by asking Taryn what she would say to those who feel frustrated that we are still banging on about this? She replies 'Yes We Will carry on banging on about it until we fix this really big global problem'. She continues with a truly golden nugget 'you can't be all that the world needs you to be when you're consumed by how you look.' And the nuggets keep coming... 'There are so many brilliant women I know who should be in leadership roles but aren't because they don't have the self esteem or confidence to put themselves forward...' 'What will you be thinking about when you take your final breaths? What thoughts will be going through your mind..I've asked thousands of women and no one has ever said "my bug bum"...because it's not important...so lets tap into that perspective...life is so short. We can either go down the road of self loathing or we can go down the other road.' She speaketh the truth. Ultimately Taryn wants to start a conversation and for people to make a commitment to embracing their bodies. That is most certainly not easy when we're in a sea of media but her documentary is certainly a huge step forward. For more information on where to see the film visit The Body Image Movement's website.

 EP.8 - Antonia O'Brien | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:40:28

Antonia O'Brien...on power dressing, live presenting and side-fanny WELL HITHER WE ARE! 2017. We made it through a precarious 2016. We are essentially Bruce Willis in Die Hard - pretty beaten up but alive and kicking. This podcast episode was MEANT to be the Christmas episode BUT I ran out of steam and energy and....*Zzzzzz...SO apologies for the Christmas references. Letters To My Fanny cracks 2017 open with a jovial chat marathon with the lovely Antonia O'Brien - fashion journalist, brand consultant, stylist and live presenter for events such as Clothes show Live and Stylist live. She is also a fashion correspondent for E BAFTA awards and Sky's Oscar coverage and is a regular fashion expert on telly. We talk about Antonia's new, brilliant movie podcast Admit One where she speaks to industry insiders, celebs and experts such as Clare Balding, Sarah Cox, James King and East 17's Tony Mortimer. We also talk about how she earns her bread and, rather than having one 9-5 source of income, she, like an increasing number of people, has a 'portfolio' of work (which might sound wanky but it's better than a slashy) such as fashion consulting, live presenting and general hustling. Antonia uses the word enriching and I get excited. She also gives a few tips on Getting Shit Done as an acute sufferer of procrastination. And we muse upon Caitlin Moran's wise words 'Don't Be A Dick' and how it's so important to be grateful although that is hard sometimes when your kid has shredded static packaging all over their bedroom (IT DOESN'T HOOVER PEOPLE). And, to date, Antonia tells me why her career highlight has been presenting The Clothes Show live and why she cried on stage. Then we talk about power dressing which makes Antonia's pants fizz. I've never heard that phrase and I hope to be using in a sentence soon. And also, going into a strange dimension of sex, fashion and art, we ponder upon testicles in fashion shows. And Antonia gives her Fashion Prediction.....we've had side boob, under-bumcheek, bootie cleavage BUT WHEN OH WHEN is there going to be a trend for side-fanny? Then it's, naturally, time for FANNY CHAT We talk about the different shape of fannies and the revelation that other women's vagina's are a fruit salad of variety. At this point we've had quite a lot of prosecco so we start talking about love tunnels and getting over ourselves and a bad wax and naked dancing. We then say Vulva ALOT and I start sniggering. And then we do a whistlestop tour of cystitis (ALWAYS PEE AFTER SEX PEOPLE) and we discover that we both had a kidney infection and ended up in hospital after not following the golden rule. Antonia's preferred method of cleaning is 'a sweep' whilst I prefer 'getting right in there'. This is the first time I've ever had a conversation with another human about different methods of vagina hygiene. To endeth we do FANNY FAUX PAS. Antonia's fanny story is wonderful waxing story about being left with a bunny tail. She never did that again. Happy 2017 peeps.

 EP.7 - Ellie Taylor | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:48:24

How To...come to terms with monogamy. Another week, another excellent human talking life and lessons and lovers. This week it's the comedian and actress Ellie Taylor, a self confessed professional show off. She is on the telly being funny and clever in programmes such as Mock the Week on the BBC, 8 Out of Ten Cats on Channel 4 and Fake Reaction on ITV2. She is also in the ludicrously successful new Disney show The Lodge. She also recently got hitched and her new show, 'Infidelliety', is on tour now where Ellie comes to terms with monogamy - follow the link on her website for tickets (it's showing at The Soho Theatre from Tues 13 – Weds 14 Dec 2016. My first encounter with Ellie was dancing in a lift with Greg James. It was not a dream but in fact the making of a BBC3 trailer. So it was lovely to catch up many years later and chat career, love and marriage. According to her website...Ellie is a stand-up comic, actor, writer and presenter based in London. She’s very good at untangling headphone wires and napping in loud places even when she’s not tired. She loves podcasts, asking people what they’ve had for lunch and Dean Cain from The New Adventures of Superman. She hates olives, injustice and Ray Winestone.

 EP.6 - Myleene Klass | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:20:42

How to work like a demon and still make it in time for parents evening....with Myleene Klass Here we are then - Myleene Klass and I sitting on a window sill, eating sausages, talking about business, wipe clean outfits, having a plan vs rolling with the punches, being a jack-of-all trades, having jam for brains, coining a phrase 'mumming my way through life', when she deals with her emails, making sure she gets to Ava's netball match, breaking rules, how she gets shit done and not apologising for how she spends her money. Myleene Klass is a singer, radio and tele presenter, classical pianist, model, designer and business woman. She's a mum of two and an all round entrepreneurial boomtown. Fun fact - she's also a keen astronomer. Happy earhole fun!

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