In this powerful conversation, Steph is joined by Elliott Rae, speaker, podcaster, writer and social changemaker, to explore how masculinity is being renegotiated in today's world.

They dig into how traditional gender roles are evolving, why relationships shift after having children, and the ways societal expectations impact men’s mental health and fatherhood. They also discuss the influence of online culture on teenage boys, the lessons from the BBC drama Adolescence, and why open conversations (especially the messy, imperfect ones) are critical for change.

This episode is an honest, moving and often funny look at how we can create more equal partnerships, raise emotionally healthy boys, and support men to step outside the outdated "provider and protector" model. Steph and Elliott reflect on friendship, community, parenting through adolescence, and how small changes in how we live, talk, and connect can make a huge difference - for men, for families, and for society as a whole.

Elliott Rae is one of the UK’s most prominent writers and speakers on fatherhood, men’s mental health and masculinity. Elliott created the Parenting Out Loud campaign and culture change programme which has revolutionised the national conversation about working fathers. Through Parenting Out Loud, Elliott supports employers to build workplace cultures where dads can be loud and proud about their caring responsibilities at work.

As an author, Elliott curated the bestselling book, DAD, and as a presenter, he fronted the seminal BBC One documentary ‘Becoming Dad’ which was one of the 20 most watched documentaries across the whole BBC network in 2022.

Elliott co-hosts the popular podcast, To Be A Boy, which is one of the top parenting podcasts in the UK and he has written for publications such as The Independent, The Telegraph and Grazia and frequently appears across the media, including a feature on Loose Women and regular contributions to Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

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