Why does it take a whole year to make a kids' book? What's it like to visit Richard Branson's private island? And who doesn't love a Nissan Micra? Answering all these questions is bestselling children's author Rachel Bright!

She tells us how she went from losing hope after an early rejection to landing a three-book publishing deal, and enjoying huge success with The Lion Inside. We talk about talent, timing, and the third magic ingredient that got Rachel where she is today.

We also discuss Rachel's time working as an air hostess for Virgin Atlantic, and what happened when she went to Necker Island. We find out how to wear hats, and in a podcast exclusive, Rachel shares her favourite verruca hack.

As is tradition, we finish with Scummy Mummy Confessions - this time involving a basketball and an erect horse penis.

Find out more about Rachel's brilliant books by following her on Instagram @rachelbrightbooks. Her latest titles, The Turtle Who Turned the Tide and The Messysaurus, are out now.

We are on tour! See you soon, Tiverton, Watford, Manchester and Eastleigh! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets.

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How common is sibling estrangement? Does birth order really determine your destiny? And is there anything we can do to make our kids get along? Helping us to answer all these questions is the awesome author Catherine Carr.

It's a big episode for Ellie, as she talks publicly for the first time about being estranged from her brother - why it's happened, and how she's learned to make peace with it.

Catherine shares what she's learned about the subject in the course of writing her excellent book, Who's the Favourite? We also discuss whether the myths about elder and younger siblings are true, and the role gender plays in family dynamics. Plus, we ask Catherine whether there's anything parents can do to help their kids' relationships run smoothly.

We finish of course with Scummy Mummy Confessions. This week: a sweaty incident, school admin stress, and Ellie's husband's peen.

Catherine's book is out now. Her podcast is called Relatively, and do check out her episode on Woman's Hour. You can follow her on Instagram @tall.lady.carr.

We are on tour! See you soon, Tiverton, Watford, Manchester and Eastleigh! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets.

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's Britain's favourite pantomime dame (oh no she isn't, etc) - it's Mama G! Join us for a hilarious chat covering everything from panto and children's books to lesbian grandmas and Irene from Home and Away.

We delve deep into Mama G's origin story, and find out how she got started in the panto game. What was it like to play Bungle in the Rainbow stage show, and what happened when she met the one from the telly? And is Zippy a dick in real life?

We also talk about Mama G's experience of leading a team of dames to the semi-final on Britain's Got Talent. What's Simon Cowell like when the cameras are off? And what's her one regret about appearing on the show?

For more from Mama G, follow her on Instagram @mamagstories. Her latest book, The Proudest Bird in the World, is out in July, but you can preorder now. And you can see her brilliant show at the Edinburgh Fringe this August.

We are on tour! See you soon, Stratford and South Norwood! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING MANCHESTER AND NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets.

WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY!

We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe.

Thank you for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.