
Straight Up
The pop culture podcast with no filter, brought to you by besties and journalists Kathleen and Ellie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Mar 13, 2025 • 57min
With Love Meghan, a Blake Lively update and being abandoned by friends
How has one of TV’s blandest cooking shows ignited such a storm of controversy? We review Meghan Markle’s new Netflix offering to see if those one-star reviews are valid. We also share our honest thoughts on The Cut’s viral piece about the fallacy of the nuclear family. Is it fair to say that friends flake once they have kids? And is the media exacerbating friction between women? Plus, why Blake Lively’s latest big-guns crisis hires suggests something major might soon rock Hollywood, our favourite quotes from the latest Lady Gaga press run, and a look at Adrien Brody’s highly questionable art. DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.comReviews/ recs:The Brutalist Miss MeIt Ends With Urgh, Reality Bites podcast With Love Meghan, Netflix Furious About With Love, Meghan? Go Cool Off With A Lavender-Scented Flannel, Mate, VogueFive key takeaways from With Love, Meghan, GuardianRunning Point, NetflixNever Have I Ever, Netflix My Friends Abandoned Me When They Had Kids, The Cut The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake by David Brooks, Atlantic Mayhem, Lady GagaLady Gaga: ‘People don’t always make it through success. I did’, Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 6, 2025 • 1h 11min
Millie Bobby Brown, ageing and Lucy Boynton on domestic violence
We always love it when a guest comes to help us decipher the week in pop culture, and who better to make sense of the Oscars than British actor Lucy Boynton, brilliant star of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Ipcress File, The Politican and Sing Street. She's also in ITV's A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, a gripping new drama about the last woman to be hanged in Britain, which reveals the horrific elitism and misogyny of the 1950s, and has become horribly relevant in light of the increasing violence against women. We discuss everything from how the media reports on domestic violence to why our society is built for men. Also on the show: Millie Bobby Brown’s powerful statement in response to media trolling of her appearance, a quick debrief on the Brits and our review of new no1 Netflix hit Toxic Town. DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.comReviews/ recs:Toxic Town, NetflixA Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, ITVWitches (documentary)Nickel BoysRosewater, Liv LittleIsland, Aldous HuxleyFrankenstein, Mary ShelleyBurn After Reading When The O.C. Killed Marissa: “What Have We Done?”, Vanity FairThe Politician, Netflix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 27, 2025 • 50min
Girlfriend robots, Justin Bieber and blowing up your life
We are finally getting stuck into the book everyone has been talking about hunnies: All Fours by Miranda July, which has prompted an 'erotic revolution', with a wave of women 'blowing up their lives' by ending their marriages and pursuing sexual liberation. Why is older women’s sexual desire so taboo? Next, following the viral pictures of a 'gaunt' Justin Bieber and Tuppence Middleton’s memoir on her struggle with OCD, we discuss the ethics of media speculation into celebrity health. And also this week: the debate on AI voice recreation as American Murder: Gaby Petito trends at No1 Netflix, a Substack suggesting Booktok content is becoming soft porn for teenage girls (ft our Forth Wing review) and new AI girlfriend thriller Companion.DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Reviews/recs: Harris Dickinson on Chicken Shop Date, YouTube Harris Dickinson on Off Menu Is Rose Gray the Next Big British Pop Star? Vogue All Fours, Miranda July Miranda July’s Lucrative Fantasies, Substack Why Gen X Women are Having the Best Sex Scorpions: a memoir excerpt in the Guardian by Tuppence Middleton Companion, in cinemas now Her, Amazon Prime American Murder: Gabby Petito, Netflix If BookTok Was a Community Of Men We Would be Calling the Police, Substack New York recs: Carbone Baretto Bemelman's, Carlyle Moxy Chelsea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 2025 • 56min
The White Lotus, botox in cinema and Louis Theroux’s Armie interview
Happy Thursday huns! We’re checking in at the White Lotus in Thailand to debrief on the start of season three, from our fave characters this time around, to the wild tales from the seven months cast and crew spent on set. But first this week: BAFTAs gossip, Amelia Dimoldenberg’s new boyfriend and a big debate on whether botox is really ruining cinema, as per a recent piece in Dazed. And finally, Louis Theroux’s viral podcast interview with cancelled star Armie Hammer. Could the actor have made any more of a mess of it? DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Recs/reviewsRye Lane, Disney+Rev, BBC iPlayer This reeks of a chemistry recession, SubstackIs botox ruining cinema? Dazed Bridget Jones: Mad About a BoyThis is not a Pity Memoir, Abi Morgan The White Lotus, HBOMike White’s Mischevious Vision for White Lotus, New Yorker Meet the White Lotus series 3 cast: ‘It’s a big, dark, beautiful symphony’, The Times The Louis Theroux Podcast with Armie HammerPodcasts were ruining Louis Theroux – then along came Armie Hammer, Independent House of Hammer, Discovery+ Will I survive getting trolled again? Polly Vernon on Substack Boarders s2, BBC iPlayer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 19, 2025 • 32min
Bridget Jones 4: grief, friendship and magical men
It’s Bridget Jones season, huns, and so obviously we had to review the latest and fourth film in the franchise, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy as a special bonus episode. We laughed, we cried, then dissected everything from Bridget's new boyfriends to Pandora Sykes' official podcast. Be warned, there are spoilers! And don't worry, we’ll be back here tomorrow with our usual pop culture debrief. Let us know what you thought of the film by DMing us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Recs discussed: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy The Official Podcast with Pandora Sykes Renée And Hugh Reunite For British Vogue’s February Issue Hugh Grant on Smartless If the original Bridget Jones was released today, people would still call her fat, Glamour Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 4min
Dating advice, Apple Cider Vinegar and the return of horny
It’s Valentine’s week, hunnies, so ofc romance is top of the agenda on today’s show – kicking off with with a review of Elizabeth Day’s brand new podcast ‘masterclass’ How To Date, which she cohosts with MAFS’s Mel Schilling. Do you really have to be ‘healed’ to find love? And are we the only ones feeling a bit triggered by the ‘take your younger self for coffee’ TikTok trend? Plus: Netflix and Amazon Prime’s new rom-com efforts, Amy Schumer’s Kinda Pregnant and Reece Witherspoon’s You’re Cordially Invited, Jordan Stephens’ wonderfully refreshing take on male sexuality and the Bonnie Blue phenomenon, as well as life post-divorce in Amandaland. And, as promised, we’re getting stuck into Apple Cider Vinegar, the highly-anticipated Netflix series about Australian wellness scammer Belle Gibson. DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Recs/ reviews:How To Date, Elizabeth DaySludge MagazineEveryone Is Horny Again, DazedMiss Me? Let’s Talk About Sex... with Jordan StephensJordan Stephens: sex on screen, male shame and Andrew Tate, Straight UpAvoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs, Jordan StephensApple Cider Vinegar, Netflix You’re Cordially Invited, Amazon PrimeKinda Pregnant, Netflix Amandaland, BBC iplayer‘I met my younger self for coffee’ TikTok trend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 6, 2025 • 1h 3min
Timothée Chalamet, the Romantasy craze and the ‘real’ Ryan Reynolds
We finally got swept up in the Romantasy craze huns! Following the news that Rebecca Yarros’s latest novel Oynx Storm has become the fastest selling adult novel in 20 years, we’re giving her first book in the series, Fourth Wing, a whirl. What is it about these fantasy romances that has millions of women hooked? Plus, our reviews of Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-tipped turn as Bob Dylan, an excellent book about building your own boyfriend (if only), Disney’s latest dystopian murder mystery, and Khloe Kardashian’s new podcast. Also, is Mel Robbins’s self-help mantra ‘Let Them’ helpful or just classic therapy speak? And how much weight do these rumbling Ryan Reynolds rumours have: is he the real villain of the It Ends With Us saga?DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Recs/ reviews: A Complete Unknown, in cinemas now Khloé in Wonder Land Podcast with Mel Robbins ‘Let them’: can this viral self-help mantra change your life?, Guardian Blob: A Love Story, Maggie Su Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros Rebecca Yarros’s ‘Onyx Storm’ Is the Fastest-Selling Adult Novel in 20 Years, NYTimes Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Novelist Steal Another Writer’s Story? The New Yorker Paradise, Disney + Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 30, 2025 • 51min
The Traitors, Holly Willoughby’s return and our splintered 'selves'
The Traitors finale was so juicy we HAD to have a big old debrief: was Charlotte robbed? Did it all get too personal? What are the funniest The Traitors tropes? We also discuss Holly Willoughby’s first interview since a terrifying plot to kidnap and kill her was foiled a year ago, as well as Jameela Jamil’s unique ‘protection method’ against misogyny. Plus: has Angelina Jolie been snubbed by the Oscars because Hollywood favours Brad Pitt, despite her abuse allegations? We’re also sorry to report that our honey Leo Woodall’s ‘maths thriller’ Prime Target is... not thrilling. But luckily we do have plenty of other excellent recs for you to get stuck into! Make sure you leave us your books recs in Spotify comments, DM us @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Reviews/recs A Good House, Royal Court Theatre FKA Twigs did this for herself, Vulture FKA Twigs, Eusexua Central Cee, Can’t Rush Greatness Holly Willoughby: ‘It’s been tough. There’s no way of sugar-coating it’, Times Jameela Jamil, The Making of Me, the i paper Prime Target, Apple TV There had never been a sillier thriller about maths, Vulture High Potential, Disney Plus 100 Years of Solitude, Netflix What I Learned Visiting the Set of Netflix’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Vogue Why Do TV Title Sequences Have So Much… Stuff, The Beast ‘Severance,’ ‘The Substance’ and Our Increasingly Splintered Selves, NYTimes We Run The Tides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 23, 2025 • 58min
Cameron Diaz’s comeback, the Molly Mae doc and Lively vs Baldoni (again)
We were not expecting to be weeping over the glossy Molly Mae Amazon doc hunnies, but it got us!! We discuss all the revelations and ‘the Molly Mae paradox’. We also had to dive into the latest explosive lawsuit in this increasingly wild It Ends With Us saga, which has now pulled in Taylor Swift and, er, Game of Thrones. Does the flippant public reaction suggest the worrying end of the MeToo movement? And we’ve got a veritable spy extravaganza of reviews and recommendations this week, including Cameron Diaz’s first return to acting in over a decade. Plus, is We Live in Time up to the hype?DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Recs/ reviews Anora’s Mikey Madison: ‘I never felt naked filming those scenes’, Style Are You a Charlotte? podcast I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers, Guardian Willem Dafoe, The Louis Theroux podcast Molly Mae: Behind it All, Amazon Prime The paradox of Molly-Mae Hague, The New Statesman How the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively legal battle ends, to us, Vulture Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and the collapse of the Hollywood MeToo era, New Yorker We Live In Time, cinemas or pre-order on Apple TV Let’s Talk About the Way We Live in Time Deals With Death, Time Back In Action, Netflix Day of the Jackal, Sky Atlantic The Agency, Paramount Plus Killer, Netflix Severance, Disney+ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 16, 2025 • 1h 9min
Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl, Lily Allen and money anxieties
Nicole Kidman’s erotic thriller Babygirl is finally out and so ofc we had to see it and give you our verdict this week huns! Before our spoiler free-review, though, we discuss all the latest pop culture stories, from Lily Allen’s reported divorce to Heidi Montag’s musical comeback. As always we’ve got lots of TV chat, plus our thoughts on two of our favourite books of 2024, both about the financial anxieties of young women. Debates on OnlyFans, money diaries and more ensue! DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, or email us at hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk and as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!Huge thanks to our sponsor Yonder, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at yonder.com/straightupBorrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.7% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get an extra month free on top of BFI Player’s 14-day free trial using our code STRAIGHTUP at player.bfi.org.uk/Official London Theatre has amazing discounts on the biggest and best London shows until Jan 31. officiallondontheatre.com/seeitliveGet 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at londonnootropics.com/Recs/ reviews: Infactuation, Heidi Montag Missing You, Netflix Playing Nice, ITV Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Netflix When women do anti-ageing it’s called Goop, when men do it, it’s science, The I Avicii - I'm Tim, Netflix Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe Come And Get It, Kiley Reid Babygirl, in cinemas now Harris Dickinson, the Run-Through with Vogue Women Really Want to Talk After Seeing ‘Babygirl’, New York Times The Secretary, Amazon Prime Video Birth, Amazon Prime Video Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.