The Life of Bryony

This week, I’m joined by Lou Beckett – mum of two, history teacher and wife of comedian Rob Beckett – who shares a hilariously raw take on what it really means to be the default parent. Lou talks about carrying the invisible labour and mental load while Rob is away, the identity freefall of stepping away from work, and why women are still expected to “have it all” while running on no sleep. We get into birth trauma, breastfeeding guilt, and why feeding your baby formula is not a moral failing. Lou explains what it really means to be the default parent, why schools always ring mum first, and how resentment quietly builds over time. We also talk about being completely “touched out” by kids hanging off you all day, and then being expected to switch into sex kitten mode the minute your partner walks through the door. This is a funny, deeply validating conversation for anyone who has ever thought: I love my kids, but I am absolutely done. BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODELou’s Book, Lessons from a Default Parent: Surviving the Front Line of Family Life (Without Losing Your Sh*t), is available to buy from 12th February 2026.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Lou BeckettProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Sam RhodesStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie EastA Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Today, the wonderful Emma Kirk-Odunubi is back with us. If you heard her main episode, you’ll know she’s a 15-time marathon runner, coach and all‑round running legend – but today, we’re finding out the three things she simply cannot live without.​ We talk about why the most important part of running might happen when you’re not running at all, why it’s sometimes not just okay but wise to skip a run, and how “forwards is a pace” became Emma’s mantra on and off the road. This is a gorgeous, grounding conversation for anyone who needs permission to slow down, be kinder to themselves, and still call themselves a runner.BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODEEmma’s book, Find Your Pace, is available from 5th February 2026.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Emma Kirk-OdunubiProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Sam RhodesStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

I sprinted (okay, jogged) into the studio this week because I knew this conversation would change how you think about running. My guest is performance coach and running legend Emma Kirk‑Odunubi, whose new book Find Your Pace is the gentle, funny, no‑nonsense guide I wish I’d had when I first stumbled out in leopard‑print Converse and a Tommy Tippee cup.​ We talk about how Emma found running in the depths of grief after losing her dad, and how moving her body helped her mind when nothing else worked. She explains why “just showing up is where the magic happens”, why walking breaks don’t make you any less of a runner, and how her “FETCH” method and chunking tricks make running feel doable, even if you’re a very busy, very tired human. Whether your goal is 10 minutes alone, a first parkrun or a marathon, this episode will get you lacing up. BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODEEmma’s book, Find Your Pace, is available from 5th February 2026.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Emma Kirk-OdunubiProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Sam RhodesStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Lovely people, Charley Webb is back. In the main episode, Charley talked about being a mum of three, navigating her mum’s Alzheimer’s and trying to stay afloat in the middle of it all. In this bonus conversation, she lifts the lid on the three non‑negotiables she leans on to keep going – the everyday things that help her feel connected, calm and vaguely human. We talk about the power of real friendship, why small rituals matter when life feels overwhelming, and how giving yourself permission to do “nothing” can actually be the most productive choice of all. If you are part of the exhausted sandwich generation, or just craving a few simple ideas to make your own days feel more manageable, this one is for you.LINKS TO SUPPORT GROUPSIf Charley’s story of her mother’s illness resonated with you and you would like support, please consider the following charities:Dementia UK:https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/looking-after-yourself-as-a-carer/Alzheimer’s UK:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/getting-supportWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Charley WebbProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Sam RhodesStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

If, like me, you are a bit of a soap addict, you will know Charley Webb from her decades-long stint on Emmerdale. But in this episode of The Life of Bryony, you will hear a far more intimate, unfiltered version of her story. Charley talks candidly about pursuing an autism and ADHD diagnosis, parenting a neurodivergent child, and how hyperfixation shows up everywhere from skincare to intrusive thoughts.​ She also revisits the sudden death of her dad when she was 14, the bullying that oddly set her free, and the complicated, lonely reality of her mum’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis. We talk about grieving someone who is still here, the guilt of struggling to visit, and why honesty about “not coping” can be such a relief.​ If you are navigating dementia, neurodivergence, or that exhausting sandwich-generation juggle, this conversation might help you feel a little less alone.LINKS TO SUPPORT GROUPSIf Charley’s story of her mother’s illness resonated with you today and you would like support, please consider the following charities:Dementia UK:https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/looking-after-yourself-as-a-carer/Alzheimer’s UK:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/getting-supportWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Charley WebbProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Sam RhodesStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

This week, I’m joined by Dr. Alex George for an incredibly powerful and tender conversation. Alex talks about losing his younger brother, Llŷr, to suicide, the strange expectation that we should “get over” grief, and what really happens to a family when the worst thing imaginable actually happens. We discuss how alcohol became his way of pushing the pain down, the day he decided he couldn’t drink – or live – like that anymore, and why stopping drinking was the single best decision he has ever made. Alex also opens up about a late diagnosis of OCD, the torture of rumination, and the night a run quite literally saved his life. If you’ve ever felt broken by loss, plagued by your own mind, or unsure you can face another day, this conversation is for you. BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODEAlex’s new book ‘Am I Normal?’ is available to buy now.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Dr. Alex GeorgeProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Tippi WillardStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

After our main chat about addiction and the difference between fast, spiky dopamine and the slower, steadier kind, Catherine returns to share the three things that genuinely keep her grounded.​ We dig into what “slow dopamine” actually feels like in real life – the kind of calm, long-lasting reward you don’t regret the next morning – and Catherine talks me through the simple daily habits that help her get there. We cover movement, mindset and even what you put on your body, and why all of it matters if you’re trying not to be at the mercy of your moods.​ If your brain tends to wake up shouting “the end is nigh” and you’re craving more ease, this conversation is for you.​BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODECatherine’s new book, Little Addictions, is available to buy from the 29th January 2026.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Catherine GrayProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Tippi WillardStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Have you already “failed” at Dry January? If that’s the case, welcome to the club. In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Catherine Gray to unpick why you can’t just grit your teeth and get through a month off booze – and why resolutions in general are so hard to keep. We talk about what is really going on in your brain when you suddenly remove your usual drink, why your nervous system kicks off, and how shame and self‑loathing make you more likely to reach for the thing you’re trying to quit. From Dry January to doom‑scrolling, biscuits, vapes, porn, shopping and phone use, Catherine explains how our “stone age” brains are trying to survive in an ultra‑addictive modern world.​ We dig into dopamine, “little addictions”, friction, and tiny cogs of change – so you can feel informed and be a little bit kinder to yourself. If you’ve ever wondered “What’s wrong with me?” around addiction, this episode will help you realise: absolutely nothing. BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODECatherine’s new book, Little Addictions, is available to buy from the 29th January 2026.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Catherine GrayProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Tippi WillardStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.