Life on the B Side

What can I tell you about this episode? It might be the last one. No plan, no script, no clue. I need someone to tell me whether I should keep going with this. I can’t concentrate for longer than the length of a TikTok, I am a reluctant helper to those who need assistance and I will thrive off gratitude I don’t even want for doing things I don’t even want to do. This ‘episode’ is the inside of my...

This week’s episode is a little different — no deep dive, no wrap-up, just a short, sweet dose of real life from the slightly foggy, slightly festive edge of midlife. You know that feeling when your brain’s juggling twelve tabs at once and every ping, reminder, and WhatsApp message sends you over the edge? Same. In The Hat Trick, I talk about that creeping mental overload that comes with this time...

This week I’m talking about doing it all on my own — not the kind of “solo” you’re thinking of (behave), but the scary kind where you have no one to blame but yourself. It’s about fear, freedom, and that weird middle ground where you want help… but also absolutely don’t touch anything.

Going out used to be easy. Now it takes a rare planetary alignment and a motivational speech just to put proper shoes on. This week I’m talking about the great energy shift — from 90s chaos and sticky dancefloors to middle-aged comfort and seated gigs — and asking whether we’ve really slowed down, or just redirected the energy somewhere else (like the sofa).

Shorter one today and it's about my first silly decision in my 50s! It’s been 11 years since I last ran a marathon — and I swore I’d never do it again. Yet here I am, lacing up my trainers and setting my sights on Amsterdam 2026. This isn’t about fitness goals or midlife reinvention (well, maybe a little). It’s about falling back in love with running… or at least learning to tolerate it again — on...

This week on Life on the B Side, it’s my birthday — the big 5-0 — and I’m finally learning how to stop sabotaging my own celebrations. From chip shop dinners and awkward family anniversaries to surprise flights across the Atlantic, this episode is a love letter to birthdays gone wrong (and right), and to finally taking control of what makes you happy. So grab a slice of cake (because why the fuck...

This week on Life on the B Side, I’m taking a short break from moaning about my impending 50th birthday (yes, it’s still happening) to share a story I first wrote six years ago — one that marked the first time I ever spoke publicly about growing up in a home with domestic abuse. It’s not the chirpiest of topics, but it is an important one — especially as October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month....

Turning 50 isn’t the big, shiny reinvention everyone makes it out to be. You don’t wake up on the morning of your birthday suddenly wiser, richer, or with fewer wrinkles — the dishwasher still needs emptying and the dog still needs walking. But looking back on half a century of living (that’s five whole decades, folks), I realised life isn’t really lived in neat 10-year slices. All the chapters va...

Episode 41: Fear, F*ck Ups & Finding My Voice – A Year of Talking to the Wall Almost a year ago, I hit “publish” on my very first podcast episode (recorded in a cupboard, no less). Forty-something episodes later, I’m still here — slightly less terrified, a lot more sweary, and definitely finding my voice. In this episode I’m looking back at everything I’ve learned in a year of podcasting: the...

I’ve had two names in my life and I’ve never liked either of them. One no one could pronounce properly, the other belongs to a family I barely see. Neither feels like me. So, what’s a girl to do? Change it, of course. In this episode, I share why I’ve decided it’s time to choose my own name alongside the mess, the meaning, and the mischief in finally picking a name that actually fits. Because if y...

Autumn has always felt like a natural reset — a season for slowing down, turning inward, and finding comfort in small rituals. And I am going ti milk autumn as an excuse for all of the above this year. In this episode, I talk about how past therapy now helps me mirror the rhythm of the seasons, why ROMO (Relief of Missing Out) feels especially powerful right now, and the comfort TV that makes my a...

Today I am celebrating 21 years of marriage to a man I met at a work event. And with that in mind, I decided to share (without planning or script or anything for that matter) the brief story of how that happened. Unlike my marriage, this episode is short, sweet and without incident ;) No, but honestly, this is just me sharing a meet-cute that I think set us off on the right foot…

It's a bit of a stretch to say that there are life lessons to be found in foam parties and champagne diving in the Med. But as I've had cause to think about the holidays I took in my twenties, I thought there MUST be something in those escapades, something that is more than just memories of questionable decisions, cheap cocktails and painful sunburn. And I am I the only one dreading the sound of t...

Need some life coaching? Best place to start? Classic 1980s John Hughes films… What does a day off with Ferris Bueller have to do with how we see our own lives? Quite a lot, actually. In this episode of Life on the B Side, I explore the power of perspective — from standing high above Newcastle at Grey’s Monument, to gazing at dots in an art gallery, to watching Ferris and his friends seize the day...

Camping isn’t just a holiday — it’s a crash course in family life. From sleepless nights in a teepee tent to teens glued to campsite WiFi, and one unforgettable trip with a stubborn VW campervan named Albert, I’ve camped through every season of parenthood. Join me for campsite characters, family mishaps, and a reminder that sometimes the soggiest trips make the best stories and teach us the most a...

Bit of a nostalgia trip in this episode — but not the dreamy, golden kind. Today I’m taking you back to the summer I was 16. A holiday that was meant to be a break from real life... but turned into two long, emotional weeks that I’ve never quite forgotten. It involved: One well-meaning but emotionally unavailable dad A lot of alcohol (not mine) Silent dinners, full ashtrays, and no way home And a...

Ever feel like you're the glue holding everything (and everyone) together? Same. In this episode, I dive into the reality of being the family linchpin and the trap of being a ‘capable woman’. And I accidentally discover what drove me to become the Carlsberg Wife and the decision I have taken to step into something new, whatever that might be…

I gave up booze – and it wasn’t all gains. In this episode, I talk honestly about what I lost, what I found, and what surprised me when I stepped away from alcohol. No preaching, just real talk about sober curiosity, social shifts, and what’s left behind. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction issues, head to  www.drinkaware.co.uk and click on support lines – there's a dozen place...

This episode is 4 days late. 4 days! And that’s all down to the one skill I have comprehensively mastered, honed and turned into an art form. Procrastination. Come with me to discover how you too can achieve boss-level procrastination. You might never get anything done again, and you will feel uncomfortable the whole time but then where’s the fun in feeling accomplished? Send help. Please.

Yes, I have been missing for two weeks! But I come back and bring you tales of post-natal ghosts, house-buying and my very own Nurse Ratched. And yes they are all linked!!    

Just because school’s out doesn’t mean we don’t keep learning a thing or two. What a f*cking ramble this is! It’s been like a parent therapy session for me :) The ‘lessons’ and observations in here apply to school life whether your child has just finished formal education or they’re just starting out. TBH they probably apply beyond the school years so if you wanna hear someone chatter on about cat...

What do a broken penis, a bad acid trip and a gun have in common? Answer is they are all stories from one 6-month house-share. These are absolute A-side stories because I’m not sure my B-side brain could cope with this level of drama these days. There are definitely some lessons to be learned from these events but some took longer than others to sink in. Still, they’re great ice breakers I guess…...

There was a time I had a look. I was styled, curated, possibly even iconic (in my own head). But now? My wardrobe won’t return my calls. In this episode, I’m digging through my style history — from the fashion highs of the 90s to the current-day chaos of not knowing what to wear... at all. Was there a peak? Did I miss it? And what do you do when your clothes no longer feel like you? If you’ve ever...

This week on Life on the B Side, I’m taking a nostalgic trip back to the 80s and 90s — the mixtape years where we learned about patience and the lost art of just being bored. Join me as I share three things I genuinely miss from those decades, and why they still echo in my life today. Whether you grew up in that era or just love a bit of retro comfort, this episode is a warm, reflective journey to...

Is it just me, or does life start to feel... compact as we get older? Not in a minimalist, Zen kind of way — more like, “When did my idea of a big night out become a garden centre café and a browse in B&M?” As the world quietly shrinks — fewer last-minute adventures, more “meh, it’s too far” — I’m wondering: am I being charmed into becoming a local lifer? Or is there a chance that the next pha...