Dirty Mother Pukka with Anna Whitehouse (Heart)

The CEO of The World Happiness Index certainly knows a thing or two about finding joy. In this open-hearted chat Anna and Polly ask Karen how she started smiling again against the grieving odds. Funny, sad, uplifting and ultimately a happy ending.

In this episode Anna opens up about the stress of her kids fighting constantly. How to break the sibling rivalry cycle. And how to regroup as a family when the fighting gets tough. Practical tips and emotional confessions abound in an episode that unites our brothers and sisters.

This episode is in paid partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant.

In this episode Anna is joined by a special guest, Eunice Booker, whose daughter was able to give the gift of life to six others after a tragic car accident took hers in 2006, aged just 26. Together, Anna and Eunice discuss the importance of confirming your decision for organ donation in support of Organ Donation Week 2023.

Confirm your decision to be an organ donor at organdonation.nhs.uk. It’s the best thing you’ll do today.

In this open-hearted chat, the author and podcaster Kate Ferdinand opens up on life married to Rio and what it took/takes to raise another woman’s family (after Rio’s wife Rebecca sadly passed away before they met). From step parenting to blending families, this is an episode that opens up what family really means in 2023.

In this episode Anna and Polly dig deep on true romance with love coach Persia. From when to get out of a dead-end relationship to how to know if he or she is the real deal, this is a no-holds-barred chat on love, actually.

If you want to laugh through the pain of procreation, Jen Brister is your woman. From taking the piss out of herself as the seemingly ‘awkward friend’ next to her wife at the birth of her twins to acknowledging the madness of an IVF pregnancy, this is a one-woman-show that brings everyone else in. From same sex parenting to raising the next generation to truly understand inclusion, this episode is a reminder of how to be, well, human.

This was a ride. From ENMs (ethical non-monogamy) to polyamory, this is a deep-dive into opening your relationship and how to do it safely and securely. If you think this isn’t for you, think again. Sex and pleasure is a huge animalistic part of our lives and if it’s working as a duo but you’ve fantasied about a ménage, then this is well worth a listen.

In this episode we go back to one of our most popular episodes where we talk to presenter Cherry Healey on exiting her marriage. How she did is calmly and kindly. And how to know when to get out. This episode is a deep-dive into irretrievable breakdown and, well, not breaking in the process.

From educating your kids on racism - using triangles and squares - to truly recognising your own privilege, Naomi and Natalie Evans, the founders of Everyday Racism speak openly about a need to help the next generation to do better. A must-listen if you want to raise kids in a more inclusive and diverse world.

To sext or not to sext. That is the question. It can be an excruciating exchange sometimes but when you are in the throes or parenting and working, it can be a simple way to close the pleasure gap between the two of you. If that’s not for you, don’t worry Polly has a game up her sleeve to help you get, well, intimate.

Shouldn’t laugh but this week your stories on how your kid’s pets came to an end is something else. From fish jumping into toasters to sinister Siamese cats unravelling your parental mind, this is one of the darkest, funniest chats to date.

This is an intriguing one. How do you show you care? Anna and Polly deep dive into love language and how important it is to see where someone is coming from. But also to recognise what you need in a relationship.

Sure, sure it could be a newborn. But what about those nights where it’s a 3.41am wake-up and you have cortisol pumping through your system. Anna and Polly open up about what’s keeping them up at night and how to get some z’s if you are struggling. 

Anna and Polly delve right into phubbing: the act of ignoring someone you are with and giving attention to your mobile phone instead. Researchers found almost half of relationships are affected by phubbing, so how bad can it get? And what can you do to help?

In this episode Anna and Polly dive into the world of maternal therapy with Abby. They discuss everything from Glimmers, to Name it to Tame it, to Re-Parenting. This is a practical mental health episode to break yourself out of fight or flight and focus on what’s in front of you.

It may be a term you've heard of, but how much do you know about asexuality? It's most known as the term to describe those who have little interest in sex, but it's actually an umbrella term for a spectrum of sub-identities. In this episode, model and activist Yasmin Benoit join Anna and Polly to discuss her personal experiences and the many myths and misconceptions.

Loneliness. Anna and Polly talk loneliness in a relationship, loneliness in motherhood and how to combat that with active listening over solutions-focused chatting. In this episode the duo turn up un-showered and PJ-ed ready to sit in the hole with each and every one of you.

As divorce rates rocket, women are gathering their children and living with other mums to raise their kids. Anna and Polly look into their happiest times living with other women and question if there’s, perhaps, a happier, healthier way to raise the next generation.

After a quick pop in from a very sick Anna, author and journalist Helen Russell joins Polly to spill the secrets behind happy Nordic living. From five year olds that talk back to an equal share of the mental load, we find out if the Nords really do parent the worlds happiest children.

From struggling to ‘celebrate’ until the baby first cries to birth anxiety in the third trimester, Polly sits in the pregnancy hole with Anna as they navigate baby showers and splash down.

Public speaker Dani Wallace joins the DMP team to talk about raising her voice after being ignored in the corporate world. This is the nuts and bolts of being heard without changing who you are.

When it comes to divorce or even a career change mid-life, the words ‘crisis’ and ‘car crash’ land almost instantly. Anna and Polly dig into what they know at 43 over 23 and how making big life decisions at this juncture isn’t always a cry for help, more about newfound knowledge.

Are you frigid? Are you a slag? Have you been called a slapper or a whore? Or when you got married, did you become the Madonna? In this episode Anna and Polly dig deep on the misogyny that lies around female sexuality. Men that can’t shag their wives because they are ‘good’ and guys that have affairs for the ‘bad girl’ or slag. Good God it’s a minefield. Cue The Madonna-whore complex.

As someone who says yes to everything like an excitable labrador, Anna was keen to find out from life coach Michelle how to say no and stick to it. Polly and Anna start untangling their people-pleasing ways in an episode that’s all about clear, healthy boundaries in all parts of your life.

The tables have turned and after speaking about Polly’s ADHD diagnosis last week, she asks Anna about her anxiety. How to know if it’s severe, when to go to the GP and how to navigate everyday life without having as many panic attacks.

This open-hearted chat with Dr Claire, a renowned burnout therapist starts with Anna’s recent panic attack at 3am and ends with a lesson in tapping - a technique to help anyone on the daily with unending anxiety and stress. Therapy is expensive and not accessible to all, so consider this episode an informed, maternal hug for anyone feeling totally overwhelmed with no idea where to start unpacking it.

The property aficionado lands on DMP to talk raising teenage boys, the good, the bad and the ugly of your kids growing into adults - and how to navigate tech in a parental world that doesn’t really have blueprint other than hollering ‘get off your phone’. An informative chat with a beautiful soul.

**CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains adult themes and is suitable for those aged 18 and over. It contains details about living with someone with depression and alcoholism as well as a first-hand account of trauma which some listeners may find upsetting. If you are affected by anything you hear in this episode and need support please see the suggested helpline and website links below.

This is probably the most painfully beautiful episode so far. Heart radio presenter Pandora Christie opens up about living on the streets with her mum. And the devastation of losing her mother at a young age. A powerhouse and pioneer in broadcasting, this is a love story to her mother and an ode to beautiful trauma. Bring tissues. 

Samaritans helpline: 116 123

https://www.samaritans.org/

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/Home/Newcomers

https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/home-families/family-relationships/social-services/

https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/

https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/

Ever tried it? Ever enjoyed it? We’ve been doing it all wrong. Porn stars take 12-hours to warm up to anal and, yet, we are expected to get in the zone instantly. This is a no-holds-barred chat on finding that A-spot.

Anna and Polly share their wildest job experiences. From welding car parts to making weed-infused perfume, their unconventional careers unravel and they chat about how motherhood impacts it all.

Why is it so hard to reach out to others and how do you even pick those you reach out to? With increasing overwhelm across the board, this is a DMP SOS call for that much-talked-about village to rally. Because it does, indeed, take a village.

In this episode Anna and Polly get candid about the realities of coming home with your first baby. Can parenting ever be a 50/50 split? And are nannies really the answer for the career focused mum? They lay it all out with CEO of SOS Dance Global and Muma Bonnie Parsons.

Whether pregnancy anxiety or just sudden dread before bed, we are an anxious nation with panic attacks on the rise. Anna and Polly talk about their most anxious moments. The why and the resolution. It’s an anxiety-inducing white-knuckle ride.

As the pair hit the West-End in their first Live Nation show, Anna and Polly talk sex ed, pleasure and why it’s time to stop centering the peen. Oh and how platonic love has to be up there with romantic amour. Til death, indeed…

As we limp into the end of the summer holidays, Anna opens up about the exhaustion of papering over the childcare cracks and how flexible working can help. Polly goes into Paxman interviewing mode to dig deep on Flex Appeal, a campaign close to her best mate’s heart. And how the Flexible Working Bill will impact you.

Happiness is a fairly elusive concept. Fleeting, perhaps. While contentment feels a little more accessible. In this episode, Anna and Polly question where their happiness lies - however momentary - and why we’re struggling to celebrate people’s happiness in 2023.

The personal coach opens up in this painfully honest chat about loss of identity post-baby, including loss of friends, career and finally self. This is an audio guide to rebuilding yourself postpartum, one brick - or breeze block - at a time.

Is it time to redefine the mid-life crisis? In this week's episode Anna and Polly talk to Olympic champion and presenter Denise Lewis about navigating the loss of your identity after motherhood and retirement, and why she's reclaiming herself at 50.

This is one of the most beautiful episodes to date. TV presenter and radio host Gaby Roslin speaks about her happiness. A feeling that, well, feels quite fleeting. From jumping in parks to racing strangers, this is about walking on sunshine even when it’s raining.

From school run mumming to ‘mumpreneur’ (the worst of the worst when it comes to archaic phrases), the fashion industry simply doesn’t get the reality of our 40-something parental lives. But do we care? What is our style now? And how did we look back in the 90s? We go via Kookai and Jane Norman in an episode that opens up our wardrobes and questions our, well, fashion sense.

You may know her as Mandy from Hollyoaks but actress Sarah Jayne Dunn was fired from the show for daring to start an OnlyFans account. She speaks up about the double standards of a TV industry that had her posing topless on every lads mag but fires her for doing it for herself. In this episode we go back to a 90s era of Nuts, Zoo and FHM, questioning what has actually changed since those magazines closed.

In this episode the TOWIE star opens up about the moment her boyfriend broke up with her when she was 11 weeks pregnant. Far from being defined by that time she fought through it and is on a journey to redefining what it is to be a single mum. From dodgy dates to her 4-year-old daughter ‘saving her’ this is the happily ever after often left off the table.

Pets and grief is quite the juggernaut to navigate with kids. Anna has to handle the death for the family pet hamster Ziggy. Is lying ever ok to protect your kids? How do you navigate a rodent funeral? And was buying two guinea pigs really a good idea in the wake of all this? Expect tea-through-nose laughter and solemnity. A tale of two sides.

As The Flexible Working Bill lands, Anna downloads what it will mean in practice, how to get your request approved and what’s left to do in the fight for baseline equality in the workforce.

The maths ain’t mathing. How to cover the six weeks of summer holidays with a wonky childcare system, overpriced summer camps and inflexible working. The Eastenders actress talks about keeping it together under pressure and how to keep the love alive with her partner among it all.

Hey DMP fans, we have a new podcast we think you'd like from Myleene Klass, called They Don't Teach This In School...

Be honest - how many times have you felt so under-equipped for what life has thrown your way? In school we learned about Pythagoras, but then we went out into the adult world and we were expected to know how to budget for a household, set up a bank account or know what to do when the boiler broke.

Myleene says "There was so much I wish we were taught. So that’s how my book and this podcast was born. I’ll be speaking to some brilliant guests to share their tips on how they and their families survive life’s challenges"

Listen to the first 3 episodes now and subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like in the Wild West of dating apps? Or are you in the dark depths right now? While Anna found her boyfriend on Hinge, others share their good, bad and ugly stories of what it’s like in a world of swiping left and right. One word: unhinged.

No postnatal stone is left unturned on this open-hearted, open-minded chat about life, love and sex postpartum. From knowing when to do it after having a baby to touching yourself in the name of orgasms, Hollie is 100% a woman’s woman.

Sure, sure we often shed a tear or two on this podcast. But this episode is more of a cry-laughing vibe. Comedian Sophie McCartney takes Anna and Polly back to her clubbing days in the 90s where boob tubes and YSL shirts abounded. And she contrasts that to hitting the club with kids back home. Brutal, hilarious listening to perk up the most child-ravaged soul.

This episode pays tribute to Jacqueline Gold, a woman who sat at the helm of Ann Summers all her working life. She single-handedly changed the face of the sex toy industry, removing shame and pioneering the iconic rampant rabbit. Anna and Polly only spoke to Jacqueline last year before she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She sadly passed away last week and the girls wanted to take a moment to hold onto her words.

God the commentary around our bodies is real. From pregnancy-related weight gain to stress-related weight loss, maybe ask how someone is before discussing how they look.

Why is it so hard to actually sleep? We are the most exhausted we’ve ever been and could barely string a sentence together - and yet sleep does not come. A lot of that is children hollering but also when we do have time, it’s impossible to wind down. But what does this level of sleep deprivation actually look like? And how does it impact your life?

This is one of our favourite episodes to date. Former GBBO finalist Laura opens up on how the 90s made her feel fat. How she’s tried every diet - Special K, Cambridge, Slimfast - to date. And how she started to look in the mirror again and love herself. It’s brutally honest and hugely informative for a new generation who doesn’t want to hear ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’.

In this open chat Anna and Polly ask Chloe about the postnatal period. How she navigated work and raising a baby with her husband and why we need to be done with ‘mum’ bods and ‘dad’ bods and start looking at pelvic floor health and proper postnatal care. This one’s a ride. A maternal, hormonal ride.

The backdrop to Dirty Mother Pukka is, well, more than a podcast. We decided to start it in - quite frankly - our lowest moment. To give each other structure and accountability week-in-week-out. Isolation and loneliness happens in the least likely places sometimes. Whether in a marriage, in a home, in motherhood, this episode is our love story to you. Our love story for each other. Because no matter how something looks, how popular someone appears, how shiny their Instagram, you never know the full story.

Original music by Matt J Brown at WeAreOK.com.

In this episode child psychologist Dr Martha opens up about rupture and repair with our kids. From moments of parental explosion to the calm after the hollering storm, this podcast is about helping you navigate being a grown up when you haven’t really, well, grown up. Probably one of the most useful episodes to date for those on the childcare edge.

Paralympian gold medal swimmer Ellie sits down with Anna and Polly to talk about finding her place in the world. And what she’d like to see from parents in terms of making space for difference. This emotive and heartfelt chat celebrates a world where no one person is the same - and an innate celebration of that.

Are you too old to be hungover? Anna and Polly question how impossible it is to go out OUT and parent/adult the next day. From exhausted school runs to letting your kid draw on you so you can close your eyes for a fleeting 5 minutes, is it time to, well, put down the espresso martinis?

Somewhere between the pandemic and extreme childcare costs, we stopped laughing. There’s a guilt in feeling joy in a cost of living crisis; An anxiety in laughing when the world is seemingly crumbling. Anna and Polly try to force a smile and question the importance of laughter and how to get it back.

This is a little more personal than usual but so much has been said about divorce and the other side of it is, perhaps, a very different happy ending. As Anna and her ex both move on to new relationships, Polly asks Anna about dating post-breakup and how she found her new boyfriend, Olly. This episode is a heart-on-sleeve download of the ups, downs, peaks and troughs of finding love after irretrievable breakdown. Bring tissues.

On the brink of separating from her husband Jimmy, Cat Sims went to a relationship counsellor to get to the root cause of their marital issues. The domestic load was, well, loaded and had impacted everything from their joy as a couple to their ability to even orgasm together. This episode digs DEEP on inequality in the home and how to rebalance in a world that’s telling us we can ‘have it all’ when really we want our partner to understand the weight of what’s being carried.

As Tory MP Kemi Badenoch describes maternity pay as ‘excessive’, Anna and Polly dig deep into a system set up for mothers and parents to fail.

You asked for it and we’re giving it. You wanted more of us - Polly and Anna - so here we delve into Pol’s ADHD diagnosis in an emotional, informative rollercoaster of a podcast episode that leaves no ADHD stone unturned. While Polly isn’t an expert, she’s read The Whole Internet since being diagnosed and this could be an initial stepping stone if you wonder if you - or your child - might have ADHD.

In this open chat Polly opens up about her ADHD diagnosis and how she found out. How she has felt and if the drugs really do work. The pair then talk to chef Gizzi Erskine about her ADHD diagnosis and the trio wonder why this specific neurodiversity is only just being understood in women.

This is a deep dive into friendship. The good, the bad and the ugly. Are BFF’s just a mean girls sect? Or a sign of insecurity? And how do you know if you’ve got a good one on-side? Anna and Polly open up their friendship and question if they will, indeed, be forever friends. 

Fats has been discriminated against from the moment she was born. She describes herself as a ‘little person’ but what she has faced has been huge. At school she was thrown into an industrial bin and left - and throughout her life she’s had to question who really loves her, who really wants to be with her. This episode is on self love, self confidence and how one women rebuilt herself when everyone was trying to take her down. It’s beautiful and informative if you’ve ever been bullied and wondered how to heal those scars.