Pumpkin Spice Gays, Earworms and Just Don’t Be A Dick. Part 1

A warm-and-spicy ep that swerves from nostalgia to nuance. We kick off with iconic ad jingles (Bodyform power ballads, Iron-Bru “made in Scotland from girders,” and rogue double-glazing earworms) before slipping into full autumn mode: candles, chai, cozy darkness and the eternal “when does autumn actually start?” debate.

Then we get serious: free speech vs harm in the wake of Graham Linehan’s arrest, why “opinions” aren’t a licence for hate, and how allyship needs boundaries so we don’t burn out. We unpack sex ed (LGBTQIA+, asexuality, Scotland vs England curricula, and why porn ≠ education), friendship deal-breakers vs healthy challenge, and privilege inside the LGBTQ+ community.

We round it out with wholesome recs (Traitors UK/Ireland, Upload, Fisk), music we’re loving (Sabrina Carpenter, SEMA/SMAT, Paramore/Hayley Williams, The Beaches) and a feel-good news blitz (tiny-home village for older women, Netherlands’ shelter success, school kindness closet). Heavy to light, with giggles in between—classic Hiya Babs.