The Story Behind ‘Ask Joan’ – Katy Longhurst on Escaping Abuse and Inventing a Life-Saving App
"Do I stay here and die—whether by his hands or by my own—or do I walk away, run, sprint in the middle of the night with nothing?" – Katy Longhurst
Welcome back to wo0 pod, where women refuse to be told what to wear or how to run their businesses. Hosted by Wendy Gannon (aka wo0), this podcast is part of Female Five Million—a movement created to empower women to speak up, own their space, and rebuild on their own terms.
In this episode, Wendy is joined by Katy Longhurst, the unapologetic tech innovator behind Ask Joan—a discreet safety app that allows women experiencing abuse to activate a silent panic alarm using everyday appliances like a kettle or hair straighteners.
Katy’s story is one of resilience, rage, and reinvention. After surviving years of domestic abuse, economic control, stalking, and coercive control, she used her background in IT engineering to create the tool she never had—and it’s already saving lives.
This episode is both heartbreaking and hopeful. If you’ve ever wondered what real strength looks like—this is it.
In This Episode – Katy & wo0 Discuss:
- How Ask Joan works – And why triggering a panic alarm through your kettle might just save your life
- Surviving coercive control and gaslighting – How Katy documented 169 police incidents and was still seen as a “nuisance”
- Why bones heal but psychological wounds don’t – The unseen scars of emotional abuse
- What economic abuse really looks like – How Katy’s ex racked up £45,000 debt in her name
- How a police officer changed everything – The role of DCI Oliver Tween in recognising the pattern and proving her case
- From isolation to invention – How Katy reclaimed her power through tech
- Why we need to stop saying ‘you’re so brave’ – And start holding systems accountable
- The importance of male allies – The men who backed Katy and helped bring Joan to life
About Katy Longhurst:
Katy is a former IT engineer and founder of Ask Joan, a safety app created for people experiencing domestic abuse. Her invention uses energy surge data from common household appliances to trigger silent alerts to emergency contacts or authorities. Katy is an outspoken advocate for recognising abuse in all its forms, and is working to change how society and systems respond.
Connect with Our Guest: Katy Longhurst
- LinkedIn: Katy Longhurst
- Email: [email protected]
Resources & Support
If you are experiencing or have experienced abuse, help is available:
- Women’s Aid – www.womensaid.org.uk
- Refuge – www.refuge.org.uk
- Surviving Economic Abuse – www.survivingeconomicabuse.org
- Rights of Women – www.rightsofwomen.org.uk
If you are in immediate danger, please call 999.
Connect with wo0:
- wo0 on Linkedin: Wendy (wo0) Gannon
- wo0 on the ‘gram: @wo0photography
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Work with wo0:
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Join the Female Five Million Movement
‘Dont F**king Tell Me What To Wear Or How To Run My Business’ on the wo0 pod is more than just a podcast—it’s part of a movement…
Follow Female Five Million and get involved in the movement:
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Female Five Million is an unapologetic celebration of women who’ve faced male to female abuse, broken free, and are now thriving on their own terms. This is a story of empowerment and resilience against abuse and toxicity from men, in business and beyond. This is a multi-faceted project made up of two empowering photoshoots, conversations, research, exhibitions, art and a beautiful coffee table book.
“This project is deeply personal to me because I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to suffer domestic, sexual, financial, mental abuse and general misogyny in the workplace and my private life. I’ve been there but I’ve also found the strength to rise above and overcome it.
By speaking openly about my experiences, I’ve met so many incredible women who’ve faced similar challenges, yet they’ve come out the other side stronger, smarter, (more hilarious) and more determined than ever.
We're not just survivors, we're f*cking queens, and our stories deserve to be told.” - Wendy Gannon, Female Five Million Founder.
