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

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...

How do we date when death has already changed us and how honest do we need to be about the grief we carry? In this episode of  It’s a Death Sentence , we talk openly about  dating after loss . Whether through bereavement, serious illness, miscarriage or sudden change, death has a way of reshaping how we relate, trust and attach. And yet, dating culture rarely makes space for that reality...

What does it mean to work with death every day and how does that change the way we think about living, grieving and planning our own endings? In this episode of  It’s a Death Sentence , we’re joined by  Allyse Worland , a first-generation funeral director and embalmer from the United States, whose career began at just 15 years old after a deeply personal experience of loss. We talk openl...

What if we didn’t wait for children to experience loss before teaching them how to understand it? In this episode of  It’s a Death Sentence , we talk openly about a landmark change coming to UK education. From September 2026,  grief and bereavement education will become part of the statutory RSHE curriculum , and we wanted to take time to unpack what that really means - for schools, for...

Is the short fuse, the sudden tears, the “why am I fighting everyone?” moment just you… or is it grief wearing a disguise? In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down and ask the question we (and probably you) keep wondering: how do we know if we’re just having a bad day… or if grief is quietly driving the wheel? From screaming at partners over nothing, to realising your tolerance for bu...

New year, new me? Yeah, right! When you’re carrying grief, January 1st doesn’t magically wipe the slate clean - it just swaps the tinsel for a hangover and a side of guilt. In this episode, we ditch the resolutions and get real about what “new year, new me” actually feels like when someone you love is missing from the table. We explore why grief doesn’t give a toss about the calendar. What You’ll...

You’ve just lost a loved one in hospital. Everyone’s crying. And then… the admin avalanche begins. In this no-filter, step-by-step guide we walk you through the exact bureaucratic gauntlet of what happens if a loved one dies in hospital. From bank-holiday hell to coroners, certificates, and finally getting your loved one to the funeral director - this is the episode nobody wants to need… but every...

Think Christmas is all twinkly lights and mince pies? Think again - history is full of people who met their end courtesy of a festive fir tree, toxic stockings, and a seven-year-old with a rifle. In this gloriously dark seasonal special of It’s a Death Sentence, we unwrap the wildest, weirdest, and most lethal Christmas deaths on record. From the Victorian Christmas Holiday Effect (a genuine spike...

Is it just another day… or the one day that can break your heart all over again? In this festive special of It’s a Death Sentence, we rip open the glittery wrapping on Christmas when you’re grieving. We explore the pressure to create “perfect” memories, the guilt of wanting to hide under the duvet, and why sometimes the best gift is permission to do Christmas completely differently. What You’ll Le...

In this special episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we hand the mic over to the wonderful psychic medium Helen Milwood for the full, unedited live readings she did for us earlier this year. Both readings are funny, emotional, and scarily accurate in places – exactly the kind of chaotic spirit energy we love on It’s a Death Sentence. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is...

From itchy palms to shoes on the table, Irish mammies have a superstition for everything - but when death knocks, the rules get delightfully dark and downright bizarre. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we tumble down the rabbit hole of deathly omens and gloriously grim rituals - from doppelgängers dropping doom, birds stealing souls and clocks frozen at the fatal hour. It's A Death Senten...

Grief doesn’t always arrive with a funeral - it can slip in quietly after a divorce, an empty nest, or the slow realisation that part of who you were is gone. In this episode, we sit down with Lucy, who shares her profound journey from losing her mother to brain cancer and her stepdad soon after, to founding a bereavement support service and organising uplifting events like her upcoming Grief Fest...

Suzanne McArthur, occupational therapist turned grief guru with 30 years in end-of-life care, joins us to share her journey from oncology work within the NHS to Marie Curie and Birmingham Hospice - where redundancies sparked her to launch Evolve and Flourish for workshops and Thriving Connections for grant-funded, community-co-developed projects tackling barriers to grief support. We dive into ins...

What if we honoured life’s big changes not just with milestones like weddings and funerals, but with rituals that truly acknowledge who we’re becoming? In this special episode from Brum YODO recorded live at Birmingham Central Library as part of Death Matters, we sit down with Dionne, a celebrant whose work reimagines how we commemorate both beginnings and endings. After sharing an incredible near...

In this Halloween special of It’s a Death Sentence, we lean right into the season of spooks. From childhood terrors to modern traditions, we explore why Halloween holds such a grip on our imaginations. We wander through our Halloween memories, including the infamous BBC Ghostwatch that traumatised a generation. We talk broomsticks, witches, and trick-or-treating, dive into how Halloween evolved fr...