Dua Lipa has been hailed as ‘the best literary interviewer’ for her forensically researched Service95 author chats and so ofc we had to weigh in, huns, from the rise of celebrity book clubs (and even book stylists) to why people are so reticent to acknowledge a beautiful woman’s intelligence. Also this week: celebrity couples from Kylie and Timothée to Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, the labubu doll craze and the ‘kidultification’ of culture, plus a deepdive into the disturbing world of #SkinnyTok. Is this the end of body positivity or just recycled fatphobia, emboldened by the Ozempic era? Finally, a few TV recs, including our review of Molly Mae: Behind It All part two. Enjoy and have a fab weekend!

Please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going x

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

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Recs/ reviews

• Is Dua Lipa the best literary interviewer? The Guardian
• Dua Lipa versus the literary landscape, YouTube
• Still Born, Guadalupe Nettel
• Why countless guys are obsessed with those weird and wild Labubu dolls, GQ
• The £13 cuddly toys now being sold for thousands thanks to a celebrity craze, Telegraph
• Flow, in cinemas and to rent on YouTube
• Who’s Afraid of #SkinnyTok? Airmail 
• SkinnyTok Isn’t A Trend — It’s The Latest Iteration of Diet Culture & Fatphobia, Refinery29
• From fashion to the food industry: 11 ways that weight-loss drugs have changed the world, Guardian
• Molly Mae: Behind It All pt II, Amazon Prime 
• I thought Molly-Mae Hague was self-absorbed – her documentary changed my mind, Metro 
• Malpractise, ITV

.

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Ambition feels very complicated in 2025. On the one hand, hustle culture, 5am wake-ups and 'productivity bros' dominate our social media feeds, yet post-pandemic it seems like many have redefined what constitutes ‘success’ through finding purpose, setting boundaries or simply ‘quiet quitting’. So what does ‘making it’ even mean anymore? In this special bonus ep, we’re unpacking everything from side hustles, the girlboss era and softgirl trends to money anxiety, career disillusionment and Emma Grede’s controversial Diary of a CEO interview. Enjoy hunnies and let us know if there’s a special topic you’d love for us to tackle!

DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email ⁠⁠[email protected] and please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going x⁠

Recs/ reviews:

• What We Lose When We're Priced Out of Our Hobbies, Atlantic
• Side hustles, Zoom waves and the Great Casualisation: how Covid shaped new ways to work, FT
• I burned out chasing money and hustle culture's standards. Now, I'm taking a 'no shame' approach to my business, Business Insider
• Emma Grede on Diary of a CEO
• Some side hustle ideas to help you with all that money anxiety, The Cut 
• The rise of the side hustle, Guardian
• Moral Ambition, Rutger Bregman 
• If Books Could Kill podcast on Lean In 
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
• The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

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The Beckham family feud is making headlines again, huns, after Brooklyn missed David’s starry 50th bash – the latest in a long line of similar ‘snubbed’ events. He didn’t even post about his dad’s big day, so might this genuinely be more than tabloid rumour? Obvs we’re debriefing on the Met Gala too, from Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal to the apparent fall out between Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell. Also this week: Dolly Alderton’s new quotes on friendship, Tina Fey’s ‘mid-life’ comedy The Four Seasons and our review of the first ep of the final series of The Handmaid’s Tale. Enjoy and please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going!

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

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Get better skin and sleep with sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet and use our code STRAIGHTUP for 15% off at sisterlylab.co.uk

Recs:

• Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
• Naomi Campbell’s charity ended in disgrace. She wants to talk about why, Financial Times
• Sally Rooney, Naomi Campbell and Nobody Wants This, Straight Up ep Oct 24
• The Four Seasons, Netflix 
• The Handmaid’s Tale, Amazon Prime/ C4 
• As the curtain falls on Gilead, is The Handmaid’s Tale too close to the bone? The Independent
• The MaddAddam Trilogy, Margaret Atwood 
• Make Christianity cool again: Why Gen Z is flocking to church, The Independent

.

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Celebrity Traitors, five-star sexy horror Sinners and Penn Badgley’s You finale are all on the agenda this week, huns, as well as Louis Theroux’s return to top form with new doc The Settlers. Is this his most important piece of work yet? We’re also getting stuck into the latest Blake Lively updates, from her ‘feud’ with A Simple Favour 2 costar Anna Kendrick, to the recent Baldoni-related developments. And why are celebs like Blake and Ryan all buying into football teams atm? Plus, Chappel Roan ‘pushing’ her assistant, the problem with ‘POVS’ and Kaitlyn Dever’s heart-wrenching The Last of Us interview. Enjoy and please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going!

We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Try BookBeat for 60 days for free and stream millions of audio and e-books using our code straightup at bookbeat.com

Recs/ reviews: 

• ‘I was sexualised, patronised and ridiculed’: how Charlotte Church survived the tabloids to become an earth mother, Guardian
• Love Life, BBC iPlayer
• Blake Lively Is on the 2025 TIME100 List, Time Magazine
• You S5, Netflix
• Podcrushed ep with Penn Badgley and Domino Badgley- Kirke 
• How ‘You’ Star Penn Badgley Set Out to Deconstruct His Romantic Icon, Hollywood Reporter 
• A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas 
• Sinners, in cinemas now
• Sinners Is Bold, Ambitious, and Just Misses Greatness, Vulture
• Louis Theroux: The Settlers, BBC iPlayer
• The Settlers review – this vital film forces Louis Theroux to do something he’s never done before
• Louis Theroux On Returning To The West Bank After 15 Years For BBC Doc ‘The Settlers’ & Being “Perpetrator Focused, Deadline 
• It Broke Her, Too: Kaitlyn Dever on The Last of Us, Vulture 

.

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Hen szn is here hunnies and so as promised here is our special deepdive! With the help of your excellent DMs, we assess the good and bad of this increasingly divisive topic: from money anxieties and the growing consumerism of the hen-do ‘aesthetic’ to how this tradition can provide a much-needed opportunity to celebrate and make time for those you love. Plus, the single gal perspective, hen ‘etiquette’, pop culture horror stories,, and whether hens are ultimately progressive or regressive for women. 

If you enjoyed this please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! We absolutely LOVE hearing recommendations for Thursday topics or bonus eps too, so please do DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Recs

• All the Behind-the-Scenes Debauchery From Writer Tish Weinstock’s Bachelorette, Cosmo
• Bring back tacky hen do’s, the I paper  
• Why I wanted a one-night only hen-do, The Times 
• Why I’m no longer going on hen weekends, New Statesman 
• From penis straws to puppy yoga: Inside the ‘zen do’ revolution, Independent 
• Henpocalypse!, BBC iPlayer
• Bachelorette, Prime Video
• Bridesmaids, Prime Video 
• Everything I know about love, Dolly Alderton
• Stag and hen parties swap binges for good clean fun, Times
• Are You the Only One Who’s Broke? Or Is It ‘Money Dysmorphia’? NY Times
• Over and out: why hens, stags and their parties should be put out to grass, Guardian 
• Hens with Heart 

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Are Big Brother’s Jojo Siwa and Chris Hughes just friends or something more? We discuss what is ‘normal’ within platonic relationships and whether Chris is really who he appears to be on screen. In other celeb news: a debrief on the Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas rumours, and why Liz Hurley’s new romance is rather concerning. As promised hunnies Kath reports back on her first foray into ACOTAR and how it compares to Fourth Wing, and we have some excellent recs across theatre and TV, including Disney’s The Stolen Girl and whether sleepovers should have parents worried. And last but not least… The Last of Us! We’ve kept our review to the first episode only to avoid spoiling ep two’s shocking (gahhhh!!) twist. See ya next time!

Please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

We are blown away by how Sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet has improved our health, from skin and nails to sleep and energy. Get 15% off with code STRAIGHTUP at sisterlylab.co.uk

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Recs/reviews 

• A Court Of Thorns And Roses, Sarah J. Maas 
• Powerless by Lauren Roberts
• I Who Have Never Known Men, Jaqueline Harpman
• Retrograde, Apollo Theatre London
• The Stolen Girl, Disney +
• The Stolen Girl is here to make us think twice about sleepovers, Stylist 
• Your Friends & Neighbours, Apple TV
• Jon Hamm Runs Deep, L’Officiel
• The Last of Us, Sky/ HBO 
• Moya McLothian Lean, The Chaff Substack 
• Bel Priestley, YouTube

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The queen of podcasting herself, Elizabeth Day, is on the show today to talk all things pop culture and we could not be happier about it huns! We get stuck into her three top recent recs across TV, film and books, the media’s obsession with first person pieces about ‘bad friends’ and the toll of maintaining a personal brand. We also chat about the psychic reading that changed Elizabeth’s life, reality TV, her daily routine and top pieces of dating advice for our single huns. We promise anyone currently jaded by modern dating will feel uplifted hearing her talk about her first Hinge date with now-husband!

Check out Elizabeth's podcast How To Date here and pre oder her new book One of Us (out September 25) here

Please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

We are blown away by how Sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet has improved our health, from skin and nails to sleep and energy. Get 15% off with code STRAIGHTUP at sisterlylab.co.uk

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Reccs/ reviews:

• How to Date podcast
• The Party, Elizabeth Day
• Babygirl isn't just a sexy thriller, Elizabeth’s Substack Daylight
• Love on the spectrum S3, Netflix 
• Bad Influence, Netflix 
• Show Don’t Tell, Curtis Sittenfield 
• Meghan Markle, Confessions of a Female Founder  
• Ed Sheeran, Call Her Daddy
• Adolescence, Netflix 
• Conclave, AppleTV
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams 
• Chloe, BBC iPlayer
• Erin Doherty, How to Fail
• Olivia Atwood, How To Fail
• On the Outside Substack 

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Another week, another divisive op-ed from The Cut! This time about the fraught nature of WhatsApp groups: is it wise to use them to discuss such personal things as money, politics and parenting? First though, another op-ed, this time on the 'Singlehood Stigma', tackling why women feel like they are simultaneously being told by society not to want a partner, while also shamed for their singledom. It seems like we can't have it all - and maybe that's OK. Also on the show, we have a look at the new charges against Russell Brand, why Romeo Beckham is feuding with brother Brooklyn, a quick film rec and reviews of this week's top TV: Black Mirror and Dying for Sex. Enjoy hunnies!

Please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

We are blown away by how Sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet has improved our health, from skin and nails to sleep and energy. Get 15% off with code STRAIGHTUP at sisterlylab.co.uk

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Recs/ reviews

• The New Singlehood Stigma, The Atlantic 
• When Did Dating Become So Depressing? (our ep)
• Freya India, GIRLS, Substack 
• My Group Chat is Ruining My Life, The Cut 
• Thinking About Myself Too Much is Making Me Sick, Chloe Grace Laws’ Substack 
• Black Bag, in cinemas now 
• Russell Brand: Misogyny, manipulation and the mainstream media 'agenda' (our ep)
• The Deliriously Witty Spy Games of “Black Bag”, New Yorker 
• Is this the kinkiest show on TV? New York Mag
• Dying for Sex, Disney 
• Dying for Sex, Wondery Plus
• Michelle Andrews on Inherited podcast 
• Black Mirror, Netflix 
• Blue Jean, BBC IPlayer

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Chappell Roan has received a backlash for saying all her parent friends are ‘in hell’ – is it warranted? We discuss her controversial Call Her Daddy interview and the perennial issue of the ‘unlikeable’ woman, including Amanda Knox, who has just given a fascinating new interview. Also, why does it seem like the internet has been waiting for Sydney Sweeney’s engagement to fail? Plus plenty of film and TV reviews, from brilliant new AppleTV comedy The Studio to Emilia Clarke’s disturbing fertility sci-fi The Pod Generation, now on Netflix. Finally, we dig into why so many men seem to be fainting at a depiction of abortion in the West End, and the efficacy of trigger warnings.

Please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.

We are blown away by how Sisterly's Elevator powder multivit sachet has improved our health, from skin and nails to sleep and energy. Get 15% off with code STRAIGHTUP at sisterlylab.co.uk

Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

Recs/reviews

• I’m Sorry You Feel That Way, Rebecca Wait
• Havoc, Rebecca Wait
• Brunswick House, London
• The Studio, AppleTV
• Ellen Pompeo, Call Her Daddy
• Millie Bobby Brown, Call Her Daddy
• The Electric State, Netflix
• Chappell Roan, Call Her Daddy
• Amanda Knox, How Do I Cope? 
• Con Mum, Netflix 
• The Pod Generation, Netflix
• I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman
• The Years, Harold Pinter 

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Welcome to another bonus episode, this time on the theme of moving: something we’ve been chatting about a lot over the last six months. Why are so many packing up the career ladder for a different way of life abroad? Is it easier to find love elsewhere? Why are people – including couples – flatsharing later in life than ever? And has it now become acceptable to live with your parents in your 30s? We unpick the most recent data and dive into all these cultural and social trends, while sharing our own experiences of moving, from how our first flatshares compared to pop culture tropes, to living with partners, parents and strangers. We would LOVE to hear about your experiences of moving, in any way shape or form, so please do DM us at @straightuppod, or email us a [email protected], and we can continue the conversation. (And don't worry we'll be back with this week's regular ep on Thursday!)

Please leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep our little pod going <3

Recs 

• Homesick, Silvia Saunders 
• The Great Escape: “Why women like me are quitting our jobs in search of sunshine and self-discovery”, Stylist 
• Why everything you know about Gen Z is wrong, The Bunker podcast 
• Everything I Know About Love, Dolly Alderton 
• Girls, Now TV 

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