Laura Anderson's First

Most of us will experience bullying at some time or another. And the desire to fight back is overwhelming. But how do you go about it without lowering yourself to their level? In this episode Laura’s guests share their stories of the First time they beat their bullies.

How do you know when you fall head over heels in love for the very first time? How do you know it’s real? And how do you deal with it if you realise that maybe your love interest isn’t so great after all. Join Laura to hear two very different stories of a First Big Love.

The first time you get your period. It’s a bit of a taboo subject, and one us Brits especially don’t like to talk about. But we need to as it’s something half the world’s population will have to face. In this episode Laura gets some great tips about how to get through it – and some advice for the boys out there to help their sisters, their friends, even their mothers get through that time of the month.

At some point in life, even if not this summer, we’ll all face an exam – from A levels, GCSEs and Finals to a driving test. And while we always hope to pass – failure’s always an option. So how do you pick yourself up after your first epic exam fail? Find out from three former failures on this episode of Laura Anderson’s First.

It’s a once in a lifetime moment – when you first go travelling. No mum and dad – and the world’s your oyster. But what if it all goes wrong? From missing trains and losing passports to getting injured and facing an operation in a foreign country, Laura meets three teenage travellers who had a pretty traumatic time, but lived to tell the tale and plan some future overseas adventures.

It’s a feeling we all long for – that realisation that we’ve really succeeded. But what’s it like the first time you know you’ve really smashed it? Laura meets a singer, an Instagram inspiration and the youngest person ever to row across the Atlantic to find out.

Anyone who throws a party wants it to be the talk of the common room or playground for weeks, and to be thought of as the party king or queen of their school. But not every party ends well. On this episode, Laura meets three teenagers whose birthday, Halloween and pre-exam parties ended up as epic fails, ad gets some much-needed tips as to how to ensure your next bash is memorable for all the right reasons.

Do you think you can really make a difference to the world? Age is certainly no barrier to getting your voice heard about the things that matter to you. Join Laura as she hears from three young people who are really making a difference: An anti-plastic advocate, an anti-knife crime campaigner and someone who hasn’t let growing up in care silence their desire to make the world a better place.

It’s the ultimate first – the one they’ve made films and written books about – the first time you have sex. So how do you prepare for that moment? Who do you tell? How do you know if you’re really ready? And what happens if that first time all goes wrong? In this episode, Laura hears the first time stories of three ordinary youngsters – and gets their tips to help you out if you’re worried about your first time.

The police have to deal with thousands of incidents of racist abuse of under 18s every year. But how do you react when it first happens to you? And what can you do to fight back? Three incredible young people talk to Laura about how they coped the first time they were on the wrong end of a racist taunt.