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Boots UK launch NEW Wellness Podcast series ‘Taboo Talk’ to help break down stigmas

23 July 2021
News Wellness
  • Boots UK will launch ‘Taboo Talk’ on 28th July to help tackle the most common ‘taboo’ health and wellness subjects
  • The podcast, hosted by Vogue Williams, welcomes a range of celebrity guests including Jaime Laing, Rochelle Humes and Jonny Wilkinson
  • Taboo Talk will air a new episode each week and will cover topics such as anxiety, sex, pregnancy and sleep
  • In the first episode focused on anxiety, Jamie Laing reveals that he suffered a 6-hour panic attack that he described as ‘life changing’

Boots UK is launching its own podcast series ‘Taboo Talk’ on the 28th July 2021, hosted by Vogue Williams. Vogue, a renowned podcaster and TV personality, shares her own experiences across a number of topics, and encourages Taboo Talk celebrity guests to share their innermost thoughts on their own health and wellbeing challenges. 

Taboo Talk, a seven-episode pilot, provides a platform to openly discuss topics the nation may be worried or embarrassed about, such as anxiety, sleep, pregnancy, sex and periods. In addition to celebrity guests, the series also features healthcare professionals to offer expert advice on how to tackle those commonly stigmatised health concerns. 

The podcast allows listeners to discover some personal and unheard insights from guests such as Jamie Laing, Rochelle Humes, Ashley James, Jonny Wilkinson and many more.

The first episode, available from 28th July, features reality star Jamie Laing speaking candidly about anxiety. He reveals he has suffered from anxiety from as young as 8 years old and said that he “felt like he was dying” during a particularly bad 6-hour panic attack.  Speaking openly to Vogue, Jamie recalls being diagnosed with “depersonalisation” by a Psychotherapist following what he describes as a 2 week “out of body experience.”

In addition to the revelations in the episode, Jamie shares his honest experience on navigating anxiety whilst in the spotlight and his attempts to mask it for years.  Jamie is keen to eliminate the stigma associated with anxiety, particularly for men, and provides insightful advice on coping mechanisms.

Taboo Talk podcast host, Vogue Williams says: “I am delighted to be hosting the Taboo Talk podcast with Boots as it opens up discussions on a range of health and wellbeing topics very close to my heart. The podcast not only reveals some very entertaining experiences and stories by our guests, it also shares some practical advice for listeners. Taboo Talk provides a space where guests and medical professionals try to break down the stigma attached to certain health issues, and I am proud to be a part of the conversation.”

Helen Jeremiah, Director of Brand and Customer Communications at Boots UK says: “Boots UK is committed to helping people on their journey to be healthy and happy. This includes all aspects of physical health, mental health and wellbeing. We are thrilled to launch the Taboo Talk podcast that will shed light on important health concerns and tackle those so-called ‘taboo’ topics head-on. We will continue to open the conversation to help the nation understand that we can all speak out and we are really proud of how open and honest our guests have been. At Boots we have loads of ways to help that might surprise some people.”

Taboo Talk will be releasing a brand-new episode each week from 28th July 2021, available on Acast, Spotify and Apple. You can find the full schedule below:

  • Episode One - 28.07.21

Worry Lines: What it’s like to have anxiety with Jamie Laing

  • Episode Two - 04.08.21

Gut instinct: what’s your stomach trying to tell you? with The Mac Twins and Jonny Wilkinson

  • Episode Three - 11.08.21

What having a baby does to your body with Rochelle Humes and Ashley James

  • Episode Four - 18.08.21

A bloody honest chat about periods with Lottie Drynan and Dr Brooke Vandermolen

  • Episode Five - 25.08.21

Sex – everything you were afraid to ask with Hannah Witton and Jess Megan

  • Episode Six - 01.09.21

Can’t sleep, won’t sleep with Natalie Pinkham and Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

  • Episode Seven - 08.09.21

There’s no shame in self-care – it’s the ultimate act of love for mind and body with Laura Whitmore

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Boots is the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer with over 52,000 team members and 2,100 stores, ranging from local community pharmacies to large destination health and beauty stores.*

Boots serves its customers and patients for life as the leading provider of healthcare on the high street and the UK’s number one beauty destination. It offers an unrivalled depth and breadth of products, which incorporates its extensive own brand range and innovative portfolio of brands, including No7, the UK’s No1 skincare brand, Soap & Glory, Liz Earle Beauty and Sleek MakeUP.

2024 marks Boots’ 175th anniversary year. Founder John Boot opened a herbalist store in Nottingham in 1849 to offer an affordable alternative to traditional medicines. His son Jesse expanded the business to become a modern retailer and the biggest chemist in Britain. Throughout its history, Boots has listened, learned and innovated, and it continues to challenge itself to improve its products and services every day.

Boots is part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, which is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail.  More company information is available on boots-uk.com.

*Figures accurate as of 30 November 2023

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