Honest To God Podcast

🇺🇸 A Hollywood makeup artist and 🇬🇧 an English homeschooling mother of six tackle truth, appearances and the fine art of fooling ourselves.

From political promises and a Silicon Valley millionaire to AI-generated art, drunken medieval Venetians and Sacha Baron Cohen, Felicia and Zoë wonder why we keep mistaking confidence for wisdom.

Then come the popes, women in the Church, Venetian masks and a rather tempting silent convent.

Is honesty simply telling the truth, or having the courage to be yourself?

Two women. Two worlds. Plenty of opinions. ✨

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

Enjoy our conversations? Keep the microphones on and the opinions flowing! Buy us a virtual piña colada, or join Darling, Do Tell! for $10/month and put your questions to Felicia and Zoë.

https://honest-to-god-podcast.captivate.fm/support

00:00 – Honesty, truth and a world of questionable claims

05:59 – Political integrity, public office and the Chinese super-embassy

11:54 – Intuition, warning signs and the wisdom of paying attention

19:00 – Drunken Venetians and why history keeps repeating itself

25:08 – AI, creativity and the problem with controlling everything

31:53 – Everybody has a story (including some rather mysterious civil servants)

39:45 – Peter Sellers, Sacha Baron Cohen and the art of pretending

44:56 – Change, leadership and the lost art of public service

51:01 – Popes, women in the Church and the appeal of a silent convent

57:40 – Venetian masks, press-on nails and the courage to be yourself

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honest_to_god_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594858301614

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestToGodPodcast

Enjoyed the conversation? Like, subscribe and share! And do tell us what you think in the comments. We rather enjoy a good discussion.

Felicia Linsky — Glamour, darling!

Discover Felicia's glamorous goodies. Because life's too short not to look marvellous.

https://www.felicialinsky.com/shop

Zoë Willis — Real Life. Real Kitchen.

Frazzled at five o'clock? Turn seven pantry staples into 21 emergency meals with Zoë's Pantry Reset. More calm, less chaos. And time to find your lipstick.

https://realliferealkitchen.kaifecta.com/pantry-reset-checkout

Every purchase helps support the show. Cheers, darling! 🍸

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

In this episode of Honest to God, Felicia Linsky begins with a disastrous tumble in the Hollywood Hills, while Zoë Willis reminisces about navigating Los Angeles by bus. Naturally, the conversation soon takes a rather more controversial turn.

From Donald Trump and the great American experiment to immigration, national identity and the peculiar business of belonging somewhere, the two women explore what happens when politics, culture and human nature collide.

But beneath the political arguments lies something considerably darker.

Felicia shares her experiences of domestic abuse and a frightening incident at a Hollywood party, raising uncomfortable questions about power, manipulation and why victims are so often the ones who pay the price.

What happens when the people entrusted with power and responsibility decide that accountability is somebody else's problem?

There are difficult questions, personal revelations, some transatlantic disagreements and the inevitable appearance of a baby.

And just when things couldn't get any more serious, Zoë demands advice on sweaty makeup and dreams of being attended by gentlemen in loincloths wielding ostrich feathers.

Two women. Two worlds. Plenty of opinions. ✨

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

00:00 – Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles and a rather unfortunate tumble

08:58 – Midwestern Americans, European roots and the places we call home

18:57 – American football, online cruelty and the politics of outrage

22:00 – Donald Trump, American identity and the great immigration debate

34:09 – Immigration, assimilation and what it means to belong

49:05 – Power, manipulation, domestic abuse and recognising dangerous patterns

01:00:11 – Sexual violence, Hollywood and Felicia's frightening experience at a private party

01:09:11 – Melting makeup, ostrich feathers and the irresistible appeal of Scottish weather

For more big opinions, unexpected conversations and the occasional disagreement across the Atlantic:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honest_to_god_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594858301614

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestToGodPodcast

Have something to say? We rather hope you do. Leave a comment, tell us where you disagree, or suggest something you'd love us to get our teeth into.

And don't forget to like, subscribe and share with someone who enjoys a good argument.

✨ For the lady who refuses to surrender her glamour...

Explore Felicia's collection of glamorous goodies. Because life's too short to give up on looking marvellous.

https://www.felicialinsky.com/shop

✨ For the glamourpuss who's frazzled in the kitchen...

Zoë's Pantry Reset helps you turn seven ordinary pantry staples into 21 emergency meals. Less dinner-time dread, fewer last-minute supermarket dashes and more time for the important things. Like finding your lipstick.

https://realliferealkitchen.kaifecta.com/pantry-reset-checkout

Every purchase supports our work. And possibly our beverage habits. 🍸

Content note: This episode includes discussion of domestic abuse, sexual violence, drink spiking, racism and political polarisation.

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred

🇺🇸 A Hollywood makeup artist and 🇬🇧 an English homeschooling mother of six start talking about cigarettes. Naturally, things get rather out of hand.

In this episode of Honest to God, Zoë Willis confesses to missing the occasional cigarette, Felicia Linsky recalls her own smoking days, and somehow an escaped South American bird and an illicit marijuana operation enter the conversation.

But beneath the laughter lies something rather more serious.

Felicia shares her extraordinary experiences of surviving cancer, the importance of questioning medical advice and what happens when life delivers rather more than you bargained for.

From alternative medicine and asking uncomfortable questions to Holocaust survivors, historical lessons and the peculiar human tendency to repeat our mistakes, the conversation takes some unexpectedly profound turns.

Is suffering something we simply endure, or can even the hardest experiences become the beginning of something extraordinary?

There are confessions, disagreements, some colourful language and a spirited defence of women who refuse to be silenced.

And after all that, one thing becomes abundantly clear: when the world has gone completely mad, there's always cannoli.

Two women. Two worlds. Plenty of opinions. ✨

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

00:00 – Cigarettes, dressing gowns and the glamour of a bad habit

06:22 – Cannabis, youthful indiscretions and changing attitudes to getting high

14:00 – An escaped exotic bird, a marijuana farm and the wonders of emu oil

18:05 – Felicia's cancer journey: Eastern medicine, Western medicine and trusting your instincts

32:32 – Why asking awkward questions matters (and what history teaches us)

40:51 – Finding hope in the darkest places: extraordinary stories of resilience

49:47 – Cancer, suffering and the courage to begin again

01:04:16 – Wise women, speaking up, surviving abuse and the consolations of cannoli

For more big opinions, unexpected conversations and the occasional disagreement across the Atlantic:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honest_to_god_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594858301614

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestToGodPodcast

Have something to say? We rather hope you do. Leave a comment, tell us where you disagree, or suggest something you'd love us to get our teeth into.

And don't forget to like, subscribe and share with someone who enjoys a good argument.

✨ For the lady who refuses to surrender her glamour...

Explore Felicia's collection of glamorous goodies. Because life's too short to give up on looking marvellous.

https://www.felicialinsky.com/shop

✨ For the glamourpuss who's frazzled in the kitchen...

Zoë's Pantry Reset helps you turn seven ordinary pantry staples into 21 emergency meals. Less dinner-time dread, fewer last-minute supermarket dashes and more time for the important things. Like finding your lipstick.

https://realliferealkitchen.kaifecta.com/pantry-reset-checkout

Every purchase supports our work. And possibly our beverage habits. 🍸

Content note: This episode includes discussion of cancer, pregnancy loss, domestic violence, sexual assault, the Holocaust, smoking and recreational drug use. Personal experiences and views about medical treatments are discussed; they are not medical advice.

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

🇺🇸 A Hollywood makeup artist and 🇬🇧 an English homeschooling mother of six discover that the Atlantic Ocean isn't the only thing separating them.

In this episode of Honest to God, Felicia Linsky and Zoë Willis begin with Korean skincare, beef tallow and a rather alarming discovery about American kettles. Naturally, things escalate.

Felicia shares stories from behind the scenes of Magic Mike XXL and working alongside Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, including what separates the genuinely fabulous from those who've rather lost their heads to fame.

But beneath the Hollywood glamour lies a bigger question: What makes someone truly beautiful, and how do you hold on to yourself when the world insists on judging appearances?

From Italian men and British accents to the peculiar differences between American optimism and British self-deprecation, the conversation wanders through celebrity, friendship, cultural identity, immigration and the occasional royal scandal.

There are disagreements, confessions, a baby and an unexpectedly serious discussion about what holds communities together.

And one thing is certain: somebody needs to explain the electric kettle to America.

Two women. Two worlds. Plenty of opinions. ✨

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

00:00 – Korean skincare, beef tallow and the art of glowing

04:30 – Magic Mike XXL, espresso machines and Hollywood's leading men

07:47 – The Great British Kettle Debate: why can't Americans make tea?

14:06 – Playboy revisited: beauty, motherhood and the difference between looking good and feeling good

21:07 – Sex appeal, Italian men and the power of confidence

27:11 – The loneliness of celebrity: can famous people ever trust their friends?

32:04 – Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and what Felicia learnt working with Hollywood royalty

39:51 – British accents, American optimism, immigration and a little royal gossip

For more big opinions, unexpected conversations and the occasional disagreement across the Atlantic:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honest_to_god_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594858301614

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestToGodPodcast

Have something to say? We rather hope you do. Leave a comment, tell us where you disagree, or suggest something you'd love us to get our teeth into.

And don't forget to like, subscribe and share with someone who enjoys a good argument.

Love our conversations? Keep us in refreshments by having a little rummage through our respective offerings.

✨ For the lady who refuses to surrender her glamour...

Explore Felicia's collection of glamorous goodies. Because life's too short to give up on looking marvellous.

https://www.felicialinsky.com/shop

✨ For the glamourpuss who's frazzled in the kitchen...

Zoë's Pantry Reset helps you turn seven ordinary pantry staples into 21 emergency meals. Less dinner-time dread, fewer last-minute supermarket dashes and more time for the important things. Like finding your lipstick.

https://realliferealkitchen.kaifecta.com/pantry-reset-checkout

Every purchase supports our work. And possibly our beverage habits. 🍸

Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual objectification, sexism, immigration and racism.

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

🇺🇸 A Hollywood makeup artist and 🇬🇧 an English homeschooling mother of six walk into a podcast. What could possibly go wrong?

In the very first episode of Honest to God, Felicia Linsky and Zoë Willis start with Playboy Bunnies and end up somewhere rather more philosophical.

Felicia pulls back the curtain on her years working in Hollywood and for Playboy, revealing the extraordinary lengths taken to manufacture the perfect woman. But what happens when the woman in the photograph doesn't actually exist?

From celebrity glamour to the loneliness of modern life, social media, ageing and the peculiar obsession with having achieved everything by 35, the conversation takes some unexpected turns.

There are Hollywood stories, historical observations, strong opinions and a brief appearance by a baby.

And underneath it all, one rather interesting question: Have we become so obsessed with appearances that we've forgotten what really matters?

Two women. Two worlds. Plenty of opinions. ✨

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.

00:00 – Two women, two worlds and a baby

04:00 – Playboy Bunnies, beauty and the baggage we bring to relationships

11:34 – Behind the scenes at Playboy: manufacturing the perfect woman

22:22 – The celebrity obsession: why do we want to be famous?

25:06 – Have we lost the communities that once protected us?

34:31 – Human nature, history and the mistakes we keep repeating

43:15 – Menopause, ageing and why life doesn't have to peak at 35

57:37 – AI, online cruelty and the lost art of civility

For more big opinions, unexpected conversations and the occasional disagreement across the Atlantic:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honest_to_god_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594858301614

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestToGodPodcast

Have something to say? We rather hope you do. Leave a comment, tell us where you disagree, or suggest something you'd love us to get our teeth into.

And don't forget to like, subscribe and share with someone who enjoys a good argument.

Love our conversations? Keep us in refreshments by having a little rummage through our respective offerings.

✨ For the lady who refuses to surrender her glamour...

Explore Felicia's collection of glamorous goodies. Because life's too short to give up on looking marvellous.

https://www.felicialinsky.com/shop

✨ For the glamourpuss who's frazzled in the kitchen...

Zoë's Pantry Reset helps you turn seven ordinary pantry staples into 21 emergency meals. Less dinner-time dread, fewer last-minute supermarket dashes and more time for the important things. Like finding your lipstick.

https://realliferealkitchen.kaifecta.com/pantry-reset-checkout

Every purchase supports our work. And possibly our beverage habits. 🍸

Content note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, sexual objectification and online abuse.

Honest to God. Because apparently, nothing is sacred.