The Life of Bryony

This week, I’m joined by Frankie Bridge – singer, author, businesswoman and long-time mental health advocate – for one of the most open, moving conversations I’ve ever had on this show. From being catapulted to fame at 12 in S Club Juniors, to global success with The Saturdays, Frankie shares the truth about breakdown, depression, and being hospitalised in her early twenties when it all became too much.​ We talk about anxiety that started in childhood, disordered eating in the girl-band years, and what it’s really like to perform while having panic attacks and feeling like a shell of yourself. Frankie explains how ketamine therapy has been life-changing for her treatment‑resistant depression, why mum guilt is still her biggest battle, and how healing her inner child has helped her finally feel more whole.​ If you’ve ever felt like a burden, or wondered why you can’t just “be grateful” for the life you have, this episode will make you feel seen, less alone, and a lot kinder towards yourself.

LINKS TO SUPPORT GROUPS
If the content of this episode resonated with you today and you would like support, please consider the following charities:

Samaritans
Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org/ for free, 24-hour support.

Mind
Call 0300 102 1234 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:
Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Frankie Bridge

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Sam Rhodes

Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm

Editor: Luke Shelley

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harriet Tyce is back and this time we’re getting seriously nosy about the three things she absolutely cannot live without. We talk about the rituals that keep her grounded when life feels as intense as a round table, the unlikely TV habit that helps her switch off, and the one very ordinary daily pleasure that she will never give up. Harriet also shares how she protects her reading time, even when doom‑scrolling is calling, and why reconnecting with simple joys has mattered more than any grand life overhaul. If you’re feeling frazzled, this episode might just inspire you to rediscover your own non‑negotiables.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
Harriet’s new gripping thriller, Witch Trial, is available to buy from 26th February 2026.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:
Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Harriet Tyce

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Sam Rhodes

Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm

Editor: Luke Shelley

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I’m joined by Harriet Tyce – former criminal barrister, million‑copy bestselling author, and the breakout star of The Traitors – for a raw, funny and gloriously honest conversation about booze, burnout and beginning again. We talk about how a high‑functioning drinking habit crept into blackouts, anxiety and shame, and why giving up alcohol in her late forties became the greatest gift she’s ever given herself (after her husband). Harriet shares how leaving the bar, and feeling creatively unchallenged in early motherhood, eventually pushed her towards writing – and to the smash‑hit novel Blood Orange. We also get into female friendship, brutal schoolgirl politics, and her electrifying new thriller, Witch Trial. If you’ve ever thought “I can’t change, it’s too late,” this episode might just prove you wrong.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
Harriet’s new gripping thriller, Witch Trial, is available to buy from 26th February 2026.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:
Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Harriet Tyce

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Sam Rhodes

Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm

Editor: Luke Shelley

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lou Beckett is back to talk about the three things she simply cannot live without. From accepting help without guilt to refusing to dismiss “just a coffee” with friends as frivolous, Lou shares the habits and mindsets that keep her vaguely upright while juggling kids, school admin and everyone else’s emotions. We chat about why asking for help is actually a life skill we need to model for our children, why social time is stress relief not indulgence, and how finding a comforting, low-stakes TV obsession can be its own form of meditation. If you’re an exhausted default parent, this one is for you.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
Lou’s Book, Lessons from a Default Parent: Surviving the Front Line of Family Life (Without Losing Your Sh*t), is available to buy from 12th February 2026.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:
Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Lou Beckett

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Sam Rhodes

Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm

Editor: Luke Shelley

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I’m joined by Lou Beckett – mum of two, history teacher and wife of comedian Rob Beckett – who shares a hilariously raw take on what it really means to be the default parent. Lou talks about carrying the invisible labour and mental load while Rob is away, the identity freefall of stepping away from work, and why women are still expected to “have it all” while running on no sleep. We get into birth trauma, breastfeeding guilt, and why feeding your baby formula is not a moral failing. Lou explains what it really means to be the default parent, why schools always ring mum first, and how resentment quietly builds over time. We also talk about being completely “touched out” by kids hanging off you all day, and then being expected to switch into sex kitten mode the minute your partner walks through the door. This is a funny, deeply validating conversation for anyone who has ever thought: I love my kids, but I am absolutely done.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
Lou’s Book, Lessons from a Default Parent: Surviving the Front Line of Family Life (Without Losing Your Sh*t), is available to buy from 12th February 2026.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:
Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Lou Beckett

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Sam Rhodes

Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm

Editor: Luke Shelley

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.