The Scummy Mummies Podcast

How do we keep children safe when they're playing games online? What's the best way to manage screentime? What is Fortnite, why is it so popular, and what age should kids be allowed to start playing it? Helping us answer all these questions is the awesome author and video games journalist, Keith Stuart!This special episode is sponsored by Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite. We talk about some of the positive aspects of gaming, including why games can be a lifeline for neurodivergent children. We also offer some tips for parents for getting involved in their kids’ gaming and avoiding arguments about screentime, or at least reducing them.Then it's time for a chat about Fortnite specifically - we explain how it all works, and take a look at the wide range of experiences on offer within the game, such as LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and thousands more. We also discuss Epic’s approach to safety and some of the parental controls available for you to use. There's also a bit of book chat - Keith is now writing his fifth novel, and we find out about his writing routine. His latest book, Love is a Curse, is out now.Do have a look at the websites we recommend - askaboutgames.com and familygamingdatabase.com. Check out Epic’s Safety and Security site for more info. And check out Andy Robertson's great book, Taming Gaming.Thanks again to our sponsors, Epic Games.And thank you for listening! 

What's the best brand of air fryer? How can bad bakers get better? And why does the This Morning baking expert hate making wedding cakes? Answering all these questions is the fabulous Juliet Sear! She tells us all about her amazing career, from making the world's first edible Christmas jumper to becoming a daytime TV star and ending up with eight air fryers in her house. We share some of our culinary disasters, and find out what went wrong the time Juliet tried to make a red velvet cake for Mel B. She reveals the truth about celebrity chef cookbooks, and gives us her top tip for the best chips ever. Plus: can she convince Ellie to give in and get an air fryer? Tune in to find out! Juliet's brilliant book, Air Fryer Baking Magic, is out now (and all the excellent recipes can be made without an air fryer, FYI.) Check out her gorgeous fashion line at sugarhillbrighton.com, and head over to laineslondon.com for a look at her super sexy and unbelievably comfy slippers. She's on Instagram @julietsear.*WE ARE ON TOUR!* Very soon we're coming to Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead... And then it's our Christmas tour! Harrogate, Newcastle, Twickenham, Colchester, Finchley, Winchester, Wells, Leatherhead, Cambridge and Benenden. Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on X (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

How is having ADHD like being a butterfly? Why are women still being defined by what their husbands do? And do sharks really love heavy metal? Helping us to answer all these questions is the awesome Lliana Bird! She tells us about her children's book, Baboo the Unusual Bee, which she wrote while breastfeeding. We share our memories of being new mums, and reveal the advice we wish we'd had back in the day. Lliana talks about her shock at discovering that women's pages are disappearing from wikipedia, thanks to some good old fashioned misogyny. We also have a good old chinwag about everything from her time as Xfm's longest serving woman DJ to female friendship, the mental load, and why mice sing when they want a shag. Baboo the Unusual Bee is out now. Follow Lliana on Instagram @llianabird. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* Very soon we're coming to Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead... And then it's our Christmas tour! Harrogate, Newcastle, Twickenham, Colchester, Finchley, Winchester, Wells, Leatherhead, Cambridge and Benenden. Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on X (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

This is a special LIVE podcast, recorded at the awesome Big Feastival this summer. Our guest is Cat Sims, known on the socials as @notsosmugnow. We cover a host of topics in this podcast, from starting school to managing teens, coping with WhatsApp groups and dealing with nits. We chat about the three things you should never talk about with other parents, and have a heated debate about laundry. We bring back the classic game Handbag Surprise and of course we share some Scummy Mummy Confessions. There's even a cameo from a special guest at the end. And all in front of a live audience! In a tent! Huge thanks to Big Feastival for having us, and to Cat for being such a great guest - follow her on all the things @notsosmugnow, and check out her excellent honest baby book, The First Time You Smiled (Or Was it Just Wind?)*WE ARE ON TOUR!* Very soon we're coming to Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on X (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

Our guest for this episode is the hilarious Michael Akadiri! He tells us why he switched from junior doctor to comedian, but always wanted to be a footballer. We find out how he's enjoying being a new dad, and laugh at the ludicrous extravagance of his son's first birthday party. There's some advice for anyone about to start medical school, and Michael shares how working as a psychiatric nurse helped him become a better doctor. Plus: is it OK to push your kids towards sporting excellence? What's Ellie's top tip for potty training? And what would our wrestling names be? Tune in to find out. Michael's latest stand-up show, Trust Me, I'm a Daddy, is coming to London this week, then he's in Cambridge, Aberystwyth, Bristol, Birmingham and many more... Go to michaelakadiri.com for dates and tickets. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* Very soon we're coming to Portsmouth, Guildford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

How come different people find different things funny? Why is When Harry Met Sally a better film than Love Actually? And can dogs laugh? Helping us to answer all these questions is award-winning comedy writer Joel Morris! He tells us about his new book, Be Funny or Die: How Comedy Works and Why It Matters. We find out what it's like to write jokes for Charlie Brooker and Philomena Cunk, and why Joel hasn't got a BAFTA, even though he won a BAFTA. Plus - how does Joel feel about his books ending up in charity shops, and is it OK to give up gardening if you're crap at gardening? We finish off with some top Scummy Mummy Confessions, including a triple whammy from Ellie involving an Italian wedding. Joel's brilliant book is out now, and as mentioned he has a great substack. The gaming podcast he made with Ellie is called Extra Life, the other one we talk about is Comfort Blanket, and they're both available wherever you found this. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* Very soon we're coming to Barnard Castle, Darlington, Sturminster Newton, Portsmouth, Guildford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

Do you really need to follow fashion when you've just had a baby? What's the best way to work on self-esteem? Is it still OK to wear skinny jeans? And why is Ellie in trouble with her Dad even though she's 46? Helping us to answer all these questions is stylist extraordinaire Sophia Lorimer!Known on the socials as @finedtunedwardrobe, Sophia is a fashionista with a difference. She's all about shopping your wardrobe and sustainability - in fact, she hasn't bought anything new from a shop in five years. We talk about that, along with how Sophia's attitude to clothes was shaped by growing up as one of eight sisters. She tells us about her experience of having post-natal depression, how she managed to get through it, and why it changed how she sees fashion forever. We discuss comfort versus style, and Sophia gives us some practical tips for feeling better about our bodies and breaking an addiction to fast fashion. She reveals why she's not a big fan of Vinted, and shares her own biggest fashion disaster. Do check out the services Sophia offers and her fabulous fashion sense @finetunedwardrobe, and her website - finetunedwardrobe.com. And have a look at our main Instagram feed for a video of Sophia judging our ghosts of fashion past...*WE ARE ON TOUR!* In the autumn we're coming to Barnard Castle, Darlington, Sturminster Newton, Portsmouth, Guildford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

What's it like to perform a hilarious comedy show about death? Here to tell us all about it is stand-up legend Ed Byrne.We discuss his 30 year career in comedy and how he got started. Then there's some chat about his latest show, Tragedy Plus Time. We talk about the loss of Ed's brother, Paul, and Ellie explains why his was the funniest funeral she's ever been to. We also discuss the difference between dealing with family and friends, and Ed offers some advice for what to do when sibling relationships go wrong. It all sounds a bit serious, doesn't it? But honestly, we manage to have a right laugh along the way. We end with a shared Scummy Mummy Confession from Helen and Ellie, plus an account of some terrible behaviour by Ed in a hotel. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* We will be at Big Feastival in August, doing a show and a podcast on the Sunday. Then in the autumn we're coming to Barnard Castle, Darlington, Sturminster Newton, Portsmouth, Guildford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! 

Our guest for this episode is the hilarious comedian Helen Lederer! We talk about how she helped pave the way for slags trying to be funny like us. She tells us what it was like to do stand-up in the eighties, alongside the likes of Ben Elton and Ellie's Dad, and we discuss what's changed since. Lederer tells us all about her brilliant book, Not That I'm Bitter, which is out now. She explains what it's like to write a memoir that's honest and funny without being mean, and we touch on some of the sexier bits (for the full saucepan story, you'll need to buy the book - it's a good one.)There's also some chat about dealing with bad reviews and self-doubt, and whether life gets better after 50. And of course, there are some Scummy Mummy Confessions - this week involving vag eye and shouting. You can follow Helen on all the things @helenlederer. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* We will be at Big Feastival in August, doing a show and a podcast on the Sunday. Then in the autumn we're coming to Barnard Castle, Darlington, Sturminster Newton, Portsmouth, Guildford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Hertford, Canterbury, Blackburn, Tenbury Wells, Newport, Norwich, East Grinstead, Harrogate, Newcastle... And then it's our Christmas tour! Go to scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY!   We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening!