On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sir Chris Bryant - MP, minister, memoirist, and living proof that life rarely runs in straight lines. Chris talks with fierce honesty about growing up too fast, coming to terms with being gay in a far less forgiving era, the strange road through the priesthood, and why resilience isn’t about pretending things didn’t hurt.

It’s never just about politics. This is a conversation about identity, shame, adventure, boredom, cancer, ageing, and why curiosity might be the real secret to staying alive inside. Whether you’re reflecting on the lives you didn’t live, settling into who you are now, or wondering how much past hardship really shapes us, this one lands with warmth, grit and unexpected laughs.

Because no one tells you how many versions of yourself you might have to survive before you feel at home.

Get in touch with your thoughts at podcast@htb60.com

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On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re checking in just days before Christmas — with Kaye broadcasting from a hotel bathroom in London (puffer jacket, luggage rack and all) and Karen at home, navigating the final stretch of chemotherapy, festive expectations, and the strange emotional weather that comes with both.

It’s a wide-ranging, very real conversation about not quite feeling “Christmassy,” the pressure to show up when your body and head aren’t there yet, and how humour carries you through when things feel heavy. There’s talk of hair loss in unexpected places, steroid-fuelled appetites, vegan Christmas puddings, jigsaws as an emotional support system, and the joy (and menace) of a mystery Secret Santa chocolate bar.

Whether you’re powering through December on fumes, quietly opting out of forced fun, or discovering that ageing is never just about getting older — it’s about adjusting expectations — this one will feel familiar.

Because no one tells you how odd the in-between bits can feel: not ill, not fine, not festive, not miserable — just human.

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On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley Kara, whose brand-new psychological thriller The Troublemaker is landing next year — and trust us, it’s going to keep a lot of women up past their bedtime.

We dig into the extraordinary story behind her so-called “late start”: the years of motherhood, endometriosis, surgical menopause, teaching stress, and sheer exhaustion that pushed her into clinical depression… and the single conversation that flipped her life from survival mode to creativity.

Lesley talks honestly about stepping into her sixties, the shock of sudden success, and what it feels like to finally do the thing she was born to do.

Whether you’re wondering if you’ve missed your moment, quietly nurturing a dream of your own, or just need a reminder that reinvention is real — this one will land.

Because no one tells you how powerful it can be to back yourself at 55.

Whether you’re rediscovering old ambitions, supporting ageing parents, or trying to work out who you are after everyone else has been looked after — you’ll feel seen here.

Get in touch with your thoughts at podcast@htb60.com

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