The School for Dumb Women

It's an International Women's Day (aka Alex's birthday) special! The birthday girl gets all tied up in mummies, and Hannah scratches her heads over nits. Finally Caroline shares her first-hand experience of having a hangover in your 30s. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline explores Norway this week with an ancient tale and some political truths, and Hannah investigates sunsets, genetics and reindeers in a segment on optimism. Finally Alex thinks about how to have a famous child in the Smart Lesson.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 76, we invited stand-up comedian and animal expert Roddy Shaw to the studio to answer every stupid question we ever had about lizards. In this fully extended bonus episode, Roddy tells us about 'sneaky fucker' lizards, and we have some bat chat for good measure. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex gets vertigo learning about urban climbers this week, before inviting bubble buddy (and animal expert) Roddy Shaw to answer every question Caroline has ever had about lizards. Lastly Hannah reports back from taking up knitting, and evaluates whether starting a new hobby is the salve that we want it to be.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline examines the life-changing* magic** of self-help books in this episode, looking at where the genre came from and what on earth is happening as it evolves. Meanwhile Hannah gets on her high horse about the 1994 film Black Beauty, its creator Anna Sewell and how Alan Cumming became obsessed with delicious oats. Finally Alex leads a Smart Lesson on how we can all pretend we're having a fun, sitcom Christmas with our pals when we're actually stuck at home avoiding boring family members and playing questionable YouTube videos. * ** no promises, guysContact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah uncovers the real pandemic silently infecting our homes - The Rug that everybody has and nobody can get rid of. Elsewhere in the house, Caroline examines the rise of conservatories in the late '90s and what it told us about the sex lives of the O'Callaghans down the road. Lastly Alex presents a Smart Lesson on skincare and how to ensure the clearness of your pores remains your healthcare priority right now.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex goes retro this week to investigate the wild successes of teletext (aka Ceefax), the text information service that haunted her youth. Meanwhile Caroline goes to space (again!) to think about how much she doesn't like it, and why many Americans were actually not that interested in it either. Finally Hannah leads a Smart Lesson session on how to have a new feminist icon, when the old one is not dead or cancelled yet. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex enters the bull ring this week to investigate the whys and wherefores of professional bull riding, while Caroline takes her beaver to visit its namesakes and find out what they're actually doing in those dams. Finally Hannah stokes up some generational divides with a smart lesson on why millennials have it hard and why Gen Z will probably show us all up.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Saddle up your mule, folks, because this week we're going to North-West Canada to look at the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s, and Hannah's sickly ancestors are coming with us. Meanwhile Alex is transported to a small metal box in Mumbai to go undercover with the dabbawalas and their lunch delivery system, and Caroline delivers a Smart Lesson on how to shop now that some stores are open again. In other news, Caroline's new novel Scenes of a Graphic Nature is out now on e-book and audiobook! Get it on the link below, or pre-order the hardback (out in August) from your local independent book shop. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WN4QNYN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline gets down and dirty with 'Typhoid Mary' this week, looking at how and why she became a disease super-spreader. Hannah takes a trip to the Swiss mountains to find out the origin story of hotelier César Ritz, and Alex leads a Smart Lesson on how to best spend your time in the park during lockdown.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah gets Mr Plow's phone number this week and goes deep into 555- numbers in American films and TV shows, discovering some bizarre connections to a Canadian gold rush and Gilmore Girls. Meanwhile Alex's TV nostalgia is more garden-based, focusing on Ground Force, our new hero Charlie Dimmock's brilliant norks, and the water features she couldn't live without. Finally Caroline has two pints of Guinness and crowns herself Birthday Queen, declaring what the dos and don'ts of lockdown birthdays should be.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

World's longest toothbrush Alex Haddow finds out about the birdy past of the Guinness book of world records this week, and invites special guest Gavin Day to tell us about his world record experience at Kilburn swimming pool. Meanwhile world's prettiest pony Caroline O'Donoghue becomes a crooner to regale us with the complex history of fake flowers, and world's most haunted worm Hannah Varrall does her civic duty by advising the government on how to come out of lockdown. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah gets fully waxed this week with a visit to Madame Tussaud, while Caroline goes full Bush by looking into former First Lady Laura Bush. Meanwhile Alex gives us all tips on how to be horny during pandemic lockdown.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Was your childhood hamster part of the great lineage of Syrian hamsters abducted on the great hamster expedition of 1930? This week, Caroline goes deep on what goes in Richard Gere's bum hole, Hannah withers on about fade outs in songs and Alex gives us tips on staying useless during a pandemic.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comProduced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

* This episode contains a huge spoiler for the show Mad Men at around 22 minutes in! *The team goes back in time this week to a period when staying in hotels, creating a rebel army and eating sweets from drawers were all socially acceptable pastimes. Caroline looks at how the US Senate keeps its sugar levels up with a ‘trough' of candy kept in a desk, Hannah digs into how Pantone managed to put a branded mug in every wannabe-designer's kitchen, and Alex wonders how William Wallace aka ‘Braveheart' turned Mel Gibson into a bad man.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back from the dead and not only alive but also LIVE this week on Soho Radio as part of their International Women's Day programme. Alex charms the socks off a suspiciously quiet Daniel Craig, Hannah wonders where Free Willy got to after he jumped that harbour wall and Caroline talks about her big hole (in her mouth) and why she went on a training montage with some tooth floss. We also learn about how to turn your company into a tech start up, and how to become an international woman.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before we get back to new episodes, we'd love it if you could take our survey about the podcast and tell us what you think of it! Here's the link: https://goo.gl/forms/kgVbNVq5rJ26g6FI2Thanks pals. Anyway, this week we've got another goodie!Alex places the future of the podcast in peril by delving into the murky history of the richest family on the planet, while Caroline examines two things that have been on her chest lately - the fact that we used to have boobs in films, and fact that a man called Hays invented censorship to take them away. Meanwhile Hannah provokes controversy by getting into a pickle over, yes, pickles, and our classically wine-heavy Women Who Code mixer investigates whether 3D printers could one day print us a glass of warm chardonnay. Finally our Smart Lesson provides some tips on how to seem cultured, in case you need to feel smug at parties.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios, produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline has thrush again (of course!) and there's a new royal baby on the way, so now's a good time to revisit this episode!What's that itchy feeling, and why has it nested in Caroline's underwear? This week she investigates the yeasty world of thrush, while Hannah ventures out for some fresh air and asks some silly questions to Emily Read, co-founder of Eve Women's Pro Wrestling, and Rhia O'Reilly, wrestling champ and head trainer at Eve Academy. Meanwhile Alex examines how rollercoasters make us sick with excitement, and a strange man called Richard Danyou makes an appearance in a new segment aiming to get us all out of our overdrafts. Finally in our Smart Lesson we learn about how to have the right opinions about the royal family, before it all kicks off later this year.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We've all got a year older since this one first aired (all of us apart from Helen Mirren, of course) so now's a good time to peel the Werther's Original off it and use it upside down by mistake.Hold onto your Ordnance Survey, listeners, because this week we're delving into your dad's glove box with lessons on buttons, maps and umbrellas! Caroline says the word button so much it loses all meaning, Hannah teams up with some sea monsters to get lost in the confusing world of map copyrighting, and Alex does shag all by outsourcing her section to author Marion Rankine, who inducts us into the mystic rites of umbrellas. We also time travel to investigate QR codes in our Women Who Code mixer, and then to make a pact with Father Time so that we never have to compete with Helen Mirren.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A true classic from the vaults this week, with Caroline's now famous exposé on goop.This week, Alex learns that our hair is just lots of whiskers, Hannah finds out that prosecco fizz is a bit like Schrödinger's cat, and Caroline lifts the veil on Gwyneth Paltrow. We also discuss how coding can help us pull in our Women Who Code mixer, and finally, practice how to be good mentors in our smart lesson. If you can understand it all, well done! We'll send you a gold star in the post.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yes a third archive episode! How long will we do this for? Who knows!This week in honour of a visit from resident jingle creator Harry Harris, the Dumb Women go musical. Caroline investigates why earworms are so rah rah ah-ah-annoying, Alex looks into why Beethoven was the Michael Jackson of his day, and Hannah stands on the table to belt out an inadvisable medley about Karaoke. Our Women Who Code mixer looks at how AI is going to put singer-songwriters out of work, and finally in the Smart Lesson, Harry Harris helps us write a soulful duet between Joanna Lumley and her favourite shelved architectural project, the Garden Bridge. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you hoping to be fobbed off with a top-quality archive episode this week? Because you're in luck!Who keeps the metric system down? This week, Hannah goes on a deep dive down her ruler to figure out just what in the hell is making international baking so confusing. Alex stands up for seahorses, the 80s power business lady of the seas, while Caroline says very little and instead invites Black Ballad creator Tobi Oredein to tell us all about Issa Rae and Insecure. In our Women Who Code mixer we look at how to be nice to your server, and finally in our smart lesson, we learn how to disguise the fact that women have bowels. Noisily.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're taking a break this month so we've cracked one of our favourite (and most sexy) episodes out of the archive just for you, you filthy beasts.Make sure you're doubling up with the pill and Durex Extra Safe, because this week we're talking kissing, sex and Hannah's personal lubricant of choice, squash. We also spice things up by asking comedian Helen Duff to talk us through sexual intercourse (who's having it? Why?), orgasms (some kind of biscuit, I guess?) and a tantric shaman called Elaine. In our Women Who Code mixer we school ourselves on the sex robots that are taking the gross men out of the dating pool, plus in our Smart Lesson, we share some tips on how to decide what a Smart Woman's stance on Valentine's Day should be.Find out more about our guest Helen Duff: http://www.helenduff.com/Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To help you survive the difficult holiday season, we've put together a compendium of the very best life advice from our favourite self-help guru, Dr Jane Frail. She discusses meditation, breathing, sleeping, and self-care, and even has some tips on how to deal with tricky family members.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christmas is a time for overindulgence, so this week we present you with not one but two dumb guests, some bad crackers (mostly Alex's) and a few vagina jokes just for Christmas seasoning. Alan Maguire of Roast Chestnuts and Juvenalia podcast fame talks to Caroline about made-for-TV Christmas movies and why they're having a resurgence this year, Hannah finds out the frankly heartwarming story behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Alex gifts us a special Christmas poem and forces us to play games together (but it's Christmas bingo, so it's fine). Dr Jane Frail is also on hand with some useful advice about dealing with difficult family members when you're in close proximity with them, and finally trend reporter Lucy Vine joins us to tell us what we should be looking out for this winter. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're clogging up your podcast box with something a bit different today – a taster of Sentimental Garbage, a new podcast about chick-lit and the "guilty pleasures" you're done feeling guilty about. Created and hosted by certified Dumb Woman Caroline O'Donoghue and produced by Dumb Host Hannah Varrall, Sentimental Garbage celebrates classics of "commercial women's fiction" by authors such as Marian Keyes, Jill Mansell and Helen Fielding.In this first episode, Caroline chats to journalist and author Lauren Bravo about The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice, a book which contains plenty of spangly dresses, glamorous Americans and female friendship.If you enjoy Sentimental Garbage, remember to subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes throughout December.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 62, special guest Monica Heisey (Baroness Von Sketch, I Can't Believe It's Not Better) joined us for a Smart Lesson on how to break up online, using Instagram Stories of bubble baths and strange Icelandic horses. In this bonus episode featuring the full conversation, we discuss ill-advised tattoos, Jennifer Garner and Alex's 'slut spiral'. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is pizza really God's gift to bad restaurants or is it just over-hyped cheesy bread? This week, Hannah gets to the bottom of this deep dish problem while Caroline tries to fix the economy by investigating inflation and realising that actually, it doesn't make any damn sense. Meanwhile at the Women Who Code mixer Alex gets to know AI lie detectors - or perhaps they get to know her. Finally special guest Monica Heisey (Baroness Von Sketch, I Can't Believe It's Not Better) joins our Smart Lesson to teach us how to break up online, using Instagram Stories of bubble baths and strange Icelandic horses.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dig out your Beanie Babies from the loft because you could be a millionaire! Is something you might have heard twenty years ago. But why? Caroline investigates the bean-ed ones and tells us why a man in a rented Rolls Royce is the reason we all went so bloody mad for them, before wellness expert Dr Jane Frail drops in for a terrifying tutorial on how to sleep (with a filthy conscience). Next, Alex dusts off her pipes to tell us why Tina Turner is Simply The Strongest Woman To Walk The Earth, before we get out our notebooks for a Smart Lesson on How To Keep Up With The News While Staying Sane, because it's always such uplifting stuff on there.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 60, the very handsome Gavin Day came to the studio to tell us all about art, money and why Banksy is a bit of a shit, actually. In this bonus episode featuring the full conversation, he dishes the dirt on his one-way relationship with Nigella Lawson, explains why the Mona Lisa was sent to New York strapped to a mattress, and tells us how how children can help to improve art criticism.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Should you drink your own wee all the time or only on special occasions? Urine for a treat this week as Hannah investigates all things piss, before Caroline takes the stage at our Women Who Code mixer to explain that you might want to start being nicer to your laptop, lest you hurt its feelings. Next we ask celebrity guest Gavin Day (the smart man who made our logo) to tell us why a piece of art costs more than a two-bed London flat, and finally we give our unwanted advice to a Reddit user whose awkwardness around family nudity is becoming a problem. So strip off, pour yourself a nice big glass of piss, and join us!Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 59, Hannah went to the Oscar Wilde Temple at Studio Voltaire to learn all about Oscar Wilde and his legacy within the LGBTQ community. In this bonus episode featuring the full conversation, curator Alison Gingeras discusses how aestheticism aimed to break down class barriers, the influence Wilde's mother "Speranza" had on his life and how, along with artists David McDermott and Peter McGough, she's created a beautiful space that uses art to make sense of suffering.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and Studio Voltaire. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Good news, folks – there's a 98% chance that this week's episode will effectively prevent pregnancy, mostly because of what Caroline reveals about her nose-picking habits. But before that, Alex finds out how long we've been sheathing penises in dead animal skin, Dr Jane Frail visits the studio to teach us how to breathe (and get revenge on an ex), and Hannah runs off to the Oscar Wilde Temple at Studio Voltaire, to find out more about the man himself and his legacy within the LGBTQ+ community from curator Alison Gingeras. Finally in our Smart Lesson, we workshop a more efficient way to talk about and break taboos. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and Studio Voltaire. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 58, author Ayisha Malik came to the studio to teach us all about what a romcom is and whether they are a force for good or for evil. In our full conversation, Ayisha discusses not watching The Big Sick, feeling represented in Jane Austen novels and inviting a third wheel along to a date. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline's 50% less farty than usual in today's episode, and the gang are taking apart the bread bin to find out why gluten is nature's gas machine. Alex has the murder podcast bug, but it's ok because it's a Victorian murder, therefore dodging all of our suspicions that true crime podcasts are evil and bad. Meanwhile Hannah wins a gold star by inviting author Ayisha Malik to the studio to talk romcoms, representation and dating while Muslim. At the Women Who Code mixer we get into the mad world of pet tech and how people trust machines more than their dog walkers, and finally we get our denim jackets on for our seasonal-dressing Smart Lesson.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Omg this episode is totally random! Oh hang on, no, it was very planned, and in it Hannah charts the early noughties comedy trend to find out what made sporks and badgers so gosh-darned funny. Meanwhile Caroline meets her guardian angel during a crisis of confidence, and Alex cracks the vault on bank holidays, days off and wearing white after Labour day. Finally, our wellness expert Dr Jane Frail tells us about self care and cyclists, and we take on a new reddit relationship question in our Smart Lesson.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's all gone Pete Dong this week as Alex tries to figure out the endlessly provocative world of Freudian slips, Caroline relays the many miseries of flies in summertime and Hannah beefs up to learn about bodyguards before putting the others through their protective paces. We also bed down with some white wine to learn about Blockchain in our Women Who Code mixer, before Alex humblebrags about her friendship skills for our Smart Lesson on how to be a good smart friend.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios.With thanks to Lucie Munier from Qadre and Ella Bowman from WeWork for the blockchain explanation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 55, comedy writer and performer Natasha Hodgson came to the studio to teach us all about how to enjoy horror films in a responsible and safe manner. In our full conversation Tash discusses her top tips for escaping a scary movie, prescribes us each with a horror film that we'll love, and tells us about Director's Cut, her new comedy/horror show with theatre company Kill The Beast.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comb your curtains, tighten your sarong, and get your Lego kit out: Alex is doing David Beckham this week and the studio might just get flooded from her frothing over. Meanwhile Hannah embraces her inner shellfish by investigating lobsters, and Caro gets camp with the history of glitter. We also have TWO guests this week: the terrifyingly gentle Dr Jane Frail to talk anal meditation for our new Women Who Glow segment, and the gently terrifying Tash Hodgson of Kill The Beast to teach us how to watch horror films for our Smart Lesson.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 54, Hannah met author, journalist and comedian Viv Groskop to find out why self-help phenomenon Oprah Winfrey is one of the most important women in Viv's life. In this bonus episode, Viv tells us about Oprah's Weight Watchers controversy, what happened when she went to the O Magazine Annual Conference and how Oprah is secretly a bit of a Dumb Woman herself. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios and Museum of Comedy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Groove is in the heart this week, dummies, because Caroline has been to a rave and discovered she likes dance music, and now she has to find out WHY. Meanwhile, Alex has put all her money into a Swiss bank account and accidentally financed international corruption, and Hannah spoke to writer, podcaster and comedian Viv Groskop about her heroine Oprah Winfrey, and how she inspired Viv's Edinburgh show. At the Women Who Code mixer, we learn about bike sharing systems and why we should do the same thing with our needy best friends, and lastly in our Smart Lesson, we grab gender neutral language by the ball sack, and try to think of a few ways to stop ourselves from involuntarily talking about penises all the time. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 53, we invited writer and journalist Daisy Buchanan to the studio to tell us the story behind Swedish pop sensation ABBA. In this bonus episode featuring the full conversation, we learn how we can ring (ring ring) Bjorn Ulvaeus if we so desire, why a trip to Japan might have spelled the end for the group, and Daisy reveals her uncensored thoughts on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Could you send your dog into orbit? Should you? This week, Caroline gets emotional learning about Laika the Russian space mutt, and how she bears an eerie resemblance to her own not-in-space dog. Coming up next is a brief summary of brief summaries; which is to say that Hannah finds out how continuity announcers work and sets a test to see if the gang would be any good at it, before Alex cheats her homework by bringing journalist and author Daisy Buchanan to the studio to tell us all about ABBA. Elsewhere, financial expert Richard Danyou prompts a segment on inheritances by sending his final telegram, and we learn how to choose and attend an exercise class in the Smart Lesson. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To a whole new level of personal understanding, apparently! This week Hannah makes the group take a navel-gazing personality test as part of her segment on belly buttons, and Alex decides whether Lindsay Lohan is good, evil or simply holed up in the world's richest desert town for a bit of peace and quiet. Meanwhile Caroline examines why every 10-year-old girl wants a pet pony, and looks into the appeal of our handsome friends. Elsewhere in the Women Who Code mixer we learn about social credit which seems a lot like a scary new Black Mirror plot happening in China, and in the Smart Lesson we become guidance counsellors and help out a lady in a dilemma about sexy selfies and a controlling boyfriend. Now, put your baps and buttons away and have a listen. Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How did she pull John Lennon? What is she up to now? And did she really break up the band? Hannah investigates all things Yoko this week, before Women With Dough's financial expert Richard Danyou phones in from the World Cup with some tips on pensions, and how not to be poor after 65. Meanwhile Alex tries to find out how the piece of plastic implanted in her arm is stopping her from having a baby, and Caroline panics when looking into how panic attacks happen. Finally in our Smart Lesson, we discuss how to survive going on a beach (or peach) holiday with your pals this summer.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do you solve a problem like a podcast's first birthday and its host's debut novel? With a live show, of course! After a lot of nervous farting over by the history section, Alex Caroline and Hannah put on a show in a book shop, and people came along to listen! So buckle up as Hannah explains why everyone in Korea shares a birthday, Alex looks into urban myths and why that woman probably didn't poo in a bag and leave it in her boyfriend's house, and Caroline examines how Agony Aunt columns were started by a man having an affair. Sigh. Plus, we get real-life bladdered on warm white wine in our Women Who Code mixer and make our audience over-share the dumbest things they've ever done before inviting trend reporter Lucy Vine to the stage to tell us why surprise albums are the next big thing!Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road.Special thanks to Rosie from Waterstones Tottenham Court Road, Andrew from Soho Radio and Ben and Mitch for making those cocktails so goddamn strong. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 49, we invited stand-up comedian and bat conservation expert Roddy Shaw to the studio to tell us all about what bats are. In this fully extended bonus episode, Roddy tells us about when bats nearly ended WW2, how they can make a moth's dick twitchy, and why they are integral to the production of tequila.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you ever listen to this podcast with your left hand and pretend someone else is doing it? No? Tune in for this and some more subtle wank jokes as Caroline investigates being (left or right) handy, and Hannah looks into how caffeine keeps us up all night but we don't mind. For her segment, Alex invites bat conservation expert and comedian Roddy Shaw to the studio to tell us why bats are the childhood best friend you wish you always hand. Elsewhere, Richard Danyou Skypes in from a Bitcoin mine in China for the Women With Dough mixer, and we discuss the etiquette around gift horses for our very mouthy Smart Lesson.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Has Jeff Goldblum, the internet's darling, hacked our evolutionary biology to make us like him or is he just pleased to see us? This week, Caroline scientifically determines whether we are a pro- or anti-Goldblum podcast, while in a very much unrelated move, Hannah answers a listener question about tube lines and Alex spends her segment stewing over a nice cup of tea. This week's Women Who Code mixer is hosted by guest speaker Rowan Ellis, who explains what YouTube are doing about placement of homophobic adverts on LGBTQ+ videos (hint: not much!) and finally, the Smart Lesson tackles an issue that is becoming quite pressing – how to act like a Smart Woman on a panel in front of a room full of people and not even fall off the stage.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's that noise you're making? Is a grape stuck in your windpipe or did someone just tell you a funny joke? This week Alex investigates what laughter actually is, while Hannah comes to terms with her ignorance about the Romans (and good coffee) by looking at the life of Emperor Nero, and Caroline turns into your uncle at a family party by explaining where all your favourite sayings come from. Meanwhile this week's #WomenWhoCode mixer tackles the sweaty teenage world of esports and our Smart Lesson lets you in on the secrets of a Smart Woman's summer social life.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why do our faces leak when we watch Up? Is it because we've been turned on by three rounds of oysters and a Ferrero Rocher pyramid? Caroline and Alex battle the age old mysteries of crying and aphrodisiacs in this groundbreaking episode, while Hannah avoids the cry wank by investigating a listener question about soap. Elsewhere our topical Women Who Code mixer rejoices in the fact that GDPR will rid us of “discount” ticket emails once and for all, and finally in our guidance counsellor Smart Lesson we debate whether you should be a good sport or put your foot down on having ninjas (and bad jokes) at your wedding.Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.comMusic by Harry Harris, logo design by Gavin Day. Recorded at Soho Radio Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.