The Gurls Talk Podcast

Before Adwoa (briefly) leaves the chat to welcome her baby (!!!) -- you're in for a treat... In a very special episode of Gurls Talk, Adwoa sits down with acclaimed actress Denise Gough for a compelling conversation about her role in the play "People, Places, and Things." Together, they delve into themes of addiction, trauma, and the portrayal of these issues on stage. Denise Gough...

Carmen is a social worker, grief counsellor and death doula. Carmen is also the co-founder of BIPOC Death and Grief Talk, along with Kayla Carter, where they run free grief talks and grief education workshops for BIPOC individuals. Carmen and Kayla's goal is to embrace the intricate layers of racialized grief, providing a space for validation and support among fellow grievers. Simultaneously,...

Paloma Elsesser is a supermodel and advocate for inclusivity in the fashion industry (and beyond). Winner of the British Fashion Council's 2023 Model of the Year award, Paloma is a trailblazer who uses her platform to challenge beauty standards and promote self-acceptance.  You can follow Paloma on Instagram @palomija  ---  Executive Producer: Gurls Talk, Inc.  Host: Adwoa Aboah  Guest: Palom...

Holly Madison is a model, television personality, and New York Times bestselling author. She gained fame for her role in the reality show "The Girls Next Door," showcasing life at the Playboy Mansion. Beyond her entertainment career, Holly is an advocate for body positivity and recently shared her late in life autism diagnosis with the world.  Follow Holly on Instagram @hollymadison Foll...

​​**This episode of the Gurls Talk podcast discusses sensitive topics surrounding suicide and the experience of losing a loved one to suicide.  While we aim to provide a supportive space for these conversations, we recognize that they may be distressing for some listeners. It's important to remember that help is available.  In the United States, you can reach out to the National Suicide Preve...

Zoe Terakes (they/he) is a non-binary and trans masculine Australian actor best known for their roles in the movie "Talk To Me" and the TV series "Nine Perfect Strangers."  Zoe will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the first trans actor in the Disney+ series "Ironheart."  Including being an incredible actor, Zoe is a champion for queer representation in the media...

10 years ago Tally and Adwoa met in recovery. 10 years later Tally and Adwoa reconnect again at The Jo Malone Townhouse to discuss their recovery journey, the challenges they've encountered, and what they've learned along the way.  Talitha Fosh is a qualified psychotherapist who primarily works with addiction. She is nine years clean from alcohol and drugs, and a recovered anorexic. Tali...

Born to Hollywood icons Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Tallulah Willis was raised in the glare of the spotlight, a reality that shaped her upbringing in profound ways. As a kid Tallulah faced vicious online bullying that impacted her mental health and led to the development of a years long eating disorder. Today Tallulah uses her platform to shed light on the challenges she's faced in an effort...

Our dear friend Julia Samuel is here! Julia is a celebrated psychotherapist specializing in grief, who has spent the last three decades working with bereaved families. Julia is a three-time bestseller of the books Grief Works , This Too Shall Pass , and her latest book Every Family Has a Story . She is the host of the acclaimed podcast Therapy Works and the developer of the app Grief Works: Self-c...

Freida Pinto is a critically-acclaimed actress, a mother, a women's and human rights activist, and entrepreneur.  Today we discuss... pregnancy loss, what people don't tell you about postpartum (but should), the guilt that comes with being a mother and having a career, prioritizing your mental health (no matter what), and what its like to be an entrepreneur...  You can follow Freida on I...

Catherine Hardwicke is an iconic American filmmaker  best known for capturing the reality of the teenage experience on screen - from Twilight to Lords of Dogtown.   Today we're reflecting on the cultural impact of Catherine's directorial debut "Thirteen" -- which was released over twenty years ago in 2003.   Co-written with Nikki Reed,  "Thirteen" is a poignant and ra...

Today we're talking about the opioid epidemic. 60 million people around the world struggle with opioid addiction and traditional methods of rehabilitation are failing our friends and family. In this episode you'll meet Sarah Laurel the founder of Savage Sisters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After recovering from substance use disorder, Sarah sought to build an organization that would pr...

Mad excited to have my dear friend Chelsea Leyland on the podcast today. Chelsea is a DJ, cannabis and epilepsy activist, the co-founder of menstrual-health platform Looni, and she's a new mum! We discuss Chelsea's incredibly moving documentary Sisters Interrupted . The doc follows Chelsea and her sister Tamsin as they both battle forms of epilepsy and together fight for access to medica...

Sophie Compton is a BIFA longlisted documentary director and producer who tells women’s stories of injustice and healing. "Another Body" is an 2023 British-American documentary film that follows a college student who seeks justice after finding deepfake pornography of herself online. You can follow Sophie on Instagram @sophietaracompton  You can find where to watch "Another Body&quo...

It's a dream come true! AOC has joined the chat.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American politician and the youngest woman EVER elected to the United States Congress. A member of the Democratic Party, she gained national attention for her progressive policy positions, including advocacy for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. We celebrate AOC for her passion and unwavering commitment to...

We're thrilled to have Dina Gachman the author of So Sorry for Your Loss: How I Learned to Live with Grief, and other Grave Concerns   on the podcast today. In 2018 Dina lost her mother to cancer and then her sister to alcoholism less than three years later. Dina's own experience with grief led her on a journey to understanding what it means to grieve, healing after loss, and the ways we...

Richie Shazam is a queer model, artist, and activist (and a New York legend!!) who seeks to subvert the gender binary in everything she does. With the holidays around the corner, we're talking about grief, coping with difficult familial relationships, and the beauty of found family. You can buy Richie's book SHAZAM here You can follow Richie here ---  Executive Produced by Gurls Talk, In...

We're excited to welcome one of Adwoa's dear friends Tilly Lawless on the podcast! Tilly Lawless is a queer, Sydney-based sex worker who advocates for sex worker rights. In this episode Tilly and Adwoa explore the stigmas sex workers face, the gig economy, and grief among many other topics.  You can learn more about Tilly by following @tilly_lawless  You can also watch her powerful Ted T...

What is the "I" in LGBTQIA+? Today we're giving voice to the long-silenced intersex community.  According to Amnesty International, 1.7%  of the population is born with intersex traits -- comparable to the number of people born with red hair . On this episode you'll hear from Sean Saifa Wall (he/him/his) a Black queer intersex activist and rising scholar.  Saifa is committed to...

Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. Ai-jen is the President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance , Director of Caring Across Generations , Co-Founder of SuperMajority and Trustee of the Ford Foundation.  In this episode we discuss the future of work, gender equality,  immigration, narrative change, and gra...

Mikki Kendall is an activist, cultural critic, and author of the critically-acclaimed book Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot .  I came across Hood Feminism and I knew I needed to have Mikki on the podcast. We talk about the body positivity movement, colorism, banned books, fighting the patriarchy, and much, much more.  You can follow Mikki Kendall on Instagram @karynthia a...

Eileen Kelly is here! You may know Eileen from her Tumblr days (killerandasweetthang) or maybe you know Eileen as the host of the acclaimed podcast Going Mental with Eileen Kelly .  In this episode - we talk about getting into the groove with a new therapist to getting diagnosed and (my favorite) dating horror stories.  I loved having gurl talk with Eileen. We have so much in common and I can&apos...

This past summer Molly Manning Walker took Cannes by storm with her powerful, feature directorial debut "How To Have Sex."  "How to Have Sex" follows a group of teenage girls during a rite-of-passage, post-exam holiday in what should be the best summer of their lives. The film looks at how we learn to have sex through the pressure of friendship, toxic masculinity and societal e...

Maddie Ziegler is here!  Maddie has been in the industry for so much of her life, and needless to say it hasn’t always been easy. But I’ll let Maddie tell you about it...  You can follow Maddie on Instagram at @maddieziegler and you can follow us @gurlstalk.  ---  Executive Produced by Gurls Talk, Inc. Produced by Hailey Malach of Wicked Child Studio.  Composed by Mikey Long. Special thanks to Cha...

**Content Warning**  This episode contains a candid discussion about living with bipolar disorder. Your well-being matters and help is always available. If you or someone you know is in immediate need of mental health services, please reach out to the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. You can also find mental health resources by going to gurlstalk.com . In this episode I sit down with model, men...