The startling new data revealing the sharply declining fertility rate in the UK taps into the fraught and personal conversations that we’ve been having since turning 30: are we ready to have kids, financially and emotionally? How has everything from increased gender equality and the thriving child free movement to social media and the pandemic skip affected our reasoning? We try to answer all these questions and more in this two-part series on the societal and cultural issues shaping how we think about parenthood in modern Britain.

Next week we will discuss: male infertility, IVF & egg freezing, the child free movement, the taboo of the ‘unnatural’ mother, how pop culture has influenced our idea of parenthood, plus loads more listener DMs.

As mentioned in the intro hunnies, this is a re-run of our most popular episode from this year, so our new listeners can discover, and because it feels so timely still given November's new fertility data! Plus we didn't want to leave you without anything during the holidays. If you've already listened, maybe give it another go! Part two will run next week.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

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 over 50 London shows until Jan 31, from Mean Girls to Tina the Tina Turner Musical, Stranger Things and more! Check them out at ⁠OfficialLondonTheatre.com/seeitlive

Hunnies we’ve made it to the end of the year! And our Christmas present to you is a definitive top 10 across both TV and film of 2024, so that you are happily entertained over the next few weeks. Also, we thought it was a good time to dive into Hugh Grant’s ‘freak show era’ now that his intriguing new horror film Heretic is out, and of course it wouldn’t be Christmas without a feminist reappraisal of Love Actually. We hope everyone has a lovely festive break, but we send big hugs and thoughts to anyone struggling at what can be such a difficult time of the year. We are also VERY sorry about the glitching audio which begins part way through this episode due to a mysterious tech diff. We didn’t want to leave you with nothing this week, so we’ve tried our best to make do with the audio we have. Hopefully you can forgive us!

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may 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 over 50 London shows until Jan 31, from Mean Girls to Tina the Tina Turner Musical, Stranger Things and more! Check them out at OfficialLondonTheatre.com/seeitlive

Recs:

• Heretic, in cinemas now
• Hugh Grant’s Most Convincing Character ‘Hugh Grant’? New York Times
• No more Mr Nice Guy: how Hugh Grant transformed himself into an edgy national treasure, Observer
• Smartless podcast episode with Hugh Grant
• No Good Deed, Netflix

Our best TV & film of 2024:

• Anora

• Challengers
• Blink Twice
• Poor Things
• La Chimera
• Wicked
• The Substance
• All of Us Strangers
• Speak No Evil
• Inside out 2
• Baby Reindeer
• One Day
• Rivals
• After The Party
• Say Nothing
• Mr and Mrs smith
• Kaos
• Boarders
• The Perfect Couple
• High Potential

Sabrina Carpenter has been accused of ‘marketing’ herself using problematic Lolita references, so we discuss in light of her new Netflix Christmas special A Nonsense Christmas. Plus, Keira Knightley is back on our screens with the highly entertaining spy thriller Black Doves, but will the media be kinder to her this time? Also, ‘brain rot’ is the word of the year, to which we hard relate, and Amy Adams’s new motherhood horror film, Nightbitch, has left us reeling.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may 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 our fave adaptogenic coffee using our code straightup at https://londonnootropics.com/

Recs:

• Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore, Siân Boyle, Guardian

• Black Doves, Netflix

• Black Doves review – Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw’s gleefully pulpy Christmas gift, Guardian

• In ‘Black Doves,’ Keira Knightley is a mother and an assassin, LA Times

• Keira Knightley: 'Turning 40? It looks rather great', the Times

• A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, Netflix

• Your fave is selling a pedophilic fantasy, Jade Hurley on Substack

• She was a child influencer. Her fans were grown men, New York Times
• Nightbitch, in cinemas now
• Amy Adams and Marielle Heller on toddlers, incontinence and Nightbitch, the Guardian

Linsday Lohan’s new Christmas film is being billed as her big comeback, so why is her alleged facelift at the centre of the story? We discuss the uncomfortable discourse around Lindsay’s recent transformation, from the hunt for her Hollywood surgeon, to our obsession with ‘ageless’ celebrities. Obvs we then had to get into The Cut’s latest viral piece on what a 30-something should look like, not to mention the millennial mid-life crisis. Plus some fab book and TV recs, including the drama that Ellie is calling the best of 2024 and Kathleen’s fave new Netflix thriller.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may 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 our fave adaptogenic coffee using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recs discussed:

• Our Little Secret, Netflix
• Hot Frosty, Netflix
• Joia, Battersea Power Station
• What Should a 30-Something Look Like? The Cut
• Welcome to the millennial mid-life crisis, The Cut
• How to Murder Your Life, Cat Marnell
• The Madness, Netflix
• After the Party, Channel 4
• Buy Now, The Shopping Conspiracy, Netflix
• Nightbitch, in cinemas from Dec 6
• Joia Battersea

Everyone is talking about Wicked and so of course we had to share our review with you this week, from just how much we loved the cinematic spectacle, to the best moments from the utterly hilarious press tour. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s crying and hand-holding has us in a chokehold. Surely you’ve been holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity too? Also, Ellie delivers some sad news about Paul Mescal’s Gladiator performance, while Kathleen has much to report on Pandora Sykes’s brilliantly thorough dissection of literary behemoth Colleen Hoover’s work. Plus: freakily life-like AI pets have launched in Japan and are targeted at women in their thirties. We discuss!

Recs/culture discussed

• Gladiator II, in cinemas now
• The Secret Of Us (deluxe version), Gracie Abrams
• Afrikan Alien, Pa Salieu
• The Real Reward Of All These Celebrity Lookalike Contests, Raven Smith for Vogue
• Rita’s, Soho
• White Horse, Shepherd’s Market
• Pandora Sykes’ Books and Bits, Substack
• Scrapper, BFI Player
• My weird, emotional week with an AI pet, Guardian
• My AI Girlfriend, Slow News Cast, Tortoise
• Wicked, in cinemas now
• Theatre Camp, Disney+
• Emilia Perez, Netflix
• Say Nothing, Disney+
• Blitz, Apple TV+

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠https://www.yonder.com/straightup

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may 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 our fave adaptogenic coffee using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bad Sisters, the brilliant black comedy by Sharon Horgan, is back for season two, so this week we’re getting stuck into the Garvey girls’ return with our review. First, though, some celeb news, from Romeo Beckham’s new girlfriend Kim Turnbull, to Molly-Mae’s Vogue feature. Plus, a debrief on Anora, the award-winning new film touted as the modern day answer to Pretty Woman (consider us Mikey Madison stans). And finally, a raving review of bonkbuster Rivals now that we’ve both finished the first season. We absolutely get the hype.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, beloved by foodies like us. Find out more at https://www.yonder.com/straightup

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Stream now at ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get 20% off life-changing adaptogenic coffee brand using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reccs discussed:

• “People Find Me Quite Controversial”: Molly-Mae for British Vogue by Sirin Kale
• Nightbitch (out 6 December)
• Wolf Like Me, Amazon Prime

• Anora, in cinemas now
• A Night at Cannes With the Strippers of Sean Baker’s Anora, Vulture
• Mikey Madison: from Tarantino bit part to hot tip for an Oscar playing a sex worker, Guardian
• Better Things, BBC iPlayer
• The Oscar contender with a Russia problem, Telegraph
• Bad Sisters, Apple TV

• Rivals, Disney +
• Memo to my family: Stop asking me when I’m going to make you grandparents, Independent
• People Aren’t Sure About Having Kids. She Helps Them Decide, Time

What would an 18-year-old you want to ask your 39-year-old future self if you met them during a hallucinogenic mushroom trip? That's the amazing conceit behind new Margot Robbie-produced rom-com My Old Ass. We review the film while chatting all about teen nostalgia and the passing of time. Plus, why on earth didn't Jamie Oliver hire a sensitivity reader for his cancelled new children's book? And Kathleen has only just recovered from watching the ever-divisive Demi Moore body-horror The Substance, which Ellie reviewed here last month, so we discuss!

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, beloved by foodies like us. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on ⁠BFI Player. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Get 20% off using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reccs discussed:

• Barry Keoghan on the Louis Theroux podcast
• The Outrun, in cinemas
• A Different Man, Apple TV
• The Apprentice, in cinemas
• Trump spoke directly to young men online. Young men spoke back, The Face
• All Those A-List Celebs Couldn’t Save Harris, But Joe Rogan Helped Trump, Hollywood Reporter
• So Good, Emily English
• My Old Ass, Amazon Prime
• The Fall of My Teenage Self, Zadie Smith for New Yorker
• The Substance, streaming now
• Living with Yourself, Netflix
• Anora, in cinemas now

You asked and we have delivered hunnies: an investigation into why modern dating feels so broken. Is it just a case of dating app fatigue and chronic ghosting or are there bigger societal issues pegged to the widening gender gaps when it comes to education, pay and politics? And how helpful is this very modern idea of self love over romantic love? We address all your requests, from positive dating stories and top tips for the apps and offline dating, as well as cautionary tales and horror stories for a little much-needed camaraderie. Plus, how dating affects friendships for better or worse and pop culture’s empty promises.

DM us your thoughts on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email us at ⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and as ever please, please, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify, lysm!

Huge thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use, from points to use towards your bill at the trendiest restaurants and bars in the UK, to theatre, coffee and online shopping. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠

Yonder membership is subject to eligibility and you’ll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply. If you sign up, only borrow what you can afford to pay back. The representative rate is 66.7% APR variable. Membership fees and other T&Cs may apply.

We’re also over the moon to be partnered with the British Film Institute to tell you about our favourite films dropping on ⁠BFI Player. BFI Player offers a 14-day free trial for new users PLUS our hunnies get an extra month free with the code STRAIGHTUP. Head to⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠player.bfi.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to stream now!

We’re back working with our OG faves London Nootropics, the adaptogenic coffee brand that has literally changed our lives with its amazing blends. Get 20% off using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reccs discussed:

• Martha, Netflix
• Kill List, Wondery
• Young women are starting to leave men behind, Financial Times
• ‘Falling birth rate? It's difficult to imagine having kids when dating is this hard’ Chanté Joseph for Women’s Health
• The Age of Abandonment, Girls by Freya India, Substack
• Fear and Loathing on Feeld, Moya Lothian-McLean for The Londoner