12/3 - Mr & Mrs & Mrs

“It’s a bit political, figuring out who would sleep with who”

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It began as a threesome, arranged through dating app Feeld.

But soon, Maggie and Cody realised their connection to Janie was more than sexual… 

No longer just an adventurous couple in an open relationship, they had become a ‘thruple’ - whose relationship with Janie (their ‘third’) was as vital and equitable as their marriage to each other. 

In this interview with Olly, they explain the importance of communication in a three-way relationship, the dangers of jealousy and bigotry - and the complexities of sleeping arrangements and decision-making when you love two people at once. 

If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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It’s changed a lot since 1995, apparently.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart dons his VR headset (again) to discover what real-world skills he can glean from his living room.

With the help of YouTubers Cas and Chary, and apps Survivorman, The Climb 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Marineverse Cup, he tries his hand at yacht-racing, skyscraper climbing and fire-lighting - only to find refuge in ‘DJ school’ Tribe XR.

Whilst learning to use aftershave as ignition fuel.

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by Virtual Game Night, the fully interactive gameshow experience. To turn your next virtual gathering into a Virtual Game Night, visit virtualgamenight.live/mann for a free demo. Then, take 20% off any package with the code MANN20.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has details of how you can play with lightbulbs in your bedroom. In two unforgettable ways.

And, in our listener question of the month, she considers inventive lockdown dating ideas, from ‘collabaroke’ to tarot-reading, and reveals how a socially-distanced ‘picture pic-tour’ nabbed her a boyfriend.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by Handy - a WiFi-enabled sex toy for men, designed and developed in Norway. For free express shipping, use our code ‘Foxhole' at TheHandy.com.

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Finally, over in music corner, St Vincent make a welcome return to our playlist of dreams. 

Their new one, 'Pay Your Way In Pain’, is out now:

Love the show? Then SEND US A DONATION.

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this podcast afloat!

BUY US A BEER HERE. Thanks!

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This episode is brought to you by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

We’re also proudly supported by Beer52, the world’s largest craft beer club. Join over 170,000 members and sample a completely FREE CASE of eight beers at beer52.com/Modern.

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We’ll be back with a brand new episode on April 10.

See you then!

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12/2 - My Dad, The Stranger

“Why would I want to have a relationship with a man who didn’t want to have a relationship with me?”

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Olivia hardly knew her father. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she was brought up by her Mum.

Sent to boarding school at the age of eight, she was estranged from her Dad for a decade.

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Struggling financially, and weakened by bulimia, she got a call from out of the blue: it was her father, wanting to rekindle their relationship.

But - as her health deteriorated, and the UK went into lockdown - her Mum dropped a bombshell that changed everything Olivia thought she knew about her family…

Names have been changed.  

If you’ve been affected by an eating disorder, BEAT or Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous may be able to help. If you’re dealing with emotional abuse, CRISIS Text Line offer free 24/7 support.

If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has a 21st century spring clean - testing out Karcher’s new ‘electric cloth’, Samsung’s VS90 Jet and CleanStation, Lupe’s Pure Cordless Vacuum, and Cleen, a subscription box of environmentally-friendly cleaning products.

[Cleen have kindly created a 10% discount link just for Mann-fans: click here for 10% off your first box.]

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped, and their new cologne, Refined. 

For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox checks out the new bedroom toy that ‘turns your balls into a torpedo’, and advises listener James, who lusts after casual sex with his close friends.

Is James demisexual? Is hypersexualised gay culture, online and offline, spurring him on? And is it really a ‘kink’ to have a crush on your mates? Alix investigates, with the help of Skyler Wang, Topher Talyor, and Justin Myers.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Personal Shopper’, a dystopian synth pop classic-in-the-making from Steven Wilson.

You can stream the full glorious TEN MINUTES now on his album, The Future Bites:

Love the show? Then SEND US A DONATION.

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this podcast afloat!

BUY US A BEER HERE. Thanks!

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Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on March 10.

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12/1 - Trouble In Paradise

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Sun, sea and €1 drinks lure thousands of backpackers to Andrew’s hostel in a typical year.

But 2020 was not a typical year.

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Confronting a doomed Summer season and 45 empty bedrooms, Andrew’s family converted their hostel, in the Cote d’Azur, in to a homeless shelter during Lockdown.

In place of tourists, they welcomed a diverse group of refugees, drug addicts, career criminals and victims of domestic abuse.

As Andrew recounts to Olly, the experience opened his eyes to the realities of life on the streets - the mental health problems, alcoholism, and traumatic violence so often lurking in the background - but also gave him hope that it’s possible to re-make your life, even in the most dire of circumstances.  

(Names have been changed.)

If YOU have a story about overcoming the challenges of modern life which you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart heads out into the bracing January fog for… a barbecue, of course!

Can he ‘upskill’ his outdoor cooking abilities to create a Winter feast?

Armed with little more than a plank of plywood and a side of salmon, he attempts to justify his hipster beard by mastering an authentic asado wood-flamed pit - and puts the trend for ‘sweet pizza’ to the test. 

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, fill out our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. 

For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox gets deep in the weeds of aphrodisiac seeds, and assists a lady listener who coughs each time she has sex.

Could this after-sex reflex be a reaction to her partner’s semen, an allergy to linens, or even a vasovagal attack? Alix investigates, with the assistance of breathing expert Jane Tarrant.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

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Finally, music this month comes from Dutch-born, London-based singer-songwriter Eyelar - and her current single, ‘Doin’ It Again’.

Listen back to all our ‘record of the month’ choices on our Spotify playlist here.

Love the show? Here are THREE GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT US IN 2021:

• Tell your friends! We’re @themodernmann on Twitter.

• Post a review for the show on Apple Podcasts. It helps others find us.

• Send us a donation. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us make the show. BUY US A BEER HERE.

Happy New Year!

Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on Feb 10.

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11/12 - Christmas SPECTACULAR! 2020

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Ho ho ho!

In this bumper Christmas special, our three households unite (at an appropriate social distance, of course) for a festive mix of songs, reminiscences and parlour games - and, of course, the legendary XXXmas Foxhole Christmas Quiz.

In the Zeitgeist, our one-man matchmaker Ollie Peart explores the unsettling uptick in loneliness wrought by the events of 2020 - and decides to turn the tide with his bespoke Match-A-Mate service.

Can his unique algorithm (‘If there’s one thing you can get on with somebody about, it’s something that you both hate’) unite together Mannfans as diverse as a Vancouver-based priest and a Mancunian theoretical physicist?

Fifty one-on-one Zoom calls later, he provides audio evidence that suggests that, well, just maybe it can…

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Next, as has become traditional, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive performance from singer-songwriter Griff.

She talks to Olly about her ‘best worst year ever’ - being nominated for an Ivor Novello award whilst still in her teens, yet thwarted from playing to live crowds - and treats us to two stripped-down tracks: a haunting rendition of single 1,000,000 X Better, and our Record of the Month, ‘Love is a Compass’ - as featured in this year’s Disney Christmas ad.

You can hear all our music selections from the past five years in this Spotify playlist.

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Disney are donating 100% of proceeds for every download made before 31 December 2020 to Make-A-Wish, a charity helping bring small gifts of joy to children with life-threatening illnesses.

Finally, the year’s sexscapades reach a thrilling climax with Alix Fox digging deep in her box of questionable props for another truly unforgettable XXXmas Foxhole Christmas Quiz.

Can Olly Mann locate the labia in under two minutes? Can Ollie Peart stomach a squizz of Bijoux Indiscrets ‘Blowjob Spray’? And how will the boys fare as their anatomical knowledge is put to the test, with the aid of a Dick On A Stick cock-waffle? You will squirm, you will learn, you will laugh.

The Foxhole is sponsored by The Condom People, where you can discreetly purchase premium condoms and lubes including vegan-friendly Skyns and German brand On. Get 15% off with the code FOXHOLE at TheCondomPeople.com.

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This episode of The Modern Mann is proudly supported by:

• Virtual Game Night, the fully interactive gameshow experience. To turn your next virtual gathering into a Virtual Game Night, visit virtualgamenight.live/mann for a free demo. Then, take 20% off any package with the code MANN20.

• Beer52, the world’s number one craft beer club. Claim your FREE case right now at beer52.com/Modern.

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We also need your donations to keep going.

We’re a totally independent podcast - our only income comes from the adverts you hear and the money you give.

Despite everything 2020 has chucked at us, we’ve still cranked out monthly episodes, thanks to YOUR contributions.

We’ve taken you door-to-door on the election trail, exposed injustice in one of our biggest institutions, and brought you an exclusive interview with one of the most unassuming success stories in UK tech history.

No celebs, no-one trying to shift copies of their memoirs... we share these stories with you because they matter. 

If you value what we do, support us to produce more.

Thank you.
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Happy Christmas!

Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new season of the show on Jan 10.

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11/11 - The Family Liaison

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After a sudden and violent death, the Metropolitan Police will dispatch a member of their ‘Family Liaison' team to the deceased person’s relatives, to ensure their needs are met.

But this wasn’t always the case...

As retired officer Tom Simmons explains to Olly, the ‘family liaison’ role was only professionalised in the 90s, after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry - a process in which he played a part.

Before then, shocked and grieving family members were frequently dealt with by detectives with no formal training in the psychological, religious and practical requirements of victims - and who might make no secret of the fact that, as family members, they too might be suspects in a murder…

Content warning: this interview includes references to terrorism, child sexual abuse and murder; and descriptions of dead bodies. 

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Elsewhere, in this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explores the trend for ‘menicures’. Can the lady behind Instagram’s ‘Boys In Polish’ help him become Britain’s Next Top Male Nail Artist?

Get the look: if you want to try Ollie’s designs for yourself, download his factsheet for the ‘perfect’ menicure HERE.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

(Thanks for all your entries to be matched with a friend this Christmas! We’ve had LOADS of applications, so the survey is now closed.)

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Meanwhile, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox (‘Best Sexual Health Ambassador’ in the 2020 Erotic Trade Awards, natch), assists a lady listener in lockdown dating.

Does participating in sexting automatically open the door for more, um, intimate video content? How can one set up boundaries of consent and respect on Tinder? And what’s the best way to communicate them, with one hand down your pants? 

Alix has all the answers, with the help of blogger and pole dancer @bloggeronpole.

The Foxhole is sponsored by The Condom People, where you can discreetly purchase premium condoms and lubricants from brands including the tailored tuxedo of contraception, My.Size. Get 15% off with the code FOXHOLE at TheCondomPeople.com.

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Music this month comes from Internet Money ft. Don Toliver, Gunna & Nav and their supremely catchy, beautifully auto-tuned #1 single ‘Lemonade’:

You can find a full Spotify playlist of our ‘record of the month’ selections here.

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We’ll be back with our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR on December 10th - until then…

• write into the show, suggest a future guest, challenge Ollie with a trend, or ask Alix a sex question via our FEEDBACK FORM.

• buy us a beer, and SUPPORT THE SHOW.

• leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and SPREAD THE WORD.

Thanks for being a Mann-fan!

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This episode of The Modern Mann is supported by Beer52, the world’s number one craft beer club. Claim your FREE case right now at beer52.com/Modern.

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