It's A Death Sentence: An Unexpectedly Funny, Deeply Human Podcast About Death & Life

Ready for a fun, cheeky quiz to test how much you’ve been paying attention? In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we put our (and your) knowledge to the test with a quiz covering everything from the biology of death and the body to grief, desire, psychology, and philosophy to revisit key themes from previous episodes. What You’ll Discover - Death and the Body : From the most common causes of d...

What if the most profound way to honour the dead is to find the courage to truly live and maybe even laugh along the way? In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down with David Ferrugio, host of the DEAD Talks podcast and author of the upcoming book, Not Dead Yet. David shares his deeply personal journey of losing his father in the World Trade Centre on 9/11 when he was just 12 years old...

There is a strange, quiet comfort in knowing that the person standing next to you is feeling exactly as devastated as you are. In this episode of It's a Death Sentence, we dive deep into the heavy, fascinating world of collective grief. From the profound national mourning that followed the death of Princess Diana to the shared, daily trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, we explore why we cry for peopl...

This is one of those topics that we just don't talk about enough in our daily lives, mostly because we get so caught up in the busyness of simply getting by. In this episode of It's a Death Sentence, we sit down once again with Emma Johnson. She shares a deeply personal account of what it was like to care for her father at the end of his life. We explore the complexities of navigating a difficult...

Sex and death - two of life’s biggest taboos, explored with honesty and zero judgment. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we dive into the often unspoken connection between grief and sexuality. From heightened desire as a form of comfort or escapism to the phenomenon known as “widow’s heat,” we discuss how loss can reshape intimacy in surprising ways. What You’ll Discover - Grief and Libido...

This was one of those episodes that took us right back to our childhood. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we unpack how Disney films shaped our early understanding of death - from parental loss in Bambi and The Lion King to dramatic villain endings, the afterlife in Coco, and the emotional punch of stories like My Girl and Watership Down. What You’ll Discover - How Disney Handles Death :...

This episode felt different because we handed the big questions over to the children. In this special episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we run a kids’ workshop and ask young people what they think about death, grief, the afterlife, funerals, and how they’d support a friend who is sad. What You’ll Discover - Honest Answers from Children : What they believe happens when we die, whether they think th...

In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we explore near-death experiences - what people report seeing, feeling, and learning when they come close to dying and return. What You’ll Discover - Common Elements of Near-Death Experiences : Bright lights, feelings of peace and wholeness, out-of-body sensations, and encounters with loved ones or beings. - The Science vs. The Mystery : How the brain migh...

This was one of those conversations where you end up equal parts fascinated and slightly horrified. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we getting into what actually happens to your body after you die. Carrie, who performs autopsies for a living, takes us through the full process of decomposition - from the very first changes to the bloating, purging, skin slip, maggots, and everything in be...

This episode goes right to the heart of one of the most tender, complicated spaces we’ve ever explored. In this episode, we sit down with John Kramer, founder of Guardian Angels, to talk openly about using AI as a tool in grief. John shares his own journey through loss, the accidental beginnings of the platform, and how it evolved from an experiment into a structured, therapist-guided journaling e...

This episode felt different to record because, if we're honest, there’s a lot of frustration in it. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we take a proper look at social media. The good, the bad, and the parts that are genuinely dangerous. From the pressure to be liked, to the impact on our mental health, and the very real consequences for young people, this is an honest, unfiltered conversati...

We’ve both felt this, but no one really prepares you for it. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down and talk about how grief completely warps your sense of time. One moment everything feels frozen, like it just happened, and the next, months have passed in a blur you can barely remember. This is a raw, honest conversation about what that actually feels like, why it happens, and why...

This special bonus episode from It’s a Death Sentence offers a gentle, guided meditation designed to bring comfort, calm, and a sense of connection in moments of loss. Written and produced by Emma Skipp and Leon Payne, this meditation was created from a deeply personal place. Emma, who finds great comfort in guided meditation, wanted to craft something specifically for those navigating g...

This conversation really stayed with us because it’s one of those stories that feels both deeply personal and quietly powerful. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down with Jayne Thomson, a funeral director who came into the industry after losing her Mum, to explore what it’s like to work so closely with death every day. We talk about grief, purpose, the reality behind the role, and...

There’s this unspoken expectation that by six months in, you should be doing better. That the worst has passed, that life has settled, that you’ve somehow “moved on.” But in this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down and talk honestly about what grief actually feels like six months after loss. What You’ll Discover - Grief Doesn’t Follow a Timeline : Six months isn’t a milestone of healing,...

We didn’t expect this conversation to be quite as powerful as it turned out to be. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we do something a little different. We hand the mic over to kids. What follows is one of the most honest, funny, and unexpectedly insightful conversations about death, grief, and what happens after we die. What You’ll Discover - How Kids Really Understand Death : Simple, hon...

Grief has a funny way of stripping everything back. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we dive into the idea that losing someone does not just break your heart, it reshuffles your priorities. We’re talking bucket lists, the things we still want to do before we die, and the far more liberating f*ck it list, the things we are absolutely done with. From Tahiti and ballroom dancing to refusing...

We didn’t quite know where this conversation was going to go when we hit record, and honestly, that’s what makes it so powerful In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down with Rob Oliver, an IT manager and musician, to talk about grief in its rawest form. From losing his Dad, Mum, and close friends, to navigating severe anxiety and depression, Rob shares a story that is both deeply pain...

It’s thoughtful, it’s a bit chaotic, and yes, we also play a round of Stupid Deaths, because nothing says healthy death conversation like guessing whether someone was really squashed by a bus or taken out by a flying football boot. What We Uncover - Immortality Isn’t That Appealing : Why living forever sounds impressive until you imagine outliving everyone you love. - Afterlife or Absolute Blackne...

Some conversations hit you in the chest and stay there. This is one of them. In this episode of It’s A Death Sentence, we sit down with Ross King for a raw, unfiltered conversation about surviving near-death experiences, losing his sister at 24, and watching his best friend die years later. Ross talks openly about suicide, car crashes, anger, counselling and the strange way grief hardens and softe...

We’ve been wanting to have this conversation for a while. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we talk openly about neurodivergence and what happens when grief enters the picture. Is grieving different if you’re neurodivergent, or is it simply that grief is never as neat or predictable as we pretend it is? We reflect on late diagnoses, masking, sensory overwhelm and the quiet exhaustion that...

We all want to feel a bit more fabulous sometimes, but what if chasing that glow-up could actually kill you? In this episode of It's a Death Sentence, we dive into the wild world of beauty treatments that turned fatal. From Botox blunders and filler fiascos to surgeries that went horribly wrong, we share shocking stories of people who died trying to look their best. What We Uncover -  Botox &...

We love conversations that bring warmth and connection, and Amy Courtney's stories of linking people with their loved ones in spirit felt like a hug from the other side. In this episode of It's a Death Sentence, we sit down with Amy, a medium who creates unforgettable evenings of spiritual connection. We chat about her journey, the loving messages she channels from spirit, and how these moments br...

In this Valentine’s special of It’s a Death Sentence, we explore one of humanity’s oldest, strangest and most uncomfortable pairings: love and death. From broken hearts that physically fail, to myths of abduction and devotion, to killings committed in the name of love, we examine how romance, grief, obsession and mortality have always been tightly interwoven. What We Explore - When Love Becomes Ph...

We had an absolute blast at Birmingham City Library for the Matter of Life and Death Festival with Brum Yodo - that's You Only Die Once, a brilliant group making death conversations feel normal and even fun. In this special compilation episode of It's a Death Sentence, Carrie and I pull together our favourite bits from the day. We chat with Sarah Barton from Stirchley Art Room about her death-insp...