Straight Up

Straight Up

The pop culture podcast with no filter, brought to you by besties and journalists Kathleen and Ellie. New episodes out every Thursday!

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Episode's summary

The Victoria’s Secret fashion show is back and seemingly more popular than ever, just years after it was dismissed as sexist and outdated. So how did we get here, and why are we suddenly celebrating a version of femininity we thought we’d left behind? Also this week: the newly-announced reboot of Lena Dunham’s Girls and whether it can capture the zeitgeist again, the controversy surrounding Sally Rooney’s book ban, plus reviews of Florence Pugh’s East of Eden adaptation and Ben Affleck’s new Netflix thriller. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk Recs/ reviews: East of Eden, Netflix Animals, Netflix Jon Ronson on The Louis Theroux Podcast Office Romance, Netflix The Sheep Detectives, Amazon Prime So, Girls is coming back for 5 fresh eps… Lena…

Episodes

271-

The Victoria’s Secret fashion show, Sally Rooney and the Girls reboot

The Victoria’s Secret fashion show is back and seemingly more popular than ever, just years after it was dismissed as sexist and outdated. So how did we get here, and why are we suddenly celebrating a version of femininity we thought we’d left behind? Also this week: the newly-announced reboot of Lena Dunham’s Girls and whether it can capture the zeitgeist again, the controversy surrounding Sally Rooney’s book ban, plus reviews of Florence Pugh’s East of Eden adaptation and Ben Affleck’s new Netflix thriller. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk Recs/ reviews: East of Eden, Netflix Animals, Netflix Jon Ronson on The Louis Theroux Podcast Office Romance, Netflix The Sheep Detectives, Amazon Prime So, Girls is coming back for 5 fresh eps… Lena…

22 Oct 2026
270-

Elizabeth Day’s TV thriller, Mark Zuckerberg and when comedians go too far

Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel The Party has been turned into a glossy new TV thriller with Luke Evans, exploring toxic friendships and the dark side of the British upper classes. Plus, a comedian has sparked a furious backlash after calling women in gym shorts “whores” on SNL. Is misogyny being repackaged as edgy comedy? Also on the show: the must-watch new series of prison drama Time starring David Tennant and the questions it raises about our broken criminal justice system, a gripping new investigative podcast about an LA couple who had 21 children via surrogacy, a review of Jeremy Strong’s turn as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning and Nara Smith’s “sexy rebrand”. Get your ticket to our ACOTAR 6 virtual book club via Ticket Tailor here. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG…

15 Oct 2026
269-

The Celebrity Traitors, Sienna Miller’s War and when Hollywood divorces get ugly

Sienna Miller and Dominic West play a celebrity couple at war in Sky’s hyped new divorce drama, so this week we’re getting into some of Hollywood’s messiest breakups – not to mention the stars’ own experiences with relationship scrutiny – from Halle Berry’s current custody battle to how Olivia Wilde and Tom Cruise were both “blindsided” by their exes. Also on the show: The Celebrity Traitors is back and we couldn’t be more thrilled, why contestant Richard E. Grant has our hearts, the Fourth Wing prequel and a review of Daisy Edgar Jones’ Sense and Sensibility. Plus, we reveal all the details of our first ever virtual book club! Get your ticket to our ACOTAR 6 virtual book club here. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod…

08 Oct 2026
268-

Taylor Swift’s Encore, Amelia Dimoldenberg and the female rivalry trap

Miquita Oliver went on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place pod this week, marking the end of a decades-long feud fuelled by the toxic tabloid culture of the early noughties. We debrief on their heart-warming reconciliation and how female rivalry is so often rooted in insecurity. Also on the show: Amelia Dimoldenberg hosted SNL, Taylor Swift has upset fans and critics alike with her latest release Encore (despite cleaning up at the VMAs on Sunday) and Vogue is engulfed in yet another controversy after the company behind Mounjaro sponsored its latest event. Plus: Colin From Accounts season three, Anne Hathaway’s dinosaur movie and a couple of great recs for weekend watching. Enjoy huns! Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find…

01 Oct 2026
267-

Ed Sheeran, Lena Dunham and the ethics of surrogacy

From Lena Dunham announcing the birth of her baby girl via surrogate in a fashion piece for Vogue, to Ed Sheeran’s PR disaster over Palestine and free speech, this week both celebs have found themselves at the centre of debates they’d tried to side-step. Is commercial surrogacy inherently “anti-feminist”? And can stars really be apolitical in this day and age? Also on the show: we review Sharon Horgan’s brilliant new series YOUTH, all about ageing anxiety and dating in your 50s. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk Recs/reviews YOUTH, HBO Max Sharon Horgan: My sexual shelf life and dating over 50, The Times Lena Dunham Is a Mother! The…

24 Sep 2026