Fannying Around

Fran is 60 and in her own words 'sailed through' menopause (yeah, one of those lucky bastards) but before you press skip, hang on, whoa there missus....Life hasn't always been that peachy for our Fran. At 21, she was told she could end up in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with reactive arthritis. Instead of accepting that as her future, she began asking questions and learning to truly listen to her body.In this episode of Fannying Around, now 60 and smashing it, Fran shares the life-changing experiences that led her to yoga, the Rosen Method and a completely different approach to health, diet and her hormones. Which gave her a handy little leg-up for when she hit midlife. We chat about the power of trusting your instincts, advocating for your health and why so many women dismiss the signs their bodies are desperately trying to tell them.As always, we go off on a few tangents (would it even be Fannying Around if we didn't?), but at the heart of this conversation is a reminder that so many of us ignore the whispers until our bodies start shouting.Grab a cuppa, get comfy and let's fanny around with Fran...Fanny Around with us! We'd love to hear your story

Welcome back to Fannying Around... Season 2This week we're kicking off with a cracker! Our guest is Sarah. She's 52, works in the NHS, raised her son as a single mum and spent years putting everyone else first before deciding it might finally be time to put herself back out there.  What followed was a journey into the wonderful world of online dating.And by wonderful, we mean being catfished by a man who claimed to be 5ft 11, receiving more unsolicited photos than anyone could possibly need, navigating married men masquerading as single, and placing a Deliveroo order containing condoms, lube, a loaf of bread and a pint of milk... just to make it look less suspicious.But beneath the laughter and Tinder horror stories is something much more powerful.Sarah talks openly about how perimenopause affected her confidence, her anxiety and her sense of self, how HRT helped her feel like herself again, and why she now feels more confident in her 50s than she ever did in her 20s.This is a story about second chances, friendship, resilience, finding your spark again and proving that life doesn't stop at 50.So whether you're happily coupled up, newly single, dating, not dating, or simply here for the stories, settle in.Let's Fanny Around with Sarah!Fanny Around with us! We'd love to hear your story

So for this final episode of Season One, we're opening the case files.The Fanny Files.We're looking back at the biggest themes that kept cropping up again and again. Why so many women struggle to access good information. Why we're all so bloody tired. Why so many of us ignore our bodies until they start shouting. Why women still have to fight to be heard. And how menopause somehow became a marketing opportunity for every supplement company on the planet.Most importantly, we're asking what we've learned from the women and men who have joined us this season and whether any of us are actually any wiser than we were when we started.So grab a cuppa, pour a glass of wine, put your feet up and join us as we open The Fanny Files.Fanny Around with us! We'd love to hear your story

Today we’re fannying around with Melissa and Steve Wall.Melissa is a Team GB powerlifter, strength coach and all-round force of nature. Steve spent 42 years serving in the Army and somehow found himself becoming not only Melissa’s biggest supporter, but her coach, teammate and partner through menopause too.What starts as a conversation about hormones quickly becomes something much bigger.We talk about what menopause really looks like inside a relationship. The mood changes, the confusion, the exhaustion, the identity shifts and the moments where both people can end up wondering what on earth is happening.Steve speaks honestly about watching the woman he loved change and not understanding why. Melissa talks about navigating perimenopause while training, working, competing and trying to hold everything together.There are conversations about strength, ageing, HRT, lifting weights, protecting your energy and why getting older doesn’t have to mean becoming less.Mostly though, this is about doing it together.Because menopause might happen to one person, but it affects relationships, families and everyone around us.Also featured: Tesco trolley incidents, "fanny magnets", Army life and why every woman deserves a Steve.Right then.Let’s fanny around with Melissa and SteveFanny Around with us! We'd love to hear your story

Midlife, Anorexia and Learning to Listen to Your BodyThis week on Fannying Around, we are joined by Marina, a 50-year-old mum and businesswoman living in Jávea, Spain. Marina's story explores body image, hormones, burnout, nourishment and what it really means to reconnect with yourself.Marina speaks openly about growing up around restriction, developing anorexia as a teenager, using alcohol to cope, becoming a mother, and the long journey back to feeling safe and comfortable in her own body.The conversation moves through perimenopause, exhaustion, brain fog, stress, weight changes, fasting culture, nutrition, alcohol, hormone health and the moment Marina realised her body wasn’t failing her at all… it was trying to protect her.Katy also explains why so many women feel disconnected from their bodies in midlife, how hormone changes affect everything from cortisol to energy levels, and why listening to your body might be the most important thing we’re never taught to do.This episode is honest, emotional, funny in places, and full of the kinds of conversations women rarely have out loud.Topics include:• Perimenopause and hormone changes• Anorexia and body image• Alcohol and coping mechanisms• Brain fog and burnout• Nutrition and fasting culture• Motherhood and identity• Learning to trust your body againFanny Around with us! We'd love to hear your story