The Weird Years

What if the reason you're stuck isn't confusion, it's that the life you want feels socially unacceptable?We all grew up with society handing us a script for what a "good life" should look like: the love story, the career, the milestones, the version of womanhood that makes sense to everyone else. But what happens when you look at that script and realise... I don't actually know if I want it? And who will I be if I don't?When desire collides with identity, every decisions starts to feel huge.This episode explores why what we took in as kinds, might have a lot to answer for in our thirties.We're getting into:✨ Why the real struggle is sometimes not knowing what you want, but admitting it ✨ Why some choices feel so morally loaded ✨ Why we judge ourselves so hard for our own desires ✨ How you can know what would make you happier and still struggle to let yourself want it ✨ Practical tips to shut down the noise of the scripts we're told to readThe pressure to choose is loud, and so many of us feel torn between the life that look good on paper and the life that feels right in our bodies. So let's talk it over.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

How do you make the huge, meltdown-inducing decisions of your 30s - and is there ever really a "right" answer?In our first ever Decision Clinic, I'm joined by Jemma Sbeg, host of The Psychology of Your 20s - one of the biggest psychology podcasts out there - to get into real listeners messy, emotionally loaded questions that I'm pretty sure we're all going through right now.Jemma brings her background in psychology, politics and philosophy to real listener dilemmas, including: ✨ The sadly all-too relatable question of how to handle someone you know being pulled into online conspiracy content ✨ That giant wtf or whether to stay child-free or have a baby ✨ Whether to stay in a long-term relationship with no intimacy ✨ And more big life decisions, relationship doubts, and identity crossroadsIf you're overthinking a major life choice and desperate for reassurance that you're not the only one spiralling, then tap in.Follow the show on your favourite platforms👇And if you want to submit to the next DECISION CLINIC, check out our IG.Jemma - @jemmasberg Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

Date, get married, have a kid, live happily ever after - that’s what we were sold, right?Well, the dating pool is looking kind of swampy, women are more self‑sufficient and self‑funded than ever before and actually… not everyone wants kids.Cher said “Mom, I am a rich man” and influencer and internet personality Sophie Milner stepped up to it.Sophie is known for her hot dating takes, big girls’ girl energy and being everyone’s gym crush, whilst having zero interest in being in a relationship. Sucks for them, huh.In this episode we get into:✨ The reality that men now have to compete with female happiness and independence to win us over✨ How the manosphere and “body count” obsession are influencing modern dating✨ Attachment styles, real chemistry, and relationship patterns in your 30s✨ Why Sophie would rather be single than ever settle for less than she wantsThis episode is like a wine‑fuelled chat between two of your far‑too‑honest friends. If you’re dating in your 30s, wondering whether to settle or stay single, you’re going to love it.Follow the guest & show on your favourite platforms:Sophie - @itssophiemilnerInstagram - @theweirdyearspodcastTiktok - @theweirdyears

You know that niggling feeling that the path you're on isn't the right one... it's time to talk about it.The relationship which isn't moving forward, the job where the promotion never comes, the city we know will never feel like home - why do we stay too long in something we know isn't right?In this episode, we're going deep into the unspoken part of making decisions: knowing when to walk away.We get into:✨ What psychology says about sticking around when the vibes aren't sticking (sunk cost, fear of change)✨ The ins and outs of sunk cost fallacy✨ How to know when you've invested too much vs when you've not invested enough✨ The trap of sunk cost fallacy in jobs, relationships and cities✨ How to navigate the hard question — to stay or go?If you feel like you've been lingering somewhere you need to leave - job, relationship, city or lifestyle, then tap in and listen. Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcastTikTok - @theweirdyears

What if one radical choice to heal rewired your life completely?Joining me this week is nutritionist, author and functional medicine practitioner Daniel O'Shaughnessy. Daniel has been doing something which many of us might have curiously come across, but haven't pulled the plug to try. He has been expanding his healing approach to include psychedelics and plant medicine. Daniel grew up overcoming bullying, and as a surviver of childhood sexual abuse. As an adult, deep-rooted feelings of shame seeped out through steroid use, partying and an unhealthy pursuit of "perfection" fulled by the competitiveness of the queer scene. At breaking point, he made a decision that changed everything – to face trauma head‑on through psychedelics.We get into:✨ Body dysmorphia and shame in the gay community✨ Anabolic steroids, partying and the pressure to look “perfect”✨ When talking therapy hits its limits for chronic overthinkers✨ How psychedelics and plant medicine became a portal in his healing✨ The realities of using psychedelics for trauma, not just a “quick fix”This is a story of deciding to step into discomfort, of choosing to move toward healing rather than more destruction and using every tool available to change deep rooted issues. Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Daniel - @thenakednutritionistInstagram - @theweirdyearspodcastTiktok - @theweirdyears

What if being ‘too much’ was never the problem - you were just with people who couldn’t hold you?This week I’m joined by the stunning, vivacious and straight‑up hilarious Jackie Adedeji– the broadcaster and girls’ girl from Instagram known for her unapologetic empowerment and gentle roasting of her “older middle‑class white man” husband.We talk about the one decision in her twenties that changed everything in her thirties: starting therapy. Not as a quick fix, but as the slow, uncomfortable work that reshaped her self‑worth just enough that when she met her husband, she was able to give him a chance at something serious. This is about the complexity of how self-esteem might show up and a story to decide to follow love even when it shows up in a package you did not expect to find. We get into...✨ Feeling publicly confident but privately feeling shame that she was "too much"✨ The truth of therapy as a turning point – and not a quick fix✨ Ditching dating and situationships for a deep sense of self‑respect✨  The honest dynamics of an age-gap relationship which people often want to shy away from ✨  What it's like to be living with the knowledge you'll likely end up a window much earlier than most If your on the brink of booking that therapy sesh, or maybe love just showed up in a package you did not expect and your nervous, then girl, TAP IN. Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Jackie - @JackieAdedejiInstagram - @theweirdyearspodcastTiktok - @theweirdyears

Welcome to Decision Season dramatic music playsI joke, this won't be scary, I promise. This season we dig into the choices that have shaped us so far, the ones we still wonder if we got right, and the ones we’re wrestling with right now.In this episode, I’m getting into a truth we all know but might be avoiding: the decisions are coming thick and fast in our thirties. It feels daunting, it can feel intense, and we often judge ourselves for not knowing it all yet.We cover career, kids, where to live, and what to do when you’re overwhelmed by too many options. It might feel safer to shove this to the back of our minds, but whilst we’re not running out of time, time is moving.So what would happen if we stopped fearing the decisions and started embracing the relief that comes with making them?In this episode I get into:✨ Why we need to sound the alarm on the big decisions of our thirties✨ The sneaky illusion of “keeping our options open”✨ How deciding which doors to close can actually set life in motion✨ Why decisions aren’t dead ends, they’re next steps✨ A simple exercise to help you find more clarityIf we choose to face the question marks actively, we might just create the best decade yet, so let’s get into it.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

"I love you, but I'm exhausted" is a line that's been whispered at 2am, 2pm, 10pm, and every hour in between to our big blue-eyed, five-month-old baby.Last time we caught up on baby life, I was three weeks postpartum and riffing mainly on the birth. Now, we're nearly five months in and emerging from the haze of the tiny baby stage. A new shape of me, my life, and my identity is starting to form, so it's time for an honest catch-up.In this episode, I'm sharing a real, unfiltered debrief of the first five months of motherhood as a first-time mum, including:✨ How I ACTUALLY feel now we're five months postpartum✨ The things that have surprised me most about becoming a mum✨ The many contradictions of motherhood and the postpartum experience✨ What it's like to experience matrescence and a rewired "mum brain"✨ The weird intrusive thoughts no one talks about✨ Why motherhood is making me want to be vegan again (I know... odd connection, right?)If you're contemplating starting a family, already in the thick of new motherhood, navigating the newborn phase, or simply want to understand someone you care about who's going through it, this one's for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

Why are we suddenly craving the "soft life"?You might know this term from polished reels of flawless women skipping out of pilates at 11am and into a matcha café, but the soft life philosophy has a much richer origin. It started with women in Nigeria reclaiming their time and energy, pushing back against hustle culture and the expectation to always grind, give, and self-sacrifice.Now more than ever, as the pressures of our thirties start to build, more of us are craving a dose of slow living. And with the dumpster fire of an economy we're trying to navigate, it's not any surprise. In this episode we get into:🧘‍♀️ What the soft life philosophy actually means (and it's forgotten roots)🧘‍♀️ How the broken promise of success has left millennials burnt out and wanting to clock out🧘‍♀️ The quiet quitting approach 🧘‍♀️ The watch out: when soft life tips into financial dependence🧘‍♀️ How to bring more slow living and nervous system regulation into the life you already haveIf you're one "I hope this finds you well" email away from lying motionless in a forest for a few days, then stick around.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcastTiktok - @theweirdyears

What if the version of “working on yourself” you’ve been sold is actually pulling you further away from other people?In this solo episode, I’m unpacking the strange relationship between self-improvement and selfishness, and the point where becoming your “best self” can turn into endless optimisation, isolation, and feeling like who you are right now is never enough.I get into how self-improvement shifted from something that happened naturally through life and connection… into a billion-pound marketplace selling us better skin, better habits, better nervous systems, better mornings, better relationships and somehow still leaving us exhausted.We’re talking: ✨ Why women are under more pressure than ever to optimise themselves✨ How beauty, wellness and even spirituality became products to consume✨ Whether “working on yourself” can become an easy scapegoat away from real connection✨ And why the massive piece missing in self-improvement is connection If you’ve ever felt stuck between wanting to grow and wanting to just be enough already, this one’s for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

Why does everything feel like it’s your fault… even when it isn’t?In this solo episode, I’m unpacking guilt - that constant, low-level hum that seems to follow women everywhere. From work to relationships, money to motherhood, friendships to finances… why does everything feel like it’s somehow our responsibility?I get into the psychology behind why women experience guilt more frequently and more intensely than men - and how both nature and nurture conspire to keep us stuck in these guilt spirals.We're talking:✨ Rational vs irrational guilt > and how to tell which one you’re feeling✨ Why women feel responsible for other people’s emotions (and how this is costing you)✨ How guilt becomes a hidden decision-making tool that keeps you small✨ Practical ways to stop carrying guilt which isn’t yoursBecause if you’re making decisions just to avoid guilt… there’s a good chance you’re not actually choosing the life you want.If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly doing something wrong (even when you’re not), this one’s for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

What if your “self-awareness” is just control in disguise? 👀I hate to call you out like that… but I’m also calling out myself.In this episode, I unpack something that’s been sitting uncomfortably with me:I can explain my feelings perfectly… but I don’t always feel them.I dive into the sneaky coping mechanism of intellectualising emotions — how we analyse, rationalise, and “do the work”… without ever actually letting the feeling hit our body. And why so many of us (especially high-functioning, self-aware women) are stuck in this loop.I’m riffing on:✨ Why emotions have started to feel inconvenient (and what that’s doing to us)✨ How overthinking shows up - from productivity to humour to therapy-speak✨ What happens when feelings don’t get released (they don’t just disappear)✨ How to get out of your head and actually feel your emotionsI also share a pretty raw personal shift 😅 the moment something cracked open for me, and I actually felt something fully for the first time in years.Because the breakthrough in your 30s isn’t becoming more self-aware…it’s learning how to stop controlling your emotions, and actually let them move through you.If you’re hyper self-aware but weirdly disconnected… this one’s for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

What if it’s not dating that’s broken… but how we’re showing up in it?Stick with me for this.... I personally know so many amazing, sucessful, loving, and beautiful women who want to find a partner but are struggling in the dating world, so what's going on?In this episode, I'm joined by dating and confidence coach Laura Nagiel to get into how we can break the cycle of unsuccessful dating and find someone who is worth partnering up with. Laura's approach is rooted in awareness of what you want, direct honesty on who you need to become and never lowering your standard. We're getting into... ✨ The difference between confidence vs self-love and how it shows up in dating ✨ A new approach to avoid dating burn out ✨ Is "being realistic" a myth or a need?✨ How we might be both the victims AND the cause of toxic dating culture ✨ The biggest mistake many woman are making in dating If you’ve ever felt like you’ve built a great life… but love is the one thing not clicking, this one's for you. Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyearsFollow Laura - https://www.instagram.com/lauranagiel/?hl=en

What if the problem isn’t your body… it’s the fact you’ve been thinking about it for 30 years straight? This week, I’m getting into body image, and why, somehow, it feels more confusing now than it ever did before.Because here’s the thing… I've generally had a pretty good relationship with my body. Then I hit 30, then at 33 had a baby and suddenly it all feels a bit weirder. In this episode I go all the way back — childhood, teenage years, my time modelling, the “health” phase that tipped into obsession — to unpack how our body image is actually built over time.We're getting into... ✨ The mental reframes I'm trying to accept my body post-baby. ✨ The return of skinny culture (and why it’s messing with all of us) ✨ When even your own past self becomes the comparison✨ The subtle ways we’re taught our value is in how we look ✨ Actionable ways to improve your body image If you’ve ever felt like you’re simultaneously trying to accept your body and change it at the same time…this one’s for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyears

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide.We're sold a Disney-inspired story of love. Meet the love of your life, get married, have children and live happily ever after. But nothing in life is guaranteed.What happens when something cataclysmic changes your whole life’s path?How do you begin to rebuild after trauma and sudden loss?And who might you become when the dust starts to settle?This episode is Lisa’s story of losing her husband to suicide and how that suicide loss changed everything, leaving her a widow with three children at 31.In this conversation we explore:✨ The earth-shattering shock of sudden loss✨ How suicide loss impacted her self-esteem as a woman✨ What shifts when your “life plan” suddenly disappears✨ The stigma that shapes grief after suicide✨ Building new meaning and post-traumatic growth after lossThis is partly a story of what happened, but really a story of rebuilding life after losing a partner to suicide.If you’ve ever built a life you thought was certain, only to watch everything change overnight, then this one is for you.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyearsFollow  Lisa - @the_widowdiaries

If you told me a year ago that I would be releasing this episode, I would have been shooketh...But wow can things change. Really fast and really dramatically. And now my big becoming era is being shaped by a new reality of motherhood. I was very unsure about the choice to have a child, I was very scared about how it was going to shape me and maybe you're feeling the same if this is something you're considering. So I'm going to lay it all bare, the good, the bad and the weird. In this weirdly personal episode I get into:✨ How my birth plan got derailed ✨ The c-section experience ✨ Sharing a ward with a schizophrenic mother in psychosis ✨ How weirdly magical breastfeeding is ✨  The REAL partner test ✨ The inevitable identity shift coming my way If you’ve been circling the idea of motherhood, wondering what it really does to you, not just physically, but to your identity, your control, your relationship, your sense of self - then this one is for you 🤍Stick it on and go for your hot girl/guy walk.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - ⁠@theweirdyearspodcast ⁠Tiktok - ⁠@theweirdyears⁠

In our 20s it feels far away.Like something that will “change everything”.But in your 30s?It starts to feel closer.And the questions get louder.Will I lose myself?Will my ambition survive?What happens to my identity?In this episode, I’m joined by Raychel Addo.We talk about the fear around motherhood, the way life reorganises with a child, and the identity shift that comes with becoming a mum.Because what if the story we’re told - that you lose yourself - isn’t the full picture?In this conversation, we cover:✨ The fear narrative around motherhood✨ The identity shift of matrescence✨ Grieving who you were before✨ Motherhood and ambition✨ Boundaries, productivity and career as a working mumThis isn’t about pretending it’s easy.Raychel is honest about the sleep deprivation, the adjustment, the overwhelm.But we also talk about growth.Clarity. Confidence and the unexpected ways motherhood can expand you rather than reduce you.If you’ve ever felt unsure about becoming a mum…If you’ve worried it might cost you your ambition…If you’re navigating motherhood and career at the same time…This one’s for you 🤍Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyearsFollow Raychel - @milkandmummiespodcast #Motherhood #WorkingMum #WomenInTheir30s

Somewhere along the way, making new friends got… weird.In our 20s it just happened.School. Uni. Work. Nights out.You were thrown together and something stuck.But in your 30s?It can feel awkward. Forced.Like everyone else already has their people.In this episode, I’m joined by Rose and Zoe, founders of CityDaze!We talk about why adult friendships feel harder now, how algorithms quietly narrow our worlds 📱 and why so many of us are craving real connection but feel out of practice actually talking to strangers.In this conversation, we cover:✨ Why making friends in your 30s feels different✨ How tech shapes who we meet (and who we don’t)✨ Why walking makes conversations deeper and less intense✨ The awkwardness of meeting new people✨ A small challenge you can try this weekIf your world has started to feel smaller…If you’ve been feeling a bit disconnected…If you want to get better at being open again…This one’s for you 🤍Pull up a chair.Or better yet - go for a walk.Follow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast Tiktok - @theweirdyearsToday's Guests - @Zoemallet & @stillchill.ig#MakingFriendsInYour30s #AdultFriendships #BuildingCommunity

Do you ever feel overstimulated, constantly distracted… but at the same time, you know something inside you needs space?This episode is about what happens when you remove the noise completely. When there’s no phone, no talking, no distractions, and no way to avoid yourself.I’m joined by Rio, who travelled to Poland to spend four days in complete darkness and silence. Pitch black. Total stillness. Just her, her thoughts, and whatever came up.Honestly… parts of this conversation made me want to throw my phone in the bin. Other parts made my skin crawl.We get into:• What a darkness retreat actually involves (and how you even function inside one)• Why our phones are the easiest way to numb emotion• What comes up when you stop performing and start feeling• Shame, people pleasing, and patterns that come from childhood• Why slowing down can feel terrifying before it feels freeing• How to create space in everyday life without disappearing from itFollow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theweirdyearspodcast/?hl=enTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theweirdyearsThis episode is a reminder that doing less isn’t failing.Sometimes clarity comes from stopping, not pushing.#Overstimulation #SlowingDown

Do you feel like your life isn't going to plan…but at the same time, you know you're growing?This solo episode is about that uncomfortable, confusing phase so many of us hit in our 30s, where things are shifting internally but the external milestones haven't quite caught up yet.That feeling? It's limbo.In this episode, I break down why limbo exists, honestly... why it feels so shit, and why it doesn't mean you're failing or falling behind.We get into:• Why life can feel stuck even when you're evolving• The difference between identity exploration and rushing to label yourself• Why confusion isn't inefficiency• The grief of letting go of lives you thought you'd have• Five practical ways to stay in the in-between without spirallingFollow the show on your favourite platforms:Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/theweirdyearspodcast/?hl=en⁠Tiktok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@theweirdyears⁠This episode is a reminder to stop rushing yourself into clarity and start trusting the becoming process.Limbo isn't a dead zone.It's a formation space.#limbo #Feelingstuck #selfdevelopment

The DJ, the Control Freak & the Incoming Baby... in like 2 weeks, wtf. This week, I’m joined by my husband Chris for a very honest pre-baby conversation, recorded in that strange limbo where everything is about to change.… but hasn’t yet. We lay it al out on what it really feels like to stand on the edge of being first time parents and the lurking "uuuraaaghhhh" of what is about to happen. We get into:🍼 What having a baby has brought up for us before even arriving 🍼 The different ways we thought about the decision to start a family 🍼 Fear, identity changes, and the pressure to stay “the same”🍼 Who we hope we can be as parents This episode is for anyone who's thinking about kids, unsure if they want them, or just fascinated by the moment before a life changing moment. 🖤 Follow Chris: ⁠@chrisavantgarde⁠🎙️ Follow us: ⁠@theweirdyearspodcast⁠🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What happens when you remove the most popular social lubricant and fully meet yourself in your thirties?In this episode, I’m joined by Emily Syphas, founder of Sober & Social and one of the UK’s leading voices on sober curiosity, hangover-free living and rethinking alcohol in your 30s.Emily shares her personal journey from heavy drinking in hospitality, to years of full sobriety, to finding a hangover-free relationship with alcohol. Together, we explore what actually changes when you question the social rules we’ve inherited around drinking, and what clarity replaces the blur.We get into:🧠 Sobriety as a journey, not a destination🧠 Whether hangover-free living is a 30s cheat code🧠 How alcohol, anxiety and confidence interact🧠 The clarity that comes to dating and friendships without alcoholThis episode isn’t about quitting drinking. It’s about outgrowing versions of yourself that relied on numbing, distraction or validation and stepping into what comes next.🎙️ Follow us: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if trying to be our best, healthiest, most beautiful selves is actually… stressing us out?In this episode, I’m joined by Emilie Lavinia, Fitness and Wellbeing Editor at The Independent, to make sense of the ever-expanding world of health, wellbeing and beauty in our thirties.This is not yet another podcast episode with a list of everything you need to be doing — it's Emilie's stripped-back, honest perspective shaped by years inside the beauty industry.We get into:✨ How to spot products with actual research behind them✨ Why women are ageing under a microscope while men get to call their facelifts “biohacking”✨ The difference between doing wellness and feeling well✨ Why going back to basics might be the best wellness glow-up you haveIf you’ve ever felt like beauty and wellness is a treadmill where you can't keep up, this episode is your reset.📲 Follow Emilie Lavinia: @emilielaviniauk🎙️ Follow us: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if the arguments you’re avoiding/repeating/stuck in… are the exact ones that could make your life better?In this week’s Weirdly Personal, I’m getting into the fights we should be having in our thirties — and the ones we can finally stop wasting energy on.After spending way too much time arguing with men on the internet (productive? questionable), I realised just how much of our energy goes into the wrong conflicts -  and how powerful the right arguments can be.Arguments aren’t about winning; they’re about understanding, clarity and connection.In this episode, I break down:✨ The five arguments you never need to have again✨ The fights that actually improve your life - values, alignment, accountability and equality✨ How to spot the real issue underneath a conflict✨ How to argue in a way that brings you closer, not further apartIf you’ve ever replayed a conversation 47 times, avoided a necessary conflict, or found yourself knee-deep in a pointless debate, this one will shift how you think about arguing in your thirties.Listen, reflect, and maybe send this to someone you’ve been avoiding a conversation with.🙏 Follow us at @theweirdyearspodcast

What if you built your career through your own sucessful business… only to realise you’d quietly outgrown it?That’s exactly what Chloë Downes found herself facing and right at the peak of her success.Chloë is the recently exited founder of the multi-million-pound talent agency SHFT, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum, and one of the few women of colour in her industry. From the outside she was thriving, but inside she knew this wasn’t her dream.We talk about:✨ How success doesn’t always feel like success✨ What it’s really like to walk away from a career when you’re on top✨ The pressure of being a visible female founder✨ How the combination of ADHD and autism shapes her approach to the worldThis episode is for anyone who’s ever hit a level of success and then realised… this doesn’t fit me anymore.✨ Follow Chloë: @frkle & @chloe.dwns📲 Follow us: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if your self-worth has quietly been outsourced?In this Weirdly Personal episode, I’m unpacking the validation loop - that exhausting cycle of chasing approval, likes, or praise even when we know it’s making us miserable.I get into how our need for validation isn’t a personality flaw, but a learned pattern shaped by our childhood and reinforced by a culture that rewards traditional progress at one of the stickiest times of our lives. From the dopamine hit of social media to the performance of dating and work success, I explore why our thirties can feel like a constant test of “am I doing enough?”We’ll cover:🔁 How the need for external validation is a learned 🔁 Why it feels so heavy in our thirties 🔁 The cost of living for likes, promotions, or praise🔁 Research-backed ways to shift from external to internal validationThis one’s for anyone who’s ever found themselves looking to everyone else for answers or playing for the applause instead of their own joy.🎧 New episode every Tuesday 🙏 Follow us at @theweirdyearspodcast📲 Share it with someone who’s struggling to escape the validation loop.

We know that losing people we love is inevitable - but why does grief still feel so awkward?Freddie lost both of his parents by the age of 23, an experience he didn’t face head-on. The first time, he buried it in childhood distractions; the second, he numbed it through socialising and alcohol.Now in his thirties, he’s learned that grief doesn’t end — it evolves. And at some point, it has to be faced.Through running, reflection, and opening up about loss online, Freddie has found peace in the power of conversation.In this episode, we talk about:🌀 The non-linear journey of grief🌀 Navigating your twenties and thirties without parents🌀 The questions Freddie wishes he’d asked while they were still here🌀 How to prepare for the practical side of lossThis episode is for anyone who’s lost someone, fears losing someone, or wants to better understand how to show up for those who have.✨ Follow Freddie: @f_oscar_r📲 Follow us: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if your hormones had ruled your life for as long as you could remember?After years of emotional crashes and misdiagnoses, Kristina finally discovered she was living with PMDD — premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a hormone condition that debilitates her for two weeks of every month.In this raw and brave conversation, Kristina opens up about:🌀 What living with PMDD is really like🌀 How it impacts her dating, career, and big life decisions🌀 Her decision to choose a hysterectomy in her early 30sThis is a story about hormones, yes — but also about taking back control when your body feels like it’s working against you, and the courage it takes to make decisions others might never understand.✨ Follow Kristina: @kristinagoodsell📲 Follow us: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if identity shifts aren’t breakdowns but breakthroughs?This week, we’re getting weirdly personal about identity - that quiet, disorienting shift that creeps in when who you were stops fitting, but who you’re becoming isn’t clear yet. Suddenly, the things that once defined you, your job, your habits, your goals, might not feel like you anymore.From grieving old versions of ourselves to realising how much of our “personality” was performance, we’re getting into it all.I'm riffing on... 🌀 Why our thirties are such a turbulent time for identity🦋 The difference between your core self and your shell self 🥀 Why shedding old versions of yourself can feel like grief (and why that’s okay)📦 How to find peace in your identity through new stories and small actionsIf you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t even recognise myself anymore,” then you’re not lost, you’re just shedding and this one is for you. 🎧 New episode every Tuesday 🙏 Follow us at @theweirdyearspodcast📲 Share it with someone who’s in their own shedding era.

Remember when friendship just… happened?This week, we’re getting weirdly personal about the friendship gap — that strange, silent drift that happens as life scatters us into different jobs, cities, and stages. Suddenly, maintaining friendships feels like a full-time job.From friendship “breakups” that still sting years later to the awkward reality of trying to make new friends as a grown adult, we’re diving into why staying close feels harder than ever — and what we can actually do about it.We’ll unpack:💬 Why friendship peaks at 25 (and what happens after)🌿 The emotional cost of connection and why “inconvenience is the price of community”🧩 How to repair old friendships, and make new ones that actually last💞 Why your friends might just be the greatest loves of your lifeIf your WhatsApp feels quieter these days, or you’ve ever wondered “is it just me?” - this one’s for you.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – it's weird, but we're in it together.

What happens when your body breaks down before your mind admits you’re burnt out?This week I’m joined by David Vioque — a recovering investment banker who had every marker of success on paper, but inside was facing what he calls “spiritual burnout.” When his health started to collapse — caffeine stopped working, exercise gave immediate exhaustion — he did what most of us only dream of: he walked away. David trekked the Camino de Santiago, sat in silence with monks in Nepal, and built a toolkit for reconnection and purpose. Now, he’s the co-founder of Unbound, a reimagined health space in Shoreditch that blends testing, conversation, and community into something radically more human for preventative health & longevity. In this episode we get into:✨ What it really means to face spiritual burnout✨ Why silence and solitude can be medicine for clarity✨ How to find balance in “the extreme middle” of health✨ Follow David at @david.vioque and Unbound at @living.unbound📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

Could your sex life be the quiet revolution that reshapes how you see yourself in your thirties?This week I’m joined by Emma-Louise Boynton - journalist, founder of Sex Talks, and unflinching voice on intimacy, body image, and the stories we’re told about desire. After years of struggling with her relationship to her body, Emma-Louise's experience in sex therapy at 28 reshaped how she thought about intimacy altogether and inspired her mission to take conversations about pleasure from taboo and awkward to enlightening and essential.We get into:✨ Why so many millennials are having less sex than generations before us✨ The body insecurities and cultural scripts that follow us into our thirties✨ How curiosity, not performance, is the most radical path to confidence This chat is a reminder that sex isn’t something you “figure out” in your twenties and forget, it keeps evolving, just like the rest of us.If you’re craving more intimacy but aren’t sure where to start, whether with yourself or someone else, this one's for you. ✨ Follow Emma-Louise at @emmalouiseboynton📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe to navigate the weirdness together.

What if by 36 you’d already overcome more than you ever thought possible?This week I’m joined by Abi Feltham - content creator, comedian (although she doesn't admit that), and unfiltered storyteller - whose life has been anything but linear. After years of self-destruction through alcohol and drugs, Abi achieved sobriety at 32… only to face an incurable brain cancer diagnosis just four years later.Abi shares it all, from the chaos of teenage angst, to the breakdown that finally led her to therapy, to the “sinus infection” that turned out to be a tumour. We dive into the cycles of her addiction, what resilience really looks like, and how she’s learned to choose self-compassion after decades of self-loathing.For anyone who’s ever felt like their thirties aren’t going to plan and needs a reminder that it’s possible to rebuild after collapse, this one's for you. ✨ Follow Abi at @abi.feltham📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe to stay weird

The haunting what-ifs 😱What if you picked the wrong path? the wrong career, the wrong partner, the wrong city? We’ve all been there: lying awake at 2am, spiralling through The Big What-If and wondering if we’ve blown our one shot at the “right” life.In this Weirdly Personal solo episode, we’re unpacking the nagging regret spiral that so many of us get caught in, and why our generation in particular can’t stop asking what if and what's next?Here’s what we get into:The six biggest regrets people report in midlifeHow social media and endless choice leave us paralysedWhy action (even messy, imperfect action) creates clarityHow to reframe regret into something actually usefulIf you’ve ever felt haunted by the roads not taken, this one’s for you. Because regret isn’t proof we chose wrong, it’s proof we had freedom. And that’s worth something.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – it's weird, but we're in it together.

What if building the family you dream of didn’t depend on waiting for “the one” to show up first?This week I’m joined by Keira - NHS nurse, aesthetics expert, and unapologetically independent powerhouse - who at just 25 decided she wasn’t going to wait for a partner to start the family she always knew she wanted. Through IVF with a sperm donor, she became mum to her son Noah, rewriting the script on what motherhood can look like.Keira shares the full story - from Googling “how to have a baby on my own,” to navigating donor databases, IVF costs, and genetic testing. We unpack making that big decision, why “waiting for the right guy” isn’t a guarantee and the backlash she faces online.This is for anyone feeling the pull of parenthood but stuck is on the 'who', ‘when’ and ‘how', this is for you. ✨ Follow Keira @keiraandnoah✨ Follow us on IG: @theweirdyearspodcast🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

What if you've been putting off what you want, waiting for what's next?This week I’m joined by the magnetic Macki Maconie, a brand curator, creative, and free spirit. After her divorce, she traded London for Portugal and built Casa do Sol - a home, retreat space, and community that reflects everything she values.From manifesting her dream house on a vision board to navigating love and dating in a new country, Macki shows how she’s refusing to wait for the “perfect” timeline. Instead, she’s creating connection, belonging, and joy entirely on her own terms.We talk about buying the big house without the big family, beauty and loneliness of starting over abroad, and why building a home and community can be the foundation you need to love yourself.If you’ve ever felt like your life is “on pause” until the right person arrives, Macki’s story is proof that the right time is now.✨ Follow Macki @mackimaconie📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday - hit subscribe to stick around

What if the things you’ve always criticised yourself for weren’t "personality flaws" at all, but ADHD in disguise?This week I’m joined by the brilliant Lauren Talulah, a creator, writer  and poet whose late ADHD diagnosis at 31 reframed a lifetime of inconsistency, fidgeting, and endless new ideas. From thriving in freelance chaos, to rejection sensitivity, Lauren opens up about how ADHD has shaped her career, creativity, and dating life.We talk about the double-edged sword of hyperfocus, the fear of commitment (even to getting a cat), and why anxious–avoidant dating dynamics are basically millennial kryptonite. Along the way, we dive into the power of protein, feeling limerence, and how learning to work with your brain can transform what once felt impossible.If you’ve ever questioned whether your quirks are flaws or just part of who you are, this one’s for you.✨ Follow Lauren @curvy_roamer📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe to stay weird

I'm back with the BIG NEWS part 2 — no guest, no script, just me processing the fact that I’m four months pregnant… a plot twist to my hot girl summer I was not expecting. This is the unfiltered ramble on being the first in my friendship group to have a baby, the quiet grief for the “other lives” I won’t live, the fear of losing my identity but the excitement of some epic growth), and my attempts to embrace the massive physical and mental rewiring that comes with motherhood. In between, there’s bad pregnancy gym advice, constipation chat, why I refuse to become the “boring mum friend,” and my maybe-delusional plan for a no-epidural water birth.If you’ve ever had life fast-forward on you and found yourself both thrilled and mildly terrified… you’ll feel right at home here.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – it’s weird, but we’re in it together.

I’m back with another Weirdly Personal chat - no guest, no script, just me rambling my way through whatever the weird years have dumped on me this week.This one is a BIG one. It's me out loud processing a plan that decided to fast-forward itself and do a little shock. It starts with us debating if we want children, curves into birth control drama (hello, cystic acne) and ends somewhere I absolutely did not expect to be this be this summer. In between there’s moving house, questionable meatballs, and a whole lot of overthinking about when is the right time to start a family.If you’ve ever made a five-year plan only for your body to throw you some surprises… this one’s for you.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – it's weird, but we're in it together.

What if you knew you wanted a family, and just went for it?This week I’m joined by the brilliant Louisa Lau, a Creative Director who was living the East London creative life - navigating career highs, less-than-ideal long-term partners, and artistic exploration - until she found herself 36, single, and certain she wanted a child.We talk about dating with intention, asking the big questions early, and managing the quiet panic that comes with late-stage fertility pressure. From being told she had a 10% chance of success freezing her eggs, to conceiving naturally at 37, Louisa’s story is proof that knowing what you want - and saying it out loud - can change everything.If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s OK to bring up babies on a date, or felt like time is running out—it’s not. And this one’s for you. ✨ Follow Louisa: @thisislouisalau 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast 🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe

What if becoming a parent meant spreadsheets, scans and serious self-reflection?This week I’m joined by the brilliant and big-hearted Calypso Barnum-Bobb, a coach, community builder and breath work facilitator navigating the emotional, financial and bureaucratic maze of queer fertility.We talk about what it really takes to become parents as a same-sex couple - from navigating the IVF post-code lottery, to where find a donor, to flying to the U.S. for reciprocal IVF. Calypso shares the deeply conscious, often absurd, and emotionally charged reality of when love meets logistics.If you’re back and forth on the kid question, or exploring IVF, you’ll get so much from this one. If you’re firmly in the no-kids camp, this is a mind-opening glimpse into what queer couples are really up against. At the very least, it might help you support a friend going through it.If you’d like to support Calypso and Natalia on their journey to becoming the incredible parents we know they’ll be, consider donating to their cause. Even skipping a coffee and giving £3.50 can make a big difference. Every little bit is deeply appreciated 💛 - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-become-mamas-finally✨ Follow Calypso @calypsobarnumbobb📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe

What if having it all means holding a lot?This week I’m joined by the brilliant and driven Tasneem Bhamji, Chief Digital Officer at a major UK bank, who’s spent her life being the one who holds it all together—at work, at home, and for her family.We talk about growing up with a scarcity mindset, building generational wealth, and navigating the pressure of being “the successful one” as a woman of colour in leadership. From being the reliable eldest daughter to becoming a spokesperson for others who don’t see themselves in the room, Tas shares how her grit got her far—but also how heavy it can feel to always get it right.This is a raw, funny, and moving conversation about ambition, responsibility, and redefining what success means when you're carrying more than just your own dreams.If you’ve ever felt like success came with a lot of strings attached, this one’s for you.✨ Follow Tas @officerealtalk📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe

I'm back this month with Weirdly Personal.These episodes roll a little differently, it's just me, no guest, yapping and trying to untangle the stuff swirling in my overthinking brain.This one’s about freedom vs. security. The big swinger, the two sides of life's coin. That constant tug-of-war between wanting wild autonomy and also, somehow, a gym routine and a pension. I get into work, money, relationships, and that weird thing where you build the life you want... but still find yourself daydreaming about living on a beach with no responsibilities.If you’re craving structure and rebellion at the same time, this one’s for you.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – it's weird, but we're in it together.

What if coming out as a lesbian was just chapter one?This week I’m joined by the thoughtful and expansive Zahra Abdullahi, a creative powerhouse who shares their journey through sexuality, gender identity, and finding a deeper sense of self in their thirties.We talk about growing up as a boxed-in masc lesbian, unpicking the layers of gender, and how embracing non-binary identity opened up not just new language, but a whole new lens for living.From shaking off rigid roles to reimagining what life's decisions look like without the binary, this is an honest, moving conversation about change, growth, and finally becoming more of who you really are.If you’re done squeezing into roles that never quite fit, this one’s for you.✨ Follow Zahra @balaclavaboifriend📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe to stay weird

What if everything you envied in other women in your twenties… now just makes you want to hold them closer?This week I’m joined by the generous and grounded Heidi Gowthorpe, who helps women reconnect to themselves through sound healing, embodiment, women’s circles, and radical honesty.She shares her story of growth, reconnection, and recovery - how healing from an eating disorder in her late twenties dismantled everything she thought made her "valuable", and opened the door to a softer, more authentic life.We talk about unlearning competition between women, the grief of growing out of old friendships, and what happens when you finally stop performing and let yourself be fully seen.If you’re in your thirties and starting to question everything you were taught about being a woman - this one’s for you.✨Follow Heidi @heidigowthorpe📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday - subscribe so you don’t miss one

What if your purpose actually isn’t about you at all?This week, I’m joined by the thoughtful and funny Ryan Lloyd Haynes. After running the successful fashion brand Elsie & Fred for ten years, Ryan hit a wall when it all ended - not just financially, but existentially.We get into what happens when your identity was your work, how losing everything forced him to rethink what really matters, and why the self-help era might’ve missed the whole point.If you’ve been doing a little too much mirror-staring about your purpose lately - or you’re just craving something bigger than yourself to care about - this one’s for you.✨Follow Ryan @ryanlloydhaynes📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday - subscribe so you don’t miss one

So here's something a little different...Weirdly Personal, a new type of episode where it’s just me, no guest, no structure, just whatever’s going on in my weird little brain at that point. Voice note energy meets midlife spiral.This one’s about moving house, and how it unexpectedly cracked me open. I thought I’d feel pure bliss…and I am excited don't get me wrong but I’ve unexpectedly been feeling like a bit of a failure. Cue overthinking, weird shame, and questioning whether I’m actually doing any of this right.If you’ve ever had to have a 10-minute stare at the ceiling questioning your life mid-flatpack assembly, this one’s for you.🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday! Subscribe so you never miss one.👀 Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify.🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast

What if you’re not lost, you’re just meant to roam?This week, I’m joined by my vivacious friend, fashion & travel writer and digital nomad Tess Pollard, who’s built a career across 117 countries, no office required. Tess didn’t go freelance to become a #girlboss; she did it because the idea of four weeks’ holiday a year was holding her back from her true calling.We get into what it really means to build a life around freedom, why constant travel isn’t always glamorous, the tension between movement and milestones, and why living out of a backpack is far less romantic than it sounds (spoiler: she hates it).If you’ve ever felt like life is nudging you to go, but fear, full calendars, or five-year plans are holding you back, this one’s for you.✨Follow Tess @fashiontravelwriter📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes every Tuesday — subscribe so you don’t miss one

What if the thing that slows you down ends up being the thing that makes you stronger?This week, I’m joined by chronic illness coach March Hollingbery. As a woman who’s been navigating hospitals and hard decisions since childhood, she's built a mindset of gratitude and resilience which honestly I am hoping to achieve one day. March didn’t choose chronic illness, but she did choose how to respond to it, with grit, wisdom, and a radical refusal to hustle through pain (although she's always working on that balance).We talk about boundaries, burnout, and what it really means to listen to your body when the world expects you to perform. If you’ve ever felt like life’s moving too fast and your body (or brain) is quietly screaming “do less, I beg” this episode is your permission slip.✨Follow March @march_on__📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday! Subscribe so you never miss one.👀 Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify.🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of The Weird Years, I sit down with Lisa Targett Bolding, co-founder of Big Beauty and one of the few people offering a refreshing, judgement free alternative to the tweakment trap.We talk about what it’s like to age in the era of social media, the emotional whiplash of beauty culture, and why it’s become almost radical to let your face just… move.Lisa shares her take on slow beauty, facial massage, and how reconnecting with our bodies might be more powerful than any injectable.If you're navigating the space between acceptance and enhancement, this one's for you.✨Follow BIG @big.inhackney📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theweirdyearspodcast🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday! Subscribe so you never miss one.👀 Watch full episodes on YouTube and Spotify.🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts.