Millennial Love

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia is joined by artificial intelligence (AI) expert Tabitha Goldstaub to talk about the intersection between AI and dating. Tabitha explains how advanced today’s AI is, and how far away we are from people actually being able to develop relationships with AI devices. The two also speak about sex robots and the risks they pose when it comes to consent and exacerbating a culture that objectifies women. They also talk about the possibility of whether or not AI could equalise the power dynamic between men and women in straight relationships. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove Today Olivia is joined by musician James McVey to discuss his struggles with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. The Vamps star opens up about his experiences, including having liposuction at 20-years-old, in an effort to encourage others to talk about their issues. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week Olivia is joined by independent adult filmmaker Erika Lust. Erika is often referred to as a trailblazer in the "feminist porn" movement, championing female pleasure, consent and diversity in her films among other things that are often dismissed in conventional adult films. On the show, Erika explains how she got into the industry and the societal myths and misconceptions about porn that she hopes to rectify through her work. They also spoke about the issue with the phrase "feminist porn" and how it could serve to marginalise the genre. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week Olivia is joined by model and former Love Island star Megan Barton-Hanson. After appearing on the ITV2 series in 2018, Megan has gone on to become an advocate for female empowerment and combating the stigma attached to sex workers. Megan opens up about how being slut-shamed at school led her to pursue a career in the sex industry and why she thinks people are still so judgmental of sex work in 2020. She also talks about her time on Love Island, revealing that she regrets not talking about being bisexual on the programme. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia is joined by bestselling author Sophie Mackintosh to discuss motherhood. Sophie’s debut novel, The Water Cure, was longlisted for The Booker Prize last year and earned her comparisons to Margaret Atwood thanks to its feminist dystopian themes. Her latest book, Blue Ticket, explores the thorny subject of motherhood. Why do some women choose to be mothers, and others choose not to be? And what happens when that choice is taken away from you? The pair discuss this alongside the reasons why we associate motherhood with femininity, why abortion remains a taboo subject, and the sexism surrounding contraception. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia is joined by author and writer Bolu Babalola, whose new book, Love in Colour, offers up a selection of ancient love myths that she has rewritten to make them contemporary and diverse. A far cry from the white-washed Disney films and fairytales so many of us grew up watching and reading, Babalola's stories offer a more universal depiction of romance. We talk about how she was inspired to write the stories after seeing a lack of black characters in romcoms, how fairytales impact the way we behave in relationships, and why Babalola thinks the online dating scene is 'atrocious' for black women in London. Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia is joined by the brilliant author and comedian Sara Pascoe. The two discuss her latest book Sex, Power Money and one of its main subjects: porn. Why don't we talk about porn more? Is it anti-feminist to watch porn? Or does being anti-porn make you anti-feminist? And does porn really lead to more sexual violence? We discuss all this and more. Enjoy the show! Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Olivia is joined by artist and author Florence Given. The two discuss how internalised misogyny manifests in dating, what it means to benefit from pretty privilege, and the presentation of female sexuality in the media. They also talk about Florence's new book, the Sunday Times bestseller, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty. Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_love This week, we are joined by fitness entrepreneur Grace Beverley. At just 23, Grace has made the unlikely transition from influencer to wildly successful CEO and now runs three fitness companies, including the sustainable activewear brand Tala. She joined me on the show to talk about how on earth she balances her business ventures alongside a dating life, why the myth of “having it all” is so damaging for women, and why she'd be cautious about sharing a relationship on social media. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Olivia is joined by writer and author Raven Smith to discuss the difficulties of dating apps. Raven is a Vogue columnist and the bestselling author behind Trivial Pursuits, a memoir-meets-social commentary book that covers everything from the cultural capital of being tall to what you can tell about a person from the contents of their fridge. In the episode, Raven explains why he would never have met his husband in the dating app era. The two discuss how people curate a version of themselves on a dating app that can never possibly reflect who they truly are and how the saturation of users makes us less likely to settle for anyone. Raven also highlights the bizarre - and fundamentally racist - ethnicity filters on Grindr that have only just been abolished on the app in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes, you hear a story that sounds so far fetched, you can't imagine it being real. That was what happened when Olivia read Karina Mazur's first-person article in The Independent about her experience of being catfished by her boyfriend while they were isolating together. Karina explains how she found out her boyfriend was not who he said he was, was stealing people's identities on multiple dating apps, and what the impact of all of this was on her. She also discusses how she got in touch with some other women her boyfriend had catfished, including one of his best friends. It's an unbelievable story. You can read her article here: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/lockdown-catfish-hinge-dating-online-quarantine-love-relationship-a9537421.html You can follow everything to do with the show on Instagram at @millennial_love. If you're a new listener please remember to subscribe and leave us a comment, preferably a nice one! If you enjoyed the show you can support us with a contribution here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Olivia is joined by bestselling YA author Juno Dawson to discuss her latest book, Wonderland, which is a contemporary retelling of Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland in which Alice is a 17-year-old trans girl. Juno explains why she wanted to retell this classic story through a transgender lens and how she hopes some of the issues explored in the book will help to educate young readers on sexuality and key LGBT+ issues, including sexual abuse, the difference between the female and male orgasm, and the fetishisation of trans women. The two also discuss how Juno came out after Germaine Greer said on Newsnight that trans women are "not real women" and the consequences of such instances of transphobia. Finally, they also talk about Dawson's podcast, So I Got To Thinking, which is an homage to Sex and the City. You can follow everything to do with the show on Instagram at @millennial_love. If you're a new listener please remember to subscribe and leave us a comment, preferably a nice one! If you enjoyed the show you can support us with a contribution here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we have another listener special. As of Monday last week, people in England can now meet up with one person outside of their household so long as they abide by social distancing rules. This means people can go on dates! In this episode, we hear from four different women who have been on social distancing dates in the last week. One date involved a cemetery and a rogue wee, while another wound up lasting seven hours. We’re also joined this week by relationships expert and therapist Sally Baker, who offered some useful insight into the mysterious art of social distancing dating and how it could transform the future of romance for good. You can follow everything to do with the show on Instagram at @millennial_love. If you're a new listener please remember to subscribe and leave us a comment, preferably a nice one! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Singer and radio presenter Fleur East joined Olivia back in January to talk about how to keep things exciting when you've been in a relationship with someone for so long. Fleur shares some of her own tips - she has been with her husband for 10 years - and offers a unique insight into some of the things couples can do to reignite their passion for one another if things reach a plateau. While the episode was recorded back in January, it's most definitely relevant today, when so many couples in isolation together are spending more time with one another than ever before. You can follow everything to do with the show on Instagram at @millennial_love. If you're a new listener please remember to subscribe and leave us a comment, preferably a nice one! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Breaking Millennial Love news: a brand new book is in the works and it's all about this show. The book will be published by the fantastic team over at 4th Estate and will be written by Olivia. It's going to feature guests from the show, as well as some new and exclusive content as well. Make sure you follow us on Instagram at @millennial_love for all the latest updates on the book, its progress and when it'll be available. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.