To Be A Boy
To Be A Boy dives into the chaos of raising boys today — from dodgy masculinity myths to the wild world of online culture. Joeli Brearley and Elliott Rae mix humour with sharp takes on the policies, systems and social norms shaping boys’ lives.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 4
- Latest publication
- Sep 8, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 7, 2026
Latest episodes
Sadiq Khan: Saving Boys from the Manosphere (opens the original)
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How do we stop boys being pulled into the manosphere, without making them feel blamed or shut out? In this episode, Elliott sits down with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to talk about online misogyny, positive masculinity and why listening to boys matters. The Mayor introduces City Hall’s “Ignore the noise. Trust your own voice” campaign and its practical N.O.I.S.E. check, designed to help young people question the content competing for their attention. The conversation also looks at the real-world
The Summer Holiday Survival Guide (opens the original)
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Let them be bored! Six weeks, endless snacks and the nagging feeling that you should be running a children’s cruise ship from your kitchen. Playworker Amber joins Elliott to explain why parents can lower the bar and why boredom, messy play and a little independence can be brilliant for children. Packed with simple, low-cost ideas for toddlers to teens, inclusive advice for children with additional needs and a persuasive case for the adventure playground, this is a warm, reassuring guide to a sum
Masculinity Education (opens the original)
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Masculinities educator Lewis Wedlock joins Joeli and Elliott to talk boys, schools, online influence and why the best conversations start with curiosity rather than condemnation. From “borrowed phrases” on the internet to helping young men sit with discomfort, this is a sharp, hopeful and very human conversation about teaching boys HOW to think, not just WHAT to think. Book - Masculinities in Schools by Lewis Wedlock Links mentioned: Voice of the Boys report State of UK Men 2025 report Safer Scr
Nothing Is Ever Too Bad: Boys and the Adults Who Don’t Give Up with Professor Seán Redmond (opens the original)
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In this wonderfully hopeful episode of To Be a Boy, Joeli speaks to Professor Seán Redmond about boys, belonging and how children can be drawn into criminal networks. Drawing on decades of youth justice experience and his landmark Greentown research, Seán explains why punishment alone rarely works — and why young people need accountability, safe spaces and trusted adults who believe nothing is ever too bad to talk about. He believes that things can always be fixed. REPPP - Research Evidence into
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