This week on Millennial Love, we’re thrilled to be joined by writer, journalist and creator of the iconic @beam_me_up_softboi Instagram account, Iona David. Iona unpacks what it means to be a softboi, how to spot one, and why we should be wary of dating them. She also recounts her own dating experiences which, yes, might have included one or two softbois… Iona’s book, Is This Love Or Dopamine?: A Deeply Unofficial Study of Dating in the Digital Age, is out now. You can watch this episode and...

Welcome back to a brand new season of Millennial Love! We're thrilled to be joined by author and Love Island star Amber Rose Gill to discuss finding a holiday romance and whether a summer fling can lead to lasting love. Amber opens up about her viral Tweet where she discussed “switching teams”, and how heteronormative society places unfair pressure on LGBTQ+ people to come out. And of course, we chat about all things Love Island, how Amber is finding life after the villa, and whether it’s...

This week, we're joined by the brilliant author and actor Rebecca Humphries to discuss her memoir, Why Did You Stay? A memoir about self-worth. The book details what happened after Rebecca's boyfriend was caught kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner and how she later reclaimed the narrative, posting a powerful statement about gaslighting on social media that swiftly went viral. In this episode, Rebecca talks about how she found her voice, why emotional abuse is so complicated, and the...

We’re back with another episode of Millennial Love where this week, we’re joined by registered nutritionist, best-selling author, and founder of ‘The Food Medic’ podcast, Dr Hazel Wallace.   We chat with Hazel about the taboos around women’s health, the ‘orgasm gap’, and how better sex can lead to better sleep.   She also reveals which foods to eat and which to avoid during your period, how diet can ease symptoms of PMS, and why it can be so hard to diagnose endometriosis.   Hazel’s book, The...

This week, we are joined by author and ex-Love Islander Yewande Biala. We chat with her about racialised renaming and the microaggression she faces every time someone can’t—or indeed won’t—correctly pronounce her name. Yewnade also opens up about her time on Love Island, the difficulties of being the only Black woman in the villa, and why she doesn’t watch the show now. Yewande’s debut book, Reclaiming: Essays on Finding Yourself One Piece at a Time is available for pre-order now. Check...

This week, we’re joined by writer and presenter Salma El-Wardany to discuss her debut novel, These Impossible Things. Salma chats with Olivia Petter about celebrating female friendship, writing Muslim women into popular culture, and why she’ll never post about her relationship status on social media. The two also discuss why we should include men in the conversation around misogynistic abuse, and dismantle the idea that “nice guys finish last”. Check out Millennial Love on all major podcast...

This week, we chat with intimacy coordinator and movement director Ita O’Brien. Ita is one of the most in-demand people working in the field, and specialises in developing the best practice for sexual and intimate scenes on screen. She’s worked on Normal People, Sex Education and I May Destroy You, to name but a few. Ita and Olivia discuss the role of intimacy coordinators, how they work with actors to help make them feel comfortable on set and why in the past, sex scenes have been ripe for...

This week, we’re joined by Roxie Nafousi, a self-development coach, manifesting expert and author of the Sunday Times bestselling book: Manifesting: 7 steps to living your best life. She describes how manifesting actually works and why practicing it could transform your romantic life. Roxie also opens up about her own journey to manifesting, revealing how she overcame addictions and bad habits to find inner peace and unconditional love with her son, Wolfe. (LINK) Check out Millennial Love on...

This week, we speak to Carrie Hope Fletcher, an award-winning West End star, YouTuber, and bestselling author. Carrie discusses her latest book, With This Kiss. She spoke about the process of writing romance novels, where she gets her inspiration from, and what drew her to write about a woman whose kiss gives her the ability to see how someone is going to die. She also opened up about breaking up from a long-term partner. (LINK) Check out Millennial Love on all major podcast platforms and...

This week, we speak to Lalalaletmeexplain, the bestselling anonymous author and relationships educator with more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. Lala posts about all sorts of subjects on her account, from abusive relationships and cyberflashing to f*** boys and coercive control. On the show, Lala talks about how she started the account, her former role as a social worker, and delves into some of the issues she explores. Check out Millennial Love on all major podcast platforms and...

This week, we’re joined by Sophia Smith Galer, a multi-award winning reporter, TikTok creator and now author. Her TikTok videos have garnered more than 75 million views. She discussed her debut book, Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century, which is all about busting the myths about sex we were taught at school. From virginity and virility to consent and porn, the subjects covered in this chat are wide-ranging. This episode was recorded during a live event held at Waterstones Gower...

This week, we’re joined by Laura Bates. She is the founder of the Everyday Sexism project and bestselling author of several books about violence against women, including her latest: Fix the System Not the Women. In this episode, Laura joins Olivia to discuss how systemic misogyny affects women’s relationships, why we need to keep talking about sexual violence in schools and beyond, and what men can do to...

This week, we've invited back Vogue columnist and author Raven Smith for his latest searing hot takes on life and love. Raven chats about his latest book, Raven Smith’s Men, and some of the issues it examines, like toxic masculinity, keeping the spark alive in long-term relationships, why men fake orgasms, and consent. https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/orgasm-toxic-masculinity-raven-smith-men-b2072905.html Check out the Millennial Love podcast on all major platforms and Independent...

Millennial Love is back! Season four sees Olivia Petter delving even deeper into discussions around love, dating and relationships. And now you can watch as well as listen on Independent TV and @Millennial_Love on Instagram and TikTok. https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/millennial-love-dr-michaela-podcast-b2068241.html For our first episode of the season, we’re joined by clinical psychologist Dr Michaela Dunbar, the founder of My Easy Therapy and author of You’ve Got This: Seven Steps...

This week, we have a special bonus episode featuring a conversation with the women of The Tinder Swindler. The new Netflix documentary tells the story of a notorious conman who allegedly used the Tinder dating app to live a life of luxury while defrauding women across Europe. In this episode, Olivia speaks to the film’s director, Felicity Morris, producer, Bernie Higgins, and its stars: Cecilia Fjellhøy and Pernilla Sjoholm. They discuss how the film came to be, what it was like for the women...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week Olivia speaks to model, actor and writer, Emily Ratajkowski. The two discuss the relationship with your body, self-worth through the male gaze, and what it means to be a commodifiable asset - and the nuances that surround being exploited by that asset while capitalising on it. Emily gives an honest and raw insight into the sexual assault she experienced throughout her life, personally and...

This week we’re joined by the dynamic duo that is actor and musician Diana Vickers and singer-songwriter Chiara Hunter. Together, they are Ki and Dee, a hilarious comedy duo making light of the trials and tribulations of millennial life, covering everything from fears around turning 30, friendship, and of course, dating. Today, they join me to discuss the inspiration behind their hilarious viral videos. We talk about some of their dating disasters, the agony of heartbreak, and why some...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week we’re joined by author and writer Toni Tone to discuss her new book: I Wish I Knew This Earlier: Lessons On Love, which focuses on all the things Toni wishes she knew about relationships in her 20s. In this episode we talk about the importance of looking for green flags when you start dating someone, the difference between compromise and settling, and what narcissistic abuse actually...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia speaks to actor George Robinson, who is best known for playing Isaac in Netflix’s hit series Sex Education. The two discuss how George helped to shape the role of Isaac, what it was like working with an intimacy coordinator for his scenes with Maeve (played by Emma Mackey) and what some of the myths and misconceptions are when it comes to sex and relationships and people with...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove Olivia will be hosting a live Millennial Love event on Wednesday - and there's still time for you to join! You'll get to hear from author of Alonement, and former Millennial Love guest, Francesca Specter, The Vida Consultancy's Director of Relationship Psychology Services Dr Madeleine Mason Roantree and Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science, Logan Ury. The discussion, held on Zoom, will look at...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia speaks to writer Aja Barber. The two discuss the fascinating links between sustainability and romance, looking at all the surprising ways with which consumption affects the way we behave and think in relationships. Touching on everything from wedding dress shopping and first date outfits to gender binaries and consumer identities, the episode is as wide-ranging as it is...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia speaks to writer Paris Lees. The two discuss the joys of being single, how Paris found herself experimenting with the idea of celibacy, and why we fetishise authenticity so much in relationships. They also talk about transphobia in the dating world and Paris’s new book, What It Feels Like For A Girl, and how it felt for Paris to revisit her childhood. Finally, they discuss the...

This week, Olivia speaks to musician Maisie Peters. The two discuss the crucial differences between Soft Boys and F*** Boys, how to reclaim the power in relationships, the nuances of writing songs about your love life, and why she’ll never explain who a song is ‘about’. You can download Maisie’s new album here: https://lnk.to/YSUFT Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. ...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia speaks to Will Young. The two discuss the shame we attach to sexuality and how Will was encouraged to keep his own sexuality a secret when he entered into the public eye as a Pop Idol contestant in 2001. They also discuss the positives and negatives of labelling one’s sexuality, and what the music industry can do to become more inclusive of those in the LGBT+ community and adapt...

Support Millennial Love with a donation today: https://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove This week, Olivia speaks to Candice Brathwaite. Candice is the bestselling author and journalist, whose debut book, I Am Not Your Baby Mother, about being a black British mother, was a roaring success. She joins Olivia to discuss her second book, Sista Sister, a collection of essays about the things Candice wishes she knew when she was growing up, covering everything from family and friendships to...