In this episode of Too Sober For This, recovery advocate Shell Righini and comedian Iain Anderson ask the question that nearly broke their friendship:

If your house was on fire… are you saving the dog or the human first?

What starts as a very unserious debate about dogs, humans, burning buildings and emotional support Chihuahuas turns into a much deeper conversation about pets, recovery, homelessness, mental health, loneliness, grief, and the kind of unconditional love that can sometimes save your life.

Shell and Iain both share the stories of the animals who arrived in their lives at exactly the right time. Shell talks about Ralph the cat, Milo the dog, and how having something to care for helped her through some of the darkest parts of early recovery. Iain shares how he found Rascal as an abandoned puppy in Barcelona, how they stayed together through homelessness, and why he feels so strongly about the way society often shows more compassion for animals on the street than for the humans beside them.

There is also a very serious discussion about non-alcoholic Guinness, supermarket pizzas, Isle of Wight tomatoes, dogs with better social lives than their owners, and whether Milo is actually a dog… or a lifestyle.

In this episode:

• How pets can support mental health, routine and emotional regulation
• The role animals can play in early sobriety and recovery
• Why caring for something else can help pull us out of ourselves
• The guilt, fear and codependency that can come with pet ownership
• Homelessness, dogs, shelters and judgement
• Why people are often more outraged by animals on the street than humans
• Whether dogs really offer unconditional love
• The grief we anticipate when we love an animal deeply
• Listener responses to the ultimate question: dog or human?

This one is funny, chaotic, emotional and unexpectedly uncomfortable in the best way. It is about dogs, yes. But it is also about compassion, survival, connection, and what it really means to love something that cannot stay forever.

As always, if you enjoy the episode, please follow, rate, review, share it with a friend, send it to the dog person in your life, and help us keep pleasing the algorithm lords.

Connect With Us

@toosoberforthispodcast

Shell Righini - @shell_righini Iain Anderson - @iainanderson.comedy

Traumedy Show - https://iainandersoncomedy.com/

Listen to Shell’s podcast We Recover Loudly here on Spotify

This Podcast Is Brought to You By We Recover Loudly Merch

Bold recovery slogans and wearable reminders that recovery doesn’t have to be quiet.

Shop here: www.werecoverloudly.com

@werecoverloudly

Mastered and edited by Unmuted Studios. Podcast production, editing, and creative support.

www.unmutedstudios.com

In this episode of Too Sober For This, recovery advocate Shell Righini and comedian Iain Anderson discuss…

What does it actually mean to feel “good” in your body… and why is it still so hard?

From 90s diet culture to Instagram “looksmaxxing,” body image has evolved… but the pressure hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it’s louder, more constant, and now coming from every direction.

Shell and Iain explore what it’s like navigating body image in sobriety; when you can’t numb out, distract, or escape the way you used to. They talk about growing up around dieting, disordered eating, and unrealistic standards, and how those patterns don’t just disappear when you get sober.

They also get into the newer wave of body pressure online, from men literally trying to “fix” their faces with hammers to the rise of optimisation culture, and ask whether any of it is actually about confidence… or just another form of self-rejection. Because the truth is you can change your habits, your lifestyle, even your entire life... and still wake up feeling uncomfortable in your own skin.

In this episode:

• Body image in recovery: what changes… and what doesn’t
• Growing up in 90s/2000s diet culture and its long-term impact
• Disordered eating, control, and addiction crossover
• Looksmaxxing, social media, and modern beauty standards
• Masculinity, appearance, and pressure on men
• Fitness, health, and finding a middle ground
• Chronic illness, identity, and feeling disconnected from your body
• The “inner critic” and why it’s so hard to switch off
• Self-worth, comparison, and learning to exist without constant judgement

If you’ve ever felt like your relationship with your body is complicated, exhausting, or constantly shifting then this episode will probably hit.

Expect honesty, uncomfortable self-awareness, dark humour, and a conversation that doesn’t pretend to have a neat answer.

Connect With Us

@toosoberforthispodcast

Shell Righini - @shell_righini Iain Anderson - @iainanderson.comedy

Traumedy Show - https://iainandersoncomedy.com/

Listen to Shell’s podcast We Recover Loudly here on Spotify

This Podcast Is Brought to You By We Recover Loudly Merch

Bold recovery slogans and wearable reminders that recovery doesn’t have to be quiet.

Shop here: www.werecoverloudly.com

@werecoverloudly

Mastered and edited by Unmuted Studios. Podcast production, editing, and creative support.

www.unmutedstudios.com

In this episode of Too Sober For This, recovery advocate Shell Righini and comedian Iain Anderson are joined by sobriety advocate, beer expert, and Instagram's Sober Boozer, Ben Gibbs to discuss...

What actually changes when you quit drinking… and what doesn’t?

From alcohol-free beer to sober Instagram, recovery has never been more visible. People are building communities, sharing journeys online, and redefining what life without alcohol looks like. But is sobriety really the solution to everything… or just the starting point?

Shell, Iain and Ben explore the reality of getting sober in 2026. They talk about mental health, relationships, personal growth, masculinity, and the unexpected parts of recovery that no one really prepares you for. From building a life online to navigating real-world connection, this conversation goes far beyond just “not drinking.”

They get into what sobriety gives you, what it takes away, and why putting down the drink doesn’t automatically make you a better person.

This episode sits right in the tension between self-improvement and self-awareness, questioning what happens when the coping mechanism disappears and you’re left with… just yourself.

In this episode

• Life after alcohol: what actually changes (and what doesn’t)
• Ben Gibbs’ journey and building The Sober Boozer
• Alcohol-free beer, sober culture, and social life without drinking
• Relationships, breakups, and identity in sobriety
• Money, addiction, and shifting from chaos to stability
• Online sobriety vs real-life community
• Masculinity, the manosphere, and modern male identity
• Why sobriety doesn’t automatically fix your behaviour
• Boundaries, choice, and learning how to leave when you want to

If you’ve ever wondered what life really looks like after quitting alcohol, this episode will give you the honest version… not the Instagram one.

Expect sharp observations, uncomfortable truths, dark humour, and a few moments where you realise sobriety isn’t about becoming perfect… and that is ok!

👤 About our guest: Ben Gibbs

Ben Gibbs, also known as The Sober Boozer, has been a beer commentator and sobriety advocate since quitting alcohol in 2022. He’s sampled over 1000 alcohol-free beers, worked with breweries across the UK, appeared on BBC radio, and became the first person in recovery to win a British Guild of Beer Writers award for his work.

👉 Follow Ben:
Instagram: @ sober_boozers_club

Monthly beer subscription box click here

Connect With Us

@toosoberforthispodcast

Shell Righini - @shell_righini Iain Anderson - @iainanderson.comedy

Traumedy Show - https://iainandersoncomedy.com/

Listen to Shell’s podcast We Recover Loudly here on Spotify

This Podcast Is Brought to You By We Recover Loudly Merch

Bold recovery slogans and wearable reminders that recovery doesn’t have to be quiet.

Shop here: www.werecoverloudly.com

@werecoverloudly

Mastered and edited by Unmuted Studios. Podcast production, editing, and creative support.

www.unmutedstudios.com