On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re recording on Christmas Eve and doing what we do best — talking honestly about how life actually feels at this age. From finishing a final round of chemo (and the brutal side effects no one really prepares you for), to the strange satisfactions of ticking off medication charts, to the sudden realisation that facial hair is… expanding.

There’s festive exhaustion, pension chat, karaoke confessions, overpriced Pilates mishaps, and the quiet emotional weight that sits underneath Christmas when you’re knackered, grateful, fragile, and still trying to make things feel “normal.”

Whether you’re powering through the holidays, stepping back to recharge, or laughing at the absurdities your body keeps throwing at you, this one’s a reminder that it’s never just about the jokes — it’s about getting through, together, with humour intact.

Get in touch with your thoughts at podcast@htb60.com.

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

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sir Chris Bryant - MP, minister, memoirist, and living proof that life rarely runs in straight lines. Chris talks with fierce honesty about growing up too fast, coming to terms with being gay in a far less forgiving era, the strange road through the priesthood, and why resilience isn’t about pretending things didn’t hurt.

It’s never just about politics. This is a conversation about identity, shame, adventure, boredom, cancer, ageing, and why curiosity might be the real secret to staying alive inside. Whether you’re reflecting on the lives you didn’t live, settling into who you are now, or wondering how much past hardship really shapes us, this one lands with warmth, grit and unexpected laughs.

Because no one tells you how many versions of yourself you might have to survive before you feel at home.

Get in touch with your thoughts at podcast@htb60.com

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

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re checking in just days before Christmas — with Kaye broadcasting from a hotel bathroom in London (puffer jacket, luggage rack and all) and Karen at home, navigating the final stretch of chemotherapy, festive expectations, and the strange emotional weather that comes with both.

It’s a wide-ranging, very real conversation about not quite feeling “Christmassy,” the pressure to show up when your body and head aren’t there yet, and how humour carries you through when things feel heavy. There’s talk of hair loss in unexpected places, steroid-fuelled appetites, vegan Christmas puddings, jigsaws as an emotional support system, and the joy (and menace) of a mystery Secret Santa chocolate bar.

Whether you’re powering through December on fumes, quietly opting out of forced fun, or discovering that ageing is never just about getting older — it’s about adjusting expectations — this one will feel familiar.

Because no one tells you how odd the in-between bits can feel: not ill, not fine, not festive, not miserable — just human.

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