On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Scott Hastings, the rugby legend who has lived through the unimaginable and still finds a way to smile. After losing his wife and teenage sweetheart, Jenny, to suicide after 45 years together, Scott shares the reality of grief, resilience, and what it means to choose joy without ignoring pain.

Whether you’re navigating your own storms or supporting someone through theirs, this conversation meets you with honesty, tenderness, and hope. We talk about living with someone you love through mental illness, how grief changes a family, and why being kind - even when you’re tired - matters more than ever.

Because no one tells you how to survive after the future you planned disappears. Yet here Scott is swimming in Wardy Bay each week, celebrating small joys, finding peace where Jenny found hers, and holding love and loss in the same breath.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re braving the Baltic chill with toilet confessions, rap-induced bafflement at Hamilton and the ongoing saga of Karen’s chemo side effects. Whether you’re the type who cleans your loo with a brush or a wad of loo roll, you’ll feel right at home.

It’s never just about the weather. It’s the insomnia, the metallic taste, the pockets of joy found in ginger puddings and planting tulip bulbs in the rain. And because no one tells you this, we also cover the sheer discipline required when you suddenly work from home in a house that’s somehow nine degrees.

If you’ve ever wondered why your dog needs a dressing gown, why hugs from strangers hit differently now, or why your heating rules are basically a Presbyterian religion, this one’s for you.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Maria McErlane, who brings sharp humour, unapologetic honesty, and a lifetime of mischief as she talks about ageing, invisibility, reinvention, sex, grief, and why she finally surrendered to an e-bike.

Whether you’re feeling more third age than old age or still trying to work out who you are at 60+, this one lands. Maria opens up about changing identities, losing confidence, chasing curiosity, and why keeping your world small is the fastest way to feel older than your years.

She also shares stories from her years in showbiz, the realities of life on the fringes of fame, and how she and Graham Norton now dish out dilemmas and laughter on their own podcast Wanging On.

Because no one tells you that the most interesting part of your life might start right when society decides you’re invisible.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we tumble from hairstyle envy to spit jars, chemo side effects and the baffling joy of a bowel screening kit.

Whether you’re currently debating how often to wash your neck, dealing with metallic mouth, or wondering if your partner’s dawn chorus of throat noises means anything medically, this one’s for you.

It’s never just about hair, feet or poo samples. It’s about laughing through the slog, finding comfort in shared indignities, and remembering that somewhere out there is a woman who genuinely enjoys her screening kit.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Fiona Clark, author of Menowars, who’s calling time on the confusion around menopause. From HRT debates to vaginal health taboos, Fiona tackles the mixed messages women face - and reminds us that post-menopause isn’t “after the storm,” it’s the rest of our lives.

Whether you’re wondering if you should be on HRT, baffled by conflicting advice, or just tired of whispering the word vagina, this one’s for you. Because no one tells you how much grey area there really is between hot flushes and healthy ageing.

Fiona's book "Menowars" is available now from Amazon and all good bookstores!

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, Kaye and Karen prove that nothing is off limits — from cheap heaters and dodgy white diets to the hazards of sending a voice note mid-fart. Kaye confesses her accidental “audio offence,” Karen blames chemo for her skincare woes (and possibly Kaye’s face cream), and somehow it all ends with Kim Kardashian’s pubic-hair lingerie.

There’s reflection too — on finding pockets of joy, dodging misery, and laughing through the rough patches with friends who tell it like it is.

Because no one tells you how much you’ll need both laughter and brandy to get through midlife.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by the brilliant writer Sally Wainwright — the mind behind Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, and Riot Women.

Sally opens up about life in her sixties: from learning to play the drums to discovering the joy (and terror) of taking real time off. She talks about menopause, creativity, and the strange comfort of finally catching up with yourself — emotionally and otherwise.

Whether you’re navigating your own reinvention or just wondering if it’s too late to start something new, this one’s for you. Because no one tells you that growing older can be the most rebellious act of all.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, Kaye and Karen dive into the real highs and lows of midlife - from insomnia and itchy skin to the deep joy of mashed potatoes and dental sticks.

Between chemo updates, Calamine lotion nostalgia, and a heated debate over wine through a straw, it’s a reminder that sometimes the most ordinary moments become the funniest parts of getting older.

Because this is life in your sixties: a little tired, a little itchy, but still laughing through it all.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Siobhan Daniels, the self-proclaimed retirement rebel who swapped burnout for a camper van named Dora and never looked back. At 60, Siobhan sold her home, hit the road, and rebuilt her life from the ground up. Now 66, she’s thriving — proof that freedom and fulfilment aren’t reserved for the young.

Whether you’ve ever dreamed of walking away from it all or just want to feel a little braver in your own skin, this one’s for you. Because no one tells you how liberating it can be to start again at 60 or how much joy there is in finding your happy place on your own terms.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, Kaye and Karen swap gallows humour for sleepless nights — and find themselves comparing coping mechanisms that range from midnight lentil mashing to burning old parkas. Karen’s chemo fatigue meets Kaye’s restless mind, and between them they land on something every woman over 45 will recognise: the impossible balance between slowing down and staying strong.

Whether you’re running on fumes or trying to find your own off switch, this one’s for anyone whose brain refuses to clock off — even when your body’s begging it to.

Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected].

⚠️ Disclaimer: The discussion includes mentions of sleep remedies and supplements. Always check with your medical team before trying any new sleep aids or treatments.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.