What is the sexuality spectrum and where on it would you put yourself? Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams discuss the Kinsey Scale, the 'girl crush' and the 'wand' sex toy. Lisa speaks to Alright For A Mum podcaster Remi Sade (@booksbabyandback) about dating a woman for the first time and why she doesn't agree with the concept of 'coming out', and Clinical Psychologist and Psychosexologist Dr Karen Gurney talks about different definitions of sexuality and how the new acceptance of fluidity...

This week, we are joined by body positivity campaigner Megan Jayne Crabbe, otherwise known as Instagram phenomenon @BodyPosiPanda (she has a million followers, and there’s a good reason for this!). She tells us how ditching diet culture for good has meant amazing things for her body confidence, relationship and sex life. Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams also talk about Nineties phone culture (do you remember Call Waiting and the game Dream Phone?), positive ageing accounts, and why we...

When you’re in a relationship, how long between shags is too long? Anniki Sommerville discusses sex droughts and the ‘maintenance shag’ with beauty journalist Sali Hughes. They offer up tips on how to make sex a fun and easy part of living together, why it’s unfair to decide that you’re just not going to have sex with your partner any more, and what to do when you’re living through a sex drought. Recorded at Soho Studios. Produced by Alex Graham. Thanks to Acast, and to our episode sponsor...

A very special live edition of the Hotbed, recorded at Sh! Women’s Store in London. Cherry Healey, Anniki Sommerville, Lisa Williams, and their gaggle of gorgeous listeners hear store manager Renee demonstrate the sex emporium’s best-selling toys, including the ‘sucker’, the male masturbator and the anal plug. There’s also a little spanking demo, with Cherry as the ‘spankee’, and a Q&A with clinical psychologist and psychosexologist Dr Karen Gurney (@thesexdoctor). Produced by Alex...

We head to the Houses of Parliament to speak to Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, about sex and relationships education in schools: why kids should learn about pleasure as well as pregnancy, how growing up in an open 'naked' household paved the way for her career in politics, and which member of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers she fantasised the most about when she was a teenager. In the episode, which is sponsored by the original reusable menstrual cup the Mooncup, we also discuss naming...

In our first episode in the new series, Lisa Williams and Anniki Sommerville focus on the pressing issue of confidence and how to have more presence and VA VA VOOM in your life. This might be when attending an intimidating event, getting ready for a speaking opportunity, or broaching a difficult conversation with your other half about your own desires (versus ‘making do’). We also interview the fab author, stand-up comedian and broadcaster Viv Groskop about her new book ‘Owning the Room: The...

Do the words 'let's talk about sex' make you cringe? Join Cherry, Anniki and Lisa of the Hotbed Collective for funny, frank, non-cringey sex chat, with help from sex experts, comedians and confidence coaches. We're making the world a better place, one orgasm at a time.

How can yoga help us have better orgasms? Is there a quick way of doing tantric sex? And will a crystal dildo be the sex toy Anniki Sommerville finally bothers to try? The Hotbed Collective answer these questions and more, in this special episode on sex and mysticism. Lisa Williams and Anniki are joined by mum blogger and designer Kerri Northcott (@life_with,ivycoco) who reveals her favourite way to ‘destress’ during the working day, they review sex toys made by the Glass Dildo, and there’s...

In this weeks episode The Hotbed Collective talk all about writing and sex. What makes a good sex scene in a book? What words turn us on? What descriptions make us cringe? We re-visit classics by Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper and also discuss ‘50 Shades of Grey,’ with our guest - writer Tetyana Denford. There’s also an interview with author Clover Stroud (‘The Wild Other’). Recorded at Acast. Produced by Lisa Williams, Anniki Sommerville and Alex Graham. Studio support by Ayoub.  Useful...

Sex doctor Dr Karen Gurney is in the house to give us a load of tips in this bumper episode. How can women get the horn more easily? And how can men feel less inadequate? Is ‘date night’ a good idea? Dr Karen, Lisa Williams and Anniki Sommerville also discuss Naked Attraction, snogging in public and fancying dads in the playground. They also answer some listener questions and set a relationship exercise to try at home. Let us know how you get on... Recorded at Acast in Shoreditch, London....

Did you see the London Marathon this year? Did you see the two women who ran it in their underwear to prove that people of all shapes and sizes can take part? Bryony Gordon and Jada Sezer made a big impression on the Hotbed Collective (Cherry Healey. Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams). In this episode, Anniki and Lisa talk to Jada, a model and mental health campaigner, about how she got through the marathon (clue: sausage rolls and anti-chafing rub), her tips for body confidence and the...

How do you stay in love with your other half when you kind of hate them a little bit? And how do you keep up the orgasm count when you spend more time sorting the recycling than snogging on the sofa? Cherry Healey, Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams debate the ‘seven year itch’ and work out what causes stress in their relationships and what they can do about it. Lisa interviews Relate ambassador and relationship expert Anjula Mutanda who offers some extremely wise advice and, because it’s...

In this weeks episode The Hotbed Collective tackle the thorny issue of trying to conceive. With special guest Kelly Ford AKA @bookofmum we discuss the frustrations when the one thing you really want to happen WON’T. There’s also an honest and frank interview with Cat Strawbridge and Kate Meakin – two brave women who’ve been going through IVF treatment and know first hand the impact it can have on your relationship and sex life. Recorded at Acast. Produced by Lisa Williams, Anniki Sommerville...

Pregnancy sex, birth injury and being a MILF: all in a day’s work for the Hotbed Collective, this week made up of Lisa Williams, Anniki Sommerville and guest host Remi Sade. They also work out all the things they don’t feel guilty about, and talk to The No-Guilt Pregnancy Plan author Rebecca Schiller about how women can empower themselves for pregnancy and birth, and what to do if their birth has knocked the confidence out of them. Recorded at Acast. Produced by Lisa Williams and Alex Graham....

The Hotbed podcast is back for series two! We hope you've had some good orgasms since we were away. And now we're straight in at the deep end again, talking about periods: period shame, period education, period sex, period poverty and period politics. It's a good one! The Hotbed Collective (that's Cherry Healey, Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams) also manage to reference Love Island, cult horror film Carrie, and Cherry's show Inside the Factory. We also interview Anna Dahlqvist about her...

It’s the end of the first series, and presenters Anniki Sommerville, Lisa Williams and Cherry Healey reflect on what has surprised them the most about doing this podcast. They review the Pillow app which helps to reconnect couples, hear from life and confidence coach Mary Meadows about dating after divorce, and read out some alternatives to the word ‘masturbation’ as suggested by Hotbed listeners. Find out more about the Hotbed Collective at thehotbedcollective.com and on Instagram...

Following on from their hit episode about feminist porn, Anniki Sommerville, Lisa Williams and Cherry Healey discuss sex on screen more broadly: why do film and TV sex scenes so often show a woman coming to a screaming climax after a few thrusts, and does this do a disservice to both women and men? The Shape of Water, Trainwreck, Fleabag and Don’t Look Now are among the titles discussed, and they set out ‘the Hotbed test’ as a way for listeners to assess how accurate a screen sex scene is to...

More people are having anal sex than ever before, but do you, could you, would you? And if so, then how? The Hotbed Collective gives you their bum sex dos and don’ts with some help from comedian Kelly Ford and sex expert Dr Karen Gurney, who also gives the lowdown on the female g-spot and female ejaculation. Anniki interviews sex educator and Close Encounters presenter Alix Fox about the topic. If that wasn’t enough, Cherry, Anniki and Lisa also discuss anal sex on screen, and share their...

Women are watching increasing amounts of porn, but is it doing us any good? Lisa Williams, Anniki Sommerville and Cherry Healey discuss the ins and outs – ooh er! – and report back from their ventures into feminist porn. What is it? How is it different? And can it give you the horn? In a segment from their live stage show, they review Yes Organics lube and moisturiser range. Produced by Shola Aleje, directed by Lisa Williams. With thanks to baby Joe, who snorts his way throughout the first...

Why do so many women feel so crap about their bodies, and how does this affect them in the bedroom and beyond? Cherry Healey, Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams discuss the issue, taking in the dangers of female objectification and the joys of dry-humping along the way.Anniki talks to life coach Mary Meadows about how to be more body-confident and assertive in the bedroom, Lisa poses nude at the Women of the World Festival, and the trio review two different types of vibrator at their live...

What the hell is the pelvic floor and why is it important? Cherry, Anniki and Lisa get squeezing, and talk to the women who are campaigning for better awareness of that core area. They once used the hashtag #PelvicPawPatrol as a joke but Lisa runs with it and makes it official. The trio review pelvic floor exerciser the Elvie, and we find out what gets our listeners in the mood for sex. •See thehotbedcollective.com for more information on pelvic floor dysfunction and exercises*

It’s the difficult second episode but it’s a juicy one: Cherry, Anniki and Lisa talk about masturbation and the female orgasm. They try to take it seriously but they struggle. Luckily Dr Karen Gurney is there with some eye-opening facts, and comedian Kelly Ford praises the dangerwank. Anniki calls in to Meg Matthews’s house to talk about why menopausal women should m********e, and the trio set listeners some homework that may or may not involve a power shower. •Visit...

Cherry Healey, Anniki Sommerville and Lisa Williams talk edible knickers, sex after kids, and why 'a weekend away' is sometimes the least sexy thing a couple can do. They also talk to resident sex expert Dr Karen Gurney about why women feel the horn less than men, and what we can do about it. Live segments of the show recorded at Old St Records in Shoreditch. Directed by Lisa Williams. Produced by Shola Aleje. With thanks to Nick Collett, Marcus Hessenberg, Kieron Botting, and Cherry's cat...

Do the words 'let's talk about sex' make you cringe? Join Cherry, Anniki and Lisa of the Hotbed Collective for funny, frank, non-cringey sex chat, with help from sex experts, comedians and confidence coaches. We're making the world a better place, one orgasm at a time.