Taboo on the Bus

(Apologies about the quality of the footage!)

No chatty intro to today’s episode; I wanted to get right to the heart of the issue of homelessness amongst university students in the UK. A staggering number of students, both domestic and international, experience homelessness while studying every year. That may look like sleeping in carparks, libraries, living out of cars during breaks, or even surfing round sofas. The matter of fact is that this is an incredibly common experience, but one that goes underreported and underrepresented in datasets.

Sit down with me today to discuss the nature of this issue, the paradox within the support system, who this largely affects, and what we ultimately need to do to not just tackle it but prevent it entirely.

Thank you to Greg Hurst from the Centre for Homelessness Impact, who makes up the interview section of this episode, who joined me at the UCL campus café to discusssome research-backed recommendations for tackling this issue. Also thank you to the 13 individuals who shared their experiences with me to contribute to my ownresearch.

Find me:

Instagram: @whatzaraloves

TikTok: @whatzaraloves6

Podcast: Taboo on the Bus

Email: [email protected]

Links/Reading/Citations:

Scottish Government Report: Research intohousing insecurity and hidden homelessness in Scotland - https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2025/04/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness-scotland/documents/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness/govscot%3Adocument/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness.pdf

LSE Research Paper: https://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cr/casereport158.pdf

Unite Foundation: https://www.unitefoundation.org.uk\

Greg Hurst: https://www.homelessnessimpact.org/people/greg-hurst

-             https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Could-universities-do-more-to-end-homelessness.pdf

Toolkit: https://artshomelessint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AHI-Homelessness-in-Higher-Education-Toolkit-DIGITAL-SPREADS.pdf

Homeless Liaisons: https://www.highereddive.com/news/more-colleges-are-creating-homeless-liaison-roles-heres-why/744262/

University of Edinburgh page: https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/living-in-edinburgh/accommodation/emergency-accommodation#:~:text=If%20you%20don't%20have%20somewhere%20to%20spend,University's%2024%2F7%20Community%20Support%20team%3A%20Email%3A%20security24%2D7%40ed.ac.uk.

Guardian quote: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/20/international-students-bring-much-more-than-money-to-the-uk

References:

https://taso.org.uk/news-blog/new-report-pathways-higher-education-childrens-social-care/

https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/insights-and-analysis/enabling-care-experienced-and-estranged

https://housinghand.com/who-we-support/students

https://wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/students-and-their-homelessness-are-invisible-in-mhclg

https://www.studygroup.com/blog/the-importance-of-international-students-uk-he

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8726680/

https://www.studynow.org.uk/blog/cost-of-living-uk-international-student-2026

https://wonkhe.com/blogs/removing-the-rent-guarantor-barrier-to-safe-and-stable-accommodation

Bonus new monthly series: Taboo on the Tube where I unpack other people’s taboo topics and conversations on the tube.

Sit down with us on the Lizzie line today to unpack the taboo of self help content and culture, and how it doesn’t always serve us. Let me know if you’ve found yourself in a trap of this content before, and how we should manage?

Kamal: https://www.instagram.com/kamalnw?srtk=MW9vdXAzMW00c3Vtcg==

videographer: @roz.matuszyk

Outfit: @après / @Babytoefu

#tabooonthetube#tabooonthetube #videoessay

Sit down with me today to discuss the fallout from Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over his public support for a free Palestine. What started as a conversation centred on Palestinian liberation has warped into memes, weighing up of celebrity ‘sides’, drags of Ed Sheeran’s tattoos, and somewhat of a ‘Morality Olympics’ at play online.  

What I have noticed is that amid conversations centring on world atrocities, we can be quick to end our advocacy online at follows/unfollows, and surveillance of celebrity stances and movements. We can get wrapped up in mass cancellations, public dragging, and picking ‘sides’, which diverts from conversations and actions that actually can move the dial. 

This episode serves to discuss how we must engage with BOTH in order to make a difference and keep pressure on the cause, which is, and remains, a free Palestine. 

Let me know what you think. I hope this serves as an important addition of digital culture analysis and a reminder of the root here.

Thank you for your continued support for my podcast/vodcast, it means the world to me! 

Insta – Whatzaraloves

TikTok – whatzaraloves6

Podcast – Taboo on the Bus

Email – [email protected]

Reference List:

TikTok:

Ed Sheeran Tattoo Artist: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8rATGRg/

Club Leader Gary: https://www.tiktok.com/@garebearclub?_r=1&_t=ZN-9A55wn0Qk5O

Articles Mentioned:

https://gaypop.substack.com/p/ed-sheeran-and-the-fallacy-of-apoliticism

https://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2025/09/19/the-curtains-arent-just-blue-why-art-cannot-be-apolitical/

https://www.palatinate.org.uk/the-fallacy-that-art-can-be-apolitical/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/18/robert-kraft-macklemore-ed-sheeran-tour&ved=2ahUKEwjowLLF1o6XAxUtUEEAHcO8E0MQFnoECDIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zJJ8lEHeBF-iOzfgidWoC

Donation Links:

https://www.pcrf.net

https://donate.wck.org/campaign/749399/donate?utm_source=googlesearch&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gaza-googleaccountsitelinks&c_src=2025-paidmedia-fundraising-googlesearch-gaza-googleaccountsitelinks&utm_source=googlepmax&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=evergreen-performancemax&c_src=2026-paidmedia-fundraising-googlepmax-evergreen-performancemax&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22475403517&gbraid=0AAAAApcxQJu3-B3-VBxYdCggywRPvbNVO&gclid=CjwKCAjw_eLVBhBEEiwAeaYZfA79vlR0ntUqTbLFUhOmbO6c_z6dI5_umT9vYY6qcVswscf08Q0QmxoCCIYQAvD_BwE

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcyw0Uso0kD/&ved=2ahUKEwipr92w1o6XAxWqYEEAHVyBGAEQFnoECCAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1-ET7FziEt5r0T63dWULf6

[Long-form deep dive episode at home is also live]

Sit down with me in the front seat of the bus to discuss the fallout from Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over his public support for a free Palestine. What started as a conversation centred on Palestinian liberation has warped into memes, weighing up of celebrity ‘sides’, drags of Ed Sheeran’s tattoos, and somewhat of a ‘Morality Olympics’ at play online.  

What I have noticed is that amid conversations centring on world atrocities, we can be quick to end our advocacy online at follows/unfollows, and surveillance of celebrity stances and movements. We can get wrapped up in mass cancellations, public dragging, and picking ‘sides’, which diverts from conversations and actions that actually can move the dial. 

This episode serves to discuss how we must engage with BOTH in order to make a difference and keep pressure on the cause, which is, and remains, a free Palestine. 

Let me know what you think. I hope this serves as an important addition of digital culture analysis and a reminder of the root here.

Thank you for your continued support for my podcast/vodcast, it means the world to me! 

Insta – Whatzaraloves

TikTok – whatzaraloves6

Podcast – Taboo on the Bus

Email – [email protected]

Sit down with me today to dissect the harms of AI data centres on a micro and macro level, looking at their local, racial, environmental, and social impacts. From Sophia and Cinzia promoting Google Gemini for AI pasta recipes, to Open AI taking influencers on a ChatGPT nature retreat, to the Save Brick Lane coalition, let’s unpack the current AI landscape and the powerhouses behind this force.

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: whatzaraloves

TikTok: whatzaraloves6

Podcast: Taboo on the Bus

Links:

What is a Data Centre?: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-data-center

Save Brick Lane: https://www.savebricklane.net/press/press-cuttings

Oxford University Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKa1Z-Z6xOQ&t=2s 

Capital B News:

https://capitalbnews.org/musk-xai-memphis-black-neighborhood-pollution/

https://capitalbnews.org/data-centers-black-communities-south/

References:

https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report

https://theconversation.com/how-brick-lane-became-the-latest-neighbourhood-to-battle-against-a-data-centre-290200

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre

https://www.regen.co.uk/insights/the-data-centre-boom-has-a-justice-problem

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/new-york-moratorium-ai-datacenters

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/09/slough-famous-the-office-datacentres-locals-hub-europe

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/technology/article/what-is-a-data-center/&ved=2ahUKEwi50aGfja-WAxWPRkEAHcJqIlsQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw369MGsyZUy8KdDhAtwXqx-

[Mini Bus version. Long episode is also live]

Sit down with me today to dissect the harms of AI data centres on a micro and macro level, looking at their local, racial, environmental, and social impacts. From Sophia and Cinzia promoting Google Gemini for AI pasta recipes, to Open AI taking influencers on a ChatGPT nature retreat, to the Save Brick Lane coalition, let’s unpack the current AI landscape and the powerhouses behind this force.

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: whatzaraloves

TikTok: whatzaraloves6

Podcast: Taboo on the Bus

Links:

What is a Data Centre?: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-data-center

Save Brick Lane: https://www.savebricklane.net/press/press-cuttings

Oxford University Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKa1Z-Z6xOQ&t=2s 

Capital B News:

https://capitalbnews.org/musk-xai-memphis-black-neighborhood-pollution/

https://capitalbnews.org/data-centers-black-communities-south/

References:

https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report

https://theconversation.com/how-brick-lane-became-the-latest-neighbourhood-to-battle-against-a-data-centre-290200

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre

https://www.regen.co.uk/insights/the-data-centre-boom-has-a-justice-problem

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/new-york-moratorium-ai-datacenters

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/09/slough-famous-the-office-datacentres-locals-hub-europe

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/technology/article/what-is-a-data-center/&ved=2ahUKEwi50aGfja-WAxWPRkEAHcJqIlsQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw369MGsyZUy8KdDhAtwXqx-

[Epsiode starts at: 11:18]

Meta have immersed themselves into the fashion realm with a line of trendy smart glasses and line-up of ‘IT-girls’ to promote the launch. Surveillance meets fashion in this collab, and we’re going to start seeing every-day recording and documentation become ‘normal’ in our society, or will we even notice?  

Sit down with me today to discuss how these glasses pose threat particularly to women, children, and minority groups, and how smart yet harmful it is of Meta to target women with this launch. I’ll also give my thoughts on how I think the normalisation of these glasses in public will alter everyone’s behaviour from a lense of ‘performing for an audience’. Think of the way in which people don’t dance in the club anymore because of the fear of being recorded, now apply that to stepping outside. 

Let me know what your thoughts are on Meta glasses going mainstream?

Find me online:

Instagram – Whatzaraloves

TikTok – Whatzaraloves

Podcast – Taboo on the Bus

Email: [email protected]

Reading list of articles mentioned:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/21/meta-smartglasses-child-filmed-ai-risk-technology

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy87wqz0q9o

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/aug/02/ai-chatbot-training-human-toll-content-moderator-meta-openai 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo

[Mini Bus Version - Full podcast episode also live]

Meta have immersed themselves into the fashion realm with a line of trendy smart glasses and line-up of ‘IT-girls’ to promote the launch. Surveillance meets fashion in this collab, and we’re going to start seeing every-day recording and documentation become ‘normal’ in our society, or will we even notice?  

Sit down with me today to discuss how these glasses pose threat particularly to women, children, and minority groups, and how smart yet harmful it is of Meta to target women with this launch. I’ll also give my thoughts on how I think the normalisation of these glasses in public will alter everyone’s behaviour from a lense of ‘performing for an audience’. Think of the way in which people don’t dance in the club anymore because of the fear of being recorded, now apply that to stepping outside. 

Let me know what your thoughts are on Meta glasses going mainstream?

Find me online:

Instagram – Whatzaraloves

TikTok – Whatzaraloves

Podcast – Taboo on the Bus

Email: [email protected]

Reading list of articles mentioned:

⁠https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/21/meta-smartglasses-child-filmed-ai-risk-technology⁠

⁠https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy87wqz0q9o⁠

⁠https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/aug/02/ai-chatbot-training-human-toll-content-moderator-meta-openai⁠ 

⁠https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo⁠

Sit down with me OFF the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.

Instagram: Whatzaraloves

Tiktok: whatzaraloves6

Email: [email protected]

award vote (at the bottom): https://www.bcreator.co.uk/awards/vote/

Reading list / references:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640

https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/

https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html

https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf

Full deep-dive episode OFF the bus is also live!

Sit with me on the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.

Instagram: Whatzaraloves

Tiktok: whatzaraloves6

Email: [email protected]

Reading list / references:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640

https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/

https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html

https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf