The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

Comedian, radio presenter, and brand-new host of The Late Late Show, Patrick Kielty, is reaching new heights at the midpoint! Not only does he bring the laughs this week but he also brings the wisdom, including the importance of creating opportunities for yourself, how not to prepare for the London Marathon, and why you must make sure the material at your wake is good! Patrick also explains how one drunk phone call from a pub car park in rural Ireland turned into a life in LA, getting married to Cat Deeley, and the birth of their two children. Gabby also reunites Patrick with physical activity expert and celebrity trainer, Professor Greg Whyte OBE, who speaks about the importance of movement and strength training as we get older - Guinness less so, sorry Paddy.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full disclosure: this episode is highly likely to make you hungry! Gabby is joined by one of the most revered chefs in the country, MasterChef: The Professionals judge and Mere Restaurant chef owner, Monica Galetti. Monica grew up in Samoa imbibing the food centric culture there, before travelling to New Zealand to train as a chef and landing in the UK in Chef Michel Roux Jr’s Michelin kitchen! After juggling competing priorities for many years, pressures on her business and her family meant Monica had to step back from MasterChef last year. Monica explains what she learned in that time, and how she’s now finding the joy in what she does again. Monica also talks about finding her "fit crew" and feeling more confident than ever in the gym, the importance of a happy kitchen, as well as her beloved “boys” – her three dogs! Sporting Director, Calvin Mudd, also joins to explain what Canicross is and why it might be you and your canine companion’s new favourite form of exercise.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve got another expert episode for you, and this time we’re tackling a subject that’s been making the headlines of late… AI! We’ve all heard about it, but what do most of us really know about artificial intelligence beyond the scary stories? How is it going to change our everyday lives, and how prevalent is it already? Gabby is putting all your questions to tech journalist and AI commentator, Lara Lewington. Lara has presented and reported for the BBC’s flagship technology programme, Click, since 2011, and she recently made A Documentary: By ChatGPT for BBC Radio 4. Lara explains some of the pitfalls of AI, as well as some of the ways we might be able to use it to our advantage when it comes to things like healthcare, drug discovery, and policing social media. She also explains what data is harvested from us already (often unknowingly), and how personal data trackers are being used to help prevent illnesses and increase longevity – things which are all made possible by AI.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been an interesting career trajectory for TV presenter, Alex Jones; from having Davina McCall invigilate her university exams whilst competing on a reality TV show, to broadcasting to millions every night hosting BBC’s The One Show. But there is always more to a story like this than meets the eye… And there is a reason Alex has remained at the helm of the weeknight show for the last 12 years. Now at 46 years old, we find out what she’s learned en route to the midpoint and how she balances work with being mother to three children under six years old! Alex’s youthful outlook on life shines through her wealth of hilarious anecdotes, from bartering for directions with paparazzi to bargaining with Chris Evans over chips and champagne. They are also joined by Uju Asika, writer of Raising Boys To Do Better, to talk about how we can support boys navigating the modern world and offer practical tips on how to bring up kind children in an oftentimes prejudiced world.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the U.N.’s International Court of Justice to the bejeweled Strictly ballroom at Blackpool, this week’s guest’s journey to the midpoint has been quite an extraordinary one. Gabby chats with barrister and broadcaster Rob Rinder MBE, ahead of the release of his debut novel The Trial. They talk about everything from why it’s important that we keep in mind the myriad of human reasons why people behave in the way they do, how forgiveness is sacred but is not the same as forgetting and how Rob lives in forgiveness even though his family were victims of the Holocaust, to why he can’t bear the “farting smugness” of some yoga classes and why he will forever be a match-maker and a romantic! Psychotherapist and best-selling author, Julia Samuel, also joins to offer an expert view on inherited trauma and behaviours, and practical ways to help you deal with that – which is the focus of her latest book Every Family Has A Story. Julia mentions the work of Charles Duhigg around habit forming and you can find out more about his work here. The latest of Rob’s factual series, The Holyland and Us - Our Untold Stories, is also still available to watch on BBC iPlayer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the interests of fairness - and keeping everyone in the family happy - Gabby’s son Reuben joins her on the podcast this week, ahead of leaving home to begin his professional career as a rugby player. It’s a very open discussion about what it means to be a teenage boy in the modern world, including Reuben’s take on masculinity and whether toxic influencers online actually have any influence at all. They also speak about how Reuben dealt with anxiety and the pressures of school, being added to the club WhatsApp group and preparing to enter a professional workplace for the first time, as well as what it’s like being mum to a sporty child – and the ways they (inevitably) find you annoying!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest is usually the one asking the questions, more accustomed to interviewing some of the world’s biggest R&B stars, but today it’s his turn to come up with the answers! Gabby is joined by critically acclaimed radio host and DJ Trevor Nelson MBE, to talk about how he’s feeling about life on the cusp of his 60th birthday. Trevor talks about the power of saying no, the secret to longevity in an industry that’s preoccupied with youth, enjoying the simple things in life and why he is absolutely a dog person! Sarah Gilchrist from Gilchrist Performance also joins to talk about how you can optimise sleep and recovery when – like Trevor – you don’t work a traditional 9-5.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kenny joins Gabby on the anniversary of his Prostatectomy to talk about how the diagnosis affected him and the changes his body has gone through in the year since his operation. It’s also a frank and honest chat about how the couple have navigated this together – and yes, there is quite a lot of chat about erectile function! They also discuss the fear of saying the wrong thing in today’s world, how signing up to challenges can really help to keep you motivated around the 50 mark, and a rather memorable holiday story involving one delirious Kenny and a thermometer!If you or someone you know have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you might like to listen back to the special episode Gabby and Kenny recorded alongside Kenny’s Consultant Urologist, Declan Cahill. If you want to know more about Declan Cahill's work you will find his website here, and Prostate Cancer UK has some very useful links and resources, too. Crucially, like many men, Kenny did not experience any symptoms before his diagnosis and sadly we know that 1 man dies of prostate cancer every 45 minutes, so if you or someone close to you wants to get checked, ask your GP for a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) and urine test - two simple tests that save lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist, podcaster, and former Editor in Chief, Lorraine Candy, spent her career writing for and about women in some of the nation’s best-known publications, but when she started experiencing what she calls her “physical and emotional unraveling”, she had no idea that what she was experiencing was in fact the perimenopause. Now, Lorraine is on a mission to share all that she’s learned about the menopause, to ensure that no woman feels alone or ashamed if their minds and bodies begin to change, and her new book What’s Wrong With Me? 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know is out this week. Gabby and Lorraine also speak with warmth and humour about issues that impact all midpointers, such as dealing with living losses, finding a new sense of identity, as well as the many upsides of midlife! Life coach, Ed Haddon, is also on hand to discuss how coaching can be a great way of re-establishing your purpose in midlife.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gut is often referred to as ‘the second brain’ and Dr Megan Rossi is here to tell us why! Megan - aka The Gut Health Doctor - is here to shine a light on our gut microbiome’s incredible potential, a fascinating and relatively new area of scientific research which Dr Rossi has dedicated her career to. She talks about how the brain and the gut interact and why paying attention to the health of your gut microbiome can positively affect your mental health, not only that, but you can also increase your gut’s ability to recycle oestrogen by eating certain foods – an important note for women in midlife. Megan is also here to break down some of the myths around carbs, gluten, and food intolerances - including how to reintroduce important prebiotic foods you thought didn’t agree with you - and we also put your questions to Megan. Plus, if you’re a frequent flyer, be sure to listen to the end for top tips on how to avoid Mile High IBS! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.