Sober Awkward

As a special treat to celebrate the final episode of Series 13, I’m delighted to welcome Hamish back to the podcast for a proper catch-up.Yes, he’s still sober. Yes, he’s still awkward. And yes, he’s still as funny as ever.We chat about what life has looked like since leaving the show, how sobriety is going, and what he’s learned along the way. Hamish is proof that you don’t have to be a stereotypical “problem drinker” to experience the benefits of going alcohol-free. Sometimes life simply gets bigger, better and a whole lot more interesting without booze in the driver’s seat.Expect laughs, awkward moments, a few reflections on the good old days, and a reminder of why so many of us fell in love with the lanky one in the first place.It’s great to have him back.Be warned, as per usual, there is naughty talk about bodily functions. 💛 Resources & Links📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted SundaysA brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.👉 Buy the book here🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes👉 www.soberawkward.com🫖 Join The Cuppa CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - No More Numbing Out - By Aliz, TexasEvery 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 SundaysA 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 CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCESIf 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.🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-serviceLifeline📞 13 11 14 (24/7)https://www.lifeline.org.auHello Sunday Morning / Daybreakhttps://hellosundaymorning.orghttps://daybreakapp.com.auClean Slate Clinichttps://www.cleanslateclinic.com🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline📞 0300 123 1110https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/Alcohol Change UKhttps://alcoholchange.org.ukWe Are With Youhttps://www.wearewithyou.org.uk🌍 InternationalAlcoholics Anonymoushttps://www.aa.orgSMART Recoveryhttps://www.smartrecovery.org💬 A Gentle ReminderIf 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.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic steps away from alcohol to explore another addiction that is quietly growing across Australia: Nangs.Nitrous oxide, often sold legally and delivered to your door within minutes, is commonly seen as harmless party fun. But for Sam Bramman, what started as a few nangs at a house party quickly spiralled into a devastating addiction that led to psychosis, hospitalisation and a long road to recovery.Sam shares the shocking reality of what happened when nitrous oxide took over his life, including the psychotic episode that saw him drive from Sydney to the Gold Coast before ending up in a psychiatric ward. He talks openly about addiction, recovery and why he believes Australia needs stronger regulation around the sale and delivery of nitrous oxide.Now the founder of the No 2 Nangs campaign, Sam is using his experience to educate young people, support families and push for change. He is also preparing to run 350 kilometres from Sydney to Parliament House in Canberra to raise awareness of the issue and campaign for greater public education around a substance he describes as both legal and lethal.It’s an eye-opening conversation about addiction, vulnerability, recovery and a drug many of us know very little about. Follow Sam’s work: Instagram: @sambramman TikTok: @stepsforchange💛 Resources & Links📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted SundaysA brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.👉 Buy the book here🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes👉 www.soberawkward.com🫖 Join The Cuppa CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

This week in the Share Shed, one listener wakes up to discover he’d apparently spent 40 minutes running barefoot on a treadmill at 3am… after swimming in a stranger’s pool and blacking out at a party.The only problem? He remembers none of it.A hilarious story with a surprisingly thoughtful twist about sobriety, fitness, and what happens when one obsession gets replaced by another.The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side.But sometimes, it’s also a place for the harder stuff, the honest bits we don’t always say out loud.If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or something a bit more serious, you can send it to Vic at:vic@soberawkward.comAnonymous is absolutely fine. In fact, for legal reasons, probably preferable!!📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCESIf anything in today’s Shame Shed felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support out there. You don’t have to do this on your own.🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)🌐 https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-serviceLifeline📞 13 11 14 (24/7)🌐 https://www.lifeline.org.auHello Sunday Morning / Daybreak🌐 https://hellosundaymorning.org🌐 https://daybreakapp.com.auClean Slate Clinic🌐 https://www.cleanslateclinic.com🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline📞 0300 123 1110🌐 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/Alcohol Change UK🌐 https://alcoholchange.org.ukWe Are With You🌐 https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk🌍 InternationalAlcoholics Anonymous🌐 https://www.aa.orgSMART Recovery🌐 https://www.smartrecovery.org💬 A gentle reminderIf you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s really important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and support can make a huge difference.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic sits down with TJ Power, a well-known neuroscientist, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The DOSE Effect, and the founder of the DOSE Lab. He is a leading voice in demystifying brain chemistry, focusing on helping people manage digital burnout, phone addiction, and overstimulation in the modern world.TJ shares his own story of changing his relationship with alcohol, including a powerful epiphany at a music festival that made him completely rethink what connection, fun and presence really mean. Together, they explore the surprising similarities between alcohol addiction and phone addiction, and why both are fuelled by the same dopamine-driven reward systems in the brain.The conversation takes an unexpected turn when Vic has a rather uncomfortable realisation of her own. Eight years sober and feeling quite smug about no longer disappearing into bottles of wine, she suddenly discovers she’s been disappearing into something else instead… her phone.In a moment that feels a bit like being caught snogging behind the bike sheds, Vic realises she may be neglecting her children in exactly the same way she used to neglect them with alcohol. Not physically absent, but mentally elsewhere. Half listening. Half scrolling. Forever saying, “Just one second, darling…”It’s a surprisingly emotional moment as TJ explains that the dopamine hits from our phones aren’t a million miles away from the rewards we chase through alcohol, and Vic starts to wonder whether she’s simply swapped one distraction for another.This episode isn’t about throwing your phone in the sea or moving to a cave. It’s about becoming curious about the habits that quietly shape our lives.And make sure you listen right to the end, because Vic returns with a surprising update after attempting her own digital detox weekend.A fascinating conversation that might just make you question your scrolling as much as your drinking.Find TJ here - @tjpower@doselab - Order the book now - https://a.co/d/0fghgGAcwww.thedoselab.com💛 Resources & Links📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted SundaysA brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.👉 Buy the book here🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes👉 www.soberawkward.com🫖 Join The Cuppa CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Today on the Share Shed we have one confession and one question.First up, a listener wakes up in Las Vegas with more than just a hangover… let’s just say Elvis may have been involved and somebody accidentally got married.Then we tackle a question many people quietly ask themselves: if your hands shake the morning after drinking, is that a sign you’re an alcoholic?The answer might surprise you.Pour yourself a cuppa and join us for today’s Share Shed.The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side.But sometimes, it’s also a place for the harder stuff, the honest bits we don’t always say out loud.If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or something a bit more serious, you can send it to Vic at:vic@soberawkward.comAnonymous is absolutely fine. In fact, for legal reasons, probably preferable!!📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCESIf anything in today’s Shame Shed felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support out there. You don’t have to do this on your own.🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)🌐 https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-serviceLifeline📞 13 11 14 (24/7)🌐 https://www.lifeline.org.auHello Sunday Morning / Daybreak🌐 https://hellosundaymorning.org🌐 https://daybreakapp.com.auClean Slate Clinic🌐 https://www.cleanslateclinic.com🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline📞 0300 123 1110🌐 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/Alcohol Change UK🌐 https://alcoholchange.org.ukWe Are With You🌐 https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk🌍 InternationalAlcoholics Anonymous🌐 https://www.aa.orgSMART Recovery🌐 https://www.smartrecovery.org💬 A gentle reminderIf you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s really important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and support can make a huge difference.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic chats to James Swanwick about high-functioning drinking, success, pressure and the growing movement of people choosing to live alcohol free — not because they’ve completely fallen apart, but because they simply feel better without it.James is an Australian stop drinking expert, author, investor, entrepreneur and former SportsCenter anchor on ESPN. He is the creator of stop drinking organisation, Alcohol Free Lifestyle, which helps business owners and executives finally break free from alcohol without AA, rehab or willpower. Together, Vic and James unpack the myth that alcohol problems only affect people at “rock bottom” and explore why high achievers often struggle silently for years. They chat about identity, pride, social pressure, parenting, masculinity, success and why being outwardly functional can actually make it harder to admit something isn’t working.They also explore a really interesting question:Can giving up alcohol sometimes be less about “having a problem”… and more about choosing a different lifestyle entirely?Plus there’s chat about celebrity alcohol brands, the rise of the alcohol-free movement, Gen Z turning away from booze and why many people are beginning to realise that alcohol may be taking far more than it gives.This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered:“Do I actually need to wait for things to get worse before I make a change?”Enjoy!Find James' work here - IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamesswanwick/FB: https://web.facebook.com/AlcoholFreeLifestylehttps://web.facebook.com/JamesSwanwickOfficialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlcoholFreeLifestylehttps://www.youtube.com/@JamesSwanwickTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesswanwickSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5253hMZWPlEWj6AVodbkC7Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alcohol-free-lifestyle/id1518416850X: https://x.com/jamesswanwickAFL Website: https://alcoholfreelifestyle.com/💛 Resources & Links📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted SundaysA brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.👉 Buy the book here🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes👉 www.soberawkward.com🫖 Join The Cuppa CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

This week on the Share Shed we’re talking drunk online shopping… you know, those slightly terrifying mystery parcels that arrive two days after a blackout.From sequinned capes and stuffed frogs in hats… to accidentally booking holidays to Spain you have absolutely no memory of organising.Basically: If you’ve ever opened your front door hungover and thought, “What in the name of Christ have I bought now?” …this one’s for you.The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side.But sometimes, it’s also a place for the harder stuff, the honest bits we don’t always say out loud.If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or something a bit more serious, you can send it to Vic at:vic@soberawkward.comAnonymous is absolutely fine. In fact, for legal reasons, probably preferable!!📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCESIf anything in today’s Shame Shed felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support out there. You don’t have to do this on your own.🇦🇺 AustraliaNational Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)🌐 https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-serviceLifeline📞 13 11 14 (24/7)🌐 https://www.lifeline.org.auHello Sunday Morning / Daybreak🌐 https://hellosundaymorning.org🌐 https://daybreakapp.com.auClean Slate Clinic🌐 https://www.cleanslateclinic.com🇬🇧 United KingdomDrinkline📞 0300 123 1110🌐 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/Alcohol Change UK🌐 https://alcoholchange.org.ukWe Are With You🌐 https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk🌍 InternationalAlcoholics Anonymous🌐 https://www.aa.orgSMART Recovery🌐 https://www.smartrecovery.org💬 A gentle reminderIf you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s really important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and support can make a huge difference.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic chats to Hattie Underwood, the London-based mum of two behind Sober Happy Free, who has recently been speaking out across the UK media about the worrying rise of alcohol delivery services. After loads of Sober Awkward listeners tagged Vic in clips saying, “You HAVE to get her on the podcast!”… here she is.Now five years sober, Hattie openly shares the raw reality of addiction through lived experience, challenging stigma and reminding people that absolutely anyone can struggle with alcohol — and anyone deserves the chance to recover, one day at a time.Having appeared on Good Morning Britain, Channel 5 News and the BBC, Hattie is also using her voice to campaign with Alcohol Change UK and raise awareness around the dangers of modern drinking culture.Together they explore what happens when booze never really runs out. No awkward shuffle to the bottle shop. No eye contact with the cashier. No closing time. No moment to pause and think, “Hang on… maybe this is getting a bit much.” Just a bloke in a helmet arriving at your doorstep with another bottle and zero questions asked.Hattie explains how alcohol delivery services quietly escalated her drinking, why these apps can become so dangerous, and how the convenience and secrecy of “alcohol on demand” is creating growing concerns in both the UK and Australia.They chat about shame, loneliness, high-functioning drinking, dependency and the terrifying reality of alcohol being available in under thirty minutes, right at the exact moment someone is most vulnerable.Plus Vic asks herself a slightly uncomfortable question:What would her own drinking have looked like if the booze literally never ran out?Follow @soberhappyfree to join Hattie on her sobriety journey. https://www.instagram.com/soberhappyfreehttps://www.tiktok.com/@soberhappyfree?_r=1&_t=ZN-96MLDO3Z0oY💛 Resources & Links📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted SundaysA brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.👉 Buy the book here🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes👉 www.soberawkward.com🫖 Join The Cuppa CommunityOur private, supportive online space for sober folk👉 www.cuppa.community📘 Get the Sober Awkward GuideOur downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.👉 The Sober Awkward Guide📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:Instagram: @soberawkwardTikTok: @soberawkwardFacebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women