It Can't Just Be Me

Anna is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Soph to answer a listener dilemma about how they feel they've failed when it comes to achieving their ambitions. Dr Soph encourages them - and us - to reframe what we consider to be failure, and get better at being our own 'inner CEO' and regulating the negative self-talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Anna on the podcast this week is the legendary dancer and choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips. From humble beginnings in Manchester, she ended up at dance school in London, where she worked as a live-in nanny for none other than film director Ridley Scott in order to get by. From there, she gained stratospheric success in dance and choreography - and her groundbreaking dance troupe, Hot Gossip, made her a household name in the 70s. As a choreographer and director, her credits include countless shows in the West End, on Broadway, and in film - and her music video credits read like the playlist for the greatest party of all time: Elton John, Donna Summer, Pet Shop Boys, Whitney Houston…you name it, she’s worked with them. She was one of the original judges on Strictly Come Dancing, and she even braved the jungle on I’m A Celebrity... Arlene is now in her 80s and is still working on musicals like Guys and Dolls and Grease. She talks to Anna about how dance is the greatest passion of her life and what it brings to her, how social standards and expectations for women are unfair, particularly when they get older, and what ambition looks like for her now at 81. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Anna is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Hazel Harrison to discuss a listener's experience of her on/off relationship which she's starting to realise is unhealthy. Anna and Dr Hazel discuss the potential impact of this kind of relationship, how our attachment styles can affect how we interact with loved ones, and offer some gentle advice for navigating tricky situations like this. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna's guest this week, Laura Adlington, shot to fame as a finalist on the 2020 series of the Great British Bake Off. In the midst of the pandemic, she brought some light in the darkness of that horrible year with her sharp wit, especially in the face of culinary disaster (whatever you do, don’t mention ice cream cake). Since then, baking has taken a backseat. These days, she's an outspoken writer, presenter and campaigner around body image. Her Instagram has become a powerful platform encouraging her followers to “get off the hamster wheel of body hatred” – and it’s won her a legion of fans. She talks to Anna about just how early her introduction to diet culture was, the tipping point that made her pursue body neutrality, and how researching her book, Diet Starts Monday, opened her eyes to weight stigma. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Soph, aka Dr Sophie Mort, to answer a listener dilemma. This person is feeling like they've lost their sense of direction in life, but they also sense themselves getting in their own way in the process of trying to rediscover it. Dr Soph offers some positive, practical and simple advice and exercises that anyone feeling similiarly can try themselves at home. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna's guest this week is Ashley James: woman full of contradictions. Originally from a working class family in Northumberland, she won a scholarship to boarding school where she had to change her accent to fit in, and had a friend with a castle who quite literally rubbed shoulders with royalty. She found fame via Made in Chelsea, and it's been hard graft since then: she’s DJ’d all over the world, built up an impressive broadcasting career, and is now a regular on This Morning. Over the past decade she’s become increasingly known for her outspoken work around the double standards affecting women in the media, and she's here to talk about what it’s really like being a woman in the public eye, and the cost of what our cultural objectification of women has had on us. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in It Can’t Just Be Me, you can find useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Anna is joined by psychotherapist Sam Pennells-Nkolo to discuss a listener question. Lou is in her 50s and very happy with her life, but her husband wants to relocate from the city to the country. Does getting older mean we automatically want a slower pace of life? And how do we navigate big decisions where ultimately people want different things without compromising a loving relationship? Sam has some excellent advice to share. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna's guest this week is the one and only Lou Sanders. Anyone who's seen Lou's live shows, watched her on TV or read her memoir What's That Lady Doing? will know that she doesn't shy away from frankness – it's part of her signature candid style of comedy. But there's a deeper meaning to it as well, as she tells Anna: being honest about difficult situations is how you can get through them. She shares why choosing sobriety was essential, what alternative therapies have brought to her life and why she's starting every morning in the sauna. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in It Can’t Just Be Me, you can find useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these weekly episodes of 'It's Not Just You', each week Anna will be joined by a different expert to explore the issues and dilemmas that are affecting you. No guests, just your dilemmas discussed by Anna and her expert. This week, Anna is joined by Dr Shirin Lakhani to answer a listener's question about recovery after childbirth – both physical and emotional. It's very normal to need extended time to recover after birth before having sex again, but there are many misplaced expectations and ideas around 'bouncing back'. Dr Lakhani is here to reassure anyone going through similar that you should take all the time you need. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Anna this week is Lu Featherstone: a self-proclaimed former wild child, who turned ‘good wife’ and ‘good mother’, before throwing it all up in the air and reclaiming her freedom once again – this time, in her 50s. Feeling trapped after trying to squeeze herself into roles that didn’t feel true to who she really was, she finally exploded out of the box she’d found herself in, and embraced an avalanche of rainbow sequins, huge sunglasses and naked photos in the wild. Lu's story is familiar to so many people finding themselves struggling at this point in life; she shares with Anna why she thinks midlife is so difficult, particularly for women, how she came to find her true self again, and how a unsolicited cheeky picture turned into a catalyst for her new life taking off. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in It Can’t Just Be Me, you can find useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Anna is joined in the studio by Dr Radha. They're answering a dilemma from a listener who doesn't have a great relationship with their own mum, and wants to make sure that they're not repeating the same patterns of behaviour with their own children. How do we break the cycle of what happened to us with our own parents if it's not the way we want to parent too? If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's only the beginning of January and we've all already been bombarded with a million messages about how and why you should change your life this year. To counterbalance the endless 'New Year, New You' messaging, Anna is putting herself in the hot seat on the podcast this week! She's enlisted the help of Sam Pennells-Nkolo, psychotherapist at the London Practice, to get some sensible and helpful advice about how to approach the things that are worrying her about the year ahead. Feeling overwhelmed by it all, or like you just can't get optimistic about 2025? Then this episode is for you. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes It’s Not Just You. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Anna is joined by Emma and Sophiena from Secret Mum Club to answer a listener dilemma on something that's relatable to lots of us: navigating friendships after one of you has a baby. What happens when one friend becomes a mum and their life changes beyond recognition, but the other is following a different path? Can your friendship ever stay the same? If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crack open the mince pies and pop the Bucks Fizz, it's the super festive It Can't Just Be Me Christmas special! Joining Anna in the studio are Sophiena and Emma from hit parenting podcast Secret Mum Club to talk about all things Christmas. It can be a tricky time of year for all sorts of reasons, and it doesn't help that we're all surrounded by perfect families having a lovely time on adverts and on TV. Soph, Emma and Anna compare notes on their own plans and traditions, how their feelings towards presents and trees are wildly different and why Christmas is really all about parenting, even if you don't have your own children... Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes It’s Not Just You. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these weekly episodes of It's Not Just You, each week Anna will be joined by a different expert to explore the issues and dilemmas that are affecting you. No guests, just your dilemmas discussed by Anna and her expert. This week Anna is joined by TV and radio presenter, qualified counsellor and friend of the show Katie Thistleton to talk about a listener dilemma. Hannah recently split up with her partner and is enjoying a bit of post divorce freedom, but is feeling judged by some of her friends for her shift in lifestyle. Katie shares her personal experiences of leaving a long term relationship, and her and Anna discuss how strong friendships can survive this turbulence – it just takes time for everyone to adjust. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna's guest this week is Sharon Gaffka, former Love Island contestant turned political campaigner and ambassador for the domestic violence charity Refuge. As she shares with Anna, Sharon's journey has been remarkable; from teenage beauty pageant queen to civil servant, then reality TV star to aspiring politician – but it's not been without its challenges. Sharon talks frankly about the horrifying racist and misogynistic abuse she's experienced online, how her personal experience of getting spiked had a huge impact on her life, and how she wants to change the world so that young people no longer have to deal with these things. Experiencing any form of abuse or harassment can be extremely isolating, but Sharon wants other survivors to understand that they're not alone. Sharon is an ambassador for the charity Refuge, who support thousands of survivors every day, and runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you've experienced any of the issues in this episode and need support, the number is 0808 2000 247. You can also visit their website nationalDAhelpline.org.uk to use live chat or request a safe time to be contacted. You can find all this information in the podcast show notes too. You’re not alone, and there is help out there for you. You can find other useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes It’s Not Just You. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these brand new weekly episodes of 'It's Not Just You', each week Anna will be joined by a different expert to explore the issues and dilemmas that are affecting you. No guests, just your dilemmas discussed by Anna and her expert. This week Anna is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Hazel Harrison to discuss a listener's experience with overwhelming anxiety in all aspects of their life, from personal to professional. Anna and Dr Hazel discuss the potential impact of this kind of anxiety, and share some suggestions and advice for how to manage it. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time on In Can't Just Be Me, Anna is joined by Race Across The World's Betty Mukherjee, who won viewers' hearts this year with her down-to-earth humour and vulnerability as she travelled 15,000km from Japan to Indonesia with her brother, James. On the show, Betty revealed how a diagnosis of the rare condition MRKH syndrome at just 16 years old had altered the course of her life. Here, she shares with Anna how it felt getting such life-changing news at such a young age, and how the realities of the condition – like many people with MRKH, Betty was born with one kidney and no uterus – destroyed her confidence and ripped apart the vision of what she thought her life was going to look like. They discuss the isolation of having a medical condition that few people properly understand, and how finding escapism through travelling has always been a big part of Betty's life, but she wasn't prepared for how talking about her diagnosis on national television was going to change her life. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in It Can’t Just Be Me, you can find useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our brand new episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these brand new weekly episodes of 'It's Not Just You', each week Anna will be joined by a different expert to explore the issues and dilemmas that are affecting you. No guests, just your dilemmas discussed by Anna and her expert. This week, Anna is joined by broadcaster, author and GP Dr Radha Modgil to tackle a listener’s dilemma about feeling overwhelmed. Together, Anna and Dr Radha explore the impact of big life changes and how they can make even little things seem huge and stressful in our minds. They also share tips on how to navigate these feelings. If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcan’tjustbemepod Nothing is off limits, we’re open to it all, from your mental health, to dating, to your sex life to addiction…all of the challenges and hurdles that life throws at you - It's Not Just You is a place for you to find some practical advice and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of It Can’t Just Be Me, Anna sits down with actor, filmmaker and author Jassa Ahluwalia. Born to an English mother and an Indian father, he grew up the 'white' boy that was fluent in both English and Punjabi. Jassa talks to Anna about embracing his mixed heritage, why he wrote his book 'Both, Not Half' and how he navigates a world that wants to put us in boxes. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in It Can’t Just Be Me, you can find useful resources and support here: https://audioalways.lnk.to/ItcantjustbemeIG. Every Friday Anna, alongside a panel of experts, will be addressing YOUR dilemmas in our second weekly episodes ‘It’s Not Just You'! If you have a dilemma or situation you'd like discussed, reach out to Anna by emailing hello@itcantjustbeme.co.uk or DM her on Instagram @itcantjustbemepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.