40ish - HRT Patches at Parties & Becoming a Bobfluencer | 40ish BONUS

Episode Date: September 24, 2026

Too much to cover and not enough time on Tuesday's episode, so here's a bonus show for you, Quazzers. Lauren went to a 50th birthday celebration and did something no one expects at a party; showed off her HRT patch like an accessory. Meanwhile Nicole thinks she has found her true calling: ‘bobfluencer’. Yes, it's a thing, and yes, she's considering it as a career path. Settle in for a bonus dose of 40ish nonsense, You're welcome. 💌 Send us your dilemmas and rants: [e-mail]📱 Follow: @40ish.podcast Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've tested enough wellness products to know that some are genuinely life-changing, but most are just very expensive ways to clutter up your kitchen and your bathroom. Which is why I approached our sponsor, AG1, as I approach all wellness products, deeply cynical and suspicious. Well, it's your process. It is, but I have to admit, AG1 passed the test. It's a curated blend of vitamins, minerals and live cultures that are clinically backed to support foundational nutrition gaps delivered in just one scoop. So instead of rattling with capsules every morning,

it's one scoop plus water done. And how does it taste? Refreshingly mangoy, pineappley and vanillay, not the pond water I expected. Quite surprising because it contains good stuff like vitamin C and B vitamins, which helped to keep you pepped up and ready for anything.

Oh good. Then you'll be in good shape to record our episodes today. Just go to drink ageing. or hit the link in the show notes for 20 pounds off your first order plus five travel packs vitamin D3 and K2 and a welcome kit all free. There's also a 30 day money back guarantee. Full details about the health benefits of the individual nutrients are also in the link. I could become and apparently is very big on Instagram because it's very big on Instagram because

It's been serving it to me. You ready? Yeah. I said, let me break this down to you in a really simple way. Since I lost saw you, I've stuck a patch on my bum. So my king. So you're safe. You are safe to approach.

By the way, whatever I do in my 50, I'm afraid you are going to have to come. I'll wear a nice draft. I won't show any one in my bum. Or maybe I will. Hello everybody and a big welcome to 40-ish. I'm Nicole Goodman. And I'm Lauren Mishkon.

This is Thursday's little bonus show. Yep. Just bringing all the stuff that we didn't have time to talk about on Tuesday. Yep. It was very recipe heavy. And I actually have a feeling that people are going to want my butternut squash recipe. Because I was in the gym this morning and I was explaining that we discussed the butternut squash thing. And they were like, what do you do with the butternut squash?

They were very interesting. I'm like, really? They were like, yeah. It was when I told them. And they were like, oh, I never thought of doing it like that. And I'm like, yeah, it goes all sticky and crispy and, mm. I couldn't see anything on the butternut squash. It wasn't, yeah, I was only, I don't you just.

Oh, you just prepped. Yeah. Diced. Yeah. You just sliced and diced. Yeah. You hadn't seasoned. No.

Well, no, I've only put salt on it. That's it? Yeah. Doesn't, butternut squash is like an unsung hero. Okay? It's an unsung hero. I disagree. I think it is quite bland and it.

needs quite heavy spicing and I think you can really sex it up. You are wrong. Bit of cumin seed. Oh no. You see it now? Coriander. Let's talk about cumin. Papica. It smells like the O. It just ruins everything. Unless it's a curry, it doesn't belong anywhere. I disagree. I love it in everything. No. But like a cumin seed, not a cumin power. It overpowers. Not with a light touch. Anyway, there's things I need to talk to you about. about. Okay. It's very serious.

It is quite serious. Okay. Because I have discovered something that has been happening in the ether and I did not know about it. And actually, I think that I would boss the fucking shit out of it. And if anything went awry with you and me, that's what I'm going to do. What is it? Have a guess.

See if you can guess. You can ask questions and do like a question. and do like a process of elimination. Is it to do with paddle? No. Is it to do with coaching? No. Is it to do with being a reality TV fan?

No. But where were you going with that? No, it's not. I don't know. Give me a clue. Shall I just tell you? I could become... Yeah.

And apparently it's very big on Instagram. because it's been serving it to me. Are you ready? Yeah. A Bob influencer. A Bob fluencer. A Bob fluencer. A Bob influencer.

There are Bob influencers. Obviously the algorithm is not serving that to me. But can you imagine, right, going to like a dinner. One of your friends has invited you for a dinner. because she wants to get all of her interesting friends together. Yeah. And you sit down next to some like general surgeon. Mm-hmm.

And he's telling you about his job or she's telling you about her job, a pediatric general surgeon. Or a pediatric oncologist. Yeah. Yeah. Or a pediatric cardiologist. Oh, yeah. Yeah?

Yeah. Who's like suited and booted in Armani. Yeah. And then she said, what do you do for a living? And I say I'm a Bob influencer.

What do you put on a form? What do you put on a form? You can't put Bob influencer on a form. Let me tell you something. This woman has got hundreds and hundreds of thousands of followers. Hundreds of thousands of people want to know how this woman is styling her Bob. But including me.

Okay. including me and I'll tell you something she influenced me today. No, she didn't. Yes, she did. Do you not think my hair looks different today? I said she you look nice. You did.

But the thing is, after the first video, hi, this is me and this is my Bob. No. What else is I think? It's a whole world. What do you mean? A whole world. Why?

How? Of Bob influencing. Oh, it's not a thing. It is. That's what I'm saying to you. She, and then I went to her profile because I was like, mildly obsess.

with her. She must be American. She is English. What? She is English. Okay. She actually gave a bad instruction. Right.

Because I tried to do it the way she said. And then I remembered I was actually a hairdresser. Because she's not a hairdresser. She just has a ball. She's just beauty and lifestyle. Right? She's not a hairdresser. Doesn't say hairdresser.

That is some, it's a bob influencer beauty lifestyle. And then it has like her management details. That is some. She's got a manager. Her Bob has got a manager. Wow. Yeah. You learn something new every day?

Yeah. She did a whole reel about when you've been to the hairdressers and your Bob is too short, what you should do. What should you do? Because you can't stick it back on. Not panic, apparently. Oh, not panic. Okay.

She did a whole thing about, like, it went on and on. Wow. What's her name? I cannot remember. Bob Lady. I mean, if you put in Bob Influencer, I'm sure she'll come. come up. How many could there be of them? No, but then it started actually, I say that. It started serving me a lot of Bob influencers. Oh, well, it sounds like a bit of a flooded market.

Yeah, but none of them are fucking hairdressers. I'm a hairdresser. I think you should start it now while the iron's hot. You know what I mean? Strike. That wasn't an intended time, but it worked. What would my first post be? Like, what would you want to know about my Bob? Hi, here's what to do with your Bob. Would you have a hysterectomy? Here's what to do with your bob when you're in midlife. Yeah. Here's what to do with your bob and you no longer want a bob. Here's what to do with your bob when your kids want you to bled dry the hair

and you've got to make butternut squash and run out the door at 7 o'clock and you've only got five minute. Five minute bob. Yeah, five minute bob. Yeah. Oh, there's so much you could do. Yeah. Then there's like the hair ups on wash day. Right.

Hair wash day. Right. Listen, I was on a paddle court yesterday and a woman, I've never. met her before in my life she basically turned around to me she goes why do you look like that I said what do you mean it was really hot in there she goes why do I look like this and your hair looks like that and then my partner who I play with all the time she goes her hair always looks like that and that's when I thought people say this to me all the time people like to talk about your bob people like to talk about my god I think you are already a bob influencer you just don't have the following

to prove it thank you I think you're like an undercover you know I'm underground Yeah, but yeah, stealth. You're a stealth Bob influencer. But I need the brands to know about it so they can pay me to test their stuff. Great, great. Don't you think that's good for me? I think it's great for you.

I think that would be a really rewarding job. Do you? Yeah. I feel really good about what I would do. And when you sit next to the pediatric oncologist, I think you'd feel really like you were spending your time wisely. If it's a woman, the pediatric oncologist, will still want to talk about her hair. She will.

Also, it will be under a sort of paper hat. Not at the dinner party. She will still have questions about her hair. I'm telling you. People always do. I trained up this young girl, a junior, and I said to her years ago, and I said to her,

I've given you a gift for life. She said, what do you mean? And I said, because wherever you go in the world, wherever you are, you always, always, women will always want to talk to you, because you know about hair. It's true.

It's true. I don't want to talk about my hair today because I did wash it, but I had no time to do anything with it because of Alan. He had no time. You were home all day. Alan took up my whole day.

Did he? Yes. Why is Alan? Why are you getting busy with Alan? There was just a lot. I had to move cookbooks. Listen, my whole house is upside down because of Alan. There was no time to blow dry hair.

So it's got a little ballet bun and it's staying. Well, the Bob influencer in me would say accept it. You're good. There are some days where you can rock a bun. Today is one of them. As long as you blow dry the fringe, everything else is fine. You've got your lipstick on what you worry about. I've got your lipstick and a blowdried fringe. It's good. Yes. Yeah. Hear that? It's your money calling. It wants a promotion. Elevate your savings with the Scotia high interest savings account. Always earn high regular interest rates that grow the more you save and invest. Conditions apply. visit scotiabank.com slash h-i-sa to learn more.

Scotia Bank, you're richer than you think. I want to talk to you about H-R-T patches. Got called to the NHSGP for generalised to checkup. I didn't really know why, but I thought, hey-ho, I'll go along anyway. Sat down, hello, she says, this check-up is for everyone between 40 and 76. And then I just laughed because I felt quite young in that bracket. You are? Yeah.

And she said, so we're going to just test and see what your percentage chances are of having a heart attack or stroke. And I said, all that's cheery. Let's do that, shall we? So she took my blood pressure and she asked me some very banal questions. And then I said, while I'm here, save me. They're having to go through 80,000 forms. Can you just stick a note in the system to get me some more patches? And I don't want any of those massive A4-sized patches that rustle as I walk.

I want the Easter dot. So please put on the form If not Easteradot Do not prescribe I said I'll just buy them privately Just do not put that on there I said I'm done with them I'm not I don't accept them anymore

Yeah yeah because then you have to give in your prescription That's one trip Then you have to go back Get it up prescription and then it's wrong Then it's wrong Oh no don't have these store in stock They've run out of stock You do have it in stock

It's just that it's more expensive So you don't like to give it to the Hoy-Polloy So everyone has to buy it privately Anyway So she says I said you know because it's much smaller I'm talking to a woman by the way who's well into her 50s.

I said, because you know, it's much smaller. She said, I don't know what you mean. I've never seen one. I said, you've never seen an Easter dot. So I literally pulled down my trousers. And I said, here, here it is. She said, no, I've never seen a HRT patch. I swear to you, she said this to me.

And I just thought, I don't have the time in this nine minute appointment to tell you, like I can't even go into this. landmine. I just said, oh, I find that quite surprising. Bye-bye! And I left and I thought, this is a little bit shocking to me. She'd never seen one. You know what? It's disappointing. Whether she chooses to use them or not totally her own business, but she had never, she's a, she's a, she's a, she, she'd never, you know what they looked like. Weird, no? It's not okay. Yeah. It's not. It's not.

Okay. Anyway, we've got the text. Please go and pick up the prescription, but I bet you it's the wrong one. I'm waiting for the... I'll lay money on it. Don't bother. Don't bother, because I'm not betting against you.

Of course it's the wrong one. I was talking to this woman yesterday at this paddle thing, and she is a gorgeous woman in her... We were talking because she's turning 50, like two months before me. And she was... I don't know, we got onto the subject of menopause.

or whatever. And she's like, oh, you know, I'm not on HRT because I've been absolutely fine. And I said to her, have you been fine? Have you really been fine? I said because a lot of women think they're fine, but actually they're not really fine. And they're really ignoring a lot of the symptoms that are going on. Again, I told you, I cannot shut my mouth. No, you cannot. I cannot. Anyway, she was quite up for the conversation. So she said, well, I haven't taken it because I haven't had any symptoms. But that's not why you take HRT? She goes, well, why you take HRT then? This is an intelligent, educated professional woman who doesn't know. Now, that is not on her that she doesn't know. It's on the NHS system and the information just

doesn't. The correct information does not get to the people. It just doesn't. It's still not getting, which I said to her. She goes, well, hold on. I know you're right. I don't know. So I told her what I did and I told her that we have access to a lot of doctors. I said, by the way, I'm not a doctor. I said, so please do your own research, but from all the things that we've learned, this is what I know and this is why you go on it. And I gave it all of the facts. It's really important for heart, for helping with heart disease, helping with osteoporosis, reducing your risk of dementia, all of these longevity things. I'm talking to at the David Lloyd. She's very into her health and well-being. And she was utterly fascinated. And then she said to me, honestly, I haven't had

one symptom and I said to her, I bet if you actually think about, yourself now to yourself five years ago, you will have had symptoms. They might be mild, but women are so taught to just put up and shut up. And she's got young girls and everything else. I said, so probably the likelihood is that you've just been putting up with stuff that you do not need to put up with. Anyway, she started thinking and then she started coming up with things that, hold on, oh, hold on a second. Oh, yes, and this. And yes, and this. And I was like, and I could see like she was really... The cogs were worrying.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she's like, I'm really thinking about this now. I said, look, go and have a chat with your local GP or chat to your peers. But, and also listen to my show. Do that. But anyway, the point is that if that fucking doctor, excuse my French, has never seen an HRT patch,

what chances are there of my lovely friend getting the right and correct information about HRT? It is slim, minimum. Yeah. Then I went to a party on Saturday night. I wore a short dress. Very unlike me. But I did.

How short? Not like up to my pipick, but like above the knee. I had my knees out. Did you? Yeah. Had my knees out. Anyway, saw a friend of mine happens to be a man. We had a bit of a row six months ago.

We haven't spoken since. Oh. And he saw me at the bar and he was like, hi. very, very cautiously hi. And I was like, hi. He said, I called you two days ago. I said, no, you didn't. Because I would have seen your name on my phone.

He said, no, no, I did call you, but I didn't press the green button. And I said, why? Were you scared? And he was like, yeah, I was scared. And also I only had 10 minutes. So I felt like, I knew I was going to see you tonight. So I thought I'd leave it.

I was like, listen, listen. Let me just break this down for you in a really simple measure. Is he married this guy? He is married. Is he married to middle-aged woman? Yes. So he understands that. I said, let me break this down to you in a really simple way.

Since I lost, saw you, I've stuck a patch on my bum. So I'm okay now. So you're safe. You are safe to approach. And he's on one side. And my other friend, who's also a man, was on the other side. And simultaneously they went, show me. And I was like, okay.

So I showed them the patch proof. And I was like, it's there. See, it's there. And they were like, you know what? is still looking firm, it's looking good. Everything's looking good. I was like, thank you. And my friend, who I haven't seen or spoken to since our rather large argument six months ago, he said,

do you know what? This reminds me of when you showed me your right boob in 1995. I was like, it's okay, we're cool now. And that was the end of it. You little. He got it. You little. I wasn't married in 1995.

You were, you were on Saturday night, by the way, showing someone your ass. If I showed Adam, some on my, my ass. my ass, it was like the top of my leg. It was my actual butt. I had it like on the top of my thigh. My daughter the other day decided she's, I've been taking her to the gym, right?

And I know a lot of people at the gym, okay? So when she'd come out of the gym, I was in the cafe and I introduced her to a couple of my friends. Anyway, walked away. She's like, why are you floating with that man? I said, I wasn't flirting with him. She goes, yes, you were. You were so flirting with him.

I was not flirting with him, Lily Rose. Anyway. I was not flirting with you. Anyway. It's the Jewish New Year. It was the Jewish New Year on Saturday. It's sitting with all my family. Aunt, uncle, cousins, everybody.

My mum and dad, my sister, like, everyone's there. My husband. Like, there were, I think, 14 of us or something. Lily Rose announces over the dinner table. Mom was flirting with a man at the gym. I'm like, oh my God, I was not flirty with men. She was, dad, she was floated with the man at the gym. Adam was like, who was flaming?

So then she told him who it was. And he's like, ah, she wasn't playing with him. I know who he is. It's good. It's all good. It's all good. Anyway, then I was at Elizabeth Lloyd yesterday and I told him what she said. Oh, and she announced over the dinner table that I was flirting with you.

And then he said something about, oh, he's like, well, that's because you text me late night, which I don't. He was joking. And I said, well, you'd love me to text you late night. And then I went, oh, maybe I do flirt with you. Anyway, so maybe I'm like, now basically a flirty Karen. What a terrible mix. You're a Bob influencing flirty Karen. Amazing.

That's not what I hope for in my 50s. I've got to be honest. Life is full of surprises. That's what keeps it fresh and funky. But what I'm saying is I wouldn't show him my ass. It wasn't my, I was wearing knickers, by the way, and you know that I wear enormous knickers. I know, but that's still...

Even if I lifted up my whole dress, Most of it is knickers. It's very brazen, Lauren Mishkong. It's just the top of their thigh. Very brazen Lauren Mishcon showing someone your thigh. The top of your thigh. Oh, he's seen it all before. Well, he's apparently so, including your right boob in 1990.

He never saw the left. So, yeah. I said, come on, you understand. Your wife's paramount with you. You get it? He's like, yeah, I'm like, it's fine now. I'm not mad now. So it's okay.

He got it. Yeah. He got it. But you can do that with old friends. Then we had my mom. Margarita all three. Where were you on Saturday? I was at a 50th.

Oh nice. I have to say, I'm sorry, I don't mean to trigger you, but I felt little old going to a 50th. I was like, fucking hell, I'm going to 50th now. I'm too young. I'm too young for this, even though I'm not clearly. So rude. And I've got another one in a week's time.

So fucking rude. You know what? All you're doing is moaning about going to people's 50s. Everyone's turning 50. I'm not inviting you to mine. Well, you're not even having one. I am. Oh, I just haven't invited you.

That's going to be a bit tricky. when it's all over Instagram and I open my Instagram and I'm like, why couldn't I get a hold of Nicole yesterday? I'll just tell you, no, it's my 50th and I didn't invite you. I told you, I'm like literally not backwards in coming forwards anymore. That is going to, that is going to cause boy guess. Is it? Yeah.

Would you care? Would I care if I wasn't invited to your 50? Yeah. Yeah, I would care. What would you say? What would you do? Because you don't like poverty. I would cry.

I would just cry. And then I'd moaned to Oli. Nicole didn't invite me to her house. But what would you do? Like, Monday morning, I've had my 50th all weekend. What would you do? You just haven't even told me. No, I told you, but I have been very clear that I wasn't inviting you.

But why are you not inviting me? Because you'd moan about other people's 50s. So I'd like, well, she doesn't want to come to mine anyway, so I'm not inviting her. Right? But you don't really moan, because you do like going to the 50s. You just like to moan. That's just your ammo, right? So then now you come over and we'd sit in our home studio that we'd...

I would ask you nothing. I wouldn't even say you did you have a nice party. But what would you do? I would say nothing. I would pretend, like, the whole situation did not happen. You'd be desperate for me to ask, how was your party? Did you have a nice time? And I just wouldn't ask you anything.

So what we just... And I wouldn't like any of your photos. So what we just record and you just wouldn't say anything? Ever. Ever. You would never confront me. No. You would never say you've really upset me.

Why was not invited to your 50th? You wouldn't say that. But what would happen a year later when it's my 50th? I'm not having a party. But if I was to have a party, would I invite you? I'm not having a party. Oh, well then there's nothing to invite me to. Yeah, there is.

Oh. There's a lot between doing nothing in a party. So extreme. So extreme. No, seriously. What would you see? Even that, you wouldn't say anything to me.

I would kill you with the silence of it. No, but you wouldn't actually just directly say, I feel so upset. I wasn't invited to your 50th. No, you wouldn't. I think you would know that I was so upset that I was invited. No, I just know what I'm asking. I'm saying you wouldn't say anything.

Probably not, no. I would just like let it sit like a bad smell in the room for until my 50th, which I would invite you to and then you just feel so guilty that you hadn't invited me to us and I'd be like I'm only having five people to my 50th and you're one of them

would be like wow I am a bob influencing Karen bitch flirty Karen bitch by the way whatever I do on my 50th I'm afraid you are going to have to come okay thanks I'll wear a nice dress

I won't show any one of my bum or maybe I will and maybe the left boob will come out to no no noose the boob stay firmly I don't think if I did something really to upset you so violently you still wouldn't be able to say to me I don't I'm not in the situation

I find it unlikely that you would you would exclude me I'd find it quite cruel unnecessarily cruel I course I wouldn't and the dogs are outside of the door like we've abandoned them for life Biba cannot cope

that I'm behind the door with you and she is the other side of it I think Miley's out there too They're weeping They are weeping Yeah it's pathetic I know that's Biba That's Biber

It's pathetic Right well we'll see what February brings won't we I'll wait for that little invite Non-invite to drop through my letterbox Won't be on letterbox Be an email Yeah

Your WhatsApp Your chat GPT something Yeah, that's it. We're going. All right. I promise you you've been invited to speak with you. I'm more concerned that you wouldn't say something to me.

Sorry, I don't think it's the situation we're going to need to still. But how am I ever going to know if I've upset you if you're never going to say anything to me? You'll read it in my face. Will I? Yeah. Great. You'll just know. Anyway, we'll be back next week.

We will. If you want to be in touch, hello at 40ish.com.com. I might get on with some Bob content. Definitely. I've got a busy. I'll keep myself. Yeah, you should. You should do that. I should, should not. A menopausal

Bob influencer. Yeah. Because she wasn't, she was like 30. Okay, there's definitely a gap for you. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Do it. We'll be back next week. See you then.