Straight Up

• Ed Sheeran, Wicked 2 and the new British ‘Gossip Girl’ Wild Cherry

  Ed Sheeran’s new songs hint at cracks in his seemingly perfect, previously ultra-private marriage, while Jessie J has had to set the record straight on her breakup with Channing Tatum. So just how literally should we take pop stars’ lyrics? Also this week, we’re diving into the BBC’s Gossip Girl-style mother-daughter thriller Wild Cherry, the so-called “female Adolescence", David Szalay’s Booker Prize-winning novel Flesh and 2025’s Word of the Year. Plus, the surprising news that we’re technically teenagers until 32, reports of wild parties from the set of Rivals, and, finally, our (spoiler-free) review of Wicked 2!We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviews:Wild Cherry, BBC iPlayerFlesh by David Szalay Shuggie Bain, Douglas StuartIgnore the pessimists – we are living through a literary golden age, New StatesmanHow to Stop Time, Matt HaigThrew it Away, Jessie JPlay, Ed SheeranStraight Up behind the music miniseries ep with Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart CampAdolescence lasts into your 30s, major new study on brain development finds, The IndependentWicked: For Good, in cinemas now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Jennifer Lawrence, Charli XCX on pop stardom and The Beast In Me

  The Beast in Me is the buzzy new Netflix thriller everyone’s talking about, so this week we’re sharing our (spoiler-free!) review and the standout moments from its star Claire Danes’ latest interviews. First, though, we dive into Jennifer Lawrence’s career-defining performance in Die My Love, also starring Robert Pattinson, and her personal reflections on postpartum life, as well as Charli XCX’s fab Substack on the realities of being a pop star and the celeb newsletter boom more generally. Plus: the brilliant new sci-fi about a romantasy writer, Pluribus; the Guardian’s viral investigation into ‘free birth’ influencers; and Ambika Mod’s latest role as a porn-addicted academic. Enjoy hunnies! Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviews:Pluribus, AppleTVThe Lost Bus, AppleTVDie My Love, in cinemas now ‘Die My Love’ and the savage truth about the postpartum experience, Gillian Orr, SubstackInfluencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world, GuardianThe realities of being a pop star, Charli XCX’s substack  Why is Everybody Losing Weight and What do we do Sincerely? A person who's lost weight, Lizzo’s SubstackLizzo Starts Over The pop star’s success once felt radical. Can she capture the Zeitgeist again?, VultureThe Beast In Me, Netflix ‘I’d barely kissed a boy, but was making out with Adonis’: Claire Danes on sex, spy camp and teen stardom, Guardian Porn Play, Royal CourtThe 31-Year-Old Creator Of Porn Play Wanted To “Do Something Provocative”, Vogue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The best films of 2025 (LIVE from Curzon cinema)

  From Frankenstein, One Battle After Another and Bugonia, to Sinners, Materialists, and The Roses, in this very special bonus episode we're battling it out for the best films of 2025 live from the Curzon cinema Hoxton! Why are so many of this year’s top films so divisive, and is horror taking over Hollywood? Plus, why blockbuster icons like Leonardo DiCaprio should take note of Timothée Chalamet’s marketing tricks for Marty Supreme, the joys of the Wicked press tours, and our Oscar predictions. Finishing up with a few questions from our huns in the audience! TYSM to everyone who joined us, we loved meeting you all and we can’t wait to do more next year. Thank you so much to our fave cinema Curzon for hosting and sponsoring this episode. PSA for all the huns who want to watch the incredible films reviewed in this ep, Curzon have got a brilliant Black Friday deal on their Classic Film Membership, which runs from 28 November to the 1 December and includes a whopping seven free cinema tickets instead of the usual five, as well as 20% off all additional cinema tickets for you and a guest, and 10% off food and drink in all Curzon cinemas. Find out more here.We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviewsFrankenstein, Netflix Bugonia, in Curzon cinemas now One Battle After Another, AppleTVEddington, Amazon Prime VideoLilo and Stitch, Disney+After The Hunt, Amazon Prime Video The Roses, Disney+Materialists, Amazon Prime VideoThe Ballad of Wallis Island, Amazon Prime VideoWicked: For Good, in Curzon cinemas nowBridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Amazon Prime Sinners, Amazon Prime VideoWeapons, Amazon Prime VideoBabygirl, AppleTVDie My Love, in Curzon cinemas now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Caroline Flack, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Jack Whitehall’s thriller Malice

  The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer has just dropped and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it! Will Miranda and Andy’s return live up to the iconic first film? Also this week: Jack Whitehall’s glossy thriller Malice, the Caroline Flack documentary that reveals new details about the role the tabloids and police played in her tragic passing, Louis Theroux interviews Florence Pugh, Hilary Duff is making a comeback, Rachel Sennot’s fab influencer comedy I Love LA, Michelle Obama publishes a fashion book and Paris Hilton has been problematic again. Enjoy hunnys and look out for our bonus episode next Wednesday!Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviewsI Love LA, NOW TVMalice, Amazon PrimeCalifornication, Paramount +‘Diabolical move’: Miranda Priestly’s red shoes get Instagram fashion no-no, Guardian Allow Hilary Duff to Reintroduce Herself, Vogue Florence Pugh on the Louis Theroux podcastMichelle Obama at 61: ‘I feel as free now as I did when I was a kid’, The Times Paris Hilton: ‘I’m not scared of anything — except spiders, bees and dying’, The TimesCaroline Flack: Search for the Truth, Disney+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Sydney Sweeney’s reputation, Timotheé Chalamet and Jennifer Lawrence’s return

  Sydney Sweeney’s new film Christy has bombed at the box office, days after her GQ cover interview went viral for all the wrong reasons. Are her days as Hollywood’s golden girl over? We take a look at evolving public image and explore whether her controversies have actually damaged her career. Also on the show: how Sarah Snook’s new kidnapping thriller has prompted a conversation about the gender gap, the I'm A Celeb lineup, what Timothée Chalamet’s very revealing Vogue interview means for Kylie, and we are so here for JLaw’s comeback! Finally, is it fair to say Kim Kardashian has created the worst TV show of all time with All’s Fair? Plus two fab new book recommendations. Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviewsAll Her Fault, Sky/ NowTV All her Fault is a misandrist masterpiece, VultureSarah Snook And Dakota Fanning On How New Show ‘All Her Fault’ Reveals The “Invisible Labor” Women Take On In Relationships, Deadline Sarah Snook on Why She Opted for ‘All Her Fault’ After ‘Succession’: “I Can’t Top That, So Finding Something Different Was Really Important”, Hollywood ReporterOur October bonus ep: The myth of having it all and how to break freeDid women ruin the workplace?, New York TimesJennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson Vanity Fair lie detector test, YouTubeJennifer Lawrence, The Interview podcast (NYT)Sydney Sweeney, GQThe Universe According to Timothée, VogueAll’s Fair, DisneyIs All's Fair really the 'worst TV drama ever'? BBC The All's Fair cast: ‘It’s good to see women come together and protect one another', GlamourWith ‘All’s Fair,’ Ryan Murphy gives us the ultimate Trump-era TV show, LA Times‘All’s Fair’ and the New Television of Nothingness, Hollywood ReporterHave we passed peak social media? Financial TimesShield of Sparrows, Devney PerryUnder The Blue, Suzannah V EvansThe Safekeep, Yael van der Wouden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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