In light of Kate Middleton’s recent announcement (and the prior ‘where’s Kate’ internet circus), this week we debate the fraught but symbiotic relationship between media and monarchy, from what ‘right’ we as the public have to access to the royal family, to previous privacy breaches like tampongate, Kate’s topless holiday pics and the hounding of Harry and Meghan. Next up is Ellie’s favourite new podcast discovery, Sounds Like A Cult, about the modern day cults we all follow. A tale of Lululemon leggings and murder ensues, followed very fittingly by Kathleen’s review of Netflix’s new true crim ..read more

Male infertility accounts for half of all IVF cases, so why does society so often consider it a ‘women’s issue’? We get into the taboo around fertility and masculinity, as well as the thorny topics of egg freezing, the 'queer tax' and the commodification of reproduction in this second part of our exploration of why more and more people are putting off having children. We also dive into plenty of other unspeakable truths, from 'unnatural' parents, the fantasy mother vs monster mother tropes in Hollywood, and loss of identity. Plus, we discuss some of the most joyous things about being a parent ..read more

The startling new data revealing the sharply declining fertility rate in the UK taps into the fraught and personal conversations that we’ve been having since turning 30: are we ready to have kids, financially and emotionally? How has everything from increased gender equality and the thriving child free movement to social media and the pandemic skip affected our reasoning? We try to answer all these questions and more in this two-part series on the societal and cultural issues shaping how we think about parenthood in modern Britain.  Next week we will discuss: male infertility, IVF & e ..read more

Have there ever been so many women divided by a film as Poor Things? We get into the controversy ahead of the Oscars, and report on all the BTS gossip from our gals night at the Brit Awards (which is why we went live a little early this week! ). Plus, we dissect some seriously juicy gossip surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Mescal, and, following last week’s chat, get into the fascinating real life ‘Shitty Media Men’ list that inspired Yomi Adegoke’s book. Enjoy huns and please do rate review and subscribe as well as shooting us a DM on Insta ⁠@straightuppod Reccos discussed: I Want to Li ..read more

After months of her dominating the news cycle, we’re finally getting down to it and talking about Taylor Swift. From her embodiment of girlhood to the problematic PR moments she’s generated over the years, we dissect Swiftie mania and interrogate our own feelings towards pop’s brightest star. Next up is a review of debut novel The List by Yomi Adekoke, a gripping exploration of online shaming, cancel culture and carefully crafted celebrity in the wake of movements like #metoo. Then, Netflix’s latest true crime offering and the first from Louis Theroux’s production house, Can  I Tell You A ..read more

Who is it that you’re really dressing for? That’s the Q we’re debating this week in light of Emily Ratijowski’s recent Glamour interview, where she says she “kind of feels like everybody’s bullshitting when people say, ‘Oh, no, I’m doing this for the girlies.’” Also: Sydney Sweeney’s Anyone But You, the ‘rom com with an edge’ that was one of the most talked about films of the past year, thanks to the cheating rumours surrounding the costars. And what about the bizarre pizza restaurant allegations in relation to Sydney’s fianceé? Finally, our actual verdict on J.Lo’s new album film, and the vir ..read more

How did J.Lo become one of the most iconic celebrities of all time? In honour of her ninth album, which is an ode to her fourth husband Ben Affleck, we look back at Jennifer Lopez’s extraordinary life and career, from the horrific fall out from her 2003 film Gigli (which broke her and Ben up the first time and left her ‘eviscerated’ by the press), to her out-and-proud, very meta obsession with the wedding industrial complex.  Get in touch with thoughts, reccos and anything else you fancy by sending us a DM ⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠ on Insta! We absolutely love hearing from you.  Thanks so ..read more

The Mr and Mrs Smith reboot has landed on Amazon Prime and is already being dubbed the sexiest series on TV, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as spies trying to save their marriage. We get into why this show is a million times better than the iconic Noughties film, covering everything from the Brangelina curse, to why original co-writer/ Mrs Smith Phoebe Waller-Bridge exited early on. Next is our cinema pick for the week, American Fiction, a publishing satire about a black writer who writes a ‘stereotypically ghetto’ novel as a joke, only for it to become a literary hit. We discuss how ..read more

Ofc The Traitors finale fall out had to quickly be discussed prior to kicking off proceedings today, huns, followed by an analysis of the off-the-charts chemistry between Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers. The gorgeous new film had Ellie swooning and weeping in equal measure, and she explains why the director wanted to change ‘straight liberal’ misconceptions of queer sex. Plus, Paul Mescal has been on the Louis Theroux podcast and, shocker, we’re still finding Louis’s narcissistic interview style annoying.   In the world of TV, Kathleen recommends Nicole Kidman’s g ..read more

*TW: themes of child sexual abuse and infertility* How could a female teacher in her mid-thirties ever think it acceptable to sleep with her 12-year-old student? That’s the question at the heart of provocative new film May December, starring Julianne Moore as said teacher, Gracie, who we find living married with the former student she raped, 20 years after the crime. The film - loosely inspired by a real case from the 90s - has received rave reviews, so we get into its many, very thorny ethical dilemmas.  Then, more on age gaps and power dynamics in relationships as we debrief on how Nara ..read more