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You’ve been absolutely fine all day. You haven’t thought about alcohol, you’re feeling quite pleased with yourself and then suddenly it’s 5pm and your brain goes = WINE. This Thursday, Vic is digging into that very specific bit of the day when the urge to drink seems to arrive almost automatically. Why does cooking dinner make you want wine? Why can finishing work, putting the kids to bed or simply looking at the bloody clock suddenly trigger a craving? Vic looks at how our brains connect alcohol with times, places and routines, why COVID made home drinking so much easier to slip into, and how alcohol delivery has removed yet another barrier between wanting a drink and having one. More importantly, this is a practical episode about what you can actually do about it. From identifying your own drinking hour and counting the bottles in the recycling, to cancelling the wine delivery, eating before the craving kicks in and making alcohol harder to get hold of, Vic shares some simple ways to interrupt a routine that might have been happening for years. You don’t need to work out how you’re going to stay sober forever at 5pm tonight. You just need to get through the s****y hour. And possibly have a sandwich. Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts! 📰 Media enquiriesContact Kate at [email protected] Vic's Books 📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 Mumming👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol Support 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic and Ulrika tackle a drinking style that often flies completely under the radar, the stay-at-home drinker. Vic was the loud one. The social one. The drinker making questionable decisions in public and collecting stories she’d rather forget. Ulrika was different. Her drinking happened behind closed doors. No bars. No dance floors. No one telling her she’d had enough. Just a sofa, a glass of rum, a familiar routine, and eventually a habit that quietly became something she relied on to get through the day. Together they explore how alcohol can slowly shift from something we enjoy to something we need, why drinking at home can be so difficult to spot, and how secrecy, shame and isolation create the perfect conditions for alcohol to tighten its grip. They talk openly about lockdown drinking, parenting, anxiety, blackouts, hidden bottles, emotional dependence, and the exhausting cycle of drink, shame, hide, repeat. Along the way, they also cover builder-induced toilet disasters, panty liners, digestive biscuits, and why Ulrika accidentally traumatised a team of tradesmen by forgetting to shut the bathroom door. If you’ve ever found yourself pouring a glass because the kids are finally asleep, because work was stressful, because you’re lonely, overwhelmed, anxious, bored, or simply because it’s become what you do every evening, this episode is for you. This is an honest conversation about the drinking nobody sees, the shame nobody talks about, and the moment both Vic and Ulrika realised they couldn’t keep doing it anymore. Because sometimes the most dangerous drinking isn’t happening in the pub. It’s happening quietly on the sofa. 💛 Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected]. Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward app Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find the app here. 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected]. 📘 A Thousand Wasted SundaysVictoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 MummingA Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol SupportSober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely. 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Thursday on The Awkward Bits, Vic is back on her own and wondering whether one of the reasons sobriety feels so bloody terrifying is because we make it MASSIVE before we’ve even started. When Vic first considered giving up drinking, she wasn’t worrying about getting through Tuesday night without a beer. Oh no. She was already mentally attending future weddings sober, cancelling imaginary cocktails on holidays she hadn’t booked and wondering whether eighty year old Vic would be devastated when someone offered her a lovely glass of red on her deathbed! So dramatic!! Basically, she turned not drinking into the end of civilisation as she knew it. So this week, Vic is looking at what happens when you make sobriety smaller. Instead of worrying about never drinking again, what if you just deal with tonight? Instead of trying to imagine the rest of your life without alcohol, what if you concentrate on changing one little bit of your routine and see what happens? Vic also talks about one of the biggest mistakes she made in early sobriety, removing alcohol but forgetting to fill the massive bloody hole it left behind. She was trying to squeeze sober Vic back into her old drinking life, then wondering why nothing quite fitted anymore. There are also some brilliant thoughts from the Sober Awkward community about what scared them before they stopped, plus some very simple ways to make those first sober days and awkward sober firsts feel less overwhelming. And perhaps, instead of spending all your time worrying about what you’re going to lose, this episode might help you get a tiny bit excited about what you could get back. You don’t need to work out Christmas, your next holiday, your fortieth birthday and whether you’ll fancy champagne when you’re eighty. You’re changing one thing. Start there. Although there is a slight risk that eight years later you’ll find yourself sitting in a pottery class making a wonky fish cup. Nobody warns you about that bit. Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts! 📰 Media enquiriesContact Kate at [email protected] Vic's Books 📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 Mumming👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol Support 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scared of Going Sober? What are you actually frightened of? Being boring? Losing your identity? Not fitting in anymore? Not knowing how to relax, cope or survive life without booze? This week on Sober Awkward, Vic and Ulrika tackle the huge scary myths that keep so many people stuck in the “maybe I should stop drinking… but absolutely not” phase for years.From fear of missing out to fear of becoming a party pooper with no personality, the pair unpack the weird stories we tell ourselves about sobriety, and why most of them turn out to be complete nonsense. There’s talk of goat’s cheese phobias, quicksand anxiety, social shame spirals, behind-closed-doors drinking, punky sober rebellion and why sober people are not, in fact, smug weirdos knitting winter scarves while watching Antiques Roadshow. Vic shares how she genuinely believed sobriety would ruin her life, while Ulrika explains how alcohol became less about partying and more about coping quietly alone. Funny, honest and unexpectedly hopeful, this episode is for anyone standing on the edge of change wondering: “What if sobriety is awful?” Turns out… it might actually be the thing that gives you your life back!! Tune in every Monday to hear Vic and Ulrika chat about the weird and wonderful world of sobriety. 💛 Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected]. Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected]. 📘 A Thousand Wasted SundaysVictoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 MummingA Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol SupportSober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely. 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s Awkward Bit gets a little bit… well, awkward. After Vic’s conversation with Cat Sims on Monday, she couldn’t stop thinking about one word: alcoholic. It’s a word Vic has avoided for her entire sobriety. She’s always called herself an ex drinker, a binge drinker, a former party girl, a piss head with no off switch, basically anything other than an alcoholic. She told herself that was because she didn’t want to scare people away from sobriety, but after eight and a half years, she’s starting to wonder if there’s another reason. Maybe the word still scares her. So in this episode, Vic takes an “Am I an alcoholic?” test, looks properly at why she’s resisted the label for so long, and asks whether accepting it might actually make her sobriety stronger rather than define her by her past. A little warning, Vic gets very tearful in this one. But that’s sort of the point. She didn’t realise quite how much shame and fear she was still carrying around one little word until she tried to say it out loud. It’s emotional, uncomfortable, funny in places and probably one of the most vulnerable Awkward Bits Vic has recorded. Can she finally say, “I’m an alcoholic” without worrying about what everyone else thinks? Let’s find out. Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts! 📰 Media enquiriesContact Kate at [email protected] Vic's Books 📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sunday 📙 Mumming👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol Support 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not so smug now! - This week, Vic sits down with writer, podcaster and self-confessed “textbook drunk” Cat Sims for a conversation about motherhood, drugs, booze and what happens when the party girl suddenly has a tiny human to keep alive. They talk about crying in school car parks, postnatal depression, drinking as a reward for surviving motherhood and that strange moment in sobriety when you realise peace isn’t actually boredom. Sometimes life is just… peaceful. Who knew? But somewhere along the way, the conversation takes an unexpected turn when Cat uses a word Vic has spent more than eight years avoiding: alcoholic. Cat embraces the label. Vic absolutely does not. What follows is a surprisingly emotional conversation about why Vic has always called herself an ex drinker, binge drinker, grey area drinker, former party girl, basically anything other than an alcoholic. Has trying to make sobriety feel less frightening for everyone else actually allowed Vic to keep a little bit of her own shame tucked away? There are tears, uncomfortable truths and a rather compelling argument that after blowing off a finger at a Full Moon Party, perhaps “grey area drinker” isn’t quite covering it. It’s also a conversation about motherhood and belonging, about why so many women struggle quietly while believing everyone else is coping, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can say to another mum crying in a car park is not “here’s what you should do”, but simply, “I get it. Sometimes parenting is f****d.” Funny, raw and unexpectedly moving, this one shifts something in Vic. Enjoy one of the best Sober Awkward guest interviews ever! 💛 Resources & LinksFollow Cat: Instagram (312k followers) TikTok (253.7k followers) Substack (10k+ subscribers) Buy her books: You're Never The Only One (Simon & Schuster 2025) The First Time You Smiled (Harper Collins 2022) Listen to her podcast: You're Never The Only One 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected]. Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward app Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected]. 📘 A Thousand Wasted SundaysVictoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 MummingA Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol Support 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Awkward Bits, where every Thursday Vic flies solo, digging a little deeper into Monday’s topic, picking apart the bits we didn’t quite get to and exploring all the stuff that got left behind once the microphones were switched off. And oooof, you lot had a lot to say about sober sex. Vic’s been reading your emails and messages after Monday’s episode with Ulrika and it seems we are definitely not the only ones who found the whole sober intimacy thing a little bit, well, awkward. Who knew taking your clothes off without first drinking half a bottle of wine could require quite so much concentration? So this Thursday, Vic is going deeper. Not into the drunken one night stands, beer goggles and questionable sexual decisions we talked about on Monday, but into what happens when you take alcohol out of sex altogether. Why can it suddenly feel so difficult to relax? Why do you become painfully aware of your body, your noises, your face and where the bloody hell you’re supposed to put your arms? What happens when alcohol has been your shortcut from normal everyday life into feeling sexy for years, and suddenly that shortcut isn’t there anymore? Vic looks at some of the science behind alcohol, inhibition and arousal, and shares some of your experiences of learning to have sex without that familiar glass of wine beforehand. She also explores something she’s been wondering about in her own sobriety. Did alcohol actually make us more sexually confident, or did it simply make us care less? There’s also the question nobody really warns you about when you stop drinking. What if your sober sex drive isn’t the same as your drinking one? What if desire takes a little longer to arrive? What if you discover you need connection, affection, safety, time or, in Vic’s case, apparently an appointment in the diary? Maybe sober sex isn’t worse. Maybe at first it’s just more real, more vulnerable and considerably harder to hide in. Another short, honest and slightly uncomfortable Thursday rummage through the bits of sobriety we don’t talk about enough. Clothes optional. Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts! 📰 Media enquiriesContact Kate at [email protected] Vic's Books 📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 Mumming👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol Support 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before these two ex-drinkers introduce their sobriety stories... we thought we'd start this journey in the most awkward way possible! Yes, it's the sex episode! Did alcohol really make us sexier and more confident, or did it just lower our inhibitions, blur our judgement and convince us the last bloke on the dance floor was “the one”? In this revealing episode, Vic and Ulrika look back at drunken hook-ups, questionable one-night stands and the emotional aftermath that rarely felt as carefree as it was supposed to. They discuss why alcohol made them feel fearless enough to swing from the chandeliers, while sometimes leaving them ashamed, lonely or wondering whether they had been safe at all. The conversation also moves into more difficult territory as they share frightening experiences of sexual assault that were never reported, examine why intoxicated women so often blame themselves, and talk honestly about alcohol’s effect on consent. Going home with someone is not consent. Drinking is not consent. And being intoxicated never makes an assault your fault. There are plenty of laughs, a few spectacularly bad decisions and absolutely no bedroom expertise, but beneath it all is a candid conversation about sex, shame, safety and self-trust. Vic and Ulrika ask whether sober intimacy might feel awkward at first, but ultimately be more confident, connected and real than anything found at the bottom of a wine glass. CONTENT NOTE This episode contains frank discussions of sex, sexual assault, consent and alcohol-related vulnerability. 💛 Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected]. Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward @ulrikajonssonofficial Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected]. 📘 A Thousand Wasted SundaysVictoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 MummingA Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol SupportSober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Awkward Bits, where every Thursday Vic flies solo, digging a little deeper into Monday’s topic, picking apart the bits we didn’t quite get to and exploring all the stuff that got left behind once the microphones were switched off. And Wow, what a week. Vic’s been reading all your amazing responses to the new co host reveal and, boy oh boy, it seems there are a LOT of people not drinking this Friday. Well, at least two of you, (Hello Steve and Janet from Coventry) We’ll take that as a win. Ha! And it turns out Am I drinking too much? is a question that hit a bit of a nerve. Probably because it’s one so many of us have quietly typed into Google while drinking a glass of wine and hoping the internet would tell us, “Nah, you’re fine, carry on.” So, this week, Vic looks at the more subtle red flags around drinking. Not the dramatic stuff we’re taught to look out for, but the tiny behaviours that can tell you booze is taking up more space in your head than you realise. Stuff like being very aware of how full your glass is. Clocking how much wine is left in the bottle. Feeling slightly panicked when there doesn’t seem to be enough booze at a party. Wondering when the next drink is coming. Noticing what everyone else is drinking and making sure there’s enough booze in the house at all times! These strange preoccupations with alcohol that can quietly tick away in the background while, on the outside, everything looks hunky dory. Vic shares the awkward little signs she recognises from her own drinking and asks a much more useful question than, Am I bad enough to quit? How much space is alcohol taking up in my head? A short, honest Thursday episode for anyone questioning their drinking, even if everything looks absolutely fine on paper. Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appThe Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Find daily inspiration, honest conversations, alcohol-free drink ideas, sober events and a community that understands all the awkward bits. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected] Vic's Books 📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 Mumming👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol SupportSober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, it’s true. Vic has a new co host and it’s only bloody Ulrika Jonsson. No, Vic can’t quite believe it either. She’s trying to act normal about the whole thing. This first episode is basically Vic and Ulrika getting to know each other while you lot listen in. They talk about where they’ve come from, how they drank and how alcohol went from being a completely normal part of life to something that was taking up far too much space. And their drinking stories couldn’t be more different. Vic was your classic life and soul party drinker, always up for another one and usually the last d******d on the dance floor. Ulrika’s drinking was much more likely to happen at home. Different habits, different lives, same eventual realisation. This booze thing wasn’t really doing either of them any favours. There are a few awkward bits, some oversharing and moments where you can practically hear them figuring each other out as they go. Which, frankly, is exactly how we like it around here. This new chapter of Sober Awkward is going to get stuck into all of it. Why we drink, why everyone thinks drinking is so bloody normal, the weird things we did to justify it, what happens when it stops being fun and what life actually looks like when you decide you’ve had enough. Vic and Ulrika certainly don’t have all the answers, but they’ve got plenty of stories, opinions and questionable decisions to pick apart. So, here we go. A brand new Sober Awkward. New co host. Same awkward-ness. Join Vic and Ulrika every Monday as they rummage around the weird and wonderful world of drinking, not drinking and everything in between. 💛 Resources & Links 📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected] Your message could inspire a future episode. 📱 Join the Sober Awkward appSearch “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here 📲 Follow us Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women Retreat with us🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us! 📰 Media enquiriesFor interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected]. 📘 A Thousand Wasted SundaysVictoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays 📙 MummingA Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming 📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideA 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide 🎧 Listen to more Sober AwkwardFind more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com 🛟 Alcohol SupportSober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely. 🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999. 🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call 000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - Offline: Alcohol & Me - By Becky N A huge congratulations to Becky who was one of our comp winners!!! Every Thursday, we’re handing the story telling over to you. Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year’s Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol. Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone. Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we’ve hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn’t require you to wear pants. So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week’s Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community. 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here or head to the website to find out more about writing mentorships with Vic. 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women 📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCES If anything in today’s episode felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support available. You don’t have to do this alone. 🇦🇺 Australia National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline 📞 1800 250 015 (24/7) https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-service Lifeline 📞 13 11 14 (24/7) https://www.lifeline.org.au Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak https://hellosundaymorning.org https://daybreakapp.com.au Clean Slate Clinic https://www.cleanslateclinic.com 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Drinkline 📞 0300 123 1110 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/ Alcohol Change UK https://alcoholchange.org.uk We Are With You https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk 🌍 International Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org 💬 A Gentle Reminder If you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and getting support can make a huge difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kelly Gunn found a lump in her breast in 2016. She got it checked, kept up with screenings and was repeatedly reassured that what doctors were seeing was benign. Then, in 2024, Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy, where seven tumours were removed, she was told she'd probably had cancer for around ten years. In this episode, Kelly joins Vic to talk about what happened, the anger of knowing she'd kept asking questions and still been reassured, and what life looks like after cancer. But they also tackle a difficult question: what role does alcohol play in breast cancer risk, and why do so many women still not know about the connection? This is not a conversation about blaming Kelly, or anyone else, for getting cancer. It's about the information many of us never had while we were drinking, the uncomfortable facts about alcohol and cancer, and learning to take care of the body you've spent years taking for granted. An honest, sometimes difficult conversation about booze, breast cancer, self advocacy and what happens when you finally start giving a shit about Future You. Kelly Gunn is a writer, breast cancer advocate, bodybuilder, and founder of FEINIX HAUS. She writes and speaks about sobriety, identity, bodies, choices, and the wonderfully awkward business of figuring out what comes after. IG - @feinix_haus TT @unapologeticallyafter website - www.thefeinixhaus.com 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 https://amzn.asia/d/0aZ69GpK Vic's book 'Mumming - A year of Trying (and Failing) to be a better parent - https://amzn.asia/d/0bUJTS2W 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - No More Doors - By Kristen M Every Thursday, we’re handing the story telling over to you. Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year’s Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol. Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone. Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we’ve hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn’t require you to wear pants. So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week’s Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community. 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here or head to the website to find out more about writing mentorships with Vic. 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women 📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCES If anything in today’s episode felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support available. You don’t have to do this alone. 🇦🇺 Australia National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline 📞 1800 250 015 (24/7) https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-service Lifeline 📞 13 11 14 (24/7) https://www.lifeline.org.au Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak https://hellosundaymorning.org https://daybreakapp.com.au Clean Slate Clinic https://www.cleanslateclinic.com 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Drinkline 📞 0300 123 1110 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/ Alcohol Change UK https://alcoholchange.org.uk We Are With You https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk 🌍 International Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org 💬 A Gentle Reminder If you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and getting support can make a huge difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I’m joined by Audrey, host of the Dry Humor podcast, for a very sensible and grown-up conversation about motherhood, college drinking and whether spending your life taking the piss out of yourself is a healthy coping mechanism or simply a way of avoiding your feelings? Audrey lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, two children and two dogs. She has been sober since 11 July 2022 and is an active member of the sober community, including hosting peer-support calls for women. Her podcast, Dry Humor: Finding Levity in Sobriety, explores drinking culture and the messy business of building an alcohol-free life. We travel back to Audrey’s college days, when drinking too much was considered a personality, then explore the strange shift from party girl to parent. What happens when those hilarious stories from your past begin to look as though they might deserve a tiny bit more investigation? There’s mum guilt, embarrassing former selves, questionable memories, motherhood confessions and willy chat. We also ask when self-deprecation stops helping us connect and starts becoming another stick to beat ourselves with. Have we been saved by our ability to laugh at ourselves or should we just go to therapy? Probably both. 💛 Resources & Links Follow Audrey on Instagram: @dryhumorpodcast Listen to Dry Humor:  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4fVwQviO63qMbGVK38sMbK?si=bCsMr6jYQMKf2nDtjmB42A&utm_source=copy-link Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dry-humor-finding-levity-in-sobriety/id1865046082 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 https://amzn.asia/d/0aZ69GpK Vic's book 'Mumming - A year of Trying (and Failing) to be a better parent - https://amzn.asia/d/0bUJTS2W 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - My Sober Story - By Emma G Every Thursday, we’re handing the story telling over to you. Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year’s Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol. Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone. Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we’ve hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn’t require you to wear pants. So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week’s Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community. 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here or head to the website to find out more about writing mentorships with Vic. 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women 📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCES If anything in today’s episode felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support available. You don’t have to do this alone. 🇦🇺 Australia National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline 📞 1800 250 015 (24/7) https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-service Lifeline 📞 13 11 14 (24/7) https://www.lifeline.org.au Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak https://hellosundaymorning.org https://daybreakapp.com.au Clean Slate Clinic https://www.cleanslateclinic.com 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Drinkline 📞 0300 123 1110 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/ Alcohol Change UK https://alcoholchange.org.uk We Are With You https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk 🌍 International Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org 💬 A Gentle Reminder If you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and getting support can make a huge difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.