Podcast Summary: “Cheating Can Be Fun” w/ Chloe Radcliffe

First Date with Lauren Compton – YMH Studios
Date: December 23, 2025
Guest: Chloe Radcliffe

Episode Overview

In this candid and comedic sit-down, comedian and viral content creator Lauren Compton welcomes fellow comic Chloe Radcliffe for a “first date.” The two dive deep into the messy realities of dating, the complexities of cheating, red flags, past relationships, and what makes a meaningful connection. They swap stories, reveal dating and relationship philosophies, and play an off-the-cuff Q&A “menu” game that surfaces personal quirks and honest admissions—all with their trademark wit and openness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cheater Becomes Monogamous (01:14–02:53)

• Lauren shares her personal history of cheating in “almost every relationship,” and how her new two-year, monogamous relationship marks a turning point.
  • Quote: "I have a solo show about how I've cheated in almost every relationship I've ever been in... and now I'm in this two-year-long, wonderful, monogamous relationship with a man who I love so much, and it's, like, weird." [01:44]
• Publicly acknowledging her past and building a show around it put additional pressure to “be a good girlfriend.”

2. How They Met & First Date Vibes (02:55–04:57)

• Lauren met her boyfriend at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival while performing her show (about cheating).
• Their first hangout: seeking advice from him, during which he disclosed his recent autism diagnosis.
  • Quote: "He saw the show before we ever dated, and he was like, I can fix her. And he did." [02:20]
• Lauren makes light of their communication, crediting his autism for clear communication:
  • "As an autistic person, that is clear communication, and I can absolutely comply with that." [04:54]

3. London vs. New York & Living Situations (05:12–06:52, 25:40–26:02)

• Lauren splits time between New York and London with her boyfriend, preferring New York for its energy and edge.
• They don’t fully cohabitate but have an “international, part-time” vibe.
  • Quote: "He has a whole life in London...it will always be like 30% of the time long distance." [25:40]

4. Why People Cheat (07:10–08:24)

• Lauren admits she’d often cheat instead of breaking up due to a tendency to “stay too long.”
• She sees cheating as both hurtful and more common than people admit.
  • Quote: "Cheating is always bad. I think it always hurts somebody. I think in a healthy relationship, cheating does not exist. Also, it happens all the fucking time." [07:48]
• The allure of cheating is the excitement and thrill, not just dissatisfaction.

5. Cheating vs. Leaving (08:24–10:03)

• Chloe, on the other hand, has never cheated—prefers to end things rather than betray—except for one notable “stuck” relationship during COVID.
• Chloe shares a story of her ex reading her brutally honest journal, leading to an overdue breakup.
  • Quote: "As soon as he read my journal, it was over." [09:44]

6. Superficial vs. Substantial Relationship Gripes (14:15–16:12)

• Chloe recounts her long list of cons about a past boyfriend, ranging from the silly to the serious.
• Lauren probes if such annoyances are just proxy for not liking the person fundamentally.
  • Quote: "All those superficial things would be fine if you liked him as a person." [15:52]

7. Meeting People & App Dating (17:44–19:51)

• Lauren describes her disinterest in dating apps, preferring organic, in-person connections and interactive “vibe checks.”
  • Quote: "I find it more exciting to meet people in person. I find it much more, like, clarifying, like, just to interact with somebody, watching them move. Immediately you're like, oh, okay. I've already answered 60% of the questions." [18:59]
• She shares her “bar eye contact and wave” move for sparking in-person approaches. [19:01–19:37]

8. Ideal First Dates (19:51–21:17)

• Lauren dreams of spontaneous first dates: walking one city street, stopping randomly for tiny drinks/appetizers, never deviating off course.

9. Relationship Philosophy: No Kids, No Marriage, Just Connection (21:22–22:38)

• Lauren’s goal is deep emotional and intellectual compatibility, not traditional markers like marriage or children.
• She values dating fellow comedians for shared worldview and conversational sharpness.

10. Comedy Career Path (22:41–24:15)

• Lauren was raised as a performer across speech, debate, and theater, but fell into standup only after a corporate layoff.

11. Female vs. Male Friend Groups (26:12–29:44)

• Discussion on why women more often integrate into male friend groups but not vice versa.
• Chloe notes her husband prefers not to join her “loud, obnoxious, flighty” girlfriend gatherings, and Lauren finds this common.

12. Friendships with the Opposite Sex (32:13–34:28)

• Lauren and Chloe reflect on how guy–girl friendships shift with age and relationship status.
  • Lauren: "Most of my friends are guy friends—or maybe it's half and half..." [33:10]
  • Chloe: "As I got older, none of my relationships would allow me to have guy friends." [33:20]

13. Quickfire Q&A Menu Game (35:13–44:56)

A playful, revealing exchange using random questions:

• Irrational Fear: Lauren dreads gas pumps not shutting off, and bedbugs; Chloe, dead bodies [35:27–36:34].
• Astrology Belief: Raised by hippies, Lauren is secretly a believer, though commercialized astrology bugs her [36:53–37:43].
  • Quote: "I think I actually do believe in astrology, but the way it is metabolized in popular culture now feels so commercial and annoying." [37:31]
• Past life books: Chloe recommends Many Lives, Many Masters—Lauren intrigued [37:46–39:38].
• Nightstand contents: Lauren is proud (and cheap): thrifted lotion, "Bag Balm" picked up cheap from Facebook Marketplace [40:10–42:11].
• Biggest relationship pet peeve: Contrarian partners who argue to win, not connect [42:41–43:27].
• Biggest “addiction”: Lauren confesses her past need for "male attention"—the slow, addictive high of seduction and validation [43:32–44:12].
• Drink of choice: Sweet cocktails—especially old fashioneds and, lately, avoiding Negronis after a few wild nights [44:17–44:51].

14. Most Romantic Gesture (45:02–46:11)

• Lauren’s boyfriend, Stuart, made her a custom audio track of distant trains to help her insomnia—a thoughtful birthday gift.
  • Quote: "He made this like long, 20 minute long looping track of the sound of trains at night in the distance that I can just listen to." [46:02]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Cheating Culture:
  "It's, like, much easier to say that you've been cheated on than it is to admit that you've cheated. And if that many people have been cheated on, then that many people have cheated." — Lauren [08:01]

• On Recognizing Relationship Patterns:
  "I admire that. How do you meet people in person?... I would much rather. I also just find it. I find it more exciting to meet people in person... You've just made somebody's decision for them." — Lauren [18:44–19:37]

• On “Girl Groups” vs. “Guy Groups”:
  "I would say that my friends are loud and obnoxious. That's probably the best way to round that up." — Chloe [26:54]

• On Emotional Compatibility Over Tradition:
  "I want somebody who, like, if I'm lazy, I can be like, what do you think about this? That's what I think about this." — Lauren [22:38]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:14] — Cheating history and the public pressure to “be good”
• [02:12] — Meeting boyfriend at Fringe, first hangout
• [04:47] — “Contracted autism, get a dictionary in your brain” (humor about communication)
• [07:10] — Why Lauren used to cheat—thrill, fear of breaking up
• [09:44] — Chloe’s ex reads her “pros and cons” break-up journal
• [15:52] — Superficial annoyances as stand-ins for lack of deeper affection
• [18:59] — Lauren’s case for in-person “vibe” over app dating
• [19:51] — Ideal first date: one street, random stops
• [21:22] — Lauren’s relationship philosophy: deep compatibility over convention
• [25:40] — Living situation: always partially long distance with boyfriend
• [33:10] — Male/female friendships and relationship boundaries
• [35:13–44:56] — Menu Q&A game (fears, astrology, nightstand, addiction, pet peeve, drink)
• [45:02] — Most romantic gesture from boyfriend

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The tone is irreverent, funny, rawly honest, and at times sweetly introspective. Both Lauren and Chloe blend confessions with self-deprecating humor and openness. Lauren’s willingness to discuss her history with cheating and relationships head-on—ranging from “cheating can be fun” to “actually, monogamy and compatibility feel right”—mirrors Chloe’s own directness about her breakups and boundaries. The episode playfully dissects modern relationship taboos, personal growth, and the ever-complicated hunt for real connection—with plenty of laughs along the way.

End of Summary.