The Dead Sibling Society

In the penultimate episode of series one, Gracie and Callum reflect on how their own experiences - Callum was just 12 when his brother Liam died and Gracie's older sister Laura died last year - and discuss how their own grief has changed them. 

We know that everyone's experience of grief is very different. But does grief make you seek attention and is attention-seeking always a bad thing? Get in touch via all forms of social media to tell us how your own experience of grief has changed you.

This week Callum and Gracie are getting some of their - and your - big questions answered by Rufus Harrington, BABCP, Consultant in Cognitive Behavioural Psychology. Rufus is just the man to tackle some of the trickiest topics thrown up by this podcast and by any journey through grief like survivors' guilt, how to find your place in a grieving family and why we all need to face it, feel it and file it.

We loved Rufus and we hope you did too! If you've got any questions for him or feel he might be able to help you, you can contact him at [email protected].

In this episode of the Dead Sibling Society, Gracie and Callum are joined by Gracie's mum Nicola, who tells us all about her daughter Laura and her book 'The Stars Will Still Be There' - a raw but beautifully written account of how Nicola helped her daughter make the most of her remaining time, while dealing with her own pain along with that of Gracie and husband, Mark.

Get your tissues at the ready - this one is emotional.

In this episode of the Dead Sibling Society, Gracie and Callum are joined by Amanda Prowse, who is a multi-million bestselling author who has published more than thirty novels and is one of the most prolific writers of contemporary fiction in the UK today.

In 2022, Amanda lost her brother Simon. With a few tears, but lots of laughter Amanda talks to Gracie and Callum about the impact that devastating loss has had on her and her family, and how it has changed the person she is today.

Find out more about Amanda here and buy her new book, Swimming to Lundy, here.

In this episode of the Dead Sibling Society, Gracie and Callum are joined by Sarah Brown, chair of global children's charity Theirworld and wife of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Gordon and Sarah lost their daughter Jennifer when she was just ten days old in 2002.

In a revealing, emotional interview, Sarah tells the pod about her links to Callum and his brother, Liam, and how they coped with the loss of Jennifer when the couple were firmly in the public eye.

Joining Callum and Gracie for episode 3 is podcaster, adventurer, TV presenter and (whisper it) former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, who knows all about sibling loss.

Spencer was just ten years old when his brother Michael became the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Everest at the age of 22 in 1999. However hours later he vanished, never to be seen again. Michael disappeared 8,000m (26,000 ft) above sea level in an area known as the "Death Zone" - an altitude where oxygen levels are insufficient to sustain human life. More than two decades on, Spencer retraced Michael's final steps in an attempt to find his body, recording the experience in a documentary titled "Finding Michael".

His latest challenge will see him take on the challenge of his lifetime; running 30 marathons in 30 days across the desert in the peak of summer. Starting at the end of July, Spencer is aiming to set a world record while fundraising for Global's Make Some Noise.

Episode two is all about our Callum as we get to know podcast co-host Callum Fairhurst, whose brother Liam died at the age of 14 in 2009. Callum explains why his brother was his hero, his best mate and why he feels like he wants to live his life for Liam.

Callum was just 12 when his brother died but he went on to become the founder of Sibling Support. You can check out the work of Sibling Support and find out more about Callum and his brother here.

Episode one is all about Gracie as we get to know podcast co-host Gracie Nuttall, whose sister, Laura, died in May 2023.

Gracie tells Callum all about her relationship with her big sister, how she coped with watching Laura's cancer progress, and how she and her family said goodbye.

Laura shot to fame after her diagnosis with her famous 'bucket list' which saw her meet Michelle Obama, command a Royal Navy ship, drive a tank, graduate from the University of Manchester and plenty more.

Since her death, Laura's family has continued her campaigning, and the charity, the Be More Laura Foundation, has already made grants and donations of £85,000 to research projects.

You can find out more about Laura and her family's charity here.