294: Lliana Bird on kids' books, breastfeeding, and being disappeared

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the best thing to say to someone who's in mourning? Is the second year of grief really the hardest? And who was the lead singer of Westlife? Helping us answer all these questions is the amazing Stacey Heale! She tells us what it was like to lose her husband, Greg, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer on their daughter's first birthday. Stacey explains what life is like now, nearly three years after his death. We discuss Widow's Fire - the phenomenon of bereaved people who turn to sex for comfort. Plus, the best and worst ways to help someone you love through the grieving process. It all sounds a bit dark, doesn't it? But honestly, we have loads of laughs along the way. We also take a deep dive into the live advice of Ireland's greatest philosopher-king, Ronan Keating, and discover Helen knows nothing about boy bands. We finish with some Scummy Mummy Confessions involving wee and a close encounter with a member of Bros. Stacey's brilliant book, Now is Not the Time for Flowers, is out now. Follow her on insta @stacey_heale.*WE ARE ON TOUR!* We have one more show this summer, in Sevenoaks on 19 July. 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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special bonus episode was recorded on Saturday 6 July, just two days after the general election. We got to interview Jess Phillips MP in front of a live audience at the Birmingham MAC, and she was brilliant. We covered loads of topics including Jess's work in the areas of women's rights and domestic violence, what she wants the new Labour government to prioritise, and what she thinks of Starmer's cabinet appointments. We also talk about the abuse suffered by Jess and her staff in the run-up to the election, and why she thinks it was the worst campaign she's ever been involved in. Plus: fancying Stanley Tucci, why becoming an MP is like joining the NCT, and parliamentary hairdressers - do Tories have better hair? After all that we had some questions from the audience that were so brilliant we ran out of time (forgot) to do the Scummy Mummy Confessions. But if that's your favourite bit of the show, have no fear - we have something special coming soon. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so you don't miss out. Huge thanks to Jess Phillips, and a massive thank you to the Birmingham MAC for having us. If you're round that way do check out their Motherhood Season - there are loads of amazing talks, exhibitions, workshops and more running right through September. *WE ARE ON TOUR!* We have one more show this summer, in Sevenoaks on 19 July. 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!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.