HAVE YOU HEARD?

The Poodcast: Shining a light on bowel and bladder conditions

Published on September 13, 2023

Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet, we think you should have. Today we’re shining the light onto a podcast we featured in last week’s newsletter that is breaking the stigma around bowel and bladder conditions…

Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

We are Evie and Claudia and our podcast is about bowel and bladder conditions! We want to break the stigma around discussing these issues, so we always use humour as the backbone to our chats and interviews (we hope!)

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

Evie: The first podcast I ever listened to was My Favourite Murder with Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff! I still listen every week.

Claudia: Mine was My Dad Wrote a Porno. I was gutted when it ended, it was always my weekly pick me up.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

Evie: I wanted someone to talk to about my various toilet mishaps and I couldn’t believe it when Claudia mentioned off-hand one day she’d been struggling with IBS and had had to sit in the toilet at the theatre for the whole show. I had no idea one of my closest friends and I had never shared our experiences with each other and wondered how many other people could benefit from these types of conversations. So, naturally, I asked Claudia if she’d like to broadcast our issues worldwide.

Claudia: I’ll be honest, when Evie came to me with the idea of creating a comedy podcast on bowel and bladder issues I was so nervous that I had to go to the bathroom. The irony was not lost on me. But once we put our first episode out there it was not only cathartic, it was heartwarming to see how many other people were going through similar issues. It felt like a no-brainer to keep creating more episodes.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

Evie: I love Kathy Burke’s When There’s a Will, There’s a Wake. The format of the show enables the guests to be funny, whilst also often covering personal and human issues, which is something Claudia and I would like to emulate. I’ve also loved Elis James and John Robins’ How Do You Cope? and have taken great inspiration in managing difficult conversations and how to ask the most interesting questions.

Claudia: I became obsessed with Dolly Alderton’s podcast Love Stories because it quite literally felt like receiving a hug. That’s what I wanted to put out into the world. If we were going to create a podcast I wanted our listeners to feel comfort from our humour and the stories we shared. What has been the most rewarding thing about this process has been receiving messages from listeners who have resonated with The Poodcast in that very way.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Evie: Sadly, it was Deborah James. Her strength, resilience and humour during her illness was nothing short of astounding and we tried so hard to speak to her before she died.

Claudia: I would love to get Jameela Jamil on the podcast. Not only because I love her podcast I Weigh and think she manages to tackle really sensitive issues with such heart and ferocity but also because I hear she has some of the funniest poop stories in the biz.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

Evie: It’s hard to say, but I think the conversation with Lauren Mahon about bowel cancer was a really enlightening one. At the risk of sounding like a narcissist, starting with a ‘Just the Poo of Us’ special is also good, to see if you can stand our voices as we feature in every episode!

Claudia: I agree a ‘Just the Poo of Us’ is a good place to start or I still have a particular fondness for our episode with Billie Anderson (S1 Ep 13), it’s a good mix of total silliness and a very real delve into the life of somebody with a bowel condition.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

We have an Instagram page which is @the_poodcast and we are both discoverable on social media @eviekillip and @claudiacam. Please join our Poo Crew, we’d love to have you!