#37 Love Island: Consent, body image and the problem with on-screen relationships

This week on Millennial Love we welcome the brilliant trans activist Charlie Craggs to help us get to the bottom of how important it is to have common interests with a romantic partner. Could you date a Tory if you're a passionate Corbynista? Do opposites really attract? And does it matter if your date isn't 'woke'? (Don't know what 'woke' means? Fear not, we explain.) Let us know your thoughts on the episode by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/millennial.love/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Mar 201848min

Losing your virginity is often heralded as one of the most seminal moments in a person’s life. But is it always such a big deal?This week on Millennial Love we’re joined by journalist and author Radhika Sanghani to discuss some of the contentious issues surrounding ‘the first time’.Is there ever a perfect time to lose it? And why is there so much pressure to do so, particularly in your teenage years?We also share the virginity stories of some our brave and honest listeners – in addition to our own (gulp).Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Feb 201839min

Actor Demi Lovato recently schooled us all in how to flirt on Instagram. Some say it's shameless, others say it's brilliant - either way, it's got us thinking about how we use Instagram to try and catch the attention of our crushes.One of the most obvious ways is with a so-called 'thirst-trap,' which is essentially just a picture of you looking really hot.This week on Millennial Love, we're also discussing the role of religion in relationships, with Helen and Sabrina sharing their experiences of dating as a Christian and Jew respectively. Does being religious make it easier or harder to find love? We try to reach a conclusion.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Feb 201838min

This week on Millennial Love we are thrilled to be joined by former dating columnist, podcaster and author Dolly Alderton. As well as picking Dolly's brains about how she wrote her new book 'Everything I Know About Love', we discuss how to cope when your friends get into new relationships and you're suddenly less of a priority. It's a familiar struggle for many of us.We also delve into our psyches and explore the idea of craving attention from the opposite sex whilst simultaneously fearing intimacy. How does it come about? And what can we do about the predicament?Finally, Dolly explains how, after years of entertaining escapades with men, she's ultimately learned that she is enough.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Feb 201851min

A new dating app has been released that allows you to rate and review your dates straight after gong on them. Do I Date sounds terribly Black Mirror to us, so this week we reveal why we think it's an awful idea.And speaking of bad ideas, the headmaster of a leading public school has banned his pupils from having relationships. This prompts us to look back on our own romantic escapades at school (or lack thereof) and wonder whether you could ever really stop teens from hooking up behind the school shed.We also have two exciting new launches this week: firstly, a new segment of the podcast where we offer advice on your dating dilemmas. And secondly, we've created a new Facebook group for Millennial Love - head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/millennial.love/ to join the discussion.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Jan 201834min

The anonymous account of one woman's bad date with actor Aziz Ansari is the topic on everyone's lips this week, which ties in rather nicely with the launch of a new app that's meant to be used to officially give someone sexual consent. However, we feel there are a lot of problems with apps like this, and as usual, we're sharing all our thoughts in this week's episode. We're also pondering imbalances in relationships: is one person always punching above their weight? And is it necessarily a problem?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Jan 201837min

Social media has created a whole new way to chat someone up: sliding into DMs (direct messages). But is there a correct etiquette for this? Is there a way to do it without being creepy? We share our thoughts on the matter this week on Millennial Love.We're also discussing 'the ick' - the inexplicable feeling of disgust you sometimes develop out of nowhere towards someone you're dating, even though you were totally into them before. Where does it come from? Do men get the ick too? We try to get to the bottom of all these mysteries.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Jan 201830min

Dating someone new is a minefield - how often should you see each other? At what point should you invite them into your home? Should you do something different on every date? Joined by writer Jack May, we attempt to get to the bottom of all these issues this week on Millennial Love. We're also thinking about the importance of having compatible texting habits in a relationship and how communication changes depending on which messaging platform you use. Sliding into DMs is highly encouraged.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/millenniallove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Jan 201836min