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Today on 40ish: Lauren buys oat bran.She doesn’t know why. She doesn’t know how to use it. She just knows she should. Nicole, newly Botoxed and feeling refreshed, takes great pleasure in mocking the oat-bran era… before promptly opening her Ocado app to add some to her own basket. It’s fibre fabulous! We also hear from a listener who unleashes menopausal rage at her kids’ headteacher during a Duke of Edinburgh presentation (honestly, that alone would test anyone’s sanity), and another who asks the truly important midlife question: Is it disgusting to try on knickers in a changing room? Expect judgement, solidarity and the comforting reminder that none of us are alone - even when we’re standing on the pavement holding an empty M&S basket.

Today on 40ish, Lauren and Nicole debut a brand-new game: What’s the Most Middle-Aged Thing in Your Amazon Basket? Brace yourselves; there is nothing remotely sexy about it. Lauren is also celebrating a genuine midlife milestone: she remembered her PIN without having to lock her card. Growth. A listener writes in with a juicy dilemma as she weighs up her stale marriage against some unexpectedly flirty messages from an old flame, and in news that has personally offended us, Gen Z are listing items on Vinted as “Vintage Y2K.”Vintage?! We were there!  Get in touch! Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish: Nicole is still in wardrobe crisis. She’s retreated back to skinny jeans and some decidedly mumsy leather trousers (absolutely do not say the word jeggings). Meanwhile, she’s attempting—against all odds—to convince Lauren to sign up for a 26-mile charity walk. (Spoiler: the chances are slim)  as Lauren is far too busy debating whether it’s socially acceptable to join in a TikTok dance with a group of 12-year-olds. Elsewhere, a listener writes in with an excruciating dilemma after finding herself Maid of Honour to a spectacularly rude bride, and another woman shares a mortifying café mix-up when she confidently shares a coffee with a total stranger. It’s midlife confusion, second-hand embarrassment, and questionable fashion choices—business as usual. Get in touch! Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish Lauren has done her back in by making the bed. Tragic? Yes. Painful? Also yes. Meanwhile Nicole is floating serenely on a cloud of oestrogen but despite the hormonal induced glow her family are still approaching with caution. They discuss the Beckham feud (because it’s deliciously unavoidable)  Lauren's apparent inability to choose shoes that Nicole doesn't deem "DISGUSTING" and why underwear is not optional (and why Nicole needs to repeat this)  Plus: A listener dilemma about hairy arms and meltdowns over Best Before dates and the pronunciation of the letter “H”  It’s Midlife, Minor injuries and Major opinions. Get in touch! Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish: Nicole is just one more day away from her HRT implant and her husband is bravely counting down the hours until he can exist, speak, or inhale oxygen without being informed he’s irritating. (Stay strong, Adam). Meanwhile, Lauren and her husband enjoy the most middle-aged date imaginable: a couples health scan. Meanwhile, a listener writes in with her dilemma: She desperately wants to go nowhere and do absolutely nothing, yet is deeply offended when she’s not invited. It’s advanced-level FOMO that only midlife can deliver. And then, naturally, we arrive at bin bag rage. Because bin bags have one job. Splitting open on the clean kitchen floor is just rage baiting in all it’s glory.  Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish: Lauren innocently considers buying some new trainers and is promptly informed by her son she’s an “NPC”. Rude. Confusing (Isn’t that a car park?) We unpack the insult, and whether footwear is now a personality flaw. Meanwhile, the brain fog is fogging as Nicole misplaces her keys and eventually finds them in the last place any sane person would look. And in dilemma territory, things take a deeply uncomfortable turn when a listener realises her doctor is a man she once dated…and he’s about to look at her bum. Is it ever acceptable to say, “Well, this is awkward,” while wearing a paper gown? Midlife confusion, lost keys, and emotional damage. Business as usual. Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 40ish: Nicole finds unexpected emotional support from ChatGPT and, honestly, it’s more validating than most real-life husbands. Speaking of husbands, they are absolutely not winning at life this week. Both Lauren and Nicole have suffered through a list of their offences, including breathing, speaking, napping on the sofa, and the ultimate crime: wearing jeans on the bed. Meanwhile, a listener writes in with anxiety after being asked to take part in a group singalong at a friend’s 50th birthday. Is it a lovely gesture or full on cringe? It’s Midlife dilemmas, minor marital crimes, and awkwardness guaranteed. Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode of 40ish: Lauren is spiralling over the sudden disappearance of Hermesetas and asking how is she supposed to drink a hot beverage now? Whilst Nicole is back at her spiritual home (Costco) and thrilled with her new veg chopper. In other news that nobody emotionally prepared us for: skinny jeans are back. We discuss how to wear them in midlife without looking like you’re heading out to a 2010 Topshop launch in a statement necklace and ballet pumps.. A listener writes in with a bad taste in her mouth (spoiler alert: it’s her mother in laws disgusting cakes) And finally, a listener meltdown involving a first day at a new job, peri-menopausal surprise bleeding, navy trousers doing God’s work, and asking a woman half your age for a tampon. Mortifying. Yes, Highly relatable also yes.  Grab a cuppa (with no hermasetas) and some cake (not that cake) and enjoy!  Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish Lauren faces the ultimate midlife thrill - a trip to Halfords - does she know where her wheel nut key is? Does it exist?  Meanwhile, Nicole is failing the Highway Code and wondering why nobody answers their phone anymore. A listener writes in with a dilemma that perfectly sums up January. She is cheating on her husband - he’s fully invested in the January health kick - whilst she is hiding croissant in her handbag. Add in Drew Barrymore going makeup-free (groundbreaking? discuss), and Lauren finally airing her beef with Billie Eilish and honestly, it’s a full buffet of nonsense, judgement, and solidarity. Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to the first episode of 40ish for 2026. Nicole returns from holiday feeling mumsy, while Lauren kicks off the new year by injuring her shoulder blade… in her sleep. Because apparently even resting is dangerous now. We dive into a listener dilemma after an awkward Christmas Day gift exchange leaves some lingering hurt, and 40ish listeners share their post-Christmas meltdowns - festive cheer fortyish style, Plus, we cover the truly important cultural questions of the month: Celebs turning 50, our thoughts on Timothée Chalamet, and how on earth Liz Hurley is looking that incredible at 60. It’s a very on-brand return to midlife chaos, honesty, and laughs. Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and what says xmas better than a heated debate about architraves? Nicole is spiralling over the fact that she appears to be growing eyebrows… above her eyebrows (a festive miracle nobody asked for). Speaking of bushy, Lauren is locked in an existential crisis about the girth of her Christmas tree, which is apparently so wide it should come with its own postcode. A listener writes in with a cracker of a dilemma over her mother in laws’s Xmas gift which she has taken into her own hands and she’s now unintentionally twinning with her. Plus, the ladies debate who is more relatable? Grab a mince pie, pour something strong, and join 40ish for the final show of 2025 before they break for the holidays. See you on the other side and wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.  Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode, Lauren somehow manages to accidentally pull out her own eyelashes and is now sporting a festive single-lid look… while Nicole is still spiralling about the state of jeans. Are we meant to be in wide-leg? Straight-leg? Bootcut? Low-rise?! Nobody knows and honestly we’re tired. We also tackle a listener dilemma: How do you tell your brother his dog is not invited to Christmas Day?(but honestly what Xmas isnt improved with a dog there?!)  Plus, your glorious Christmas meltdown stories make a triumphant return: The mother-in-law who gifted bathroom scales for Christmas anyone?  It’s festive mayhem, midlife angst, questionable grooming choices… and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Got a dilemma, meltdown or rant of your own? Send it our way.  Misery loves company, and we absolutely live for your stories. Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 40ish. Things are looking up for Lauren in the laundry room, but the moment she steps outside? Down she goes. Did she fall over… or, at our age, has she officially “had a fall”? Nicole has a jolly trip to Costco (pick n’ mix for adults with no self control) and makes a shocking confession involving lying to Lauren. Could it be the end of a beautiful friendship? (Spoiler: probably not, but we milk the drama like pros.) Prosopagnosia makes another bewildering appearance raises its head again, one listener is sharing her HRT with her dog - yes, really. And we tackle the big questions bothering you this week - knickers under pyjamas yay or nay? Grab a cuppa, settle in, and prepare for midlife mayhem in all its weird, relatable, delightful glory. We love to hear from you! To share your feedback, dilemmas, rants, funny stories or general complaints about midlife please be in touch at: Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on 40ish: Nicole publicly outs Lauren’s escalating email rudeness. Is this the moment we finally admit that yes, midlife has arrived -and apparently it’s brought passive-aggressive punctuation with it. Meanwhile, the pair discover that nothing makes them happier these days than being gifted… extra virgin olive oil. Not gin. Not wine. Olive oil. Nicole, for her part, is living her absolute peak existence on the sofa under a blanket with a hot water bottle like a Victorian invalid who just discovered Netflix. Plus! A listener writes in with some strong merch ideas: Housecoats and a 40ish recipe book, featuring the only things midlife people actually bother cooking anymore: rhubarb compote and air-fryer-everything. Honestly? It might be a bestselling product.  It’s cozy. It’s cranky. It’s deeply midlife.  We love to hear from you! To share your feedback, dilemmas, rants, funny stories or general complaints about midlife please be in touch at: Email [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/40ish.podcast  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@40ish.podcast Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/share/DVQWb6y2vesgeHEK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d  To order our book HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?” click here  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Tried-This-Only/dp/1801293139/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O7EA4ZF1O5CS&keywords=have+you+tried+this&qid=1699449028&sprefix=have+you+tried+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-2 This episode is sponsored by London Nootropics Get 20% off at LondonNootropics.com with the code 40ISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things go completely off the rails today when Lauren’s puppy’s antics push James to the brink… and he in turn pushes them right out of the studio (much to Nicole’s amusement) Speaking of Nicole, she’s been busy browsing the M&S clothes and she likes what she sees - classic midlife move. Lauren then casually drops into conversation that she’s met national treasure Clare Balding (as you do) while attending a Christmas exhibition so deeply middle-aged it may as well have handed out free orthopaedic insoles at the door. Meanwhile, in listener-land: One rider writes in about a stolen kiss at her local stables and another wants to know whether being disproportionately thrilled by discovering a new granola is a sign she’s entered the 40ish dimension. (The short answer is yes. The long answer is YES.) Expect ultimate chaos, multiple puppy interruptions and quite frankly if this show is even vaguely cohesive it’ll be a miracle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices