
Love Lives
Love comes in many shapes and forms. People, objects, places, animals, music, and even moments are all capable of sparking those magical feelings within us. In this new video podcast from The Independent, we’ll be speaking to guests about the different loves of their lives, the stories behind them and what that love has taught them about themselves and their place in the world. Because all of us are capable of loving something – and deep down, it’s the things we choose to love, and how we love them, that often reveal the most about who we are. Welcome to Love Lives with Olivia Petter.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Apr 9, 2021 • 50min
The joys of being single and our obsession with romantic relationships, with Francesca Specter
Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveThis week, Olivia is joined by author, journalist and fellow podcaster Francesca Specter.Francesca is best known for coining the phrase atonement, which is also the name of her podcast and of her first book.Atonement is about celebrating the time you spend alone and, as we discuss in the show, Francesca came up with the concept after coming out of a long-term relationship and realising she wasn’t great at being alone.We talk about why it’s so important to separate this idea of being alone with being single, why society often prioritises romantic relationships above others, and the concept of being alone but togetherFollow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 26, 2021 • 42min
Cheating, arguments and blackout sex: How alcohol affects the way we date, with Millie Gooch
This week, Olivia speaks to writer and campaigner Millie Gooch.Millie is the founder of the Sober Girl Society, which is a platform for sober and sober curious women. She’s also just published her first book, The Sober Girl Society Handbook.In this episode, the duo discuss how drinking alcohol, and drinking culture, impacts the way we date. They talk about everything from sober dating and infidelity to how alcohol causes arguments in relationships and what happens when drinking blurs the lines of consent.There is a discussion about sexual assault in this episode so please do bear this in mind before you listen.Enjoy the show!For more information on seeking support after sexual assault, contact Rape Crisis via their helpline: 0808 802 9999Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 12, 2021 • 25min
Unrequited love and why we need to make romance more inclusive
Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveThis week, Olivia is joined by celebrated author Sareeta Domingo to discuss unrequited love and why we need to make the romantic genre more inclusive.The two talk about Sareeta's new book, Who’s Loving You: Love Stories by Women of Colour, a groundbreaking anthology of original short stores, covering everything from forbidden love to lost love.We also talk about why diverse storytelling is so important within the romantic genre in particular.Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 26, 2021 • 36min
'Situationships' and the ambiguity surrounding queer relationships, with Naoise Dolan
This week, we're joined by bestselling novelist Naoise Dolan to discuss her debut book, Exciting Times.The duo talk about the two very different central relationships in Naoise's novel and how ambiguity characterises them both in very different ways. When does a push-pull dynamic between two people become toxic? And are we overusing that word when we describe romantic relationships?The pair also discuss why female novelists are almost always asked if their work is biographical, particularly when it covers sex and relationships.Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 12, 2021 • 56min
How the decision to have children can define our dating lives, with Nell Frizzell
This week, Olivia is joined by journalist and author Nell Frizzell, whose new memoir, The Panic Years, offers an insight into how much the decision of whether or not to have children can impact the choices we make in our dating lives.They talk about how a big breakup when Nell was 28 led her to re-evaluate her love life, the politics surrounding motherhood, and why women in their 30s tend to have a higher libido than men in their 30s.Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 29, 2021 • 50min
Falling in love in your 30s, with Camille Charrière
Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveThis week, Olivia is joined by writer and broadcaster Camille Charrière to discuss the differences between dating in your 20s compared to your 30s.The duo examine why the relationships we seek in our 20s tend to be fervid and unstable, and how this can lead us to make poor choices in our love lives.Camille also discusses how she fell in love after being single for seven years and what makes this relationship, with her now fiancé, different from any other she's been in.They also discuss the complex art of compromise in a relationship, and how it's not always the best way forward. Finally, Camille explains why it is that people often lose friends when they get into a serious relationship.You can read Camille's article on this very subject here: www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/a34587107/camille-charriere-love-in-your-30s/Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 15, 2021 • 32min
Getting over a breakup by gardening, with Alice Vincent
Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveThis week, Olivia is joined by author and journalist Alice Vincent to discuss her memoir, Rootbound, which has just come out in paperback.In the book, Alice talks about a year of her life in her late 20s when out of nowhere, she found herself single, living out of a suitcase and overcoming heartbreak.The two discuss how Alice found a new lease of life in the wake of her breakup through nurturing pot plants and surrounding herself with greenery.They also discuss the complexities of writing about ex-partners and the strangely cathartic compulsion to make your private life public when you're having a tough time.Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 25, 2020 • 43min
Christmas Special with Charly Cox
Merry Christmas!This year has been fairly dismal, to say the least, so we decided to provide some festive cheer by bringing you a special Christmas episode.Olivia is joined by Charly Cox to share listener stories, answer questions, discuss some of their relationship highs and lows from 2020, and look ahead at what the new year may bring for our love lives.Enjoy the show!Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 18, 2020 • 41min
The ups and downs of female friendship, with Gemma Styles
This week, Olivia is joined by writer and podcaster Gemma Styles to discuss the complexities surrounding female friendship.The duo talk about how the pandemic has made them reevaluate some of their friendships, whether you can outgrow certain friends, and how these relationships change in your 20s and 30s.They also discuss the fetishisation of female friendship groups in popular culture and the pressures this can put on women to form lifelong bonds at a young age.Finally, they discuss whether or not we should put the same emphasis on friendships that we do on romantic relationships.Enjoy the show!Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 4, 2020 • 48min
Celibacy, Saturn Returns, and craving instability, with Caggie Dunlop
This week, Olivia is joined by former Made in Chelsea star Caggie Dunlop.The two discuss how your Saturn Return can affect your love life, why we chase after people we know are wrong for us, and whether or not a period of celibacy can help you reclaim autonomy over your intimate relationships.Of course, they also discuss Made in Chelsea, and how being the star of a reality TV show at the age of 22 has shaped Caggie's life.Follow the show on Instagram at @millennial_loveSupport Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millennialloveSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.