Miss Me? - Do You Believe in Magic?

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

Miquita Oliver and Jordan Stephens discuss the impact of Lily’s album, and whether to go all out, or not, on Halloween costumes and tattoos. This episode contains very strong language, adult themes, and discussions about eating disorders.. Credits: Producer: Natalie Jamieson Technical Producer: Will Gibson Smith Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid Production Coordinator: Rose Wilcox Executive Producer: Dino Sofos Assistant Commissioner for BBC: Lorraine Okuefuna Commissioning Editor for BBC: Dylan Haskins Miss Me? is a Persephonica production for BBC Sounds

This episode of Miss Me contains very strong language, adult themes, discussions about eating disorders and the celebration of our king, Lily Allen. The only Alan, we're willing to accept these days. She's still with us. I didn't know it was your Fuzzy Valis. Fuzzy Valis. You know people are seeing that to me on the street. street at the moment. I love that. And I'm getting people go to me. Oh, Mekita, it's so good. I'm listening to it right now.

I'm listening to Lily's album right now. I'm like, I didn't do anything. It's a revelation. Obviously, I would love to start with Welcome to Miss Me, but I feel like we've got to say this has been quite a fucking week for our dear Lily Allen, and she is the king of the world, as she should be. And it's just landed. She's gone off now to do America.

I'm like, oh, bye. I'm not really going to see her for a while, I don't think. Superstar. It's that pop star shit. I forgot about it. It's like, oh yeah, you're going to go now. I texted her saying, I selfishly feel over the moon that people like it because I, when obviously we had exclusive listens in it,

and I was convinced it was revelatory. But then a part, you know, you sometimes just sneak in, I don't know, maybe I don't know, maybe I don't know what's revelatory or not. You'd think there's some things that transcend that shit, do you know what I'm saying? You're so right, there's something about, because obviously I loved it but knowing other people are hearing it so many on such a high level

and they are feeling it as well it does kind of lift the songs I mean she has tapped into some zeitgeist and a half mate oh my god it's a purge going on right now brough I know there's memes I hadn't seen all of those visualisers

and you know we were talking about music videos last week versus like the visualiser the slow zoom ones oh my god the nun one It's brilliant. It's actually, I hate to be a pedant, but that is actually a perfect example of what I was talking about

when we spoke about the death of music videos. I said it's going to push people into spaces where they have to use more interesting techniques to create visuals. That is literally what it is. She's managed to capture the feeling of a song with one image that moves. I love that.

I mean, it's not, you know, obviously we want videos as well, but that for me I find that exciting. That literally never existed before. I agree. I found these visuals. they didn't feel like a second-rate version of doing a music video. It felt like something more powerful. It's cool.

It's like a painting in motion. It's like, it's really cool. Now, we could just be chatting shit. We could just be making this up. But we have, God, I think we've actually made a montage. So we've had so many messages. This is not a listen bitch theme. How do you feel about Lily's album?

But we are going to play some messages because so many people wanted to talk to us about how they feel about it. And I love that. So roll it. Roll the montage. Hi, Makita. Hi, Jordan. So excited to wake up tomorrow morning and listen to Lily's album.

Hi, Jordan and Makita. I just wanted to send a message to Lily. So if you could pass it on, that would be great. The new album is absolutely banging. And I know that the noise from the press is sometimes really loud. And so I just wanted to send a lovely, lovely message to tell her for thanks for being so warm. and vulnerable because it absolutely slaps. I love it so much.

So thank you for making it. Hi, my name's Penny. I just want to say this fucking album. I mean, 10 days, hold up, heartbroken, and then you just like these words, God damn it, we get told we're not good enough. We just get gaslit. You know what?

Stepping back from this podcast and then to put this story, this show, this amazingness and how brave, how fucking brave, fucking wow. Oh my God. That last message really got to me. I agree with you. Yeah, I was about to say. Did she just go into tears that one?

I don't know. But I think people have had a really visceral emotional reaction. I mean, a lot to do with the fact that they've been listening to Miss me for a year and a half and, you know, people were part of this story. and then suddenly they get told what went down and I think that people feel like they're really part of it and they are. The fact that names were never mentioned

in the course of this. Yeah, that's hard. Do you go, no, but you get what I'm saying, though. And then also, just to be clear, as is the point I said to my friend, she also got disgraced last year or this year, actually, with some bullshit, bullshit of a narrative

that got perpetuated of all this, like, really like, old school like it's bizarre how people treat people in a public eye like they'll hold on to an idea of somebody from like literally 15 years ago and she said nothing

like do I mean and then to just do that and go no listen I'll tell you what and I'll do it in a method that I find most suits me and like it's great that everyone's just been reminded that

while she's telling this story the melodies are unreal the songwriting is genuinely unreal it's dope blueie did a sick job this feels in total keeping that's why I think there's been such a wave because that's what people love about music.

And while we're on that point, the same day, we have to give a shout out to Dave as well. Dave, the rapper, dropped his album on the same day too, the boy you played the harp, right? And McKita, just both of those at the same time. I can't explain it. It just... Did you feel like you could believe in music properly?

Oh my God, I was just, you know what I mean? These two albums and they're both just like ripping their fucking hearts out. Like, just ripped and just beat the show. know in their hearts and being like, what do you guys think of this? And I'm like, this is fucking amazing. I'm like, I had moments where I'm like, maybe I'm never going to make music again. I don't need to make music again. If I got to do it like this.

Like, like, or maybe what do I need to do? Like, I mean, like, am I too happy right now? I don't fucking know. Well, it's just that's how you make, that's how some beautiful art can really be made when people are willing to be so honest. Yes. And I actually want to take back the thing about, am I too happy? Because you can always write about pain.

That's one of the things I've had to learn through my sobriety. Obviously you want to focus on Lily but I do think it's important to shout out Dave because on this record he says there's two the last two songs on the album he is saying shit

and you just think like how it makes you realise how few people are saying it basically right yes and I love when that happens when someone really tells the truth and you go oh actually not everyone is talking like this

this is a different truth telling experience yeah that's what I mean by the difference between truth and being authentic Yeah, and then the, but obviously what separates them, you know, Lil's going down the pop route, Dave's rap, but also, Lil's humor, man. That's the other thing where it's like, people are singing the Pussy Palace chorus.

They're not deep in what she's saying. They're not deep in what she's saying. I didn't, she goes, I thought it was a dojo. Do you know how fucking contorted my insides are where I'm like, try not to laugh at like one of those painful realizations that a person could go through? That's why she's so clever, but can you please explain? to the world because I was at Grimmies because the day that the album came out last Friday

we had a dinner to like celebrate Lily which was lovely actually. They looked great. It was surreal though. Kind of felt like I went to Grimmies to get ready to go out because Lily's albums out and it's everywhere. I was like we must be, are we 21?

Maybe we're 21. It felt really like young. That's cute. But when we got there Grimmy said to me he was like what is a dojo? And I was like, cool, because I didn't really know either, but I didn't want to ask. No, and Lily sent me this album months ago, and I didn't want to ask her then.

So, please tell the world. It's just somewhere where you do martial arts. Oh, okay. That's why it's so funny is, it's not, it's actually, this is what's so fuck. That's why Lil's doing this shit to me. It's not funny at all. No, no. That was actually happening is fucking, like, traumatic beyond all.

But that's, that's like the idea of this space. A man cave, but in a nice way. And in fact, it's a pussy palace. So, yeah. But like, but my favorite, that's difficult for me because I don't want to laugh. But then the other one is, it's just enruminating when she just talks about what a fucking line. I can't, I cannot stop thinking about that. Because if I'm being honest, like, you know, I had delusions of grandeur like that in relationships when I was a lot younger.

Obviously not in marriages as an adult. All right, guys. So that's Michael Mimi? It's Mimi. She's just giving Lily some big ups like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, yeah, she's giving her big ups. If it has to happen, do you want to know? What a fucking line.

Yeah, what a fucking line. And she's singing it, what a fucking line. I just like, it does something to me. And I feel, again, it's a contorted feeling because it's like, I feel like I've been on both sides of that. Ruminating is a tune as well. Like, it sounds like, it really sounds like an old dirty rave song. And I was like, oh.

It's dope. Well done, Lily Allen. Well done. Yes. I actually have to do something for Lily and Marnie, my goddaughter, who's youngest, this is very Lily. She called me. I told you, she called me and said, I want you to get a tattoo of my name on your arm

because you're my godmother. I was like, yeah, that sounds like the kind of ordering thing that Lily would aren't. Could you brand yourself with my name? Sure, Marnie. You said no, right? No, of course I have to do it. Are you kidding me? No, do you know what it is?

No, do you know what it is? No, do you know what it is? for so long. So I haven't really had a chance to be a fantastic godmother Tamani. So I will brand myself with her name. Look, I don't do it. You'd think I shouldn't do this?

Yes. But you actually have tattoos. So you like to brand yourself with words that will be on your body forever. Yeah, not on the directions of a teenager. I'm not on a teenager demand that have a tattoo. I would have a tattoo with a person I love once they're over the age where they can also have

tattoo. Oh. So what? Like me and Marnie get joint tattoos in a few years. Yeah, wait until she's 18. Yeah. No, I'm going to do this for her. I'm going to do this. I'm going to get Marnie written on my arm. At least get like a shared symbol or something. Don't get the name. I love her name though. What if she changes her name? She won't change her name. I love her name. Maybe I'll get Marnie Rose. Either way. Get a rose. No, no. I'm scared to get a symbol because the last time I asked for a symbol, as I, as people know, I don't have any tattoos because we've talked about it. But I have one ugly, shitty one that Grimmie did at Jack and Feefe's house after a party. And you know, I just read somewhere that it's actually illegal for someone to tattoo you that doesn't know what they're doing.

So this was an illegal act from Grimmy. I've done that. What, tattooed someone? Yeah. And I've had someone just randomly tattoo me. Okay. So how many of you got? How many times have you branded your beautiful body?

It's just to be clear. I've not branded myself for anyone's name. What I do, what I do if I'm wanting to like cement a relationship or like, you know. bookmark a period of time is I'll symbolise it. Symbols are powerful. Yes, that's true. I'm not going to have like Jade Thirlwall tattooed on me ever in life. That would be awful.

Ever in life. I think we'll leave that for little mixed fans. But I would get something, I would get there something that Jade and I, actually yeah, to be fair, when fans, if I love an artist or I admire somebody, I can imagine I'm writing something on my arm and getting a tattooed, like that makes sense because it's like a, it's a fandom thing you know what I mean and yeah I've done that for other people too but I just mean if I want to cement a personal relationship it'll be a symbol and I've got loads of them I've got like 20 what on your body probably right okay can you tell us all of these said symbols well um I've got a tattoo

okay so here's my before here my disclaimer before I go through these I love embarrassing tattoos within reason so like so tattoos that people think are mistakes I think are fucking brilliant like personally I saw a video the other day maybe it's because we spoke about this, got recommended to me about a girl talking about how much she regrets these two sleeves she's got and she's going to get them removed

because she didn't realize how she'd feel when she was older. And I like, look, maybe, but it's, you know, that feels like, yeah, you've tattooed your whole body. Sleeves are deep. Let's be honest. Sleeps are deep.

I've got a lot of tattoos on one arm, but like I've literally got them to remind me of things. Like, that's literally the reason. It's not like, I just want tattoos. The one that's probably most questionable is I've got a tattoo on my ankle that says fresh

as in from Fresh Prince of Bel Air on my ankle and I got it in Philadelphia yeah when I was on tour of Ed Shearing Ed's got Prince on his arm there I would maybe think about Prince

actually so remind me to get weird with it because Prince always says just get weird with it no he's got princes in fresh Prince not princes in the singer fuck me Fresh Prince of Belair

in Philadelphia that's awful Yes, fresh prints in the font. So I've got that on my ankle. So you guys are almost, so you and Ed, it's almost like you have a bond-bound tattoo between yourselves. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know Ed's 17.

I don't see him that much now because he's, I don't know if you've noticed, but he's quite successful. He's doing quite well, yeah, he's a bit busy. But, you know, I saw him and his kids earlier this year. Yeah, man. Fresh and Prince. We've got those tats. Harley's got something Fresh Prince related to, from the tour.

Can everyone get a life? Like, how much can we possibly like Fresh Prince of Belle-air. Oh, see, I don't want to get into this. Let's not. Let's not, because it'll be the whole episode. So, Fatty Crew, I've got on my knee. I've got a mate, just comes over and just tacks us.

So she's been done it for years. So I like this idea, Jay, of, like, making your body like a sort of temple of remembrance. Yeah, so I've got a, my first ever tattoo is a feather. I've got on my right arm, and that feather is because I used to collect feathers as a kid. I love birds, still do. I've got big horse on my stomach.

Love horse. I've got a piece of jewelry on my chest, this golden hair that you could find if you figured out the puzzle in a book called Mascarade, which I had as a child. That's quite abstract. There's a whole like journey to go through to find what that tattoo means. Yeah. Well, people know, people come up to me and say, is that, is that the hair at the end of the masquerade?

I'll go, yeah. It's crazy. And the weird thing is, it's completely out of my generation. The puzzle got solved in 1982. Okay, so wait a minute. What is Mascarade? It's a book written by a man called Kit Williams. in the early 80s

and he's an incredible artist and he used to make these pictures where there would be animals or images hidden within the picture so it would be like you'd look at this beautiful illustration of the hillside or the hill, the countryside and actually the hill is a rabbit

or a hair or the cloud is shaped like a hair and as a kid I was obsessed with the idea that everything wasn't as it seems so you could look at something quickly and not noticed stuff and the further you looked the more you noticed I loved that as a kid I love that in all contexts. But this isn't the same as the...

What was that thing called? Would you have to stare at it and then it turned into something else? That's the 3D projection thing. No, it's called something I. When you pull it away from your nose. Yeah, when you pull it away from your nose and then it becomes something.

That was like... It's not the same as that. Not to sound like a Victorian child, but that was entertaining when you were kids. No, it's not that. But anyway, so Kit Williams, but the point is there was a puzzle and if you solved it,

you found this like, you know, solid gold, beautiful piece of jewelry that was buried. And basically on the back it says this can be found by a scientist or an 11 year old boy and I remember being, or like an 8 year old boy or something like that

and I remember being the age that I said on the back and I was like oh my God I'm going to find this jewellery but it was found a decade before I was born so. Okay, okay. I like that there's all this journey

and storytelling to it though because you know what I actually completely forget that I have my nose pierced you do too, right? Yeah, I've not obviously not got anything in it at the moment. Okay, well I have a ring in my nose And I honestly have completely forgotten for the last 15 years

that I have like my nose pierced. I don't think of myself as someone who has their nose pierced. Don't you think it's weird? No. I might take it out. I'm like a 41-year-old woman and I have a nose piercing. I don't know. I just feel like it might.

What narratives are you falling into here? My mum's still got a nose-piercing in. Yeah, I know. But Emma, and so does. She's 108. And so does my mom. But they're like kind of like, They look like people that do have them.

I just feel like it's a bit surprising that I still have this. I got this done when I was 14 years old in Kensington Market with a gun, you know, when they used to be guns? Wait, no, no, no. You got it done my Queen of Portobello, no. No, I went to Kensington Market on High Street, Ken. Not by the woman next to the square pizza? She, I've had an ear piercing from her, but not my nose.

She's a legend. I love her. She is good. So you don't think I should take out my nose piercing, okay, fine. No, what? I do think it's quite cute and sexy, but it's just, it's just, surprises me that there's something on my face that I forget I have. That's weird. I just got a face tat. No, you didn't. I've got a tattoo on my face. No, where? Wait, which side is it? Yeah,

it's this side. It must be minuscule. Is it a teardrop? Here there. Can you see? Yeah. It's an infinity symbol. Oh my God. And I want to get more face tats actually. No, no. Not with your beautiful face. Come on. That little one fine, but I don't. Who cares? No, I care. I just like it. And also someone was like you know everyone's like no you can't do it what about acting and then someone was just like the face is literally the easiest place to cover up like you can literally of all the places to get tattoos it's the easiest to cover so you don't think it would affect you getting any acting work having a face full of tattoos okay a face full of tattoos is too is quite far but I like there's something that I feel maintains a sense of like punkiness about it like I you know I'm not

look I'm not going to do anything crazy but I liked getting this because well firstly I love infinity I love the concept but we'll talk about that zero there's something about my in my future about that but also like I don't know man

I've seen people with face that so I'm like yeah fuck that like you're sick I don't know I'm just like I think it's cool I don't know I think it's cool

and also it's like you know when people talk about things they regret like tattoos whatever else like yeah I might regret it but like

and I've got so many regrets and what there's a line you know what's funny is I never finished picture of Dorian Gray because I was quite early on in my like ADHD journey so I really struggled reading even though the book is like that big

it's like tiny right but Lord Basil at the beginning is like mind blowing every time he says something I just end up like zoning out and just daydreaming about it but one of the things he says early on is he says uh he talks about Dorian's youth and having the luxury of regret he says the luxury of regret and I remember that's that like even I never finished the book that little sentence or that little phrase stayed at me like the luxury of regret We talked about this before Oscar Wilde is a fucking one-liner genius But then you told me that quite a few of the one-liners

I thought were Oscar Wild actually aren't Oscar Wild But it's testament to his genius that I guess they're attributed to him And similar with Einstein Loads people say Einstein said all this shit He didn't and probably his wife anyway But all the way That's going to kill some of my dreams as well Sorry, sorry I've got the name confused there

It's Lord Henry Not Lord Basil Basil I think is the painter Basil's the painter in he It's been a minute But Lord Henry, yeah. You know the ending of Doreen Gray, right? You said you haven't finished the book.

It all gets a bit sour. We've got a painting up in his attic, didn't he? And then I just thought he dies. No, no, no. The picture starts to decompose, you know, all the ugliness within him is depicted within the picture and mirrored within the picture, the portrait of himself. Oh, no. When I watched it on stage recently with Sarah Snook, it was unbelievable.

Oh, yeah. I heard that was unbelievable. Did she pay like 40 characters? It was ridiculous. regardless of it of any of this maybe maybe i've misquoted it my point is you know it's not unusual for somebody to pride themselves on having no regrets for example or they'll say like i have to just embrace everything and you know move forward positively there's no point dwelling on the past this kind of shit and my personal current stance is there's loads of things i regret

i i regret loads of shit but i'm not like wanting my life to be different i think both of those things can exist at the same time i regret loads but here i am but also Hasn't Lily's journey literally just proved to us that like everything does happen for a reason and you do have to walk through fire to get, like I just, I don't know, she would have written a very different album if she didn't go through this extremely painful experience.

Well, that's alchemy. Yeah, but it's alchemy, but it's also like accepting that like, look where we've got because of what she's been through. Like it's, my Buddhism day by day said today, it's very important, the things that we choose to think about from the past. And I think that is true.

Like, there's a lot about my past that I bring with me to my future. But there's a lot that's staying fucking there. Thank you. Not coming. But I definitely learnt some things. Yeah, facts. But I am excited about this time of year. This is my favorite time of year.

It's October 30th today, which is just before Halloween, which I'm not that guest on. And then fireworks night. my favorite. The dogs fucking hate it. Like, like, like, the worst thing about fireworks night is, if you're planning something, there's a time thing, and, you know, you can prepare the dogs, you can put on music, give them, like, little headbands and shit.

Like, or just take them out of the city. Like, there's these things you can do to, like, deal with it. And I do think fireworks night is fundamentally fun. But because people are like, oh, let's celebrate fireworks night for, like, a week. It is about a week. And people are setting off fireworks at, like, 1-A. in their backyard, it's just, it's really fucking shits dogs out, man. I like it really, I like the majority of dogs I find it horrendous.

I'm really lucky Zeddy really doesn't mind, thank God, because they're already like tons of fireworks going on in my new area. But just to go back to Halloween, you and I have shared a pretty classic Halloween at the bird cage. When I turned up as a dead soldier in front of like a pub full of football fans, that was cool. Yeah, that was a good house. And I thought that was real commitment.

That's when I was still like dressing up as a sexy cat because I took it upon myself to dress up as a sexy cat for like 12 years of Halloween. I think I definitely just thought I looked really good as a sexy cat. We all do. No, I know, I know, but I'm never doing it again. But in mean girls, they say in America, Halloween is the one night of the year that you girls can dress as a total slut and no one says anything. Yeah, classic. I don't think it's this, I think that's quite American. But over here, do you remember like 10 years ago?

I remember how big Halloween used to be like. They were at least like 10 or 20 Halloween parties. And I used to go to like most of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anything Frank Utler was throwing. And people would go in, really go in. Well, Maya's become Queen of Halloween, isn't it? It's like Maya and like Jonathan Ross and shit.

Jad had won once. The New Kings of Halloween are Maya Jama and Jonathan Ross. She's not having one this year. And honestly, I think people are. silently relieved. Have you ever attended Maya Jammer's Halloween party? Yeah, loads. Wow, tell me all about it.

People go in, man, with the costumes. They really go in. And it is like a celeb fest, you know what I mean? It's like a lot of people you would have seen online. And they're having loads of fun. It is fun. Like, I do enjoy it. It's just like, you know, people go in.

Like, that's the main thing. Is that there's some incredible outfits. A lot of people, like, I went to one of Myers party where they were at Jonathan's first and then came to Maya. And so I was in front, I was, you know, chatting to Alan Carr. He was dressed like the fish in a shape of water. That's good. That's good.

But like, obviously, Jade is like, she doesn't fuck about with Halloween costumes. Bet she doesn't. So where are you guys going this year? Don't worry about where we're going. You'll see what we're dressed as. Do you do couples Halloween dressing? It's shocking that you're asking that question. Sorry, I haven't seen you.

I should know this. It's fine. I'll scroll back on your Instagram and I'll see some heavy hits. To put it in perspective, Jay did American Telly for the first time. Like a couple of months ago, she went on Seth Myers. Oh, wow. And they brought up her Halloween costumes actually. Oh, God.

It's like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because one of them we did. I can't remember which one it was. I think it was like I dressed as site show Bob and she dressed as Marge. But like, it went. We were on American news. Oh, my God. In like a highlights of like best Halloween outfits.

It was just after COVID. So everyone was just like gas to be outside. Right. And dressed up. Okay. Wow. So you've really taken Halloween to another level. Jade does not fuck about.

Jade also did like prosthetics as Mr. Bean. And it was like, it was ridiculous. Like she was she actually. She was Mr. Bean. I was Teddy. Yeah. So I was like a massive teddy bear. Look it up.

I've got to see. It was shock you. Jade Thurwell as Mr. Bean is actually so creepy and strange. Watch, watch. I don't think I'm... It's horrible. Oh my God.

You fucking weirdos. This is truly creepy. Yeah. Look at her face. She practiced expression and everything. Also, you look quite scary as well. That's actually really fucked me up. When she was dressed as Mr. Bean just as a side note, I remember this.

She, uh, no one could recognize her like at all. No one could recognize me or her. And on the basis, she was essentially a short man. She said she got treated like fucking shit. Right. She said. So because she's been a famous, attractive person. She has never been, she said, never been knocked about as much.

Yeah. During that, during that party. People were barging past her like she didn't fucking exist. Like, get out of my way. It was wild. It was a wild social experiment, man. Really, though. And then she did this other thing, yeah, where she went on Huntington.

justified it. She went on American telly. Seth Myers asked her about her last outfit. She was Little Bo Peep and I was Mr. Potato Head Yeah. Oh my God, these classics. My Mr. Potato Head was just my head and then I was just wearing like a black one piece and she had this incredible thing over her face where it looked like she was

plastic like it looked like she was made of plastic but it also looked like she was permanently scowling and then Seth Myers asked her if we'd had an argument in one of the pictures and he told him that I had just turned to her and said I'm never going to be your accessory again So now I have to go all in

Because people are going to think I had a hissy fit This is amazing This little bow peep is amazing Oh my God, Jade, you nutter I didn't know she cared like this That's a paparazzi picture Obviously we did a shoot where I'm on her shoulder I wish I could show you

Oh my God, you did not Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's fucking nuts This is amazing, seriously like couples who have fun together, stay together. So has she brought this out of... Yeah, she's got me into this shit. So, right, so she has a bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I don't care. I'm not like, you know, I haven't really been a hallmark holiday guy, to be honest. I remember dressing his father Christmas for Halloween a few times because I just think that's funny. Yeah, but listen to me, this is why it's important to say a little bit of the history of Halloween because, yes, it has become a hallmark holiday, right?

And it's like, been very Americanized and come over here with its Americanisms. But it's actually from a Celtic festival. called Sam Hain, that's where it originates and it marked the end of summer and the harvest and was a time when the veil, listen to this, the veil between the living and the spirit world was believed to be the thinnest.

Oh, I love that. Right. History classes of Makita, classes in session. That's right classes in fucking session. But I just thought, isn't that interesting because Day of the Dead in Mexico is the same period of time and that is, it's about honoring the dead.

And actually, Coco, the Disney film that you love. Don't, don't, don't, I will break. Right, don't cry. But I am going to talk about Coco. Belly sobs. No, because I realized I haven't actually seen it. I thought you were talking about, what's the one where they go, We don't talk about Brune.

Oh, no. Ah, En canto. Yeah, that's the one I watched. Mid. Will told me today that Coco is deep and it's all about this. Tell me what he. I'm getting emotional thinking about it. I'm getting emotional thinking about it.

Like, it's honestly... And Coco is about the day of the dead and it's based in Mexico. So what is it that you think was brought up for you? Well, we've already spoken about it. This is what's so crazy. This is what's so heartbreaking is exactly when we were talking about death and age

and the necessity and beauty of elders, that is what the film's about. The songs are actually beautiful. The whole experience is beautiful. There's a dog which makes it better. And then, like, I just don't even want to ruin it for you. But no, no. Don't, no, don't tell me anymore.

I'm literally going to watch this when we finish. Yeah, yeah, it's really good. But this is, I think, a really interesting time of year for us to think about this. Like, this is about remembering the people that have left us. And there is apparently, spiritually, we've been told this moment at exactly this time of the year where this veil between life and death is at its thinnest. And I think that's very important to think about, right? Oh, you're feeling it.

Yeah. Do you love it? I love the idea of being closer to my ancestor. I did a reading with Phoebe last weekend. Sometimes I feel my ancestors like on my shoulders. If I really call it in enough of me and Phoebe are having enough of a spiritual reading. And I feel like this is everyone's opportunity this week

to be a bit closer to the people that have left them and to honour them, even if you do it privately. So that's my Halloween message to all. Do you believe in magic? Those who don't believe in magic, never find it, babe. Right. Facts. Love that. I believe. We'll call the episode that as well, by the way.

we should have a break and then come back and talk about weight loss jabs and we're back from the break hello keats what we're chatting about now why do they call them GLP1s what what is that summer glutide that's the chemical compound I guess well I'm going to say weight loss jabs

there's been a lot of different weight loss jabs over the years over the years this is a modern phenomenon No. Are you joking me? Mate, people have been doing some... The history of weight loss jabs is... Well, sorry, not necessarily jabs was like weight loss... Drugs. Yeah, because I was watching an old Woody Allen film yesterday called Anything Else. And yes, I know, but I just... I do love that film, so I watched it yesterday.

I don't think you should. And she, Christina, Christina Ritchie is taking diet pills. And I thought, oh yeah, diet pills. Like my... I mean, ADHD medication is a diet suppressant. I have a personal relationship with weight loss jabs because my mother... has been using them. And I asked her yesterday, actually, is it okay if I talk about that? Because I know she's been open with it a little bit.

But she was like, yeah, tell people, I look good. Like, she has never been this free. But it's interesting because my mom also had a knee operation. She had a prosthetic knee put in like four months ago. And that has actually changed her life. And I think if something has been giving you pain, because she's had this pain in her knee and like a dodgy knee since she was hit by a car

when she was about 26 and then gets a knee replacement at like 61 or 62. So, I mean, that's a long time to be carrying something that, you know, makes you move differently. Once she had that knee operation and then she started using weight loss shabs,

the weight just fucking dropped off. And I do believe it to be part of that knee operation journey as well as these jabs because I feel like she's let go of something very emotionally difficult. When I had my first, like, trauma response or, like, when I was doing, like, emotional psychosomatic, like, therapy. Emotional therapy, yeah.

Or emotional, yeah, like, a lot of my stuff was trapped in my right knee. God, our bodies are insane. Also in yoga, in yoga, I remember in lockdown, I was doing a yoga class. And the person who was running it said, we got into a position and they, I don't do loads of yoga, but I do like it. And they went, okay, we're going to open. open up the hips, but just be aware everybody that this is like a big, like emotional area. So, you know, don't feel obliged to push us off too far, da-da-da-da-da.

Makita, I turned my body and just burst into tears. I had to leave the session. Oh, my. It was crazy. It was so surreal. I mean, I was going through a lot at the time anyway. But it was like, it really did. I had to actually, I couldn't even carry on with the class.

It was just, it was just from opening my hip. I've had this recently. I forgot. Fuck, I actually quite like when this happens. It shows you it really. immense to you as a human being how linked to our emotions and our body are. And I did

a Pilate, a private, like this, our friend of ours is a polite's teacher. And when I was living at my mums and it was so hard and I didn't know what, I was in shock, I think, about losing everything. I went to her to do a Polite's class and I just cried throughout every movement.

Really like wept though. Yeah. Brilliant. Getting rid of all that cortisol. Yeah. I was like, oh, I've been holding quite a lot in. Yeah. Yeah, so this is what's happened with mum. Everyone will see on the next series of Great British menu.

She has never looked better. Like, she does look amazing. And I've not seen her happy like this. So obviously, for me, I'm all for something that's made my mum, that's changed my mum's life. But the irony is she works in the hospitality industry. She doesn't have a restaurant at the moment, but she's got many ties to it. She cares about that industry. She does everything she can to support that industry.

And these jabs are fucking with the hospital. mortality industries. I mean, strangely, Heston Blumenthal's at the head of it, but a lot of chefs and restaurants now are designing menus for the change in our appetite. So they will be like smaller portions. I think it's Tom Brown. Yeah, it's Tom Brown. He used to have a place called Cornerstone, Hattley Wick. He's a great chef. And his new restaurant has, the portion sizes are islands and you can have small, large or tiny. I feel like a bit of a weirder Can I get the tiny of the asparagus? Yeah.

So I think to see it actually change the world around us, he thinks it's going to change supermarkets. Apparently, airplanes are going to be able to have more fuel or something. Yeah, they've saved money, yeah, on the fuel usage because there's so many people are lighter. Well, this is, what did, Heston Blumensell? He is a restaurateur and he's taking Monjaro. He said, I still wanted to eat, but I didn't feel that drive, yeah. What do they call it now?

Food noise. Food noise. It's real. That's seriously real, though, Keith. Yeah. Probably the biggest headline on this whole thing is that people are taking this unregulated. I think that's the biggest headline is that really and truly we should be taken, as we are with every other prescription, we should be taken through it by a professionally trained consultant who can change and shift the dosage based off of that individual person. Most of the horror stories I've heard have been from people going up a dose,

quickly. Yes, because they get so excited. Yeah, because you get results and then the results start to plateau and you go, right, bang, I'm going up. Yeah, India Knight was writing about this in the Times. I think I can say this because she was talking

about the fact that she's used weight loss medication to lose a lot of weight very quickly. And I started falling out and she was talking about how scary that was. That's what I'd read. There is a lot of data on this stuff. There's a lot of people bringing out papers because obviously it's so popular right now.

Like there's differences between Manjaro Wagovi I'm not sure if Exempic is one or that's the name of the brand but they just to be clear they need to be prescribed by a GP we're my biggest existential spiral that happens quite often is around food like I understand people's concern and I mean sure you know restaurants perhaps but as much as there's acute pancreas coming out as the side effect of of these drugs there's also they've just released a study saying that it's been curing people psoriasis which is which is fascinating from reducing

inflammation. There's studies around it having a positive effect on ADHD. People have stopped smoking, people have stopped drinking. The general cessation effect is seeming to go beyond food. So again, I'm not qualified to say that I'm interested by this. I'm not saying people should or shouldn't do this yet. I'm just fascinated by it because what I do think is ridiculous is how we've allowed for advertisers and huge food monopolies to market themselves, constantly. to arguably the most vulnerable people in society. It is expensive to be healthy right now. There's no food education.

There's no food tech. In Japan, they introduce an understanding of food. In primary school, secondary school, they understand how the gut works. So I think really across the country, it can be very different because I think we, our producer, Nat's kids, they have done a lot of work in school about healthy eating and identifying fruits and vegetables and things like that. So that's really encouraging to know that, you know,

across the board there are places that are really trying to educate kids but I just don't think that's the story everywhere at all. Yeah. Well, what we have is that great initiative that Henry Dimbleby who started Leon, him and a few people started that chefs in school. That sounds great. It's all about educating children from a very young age about food and what's for, what you're putting in your body and why. It's been commodified. It's almost seen as a luxury of those you can afford it for various reasons. And some of the reasons are heartbreaking. Some people have to end up eating, you know, processed food because they, well, they don't have the time to cook. Also, if you buy fresh produce, it's on a timer. So you have, you have to make

this food. Otherwise, it's just wasted. Some people that would rather use the microwave because it costs less to use the microwave than it does to use the stove. Like, that's where we're at right now. So my frustration is like, yeah, sure, we have to be careful with these jabs. But how are we existing in a framework where the, like, I'm going to spiral right now. I always spiral about this is ridiculous like the earth literally springs up like this fucking shit out of nowhere like magic bounty for us like bounty of food like magic like just out of the earth like here you are here's a fruit here's an apple here's a potato like I just made this you get if you eat this your body's going to heal like you're going to have energy like that that

magic it's just like yeah but there's a disconnect there's a disconnect obviously like in lockdown it became very, you know, sort of of the moment to grow things yourself. But there is still a disconnect, I think, for so many people between what grows around us and what you have in your kitchen to cook with. Yeah, because I genuinely think we've been bullied. This is the thing. By marketing. In inverted commas, they know what happens to our brains when we eat the shit that we get addicted to.

They know there's a certain amount, they did some calculation, there's a certain amount of sugar and fat and salt. that if you hit that shit at the same time in the brain, it'd go fucking nuts. They've done experiments with rats on this kind of shit, right? Where like, if you put rats in a cage and you feed them pellets with all the nutrients they need for the day, they'll eat those pellets and they'll stop when they feel full.

Like, that is the natural way. And they'll eat it roughly the same time. They'd burn it off. They'd eat again. That was the vibe. If you put a bunch of cheesecake in that cage, they would all eat the cheesecake immediately, right? And then if you put another,

cheesecake at a random time they'll just eat it immediately they lose their circadian rhythm goes out of the window they don't know when to sleep they don't know when to wake up and the thing that breaks my heart the most is if you put the pellets back in they refuse to eat it oh my god they changed forever so this so this is what i'm trying to say is we as human beings are fighting an impossible battle if an alien came downstairs how would we explain this to them how would we explain like so what do you feed kids when they when they're oh we just give them we just give them sugar and we're like what why is that is like just they're addicted to it they're just so we just keep feeding them with it their teeth fall out their ADHD goes through the roof they actually have like deep

emotional breakdowns when they can't get hold of the sugar again so like we have to just kind of you know if we don't feed them it's their friends will oh actually I saw this what's that show about the schools like... Oh yeah, educating Yorkshire. And this one boy was extremely differently behaved after lunch and they were like

his ADHD goes nuts right after lunch and da-da-da-da and like what is it and then they started asking him what he was eating for his lunch and it was all linked. We hear her, I used to have crashes

I used to fall asleep after lunch in lesson. I just fall asleep out cold on my desk. Yeah, of course. And you know why? Sugar crash. I couldn't afford

the healthy food I had to the only thing I could afford was biscuit was a biscuit or cookie and a juice and my mum would obviously make me pat lunch sometime

like once you could but you know it's I was a token kid and I got I was quite ashamed about it it was quite difficult to be like hi I'm token kid we're poor

anyway thank you that was really interesting actually I really wanted to talk to you about like food we could do a whole episode we really could couldn't we? That is the end of today's meaty drop

named by Lily Allen before she went off to take over the world she gave us our name meaty drop just in case anyone's wondering why the fuck is this episode called that but we also have an episode called Listen Bitch of course you know that and the theme for next week's

Listen Bitch is the things that scare us yeah and I'm going to ask you to do some maybe some when you tap into your repertoire and maybe do some like ghost I don't you've made this a thing I don't do sounds like that it is a thing you've got you've done

you've done water running and you've done birds so we know that your repertoire is quite broad what the fuck does a ghost sound like oh I can give you a clue as to what you'll see me and jaden with a sound oh my see that's a cliffhanger that's like he's then do shit do do do do ready yeah Okay, I have a guess. Is it finding Nemo based? No. Okay.

Can we get that one more time for the people in the back? This is a clue to what Shorten and shade will be wearing for Halloween. Or better off. Oh. I have no idea. There's some people who definitely have an idea, trust me. Some people are screaming right now. All right, we'll see if the things that's scary.

us will get all scared together and look after each other. It's really good to talk about things that scare you in a place that you feel safe and I hope that's what you see Miss Me and Listen Bitch as. Thank you Jordan I love you. I can't wait to see this fucking Halloween outfit. Love you too. And I'll see you for listen bitch. See ya. Bye!

The figure's face was featureless and its entire body was jet black. I'm Danny Robbins and throughout October I will be sharing uncanny listeners real-life ghost stories. That's one every single day as we count down to the spookiest time of the year. Suddenly, all hell lets loose.

The sound of glass smashing, heavy objects being thrown, doors being ripped off hinges. It was coming from the cellar. I looked up and was staggered to see a humongous black triangle floating silently over the rooftop. Join me as uncanny Countdown to Halloween every day in October on BBC Sounds.