Love Lives

Our guest this week is film director, screenwriter and novelist Emma Forrest.

Emma joins us to discuss her second memoir, Busy Being Free, which follows the breakdown of her marriage, her move from the glitz and glamour of LA to a tiny flat in north London, and her commitment to a period of celibacy (at least partially inspired by the election of Donald Trump).

We chat about what it means to start again, life outside of marri...

This week, we’re thrilled to speak with author Nicola Dinan about her debut novel, Bellies.

It follows the relationship between young graduates Tom and Ming and how their connection fluctuates in the wake of Ming’s transition, and is being adapted for TV by the studio behind the Normal People adaptation.

We chat with Nicola about the expectation that transgender characters should be overly virtuous, and how marginalised chara...

This week, we’re joined by award-winning journalist and author Poorna Bell to discuss the importance of letting go of one-sided friendships.

We discuss how it can feel daunting when friends’ lives splinter off in different directions, and why it's okay to be selective with your friendships.

We also talk about the myth of finding “the one”, the importance of writing South Asian stories into popular culture, as well as Poorna’s...

Swedish pop sensation Zara Larsson joins us on Love Lives to discuss fame and how blogging from a young age in Sweden has helped her feel comfortable speaking her mind and taking ownership of her work in the relentless and unforgiving music industry. Zara speaks about how she collaborates in the studio, how she came to the public's attention at a young age and how one form of transport has stolen her heart.

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This week, bestselling author Megan Nolan joins us to discuss her latest book, Ordinary Human Failings, which explores a family who become tabloid scapegoats after a toddler goes missing from a London estate.

We talk about the exploitative tabloid culture and issues of addiction that lie at the heart of the book, as well as what drives people to commit violence, the impact of childhood neglect on adult relationships, and how tra...

Journalist, editor and author Lorraine Candy joins us to discuss her latest book, ‘What’s Wrong With Me?’: 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know.

Lorraine talks about a “huge unravelling” she experienced at around 47 years old, when she went through the perimenopause, and how a lack of knowledge about this process made her feel she was “going mad”.

We also discuss female rage, older women being sidelined in popular culture, a...

Brit-nominated artist Freya Ridings joins us on Love Lives this week to discuss her second album, Blood Orange, the pressure she faced to write new material, and why we love listening to sad music when we’re feeling down.

The ‘Lost Without You’ singer reveals how she created the new album, which mixes disco, pop and rock alongside the melancholic, piano-driven ballads she’s known for, and opens up about how she channelled her he...

This week, we’re thrilled to be joined by actor Hayley Atwell, to discuss her latest role in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Atwell stars as Grace alongside Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, as the team track down a weapon that threatens humanity.

We talk with Hayley about how she collaborated with Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie to build her character, as well as stunt and combat training, and the barriers f...

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Sentimental Garbage host and New York Times best-selling author, Caroline O’Donoghue.

We discuss her latest book, The Rachel Incident, which follows a young woman’s crush on her professor, and a subsequent plot to seduce him.

We loved talking with Caroline about the book, as well as the hidden power of channelling female rage in writing, the Taylor Swift phenomenon, and the best fo...

“It’s rare that fiction doesn’t problematise queer relationships”...

Bestselling author Naoise Dolan joins us this week to discuss her latest novel, The Happy Couple, which follows two people as they approach their wedding day, and the three friends who threaten to draw them apart.

Following her hit debut novel, Exciting Times, the Irish author was earmarked by many as the “next Sally Rooney”. We chat with her about how she n...

Hot male celebrities don't date funny, brilliant women unless they look like models - or do they?

We’re so excited to kick off our very first season of Love Lives with New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld. The Rodham author joins us to discuss her latest novel, Romantic Comedy, which follows a witty but insecure sketch writer named Sally as she develops “a consuming, imbalance-inducing crush” on hot pop star, Noah...

Millennial Love is getting a makeover!

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Love Lives, The Independent’s brand new lifestyle podcast. We’ve got an incredible lineup of guests – from screenwriters and authors, to musicians and actors – so keep an eye out for new episodes every other Friday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast, as well as Independent TV and all major social media platforms. More soon – watch this space.

This week on Millennial Love, we’re joined by author Louise O’Neill to discuss her latest novel, Idol.

Idol is about Samantha, a hugely successful wellness influencer who, determined to speak her truth, writes an essay about a sexual experience she had as a teenager with her then best friend, Lisa. But it backfires when Lisa gets back in touch and says that her memory of the night is far darker than Samantha’s.

We chat with L...

This week on Millennial Love, we’re joined by bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan to discuss their new novel Mad Honey.

We talk about the process of writing a book collaboratively, some of the questions the book raises around gender identity, and how our past shapes our future selves.

We also discuss treating narratives about domestic abuse with sensitivity and care, how trans issues have become hijack...

This week on Millennial Love, we chat with adult film director and performer Vex Ashley.

Vex is the founder of Four Chambers, an alternative, creative, female-centric porn platform that explores sex away from the mainstream “tube sites” that saturate the industry.

Vex challenges the misconception that sex work is exploitative and argues that, through a creative and collaborative process with performers, pornography can be a m...

This week, we’re thrilled to be joined by celebrity psychic Chris Riley who explains what a psychic reading could mean for your love life.

Having first experienced psychic abilities when he encountered his grandad’s spirit as a child, Chris now helps people with everything from their relationships and careers, to communicating with loved ones after they pass.

We talk with Chris about why some may choose to seek guidance from ...

*Trigger warning: This episode contains themes of rape, sexual assault and sexual violence which some viewers may find upsetting*

This week on Millennial Love we chat with Soma Sara, author and founder of Everyone’s Invited, an anti-rape movement that focuses on exposing rape culture by allowing survivors to share their own experiences of misogyny, harassment and sexual assault.

We discuss how experiences of sexual harassment...

This week, we’re joined by actor, writer, and stand-up comedian Jack Barry who discusses sex and comedy, and how he avoids joking about certain topics due to his privilege as a straight white man. 

Jack opens up about being in a non-monogamous relationship, debunks some of the myths around polyamoury, and argues that, with proper communication, being polyamorous can strengthen a relationship. 

We also discuss the da...

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 Da...