280: Lisa Jewell on writing books, watching MAFS, and raising teens
Episode 142: Andrea McLean is On Fire
We get some advice on dealing with teenagers and getting through tough times. Andrea tells us the two things she wishes she'd known before she started the menopause, and we find out Alexa's views on Brexit.
Episode 141: Ortis Deley talks gadgets and vadgets
We go behind the scenes on the Smash Hits Roadshow, and find out what happened the night Kerry met Brian. Ortis discusses how he feels about having a second child, and reveals his top mobile phone picks for 2019.
Episode 140: A Very Boozy Christmas
Joining us on the couch are Nurse Jessie and Steve Hill, as is the custom. They can get very lonely at this time of year. We hear all about Steve's book, The Card, which is out now and makes a great gift for anyone who likes football and/or laughing.
Episode 139: Mutiple Sclerosis, parenting and Primark proposals
Christian tells us about his book, The Unmapped Mind, and how being told you have MS is a bit like being William Shatner in an episode of Columbo. We discuss whether the diagnosis affected their decision not to have a second child, and why Christian proposed in Primark after only a month.
Episode 138: Sex, self-love and being a boss with Kemi Telford
How do you raise strong girls? What's the best way to avoid Mum Guilt? What term would Nigerians use to describe teabagging? Answering all these questions is the amazing Kemi Telford!
We talk about how she started her own business and why she moved to the UK. There's some chat about discussing sex with kids, and why we should all stand in front of the mirror naked. We play a new game, Every Hole's a Goal, and Ellie discovers her children may be Nigerian.
Episode 137: Bricking it with Lego Masters' Matthew Ashton
Episode 136: Midult Special - books, beauty, solo parenting and shardigans
Answering all these questions are the fabulous Annabel Rivkin and Emilie McMeekan, otherwise known as The Midult! They tell us all about their brilliant new book and multimedia empire.
Episode 135: Celebs and silliness with Magic FM's Tom Price
He tells us which song he secretly hates playing on Magic, and what he really thinks of Africa's Toto. We find out what it's like to work with Dawn French, Mariah Carey and Billie Piper, and to lose your job selling Nescafe to Terry Wogan. There is of course a stupid game, and we round off with some bumper Scummy Mummy Confessions.
Episode 134: Beer, France and Burt Reynolds with Tommy Barnes
He tells us all about how he and his wife decided to pack in the rat race, move to France, have a baby, and set up a brewery, all within a ludicrously short space of time. We find out what it's like living with a dog who wants to murder you, and Tommy recalls the time Derek Acorah tried to communicate with his dead pet frog, Burt Reynolds. There's also a live beer tasting and a stupid game.
Episode 133: Swearing is Good For You with Dr Emma F***ing Byrne
We get some advice on how to cope when your kids start learning naughty words, and find out that even monkeys do swears sometimes. Emma explains why swearing is a feminist issue, and why she can't wait for her own daughter to tell her to go f*** herself. Then it's the return of The Swearing Game, and we finish with some sweary Scummy Mummy Confessions.
Episode 132: Isy Suttie on motherhood, comedy, and Take That
We hear about Isy's experience of giving birth, and she tells us what NOT to pack in your hospital bag. There's some chat about Ellie's damp problem, judging other people, and why street food is bunkum.
Episode 131: 5th Anniversary with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd
We find out how losing the 2015 general election changed Ed's family life for the better. He shares his number one piece of parenting advice, while Geoff tells us how to cheat McDonald's out of extra chicken nuggets. There's a game, a song, and some Scummy Mummy Confessions from Ed and Geoff. They host the brilliant Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast, and you can follow them on Twitter @CheerfulPodcast and Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband and Geoff Lloyd @GeoffLLoyd.
Episode 130: Stuart Goldsmith on fatherhood, funniness and Julia f***ing Donaldson
We talk about the mental load, the challenges of going from one to two kids, and how Stuart's wife is basically right about everything. There's also a bit of chat about overcoming anxiety, and staying focused and creative when negative thoughts creep in.
Episode 129: Living Danishly with Helen Russell
She talks about why she moved from the UK to Denmark and her ace book on the subject, The Year of Living Danishly.We discuss why the Danes are so hot, and why their divorce rate is so high (surprisingly these things are unrelated.) There's also some chat about how Helen wrote her new novel, Gone Viking, which is out now.
Episode 128: How to Drink Less with Rosamund Dean
She tells her how her own experiences as a mum on the sauce led her to write the book, and Ellie and Helen discuss how it's changed their lives. We find out whether we're Abstainers or Moderators, and why it matters when you're trying to drink less. There are also some practical tips for choosing a signature soft drink, thinking about booze as if it's cake, and following the free champagne rule.
Episode 127: Fiction writing, Fortnite and Fannies with Keith Stuart
OK that's a bit of an exaggeration, but he did get to meet Richard and Judy, and we get to hear all about that. There's also some chat about Days of Wonder, Keith's brilliant new book, which is out now.
Episode 126: Grease Special with Frenchy aka Didi Conn
Attention Grease fans! This episode features the amazing Didi Conn, who played Frenchy in the movie! She tells us what went on behind the scenes - why was Rizzo hacked off with Kenickie in real life? Who gave who an actual hickie? Which scene did the entire cast fart their way through? We find out all this and more!
We also talk about the challenges Didi faced while raising a son on the autism spectrum, and what advice she has for parents going through the same thing. Plus we discover Didi's rules to live by.
Episode 125: Live from Nepal!
Episode 124: Mumsnet Founder Justine Roberts
Episode 123: Grief Special with Cariad Lloyd
Episode 122: Sex Special with Dr Pam
Episode 121: Jeremy Vine Special
Episode 120: Officially Amazing's Haruka Kuroda
Episode 119: Go 8 Bit Special with Sam and Steve
We discover how they became a double act, how the show came into being, and which celebrity guests have been their favourite. Ellie tells a hilarious showbiz anecdote about the time she had a row with Gregg Wallace about crisps.
Episode 118: Meshel Laurie on Buddhism, brothels, and Harold Bishop
Episode 117: Cancer Special with Bowel Babe
Episode 116: The Supermum Myth with Dr Rachel and Anya
Helping us out are psychologist Dr Rachel Andrew and writer Anya Hayes, author of The Supermum Myth. They give us loads of practical tips for becoming a happier mum, and we cover all sorts of topics from childbirth and post-natal depression to nits and brass bands. We round off with a bumper set of Scummy Mummy Confessions.
Episode 115: Classical Music Special with Clemency Burton-Hill
Episode 114: Christmas 2017 with Steve Hill and Nurse Jessie
Episode 113: Anxiety Special with Clemmie Telford and Anna Williamson
Episode 112: Fashion Chat with Style Me Sunday
Episode 111: Every Muslim needs a Muslin with Dr Afrosa
Do kids need vitamin pills? Are smartphones really as addictive as heroin? And how are Muslim parents supposed to stop terrorism when they can't even get children to put their shoes on? Answering all these questions and more is Dr Afrosa Ahmed! She tells us about her work as a GP and her life as a mum to three boys. We get her top doctor's tips for raising kids, and discover why Instagram Wrist is the new Tennis Elbow.
Episode 110: Meet the Hoopers - it's MOD and FOD, Clemmie and Simon!
They tell us how they became Instagram sensations, and what it's like to be famous while still holding down your job as a midwife or whatever it is Simon does. There's some hosiery chat, in which Simon explains why he hates socks. We also discuss why most of his followers are women, and whether he can actually tell his twins apart.
Episode 109: Beauty and books with Lindsey Kelk
Although she's originally from Doncaster, Lindsey now lives in LA, so we chat about life under Trump. We discover how she began her literary career (writing the Girls Aloud annual), and how she went on to become a best-selling novelist.
Episode 108: Comedy and Pregnancy with Croft and Pearce
We also play a brand new game, Mrs & Mrs. Find out whether Croft knows Pearce's middle name, who Gibson thinks should play Thorn in a movie of her life, and everyone's favourite sexual position.