
Midweek Catchup: Twixmas Time-Warp, Questionable Oysters & When Christmas Loses the Plot
31/12/2025 | 23 min
On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re firmly in that strange in-between zone where no one knows what day it is, Christmas feels like it happened months ago, and normal rules no longer apply. Kaye and Karen swap Twixmas stories - from quiet family Christmases and gifts bought (or bought for oneself), to beachside holidays, culinary regrets involving oysters, and the weird emotional flatness that can creep in when the festivities fade.It’s never just about what you did for Christmas. It’s about routines disappearing, bodies doing unexpected things, and realising that rest, recovery and small comforts matter more than forced cheer. Whether you escaped abroad, stayed close to home, or are still wondering where the week went, this episode is a warm, funny reminder that you’re not the only one feeling slightly untethered.Because no one tells you that this bit - the lull after the sparkle - can be just as revealing as the big day itself.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midweek Catchup: Chemo Side Effects, Surprise Beards & Why Pilates Costs £34
24/12/2025 | 20 min
On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re recording on Christmas Eve and doing what we do best — talking honestly about how life actually feels at this age. From finishing a final round of chemo (and the brutal side effects no one really prepares you for), to the strange satisfactions of ticking off medication charts, to the sudden realisation that facial hair is… expanding.There’s festive exhaustion, pension chat, karaoke confessions, overpriced Pilates mishaps, and the quiet emotional weight that sits underneath Christmas when you’re knackered, grateful, fragile, and still trying to make things feel “normal.”Whether you’re powering through the holidays, stepping back to recharge, or laughing at the absurdities your body keeps throwing at you, this one’s a reminder that it’s never just about the jokes — it’s about getting through, together, with humour intact.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Life and a Half — Love, Faith, Survival and Not Giving a Monkey’s
19/12/2025 | 53 min
On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sir Chris Bryant - MP, minister, memoirist, and living proof that life rarely runs in straight lines. Chris talks with fierce honesty about growing up too fast, coming to terms with being gay in a far less forgiving era, the strange road through the priesthood, and why resilience isn’t about pretending things didn’t hurt.It’s never just about politics. This is a conversation about identity, shame, adventure, boredom, cancer, ageing, and why curiosity might be the real secret to staying alive inside. Whether you’re reflecting on the lives you didn’t live, settling into who you are now, or wondering how much past hardship really shapes us, this one lands with warmth, grit and unexpected laughs.Because no one tells you how many versions of yourself you might have to survive before you feel at home.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midweek Catchup: Secret Santas, Sleeper Trains and Seeing Chemo to the Finish Line
17/12/2025 | 23 min
On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re checking in just days before Christmas — with Kaye broadcasting from a hotel bathroom in London (puffer jacket, luggage rack and all) and Karen at home, navigating the final stretch of chemotherapy, festive expectations, and the strange emotional weather that comes with both.It’s a wide-ranging, very real conversation about not quite feeling “Christmassy,” the pressure to show up when your body and head aren’t there yet, and how humour carries you through when things feel heavy. There’s talk of hair loss in unexpected places, steroid-fuelled appetites, vegan Christmas puddings, jigsaws as an emotional support system, and the joy (and menace) of a mystery Secret Santa chocolate bar.Whether you’re powering through December on fumes, quietly opting out of forced fun, or discovering that ageing is never just about getting older — it’s about adjusting expectations — this one will feel familiar.Because no one tells you how odd the in-between bits can feel: not ill, not fine, not festive, not miserable — just human. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lesley Kara: The Plot Twist That Turned 55 Into a Writing Breakthroug
12/12/2025 | 45 min
On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley Kara, whose brand-new psychological thriller The Troublemaker is landing next year — and trust us, it’s going to keep a lot of women up past their bedtime.We dig into the extraordinary story behind her so-called “late start”: the years of motherhood, endometriosis, surgical menopause, teaching stress, and sheer exhaustion that pushed her into clinical depression… and the single conversation that flipped her life from survival mode to creativity.Lesley talks honestly about stepping into her sixties, the shock of sudden success, and what it feels like to finally do the thing she was born to do.Whether you’re wondering if you’ve missed your moment, quietly nurturing a dream of your own, or just need a reminder that reinvention is real — this one will land.Because no one tells you how powerful it can be to back yourself at 55.Whether you’re rediscovering old ambitions, supporting ageing parents, or trying to work out who you are after everyone else has been looked after — you’ll feel seen here.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.



How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams