Blog Posts - Scummy Mummies

Episode 79: Reggie and Bollie at Camp Bestival

8/8/2016

In this short but very special episode, we talk to X-Factor stars Reggie and Bollie! They reveal why they got told off for being too happy, and where Cheryl takes people for posh nosh. Plus there's some exclusive celebrity chat about taking the bins out.

This podcast was recorded live at Camp Bestival, where we did a Scummy Mummies show at the same time Reggie and Bollie were on the main stage. Listen in to find out who got the biggest audience.

Reggie and Bollie are on Twitter, and tour dates can be found at reggie-n-bollie.com.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.comand visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 78: Quiz Special with Miles Jupp

25/7/2016

Our guest for this episode is Miles Jupp, host of Radio 4's The News Quiz and star of Balamory! He tells us what it's like having five kids, discusses his bitter rivalry with Mister Maker, and does the sexiest impression of Craig McLachlan anyone will ever hear.

We find out what's REALLY going on in Balamory, and Helen reveals how she's using a Fitbit to spice up her sex life. We also do a bit of Bible Dipping to ask the Lord if Bananarama will ever come on the podcast. Then it's time to turn the tables as we present Miles with our special Scummy Mummies Quiz.

Miles' new stand-up tour starts this autumn - visit milesjupp.co.uk for dates and tickets. He is not on Twitter.

We are, though! @scummymummies. We're also on Instagram and Facebook. Please send your confessions toscummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com.

And if you're going to Camp Bestival this weekend - come and say hello! We're performing our show at 2pm on Friday 29 July, then co-hosting a comedy workshop at 11am on the Saturday, followed by the Secret Mummies' Wine Club at 8.30pm. (The last one is a ticketed event.) All in the Literary Institute tent.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 77: Stacey Solomon Special

12/7/2016

She's an X-Factor star, an I'm a Celebrity jungle queen, and now she's a Scummy Mummies podcast guest - it's Stacey Solomon!

Stacey tells us what it's like to have a baby at 18, and how she manages being a single mum. We chat about being judged on the school run, and whether she'd let her own kids audition for The X-Factor.

Then it's time for Judges' Houses as Stacey judges the Scummy Mummies' singing, in her actual house! Find out which one of us gets through to the live show.

There's a surprise celebrity cameo, and we round off with an amazing confession involving the Hollywood sign and a rogue poo.

Find out what Stacey's up to by visiting staceyxsolomon.com. Her latest book, Walk on By, is out now. She's on Twitter @staceysolomon.

We're also on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 76: Mid-Life Crisis Special with Miranda Sawyer

28/6/2016

The amazing Miranda Sawyer is our guest for this episode! She tells us all about having kids later in life, dealing with mid-life panic, and getting off with Grace Jones.

We discuss Miranda's time working on Smash Hits, when she interviewed everyone from Madonna to Bros, and she tells us what's wrong with music today.

Then there's some chat about her brilliant new book, Out of Time, which is all about surviving a mid-life crisis: "'You wake one day and everything is wrong. It's as though you went out one warm evening - an evening fizzing with delicious potential, so ripe and sticky-sweet you can taste it on the air - for just one drink ...And woke up two days later in a skip. Except you're not in a skip, you're in an estate car, on the way to an out-of-town shopping mall to buy a balance bike, a roof rack and some stackable storage boxes."

To finish off, we discuss why spiralisers are like drugs, and Helen reveals how a recent trip to the hospital has left her without an appendix but with a morphine addiction.

Miranda's ace book is available to buy from 30th June. She is on Twitter @msmirandasawyer.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.comand visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 75: China Special with Mei Fong

14/6/2016

A Pulitzer prize-winning author joins us for this episode! Mei Fong tells us all about her book, One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment, and why China is full of horny young men these days.

The chat gets a bit serious as we discuss the realities of the One Child policy, and one of us has a little cry. We also talk about Mei's experiences of miscarriage and IVF.

But then it's back to the usual old nonsense as Mei tells us about the time she met the queen sporting the world's dodgiest perm, and why suburban America is the strangest place she's ever lived. We finish up with Scummy Mummy Confessions, and Ellie almost throws Mei off the podcast for slagging off Marie Kondo.

Mei's brilliant book is out now. You can read more about her at meifong.org, and follow her on Twitter @meifongwriter.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.comand visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 74: Dads, dicks and Ab Fab with Josh Howie

31/5/2016

Is it OK to brainwash your kids? What's it like growing up as the son of the woman who inspired Absolutely Fabulous? And why is Josh Howie such a dick? Answering all these questions is the one and only Josh Howie!

We talk about Josh's new sitcom, coming to Radio 4 later this year. There's some chat about what makes a good dad, and how not to make friends with James McEvoy. Plus we play a movie game, Hollydad, and one of us is revealed as a VERY sore loser.

Listen out for Josh Howie's Losing It on the radio this autumn. In the meantime, you can follow him on Twitter @joshxhowie.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us atScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 73: Gadget Special with Zoe Kleinman

17/5/2016

Robot butlers! Self-cleaning toilets! Hoovers that judge you! We find out all about these gadgets and more with the help of BBC technology journalist Zoe Kleinman.

There's some chat about screen time, virtual reality, and the most useless baby gadgets we have owned. Ellie reveals how she deals with mansplaining in PC World, and Helen presents a new game called Buzz My Feed!

In Boob Chat we talk about Zoe's book, Birth, Boobs and Bad Advice, and why she feels there's too much pressure on women to breastfeed. Then we round off with Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Zoe's book is available on Amazon. Follow her on Twitter via @zsk and @bbctech.

Many thanks to Thomson and Scott for supplying the delicious Skinny Prosecco we drank during this episode. It's lower in sugar than regular prosecco so it has only half the calories, but it tastes just as good to us, bearing in mind we are greedy philistines. You can buy Skinny Prosecco from Thomsonandscott.com, where their Skinny Champagne is currently half price.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.comand visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 72: Cherry Healey's Letters to Her Fanny

3/5/2016

We are on location for this episode, coming to you live from the launch of Cherry Healey's fabulous new book, Letters to my Fanny.

Cherry tells us how writing a book is like having a baby, and why she's sick of everyone saying they've read it in two days. She also shares the top nugget of wisdom she plans to pass on to her kids. Then Helen and Ellie play top game Fanny Fiction.

The brilliant Letters to my Fanny is out now. You can read more about Cherry over at cherryhealey.com, and follow her on Twitter - @cherryhealey

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 71: Dress Like A Mum Special with Zoe De Pass

21/4/2016

What's on trend for Spring/Summer 2016? Are designer jeans worth the money? Is it OK to wear your pyjamas for the school run? Answering all these questions is fab fashion blogger Zoe de Pass, from Dress Like a Mum!

She tells us why she set up her blog, how she feels about being an "Instamum", and how to be good at social media. We play a new hashtag-themed game, and there's some chat about the perils of cashmere jogging bottoms. To round off, we have a quality selection of Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Zoe's brilliant blog is at dresslikeamum.com. She's on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook too! Please send your confessions toscummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 70: Poetry Special with Hollie McNish

5/4/2016

We are 70! And to celebrate, here's a bumper episode with hilarious poet Hollie McNish! We discuss hot topics such as whether motherhood boosts creativity, and sexual tension in Bob the Builder.

Hollie tells us about her experience of being a younger mum, and why she thinks party poppers should be available on the NHS. She performs her brilliant poem Embarrassed, which is all about breastfeeding, and we have a little cry. Helen and Ellie do some poetry of their own, and there is some more crying for different reasons.

Hollie's book, Nobody Told Me, is out now. Her website is holliepoetry.com and she's on Twitter @holliepoetry.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 69: Sexy Time with Wendy Wason

22/3/2016

What's the best way to get through divorce? What's it like to date a younger man? And what does Benedict Cumberbatch smell like up close? Answering all these questions is fabulous comedian Wendy Wason!

We discuss the trials of trying to have sexy time without the kids catching you at it, andWendy tells us who she fancies most out of Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, and Nicholas Lyndhurst.Then it's time for Current Affairs, which inevitably descends into some chat about that thing Cameron did with the pig, again. Helen tries to do a Scottish accent. We round off with Scummy Mummy Confessions, including one from an actual listener!

You can find out more about our lovely guest by visiting wendywason.co.uk or following her on Twitter - @wendy_wason.

We're on Twitter @scummymummies, Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 68: Politics Special with Zoe Williams

8/3/2016

Our guest for this episode is the brilliant author and columnist Zoe Williams. We cover all the issues, from Corbyn vs Cameron to what rich people think recycling bins are for. Ellie explains why US politics is a bit like Star Wars, and Helen introduces a new game - If Politicians Were Food.

There's also some parenting chat as we discuss the issues around feeling like a failure, and what gets us through the day. Plus, as always, we finish up with some Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Zoe's books, Get It Together and Madness of Modern Parenting, are out now. She's on Twitter @zoesqwilliams.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 67: Telly Special with Julia Raeside

23/2/2016

Our guest for this episode is TV critic Julia Raeside. We discuss our favourite shows, how much telly our kids should be watching, and having breakfast with Simon Groom in his dressing gown.

Ellie has a shocking confession to make about Breaking Bad, and Julia reveals her First And Last Theory - it may change the way you watch TV forever. Helen presents a new game, and we round off with Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Julia is on Twitter - @JNRaeside. So are we (@scummymummies), along with Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends, and leave us a nice iTunes review if you can!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 66: Husband Special with Tim Dowling

9/2/2016

Yes, it's Tim Dowling off of The Guardian! We discuss how to stay married, Tim's tips for raising kids, and what his wife thinks of his column.

Then we make Tim play our brilliant new game, Did Our Husbands REALLY Say That?, and chat about his band, Police Dog Hogan. We round off with a bumper set of Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Tim's ace book, How to be a Husband, is out now. You can find out about his band's forthcoming gigs via Policedoghogan.com. And he's on Twitter - @IAmTimDowling.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 65: Music Special with Jude Rogers

26/1/2016

What is the best album of all time? Who's more fun to interview, Kylie or Justin Timberlake? What kind of salad does Bjork prefer? All these questions and more are answered in this episode, with music journalist Jude Rogers!

We talk about Jude's career, including how she manages work with motherhood, and her new book - Pop!, a history of music for kids. There's also some serious chat as we discuss the topic of miscarriage, including Jude's experience, and what to say to a friend who's going through it. Of course it all gets a bit silly again at the end, with Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Pop! is out now and available from Amazon.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 64: Gay Parenting Special with Charlie Condou

12/1/2016

Our guest for this episode is Coronation Street star and columnist Charlie Condou. He talks about being a gay dad, how having kids later in life has its advantages, and the time he taught Rob Lowe a useful fact about British slang.

Helen presents a new game, Tell Me Condou Condou Condou. It's as good as it sounds. Plus we talk about the time Charlie blanked Neneh Cherry, and a listener reveals the unique way she copes with urinary infections. There's lots of filth and no bleeping, basically.

For more on the events Charlie runs for gay parents, visit outwiththefamily.co.uk. He's on Twitter - @charliecondou.

We're on Twitter too (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, do tell your friends!

Episode 63: New Year Special with Polly Vernon

28/12/2015

Happy new year! In this episode, we share our Christmas Scummy Mummy Confessions and reveal our resolutions for 2016. Plus there's an interview with top columnist Polly Vernon. We discuss creativity and motherhood, why Polly's chosen not to have kids, and how to be a hot feminist.

Polly's book, which is in fact titled Hot Feminist, is out now. We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook, and you can visit us at ScummyMummies.com.

We want to keep the podcast going in 2016 and we'd love your feedback! Who would you like to see as a guest? What topics would you like us to cover? Please let us know via Facebook, or email scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening!

Episode 62: Christmas Party with Steve Hill and Nurse Jessie

15/12/2015

Ham, wine, whinging, and stupidity - yes, it's the Scummy Mummies Christmas Special! With our old friends stay-at-home dad Steve Hill and Nurse Jessie.

We discuss our highlights of 2015, Helen's new idea for Dragon's Den, and Steve's problem with phonics. Then it's time for Ham Review, and a proper wine tasting - which begins with lots of talk about grapes and aroma, and obviously descends into filth and shouting.

Why not drink along with us? Here are the wines we tried, all from Sainsbury's:

Valdo Prosecco Marco Oro
Taste the Difference Vintage Cava
Elegant Frog Viognier
Taste the Difference Chateauneuf Du Pape

Many thanks to Erica from Through the Grapevine for putting the wine tasting together for us.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

We'll be back with an end-of-year special on 29 December. Thank you for listening!

Episode 61: Sandi Toksvig and David Baddiel

1/12/2015

Why do we need a Women's Equality Party? Are people too easily offended these days? And what's it like to be voted sexier than Hitler? Answering all these questions are two very special guests, Sandi Toksvig and David Baddiel!

We chatted to them at the recent Mumsnet Blogfest event. Listen in to find out how David feels about being a dad, and what he thinks of our new TV show idea, Baddiel Or No Baddiel. Then Sandi tells us all about why she founded the Women's Equality Party, and why it is time to stop shouting at the telly and do something. We round of with a couple of celebrity Scummy Mummy Confessions.

David Baddiel returns to the Soho Theatre this January, and tickets are now on sale. His children's book, The Person Controller, is also out now. For more about the Women's Equality Party, and to join up, visit womensequality.org.uk.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 60: Kathy Lette Special

17/11/2015

Educating Stephen Fry, teaching Salman Rushdie the limbo, asking Prince William if he wants tongues... It's all in a day's work for the fabulous Kathy Lette!

The author of best-selling novels Foetal Attraction and Mad Cows tells us what inspires her, and why mothers never get writer's block. There's some chat about why Australians talk like they do, and the fate of Kylie's gold hotpants. Plus, Kathy gives us her top tips for raising teenagers, and tells us how she came to have a Savoy cocktail named after her.

Kathy's latest book, Courting Trouble, is out now. She's on Twitter - @KathyLette.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 59: Food Special with Annabel Karmel

3/11/2015

With 40 recipe books to her name, Annabel Karmel is the Nigella of children's food. But does she give her own kids fish fingers? What's her view on eating organic? And does she ever go for a cheeky Nando's?

We find out the answer to all these questions and more. There's some chat about how attitudes to kids' food have changed, and why allergies seem to be on the rise. Annabel tells us how to get children to eat vegetables, what she thinks about Jamie's sugar tax, and reveals the most popular item ordered from Ocado.

As always, we round off with Scummy Mummy Confessions - and Annabel has a great one to share.

You can find out more about Annabel's books and food over at AnnabelKarmel.com, and her apps are available via iTunes. Follow her on Instagram @annabelkarmel.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 58: Pregnancy Special with Hatty Ashdown

20/10/2015

Our guest for this episode is comedian, TV star and first-time mum Hatty Ashdown. She gives us her take on being up the duff and preparing for birth, and reveals the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

We discuss subjects as diverse as vlogs, weird jobs, comedy, bunting, and farting. We play one of the daftest games on the podcast yet, and there are some special cameos by Baby Joe and Ellie's dad. WARNING: This episode also features the world premiere of Helen's Mr Bean impression.

You can watch Hatty's Real Preggy Vlogs, including the one about things you shouldn't say, over on YouTube. There's even one starring us! She's on Twitter @hattyashdown.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 57: Video Games Special with Keith Stuart

6/10/2015

What are the best video games to play with kids? How much screen time should they have? Which celebrity would Helen most like to have it off with in a virtual reality environment? All these questions and more are answered in our Video Games Special!

Our guest is Keith Stuart, games editor of The Guardian. He's also writing a novel about a dad who connects with his son who has autism via Minecraft, so there's some chat about that.

Keith gives us his top tips for writing a book, and reveals what will be the hot games this Christmas. We tackle tricky topics like age ratings, how to police what your kids play at other people's houses, and Helen's laughable knowledge of Street Fighter II.

You can follow Keith on Twitter - @keefstuart. His first novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, is out next autumn, but you can pre-order the Kindle version via Amazon.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 56: Mr and Mrs Special with the Heritages

21/9/2015

Guardian writer and former guest Stuart Heritage returns to the podcast, this time
with his lovely wife Robyn and baby Herbie. We talk about telly, muslins, and writing
for Buzzfeed. Plus, there's some Masterchef gossip: you won't BELIEVE what Gregg
Wallace gets up to between takes.

We've got a brand new game: Kent or C***?, and Helen shares this one weird trick that could save your marriage. We round off with some tip top Scummy Mummy Confessions.

Do check out Robyn's excellent blog, The Parent Crap. You can follow her on Twitter @theparentcrap and @orbyn. Stuart's column, Man With a Pram, appears in the Guardian every week, and he's @stuheritage.

We're on Twitter too (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!

Episode 55: Feminism Special with Suzanne Moore

8/9/2015

Our guest this time round is Guardian columnist Suzanne, who tells us all about how to be a good mother, what makes a feminist, and the best way to raise teenagers without going bonkers.

This episode was recorded in a yurt at Camp Bestival, just after Suzanne delivered a talk on feminism - so there's lots of chat about why we still need it, and some advice on dealing with sexists. Plus we discuss Kate Moss, mum friends, shoes, what it's like to have children in three different decades, and why Suzanne would always pick a packet of Monster Munch over pureed carrots.

Here's Suzanne's article on How to Be a Good Mother, if you'd like to have a read, and here's the one about Kate Moss and Easyjet. She's on Twitter @suzanne_moore.

Come and see us LIVE - we're performing our GREATEST HITS show at the Amersham Arms, New Cross on Saturday 19 September, at 7.30pm. There are still some Early Bird tickets available - get yours now from We Got Tickets.

We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. Please send your confessions to scummymummiespodcast@gmail.com and visit us at ScummyMummies.com. If you like the podcast, please tell your friends!

Thank you for listening!