Alonement

Creating Community When You Live Alone, with Marianne Power

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week I’m chatting to journalist & bestselling author, Marianne Power. Marianne’s first book, Help Me, where she takes a deep dive into th...

Solo Travel and How to Master the Art of Packing for One, with Lizzie Frainier

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week Lizzie Frainier, author of Main Character: Lessons from a Real Life Rom-Com and associate travel editor at The Times. In this episo...

Carving Out Space and Time for Yourself, with Penny Wincer

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Penny Wincer is the author of Home Matters: How Our Homes Shape Us and We Shape Them, her second non-fiction book, and host of the podcast, Not Too Bu...

Strengthen Your Solitude Skills, with Thuy-vy Nguyen

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest, Thuy-vy Nguyen, PhD, is one of the world’s leading researchers on solitude, and an associate professor at Durham University’s d...

How to Cook for One, with Eleanor Wilkinson

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggle to cook for one? We've got you - our guest Eleanor Wilkinson, recipe developer and author of One Pot, One Portion, has dedicated her career t...

Cat Ladies of the World, Unite! With Comedian Katie Norris

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to season 10 of Alonement! Katie Norris, an award-winning comedian and confirmed cat-cherlorette (OK, I came up with that) is my guest on the ...

Maggie Smith: Financial Independence, Relearning Vulnerability & Dating After Divorce

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Maggie Smith is a poet & writer who found overnight fame when her poem, ‘Good Bones’, went viral on social media in 2016. Later on, her life w...

Alice Vincent: A Garden of One's Own

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are certain rites of passage that take place after a major break-up. For some, it’s a hair-cut or a big solo trip, or a regrettable rebound wi...

Leslie Stephens: The Joy of Living Alone, Plus How To Design a Home for One

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Leslie Stephens is the writer behind Morning Person, a top 10 Substack newsletter that chronicles her life in Portland, Oregon. In August last year, s...

Max Dickins: On Male Friendship & Overcoming Weekend Loneliness

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Getting engaged to your partner is typically a time for celebration. But for today’s guest Max Dickins, it was …. more complicated. As he prepared...

Anita Bhagwandas: Finding a Social Balance When You Live Alone

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Anita Bhagwandas, an award winning beauty director, and more recently the author of Ugly: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards, a...

Jessica Pan: The Introvert's Guide to Socialising

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jessica Pan discusses her book 'Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come' and her journey of embracing extroversion. As we discuss on th...

Poppy Jay: From Arranged Marriage to Falling in Love with Singlehood

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest on this week’s episode is Poppy Jay, best known as the co-host of Brown Girls Do It Too, which won Podcast of the Year at the British Podca...

Thomas Curran: The Dark Side of Perfectionism

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

'That's the root of perfectionism: that chronic deficit thinking, the belief that we're not good enough. That we're not attractive enough, smart enoug...

Vex King: How To Practise Self-Love Through Your Actions

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You can’t really love anyone until you love yourself. While we see this a lot on Instagram, it’s something that actually requires a lot of explora...

Ruby Warrington: My Marriage Wouldn't Work With Children

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Women Without Kids author, Ruby Warrington. We're are at a fascinating time in history – where, both in the UK, US, and across...

Donna Lancaster: Alone Is Where I Meet Myself

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donna Lancaster is a coach and therapist, best known as the co-creator of The Bridge, a retreat designed to help attendees navigate grief and loss, an...

Naoise Dolan: Autism, (Un)happy Couples & The Joy Of Being A Foreigner

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is author Naoise Dolan. I am absolutely thrilled to have Naoise on this season – she’s widely consider of the millennial gener...

Caggie Dunlop: Overcoming Anxious Attachment In A Relationship

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this week’s episode is podcaster and author Caggie Dunlop, whom you might also recognise as a former cast member on the rather well kno...

Adam Gopnik: Solitude And The City, Edward Hopper & The Joy Of Being Alone In A Crowd

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest is Adam Gopnik, a long-standing staff writer at the New Yorker, and the award-winning author of a frankly intimidating number of boo...

Dr Nicole Lepera: How A Fear of Being Alone Feels In Your Body

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is Dr Nicole LePera, whom you might be more familiar with as the Holistic Psychologist – the handle of her somewhat insanely pop...

Amy Key: Single For 22 Years – A Life Story Told Through Joni Mitchell Songs

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest on the podcast is the poet Amy Key. We're here to discuss her first work of prose, Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Love and Making a ...

Susan Cain: The 'Quiet' Author On Free Falling Through Her Early 30s, Plus Why She Married An Extrovert

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Alonement podcast is back! And for the first episode of this season, I’m speaking to one of the most-requested guests since the show began: Susa...

Introducing... The Shoulds

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Alonement listeners! So, a quick announcement to share that I've just launched a new project called The Shoulds. The Shoulds is an online Substa...

Me Time | Konnie Huq: Why Everyone Needs Anchors

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This clip is taken from my guest interview with former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, first released in August 2020. Konnie speaks about the su...

Dr Marisa G. Franco: Why ‘Secure’ Attachment & Alone Time Go Hand In Hand

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Season 7 finale! How did that happen?! We are, however, going out with a bang... This week, I have the pleasure of chatting to friendship expert &...

Me Time | Dr Emma Hepburn: Finding 'Flow'

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this clip, we hear from psychologist and Instagram sensation Dr Emma Hepburn – with one of my favourite pieces of wisdom from our original r...

Nihal Arthanayake: We Need To Talk About Male Loneliness

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week my interviewee is radio and TV presenter Nihal Arthanayake. While I’ll be asking the questions today, Nihal is most used to playing the ot...

Me Time | Daisy Buchanan: Life Advice From A Former Agony Aunt

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Another week, another bitesize mini-episode from Alonement archives. This conversation with journalist and author Daisy Buchanan comes from the first ...

Holly Bourne: The Alternative Version of 'Happily Ever After'

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week I have the absolute pleasure of speaking to one of my favourite authors, Holly Bourne. After beginning her novel-writing career in the young...

Me Time | Erling Kagge: London Is Lonelier Than Antarctica

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Erling Kagge, one of the greatest living polar explorers – and the first in history to reach the 'three poles' – is the guest that we hear fr...

Salma El-Wardany: Heartbreak Made Me Whole Again

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, I interview poet, BBC radio presenter and author Salma El-Wardany. Salma’s debut novel, These Impossible Things, has been ...

Me Time | Sophia Money-Coutts: Egg Freezing & The Option Of Solo Parenting

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and novelist Sophia Money-Coutts is the star of this week’s mini-episode, first released in a longer form in August 2020. In this clip, w...

Dr Kat Lederle: Does Sleep Count As 'Me-Time'?

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered about the relationship between sleep and ‘alone time’? That’s the topic of this week’s episode with Dr Kat Lederle, a sleep scie...

Me Time | Vick Hope: Why I Am My Own Soulmate

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Talk about an alonement icon – radio DJ & broadcaster Vick Hope is a woman who radiates everything this podcast is about, as a sunny, ambitious,...

Emma Forrest: Finding Solitude & Romance In Celibacy

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As political protests go, a four-year vow of celibacy is on the extreme side. And that’s what this week’s guest, British-American film director &a...

Me Time | Mo Gawdat: How To Make Friends With Your Brain

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mo Gawdat, bestselling author, podcaster & former chief business officer of Google X, is the star of this week's minisode, taken from our conversa...

Phoebe Fox: Does Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder?

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is Phoebe Fox, aka Marial from The Great, who acts alongside Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in Hulu’s deliciously irreverent ‘...

Me Time | Dr Julie Smith: What's The Point Of Journalling?

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For this week's mini-episode, I'm revisiting my conversation with Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist turned bestselling author known better by he...

Megan Hine: A Survival Expert On Being Your Own Hero

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Described by close friend Bear Grylls as ‘stronger than 99% of the men I know’, Megan Hine is a survival expert and TV presenter who works on and ...

Me Time | Florence Given: Choosing Myself Over My ‘Clique’

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Florence Given tops the fiction bestseller charts with her debut novel, Girlcrush, I decided now would be a brilliant time to revisit this episode ...

Owen O'Kane: How To Stop Living On Autopilot

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m delighted to welcome Sunday Times bestselling author Owen O’Kane on to the show this week. Previously an NHS Clinical Lead for mental health, ...

Me Time | Alain De Botton: The Art Of Getting To Know Yourself

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to ‘Me Time’, Alonement’s new, weekly series of 10-minute mini episodes from the archives. We’ll be showcasing the very best wisd...

Iona Bain: Solo Finance, Living Alone & The 'Single Supplement'

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Iona Bain is a personal finance expert who appears regularly on BBC Morning Live and writes a weekly column for the i Paper. She’s written two books...

Abigail Bergstrom: Hanging Out With The Best Version Of Yourself

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the tenth and final episode of season 6. This week’s episode is the second of two live recordings I did back to back at Kings Place in Lo...

Olivia Petter: The Right (& Wrong) Ways To Navigate Solitude In A Relationship

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I have something very special for you – it’s the first ever live recording of Alonement, which was recorded in front of an audience at ...

Emma Gannon: Rediscovering Who You Are, Offline

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My very special guest this week is Emma Gannon, host of the Ctrl Alt Delete podcast, one of my absolute favourite shows and the first I ever listened ...

Roxie Nafousi: On Manifesting, Vision Boarding, & Why Solo Time Is Integral

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Become the author of your own story – that's the promise from this week's guest, Roxie Nafousi, a self-development coach and bestselling author...

Isy Suttie: I'm An Introverted Extrovert

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest is Isy Suttie! The comedian, author and actor best known (among Peep Show fanatics) for playing the character of Dobby on the hit Br...

Angelica Malin: The Secret To Living Your Best Single Life

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is author and journalist Angelica Malin, who recently published Unattached: Empowering Essays on Singlehood, a curated anthology o...

Oliver Burkeman: Stop Feeling Bad About Being Human

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week, Oliver Burkeman, may be many things – but he's not a productivity expert. Thankfully, the former Guardian columnist rejects both...

Dr Julie Smith: The Power Of Self-Soothing (& How To Do It)

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

She’s famous for her 60-second videos, yet I was lucky enough to have a full 60 MINUTES interviewing this week’s guest, the wonderful Dr Julie Smi...

Erling Kagge: 50 Days Alone In The South Pole

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As far as being 'alone' goes, my guest Erling Kagge has experienced the extreme end of the spectrum. The first man to ever complete the Three Poles ch...

Radhika Sanghani: How I Fell In Love With Myself

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For Radhika Sanghani, author of the brilliant new novel 30 Things I Love About Myself, time alone holds an important significance as the space where s...

Alonement: Season 6 Trailer

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s comeback time, baby! Alonement returns with season 6 on Friday 18 February, with guests including a comedian, a self-love guru and an Arctic ex...

Natasha Lunn: Love Is Protecting Each Other’s Solitude

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can you believe we’ve reached season finale time *already*? No, me neither, to be honest… but we’re out with a bang! Natasha Lunn, the author of...

Michael James Wong: Mindfulness & The Value Of Inaction Skills

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week I’m talking to Michael James Wong, the founder of global mindfulness collective Just Breathe. Earlier this year, he launched a brilliant m...

Kate Wills: Divorce, Solo Travel & New Beginnings

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Divorcing your husband, travelling the world alone, getting back together with an ex & having a baby might sound like a lot to go through in a yea...

Mo Gawdat: Why I'm Becoming A 'Half-Monk'

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’m honoured to introduce this week’s guest, Mo Gawdat – an author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, former chief business officer at Google X and ...

Emma John: Being Single In Your Forties

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Emma John is an award winning journalist and author. Her most recent book, Self-Contained, is a memoir which chronicles what it’s like to enter your...

Lorraine Candy: The Joys Of Cold Water Swimming

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week I have Lorraine Candy, one of the most influential people on the UK’s magazine industry and formerly editor-in-chief at Cosmop...

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang: Finding Purpose & Focus At Work

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, my worker bees! So let's face it, the perfect office probably doesn't exist – but if it did, it would be the brainchild of Alex Soojung Kim P...

Bella Younger: Social Media Addiction & Killing Off Deliciously Stella

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’re backkkkkkk, gang! For episode uno of Season 5, I have been GRACED by the presence of comedian/author/generally awesome human Bella Younger. Fo...

Rekesh Chauhan: Loneliness Awareness Week Miniseries

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My third and final guest for this miniseries is Rekesh Chauhan, an award-winning British-Indian pianist and composer, who over the pandemic channelled...

Cheryl Rickman: Loneliness Awareness Week Miniseries

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode’s guest is Sunday Times bestselling author Cheryl Rickman. Cheryl’s latest book, Navigating Loneliness: How To Connect With Yourself ...

Alex Holmes: Loneliness Awareness Week Miniseries

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to a 3-part miniseries of Alonement produced for Loneliness Awareness Week in collaboration with the Marmalade Trust.My f...

Dr Emma Hepburn: Forget Happyland – It Doesn't Exist

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s season finale time! And, might I add, what a banger to conclude with: my interviewee this week is Dr Emma Hepburn a.k.a @thepsychologymum. Emma...

Dr Remi Adekoya: The Mixed Blessing Of Growing Up Biracial

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

And now, the end is near… It’s the penultimate episode of the season, and my guest is Dr Remi Adekoya. I was fascinated to find out, through Remi’...

Millie Gooch: Sobriety Taught Me To Value Alone Time

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the woman who makes sobriety cool: this week’s guest is Millie Gooch, founder of the Sober Girl Society. Millie gave up drinking alcohol in 201...

Magid Magid: Meeting Strangers On Chat Roulette & Other Unexpected Loneliness Cures

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's MAGIC Magid! This week’s guest, former Lord Mayor of Sheffield Magid Magid – often referred to as Magic Magid – is the first politician to ...

Hollie McNish: Scared To Be Alone After Dark

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

*TRIGGER WARNING* The topics discussed on this podcast may be triggering for those following the news story around the disappearance of Sarah Everard ...

I WROTE A BOOK! Alonement: How To Be Alone And Absolutely Own It

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a very special episode of Alonement to mark the publication week of my first BOOK: Alonement: How to be alone and absolutely own it, the bo...

Lucy Watson: Banished To The Vegetarian Table

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ostensibly, this week’s guest – one of the UK’s best known reality TV stars – might not seem like the go-to authority on time alone. Yet, afte...

Michelle Elman: When Being Selfish Means Choosing Yourself

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever struggled to set boundaries in your life? If this sounds like you (and – let’s face it – it's most of us), then this week’s episode, star...

Nell Frizzell: From 'Panic Years' To Parenting

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t panic – but my guest this week is Nell Frizzell, the brilliant author of ‘The Panic Years’, a memoir about Nell’s journey from a singl...

Guy Winch: What Does A Loneliness Expert Do?

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is Guy Winch, a clinical psychologist, TED speaker and author of Emotional First Aid (plus other books!). He’s also a loneliness...

Rebecca Seal: How To Work From Home (During A Pandemic)

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back, baby! It’s a new year, and with it comes a brand new season of Alonement. My first guest is author and presenter Rebecca Seal, whose l...

Camilla Thurlow: Discomfort Makes Me Feel Closer To Myself

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's the season finale! Since interviewing this week's guest Camilla Thurlow last month, I have been itching to share this episode with you. The bomb ...

Felicity Cloake: The Glamour Of Solo Dining

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If I could sum up Felicity Cloake's lifestyle in two words, it would be: solo glamour. From cooking up solo dining feasts to taking an independent six...

Matthew Stadlen: Birdwatching Alone, I've Rarely Felt So Alive

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I was touched by the honesty of this week’s guest, Matthew Stadlen. During our candid conversation, the LBC presenter and journalist opens up about ...

Vick Hope: Taking The Time To Feel Good

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

HELLO and happy September! This week’s guest is radio and television presenter Vick Hope a.k.a ‘The New Voice of a Generation’ (to quote a recen...

Shani Silver: Angering The Relationship Gods

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I’m calling it – this podcast should be compulsory listening for all single people. Scratch that – all people. Shani Silver, host of the A Sing...

Konnie Huq: I've Never Felt Lonely

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So – pinch me. If you'd told eight-year-old me that I'd one day get to interview 'Blue Peter' presenter Konnie Huq when I grew up, it would have bee...

John Robins: The Importance Of Elsewhere

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alonement gets tremendously highbrow this week. Fans of comedy and Philip Larkin alike will love this episode with radio presenter and stand-up comedi...

Sophia Money-Coutts: No One Ever Hashtags 'I Said No'

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So, you know when you’re *supposed* to be interviewing someone professionally and you end up just chatting away like mates? Such was my experience o...

Jonny Benjamin MBE: What 'You Are Not Alone' Really Means

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Introducing my joint first guest of season two, mental health activist Jonny Benjamin MBE! I laughed and I cried in equal measure while producing this...

Florence Given: The Cake & Crumbs Relationship Theory

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florence Given is an illustrator, Instagram sensation and now a debut author, with the release of her bestselling book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty. ...

Daisy Buchanan

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the SEASON FINALE! Meeting Daisy Buchanan earlier this year for this recording felt strangely familiar. I’ve been reading Daisy’s wonderful...

Alexandra Shulman

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One of the great perks of recording this podcast is the chance to chat to some of my career idols. This week’s guest, former British Vogue editor Al...

COVID-19 special: Dr Michelle Dickinson aka Nanogirl

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s official: scientists are the new celebrities – which is why I’m so delighted to have one as my remote guest for the second special COVID-19...

COVID-19 special: Eric Klinenberg

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How will we live and spend time alone after COVID-19? I interview Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and author of 'Going Solo', about how our attitudes tow...

Poorna Bell

17 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the word go, Poorna Bell was one of my DREAM guests for the podcast  – so I was a little bit delighted when she agreed to be on series one. W...

Derek Owusu

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, I interview one of the most exciting debut authors of the moment – Derek Owusu, the first novelist to sign with Stormzy's ...

Alice Liveing

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alice Liveing is a part-time personal trainer, part-time superhero. A three-time bestselling author, she’s a woman on a mission to change our idea o...

Jo Good

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jo Good, the original poster girl for alonement. You’ll likely know Jo as the chatty BBC Radio London talk show host who can – and does – ...

Jada Sezer

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If there’s one thing Jada, a body-positive model and UN Women ambassador stands for, it’s empowerment – and that quality radiated from her like...

Alain de Botton

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, and welcome to the debut episode of the alonement podcast! The show got off to a flying start when Alain de Botton kindly agreed to be my first...

Introducing... alonement

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alonement is a podcast dedicated to the most important relationship you will ever have: your relationship with yourself. Host Francesca Specter speaks...