Straight Up

• Dua Lipa, #SkinnyTok and the labubu doll craze

  Dua Lipa has been hailed as ‘the best literary interviewer’ for her forensically researched Service95 author chats and so ofc we had to weigh in, huns, from the rise of celebrity book clubs (and even book stylists) to why people are so reticent to acknowledge a beautiful woman’s intelligence. Also this week: celebrity couples from Kylie and Timothée to Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, the labubu doll craze and the ‘kidultification’ of culture, plus a deepdive into the disturbing world of #SkinnyTok. Is this the end of body positivity or just recycled fatphobia, emboldened by the Ozempic era? Finally, a few TV recs, including our review of Molly Mae: Behind It All part two. Enjoy and have a fab weekend!Please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going xWe love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too!Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠Try BookBeat for free for 60 days (w 40 hrs of listening) and stream millions of audio using our code straightup at bookbeat.comGet better skin and sleep with sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet and use our code STRAIGHTUP for 15% off at sisterlylab.co.ukRecs/ reviewsIs Dua Lipa the best literary interviewer? The GuardianDua Lipa versus the literary landscape, YouTubeStill Born, Guadalupe NettelWhy countless guys are obsessed with those weird and wild Labubu dolls, GQThe £13 cuddly toys now being sold for thousands thanks to a celebrity craze, TelegraphFlow, in cinemas and to rent on YouTubeWho’s Afraid of #SkinnyTok? Airmail SkinnyTok Isn’t A Trend — It’s The Latest Iteration of Diet Culture & Fatphobia, Refinery29From fashion to the food industry: 11 ways that weight-loss drugs have changed the world, GuardianMolly Mae: Behind It All pt II, Amazon Prime I thought Molly-Mae Hague was self-absorbed – her documentary changed my mind, Metro Malpractise, ITV. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• AMBITION: does anyone enjoy their job anymore?

  Ambition feels very complicated in 2025. On the one hand, hustle culture, 5am wake-ups and 'productivity bros' dominate our social media feeds, yet post-pandemic it seems like many have redefined what constitutes ‘success’ through finding purpose, setting boundaries or simply ‘quiet quitting’. So what does ‘making it’ even mean anymore? In this special bonus ep, we’re unpacking everything from side hustles, the girlboss era and softgirl trends to money anxiety, career disillusionment and Emma Grede’s controversial Diary of a CEO interview. Enjoy hunnies and let us know if there’s a special topic you’d love for us to tackle!DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email ⁠⁠[email protected] and please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going x⁠Recs/ reviews:What We Lose When We're Priced Out of Our Hobbies, AtlanticSide hustles, Zoom waves and the Great Casualisation: how Covid shaped new ways to work, FTI burned out chasing money and hustle culture's standards. Now, I'm taking a 'no shame' approach to my business, Business InsiderEmma Grede on Diary of a CEOSome side hustle ideas to help you with all that money anxiety, The Cut The rise of the side hustle, GuardianMoral Ambition, Rutger Bregman If Books Could Kill podcast on Lean In Careless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsThe Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  50:16
• The Beckham family fallout, Met Gala drama and Dolly Alderton on friends

  The Beckham family feud is making headlines again, huns, after Brooklyn missed David’s starry 50th bash – the latest in a long line of similar ‘snubbed’ events. He didn’t even post about his dad’s big day, so might this genuinely be more than tabloid rumour? Obvs we’re debriefing on the Met Gala too, from Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal to the apparent fall out between Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell. Also this week: Dolly Alderton’s new quotes on friendship, Tina Fey’s ‘mid-life’ comedy The Four Seasons and our review of the first ep of the final series of The Handmaid’s Tale. Enjoy and please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going!We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠Try BookBeat for 60 days for free and stream millions of audio and e-books using our code straightup at bookbeat.comGet better skin and sleep with sisterly's amazing Elevator powder multivit sachet and use our code STRAIGHTUP for 15% off at sisterlylab.co.ukRecs:Slags by Emma Jane UnsworthNaomi Campbell’s charity ended in disgrace. She wants to talk about why, Financial TimesSally Rooney, Naomi Campbell and Nobody Wants This, Straight Up ep Oct 24The Four Seasons, Netflix The Handmaid’s Tale, Amazon Prime/ C4 As the curtain falls on Gilead, is The Handmaid’s Tale too close to the bone? The IndependentThe MaddAddam Trilogy, Margaret Atwood Make Christianity cool again: Why Gen Z is flocking to church, The Independent . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  55:08
• Sinners, Louis Theroux’s new doc and the latest Blake Lively ‘feud’

  Celebrity Traitors, five-star sexy horror Sinners and Penn Badgley’s You finale are all on the agenda this week, huns, as well as Louis Theroux’s return to top form with new doc The Settlers. Is this his most important piece of work yet? We’re also getting stuck into the latest Blake Lively updates, from her ‘feud’ with A Simple Favour 2 costar Anna Kendrick, to the recent Baldoni-related developments. And why are celebs like Blake and Ryan all buying into football teams atm? Plus, Chappel Roan ‘pushing’ her assistant, the problem with ‘POVS’ and Kaitlyn Dever’s heart-wrenching The Last of Us interview. Enjoy and please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going!We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.3% APR var. T&Cs apply.Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠Try BookBeat for 60 days for free and stream millions of audio and e-books using our code straightup at bookbeat.comRecs/ reviews: ‘I was sexualised, patronised and ridiculed’: how Charlotte Church survived the tabloids to become an earth mother, GuardianLove Life, BBC iPlayerBlake Lively Is on the 2025 TIME100 List, Time MagazineYou S5, NetflixPodcrushed ep with Penn Badgley and Domino Badgley- Kirke How ‘You’ Star Penn Badgley Set Out to Deconstruct His Romantic Icon, Hollywood Reporter A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas Sinners, in cinemas nowSinners Is Bold, Ambitious, and Just Misses Greatness, VultureLouis Theroux: The Settlers, BBC iPlayerThe Settlers review – this vital film forces Louis Theroux to do something he’s never done beforeLouis Theroux On Returning To The West Bank After 15 Years For BBC Doc ‘The Settlers’ & Being “Perpetrator Focused, Deadline It Broke Her, Too: Kaitlyn Dever on The Last of Us, Vulture . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  48:54
• HENS: the most divisive hallmark of female friendship?

  Hen szn is here hunnies and so as promised here is our special deepdive! With the help of your excellent DMs, we assess the good and bad of this increasingly divisive topic: from money anxieties and the growing consumerism of the hen-do ‘aesthetic’ to how this tradition can provide a much-needed opportunity to celebrate and make time for those you love. Plus, the single gal perspective, hen ‘etiquette’, pop culture horror stories,, and whether hens are ultimately progressive or regressive for women. If you enjoyed this please do leave us review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify - it really does help keep us going! We absolutely LOVE hearing recommendations for Thursday topics or bonus eps too, so please do DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ RecsAll the Behind-the-Scenes Debauchery From Writer Tish Weinstock’s Bachelorette, CosmoBring back tacky hen do’s, the I paper Why I wanted a one-night only hen-do, The Times Why I’m no longer going on hen weekends, New Statesman From penis straws to puppy yoga: Inside the ‘zen do’ revolution, Independent Henpocalypse!, BBC iPlayerBachelorette, Prime VideoBridesmaids, Prime Video Everything I know about love, Dolly AldertonStag and hen parties swap binges for good clean fun, TimesAre You the Only One Who’s Broke? Or Is It ‘Money Dysmorphia’? NY TimesOver and out: why hens, stags and their parties should be put out to grass, Guardian Hens with Heart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  48:50

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