My Dad, The Stranger

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. 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.   Content warning: eating disorders; emotional abuse If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form. 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. --- 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 (discount link), a subscription box of environmentally-friendly cleaning products. 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. --- Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox checks out Balldo, the new 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. --- 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. --- Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on March 10th. *** Love the show? Then SEND US A DONATION. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this podcast... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices