This week, we have an expert taking centre stage! Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist and Psycho-Sexologist, Kate Moyle , is here to talk sex and intimacy. It’s something many people still struggle to talk about, but midlife can radically change the landscape when it comes to sex; certainly, when we asked The Mid.Pointers for questions to put to Kate, you delivered! In this episode, Kate tries her best to answer those questions on everything from libido imbalance to fetishes, pelvic floor st...
Nov 22, 2023•41 min•Season 7Ep. 41
Gabby is joined by one of the most recognisable names in the British restaurant world: Michelin Star chef, restaurateur, and broadcaster, Angela Hartnett OBE. Angela shares her experience of going through the menopause in somewhere as hot and pressurised as a top kitchen; how she’s learned in midlife that sometimes you need to ask for help; where her love of food comes from and why food and family are so intertwined; as well as the things she’s doing to ensure that she’s thriving when she is 90 ...
Nov 15, 2023•52 min•Season 7Ep. 40
WARNING: This episode contains strong language. Comedian, presenter, and author, Dara Ó Briain, joins Gabby to talk about how midlife is treating him; how it has expanded his comedy and allowed him to become more of a storyteller; and what it’s like touring alongside being a dad and getting usurped in popularity by their new dog. Co-author of Ravenous , Henry Dimbleby, also joins to discuss the state of our national food system and why it needs to radically change to protect our future health an...
Nov 08, 2023•55 min•Season 7Ep. 39
This week’s guest has been compared with the Vicar of Dibley, and she doesn’t mind one bit! This week, the Reverend Kate Bottley brings all the warmth and humour that Dawn French’s character was famous for, and then some. Gabby and Kate discuss all the big topics in this episode: love, death, and skinny dipping! Professor Mike Tipton also joins them to talk about best practices for those who are new to wild swimming, and Kate shares why it’s the one hobby she has stuck with. Below are some links...
Nov 01, 2023•43 min•Season 7Ep. 38
Property expert and broadcaster, Sarah Beeny, chats with Gabby this week about the opportunities that you can unlock in midlife, the joy of being a groupie mum, and the breast cancer diagnosis which she refuses to let define her. Sarah’s new book, The Simple Life: How I Found Home , charts her life through the properties she’s restored, renovated, and loved, and they discuss the importance of making a house a home. They also discuss all things property finance and pensions with host of the Finan...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 37
Gabby and Kenny get together for a wee debrief after completing Kenny Logan’s Rugby World Cup Challenge , in memory of their great friend Doddie Weir and in aid of My Name’5 Doddie Foundation . They talk about the highs and lows of the weeklong cycle-walk challenge, carrying the Ireland v Scotland Rugby World Cup match ball from Edinburgh to the game in Paris, as well as what it meant to them to meet so many people affected by Motor Neuron Disease along the way. You can still donate to this grea...
Oct 17, 2023•35 min•Season 7Ep. 36
Few former politicians have had successful reincarnations as television presenters, but Ed Balls is one of them. He joins Gabby to talk about how he is loving the so-called midlife crisis because it’s only really at the midpoint that he’s been able to say yes to the many things he would like to try – including famously, dancing on Strictly ! Ed also discusses what raising a young family within the world of politics was like, the new podcast he's cohosting Political Currency, and Gabby gets his t...
Oct 10, 2023•59 min•Season 7Ep. 35
Gabby’s guest this week is a comedian, writer, and TV presenter, and he’s also turning the midlife crisis on its head! For Lee Mack, the midlife crisis is more like the midlife question mark: a time when you question some of the ways you’ve been told to live. Lee shares why things like meditation, veganism, and sobriety, have become increasingly important to him at the midpoint, as well as why he loves time off more and more but would trade it all for a shot at playing football for FC Barcelona!...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 34
Presenter, author, and outdoor evangelist, Julia Bradbury, is with Gabby on the podcast this week. Julia talks about how her breast cancer diagnosis has had a profound effect on her midlife, and how it partly inspired her new book Walk Yourself Happy . As well as the power of walking, they discuss the other lifestyle habits which Julia researched for the book, such as nutrition and breathwork, and how this has informed changes in her own life. Determined to give herself the best fighting chance ...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 33
Trigger Warning: Miscarriage is discussed in this episode, so please take care whilst listening. We are finishing our mini-series featuring extraordinary people with inspiring stories to tell by hearing from former RAF fast jet pilot, Mandy Hickson. Mandy always dreamed of following in her grandfather’s footsteps and becoming a pilot, but in her early adulthood, this was simply not an option: women were not allowed to be pilots in the RAF. But as soon as that rule changed, there was no stopping ...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 32
Trigger Warning: This week's episode contains a conversation about the loss of a child. This is the second instalment of our special mini-series focusing on extraordinary people with remarkable stories to share. Gabby was inspired to break away from the usual roster of celebrities and experts, and instead spotlight ordinary people who have real insight when it comes to overcoming adversity; Fiona Spargo-Mabbs has exactly that. In 2014, Fiona’s worst nightmare became a reality when a police offic...
Sep 12, 2023•56 min•Season 7Ep. 31
This month, Gabby presents a special mini-series focusing on extraordinary people with remarkable stories to share. The Oprah Winfrey Show was formative viewing for Gabby, and having rediscovered its early episodes, she was inspired to break away from the usual roster of celebrities and experts and instead spotlight ordinary people who have shown remarkable strength of character and overcome adversity. Over the course of the next three episodes you'll hear three very different stories, but all o...
Sep 05, 2023•52 min•Season 7Ep. 30
To round out our series of summer specials, we’ve combed the archive for some of the most insightful chats we’ve had about the menopause. There are a myriad of symptoms associated with menopause and it manifests differently for everyone, so it’s important we continue to talk about it and to share helpful tips that make this stage of life a little easier to navigate. In this episode, you’ll hear from writer Lorraine Candy, model Penny Lancaster, MP Carolyn Harris who campaigned to make HRT more a...
Aug 29, 2023•47 min•Season 7Ep. 29
This is the second of our special compilation episodes this summer; perfect for you to dip in and out of on your holidays, or to accompany you on any long journeys. This week we’re focusing on a topic that comes up a lot on The Mid.Point : relationships. Be they romantic, familial, or purely platonic, they can often take on a new importance when navigating midlife. Like everything, relationships change and evolve over time and sometimes they no longer serve us by the midpoint, hence why many peo...
Aug 22, 2023•46 min•Season 7Ep. 28
School’s out, and so is the rule book! This summer we’re bringing you a special mini-series which takes you on a trip through the archive, showcasing the best snippets from our vast and varied line up of guests. Each week we’ll be focusing on a topic that’s particularly pertinent to those of us at the midpoint, and this week we’re celebrating the joys of getting older. There’s still a pervading sense of pessimism when it comes to the mainstream narrative on ageing, but the chats on this podcast ...
Aug 15, 2023•41 min•Season 7Ep. 27
Author of It’s Not A Diet and founder of supplement brand Will Powder , Davinia Taylor, is here to explain the principles behind her new book Hack Your Hormones . You may well remember Davinia from her days as an actress on Hollyoaks and being a renowned party girl in the 90’s - painting London red with The Primrose Set! But gone are those hedonistic days, and in the last 14 years, Davinia has learned lots from her own journey from alcoholic to wellness advocate. She talks to Gabby all about bio...
Aug 08, 2023•49 min•Season 7Ep. 26
By its very nature, this expert episode on grief is raw and emotional, and some tears were shed in the making of it. But Psychotherapist, best-selling author, and podcaster, Julia Samuel , is here to guide us through the many shades of grief; something which impacts all our lives in one way or another and particularly in midlife. Julia very generously answers your questions on everything from practical ways to support loved ones who are grieving, dealing with living losses such as divorce, and v...
Aug 01, 2023•33 min•Season 7Ep. 25
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 t...
Jul 25, 2023•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 24
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 Mon...
Jul 18, 2023•56 min•Season 7Ep. 23
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 , s...
Jul 11, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 22
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 ...
Jul 04, 2023•53 min•Season 7Ep. 21
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 li...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 20
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 ...
Jun 20, 2023•32 min•Season 7Ep. 19
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 ...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 7Ep. 18
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 me...
Jun 06, 2023•39 min•Season 7Ep. 17
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...
May 30, 2023•58 min•Season 7Ep. 16
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 increas...
May 23, 2023•43 min•Season 7Ep. 15
We’re keeping it in the family this week, with Gabby’s daughter Lois Logan joining her to talk about something that many teenagers (and parents) will be dealing with right now: leaving school and revising for exams! Lois and Gabby also discuss their different perspectives on things like beauty standards on social media, the moment your children become teenagers and no longer want to spend as much time with you, and what it’s like seeing your mum go through the menopause just as your hormones kic...
May 16, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 14
This week, Gabby takes a deep dive into the biology of ageing with Professor Rose Anne Kenny. Professor Kenny is a physician, researcher, and the founding principal investigator of The Irish LongituDinal study on Ageing. Rose Anne is also a best-selling author, and Gabby has read her book - Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life - cover to cover! They discuss key topics from her research, including what epigenetics are and how we can influence them and our biological ag...
May 09, 2023•51 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Despite still being in her thirties, Olympic gold medallist and British sporting icon, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to navigating big transitions in life. Having retired from professional sport in 2016, Jess talks about how she had been so focused on being the best heptathlete she could be, that despite being happy to retire, she had no plan B when the time came. However, motherhood had set her on a journey to learning more about the significance of hormonal c...
May 02, 2023•52 min•Season 7Ep. 12