Midlife? No crisis!!
Two midlife mates navigating their 50s, no filters, and plenty of laughs. A funny, honest podcast about friendship, women, and surviving midlife with humour, nostalgia, and too much Prosecco. Expect real talk about relationships, teenage memories, and the chaos of life after 50.Get in touch with us at [email protected], and please consider supporting us so we can keep making it better and better - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537176/support
Crisis Talks: The Husband Habits That Drive Us Mad
In this Crisis Talks episode of Midlife No Crisis, Katy and Katie turn the mic to the husband habits that can test anyone’s patience. They share their own gripes and listener contributions, keeping names out of it while tackling the everyday frustrations that build up in family life.
Why do some drivers circle the whole car park before choosing the furthest space? Why do husbands claim they’re “just tired” instead of admitting they’re hungover? And why can a quick DIY job take an entire weekend?
They also talk about the mental loa...
Midlife: Why Is Everything a “Hack”?
What’s getting under your skin lately? This week on Midlife No Crisis, Katy and Katie let off steam about the everyday things that irritate them—from conversations in noisy places and people who can’t queue, to Halloween decorations that stay up too long.
They also get into the clock change and darker evenings, the chaos of selling things on Facebook Marketplace, why everything online seems to be called a “hack”, and some questionable clothing choices: men in Crocs and dry robes worn out of context.
Katy shares a stressful update on her house...
Crisis Talks: Airports 101
Katy and Katie swap airport pet peeves in this Crisis Talks travel special. From unprepared passengers at security to people stopping dead in busy corridors, they wonder why so many of us seem to lose our common sense the moment we enter an airport.
They also discuss airport workouts, overpriced duty-free treats, the disappearance of the 1990s airport knees-up, and why takeaway food should stay off planes and trains. Expect familiar travel frustrations, funny holiday stories, and a reminder to take your time, read the signs, and keep moving.
Send in your...
Midlife: The Mummy Returns
Katy and Katie are back from Egypt, and reflecting on a trip that felt like part holiday, part adventure, and maybe the end of an era. They compare the bustle of Cairo with the slower pace of El Gouna, share stories from their travels, and talk about what holidays look like at 50: a little less partying and a lot more thinking about bedtime.
There are stories about a seven-hour bus ride, a wonderfully helpful Uber driver, a hair-raising taxi trip to the airport, and the family’s understated welcome home. They also discuss five-star resort life, turning 50, fr...
Crisis Talks: El Gouna with Jojo
We’re back with a special guest: travel agent Joanna Lynch, aka Jojo, joining us from a very relaxed corner of El Gouna. We chat winter sun, Casa Cook’s lovely hospitality, the El Gouna Film Festival, and a private speedboat trip to islands and a colourful coral reef.
There’s also a near-whiplash towel-sunbathing incident, some debate over camel kofta, and the looming “Bill of Doom.” Normal podcast service resumes next week, with listener contributions and hopefully some house-move news.
In this episode:
Jojo’s travel-agent expertise—and how she planned the tripWhat E...Midlife: Cairo - Chaos, Culture and Ubers
In this episode, we look back on our first trip to Egypt: three days exploring Cairo, followed by a few days relaxing in El Gouna. It was a holiday of two halves, from navigating Cairo’s traffic and busy streets to getting used to life at a resort.
We talk about seeing the Pyramids and the Sphinx, visiting the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and its Royal Mummies Hall, and taking a boat trip on the Nile. Along the way, we share a few first impressions of Cairo, including the hospitality, the street animals, the driving, and th...
Midlife: Room 101 - Train Etiquette, GP Appointments and Everyday Annoyances
Katy and Katie are back after being poorly, and they have plenty to get off their chests. Katy recounts a train journey featuring a man who seemed to snore while awake, a very unusual phone call and some truly enormous suitcases. Then the pair debate backpacks in crowds, unsolicited train conversation and the stress of trying to get a GP appointment.
There’s also a catch-up on holiday plans for Egypt and India, Katy’s house move limbo, and a listener’s Room 101 contribution: “I didn’t see that on my bingo card.” Plus, the phrase “spending time in nature...
Crisis Talks: Stop Trying to Do Everything. Just Do One Thing.
Stop Trying to Do Everything. Just Do One Thing.
We started with a September Reset.
Then Katie objected.
So naturally, we renamed it September Shit Together.
In this week's Crisis Talks, we're talking about what we actually want to change, sort out or carry forward between now and Christmas — without giving ourselves a massive list of things that we'll inevitably abandon by October.
The answer?
One small thing at a time.
We talk about:
Why September feels like a...Midlife: September - New Season, Same Old Shit?
September has arrived, we're both 50, the kids are getting older, summer is disappearing… and apparently we're supposed to use this moment to completely reset our lives.
But do we actually need a September Reset?
In this episode, we're talking about why September feels like a fresh start, whether it's genuinely different from January, and why we might just prefer the idea of a little seasonal shift rather than reinventing ourselves every five minutes.
We chat about:
Turning 50 and why, actually, it might not be as depressing as we thoughtTeenagers, money and the sh...Crisis Talks: Look good feel good?!
In this week’s Crisis Talks, we’re carrying on our conversation about confidence — but this time we’re getting into the complicated relationship between confidence, appearance, clothes and getting older.
Does looking good really make you feel more confident? Why can one outfit make you feel fantastic one day and completely rubbish the next? And why, as women, are we still so obsessed with what we’re “allowed” to look like as we get older?
We talk about:
* Why what you wear can have a huge impact on how confident you feel
* Why gett...
Midlife: 50, Fabulous & Faking It. Confidence, Women & Turning 50
50, Fabulous & Faking It: What Actually Makes Us Confident?
Katy is five hours away from turning 50 and, naturally, the countdown involves bad sleep, Prosecco, questionable sunglasses and a serious discussion about whether she is about to become a completely different person overnight. 😂
Meanwhile, Katie has been battling London, discovering that apparently everyone under 35 actually enjoys the chaos, mourning the fact that everyone owns her Zara coat and discovering the confidence boost that comes from finally having nice white teeth.
But underneath all the birthday silliness, this week we get properly stuck into c...
Crisis Talks: It's Outside the Circle of Control!
It's Wednesday. It's Crisis Talks. And we're back to normal and very much NOT taking Ivan Rose's advice about being calm, rational and living in the moment. 😂
After our conversation with Ivan about midlife, anxiety and emotional regulation, we put some of his advice to the test particularly the idea of focusing on what we can actually control.
Which is easier said than done when your adult children are living on the other side of the world...
Katie's daughter has just headed off to Japan, leaving her feeling a little bit emotional (and sli...
Midlife: Where Did I Go? Losing Yourself & Finding Yourself Again in Midlife
What if the problem isn't that you've lost yourself in midlife but that you've got stuck in a few unhelpful loops?
This week we're joined by therapist, author and international speaker Ivan Rose, whose work focuses on helping women navigate the psychological and emotional challenges of midlife.
We talk about something we've discussed a LOT on Midlife No Crisis: confidence.
Why do so many capable women seem to lose their confidence as they get older? Is confidence something we're born with, or something we build? And why are we so much kinder to...
Crisis Talks: The Things We Actually Love About Summer ☀️
After spending Monday’s episode putting pretty much everything into Room 101, this week’s Crisis Talks is our Reverse Room 101 a celebration of the things we absolutely LOVE about summer.
Because despite the flies, spiders, wasps, sweating, noisy neighbours and general British inability to cope with warm weather… there are some things about summer that we're really not ready to give up.
We're talking:
🍺 Cold pints & Aperol Spritzes — plus Katy's new summer discovery, the Hugo Spritz.
🥪 Picky bits tea outside — the ultimate summer meal, preferably...
Midlife: We're back … and Everything’s Getting Our Goat! 🐐
After three weeks away, Katy and Katie return for Season 4 and their second year - and despite having promised themselves they’d be more professional this year, it takes approximately 30 seconds for things to descend into chaos.
We’ve got new branding, new colours, a new logo… and apparently a new Northern pronunciation of AI.
The girls catch up on everything that’s happened over the summer, including GCSE results day, Barcelona, festivals, house moves, 23 years of marriage, Brighton, questionable fashion choices and the increasingly urgent need for Katie to get some new glasses.
There’s...
Midlife: Turning 50, Climbing Ben Nevis & Our Summer Room 101
Katie has officially joined the 50 club... by climbing Ben Nevis in sideways rain, hailstones and cloud.
In our final Summer Special before we're back in September, we catch up on birthday adventures, surprise poems, house-moving frustrations, Egypt plans, Kendal Calling, festival fashion, and our latest Summer Room 101 entries.
From blisters and watering plants to suncream, estate agents and menus asking you to "choose your protein"... nothing is safe.
Plus Katie reads a poem inspired by one of Britain's worst train journeys.
This episode is basically two friends catching up after a...
Midlife: We're so back! Cruises, House Moves and Bird Watching updates incoming....
Welcome to our Summer Special!
We're back with a proper catch-up after a few weeks apart, and as always, we somehow manage to go from bird watching to house buying, with a detour via Mykonos, Rome, the world cup, birthday plans and a cruise full of unexpected observations.
This episode is everything Midlife? No Crisis! is about – honest conversations, lots of laughs, and the reminder that midlife is anything but boring.
In this episode we chat about:
☀️ Why bird watching might actually be the co...
Midlife repeat: Menopause cures
Whilst we are on a break, we're replaying some old episodes you may have missed. This is where we invented our very own menopause cure - we’ve talked about lot about the menopause in our chats!
In this week's Crisis Talks Katy and Katie dive deeper into the messy, maddening, and occasionally hilarious world of menopause. From being dismissed by doctors to battling sleepless nights, anxiety, and brain fog, they share real experiences with HRT, hormone chaos, and the impossible hunt for testosterone on the NHS.
Again we have to point out...
Midlife Repeat: Does my Bum look big in this?!
Whilst we are on a break, we're replaying some old episodes you may have missed. This is one of our most downloaded - have a listen to find out why!
In this episode of Midlife, No Crisis, we dive into the pressures of image and ageing — from the diet culture of the 90s and “heroin chic” to the new focus on strength and self-acceptance.
We share stories of yo-yo diets, dodgy fashion sizes, menopause marketing, and whether collagen really does anything at all. It’s an honest, funny, and relatable chat about how...
Crisis Talks: Tiny Joys, Big Difference
This week on Crisis Talks, we’re talking about the small things that pull us back to ourselves when life feels overwhelming.
From wildflower meadows and gardening to kind strangers, comforting TV shows, and quiet moments alone, this episode explores the everyday things that bring calm, joy, and perspective.
This isn’t about forced positivity or pretending life is perfect. It’s about noticing the tiny moments that soften hard days — and why those moments matter more than we realise.
If life has felt noisy, heavy, or relentless lately, this episode is your permissi...
Midlife: Mildly Furious Again - Room 101
This week on Midlife? No Crisis!, we’re covering everything from the emotional rollercoaster of selling a house to the mysterious world of social media shadow bans.
We chat about moving stress, parenting, hormones, upcoming travel plans, and why modern life sometimes feels unnecessarily irritating. Plus, a classic Room 101 rant takes aim at airport queues, personal space invaders, and those baffling hydration breaks during football.
Expect laughs, mild outrage, and plenty of “surely it’s not just me?” moments.
Get a message straight to the show!
Thanks for listening - don't forget t...
Crisis Talks: The Diary Files - Our Teenage Years
This week we're opening the vault and reading from our teenage diaries. What could possibly go wrong?
From embarrassing crushes and dramatic friendships to getting into trouble and desperately trying to fit in, we're reliving the highs, lows and utter cringe of being a teenager in the 90s.
Looking back, it's hilarious to see how much time we spent worrying about things that don't matter now, but it's also a reminder of just how hard those teenage years can be. We chat about confidence, friendships, relationships, parenting teenagers and why we're actually quite proud of...
Midlife: Backpacking, Bad Decisions & Midlife Reflections
This week we're catching up on all things life, family and travel before taking a hilarious trip down memory lane with our old Australia diaries.
From new nieces and solo adventures to menopause chats and the reality of getting older, we cover the stuff that happens when you're firmly in your midlife era. Then things get interesting as we dust off our diaries from our backpacking days in Australia and relive some of the adventures, questionable decisions and unforgettable memories that helped shape who we are today.
Expect plenty of laughs, a few moments of...
Crisis Talks: From CrossFit to Podcasting
Is CrossFit a cult? We investigate…
In this Crisis Talks episode, Vikki’s back and we’re chatting all things CrossFit, confidence and podcast plans.
From women’s fitness and strength training in your 40s to the reality of competing as a masters athlete — plus what it’s really like trying to launch a podcast — we cover a lot.
Expect:
🏋️ Midlife fitness chat
🎙️ Podcast planning
💪 Strong women and healthy ageing
😂 Midlife chaos as usual
👀 And possibly Katie being recruited into CrossFit…
#MidlifeFitness #CrossFitWomen #Stre...
Midlife: Strong Not Skinny - Midlife Fitness & CrossFit After 40
Can CrossFit change your life in midlife?
This week on Midlife No Crisis, we’re joined by Vikki Gwilt, a dedicated CrossFit athlete and international competitor who discovered strength training later in life and never looked back.
We chat about:
How Vikki found CrossFit after fitness classes and BMFWhy strength training matters for women over 40Competing internationally in CrossFit masters eventsMidlife fitness, hormones and hot flushesFitness motivation and building healthy habitsThe reality of supplements, recovery and rest daysWhy getting stronger matters more than getting thinnerCommunity, confidence and mental wellbeingVi...
Crisis Talks: Help I've got a teenager, but it ok coz I've also got van life dreams!
This week on Crisis Talks we talk about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting teens during GCSE season, learning how to let go and the challenge of balancing trust with boundaries.
We also return to our happy place - van life!
Expect:
• Teenage independence and parenting worries
• Late-night logistics and accidental train adventures
• Van life, campsites and simple living
• Dream UK road trips and Scotland plans
• The reality of camper van culture
• And an accidental business idea involving a farmhouse and campsite…
Somewhere between teenage chaos and van life dreami...
Midlife: Talking Crap & Chasing Freedom
This week sees us catching up after two busy weeks apart and doing what we do best - chatting rubbish while accidentally getting deep.
This week we cover:
• Corporate guff and work chaos
• Decluttering and shed clear-outs
• Social media and unexpected calm
• Piercings, tattoos and midlife rebellion
• Heatwaves, thunderstorms and British weather drama
• Camper vans, festivals and why van life feels like freedom
• Parenting teens and chasing a simpler life
Somewhere between the crab boils and melted false teeth we ask:
Do we actually want more from...
Midlife: Hangovers heels and home before 10pm!
This week on Midlife No Crisis, Katy and Katie dive into the evolution of nights out - from underage raving at Wigan Pier and sticky dancefloors in Bolton, to modern-day “day raves” where being home by 10pm feels like the ultimate luxury.
The conversation takes plenty of classic Midlife No Crisis turns along the way: smear tests, mammograms, fasting diets, hot yoga disasters, GCSE stress, road rage, and the very real midlife panic of figuring out what to wear when it’s raining at an outdoor rave.
Expect nostalgia, honesty, laughter, and a lot of discus...
Crisis Talks: Can you take a pac a Mac to a rave?
This week on Crisis Talks, Katy and Katie continue their hilarious deep dive into how nights out evolve as you get older - from chaotic clubbing memories to carefully planned “day raves” with strategic toilet locations and emergency Pack-a-Macs.
Following on from Monday’s main episode, the pair tackle a series of quick-fire questions about modern midlife nightlife:
What’s in your handbag now?
What time is acceptable to leave?
Which friend always disappears?
And when exactly did loud music become… exhausting?
There’s nostalgia, nightclub toilet therapy, conversations about ageing, and a surpri...
Crisis Talks: The Power of Paying It Forward
After discussing selfishness in the main episode, this week’s Crisis Talks flips the conversation around and asks:
Are people actually more kind and selfless than we realise?
From surrogacy and fundraising to helping strangers with prams, letting people out in traffic and supporting each other through menopause and illness, this episode explores the small everyday acts that quietly keep the world going.
We chat about:
The incredible story of a woman becoming a surrogate for her brotherWhy kindness creates communityThe positive side of social media and online support groupsMenopause co...Midlife: Self-Care or Selfishness?
In this episode, we ask a big question: have we become a selfish society?
What starts as a catch-up about sensible nights out, camping trips, work events and intermittent fasting quickly turns into a deeper conversation about burnout, modern life, social media, self-care culture and why everyone feels permanently exhausted.
We chat about:
Why people seem more self-absorbed after COVIDThe difference between self-care and selfishnessSocial media’s obsession with “perfect lives”Why nobody gets a medal for burnoutOffice pranks, hot desking and stolen Mars barsWork culture in your 50sRoad rage and why drivin...Crisis Talks: 50 Episodes Later - What Podcasting Has Really Taught Us
50 episodes in… and we’ve actually learned a few things!
In this Crisis Talks episode of Midlife, No Crisis, we reflect on what it’s really like starting (and sticking with) a podcast — from chaotic beginnings to finding our rhythm.
What started as a spontaneous chat with zero plan has turned into something much bigger than we expected… and not just in terms of podcasting.
What We Talk About in This Episode
How the podcast started (spoiler: no plan, no equipment, no clue)Why getting microphone...Midlife: 50 Episodes Later
In this special celebratory episode of Midlife, No Crisis, we’re throwing it back to one of our favourite formats Room 101 where we banish life’s biggest annoyances (and have a good rant while we’re at it).
From everyday irritations to full-on midlife frustrations, we revisit some of our most iconic pet peeves and add a few new ones to the list.
What We Cover in This Episode:
Our journey to 50 episodes (and why we’re surprised we made it!)A nostalgic throwback to past Room 101 entriesT...Crisis Talks: Room 101 Throwback
We’ve made it to 50 episodes (how did that happen?!), and obviously… we needed an excuse to celebrate. So what better way than a Room 101 special 😏
This week, we’re throwing it right back to where it all began — revisiting our very first ever Room 101 episode. Did you catch it the first time round, or is this your first dive into our ultimate pet peeves?
Expect strong opinions, a few questionable takes, and the big question…
does Katie still hate umbrellas?! ☔️
This week's Crisis Talks is a throwback to our first ever...
Midlife: Travel, Growing Up & Why “It’s Not That Serious” aka The Olivia Special
This week, we’re joined by a very special guest—Olivia—fresh back from months of travelling across Australia (with a little Thailand thrown in too).
From sleeping under the stars in the Whitsundays to navigating “real life” back in the UK, we dive into what travel really teaches you… and why it might just change everything.
We also chat about:
The shock of returning home (and Tesco being the highlight 👀)Why Aussies might have life figured out better than usThe truth about uni, careers, and the pressure to “have it all sorted”Mental load, social media...Crisis Talks: Sharing the load (in theory!)
Welcome to Crisis Talks—where we attempt to solve the problems we created in Monday’s episode… and immediately get distracted again.
After diving into the mental load earlier this week, we’re back with actual solutions (well… sort of). From juggling work, kids, and a million invisible tasks to figuring out how to actually share the load, this episode is all about making life feel a little less overwhelming.
We chat about:
Why decision fatigue hits HARD after a full workdayPractical ways to reduce mental load at homeTeaching kids independen...Midlife: The mental load, or are we just control freaks?
Ever feel like your brain is running a never-ending to-do list? In this episode of Midlife No Crisis, we dive headfirst into the reality of the mental load—from life admin and invisible labour to the emotional weight many women carry every single day.
What starts as a very British chat about the weather (and a questionable post-gym no-shower confession…) quickly turns into an honest, relatable conversation about midlife overwhelm, juggling work and family, and why it often feels like women are the default project managers of life.
We unpack:
What...Crisis Talks: Menopausal misophonia?
Welcome back to Crisis Talks, where the moaning continues-and this time, it’s all about noise-related irritations that push us over the edge.
From loud chewing and misophonia triggers to snoring partners, whistling coworkers, and bizarre phone ringtones, this episode is a full-on rant about the everyday sounds that midlife women simply do not have the tolerance for anymore.
If you’ve ever felt irrational rage at someone breathing too loudly… this one’s for you.
What We Cover in This Episode
The ulti...Midlife: petty irritations anyone? 101 is back!
Our favourite rant-filled episode is BACK 🔥
In this week’s Midlife? No Crisis!, we throw more things into Room 101- from menopausal surprises and annoying noises to corporate jargon, self-checkout chaos, and the absolute rage of littering.
It’s unfiltered, relatable, and guaranteed to make you say: “YES, that annoys me too!”
Expect laughs, strong opinions, and a lot of cathartic complaining.
What We Cover in This Episode
The reality of midlife/menopausal changes (yes… including random facial hair 😅)Why some weeks just feel off (and everythi...Midlife: We're back!!! (IRL)
We’re back IRL (in real life!) for a chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly emotional catch-up. From a secret surprise visitto post-travel comedowns, we unpack what it really feels like to return home after a life-changing trip—and how to navigate the next chapter when your kids start flying the nest.
Expect travel disasters, jet lag confessions, Southeast Asia culture shocks, and some honest chat about parenting adult children, identity shifts, and what comes next.
It’s messy, real, and very on-brand.
midlife podcast, empty nest journey, parenting adult childr...
