The Second Circle

She’s spent the last six months talking to people about the low points in their sex lives. Now, heavily pregnant, Franki’s struggling to find the spark herself. Could listening to audio porn be the solution? She grabs her headphones to find out. The Second Circle is produced, written, and hosted by Franki Cookney Audio production: Anouszka Tate Theme music: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)...

Whether it’s with our friends or, more crucially, with our partners, sex IS something we need to be able to communicate about if we want it to be good. But it’s so hard! Why? Because for all the other messages we get around sex, all the things we’re taught or that we glean from our culture or the media… no one tells us how to talk about it. The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki...

Somewhere along the way we’ve been taught that desire should just exist without any conscious effort, like hunger or thirst. And if it doesn’t – uh oh – that means something is wrong. But this idea of sex as a “drive” is actually a myth. And like so many myths, it’s standing in the way of us having good, fulfilling sex lives.  The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki Cookney Audio...

Faulty penises, unruly pubes, and unexplained pain: When our bodies don’t look or work the way they’re “supposed” to, it can feel like a real barrier to good sex. So what can we do about it? Do we push on through anyway? Seek treatment? Or adjust our expectations?  The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki Cookney Audio production: Anouszka Tate   Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Inst...

One in eight women and one in twenty men say they lack enjoyment during sex. For all the conflicting messages we get around sex, most of us know that on some level we’re supposed to enjoy it. But there are a lot of things that can stand in our way.  The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki Cookney Audio production: Anouszka Tate   Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version...

Where do we learn about sex?  Who do we learn it from? What do those people and establishments actually tell us… about what sex IS and what it’s supposed to mean? And is it possible… is it possible…  that some of what we’re being told might be directly contributing to our experiences of bad sex? The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki Cookney Audio production: Anouszka Tate Title...

While plenty of us still grow up in families and communities where sex is taboo or there are strict rules around it, on a broader societal level here in Western Europe it’s fair to say sex is no longer seen as sinful. Sex is good, it’s healthy, it’s normal, it’s empowering! We’re living in this lovely, glossy, horny world where we’re told that good sex is not just our aim, goddammit, it’s our righ...

Awkward. Dissatisfying. Painful. Shameful. Disappointing. Miserable. Or just a bit… meh. The Second Circle is back with a NEW series looking at the type of sex we’ve definitely all experienced: bad sex. Combining in-depth reporting with real life stories, BAD SEX takes listeners on a journey through the less desirable side of sex: from dissatisfying hookups, to sexual dysfunction, body image issue...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. This week Franki talks to bisexual polyamorous woman L about opening up her marriage and managing multiple relationships. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex, Frankie Wells and Anouszka Tate of sex podcast Project Pleasure tell us how some of their best and worst sexual experiences shaped them. In the intro Rob and Franki also talked about...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. This week Franki talks to filmmaker and porn performer Rooster about the difference between fucking on and off screen. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex Cosmpolitan journalist Paisley Gilmour realises that even when you write about sex and consent for a living, it doesn’t mean you always recognise when someone oversteps your own boundari...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. In episode seven, Franki talks to sex educator Ruby Stevenson about why wanking gets a bad rap and whether masturbation it could ever be considered as important as partnered sex. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex we hear how a disappointing sexual encounter turned out to have unexpected benefits for Rory. To enter the competition to win...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. On this episode Franki talks to trans activist and all-round kinkster Alyssa Henley about her experiences with sex and gender identity. And in The Overthinkers Guide To Sex, we hear how alcohol shaped Africa Brooke ‘s relationship with sex and how she went about relearning how to connect with her body now that she’s sober. Download on y...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. On this episode Franki talks to sex and libido blogger Laura about her experiences with low sex drive. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex we hear from disabled sex writer Finn about how a period of singleness taught them more about what they want from sex and relationships than being coupled up. We also reference Franki’s article on wheth...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. Franki talks to sex worker and co-curator of Objects of Desire Rory about having sex for money and what kinds of stories get left out of conversations about sex work. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex, we hear how a university hookup made Heather re-evaluate her approach to kink. We also discuss the ways sex work gets talked about in the...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. On this episode Franki talks to writer Sangeeta Pillai about the stigma and stereotypes around sex when you’re a South Asian woman. Sangeeta is the founder of Soul Sutras and creator of The Masala Monologues as well as the forthcoming Masala Podcast. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex we hear from sex blogger Exhibit A about how an sexy e...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. On episode two of series three Franki talks to filmmaker and visual artist Simon Eves about his experience living – and fucking – with HIV. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex we hear from Genie, the host of kinky swingers club Future Parties , about how a long-term affair changed her whole outlook on sex and relationships. We also discuss...

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers. On the first episode of series three Franki talks to queer disabled writer and sex worker Ms Eve Adler about her experience of sex with disability. We also hear from sex blogger Girl On The Net in our brand new section The Overthinkers Guide To Sex. We also discuss the ways sex and disability get talked about in the mainstream media, dr...

October was a depressing month for sex news but we managed to dig out a few rays of hope in the form of a new type of condom. We discuss the consultation on the Gender Recognition Act, dodgy biscuits and the appointment of Brett Kavanagh to the US Supreme Court. Then Franki sits down with porn performer Lina Bembe to talk about the ethics of porn (both producers and viewers!) and also how the heck...

With London Pride just around the corner, Franki wonders whether she will ever feel “queer enough” to join the parade. As a straight-passing bisexual person, it’s easy to feel as though you don’t really belong… after all, you may not have experienced the same marginalisation as the rest of the LGBTQ community. So where does your identity fit in? Welcome to The Second Circle’s Solo Sessions, shorte...

There’s a lot of vagina news this week including a discussion about summer vaginas… so we ask what a summer penis might look like. Franki interviewed sex and relationships therapist Dr Lori Beth Bisbey about how sexuality develops and changes throughout our lives and Rob has a lot of thoughts about that. Plus, we have a look at a question about polyamory and have a go at unpicking it ourselves. LI...

The world’s first penis transplant has been a success, yay! We also hear that Facebook are planning to launch their own dating app (less yay). We all learnt what incels were this month which was a scary journey to say the least but it did spark this week’s debate on whether sex is a human right. Finally, we discuss what on earth people are talking about when they say someone is “good in bed”. LINK...

I don’t write smut, I don’t share sexy pictures, I don’t wear slutty outfits. So am I sexy enough? Things get up close and personal in the first of The Second Circle’s Solo Sessions as Franki goes it alone in order to ponder a question that’s been on her mind. This episode looks at how it feels when everyone around you seems to be having more adventurous sex than you and why we need to shake the i...

A new study shows that transgender people’s brains are structurally closer to the gender with which they identify. But what does this mean for equality? Meanwhile researchers elsewhere are claiming we are all a little bit bisexual. Then Rob gets some much-needed feedback on the Fleshlight and we discuss whether sex-positivity can actually make us feel under pressure. LINKS Trans people’s brains mi...

Are there any parts of sex that you find a bit disgusting? And is it OK to skip the bits you don’t like? We discuss straight men’s attitudes to female orgasms and why a pair of pants that shields you from bodily fluids while giving head is NOT empowering. Plus to do when you get a pube stuck in your mouth and Rob gets the lowdown on male masturbators. LINKS This person wants to know why his girlfr...

Iceland is considering banning male circumcision. We discuss what the deal is with foreskins and whether it matters if you have one or not. Rob learns some new ways to boost a female partner’s chances of orgasm… but is orgasm even the best part of sex? And if it’s not, what is? Meanwhile, Franki is getting excited about upcoming sex writers’ conference Eroticon and answering some questions about t...