You asked and we have delivered hunnies: an investigation into why modern dating feels so broken. Is it just a case of dating app fatigue and chronic ghosting or are there bigger societal issues pegged to the widening gender gaps when it comes to education, pay and politics? And how helpful is this very modern idea of self love over romantic love? We address all your requests, from positive dating stories and top tips for the apps and offline dating, as well as cautionary tales and horror stories for a little much-needed camaraderie. Plus, how dating affects friendships for better or worse and pop culture’s empty promises.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre, coffee and online shopping. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on ⁠BFI Player. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Get 20% off using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reccs discussed:

• Martha, Netflix
• Kill List, Wondery
• Young women are starting to leave men behind, Financial Times
• ‘Falling birth rate? It's difficult to imagine having kids when dating is this hard’ Chanté Joseph for Women’s Health
• The Age of Abandonment, Girls by Freya India, Substack
• Fear and Loathing on Feeld, Moya Lothian-McLean for The Londoner

Happy Halloween hunnies! Why does it feel like the once brilliant Louis Theroux has become our embarrassing uncle? His new Spotify podcast season has revealed him to be narcissistic and underprepared, so we assess potential causes. Plus, our thoughts on two viral celeb videos: Saoirse Ronan's mic-drop moment on Graham Norton, and Tom Holland 'saving' Zendaya. We also come armed with two excellent what to watch reccos: zombie drama Generation Z and a biopic about the most provocative rappers today.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre, coffee and online shopping. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible ⁠BFI Player ⁠every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to⁠⁠ ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reccos/culture discussed

• Law Roach, the architect of Zendaya’s red carpet style, The New Yorker
• Generation Z, Channel 4
• Sue Johnston is the greatest zombie to grace our screens in decades (Joel Golby) Guardian
• Kudu Grill
• The Louis Theroux Podcast, Spotify
• The Louis Theroux Podcast review — his worst interview yet, Times
• Grounded with Louis Theroux BBC Sounds
• Kneecap, BFI Player
• “She’s Fascinating Eating Cornflakes”: The Endlessly Alluring Saoirse Ronan On Blitz, Kids And Marital Bliss
• The Outrun, in cinemas now
• Blitz, in cinemas now
• Paul Mescal enters the arena, GQ
• Big Boys, Channel 4

Liam Payne’s passing has reignited important conversations around the cost of fame and media exploitation, so we’re discussing everything from journalistic ethical standards, to the music industry’s duty of care for popstars. What can we learn from this all-too-familiar tragedy? Also on the show, we review Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, ‘bonkbuster’ Rivals and new comedy The Franchise. Plus: Angelina Jolie’s alleged romance with London’s own Akala, dating octogenarians, and Netflix’s adaptation of the hit podcast Sweet Bobby.

If you've been affected by anything in this episode, Samaritans are here to help, you can call 116 123.

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at ⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible ⁠BFI Player ⁠every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to⁠ ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Culture/reccs discussed

• AARP-Breaker, Airmail
• I’m 33 and my husband is 77 – this is why I only sleep with older men, Guardian
• Magnolia Cafe, Lisbon
• Woman of the Hour, Netflix
• Love Life, BBC iPlayer
• Liam Payne: journalistic ethics are often ignored when celebrities die, The Conversation
• Rivals, Disney Plus
• Sweet Bobby, Netflix
• The crunch, the flavours, the rituals: how crisps became a British snack obsession, Guardian

Stormzy has a potential new girlfriend and we are SHAKEN by this breaking news huns (and the pics of them kissing at Heathrow) but trying our best to process — it helps that she is the incredible musician Victoria Monet who we already happened to adore. Plus, why we’ve fallen in love with the ultimate modern man Andrew Garfield ahead of his new film We Live In Time, ft. a hilarious story from filming with Florence Pugh. Also, our thoughts on the deeply uncomfortable Boris Johnson interview with Steven Bartlett, not to mention the recently unearthed Anne Hathaway press junket clips, as well as our verdict on the absolute stinker of a Netflix Rom-com Lonely Planet. And is the new show Curfew about making all men stay at home from 7pm to 7am onto something? We discuss!

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠Yonder⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to experiences from the theatre to flights. Find out more at ⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠

Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.

We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible ⁠BFI Player ⁠every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Recs/ culture discussed

• Andrew Garfield on the Modern Love podcast, The New York Times
• Learning to Measure Time in Love and Loss, NYTimes
• Andrew Garfield on All There Is with Anderson Cooper
• The Confessions of Andrew Garfield, Esquire
• Oliver Burkeman's last column: the eight secrets to a (fairly) fulfilled life, Guardian
• Kjersti Flaa YouTube (Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway interviews)
• Boris Johnson on Diary of a CEO
• Lonely Planet, Netflix
• Will and Harper, Netflix
• Disclaimer, AppleTV
• Curfew, Paramount Plus

Can Hollywood recover from the Diddy scandal? With more than 120 new lawsuits and related conspiracy theories reigning supreme on TikTok, the allegations surrounding the music mogul have gripped the pop culture conversation this past few weeks From the many theories that hone in on Beyoncé, to a reframing of Zoe Kravitz’s Blink Twice, we provide a much needed update on it all. Plus, a debrief on Kamala Harris’ Call Her Daddy controversy, the happy news that The Princess Diaries 3 has been confirmed, and lots of TV and film recommendations, from our current cinema and Netflix picks, to a review of the new season of HBO/BBC sleeper hit Industry. Kit Harington’s brilliant new character has a love of, ahem, watersports, so the chat takes an unusually kinky turn. Enjoy!

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠Yonder⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at ⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to player.bfi.org.uk ⁠to stream now!

And we’re partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews.⁠ ⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠ to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Amazing health benefits plus no anxiety or jitters. Win! Get 20% off using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Reccs/culture discussed

• Call Her Daddy, Kamala Harris
• Speak No Evil
• Force Majeure
• Heartstopper s3
• Prima Facie, NT Live
• Blink Twice
• The cheap tricks of MeToo thrillers, Vulture
• Industry s3
• Cheapskatelondon newsletter

Are we the only ones not head over heels for Nobody Wants This? Critics are unanimously (and unusually) full of five-star praise for the Netflix Rom-com which has left us a little puzzled — we discuss! In other news, Naomi Campbell has fallen foul of the Charity Commission for allegedly spending money from her charity on lavish hotel rooms and cigarettes, so we put this in the context of her many controversies and ask whether the ‘diva’ label has insulated her from serious scrutiny. Finally, of course we’re debriefing on Sally Rooney, having read her latest bestseller Intermezzo over the weekend. We get into her couple dynamics, how she writes men vs women, marketing hype and why some readers have called out a thematic ‘glorification of thinness’.

Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre and online shopping. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup

Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.

We’re also absolutely over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on their incredible BFI Player every week. At the moment we’re loving Evil Does Not Exist, Rare Beasts, Scrapper and The Assistant. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to https://player.bfi.org.uk to stream now!

And we’re partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. ⁠Subscribe here⁠ to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Reccs/ culture discussed

• Nine Lives, Bermondsey Street London
• The Barbary, Notting Hill
• Nobody Wants This, Netflix
• The Impeccable Smoothness of Nobody Wants This, Vulture
• Netflix’s Nobody Wants This and the Persistent Jewish Stereotype, Glamour
• Nobody Wants This Mean-Spirited Depiction of Jewish Women in Nobody Wants This, Time
• Drama GCSE, Mathilde Barker, TikTok
• Baby Reindeer was wrongly billed by Netflix as a ‘true story’, judge finds, Guardian
• Tyra Banks recalls ‘evil and awful’ conflict with Naomi Campbell in early career, Independent
• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
• 'The Interview': Sally Rooney, The Daily Podcast
• Glimpses of Utopia: Sally Rooney's Couples by Joanna Biggs, London Review of Books
• Sally Rooney in her own words: ‘I’m fighting a cultural battle’, The Times
• Why Are All the Characters in Sally Rooney’s Novels So Thin?, Vogue
• Are you cool enough to have the next Sally Rooney book? Esquire

The Substance starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley has fast become the most talked-about horror of the year, with audiences divided on whether it’s a feminist masterpiece, or a ‘vile and disgusting’ exemplar of the male gaze. We get into how the film taps into our own fears around ageing and how Demi’s role was influenced by career-long toxic media scrutiny. Also this week, we deep-dive into the horrific allegations and rumours that have come to light since Diddy’s arrest, from his ‘freak offs’ and disturbing relationship with a young Justin Bieber, to the music mogul’s careful curation of a ‘legit’ celebrity persona. Is all of Hollywood as dark and sinister a place as it seems? As part of our conversation about male sexual assault, we also discuss the No1 show on Netflix right now, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to world-wide travel insurance and no FX fees for your hols. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We're also thrilled to be partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. ⁠Subscribe here⁠ to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Reccs/ Culture discussed

• The Substance (in cinemas)

• I’m a 50-something woman and nothing about Demi Moore’s anti-ageing body horror rings true, Telegraph

• ‘We can be violent to ourselves. Brutal’: Demi Moore on body image, reinvention and her most shocking role yet, Guardian

• Real Ageing is scarier than what’s going on in The Substance, The Cut

• Helter Skelter by Ninagawa Mika (2012)

• Once More From The Top by Emily Layden

• Blink Twice (2024), Apple TV

• I Survived Diddy’s White Party, YouTube

• Yummy, Justin Bieber (YouTube)

• The staggering fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – from music mogul to criminal charges, Guardian

• The Powerful Celebs Who Acted as Diddy’s Human Shield, Daily Beast

• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Netflix

• The Wild, True Tale Behind Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Vanity Fair

• Behind every Al-Fayed and Diddy there is a small army of enablers, Guardian

Jacqueline Wilson's GIRLS books were a defining part of our childhoods, so how does the author's 20-years-on sequel (for adults!) match up? We discuss whether the books were a good influence and how her real life inspired her writing. Also this week, we dissect all the juiciest bits from Anna Wintour's Vogue doc, and question how 'guilty' Matthew Perry's long-time assistant was in his death. Plus, a round-up of our fave TV shows, and whether star ratings matter.

Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to experiences from the theatre to flights. Find out more at yonder.com/straightup

Subject to eligibility. 18+ and UK Residents Only. T&C's apply.

We're also thrilled to be partnered with brand new quarterly newspaper The Pass, the only publication bold enough to ignore food influencer hype and give us properly honest London restaurant reviews. Subscribe here to receive the new issue and find out what to cross off, and put on, your list.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

There are still virtual tickets to our event next Thurs (26th) with the Trouble Club! Use our code STRAIGHTUP50 for 50% off!

Reccs/ culture discussed:

• Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson (the ‘Girls’ series follow up)
• Jacqueline Wilson: the children’s author who’s now writing graphic sex for adults, The Times
• Jacqueline Wilson’s girls seem depressingly unable to grow up, The Telegraph
• In Vogue: The 90s, Disney+
• In Vogue: The 90s review – Anna Wintour and pals offer up hour after hour of fabulous nothingness, Guardian
• In Vogue: The 90s review — proof of Anna Wintour’s pulling power, The Times
• Anna Wintour: The Biography, by Amy Odell
• Confessions of former Vogue assistants, Amy Odell’s Back Row (Substack)
• Did Matthew Perry’s Assistant Have a Choice? Hollywood Veterans Aren’t So Sure, Vanity Fair
• Why being a celebrity assistant is truly the worst job in Hollywood, Telegraph
• The Assistant, BFI Player
• Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Disney +
• How To Die Alone, Disney +
• We Might Regret This, BBC
• Nightsleeper, BBC
• Colin from Accounts, BBC
• Slow Horses, Apple TV
• English Teacher, Disney+
• Cooking for People, Mike Davies
• Cook As You Are, Ruby Tandoh