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Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball
Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball

112: DIG IN: Childhood Nostalgia, Menopause Songs and A Flatulence Confession

July 20, 2026 • 27m

Summary

⏱️ 8 min read

Overview

Jo and Zoe discuss nostalgia, phone etiquette, and share hilarious listener stories about flatulence, funny word mix-ups, and magical spells. They encourage listeners to participate in the Menopause Mandate Survey 2026 and vote for Dig It in the British Podcast Awards. The hosts explore how deeply people feel nostalgia, debate family dinner table phone rules, and celebrate the quirky, relatable moments of everyday life while building their signature Menopause Playlist.

Menopause Mandate Survey and Playlist Launch

Jo introduces the Menopause Mandate Survey 2026, urging listeners to share their experiences to help define what good menopause support looks like. The campaign aims to highlight the massive range of symptoms women experience, from tingling tongues to frozen shoulders. The hosts also launch a fun "Menoplay" playlist featuring songs that reflect menopause moods and symptoms, inviting listeners to contribute their suggestions.

  • Menopause Mandate launching Big Menopause Survey 2026 to gather experiences from women across the UK
  • Survey deadline is August 31st - participants can share symptoms and experiences to improve professional support
  • Creating a Menopause Playlist with songs like 'Anxiety' by Doce, 'Insomnia' by Faithless, and 'Hot in Here' by Nelly
  • Listeners invited to submit song suggestions via email or text
" There are so many different things that can affect different people. You're aware of them, aren't you Zoe? Yeah, very much so. And I meant to fill in the survey last year and I completely forgot to do it. "

The Deep Ache of Nostalgia

Kirsten shares her profound experience of nostalgia, describing it as a form of grief that can completely floor her when triggered by songs or memories of people who've drifted away. Both hosts deeply relate, with Zoe describing an intense attachment to childhood memories like playing under a willow tree and the overwhelming sadness of knowing those innocent feelings can never be recaptured. They reframe this emotional intensity as a gift rather than an affliction.

  • Kirsten describes feeling nostalgia as intense grief, with conviction that life will never be that good again
  • Zoe shares memories of playing under a willow tree at age 6-7 and has planted willows in every home since
  • Watching Toy Story 5 triggered intense sadness in Zoe about never feeling the joy of childhood play again
  • The hosts discuss how nostalgia represents mourning the loss of innocence when life was simpler and safer
" There is so much big stuff going on and life is so manic and crazy and you're dealing with some huge subjects. When you look back at those times, you just want to be there again. You want to be that seven-year-old child playing with ponies and you want to be with those people because that's when you were safe and you were happy and you were content and you had none of the big stuff to worry about. "
" I remember so clearly the feeling of playing with them. And it's really, really intense. And I feel really sad that I won't feel that feeling ever again. I won't ever feel the intensity of the joy of playing with my dolls horses. "

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