Dirty Mother Pukka with Anna Whitehouse

From the viral video of a toddler using the F bomb to more and more parents losing their sh*t in front of the kids, this episode tackles swearing and the impact on kids. Is it funny or is it concerning? You decide.

This open-hearted chat about 40-something decisions doesn’t beat around the divorce bush. From when to get out to how to do it amicably, this is an episode that digs deep on how making decisions that serve you at 40 don’t need to be steeped in shame and repackaged as a ‘crisis’. Chat about a vibrator called The Boss, too. Essential intel for anyone moving into a new era.

This is an intriguing one. How do you show you care? Anna and Polly deep dive into love language and how important it is to see where someone is coming from. But also to recognise what you need in a relationship.

In this episode child psychologist Dr Martha opens up about rupture and repair with our kids. From moments of parental explosion to the calm after the hollering storm, this podcast is about helping you navigate being a grown up when you haven’t really, well, grown up. Probably one of the most useful episodes to date for those on the childcare edge.

As The Flexible Working Bill lands, Anna downloads what it will mean in practice, how to get your request approved and what’s left to do in the fight for baseline equality in the workforce.

This is a little more personal than usual but so much has been said about divorce and the other side of it is, perhaps, a very different happy ending. As Anna and her ex both move on to new relationships, Polly asks Anna about dating post-breakup and how she found her new boyfriend, Olly. This episode is a heart-on-sleeve download of the ups, downs, peaks and troughs of finding love after irretrievable breakdown. Bring tissues.

The big question. Would you choose kip over hitting that orgasm high? From sleep tools to separate rooms, what really does matter? Sleeping or getting down and, well, dirty?

The MAFS relationship queen steps into DMP quarters and talks sex, sex, sex. If we’re doing it enough, how to boost libido and some handy tools for locking in intimacy. It you’re in that grey area between ‘I do’ and ‘Till death do us part’ and wondering if this is it? This one’s for you.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like in the Wild West of dating apps? Or are you in the dark depths right now? While Anna found her boyfriend on Hinge, others share their good, bad and ugly stories of what it’s like in a world of swiping left and right. One word: unhinged.

The personal coach opens up in this painfully honest chat about loss of identity post-baby, including loss of friends, career and finally self. This is an audio guide to rebuilding yourself postpartum, one brick - or breeze block - at a time.

It’s often the hardest word to say, ‘sorry’ but Anna and Polly lean into apologies and how important they have been in their lives. From pretending it wasn’t your fault to hiding mistakes, the pair air their dirty laundry and say sorry along the way.

This is one of our favourite episodes to date. Former GBBO finalist Laura opens up on how the 90s made her feel fat. How she’s tried every diet - Special K, Cambridge, Slimfast - to date. And how she started to look in the mirror again and love herself. It’s brutally honest and hugely informative for a new generation who doesn’t want to hear ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’.

When the honeymoon period is over and you’re in the dark depths of childcare and Petit Filou, is it ever possible to regain that lustiness that’s there early doors of every relationship? Anna and Polly talk about her new boyfriend and how to keep that lust, well, alive.

This open-hearted chat with Dr Claire, a renowned burnout therapist starts with Anna’s recent panic attack at 3am and ends with a lesson in tapping - a technique to help anyone on the daily with unending anxiety and stress. Therapy is expensive and not accessible to all, so consider this episode an informed, maternal hug for anyone feeling totally overwhelmed with no idea where to start unpacking it.

Probably one of their punchiest discussions to date, Anna and Polly talk about finding their purpose in life - and how it feels to lack it at times. They chat about whether money is everything - said in the middle of a cost of living crisis - and how to find what you are meant to do in life. No biggie.

After a quick pop in from a very sick Anna, author and journalist Helen Russell joins Polly to spill the secrets behind happy Nordic living. From five year olds that talk back to an equal share of the mental load, we find out if the Nords really do parent the worlds happiest children.

Do you believe in horoscopes? What about signs? Anna and Polly find out if they are compatible astrologically and why they both believe in signs. Whether random writing on the wall or more subtle hints of things to come, this is a deep-dive into the minds of two people that believe.

Maybe you get the partner, move into a home and think about having a baby. It feels like a well-worn route but it’s not that simple as so many of us sadly find. Infertility is often the elephant in the marital or relationship room. This open-hearted episode with Izzy Judd opens the door to her IVF journey and the mental and physical implications of that. How wanting to make a family can sometimes break your heart. With a lovely insight into how her husband Harry Judd (of McFly acclaim) held her through it. Bring tissues.

After Anna’s latest Telegraph column landed describing her as a ‘single parent’, a debate sprung up about the use of the terms ‘single’ or ‘solo’ parent along with ‘co-parent’. Whether a military wife, a widow or a divorcee (among many other situations) there’s a lot of hurt, anger and frustration out there around using the right terms. Listen in to join the discussion.

She’s the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and she’s a powerhouse when it comes to tackling the motherhood penalty. That’s 54,000 of us every year lopped out of the workforce for daring to have a baby. This episode digs deep on the current childcare crisis and how so many of us are getting into debt simply trying to function as a working family. Expect practical advice and an innate knowledge of what the flip is going on with a government that seems to think kids are a recreational side hustle. Cathartic for sure. Supportive, too.

After Anna and Polly’s first big argument, the pair look into conflict resolution and how arguments can bolster the foundations of relationships. Whether you are arguing with your partner about dishwasher stacking or getting hacked off with a friend for not responding on What’s App, this is how to build back better after a bit of a clash.

Celebrating two years of DMP, Anna and Polly reflect on where they started and where they are now. From divorce to heartbreak and emotional downloads via a few sex parties and a dominatrix, this is a love story of two women who truly chose each other. This is the ‘til death do us part’ bit without the husbands.

This is a deep dive into friendship. The good, the bad and the ugly. Are BFF’s just a mean girls sect? Or a sign of insecurity? And how do you know if you’ve got a good one on-side? Anna and Polly open up their friendship and question if they will, indeed, be forever friends. 

From Lads Mags pin-up to lingerie model at 52, Caprice has been there and done that. From raucous parties in the 90s with plumes of cannabis in every corner to learning to love every lump and bump on her body, this is a spotlight on a woman who has been seen predominantly through the male gaze.

From school run mumming to ‘mumpreneur’ (the worst of the worst when it comes to archaic phrases), the fashion industry simply doesn’t get the reality of our 40-something parental lives. But do we care? What is our style now? And how did we look back in the 90s? We go via Kookai and Jane Norman in an episode that opens up our wardrobes and questions our, well, fashion sense.

In this episode the TOWIE star opens up about the moment her boyfriend broke up with her when she was 11 weeks pregnant. Far from being defined by that time she fought through it and is on a journey to redefining what it is to be a single mum. From dodgy dates to her 4-year-old daughter ‘saving her’ this is the happily ever after often left off the table.

Sure, sure it could be a newborn. But what about those nights where it’s a 3.41am wake-up and you have cortisol pumping through your system. Anna and Polly open up about what’s keeping them up at night and how to get some z’s if you are struggling. 

In this episode Anna and Polly get candid about the realities of coming home with your first baby. Can parenting ever be a 50/50 split? And are nannies really the answer for the career focused mum? They lay it all out with CEO of SOS Dance Global and Muma Bonnie Parsons.

Anna and Polly surf that crimson tide (and cover other terrible phrases for periods). From PMT to period sex there is no menstrual stone uncovered in this episode. 

In this episode Anna and Polly dive into the world of maternal therapy with Abby. They discuss everything from Glimmers, to Name it to Tame it, to Re-Parenting. This is a practical mental health episode to break yourself out of fight or flight and focus on what’s in front of you.

Anna and Polly unpack sexiness. From how they feel at 42 over 24. To what they find sexy about themselves and each other. Alongside some brutal unpacking of what’s not sexy in men. Funnily enough it starts with attitude not aesthetics. 

In this episode Anna and Polly dig deep on true romance with love coach Persia. From when to get out of a dead-end relationship to how to know if he or she is the real deal, this is a no-holds-barred chat on love, actually.

A dog’s for life not just for Christmas. But what impact do animals have on romance? From dogs sleeping in beds to dog walking resentment, this episode digs deep on humans and animals colliding under one roof.

How do you live your life free from fear and shame? Double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes joins Anna to discuss coming out as a gay woman at 52 and her struggles with burnout and depression.

The Christmas mental load is real for mums. We take care of everything. If it's all been a bit too much for you, come on in and join our safe space. This isn't a man-bashing exercise, but 25 minutes to say we see you and all that you do to make Christmas as special as possible for your family. Plus, have some giggles and find out how Polly set her dad's hair on fire one Christmas. Merry Christmas you dirty Mother Pukkas.

Apparently none of us are doing it over the festive period. Are we surprised? The mental load is off the charts and so many of us are staying at our parent's houses. But, if you simply must bonk this Christmas, Anna and Polly dive into the best places to do it in secret and the best themed positions to try. But if you couldn't think of anything worse, just listen for a good x-rated laugh.

Is it time to redefine the mid-life crisis? In this week's episode Anna and Polly talk to Olympic champion and presenter Denise Lewis about navigating the loss of your identity after motherhood and retirement, and why she's reclaiming herself at 50.

It may be a term you've heard of, but how much do you know about asexuality? It's most known as the term to describe those who have little interest in sex, but it's actually an umbrella term for a spectrum of sub-identities. In this episode, model and activist Yasmin Benoit join Anna and Polly to discuss her personal experiences and the many myths and misconceptions.

Do cosmetic procedures simply paper the cracks of self esteem? And how do you know when you've gone too far? Polly chats to the wonderful Cherry Healey about the perks and pitfalls of tweakments, how trying to be seductive could be the antithesis of sexiness, and how discipline is key to fixing the gremlins inside.

From role playing to sexual fantasies, Anna and Polly dig deep on how to have better sex. This episode offers up different scenarios to try out and some of Polly’s trusty games to ignite a little passion in the bedroom.

How do you know where your hormones start and real feelings end? In this hormonal deep-dive Anna and Polly grill sex educator Hannah Witton on how to untangle yourself from Mother’s Nature’s headiest cocktail of hormones, exhaustion, vaginal (or abdominal) battering and how to come out the other side with relationship vaguely in tact.

Anna and Polly continue slagging each other off publicly in an attempt to work out what bitchiness truly is. Are you one? Have you known one? And how do you know when you are doing it? Or are you just in denial? Strap in.

This is a biggie. The brilliant singer who has dominated the charts since her rise to fame on X Factor opens up about the painful reality of sustaining a career in music while raising a baby. This beautifully open chat digs into the primal, visceral, maternal state we find ourselves in post-baby and how that, well, works alongside work.

This episode is a tale of two halves. One half is how much sex you should be having - and when our libido drops off in a long-term relationship. The other half is a deluge of Polly’s worst sexcapades. Warning: it involves a toilet cistern.

Following an article she wrote in Grazia, Anna opens up about the practicalities and the emotions of her recent divorce. How to get out, when to get out, how to tell the kids and how to know you aren’t going to lose your mind in the process. Plus help from family lawyer Georgina Hamblin on how to do it if you are financially controlled.

To sext or not to sext. That is the question. It can be an excruciating exchange sometimes but when you are in the throes or parenting and working, it can be a simple way to close the pleasure gap between the two of you. If that’s not for you, don’t worry Polly has a game up her sleeve to help you get, well, intimate.

TW: This episode contains detailed discussion around miscarriage and baby loss.Liam and Matt from the award-winning podcast Dad Still Standing on the instinctive male need to man up around grief. And how they’ve broken those barriers down. The pair open up on what they wished they’d known in that grieving period and how to support your partner fully. A beautiful conversation with two incredible humans who have navigated the unnavigable.

Why is it so hard to reach out to others and how do you even pick those you reach out to? With increasing overwhelm across the board, this is a DMP SOS call for that much-talked-about village to rally. Because it does, indeed, take a village.

This was a ride. From ENMs (ethical non-monogamy) to polyamory, this is a deep-dive into opening your relationship and how to do it safely and securely. If you think this isn’t for you, think again. Sex and pleasure is a huge animalistic part of our lives and if it’s working as a duo but you’ve fantasied about a ménage, then this is well worth a listen.

From white lies to great whopping ones, is there ever a place for dishonesty in the name of emotional protection? Anna and Polly deep-dive into the lies they’ve told, the ramifications that have landed and question the line of dishonesty and holding back certain truths to diffuse hurt. One thing the duo can’t hear anymore is anyone saying, ‘I’m just speaking my truth’. That’s, well, the truth.