The Middle-aged Bodcast

In this special bonus episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Rich chats with co-host and author T.A. Shelano about his upcoming second novel, Escape from Batechu Island.

Described as The Hunger Games meets Castaway, the story follows a group of teens trapped in a deadly conspiracy, fighting both powerful enemies and each other in a high-stakes struggle for survival. T.A. explains how the book connects to his debut (The Doctor's Hidden Patients), how it unexpectedly became part of a trilogy, and why you can still enjoy it as a standalone read.

We also dive into the 100-day writing challenge that pushed the novel forward, the lessons T.A. has learned since releasing his first book, and how events like the Jericho Writers Festival have helped shape his growth as an author.

Whether you're a budding writer or just curious about the creative process, this bonus episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at writing, resilience, and building new worlds.

📚 Find out more about T.A. Shelano's books and author journey at Shelano Books.

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👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods - and tell a mate who's halfway through writing their own novel, has taken on an 100-day challenge, or reckons every trilogy needs a prequel.

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We're taking a trip back into the archives again - and this one's all about dating in your 30s and 40s. Sarah joined us for a brilliant chat full of hilarious stories, the perils of fake profiles, and the eternal debate of free versus paid dating apps. Oh - and Rich even shared his own "worst first date ever" story… which is worth hearing again just for the cringe factor.

Original Description

In this episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Raging Rich and T.A. Shelano welcome Sarah, who dives into the ups and downs of dating in your 30s and 40s. From hilarious dating stories to navigating fake profiles, Sarah shares her take on free vs paid dating apps and why she prefers meeting in person over online connections. Plus, Rich opens up about his "Worst first date ever" in a tale you won't want to miss!

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods - and tell a mate who's braved the dating apps, survived a truly awful first date, or swears meeting in person is the only way to go.

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Hi Bodcasters, we're taking a short break while we prepare for Season 5 so over the next few weeks we'll be reposting selected episodes as well as sprinkling in a couple of Bonus Bodcasts to keep things fresh. Our first repost takes us back to Season 2, where we interviewed Aimee P about balancing motherhood with her passion for running.

Original Episode Description

On this week’s episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Raging Rich and T.A. Shelano chat with the inspiring Aimee P., a devoted mother and passionate runner.

Aimee opens up about her incredible fitness journey, sharing how she balances running with family life and offering practical advice for anyone looking to take up the sport. Aimee reflects on some of her proudest moments, including completing the London Marathon to raise funds for a brain tumour charity in honour of her brother’s best friend. She also reveals her plans to tackle a festive charity park run - complete with a Christmas turkey for every participant - alongside her sister, who isn’t a runner but is stepping up for the fun and challenge (and turkey).

The laughs come thick and fast as Aimee shares her funniest running stories, including the chaos of her birthday park run, and T.A. and Aimee recall resisting the temptation of pizza at a recent birthday gathering (unlike Rich, who admits he’d have caved without a second thought). To cap it all off, T.A. delights everyone with his Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, adding a dose of comedy to this heartfelt episode.

Full of humour and inspiration, this episode will leave you ready to hit the ground running - or at least cheering on those who do!

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods - and tell a mate who's smashed a marathon, braved a festive fun run for charity, or only signs up for events if there's food at the finish line.

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The Middle-aged Bodcast celebrates its one-year anniversary with the Season 4 finale - a packed episode of reflections, listener questions, and behind-the-scenes stories.

We look back on 46 episodes, 20 brilliant guests, and the funniest, most inspiring moments of our first year. Hear how the podcast started, the changes we've made to improve audio and content, and the surprising ways it's transformed our lives - from midlife health and cooking confidence to fitness challenges and guest interviews.

Listener questions take us into our favourite episodes, podcasting tips, dream guests and more. Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the show, this is the perfect place to discover what The Middle-aged Bodcast is all about.

Our guest appearances on other podcasts:

🎬 Talking The Matrix on Flixwatcher

🧠🎧 Raging Rich on Casting Views

🧠🎤 T.A. Shelano on Casting Views

📖🎧 T.A. Shelano on BOOKED

📖🎙️ Middle-aged Bodcast on BOOKED

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods - and tell a mate who's started a podcast midlife, once gave tech support to a popstar, or thinks steak and ale is the only proper pie filling.

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From early mornings on breakfast radio to the bright lights of wrestling ring announcing - and now the pavement - Tom Campbell has lived a life full of big energy and even bigger reinventions.

In this episode, Tom joins Rich and T.A. to talk about his midlife transformation: how Couch to 5K got him off the sofa, why Slimming World finally worked, and what it's really like running a half marathon after 40.

We also dive into Tom's broadcasting beginnings, life at Cultaholic Wrestling, emotional eating, weight loss wins, and the daily battle to stay motivated - even when you'd rather stay in bed.

It's honest, funny, and full of motivation for anyone who thinks they've left it too late to change. Spoiler: you haven't.

📍 Support Tom’s Great North Run fundraiser: https://www.justgiving.com/page/tomcampbellgnr

📸 Follow Tom on Instagram: @mrtomcampbell

🐦 Find him on X (Twitter): @TomCampbell

🎵 Tom's TikTok: @thetomcampbell

📺 Cultaholic Wrestling on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cultaholic

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods and tell a mate who runs for their mental health, still remembers old-school BRMB, or once thought they were the next Intercontinental Champion!

Stay safe – and love you, bye.

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Announcement

This episode was recorded shortly before the passing of Ozzy Osbourne and contains discussion about the recent gig at Villa Park on 5th July.

We'd like to pay tribute to an icon of our home city of Birmingham and dedicate this episode to his memory.  

Episode Description

All aboard! This week, Rich recounts his brilliant night aboard a 1940s-themed murder mystery on the Churnet Valley Railway - complete with pottery puns, surprise twists, and a delicious three-course meal served in motion.

T.A. reflects on the Jericho Writers Festival, and the lads chat about their guest appearance on Flixwatcher (where they revisited The Matrix), the new Superman film, and the challenge of finding a fitness routine that actually sticks.

From summer stretching to Brummie accents, it's a lively catch-up with plenty of laughs.

Also featuring Mrs. Shelano's now-iconic verdict: “You two sound so Brummie!”

Topics include:

🔎 Kintsugi Gold at the Churnet Valley Railway

🎬 Guesting on Flixwatcher to talk The Matrix

✍️ Writers, wrestlers and fridge magnets

🧘‍♂️ Stretching into fitness (gently!)

🏊‍♂️ Swimming, yoga, and knees that say no

🦸 Superman, crowd-surfing Aquaman, and retro TV tangents

🎤 Ozzy Osbourne’s all-star Brum farewell

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like what you heard? Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast wherever you get your pods - and tell a mate who loves a good whodunnit, knows Superman's dog is called Krypto, or wishes they'd been at Ozzy’s final gig.

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In this powerful and honest episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Rich and T.A. chat with Caralyn Dreyer: mental health blogger, single mum, and advocate - about her journey through depression, anxiety, adoption, eating disorders, and rebuilding her identity.

Caralyn opens up about growing up as a biracial adoptee in a predominantly white community, surviving abusive relationships, and what finally led her to speak publicly about her struggles. She shares how launching her blog Darkness to Dialogue helped her connect with others and reclaim her voice - despite her social anxiety and years of self-doubt.

Expect open discussion on:

• Breaking stigma around mental health
• Living well with depression and anxiety
• The complexities of identity and belonging
• Postpartum depression and parenting through pain
• How sharing your story can help others feel less alone

Caralyn’s warmth, humour, and resilience shine through in this heartfelt conversation that reminds us why honesty and empathy matter – especially in midlife.

📌 Find Caralyn's blog: caralyndreyer.blogspot.com

📱 Follow Caralyn on Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok and more - just search her name!

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation. You are not alone!

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In this special episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Raging Rich and T.A. Shelano swap takeaways for tongs and tackle a home-cooked meal each - one from a slow cooker, the other in the air fryer. Inspired by Poppy O’Toole's cookbooks, the lads step out of their culinary comfort zones and share their experiences (and mishaps) with buffalo chicken and lemon-honey skewers.

They chat about learning to cook in midlife, building confidence in the kitchen, and how these small changes tie into bigger goals around health, wellbeing, and saving money. There's humour, honesty, and a few unexpected revelations along the way (yes, Rich has a spice cupboard now).

If you're curious about simple meals, midlife motivation, or just want to hear two blokes navigate the world of home cooking, this one's for you.

The cookbooks we used!

🍟 Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook

🥘 Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook

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🍳 Like, Comment & Subscribe for tasty chats, kitchen wins, and midlife recipes for life!

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This week, we're joined by husband-and-wife duo Joel and Jay-Jay Flanagan-Grannemann for a double helping of inspiration.

Joel is the indie author behind the Servants of the Moon and Sun fantasy series - an epic reimagining of Sleeping Beauty with rich world-building, powerful women, and a surprising amount of heart. Alongside Jay-Jay (his editor, audiobook narrator, and wife), they share how they've built a creative life together - one book, chapter and cover at a time.

They also open up about their incredible wellness journey, sparked by a life-changing health scare. Jay-Jay has lost over 100 pounds, Joel over 35 – all through sustainable lifestyle changes. From cutting sugar to cooking from scratch, their story is honest, motivating, and seriously inspiring.

It's a warm, funny, and deeply personal chat about books, balance, blood pressure... and why sometimes love means saying goodbye to the ice cream.

📚 Learn more about Joel's books: https://servantsofthemoonandsun.com

🔗 Follow Joel on Social Media: Twitter/X | Bluesky

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🌐 Website: https://middleagedbodcast.co.uk

👍 Like, Comment & Subscribe for inspiring stories, honest midlife chats, and creative journeys!

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It's the 40th episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast - and Rich and T.A. are celebrating the milestone in typically chaotic style.

In this episode:

📱 Rich joins the long list of phone-buying casualties, facing upselling madness and baffling shop tactics

🍺 A simple trip to the pub turns sour with flat beer, poor service, and a baffling early closing time

🍳 Rich continues his slow cooker adventures while T.A. gets back on the fitness train with Shaun T

🎤 The pair share their experience of seeing Ellie Taylor live - and how live comedy compares to panel show appearances

📚 Book updates, merch sightings, and reflections on how much can happen in 40 episodes

Plus: coasters, customer service grumbles, and the promise of a cooking special later in the season.

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👍 Follow The Middle-aged Bodcast - and send it to anyone who's ever paid full price for half a pint of effort.

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