Author, witch and host of Your Magic Michelle Tea talks about one of the most guilt-ridden feminine practices of all: magic and witchcraft. Caroline and Michelle talk about tarot, astrology, belief, having an altar, Catholic childhoods and devotion. Michelle is the author of many books, including Modern Tarot, Against Memoir, Black Wave, How to Grow Up and more. She has a weekly podcast about magic called Your Magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I AM big... it's the pictures that got small." Drag Race UK star Joe Black joins us to talk about the camp Billy Wilder classic that took the best of gothic literature and the best of old Hollywood to make one of the best movies of all time. We talk about the blurred lines between fact and fiction, the craziness of the monkey funeral, the fear of age within the entertainment system, the unique fascination of silent cinema, and much more. Joe Black is a drag queen and cabaret artist based in Brighton. Check out their website for tour dates: https://www.misterjoeblack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mona Lisa Smile was a 2003 movie about women's education in the 1950s, and it was also the first Julia Roberts drama to spectacularly fail. We talk a lot about the negative reception to the film – in some cases, the negative reception from the cast itself. We discuss movies about education, and why no one ever seems to have quite the same high standards of filmmaking when it comes to making movies about men. We also talk about women who act against their own best interests, TERFs, evolving view points and whether Giselle would write a sex book. This one goes all over the shop but it's a really cosy and fun talk, just like the film! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coin Operated Boy Tom McInnes is back and we're here to cry about Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer is a singer, songwriter and performance artist who first rose to fame in the early 2000s with her band, The Dresden Dolls. After singles like Coin Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism, The Dresden Dolls became a staple of indie music and were known for their cabaret-inspired aesthetic and wild live shows. Amanda has since become a solo artist, releasing several albums under her own name and becoming one of the first major artists to use a crowd-funding model to fund her work. She has attracted many critiques over the years: both for the lyrical content of her music as well as her behaviour on social media. She is currently married to the author Neil Gaiman.PLAYLIST OF THE SONGS WE TALK ABOUT HERE: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0SgYWvoAKB8srS7sNWOCRM?si=1cbc904906774151 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I should stay, I would only get in your way. Caroline and Irenosen Okojie get extremely giddy about The Bodyguard, arguably the best date movie of all time. We talk about the tragic history of Whitney, the power of sister relationships in art, and the psychological weight of assassinations within contemporary culture. Irenosen is the author of several books, including the most recent Nudibranch. She is the winner of the Betty Trask award, the Caine Prize for African Writing, and was recently awarded an MBE for her services to literature. Caroline is an author and eats trash for dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did ANTM become one of the most influential reality shows of all time? Caroline and Juno bond over their shared love of this pioneering reality series, its absurd lens on the modelling industry, and the competitors who have stuck in our brains for well over a decade at this stage. We also find out what, exactly, makes fashion photographer Nigel Barker so *noted* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's 1997 and Bridget Jones is navigating New Labour, the sudden death of Princess Diana, and her on-again off-again relationship with the elusive Mark Darcy. Caroline and novelist Ayisha Malik discuss why Helen Fielding remains one of the greatest comic novelists of the 20th century (and yours, Mrs Townsend, are quite good too),as well as the everlasting and occasionally frustrating thick behaviour of our best mate Bridget. Ayisha Malik is the author of several books, most recently This Green and Pleasant Land. Her next novel, The Movement, is out in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Trouper Zoe Terakes has brought Mamma Mia to the garbage dump and is ready to celebrate it for the mad camp wonderland it truly is. We talk about how Mamma Mia rejects patriarchal frameworks, whether or not Sophie is in the middle of twelve steps, our love of Pierce Brosnan, and the high lesbian energy coming off Does Your Mother Know. This episode is sponsored by Nine Perfect Strangers, available on Amazon Prime Video now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca Taylor of Self Esteem (formerly Slow Club) talks about how Drag Race literally dragged her out of a dark post-break up depression and helped redefine her musical persona. We gush unabashedly about how this show changed our lives, admit to reading the Reddit and confess to drag queen sex dreams. There's also a preview of her new single, HOW CAN I HELP YOU, at the very end, so stay tuned!Rebecca is @selfesteemselfesteem on everything and her new album, Prioritise Pleasure, is coming October 2021.Caroline is @czaronline on Instagram and her books are on sale where you get books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with season 8 and TV presenter Muireann O'Connell is making the case for award season red carpets being a competitive sport in their own right. We talk about Joan Rivers and Fashion Police, the questionable feminism of judging professionals on how they look in formal wear, the risks and rewards of the red carpet, and Muireann's very own revenge dress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.