When the f**k did I become old?

Episode: South of France Special | Part One
About This Episode
We are officially in pre-holiday mode and could not be more excited. In this episode, we walk you through our upcoming three-stage South of France adventure — a proper bucket list trip involving an Aston Martin, a Harley Davidson, lavender fields, Michelin-level dining, and a villa with views that go both ways across the peninsula. We cover the full itinerary, the five things we are each most looking forward to, and the challenges (some of them genuinely stressful) we have had to navigate just to get here.
Key Takeaways
Sometimes you have to stop waiting for the "right time" and just do the thing — especially when funerals start reminding you that rainy days are not guaranteed
Packing for three completely different modes of travel (sports car, motorbike, villa) in one trip is a logistical challenge nobody warns you about
A golf ball through the rear window of an Aston Martin, handled by the wrong windscreen company, can spiral into a two-month ordeal and a Skoda Fabia as a courtesy car
The "I've got nothing to wear" crisis hits differently when your entire wardrobe has to fit in a motorcycle pannier
Taking your partner to places you have only ever been to with your mates is both exciting and slightly terrifying
Timestamps
00:10 – Introduction and why we are calling this Part One
00:45 – The three-stage holiday overview: Aston Martin road trip, Harley Davidson tour, villa wind-down
01:30 – Bucket list thinking: do it now before the runway runs out
02:32 – Full itinerary breakdown: Folkestone to Burgundy, Provence, Gorges du Verdon, lavender fields, Isle sur la Sorgue, Bandol, and the villa near Saint-Tropez
09:33 – Day one detail: the Eurotunnel, EES nerves, and the long haul south
12:01 – First day on the Harley: Whispering Angel vineyard, Gorges du Verdon, and 38-degree heat in bike gear
16:39 – Call to action: please like, follow, subscribe and share
17:30 – Top five things we are each most looking forward to: meals, unique activities, places, views, surprises, and the wind-down
23:34 – Chateau de la Massadier, Matsuhisa restaurant, and why this venue is about to be very famous (White Lotus fans, take note)
26:00 – The Chateau Leoub discovery: Daylesford, a coffee table book, and a beach club lunch that became a must-do
29:00 – Pre-holiday wardrobe crises, packing in miniature, and the bikini vs swimsuit debate
32:59 – The golf ball incident: how a shattered rear window nearly derailed the entire trip
35:30 – Wrap-up and what to expect in Part Two when we report back on whether it all lived up to the hype

Glastonbury is on a fallow year, so we take a trip down memory lane through the festivals and venues that shaped our musical lives. We also visit the V&A's new exhibition on lost music venues, which turns out to be more bittersweet than expected.
Key Takeaways
25% of late night venues in the UK closed between 2020 and 2025, largely in the wake of COVID
The V&A's Lost Music Venues exhibition (on until summer 2027, second floor) celebrates 50 significant UK venues that are gone forever
Several iconic London venues including the Astoria, LA2 and the Borderline were lost to the Elizabeth line development
Festival lineups from the late 90s and early 2000s were genuinely extraordinary compared to today
The Somerset area around Frome, Bruton and Pilton is seeing a revival of smaller, intimate gig venues
The best way to do a festival? Five-star hotel or a rock star motorhome. Camping is optional.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: Glastonbury's fallow year explained
02:32 - The V&A Lost Music Venues exhibition
03:30 - The Astoria, Borderline and venues lost to the Elizabeth line
04:00 - Brixton Academy, Simon Parkes and being filmed in a Frankie Goes to Hollywood video
08:00 - Sydney in the 80s: intimate venues and celebrity encounters
10:30 - Hammersmith Palais and Knebworth 1986 (Queen, Big Country, Status Quo)
13:00 - Glastonbury 1987: sneaking in through farmers' fields, a police roadblock and a friend who later became a vicar
19:00 - V Festival 1997: an insane two-day lineup and a snoring tent companion
21:00 - Rock en Seine, Paris: the bougie festival experience done right
25:30 - V Festival 2002 stag do: Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball's Glastonbury motorhome
29:30 - Reading Festival 2002: one song into the Foo Fighters and a tactical retreat
33:00 - The Somerset venue revival and upcoming Jo Whiley gig in Frome

What are we watching this summer? We break down four upcoming and current series worth getting excited about, all featuring actors squarely in our generation, and all landing on streaming platforms between now and autumn.

Key Takeaways
Rivals (Disney+) is the nostalgic 80s romp we didn't know we needed, with a killer soundtrack and a Waitrose food collab to match
Alice and Steve (Disney+) tackles age gap relationships with award-winning credentials before it even lands
Ted Lasso Season 4 (Apple TV+) is back with a feel-good twist, this time centred around a women's squad
Ride or Die (Amazon Prime, 15 July) sees Hannah Waddingham go full action hero, and it sparked a streaming platform bidding war

Timestamps
00:09 - Introduction and what inspired today's episode
01:00 - Rivals (Disney+): overview, cast and 80s nostalgia
05:00 - The Rivals soundtrack, brand partnerships and Waitrose collab
07:30 - Characters we love in Rivals, fashions we did (and didn't) wear
11:30 - Alice and Steve (Disney+): plot, cast and why we're excited
14:00 - Who is Jermaine Clement? Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows
16:30 - Age gap relationships and why this show goes there
17:30 - Please like, follow and subscribe! And tell us what you're watching
18:10 - Ted Lasso Season 4 (Apple TV+): the women's squad twist, cast and big unanswered questions
22:30 - Ride or Die (Amazon Prime): Hannah Waddingham as an international spy, Bill Nighy guest stars, out 15 July

If there is a series you think we have missed, drop us a message and tell us what you are watching and why you love it. Find us on Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Audible and YouTube.

Jo finally gets answers about her chronic sleep issues and it's not what she (or most women) would expect. Hormone and nutrition specialist Kate Thompson joins to unpack why so many midlife women are misdiagnosed, overtreated for oestrogen, and completely missing the real culprit: cortisol burnout. From the Dutch test to dopamine depletion, this episode connects dots that most GPs simply don't have time to.
Key Takeaways:
Sleep problems in midlife aren't always hormonal. Chronic high cortisol can suppress melatonin and tank your neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin) long before your HRT needs adjusting
The Dutch test (dried urine comprehensive hormone panel) reveals cortisol patterns, neurotransmitter impact and sex hormones together, giving a far clearer picture than standard blood work
High-intensity evening exercise spikes cortisol right when your body needs to wind down. Swap it for strength training or yoga
Your first hour after waking matters: skip immediate coffee, get natural light and eat before you exercise
Progesterone is chronically underprescribed in the UK. Low progesterone means low GABA, which means an overactive brain at 3am
Fatty liver disease affects an estimated 70% of midlife people and largely goes undiagnosed. Ask for markers at your next blood test or request a look during any abdominal ultrasound
Women spend roughly 25% of their lives in poor health. Decisions made in your 40s and 50s directly shape your health span
Timestamps:
00:09 Introducing Kate Thompson, the Hormone Geek
01:10 Kate's backstory: city career, fertility, perimenopause, and retraining
02:24 What a first consultation looks like; why women present with weight gain but leave with a fuller picture
03:30 The Dutch test explained: cortisol, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters in one panel
04:45 Jo's case: blood sugar monitor ruled out, Dutch test ordered
05:45 What Jo's results actually showed (spoiler: it wasn't the HRT)
07:20 Progesterone, GABA and the 3am wide-awake brain
09:16 Four weeks in: real-world results amid a genuinely stressful period
13:00 Why midlife changes everything: oestrogen drop, visceral fat, cortisol receptors, muscle mass
14:10 A male CEO case study: what late-stage burnout actually looks like
16:00 The exercise problem: why HIIT addicts are often the most cortisol-depleted
17:30 Strength training for women and men: testosterone, decision-making, and longevity
18:32 Success stories and the 12-week programme philosophy
19:45 Simple morning habits: light, smoothie, then coffee; no phone as your first screen
21:30 Evening routine: dimmed lights, early eating, no late cardio
23:09 8,000 steps and why walking without your phone is stress medicine
25:00 The Diet Coke trap: why artificial sweetness makes you crave the real thing
26:00 New research on food texture and post-lunch sugar cravings
28:00 Longevity vs health span: women live longer but spend more years unwell
29:30 Fatty liver disease: the silent midlife epidemic and how to check for it

https://www.instagram.com/thehormonegeek/
https://www.thehormonegeek.co.uk/

We sit down with personal stylist Emma Davison to tackle one of midlife's most overlooked confidence boosters: knowing how to dress for the body and skin tone you have now, not the one you had 20 years ago. Emma brings refreshingly honest advice on colour, capsule wardrobes, wardrobe edits and why getting dressed in the morning doesn't have to feel like a crisis.
Key Takeaways
Black isn't always your friend. As skin softens with age, black absorbs light and creates shadows around the face, accelerating the appearance of aging. Navy blue is the universal alternative that works for virtually everyone.
Know your undertone. The key question is whether your skin tone is warm or cool, which determines whether you reach for ivory or pure white, olive green or teal, warm reds or cool blues.
A capsule wardrobe is simpler than you think. Aim for 25 to 40 core pieces built around 4 to 5 investment colours that all work together, then layer in statement pieces on top.
About 70% of most people's wardrobes go unworn. A wardrobe edit cuts the noise, reveals what you actually have, and often generates more outfits from fewer pieces.
Smart casual is where people struggle most. Most people can do formal and casual, but the middle ground is where a stylist adds the most value.
Fit and fabric matter more than trends. As men age cut and quality of fabric become the priority. A well-tailored classic piece will outlast any trend.
Clothes are a confidence tool, not a vanity project. Particularly through menopause and major life transitions, what you wear directly affects how you carry yourself and how others respond to you.
Start with the basics, literally. Underwear, bra fit and t-shirt weight are the foundation everything else is built on.
Timestamps
00:11 Introduction and why we all love black
02:32 The ageing effect of black and why navy wins
04:47 How knowing your colours shortcuts the shopping experience
07:09 Starting a wardrobe edit: body shape, underwear, and investment pieces
09:29 Kevin's colours, warm vs cool skin tones, and the role of hair colour
11:54 Jo's colour palette and why navy is the most versatile neutral
13:30 How clothes transform confidence, especially post-menopause
16:35 Dressing your age vs dressing for your body now
18:29 Common mistakes men make and where style tends to slip
20:49 Smart casual as the trickiest category and how to nail it
23:10 How a wardrobe edit actually works, start to finish
27:47 The emotional weight of clothes and how Emma handles it
32:19 The ripple effect of a style transformation on those around you
33:30 How many pieces make a capsule wardrobe
34:45 Go-to high street brands for men and women
37:09 Why shopping in person still matters and where to find Emma
 https://emma-davison.co.uk/