Left On Read

Carla suffered with disordered eating since the age of 5 and was constantly trying to lose weight. It wasn't until she began to focus on her mental health and face her food addiction that she eventually lost over half her body weight (13 stone). Carla, also known as Half of Carla, joined Brenda and Julie to tell them how she did it and how her life has changed since.

For anyone who relates to Carla’s story of disordered eating please do get help from your doctor or reach out to Bodywhys.ie or call their helpline for support on: (01) 2107906

This episode is a special Christmas present for all the Left On Read listeners who missed out on the live recording at Electric Picnic! After a frantic run through Stradbally, the girls arrived to a packed tent to chat about boob jobs, old flames, and shifting celebrities.

There was also the usual Ick of the Week and of course a quiz for Julie.

In this week's bonus, the girls spread some Christmas cheer to all their fabulous listeners from across the world, Julie reveals why she is a 'walking ick' and Brenda gives an insight into her upcoming date. There's also talk of first Christmases and memorable gifts.

Julie's new fella might be a bit TOO into the festive season, as he reveals that he moonlights as Santa Claus to earn some extra cash. Julie won't be dressing up as Mrs. Claus anytime soon though, and is struggling to come to terms with his revelation. Brenda's also battling her own ick after being offered a ride.. on a motorbike.

The girls send some Christmas wishes to listeners across the world and reminisce on their highlights from 2023 as the year draws to a close.

Listeners were treated to two very special guests on this week's bonus episode of Left on Read as Julie and Brenda were joined by Fionn and Erin Rose for a chat about all things nativities and school plays. Things have come a long way since the days of simply placing a Baby Born doll in a manager, with characters including paparazzi, radiators (or narrators as they're more commonly known!) and even the sun all making appearances.

There are all sorts of ways to become and to be a mother, and while Julie has shared her own story, today the girls heard from Tracy Shine who decided to have her lovely little twins via sperm donor. Tracy explained all about making the decision to go through the process alone and how her meeting her current partner didn't change her mind. She also told us about the different procedures she underwent, as well as the process of choosing a donor from 'baby tinder'.

Is there any reason to be concerned if your other half is overly friendly with your sibling? One listener has her worries about her boyfriend's blossoming friendship with her brother but the girls don't see why she's so bothered. They are much more understanding of the listener who is sick to death of her new fella's leather jacket which is old, musty and well worn. But is it ridiculous for her to dump him over his choice of coat?

Send your dilemmas to [email protected]

Brenda has been feeling very uncomfortable during a trip to the cinema, while Julie has been wondering why she isn’t her best friend’s best friend on snapchat.

There's chat about burglaries, robberies and haphazard home defences – and your messages bring us a lot of intriguing stories about home security, from a well-hung coat to charging at the intruder in your underwear.

Brenda is telling Julie she needs to try a bit of originality with her dog naming, and Julie is happy to admit that she’d take a man who can hang a shelf above pretty much all else in life.

One listener gets in touch to tell us about a deeply unpleasant experience while breastfeeding in public, and we hear from another who has found herself in a relationship with a man with a lot of red flags.

Send your dilemmas to [email protected]

How big of an age gap is too big? Brenda reveals that she fancies a 65 year old, yet when it came to revealing her own age to Anton, she couldn't help but shave a few years off. Especially when she found out he was so much younger... Julie meanwhile tries to offer assistance to a listener who is very much in love, but at different life stages to her partner.

The girls also chat about their big night out at the podcast awards and their difficulties sharing a hotel room - including their inability to use the en suite for anything more than a wee! But it's a more common concern than they thought, with lots of listeners sharing their own tales of toilet related trips to the hotel lobby and beyond.

Get in touch on [email protected].