How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re recording on Christmas Eve and doing what we do best — talking honestly about how life actually feels at this age. From finishing a final round of chemo (and the brutal side effects no one really prepares you for), to the strange satisfactions of ticking off medication charts, to the sudden realisation that facial hair is… expanding.There’s festive exhaustion, pension chat, karaoke confessions, overpriced Pilates mishaps, and the quiet emotional weight that sits underneath Christmas when you’re knackered, grateful, fragile, and still trying to make things feel “normal.”Whether you’re powering through the holidays, stepping back to recharge, or laughing at the absurdities your body keeps throwing at you, this one’s a reminder that it’s never just about the jokes — it’s about getting through, together, with humour intact.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sir Chris Bryant - MP, minister, memoirist, and living proof that life rarely runs in straight lines. Chris talks with fierce honesty about growing up too fast, coming to terms with being gay in a far less forgiving era, the strange road through the priesthood, and why resilience isn’t about pretending things didn’t hurt.It’s never just about politics. This is a conversation about identity, shame, adventure, boredom, cancer, ageing, and why curiosity might be the real secret to staying alive inside. Whether you’re reflecting on the lives you didn’t live, settling into who you are now, or wondering how much past hardship really shapes us, this one lands with warmth, grit and unexpected laughs.Because no one tells you how many versions of yourself you might have to survive before you feel at home.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we’re checking in just days before Christmas — with Kaye broadcasting from a hotel bathroom in London (puffer jacket, luggage rack and all) and Karen at home, navigating the final stretch of chemotherapy, festive expectations, and the strange emotional weather that comes with both.It’s a wide-ranging, very real conversation about not quite feeling “Christmassy,” the pressure to show up when your body and head aren’t there yet, and how humour carries you through when things feel heavy. There’s talk of hair loss in unexpected places, steroid-fuelled appetites, vegan Christmas puddings, jigsaws as an emotional support system, and the joy (and menace) of a mystery Secret Santa chocolate bar.Whether you’re powering through December on fumes, quietly opting out of forced fun, or discovering that ageing is never just about getting older — it’s about adjusting expectations — this one will feel familiar.Because no one tells you how odd the in-between bits can feel: not ill, not fine, not festive, not miserable — just human. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley Kara, whose brand-new psychological thriller The Troublemaker is landing next year — and trust us, it’s going to keep a lot of women up past their bedtime.We dig into the extraordinary story behind her so-called “late start”: the years of motherhood, endometriosis, surgical menopause, teaching stress, and sheer exhaustion that pushed her into clinical depression… and the single conversation that flipped her life from survival mode to creativity.Lesley talks honestly about stepping into her sixties, the shock of sudden success, and what it feels like to finally do the thing she was born to do.Whether you’re wondering if you’ve missed your moment, quietly nurturing a dream of your own, or just need a reminder that reinvention is real — this one will land.Because no one tells you how powerful it can be to back yourself at 55.Whether you’re rediscovering old ambitions, supporting ageing parents, or trying to work out who you are after everyone else has been looked after — you’ll feel seen here.Get in touch with your thoughts at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Midweek Catchup, we tumble through the very specific flavour of December mayhem — Karen accidentally sleeping through chemo while the nurses wait to go home, the slow disappearance of her right eyebrow, and a restaurant saga that ends with a truly dreadful pizza and a packet of chocolate éclairs to recover from it.Whether you’re still counting out sleeping tablets like an advent calendar or noticing that every jumper you own now looks suspiciously like your mother’s, there’s something familiar here for anyone navigating midlife with a raised eyebrow (or… half of one).It’s never just about the cold cap or the cancelled booking — it’s the absurdity, the warmth, and the little shocks of recognition when life over 45 throws up another “oh, so this is who I am now” moment.We also hear from listeners — including Jill, whose “Year of Being Brave” feels like exactly the kind of spark so many women are craving as 2026 approaches. Plus: tiny trip-hazard dogs, quiet-table negotiations, and why Kaye absolutely should not come to Karen’s final chemo session Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.