Ed Sheeran’s new songs hint at cracks in his seemingly perfect, previously ultra-private marriage, while Jessie J has had to set the record straight on her breakup with Channing Tatum. So just how literally should we take pop stars’ lyrics? Also this week, we’re diving into the BBC’s Gossip Girl-style mother-daughter thriller Wild Cherry, the so-called “female Adolescence", David Szalay’s Booker Prize-winning novel Flesh and 2025’s Word of the Year. Plus, the surprising news that we’re technically teenagers until 32, reports of wild parties from the set of Rivals, and, finally, our (spoiler-free) review of Wicked 2!

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews:

• Wild Cherry, BBC iPlayer
• Flesh by David Szalay 
• Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart
• Ignore the pessimists – we are living through a literary golden age, New Statesman
• How to Stop Time, Matt Haig
• Threw it Away, Jessie J
• Play, Ed Sheeran
• Straight Up behind the music miniseries ep with Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp
• Adolescence lasts into your 30s, major new study on brain development finds, The Independent
• Wicked: For Good, in cinemas now

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The Beast in Me is the buzzy new Netflix thriller everyone’s talking about, so this week we’re sharing our (spoiler-free!) review and the standout moments from its star Claire Danes’ latest interviews. First, though, we dive into Jennifer Lawrence’s career-defining performance in Die My Love, also starring Robert Pattinson, and her personal reflections on postpartum life, as well as Charli XCX’s fab Substack on the realities of being a pop star and the celeb newsletter boom more generally. Plus: the brilliant new sci-fi about a romantasy writer, Pluribus; the Guardian’s viral investigation into ‘free birth’ influencers; and Ambika Mod’s latest role as a porn-addicted academic. Enjoy hunnies! 

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews:

• Pluribus, AppleTV
• The Lost Bus, AppleTV
• Die My Love, in cinemas now 
• ‘Die My Love’ and the savage truth about the postpartum experience, Gillian Orr, Substack
• Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world, Guardian
• The realities of being a pop star, Charli XCX’s substack 
•  Why is Everybody Losing Weight and What do we do Sincerely? A person who's lost weight, Lizzo’s Substack
• Lizzo Starts Over The pop star’s success once felt radical. Can she capture the Zeitgeist again?, Vulture
• The Beast In Me, Netflix 
• ‘I’d barely kissed a boy, but was making out with Adonis’: Claire Danes on sex, spy camp and teen stardom, Guardian  
• Porn Play, Royal Court
• The 31-Year-Old Creator Of Porn Play Wanted To “Do Something Provocative”, Vogue

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From Frankenstein, One Battle After Another and Bugonia, to Sinners, Materialists, and The Roses, in this very special bonus episode we're battling it out for the best films of 2025 live from the Curzon cinema Hoxton! Why are so many of this year’s top films so divisive, and is horror taking over Hollywood? Plus, why blockbuster icons like Leonardo DiCaprio should take note of Timothée Chalamet’s marketing tricks for Marty Supreme, the joys of the Wicked press tours, and our Oscar predictions. Finishing up with a few questions from our huns in the audience! TYSM to everyone who joined us, we loved meeting you all and we can’t wait to do more next year. 

Thank you so much to our fave cinema Curzon for hosting and sponsoring this episode. PSA for all the huns who want to watch the incredible films reviewed in this ep, Curzon have got a brilliant Black Friday deal on their Classic Film Membership, which runs from 28 November to the 1 December and includes a whopping seven free cinema tickets instead of the usual five, as well as 20% off all additional cinema tickets for you and a guest, and 10% off food and drink in all Curzon cinemas. Find out more here.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• Frankenstein, Netflix 
• Bugonia, in Curzon cinemas now  
• One Battle After Another, AppleTV
• Eddington, Amazon Prime Video
• Lilo and Stitch, Disney+
• After The Hunt, Amazon Prime Video 
• The Roses, Disney+
• Materialists, Amazon Prime Video
• The Ballad of Wallis Island, Amazon Prime Video
• Wicked: For Good, in Curzon cinemas now
• Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Amazon Prime 
• Sinners, Amazon Prime Video
• Weapons, Amazon Prime Video
• Babygirl, AppleTV
• Die My Love, in Curzon cinemas now

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer has just dropped and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it! Will Miranda and Andy’s return live up to the iconic first film? Also this week: Jack Whitehall’s glossy thriller Malice, the Caroline Flack documentary that reveals new details about the role the tabloids and police played in her tragic passing, Louis Theroux interviews Florence Pugh, Hilary Duff is making a comeback, Rachel Sennot’s fab influencer comedy I Love LA, Michelle Obama publishes a fashion book and Paris Hilton has been problematic again. Enjoy hunnys and look out for our bonus episode next Wednesday!

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• I Love LA, NOW TV
• Malice, Amazon Prime
• Californication, Paramount +
• ‘Diabolical move’: Miranda Priestly’s red shoes get Instagram fashion no-no, Guardian 
• Allow Hilary Duff to Reintroduce Herself, Vogue 
• Florence Pugh on the Louis Theroux podcast
• Michelle Obama at 61: ‘I feel as free now as I did when I was a kid’, The Times 
• Paris Hilton: ‘I’m not scared of anything — except spiders, bees and dying’, The Times
• Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, Disney+

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Sydney Sweeney’s new film Christy has bombed at the box office, days after her GQ cover interview went viral for all the wrong reasons. Are her days as Hollywood’s golden girl over? We take a look at evolving public image and explore whether her controversies have actually damaged her career. Also on the show: how Sarah Snook’s new kidnapping thriller has prompted a conversation about the gender gap, the I'm A Celeb lineup, what Timothée Chalamet’s very revealing Vogue interview means for Kylie, and we are so here for JLaw’s comeback! Finally, is it fair to say Kim Kardashian has created the worst TV show of all time with All’s Fair? Plus two fab new book recommendations. 

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• All Her Fault, Sky/ NowTV 
• All her Fault is a misandrist masterpiece, Vulture
• Sarah Snook And Dakota Fanning On How New Show ‘All Her Fault’ Reveals The “Invisible Labor” Women Take On In Relationships, Deadline 
• Sarah Snook on Why She Opted for ‘All Her Fault’ After ‘Succession’: “I Can’t Top That, So Finding Something Different Was Really Important”, Hollywood Reporter
• Our October bonus ep: The myth of having it all and how to break free
• Did women ruin the workplace?, New York Times
• Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson Vanity Fair lie detector test, YouTube
• Jennifer Lawrence, The Interview podcast (NYT)
• Sydney Sweeney, GQ
• The Universe According to Timothée, Vogue
• All’s Fair, Disney
• Is All's Fair really the 'worst TV drama ever'? BBC 
• The All's Fair cast: ‘It’s good to see women come together and protect one another', Glamour
• With ‘All’s Fair,’ Ryan Murphy gives us the ultimate Trump-era TV show, LA Times
• ‘All’s Fair’ and the New Television of Nothingness, Hollywood Reporter
• Have we passed peak social media? Financial Times
• Shield of Sparrows, Devney Perry
• Under The Blue, Suzannah V Evans
• The Safekeep, Yael van der Wouden

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Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now? Vogue’s viral piece arguing that male partners have become “culturally loserish” has broken the internet, so we dive in and discuss whether it’s a feminist reckoning or pure TikTok rage bait. Also this week: Millie Bobby Brown’s bullying claims against David Harbour, Jennifer Aniston’s Hollywood hypnotist boyfriend, People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Jonathan Bailey, Cruz Beckham’s new music, and The Cut’s hot take on high-earning women dating younger men. Plus some far from mid TV for you to enjoy! 

Last two tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• Down Cemetery Road, Apple TV 
• Emma Thompson: The spy thrillers I read as a teenager told me women should fall in love and get killed, Radio Times
• The Dead of Winter
• Girl Bands Forever, BBC iPlayer
• Jonathan Bailey named People magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, People
• Millie Bobby Brown Reportedly Filed Harassment and Bullying Claim Against David Harbour, Vanity Fair
• Jennifer Aniston Finally Hard-Launched Her Hypnotist Boyfriend, The Cut
• OPTICS and Lick The Toad, Cruz Beckham
• Just Find a Younger Man: Dating is horrible right now, but some women have discovered a loophole, New York Magazine
• All Fours by Miranda July
• The myth of having it all and how to break free, our bonus from last week
• Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? Vogue
• Is it really outrageously uncool to have a boyfriend? the Guardian

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Lily Allen’s West End Girl isn’t just a comeback, it’s a brutally honest divorce album and everyone is talking about it! We unpack where art ends and reality begins, who “Madeline” might be and Lily’s viral interview quotes about sex, age, personal branding and the media’s obsession with her private life. Also this week: our reviews of the second season of Nobody Wants This, Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield’s controversial campus cancel culture film After the Hunt, Aimee Lou Wood’s gorgeous rom-com series Film Club and Dave’s new album. Plus: are we rooting for Sophie Turner and Chris Martin? And why is Geri trying to stop Netflix’s Spice Girls biopic? Enjoy hunnies! 

Final tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• After the Hunt, in cinemas now
• After the Party, Channel4
• The Chair, Netflix
• Film Club, BBC iPlayer
• Aimee Lou Wood reveals how debut writing project Film Club helped her embrace her neurodivergence, Radio Times
• West End Girl, Lily Allen
• Lily Allen on her sensational new album, Perfect 
• Lily Allen: ‘Intimacy is messy… I’ve had a tough year’, The Times 
• ‘Madeline’ from new Lily Allen album comes forward after affair with David Harbour, NME 
• The Boy Who Played the Harp, Dave 
• Nobody Wants This, Netflix

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The myth of having it all has us trapped and the pressure to excel in every area of life can feel relentless. No wonder there’s a crisis in women’s happiness. Whether you’re single and stretched thin, dating and disillusioned, or juggling work and motherhood, it feels like we can never do enough. In this special ep, economist Corrine Low, author of Femonomics: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours, explains why it’s not all in your head and why women today are overwhelmed from every angle. She breaks down why divorced women are statistically happier, the rise of heteropessimism, why she made the data-driven decision post-divorce to only date women and how to navigate those impossible trade-offs between success and self-care. From dating to fertility and the career ladder, Corrine is here to help us all ensure we get a better deal and ultimately enjoy life more! 

You can check out Corinne’s free resources at corinnelow.com and get Femonomics via all major booksellers. 

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

• Femonomics: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours
• Platonic, AppleTV
• All Fours by Miranda July
• This Economist Crunched the Numbers and Stopped Dating Men And she’s never been happier, The Cut 

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Celebrity interviews without substance seem to be officially out, as the reaction to Kim Kardashian’s surprisingly flat Call Her Daddy episode proved last week, while thoughtful conversations about art (think Cillian Murphy and Stephen Graham) are in. We discuss! Also this week: Callum Turner’s heart-melting Sunday Times interview about Dua Lipa, Lily Allen’s candid Vogue comeback piece, Britney Spears' response to Kevin Federline’s new memoir, as well as our reviews of Molly Mae: Behind It All S2 and the Austin Butler–Zoë Kravitz film. Plus two gripping true-crime recs: a podcast discovery courtesy of a hun, and Netflix’s ‘revolutionary’ new doc The Perfect Neighbor.

Final tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• Wisecrack podcast 
• The Perfect Neighbor, Netflix 
• The Perfect Neighbor: How a 'revolutionary' CCTV film captures a shocking US killing, BBC
• Callum Turner: ‘Love? It’s never not worth it’ The Times
• Gwyneth’s Second Coming: “I’m Much Easier On Myself, I Would Say”, Vogue
• ‘It Was a Way for Me to Process What Was Happening’: Lily Allen on Marriage, Motherhood, and Her Music Comeback, Vogue
• Britney Spears: the brutal media shaming of America’s teen dream, Straight Up 
• You Thought You Knew, Kevin Federline  
• Britney Spears, The Woman in Me 
• Kim Kardashian on Call Her Daddy
• Kim Kardashian’s faux pubic hair thong is a patriarchal fever dream, Impact
• Molly Mae: Behind It All S2, Amazon Prime
• Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes, in all good bookshops
• The Beauty Queens of MAGA World, Wall Street Journal
• Caught Stealing, available to rent on Amazon Prime etc

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Celebrity Traitors is giving us the will to live as we battle flu season hunnies, and we are so hooked! We debate our faves to win and round table strategy. Also this week: we review Keira Knightley’s The Woman in Cabin 10, Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut, Joe Wicks’s provocative doc about protein bars and Elizabeth Day’s new book. Plus our thoughts on the rumours surrounding Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner’s relationships, new couple Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau, and the lowdown on Charli XCX’s feature film and Kim K’s TV drama. And make sure you listen to yesterday’s bonus ep on Victoria Beckham if you haven’t already!

Tickets to our very special live recording at Curzon Hoxton on 19 November are available here :)

Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com. Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!

Recs/reviews

• Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill, C4
• Ultra-Processed People, Dr Chris van Tulleken 
• Why Karolina Krzyzak Followed the Raw Vegans to Bali, The Cut 
• Urchin, in cinemas now
• Harris Dickinson won’t be your heartthrob, Vulture
• The Moment teaser 
• Father of the Bride Part II, Disney+
• All’s Fair trailer
• Celebrity Social Media (Ariana Grande story), Lainey Gossip
• Dear Dickhead by Virginie Despentes, in all good bookshops
• Celebrity Traitors, BBC1
• One of Us, Elizabeth Day
• Flesh, David Szalay
• The Woman in Cabin 10, Netflix

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