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Talking about the stuff that no one else will. Honest conversations about things that embarrass or scare us. Hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, the breast surgeon with breast cancer.
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
My second guest is the wonderful Debbie Bliss MBE. She’s the most published knitwear designer in the world. She revolutionised the pattern industry and makes knitting cool. But she also looks cool as well. Debbie has had thymus and breast cancer and has accepted her new figure after a mastectomy. She’s a savvy business woman in her seventies and there’s no sign of her stopping any time soon.
As well as her cancer journey, we talk about how fell in to knitting almost by accident, which led to Elton John owning one of her knitted house plants. She shares with us her own mother’s struggles with mental illness, the challenge of redefining yourself as an older woman in this world of filters and influencers, and the importance of being kind.
You can find out more about Debbie here:
Twitter @debbieblissnews
Instagram @debbieblissknits
Debbie Bliss Website https://www.debbieblissonline.com
LoveCrafts (for patterns)
Don’t Ignore the Elephant Knitting pattern
Use the code DITE for 20% off
Knitting Pattern by Claire Fairall Designs
All profits go to the Institute of Cancer Research
Liz O’Riordan
Instagram @oriordanliz
Twitter @Liz_ORiordan
YouTube @DrLizORiordan
Website www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, in association with Elizabeth Richards, proudly sponsored by AOK Events, produced by Bird Lime Media.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
The first episode of season two it a little bit different. It’s a legacy listen with my mum, Isobel. She was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer three months before we recorded the interview. I wanted to chat to mum and find out what it was like for her when I got breast cancer, before talking about her own experiences as an amputee.
Sadly Mum died less than three months later from a pneumonia she developed during chemotherapy. I’ve listened back to our chat so many times and in my heart I knew I had to share it with you. It’s what she would have wanted.
She approached her cancer with a positive, cheery attitude and I hope that you feel a little bit of joy after listening to us natter.
If someone close to you has died recently, here is a great list of charities and organisations that can help:
This is a link to Donna Ashworth’s website who’s book of poems called ‘Loss’ really helped me.
If anyone you or anyone you know has been affected by bone cancer or sarcoma, I can recommend these two charities:
If you’ve been moved by Mum’s story and want to donate to her legacy fund to raise money for research into osteosarcoma, you can donate here.
I’d love to know what you thought of this episode. This meant a lot to me, and I hope I’ve done the right thing in sharing it with you. You can watch the full video on my YouTube Channel
Liz O’Riordan:
Instagram @oriordanliz
Twitter @Liz_ORiordan
YouTube @DrLizORiordan
Website www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, in association with Elizabeth Richards, proudly sponsored by AOK Events, produced by Bird Lime Media.
Tuesday Dec 07, 2021
Tuesday Dec 07, 2021
How do we talk more openly about divorce? In the final episode of season one, veteran broadcaster Jane Garvey talks to me about her own experience of splitting up in the spotlight, why you should get on with your ex for the sake of your children, and how to kickstart your career when you reach ‘middle age’, whatever that might be.
Jane almost needs no introduction. After launching Radio 5 Live she spent 13 years at the helm of Woman’s Hour on Radio 4. She now spends her days chatting about the chuff of life with her co-host Fi Glover on the soul-warming podcast Fortunately. She’s shown that there is a demand for simple, honest, female conversation and friendship. Jane went through her divorce in the spotlight and she describes adjusting to life as a single parent with humour and honesty in her and Fi’s new book, Did I Say That Out Loud?.
You can listen to Jane and Fi Glover’s podcast ‘Fortunately’ here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04x5pd7/episodes/downloads / https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fortunately-with-fi-and-jane/id1220808096
And their book ‘Did I say that out Loud?’ is available here: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Fi-Glover/Did-I-Say-That-Out-Loud--Notes-on-the-Chuff-of-Life/25632880
The audiobook has some added extras!
Social media
Jane Garvey
Twitter @janegarvey1
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
Do you ever talk openly and honestly about money? Do you feel guilty or ashamed over how much you spend? Do you know how much is in your bank account at any given time? Does your partner know about your debts? Do your children know how to save for the future?
Davinia Tomlinson is founder of RainChq, an organisation promoting financial inclusion to women. She talked to me about when we should spend, when we should save, how we can talk more openly about money and why women need to feel more confident with things like investing in stocks and shares. She showed me that budgeting can be the ultimate freedom and that a pension is a must, not a maybe.
To find out more about RainChq visit https://www.rainchq.com/
You can also hear Davinia on her own podcast ‘Let’s Make it Rain’ - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lets-make-it-rain-the-podcast/id1591463088
Here are some of the budgeting apps that Davinia says are a good place to start:
Chip - https://www.getchip.uk/
Plum - https://withplum.com/
Emma- https://emma-app.com/
And for investing, the app Moneybox helps you invest your spare change - https://www.moneyboxapp.com/
Social media
Davinia Tomlinson
IG @rainchq
Website: https://www.rainchq.com/
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Tuesday Nov 23, 2021
Tuesday Nov 23, 2021
Clara Swedlund is a physique coach and sports psychologist who overcame bulimia and binge-eating in her teens and early twenties. She competes in bikini bodybuilding competitions and helps clients like me train to get strong and fit for life. She’s only too aware of the impact of social media when it comes to defining what a perfect body looks like, and how important it is to be kind to yourself.
If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder or know someone who might be, these are some helpful resources
NHS Advice - How to help someone with an eating disorder
Social media:
Clara Swedlund
Twitter @ceswedlund
Website: https://linktr.ee/claritasw_vwphysique
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Orla Chennaoui began her career as a news journalist but moved over to sports for the London 2012 Olympics. In 2019 she joined Eurosport as the lead presenter for cycling events, in a very male-dominated field. She was diagnosed with post-natal depression after the birth of her first child, and lives with anxiety on a daily basis. Orla spoke to me about how she’s learnt to reframe anxiety into something positive, and how grateful she is to be more bad-ass because of it.
Orla talks about breathing techniques that help her cope when she starts to feel anxious. For more information, see below:
We touched on some pretty heavy subjects in this episode. If you’ve been affected and need someone to talk to, remember you can always reach out to the Samaritans - call 116 123 for free. More info here.
Social media
Orla Chennaoui
Twitter @SportsOrla
IG @sportsorla
Belfast Telegraph weekend column
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Kathryn Mannix is one of the UK’s leading palliative care specialists who carefully and tenderly encourages us to talk and learn more about the ultimate elephant in the room - death.
Kathryn’s written two brilliant books on the subject - With the End in Mind
And her latest book - Listen
Kathryn is also a patron of End of Life Doula UK, an invaluable resource if you’re looking after someone who’s dying.
Kathryn and I would love to know if this episode helped you have a difficult conversation. Let us know using the hashtag #DITE.
Kathryn’s entry for the Jar of Joy was celebrating her dad’s 90th birthday. What are you putting in the jar this week?
Social media:
Kathryn Mannix
Twitter @drkathrynmannix
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
Have you ever wondered what it’s like when a doctor becomes a patient? I thought I was unlucky when I got breast cancer but then I spoke to my next guest, the American ophthalmologist Dr Will Flanary. He had testicular cancer twice - first a med student and then as a junior doctor. But that’s not all. In 2020 Will had a cardiac arrest and his amazing wife did CPR for ten minutes to bring him back to life. We spoke about how he’s used his comedy alter-ego Doctor Glaucomflecken to cope with everything life has thrown at him.
Will is fund-raising for First Descents, a charity that provides free outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions. He donates all his speaking fees to the organisation in aim to raise $50,000.
You can read more about Will’s story here: https://www.drgcomedy.com/bio and watch his hilarious videos here.
Will’s entry for the Jar of Joy was his new puppy. What are you putting in the jar this week?
Social media:
Will Flanary
Twitter @DGlaucomflecken
Website: https://www.drgcomedy.com/bio
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
For anyone with an interest in sex, intimacy and love - this show is for you.
Sex after illness, cancer, the menopause, bereavement and when you’re older. Sex expert and retired nurse Sam Evans founder of Jo Divine and who’s personally helped me - joins me to talk about sex, more sex, lube and more lube and how embracing experimentation and making it fun can really help!
There’s a wealth of information on the Jo Divine Website https://www.jodivine.com/
Don’t forget to use the DISCOUNT CODE for any purchases - #DITE2021 - valid for 6 weeks from 18th October 2021.
Sam’s entry for the Jar of Joy was freshly baked bread. What are you putting the jar this week?
Social media
Sam Evans
Twitter @SamTalksSex
IG @samtalkssex
Jo Divine
Twitter @jodivineuk
IG @jo.divine
Website https://www.jodivine.com
Liz O’Riordan
Twitter @Liz_Oriordan
IG @oriordanliz
Website: www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
My first guest is the wonderful actor, writer and producer Greg Wise. He’s appeared on stage and screen as well as getting behind the lens to produce documentaries. At the moment he’s starring in Strictly Come Dancing, inspired by his sister Clare. Greg looked after her as she was dying from breast cancer. He picked up her blog when she was too unwell to write, which became a beautiful book.
He joins me to talk about the privilege of being her carer and how it changed his perception of death. I was blown away by his reflections on dying and it’s certainly changed how I think about the future. We also talked a little bit about fake tan and sequins on the dance floor, and what he would put in the podcast ‘Jar of Joy’.
We touched on some pretty heavy subjects in this episode. If you’ve been affected and need someone to talk to, remember you can always reach out to the Samaritans - call 116 123 for free. More info here: www.samaritans.org
Greg's book, Not That Kind of Love can be bought here.
For more information about the charity End of Life Doula UK, see here.
Greg’s entry for the podcast ‘Jar of Joy’ was a random act of kindness. Let me know what you’d put in the jar this week.
Social Media Links:
Greg Wise:
Instagram @gregwiseofficial
Twitter @strictlygreg
Liz O’Riordan:
Instagram @oriordanliz
Twitter @Liz_ORiordan
Website www.liz.oriordan.co.uk
Don’t Ignore The Elephant is hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan, produced by Bird Lime Media in association with Elizabeth Richards.