Straight Up

When US megastar Billy Porter invited us for champagne at his five-star London hotel, we knew we were in for a treat, and boy, did he deliver. The Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning actor and musician got straight up about pretty much everything, including, of course, his relationship with the press. He tells us exactly how he managed his decision to go public with his HIV diagnosis in 2021, and why he feels obliged to be political.Plus: what's it like being catapulted to global celebrity aged 49? Billy reveals all, as well as his top fashion tip, favourite London nights out, and who he was going on a date with straight after our recording. Listen to Billy's INCREDIBLE new album Black Mona Lisa here: https://billyporter.lnk.to/BlackMonaLisa-albumFollow Billy on IG @theebillyporterPlease leave us a review on Apple, rate us on Spotify, and drop us a DM @straightuppod on Insta, we adore hearing from you!Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Flare, the cutting edge company behind the Calmer earbuds, which soften horrible sounds like chewing, tapping and loud breathing for sensitive souls like us (misophonia!). If you’re someone who gets distracted easily then you absolutely NEED these in your life. Grab a pair for £15.96 in the Black Friday sale with 20 per cent off side wide at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠flareaudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Lopez was arrested with then-boyfriend P Diddy back in 1999, a scandal that had almost slipped from public view until earlier this week, when singer Cassie filed a lawsuit with a slew of disturbing allegations against the music mogul. We revisit exactly what went down on that fateful night in New York, which culminated in 14 hours in police custody for Jen, as well as the details surrounding Cassie’s now-settled claims. Then, more on crime and punishment with our TV recommendation for the week, Time, the season 2 of which just dropped on BBC iPlayer starring Bella Ramsey and Jodie Whittaker, which gives a chillingly realistic look inside womens’ prisons.We also recommend Flora and Son, a very sweet film starring our hun Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters) about a tearaway teen one move away from young offenders institute, as well as the book Criminal by Angela Kirwin. A former social worker who spent more than a decade in UK prisons, Kirwin’s account of the horror inside our criminal justice system – and why it matters so much for all of society – makes for the most compelling and necessary non-fiction book we’ve read all year. Finally and still on theme, a deep dive into both recent Pete Doherty documentaries, the Louis Theroux Interview and channel 4’s Pete Doherty: Who Killed My Son. The latter is a shocking look at a bungled case from a bereaved mother, who is convinced Pete knows what really happened one fateful night in 2007. Next week we’ll be back with a VERY fun interview that is a world away from these more sombre topics, angels, so do make sure you tune in and shoot us a DM @straightuppod to let us know what you’d like to hear about next.Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Flare, the cutting edge company behind the Calmer earbuds, which soften horrible sounds like chewing, tapping and loud breathing for sensitive souls like us (misophonia!). If you’re someone who gets distracted easily then you absolutely NEED these in your life. Grab a pair for £15.96 in the Black Friday sale with 20 per cent off side wide at ⁠⁠⁠⁠flareaudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠yondercard.comRecommendations discussed: Time (BBC)  Flora and Son (Apple TV) Criminal by Angela Kirwin - available from all good booksellers  Louis Theroux Interviews Pete Doherty (BBC) Pete Doherty: Who Killed My Son (Channel 4) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Alderton’s second novel Good Material came out last week huns, so as promised we give you our verdict, and deepdive on the fabulous career of our millennial literary queen. We analyse everything from the savvy personal brand building she began as young as her teens to why, after her memoir, she stepped away from the first-person writing that had made her famous. Plus, our candid thoughts on everything from her prose to her humour, writing from the male perspective, the responsibility of being the ‘millennial Nora Ephron’ and that viral (and highly controversial) review of Ghosts that set Twitter alight.  Let us know what you think of the book (and our thoughts!) on Insta @straightuppod Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Flare, the cutting edge company behind the Calmer earbuds, which soften horrible sounds like chewing, tapping and loud breathing for sensitive souls like us (misophonia!). If you’re someone who gets distracted easily then you absolutely NEED these in your life. Grab a pair for £15.96 in the Black Friday sale with 20 per cent off side wide at ⁠⁠⁠flareaudio.com⁠⁠⁠. Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Made in Chelsea and I'm a Celeb star Georgia Toffolo was all set to study law until she appeared on the reality TV show as an extra, becoming such a beloved cast member that she didn't end up leaving for years. The show helped her launch a VERY successful career (she's won I'm a Celeb, written four novels and launched three businesses) and so we went for a cuppa at the Standard hotel in London to ask her all about what it was like to spend her twenties in the spotlight on one of the UK's most successful shows. We chatted about everything from strangest fan interactions and dealing with the paps to why she quit drinking last year and her daily routine.Plus, whether she identifies as a 'Tory', her funniest celeb crushes, her most unexpected celeb friendship, favourite political podcasts and top spots around town.Please leave us a review on Apple, rate us on Spotify, and drop us a DM @straightuppod on Insta, we adore hearing from you!Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Flare, the cutting edge company behind the Calmer earbuds, which soften horrible sounds like chewing, tapping and loud breathing for sensitive souls like us (misophonia!). If you’re someone who gets distracted easily then you absolutely NEED these in your life. Grab a pair for £15.96 in the Black Friday sale with 20 per cent off side wide at ⁠⁠flareaudio.com⁠⁠. Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We come armed with BTS goss on a huge range of pop culture talking points this week gang, from the newly announced Harry Potter documentary about Daniel Radcliffe’s paralysed stunt-double (with juicy tangents on Emma Watson, Rita Skeeter and more) to the hilarious, hard-to-believe celebrity stories from James Blunt’s new memoir – including the time he ate his own poo at Jamie Foxx’s house, on Bear Grylls’ advice. As requested, we also get into the Wagatha Christie documentary on Disney + that details exactly what went down between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, as well as the ethics of “playing evil”, prompted by the BBC’s new drama, The Reckoning, where Steve Coogan stars as Jimmy Saville.  Finally, if you haven’t yet please do leave us a review and next week, we promise, Ellie will be revealing her embarrassing, pants-related story as payback. We’re so chuffed with the ones you’ve already left, thank you! Any thoughts please do DM us @straightuppod Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at⁠ ⁠⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A forensic analysis of Britney’s memoir is top of the agenda this week, as The Woman In Me’s many bombshell revelations make headlines everywhere. From childhood she was constantly sexualised by the media and after releasing her hit single Baby One More Time in 1998, aged just 16, the world was divided over what she represented: good American role model or dangerously bad influence? We look at how a toxic media and dated purity culture obsessed and shamed Britney over whether she was a virgin, a grotesque prurience Justin Timberlake himself took horrible advantage of via the calculatedly misogynistic media campaign for his own debut album.We trawl back through some of the most shocking Britney interviews from the lads mags of the late 90s, using our own experiences at mens' magazines to analyse journalistic motivations and Britney’s own agency. Plus: that now infamous Diane Sawyer interview, and how women journalists were complicit too.We also discuss everything from the current media narrative around Britney’s devastating abortion revelation to whether this memoir will calm or fuel the ongoing media circus.Please let us know your thoughts on the episode by sending us a DM @straightuppod on Insta, we love to hear from you! Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! Sign up today at ⁠⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do we have a right to tell our stories if they involve the private lives of others? It’s the ethical conundrum we’re discussing this week following the explosive revelations in Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir about her 'husband' Will Smith. And, on the same theme, the very dark stories ‘Kanye’s muse’ Julia Fox has revealed in her brilliant memoir Down the Drain. And for all the huns wondering, who is Julia Fox, don’t worry, Ellie gives us her wild life in a nutshell — prepare for your eyes to POP.Plus, how do you deal with professional rivalry when it comes to your own romantic relationships? We both watched Netflix’s erotic thriller about a couple going for the same promotion at a hedge fund and we have thoughts!! And finally Kathleen tells us all about why we need to know TikTok superstar Madeline Argy.Let us know what you think of the topics discussed on insta at StraightUpPod, we absolutely love all your messages.Thanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, a literally game-changing adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual classic crashes or jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! The card also includes comprehensive travel insurance. Sign up today at ⁠yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week there’s only one pop culture topic on everyone’s lips: the Beckhams. The four-part Beckham documentary dropped on Netflix to rave reviews, but what were the juiciest revelations and what did brand Beckham conveniently leave out?We get stuck into everything from the tabloid shaming of Victoria’s weight and the disturbing quotes about Beckham’s dad, to those Rebecca Loos allegations (including how the story was actually put together) and whether Loos had any leg to stand on selling her story.  We chart how the Beckhams’ relationship to the media has changed over the course of their 25-year marriage, the multitude of rumours, allegations and *that*  furore around the knighthood. Plus, we spill all our own insider secrets: Ellie shares a VERY interesting story from meeting Mr Beckham, while Kathleen hears from one of the family’s former employees. And we discuss whether any of the industry circle whispers hold water.Please do rate review and subscribe and shoot us a DM about what you’d like us to chat about next @straightupod on IGThanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, a literally game-changing adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual classic crashes or jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.comYonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes incl Boomcycle and Kobox this month! The card also includes comprehensive travel insurance. Sign up today at yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hiii huns, we had such a fun afternoon catching up about everything from the latest celeb divorce (it never ends!) to Anya Taylor-Joy's beige wedding dress, featuring some reminiscing from Ellie on the time she had brunch with Anya and left her "devastated" (whoops). Then, Kathleen gives the latest on the never-ending Kim and Kourtney fallout, including the "Not Kourtney" whatsapp group, and Kendall Jenner's Gucci campaign with boyfriend Bad Bunny, followed by a big dig into the new Jorja Smith interviews that have dropped in line with her new album this week, in particular her quotes around being trolled because of her weight.Plus, as a new book about Glossier founder Emily Weiss gets everyone talking, we discuss why she left her company last year after a Glossier boycott, the criticisms of 'barely there beauty' and the Girlboss era. And, VERY importantly, El continues her one-woman mission to read every piece of bad boy lit in the land, and has one particularly depraved recco for us, yay!Please do rate review and subscribe and shoot us a DM about what you’d like us to chat about next @straightupod on IGThanks so much to our brilliant partners for this ep:London Nootropics, a literally game-changing adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual classic crashes or jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.comYonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants to the swankiest gym classes! The card also includes comprehensive travel insurance. Sign up today at yondercard.comReccos discussed this week: Queen & Slim (film) Split (film) Kill Your Friends by John Niven The Unpublishable by Jessica DeFino Boiling Point (BBC series) Drops of God (Apple+) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are so excited to welcome Emma Gannon on the pod, ahead of her speaking at the fantastic Wimbledon Bookfest, which runs 12-22 October.Emma is the author of six books and creator of hit Substack newsletter, The Hyphen. Having published The Success Myth earlier this year, which explains why our obsession with achievement is a trap and how to break free, Emma was diagnosed with chronic burnout, an irony that she unpicks with us as she gets into how it left her dissociated and unable to work for four months. From her own experience of massive success – and how it left her feeling unfulfilled and miserable – to workaholism, the subjective nature of success and how to design a life (not a career) you enjoy, there is so much insight and wisdom for all you angels here regardless of what you do for work! It felt almost like we’d been in one of Emma’s coaching sessions after this chat, and we absolutely loved it. Also up for debate are the joys of being child-free by choice (her novel Olive is all about this and it is fab), finding your own version of “fun”, how to earn more doing LESS work, the importance of prioritising a solo holiday and, of course, boundary setting. Also, a big shout out in our intro to The Apollo Arms, the most gorge new pub in Clapham, South London, that has the most incredible gastro menu we’ve tried in a long time. We implore you to go check it out! apolloarms.co.ukGet your copy of The Success Myth at all good booksellers, follow Emma on socials @emmagannonuk and check out her newsletter at thehyphen.substack.com/subscribePlease do rate review and subscribe and shoot us a DM about what you’d like us to chat about next @straightupod on IGThanks so much to our three brilliant partner for this ep:London Nootropics, the tastiest sachet-served coffee EVER, which - thanks to its incredible adaptogens such as lion's mane mushroom and zinseng - actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, all without any of coffee's usual classic crashes or anxiety. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX  with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at londonnootropics.comFlare, the cutting edge company behind the Calmer earbuds, which soften horrible sounds like chewing, tapping and loud breathing for sensitive souls like us (misophonia!). If you’re someone who gets distracted easily then you absolutely NEED these in your life. Grab a pair for £19.95 at ⁠flareaudio.com⁠. Yonder, the super cool lifestyle credit card that’s ideal for London Huns who want to get huge discounts and freebies across food, drink, and fitness. Every point you spend is then redeemable against amazing experiences in the capital, from top restaurants like Lina Stores to gym F45! The card also includes comprehensive travel insurance. Sign up today at yondercard.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.