Olivia Attwood is our August digital cover star — and this week’s question-asker! Off the back of a big break-up, the presenter, podcast host, and Love Island alum is asking Millie and Clare whether ‘don’t settle’ is realistic or toxic relationship advice, and if the ‘perfect’ partner can ever even exist.

Read Olivia’s cover story on Cosmo here, and let us know what you think about the idea of settling in comments, reviews, or on our socials @CosmopolitanUK. And don’t forget to tell us what you want Millie and Clare to discuss next!

P.S. The girls chat about Relationship OCD in this episode — for more info, read our feature about it in our Aug/Sept print magazine, or online here.

Hosts: Millie Court and Clare Stephenson

Co-host: Amy May Ellis

Executive Producer and Cosmopolitan Editor-in-Chief: Claire Hodgson

Executive Producer: Will Foster

Senior Producer and Cosmopolitan Sex & Relationships Editor: Brit Dawson

Producer: Ruth Holroyd

Video Editor: Megan Stapleton

Assistant Producer and Cosmopolitan Features Editor: Jennifer Savin

At some point throughout your dating history, you’ve probably labelled an ex a ‘narcissist’, right...? Maybe they loved the sound of their voice a bit too much or had a habit of putting people down to big themselves up? Yep.

Well, you’re not alone. These days, the term is everywhere on our socials, to the point it kinda feels like all of us are becoming narcissists. And, in some ways, we probably are: our current dating culture basically encourages self-obsession and selfishness — whether it’s how we curate and obsess over our dating app profiles, our tendency to ghost each other, or our sometimes misguided prioritisation of ‘self-care’ above all else.

But what does it actually mean to be a narcissist? What’s it really like to date one? And what impact is our culture of egotism having on our ability to connect with each other?

Millie and Clare dive into all this and more on this week’s episode, as we hear from a reader who thinks she might be dating a narcissist right now, and one who already has…

Have you ever dated one? Or are you a little self-obsessed in dating (no shade here!)? Let us know in comments, reviews, or over on our socials @CosmopolitanUK. And hit us up to tell us what you want Millie and Clare to chat about next.

If you’re worried you’re experiencing narcissistic abuse, you can find more information via Cosmopolitan here, and can contact The National Domestic Abuse helpline, run by Refuge, for free 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.

ICYMI, the one and only Lili Reinhart is the cover star of the August/September issue of our print magazine, and our question-asker for this week’s episode! The actor — and star of upcoming movie The Love Hypothesis, adapted from Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel — wants to know: can a friendship survive if one person develops unrequited feelings for the other?

We all love a friends to lovers story — from classics like When Harry Met Sally to new faves like Bridgerton, falling in love with a friend has long been sold to us as the ultimate romantic fantasy. And, let’s be real, against our digital dating backdrop, falling for a mate has never sounded more appealing.

But what happens if the friend you’re crushing on doesn’t feel the same way? Cue toe-curling awkwardness and, in some cases, the end of a cherished friendship. This week, Millie and Clare delve into this dilemma, asking: can you stay friends with someone if you secretly want more? And what’s worse: keeping the secret or confessing how you really feel?

Let us know what you think in the comments here and on our socials @CosmopolitanUK. Have you ever been in this situation? Do you agree with Millie and Clare? And let us know what you want Millie and Clare to tackle next!

We all know that dating is in the pits RN — we’re burned out from the apps, frustrated by convos that go nowhere, and tired of bad first dates. Too often, it feels like we’re giving a lot and getting, well, not much back. 

Lately, this feels especially true for those of us who date men. You’ve only got to look at this season of Love Island to see the serious lack of effort the boys are putting into — in villa terms — grafting the girls, and we’re seeing this IRL too. From lazy dates and slow replies to a serious dearth of question-asking, we’re enduring an epidemic of low-effort men. Ringing true for you?

This week, Millie and Clare are asking why men seem to be making such little effort in dating right now. Is it really gendered, or just a general modern dating thing? And, either way, what the hell can we do about it?

Comment on the episode or on our socials @CosmopolitanUK with your opinions. Plus, got another topic you’d like Millie and Clare to dive into? Let us know… we’re providing a public service here, people!

Welcome to our brand new sex and relationships podcast, Are We Into This? with Cosmopolitan, hosted by Love Island legend Millie Court and Cosmo’s very own Clare Stephenson. It’s your weekly dose of girl talk on the weird, wonderful, and, frankly, sometimes bleak things happening in the world of romance today.

Every Thursday, we’ll be posing one big, chaotic, culturally-relevant question — from the trivial to the existential — and unpacking it with the help of our cover stars, celebrity friends of the pod, the Cosmo team, relationship experts, and you!

That’s right, we want to hear about your dating highs and lows and find out what burning questions you want us to tackle each week. So, keep an eye on our socials @CosmopolitanUK for polls, questions, and chances to join in with the action.