Why does it take a whole year to make a kids' book? What's it like to visit Richard Branson's private island? And who doesn't love a Nissan Micra? Answering all these questions is bestselling children's author Rachel Bright! 

She tells us how she went from losing hope after an early rejection to landing a three-book publishing deal, and enjoying huge success with The Lion Inside. We talk about talent, timing, and the third magic ingredient that got Rachel where she is today. 

We also discuss Rachel's time working as an air hostess for Virgin Atlantic, and what happened when she went to Necker Island. We find out how to wear hats, and in a podcast exclusive, Rachel shares her favourite verruca hack. 

As is tradition, we finish with Scummy Mummy Confessions - this time involving a basketball and an erect horse penis. 

Find out more about Rachel's brilliant books by following her on Instagram @rachelbrightbooks. Her latest titles, The Turtle Who Turned the Tide and The Messysaurus, are out now. 

We are on tour! See you soon, Tiverton, Watford, Manchester and Eastleigh! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How common is sibling estrangement? Does birth order really determine your destiny? And is there anything we can do to make our kids get along? Helping us to answer all these questions is the awesome author Catherine Carr. 

It's a big episode for Ellie, as she talks publicly for the first time about being estranged from her brother - why it's happened, and how she's learned to make peace with it. 

Catherine shares what she's learned about the subject in the course of writing her excellent book, Who's the Favourite? We also discuss whether the myths about elder and younger siblings are true, and the role gender plays in family dynamics. Plus, we ask Catherine whether there's anything parents can do to help their kids' relationships run smoothly. 

We finish of course with Scummy Mummy Confessions. This week: a sweaty incident, school admin stress, and Ellie's husband's peen. 

Catherine's book is out now. Her podcast is called Relatively, and do check out her episode on Woman's Hour. You can follow her on Instagram @tall.lady.carr. 

We are on tour! See you soon, Tiverton, Watford, Manchester and Eastleigh! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's Britain's favourite pantomime dame (oh no she isn't, etc) - it's Mama G! Join us for a hilarious chat covering everything from panto and children's books to lesbian grandmas and Irene from Home and Away. 

We delve deep into Mama G's origin story, and find out how she got started in the panto game. What was it like to play Bungle in the Rainbow stage show, and what happened when she met the one from the telly? And is Zippy a dick in real life? 

We also talk about Mama G's experience of leading a team of dames to the semi-final on Britain's Got Talent. What's Simon Cowell like when the cameras are off? And what's her one regret about appearing on the show?

For more from Mama G, follow her on Instagram @mamagstories. Her latest book, The Proudest Bird in the World, is out in July, but you can preorder now. And you can see her brilliant show at the Edinburgh Fringe this August. 

We are on tour! See you soon, Stratford and South Norwood! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING MANCHESTER AND NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you stop being a people pleaser? Is it wrong to pee in the shower? And how do you end up having a fight with Giles Brandreth? Helping us to answer all these questions is the brilliant Bryony Gordon.

Bryony tells us all about her new novel, People Pleaser, which is out on Thursday. Helen reveals how she learned to ask for what she wants, and Ellie explains how it has made their relationship stronger. We talk about the pros and cons of rawdogging your emotions, and whether you can be 80 per cent sober. 

There's also a bit of chat about shagging, and of course Scummy Mummy Confessions, in which Helen manages to leave Bryony actively disgusted. 

Follow Bryony on Instagram @bryonygordon. Her latest book is available to pre-order now. 

Helen's new book is OUT NOW - it's a hopeful, brutally honest and witty guidebook for navigating big hard life things. How to Face Big Change is out now in Hardback, Audiobook and eBook.

We are on tour! See you soon Cambridge, Stratford and South Norwood! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING MANCHESTER AND NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com  for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's going on in our brains when we can't sleep? What if you find it easy to drop off, but wake up a few hours later? How does the perimenopause play a part? Joining us to answer all these questions is the brilliant Lorna MacDonald. 

Lorna is a neuroscience-based hypnotherapist and coach who's been helping Ellie get a bit more shut-eye. She explains why so many middle-aged women struggle with sleep, and gives us lots of practical ideas for improving things. 

We talk about the stress bucket, and the difference between slutty and classy dopamine. There's some chat about alcohol and hormonal change. Lorna tells us the story of how she came back from burnout, and we talk about what it is, how to recognise the first signs, and what we can do to manage it. 

Plus: why it's OK to be selfish, and how it can actually make you happier. 

For more from Lorna, including how to get in touch with her and pricing, thehypnotherapynook.com or follow her on Instagram @thehypnotherapynook.

Helen's book "How to Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger" is now out and all about how women rebuild their lives after big shitty life things, it is uplifting, funny and brutally honest. You can buy a copy here. https://lnk.to/howtofacebigchange

We are on tour! See you soon Newbury, Cambridge, Stratford and South Norwood! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING MANCHESTER AND NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IT'S HERE! Well, almost. Helen's brand new book, How to Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger, is out on 2nd April! So we sat down for a chat about it. 

Listen in to find out why Helen wanted to write the book, and what she learned during the writing process. Ellie discusses what it's like to support a friend through hard times, and there's some chat about healthy and not-so-healthy ways of coping. Plus, discover what makes Helen laugh more than anything else, and why Ellie is now really into oil rigs. 

We are on tour, just for a change. But also - Helen is doing a book tour! And Ellie is joining her for a couple of the dates!

Bath 27 March, Chorleywood 7 April, Nottingham 9 April, Leeds 10 April, Mold 11 April. Tickets from tix.to/helenthorn

Helen's book is out next week but you can pre-order now! Go go go!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this episode is the brilliant comedian Cariad Lloyd! 

We talk about her award-winning podcast, Griefcast, and why she decided to stop making it after seven years. We discuss helping a friend through grief - is it ever too late to offer support? What's the best way to handle tricky times like Mother's Day? And why is death sometimes so bloody funny? 

Cariad shares what it was like to have a baby four days into the first lockdown, and why she's moved into writing children's books. We talk about her fantastic picture book, Where Did She Go?, and festive adventure Lydia Marmalade and the Christmas Wish. They're both out now. 

There's also some chat about Austentatious, the Jane Austen improv show Cariad appears in. And Helen tells us a thing about audiobooks that blows our minds. 

As always we finish with Scummy Mummy Confessions - this time involving an unrelaxing bath, a feral child, and Ellie's husband's worst birthday ever. 

For more from Cariad visit cariadlloyd.com and follow her on Instagram @cariadlloyd. Dates and tickets for Austentatious are available via austentatiousimpro.com.

We are now on tour! See you soon Kent, Manchester, Newbury, Cambridge, Stratford and South Norwood! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just the two of us as we sit down with some of the funniest and filthiest audience confessions from our live show. This is the stuff you just couldn't make up... Tune in to hear all sorts of tales about badly behaved teachers, a wrongfully accused cat, a hoovering accident and more... 

Huge thanks to everyone who has shared their hilarious stories with us, and to everyone who has been to our shows and heard them live. Our Hot Mess tour is running right up until Christmas - Hertford this week, Scotland next week, and then everywhere from Norwich to Northern Ireland! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and reasonably priced tickets. 

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the top three things we should be doing for our health as we get older? How can we help ourselves through the menopause? And is it OK to eat Minstrels for breakfast? Helping us to answer all these questions is fitness expert Kate Rowe-Ham! 

She tells us all about her new book, The Longevity Solution: 21 Days to Health, Strength, and Vitality. We discuss why we might need to change our strategies for things like exercise and fasting as we age, and how to track improvements. Kate discusses her views on supplements, nutrition, and the importance of community, and we find out how much you can really achieve in just three weeks. 

Of course we end with some Scummy Mummy Confessions - this time involving a WhatsApp snafu, an embarrassing moment in a Premier Inn corridor, and a cameo from a special guest. 

Follow Kate on Instagram @katerh_fitness. Her book is out now! 

We are back on tour in 2026! Many venues are already selling out so get in quick! 

See you soon Northampton, Cirencester and Hertford. In March it's Manchester, Kent and our SCOTTISH TOUR! Hello Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. 

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this episode is the brilliant and hilarious Fay Reid, known on Instagram as @9to5menopause.

We talk about her experience of entering perimenopause at 45. She discusses the stigma that she feels exists within the Black community around the topic, how she built up the courage to speak out, and what happened when she did. 

Fay also tells us about her attempts to have a child, and the grief and acceptance that followed. She shares the top three things she wishes she'd known at the start of her journey, and reveals the benefits of being menopausal - yes, there are some! There's a bit of chat about strength training, and of course, we end with Scummy Mummy Confessions. 

Follow Fay @9to5menopause and visit fayreid.com for more. 

We are back on tour in 2026! Many venues are already selling out so get in quick! 

See you soon Hexham, Alnwick, and Darlington. In February we're coming to Northampton, Cirencester and Hertford. 

Then in March it's Manchester, Kent and our SCOTTISH TOUR! See you soon Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow!

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!  

We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.