The Poshcast

On this week’s episode of The Poshcast, we tackle the dirtiest c-word of all: class. Sophia Money-Coutts and Cleo Watson react to Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson’s new initiative to tackle class inequality by launching their very own—and completely ridiculous—Class Unit for Posh People. Do you have a family tiara? Have you ever eaten fried antler fur on toast? Does your house have five ghosts, or a cadet branch grubbing about in the dirt? Listen to find out… Plus, Sophia and Cleo tackle a burning listener question from Winona in Dorset: what are the proper—and posh—words for private parts when speaking to children. From stud farm sex-education trauma to calling a spade a spade, no subject is left unexamined.📧 Email us: theposhcast@telegraph.co.uk📸 Instagram: @theposhcast📊 What class are you? Try The Telegraph's class calculator: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/what-class-am-i-social-class-calculator/Highlights: Should class be a protected status?Sophia and Cleo launch their own completely ridiculous Class Unit for posh people.

Welcome to a very special, pink-hued episode of The Poshcast! This week, Sophia Money-Coutts and Cleo Watson are running wild in Hertfordshire. They've parked their bottoms on the hallowed velvet sofa of Camfield Place—home of the undisputed queen of romantic fiction, Dame Barbara Cartland.To help us unpack the intriguing, outrageous, and thoroughly exhausting paradox that is Dame Barbara, Cleo and Sophia are joined by writer Matthew Sweet, author of a new biography, The Great Dictator. Together, they dive nose-first into her eccentricities: why did she use Meltonian shoe cream instead of mascara? How did she rack up 49 proposals? And was she really as much of a prude about sex as she may have seemed? From travelling across America with a stuffed Pekingese under her arm to her legendary, claws-out television showdown with Jackie Collins, no pink feather is left unturned.And because we're obsessed with what 'the done thing' is, Sophia and Cleo leaf through Dame Barbara's vintage etiquette tips to see if they hold up in the 21st century. Get ready for some serious home truths on interior decorating, dietary fusspots, and praising your husband’s lovemaking… So hold on to your hats for a riotously funny look at the 20th century's most magnificent romantic force, the Great Dictator herself, Dame Barbara Cartland. 📧 Email us: theposhcast@telegraph.co.uk📸 Instagram: @theposhcastThe Great Dictator by Matthew Sweet is out now.To order your copy for £19.99, call 0330 173 0523 or visit Telegraph Books.📰 Read: ‘Women should be like pretty chocolate boxes’: The bizarre world of Barbara CartlandVideo Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights:Should women ever say I love you first?The Barbara Cartland Special

September has arrived, which means one thing for a niche cohort of the British population: it’s back to boarding school. As Prince George heads off to Eton, Sophia and Cleo dissect the bizarre world of public school education—from trunks and tuck to the ‘pash’ system and polo pitches. Plus, they discuss the eye-watering fees in 2026 and how some parents have resorted to bartering to get their little angels in the top schools.Finally, they answer the eternal question: in an age of texts and emails, is the handwritten thank you letter finally dead? Spoiler: Sophia still has them rattling around her handbag. Forget civilisation burning—we’re here to debate whether you should be writing thank you notes in the back of a limo.Send your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukVideo Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights:Back to (Boarding) SchoolIs the Thank You letter dead?Chapters:00:00 ‘At the weekend’ vs ‘On the weekend’05:00 Making adult friends07:00 Sophia’s South Devon pilgrimage10:00 Back to school14:00 Public vs. Private: Why is it called ‘Public School’?15:00 Boarding school memories & the ‘pash’ system23:00 Modern boarding schools: Cushy living & pastoral care35:30 Manners Mail: Are thank you letters dead?

It's not just tiaras and tafetta here - this week The Poshcast gets political.This week Sophia Money-Coutts and Cleo Watson dive into the increasingly barbaric noise levels in our public spaces. From people watching films loudly on the train to the “pestilential” behaviour of playing music without headphones, Sophia and Cleo celebrate a recent crackdown on this anti-social trend and share their tips for maintaining a little sanity in a noisy world.And, fingers on the pulse as ever, the pair discuss Liechtenstein’s decision to bin off male primogeniture and what this means for the British aristocracy (and why we’re still stuck in the Henry VIII era).Plus, the duo tackles another thorny listener dilemma: how on earth do you get dinner party guests to leave when they’ve clearly overstayed their welcome? From “loading the dishwasher” tactics to the ultimate “hostile environment” strategy, Cleo and Soph provide you with a sure-fire guide to this etiquette conundrum. Don't say we don't treat you. Send your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukRead: Wetherspoons bans customers from using phones on loudspeaker: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/18/wetherspoon-bans-customers-from-using-phones-on-loudspeaker/Video Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights: Why do people think it’s acceptable to use their phones on loudspeaker in public?How to get dinner party guests to pleave

Forget politics, war, and the crushing weight of modern existence—we’re here to tackle the questions that really matter. This week, we’ve raided the mailbag to answer the dilemmas keeping you up at night.In this episode, Sophia and Cleo navigate the perilous social etiquette of sunbathing in Sardinia, debate the tackiness of digital jewellery, and finally settle the age-old question: at what point is it “gross” to still call your parents Mummy and Daddy?Plus, Cleo and Sophia delve into culture by discussing a new mockumentary about an eccentric Lady, and decrying the insufferable bore that is the television snob.Send your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukRead: Is it ever appropriate to sunbathe topless with your father? - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/should-daughter-ever-sunbathe-topless-with-father/Video Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsChapters:00:00 - Introduction01:30 - Important Port Protocol Update05:15 - Culture Corner: Reviewing the new film ‘Lady’09:20 - Cleo’s Mirror Disaster & A Scottish Holiday Update14:15 - Are Owls the New Peacocks?18:15 - Mommy & Daddy: When to draw the line?22:15 - Is 'The Traitors' posh TV?25:15 - Topless Sunbathing: Benidorm or European Chic?29:15 - The Great Nail Debate: Garish or Neat?33:15 - Are the Posh fleeing Instagram?36:15 - The Wedding Ring Dilemma39:15 - Rafe vs. Ralph: The Ultimate Pronunciation GuideHighlights:The Poshcast Q&A specialWhen is too old to say ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’? And other dilemmas

August is upon us, and you know what that means: the annual migration of the upper classes to the Highlands. This week on The Poshcast, Sophia and Cleo are dusting off their tweed, ignoring the blood-sucking midges, and asking why posh people are all so obsessed with heading north to shoot things.As Cleo is loch-bound in August for the first-time, Sophia gives her top tips to decoding the Scottish summer getaway. Why does your suitcase need to contain both a tiara and a bottle of high-strength DEET? And is it possible to navigate a lodge where the bathwater is brown but the black tie is mandatory? Plus, we tackle another burning listener dilemma: is it actually possible to organise a ‘tasteful’ hen do? From the trauma of organised fun to the dreaded conversation about budgets,, we share our survival guide to the tackier side of pre-wedding celebrations. So do please, hold on to your tam o’shanters and cry freedom for the next episode of The Poshcast. Send your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukVideo Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights: Why posh people think Scotland is the best place to be in summerIs it actually possible to organise a ‘tasteful’ hen do?

Whack out your wellies: In today’s Poshcast Cleo and Sophia delve into the muddy topic of festivals.From wet-wipe-filled endurance tests to carefully curated weekends of glamping and glitter, we’re debating whether festivals can ever truly be ‘posh.’Sophia and Cleo share their ever so slightly tongue-in-cheek survival tips, such as packing cashmere socks and wine deliveries, the perils of the Portaloo and the importance of steering clear of mystery pad thai and spontaneous piercings. Plus they answer a burning listener question: should you ever approach a celebrity for a selfie on holiday, or is the classy option to leave them to their sun lounger?You can watch The Poshcast on YouTube: Send your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukVideo Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights:The Poshcast guide to festivalsBoat shoes and Bloody Marys all round!Chapters:00:00 Welcome to The Poshcast04:19 Remote Control Nicknames08:50 Wilderness aka ‘Poshstock’ Highlights11:59 Latitude Dust and Cool Families13:15 Posh Festival Survival Tips19:30 The Perils of Portaloos20:49 Glyndebourne Picnic Opera22:15 Festival Piercing Horror23:57 Family Piercing Rules26:41 Gap Year Tattoo Regret32:21 Boarding School Piercing Craze33:21 Celebrity Selfie Etiquette41:13 Final Take

It may have been been a scorcher yet again this week, but that’s no excuse to lose control. In today’s Poshcast Cleo and Sophia tackle the thorny issue of table manners.What matters, these days, and what doesn’t? Do we care about elbows on the table anymore, or is that a fusty old Victorian throwback? Is it deeply common to clink glasses and say ‘cheers?’ From which body part should you eat caviar, and is it ever acceptable to have your phone beside your plate?Plus they answer a question from a nervous young listener who’s off on holiday with her boyfriend’s parents for the first time and wants to make a good impression (no bawdy chipolata jokes).They may not have the answer to all Britain’s problems, but Sophia and Cleo can offer strong opinions on knives and napkins — what further encouragement do you need to watch The Poshcast?You can watch The Poshcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mbuXBuO_5sESend your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.ukHeight shouldn’t matter when it comes to matters of the heart, Sophia Money-Coutts: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/relationships/sophia-money-coutts-height-shouldnt-matter-affairs-of-heart/Video Producer: Carla MercerSocial Editor: Alex MarshallExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights: Phones besides plates, elbows on the table and clinking coupesThe Poshcast guide to table mannersChapters:00:00 Welcome to The Poshcast01:03 Punctuality Rant03:15 Airbnb Interior Nightmares05:58 Height Lies on Dating Apps09:38 Toilet Break Film Debate11:11 Clink or Not to Clink13:23 Champagne Glass Rules15:08 Miffers Controversy16:44 Napkins and Cutlery Etiquette21:27 Bread Roll Etiquette23:51 Asparagus and Pear Protocol24:47 Meghan Markle and Pud Debate27:10 Bathroom Breaks during Meals29:19 Salt Pepper and Passing Port32:39 Phones and Bags at Table34:56 Napkin Rings36:18 Holiday With Boyfriend's Family41:31 Final Tips and Sign Off

Nothing gets the people of Britain more animated than man’s best friend, so this week on The Poshcast, Sophia Money-Coutts and Cleo Watson are debating which pooch can hold the title of posh top dog. Can the Jack Russell take the crown, given their association with The King and Queen? Where do shivering whippets rank on the scale, and, crucially, where to The Poshcast dogs – the esteemed Hippo and Dennis – fall on the scale?Plus, after police had to step in to control behaviour, they discuss the tradition of public school teenagers partying on the beaches of Polzeath.And Cleo and Soph reveal their most unquestionably un-posh habits. You can watch The Poshcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/knuYbqqP9tQSend your questions to theposhcast@telegraph.co.uk.Video Producer: James EnglandSocial Editor: Ruby BorgExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsHighlights: How posh is your dog? The tradition of public school revellers causing chaos in CornwallChapters: 00:00 Introduction02:29 A Top Dog Excuse 05:14 World Cup Rants06:58 The Definition of 'Chichi'08:05 Champong at The Goring13:40 Posh Cookbooks and Castles16:23 Engagement Roast Chicken18:09 Jack Russells Comeback23:13 Posh Dog League28:43 Cornwall Teen Chaos32:54 Poshest Activities36:35 Unposh Habits39:49 Sign Off