Podcast Summary: "Mad Frogs, Samantha Mumba & The Plague"
My Therapist Ghosted Me
Hosts: Vogue Williams & Joanne McNally
Date: August 29, 2025
Main Theme
In this lively and irreverent episode, Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally dive into a rapid-fire, laugh-out-loud chat filled with honest takes on pop culture, pandemic nostalgia, wild medical trends, party dramas, and bizarre headlines. True to their “DIY therapy” style, the duo blend personal stories, witty ridicule, unfiltered opinions, and playful tangents—reminding listeners that laughter is the best therapy (especially when science and sense go off the rails).
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Pop Culture Riff: Meghan Markle and Viral Wellness
- Meghan Markle Mania:
The episode opens with a poke at Meghan Markle’s “overexposure” and the relentless public criticism she receives. Joanne compares it to world leaders, joking, “She gets more abuse than Kim Jong Un!” (01:55) - Viral Parodies:
The hosts reference hilarious viral parodies—especially Michael Pavano’s—of the infamous “overly supportive interviewer,” discussing meme-culture, virality, and how certain videos are “enjoyed till I’m lowered into the ground or the crematorium.” (03:46)
2. Bank Holiday & Childhood Nostalgia
- Mismatched Bank Holidays:
Vogue laments the constant “wrong country” timing of bank holidays. - School Memories:
Joanne reminisces about “class outside” on sunny days in Ireland (“Doodle on the grass, ah the glory days”)—which Vogue never experienced (06:28), underlining their cultural quirks.
3. Pandemic Throwbacks
- COVID Test Melodrama:
Joanne describes waking up sick and jokingly craving a positive COVID test, only to be reminded that some social media users have “no sense of humor around COVID” (08:37). - Lockdown Nostalgia:
Both remember their COVID bubbles, lockdown tipsiness, and the “drama of it”—with Vogue noting, “I missed the COVID times at points” (08:46).
4. Cancel Culture & Language Police
- What’s Offensive Now?:
The two discuss how phrases like “lost the plot” and “mad as a box of frogs” are supposedly being “cancelled,” with Joanne heroically defending her right to say mad frogs:“No one will take that from me. I don’t care if the frogs rise up with the AI revolution!” (12:00)
- New Disorders:
Joanne notes the rise of “rejection sensitive disorder” and critiques the “shift in size of diagnoses” (13:03).
5. Vogue’s Home 40th Birthday Party
- Event Planning Gags:
Vogue recounts her party, humorously lamenting that no one arrived on time despite an invite for 2PM, leaving her and three “concerned” bartenders waiting (“they just went around fluffing cushions” – 14:59). - Entertainment & Weather Drama:
The party featured drag queen Davina Devine (who performed “absolutely drenched”), DJ Maria, and Samantha Mumba—who turned out to be a hit and even sent Vogue flowers afterward (18:04). Poor weather nearly ruined the outdoor setup, but “it was so much fun.” - Personal Touch:
Vogue shares she wanted the party at home to showcase her house and for a more personal, “crack”-filled vibe compared to hired venues (15:33).
6. Star-Struck Stories
- Joanne’s Top Three:
The only celebrities who ever truly star-struck Joanne? Bertie Ahern (“he's apparently running for president!” 19:07), Samantha Mumba, and Oasis’ Liam Gallagher (“real rock star vibes”) (20:06).“It was like seeing Cher, it was wild.” – Joanne (19:19)
7. Extreme Plastic Surgery & Reality TV Pitches
- Leg Lengthening/Shortening Trend:
Joanne reveals a shocking new trend: women getting leg-shortening surgery in Turkey “having chunks of bone taken out,” so they’re not “too tall” for men (24:02).- Vogue is astounded: “Most painful bone to break is a femur in your thigh!” (24:15)
- TV Pitch - “Love is Bound” or “Bone Date”:
Joanne dreams up a reality show where men and women exchange bones to reach their desired height, falling madly in love in the process.“He has your bone, you have his, kind of like blood brothers but modern and romantic.” (24:51)
- Vogue jokes that Spencer (her husband) could finally “fix their height dynamic.”
8. The Penile Enhancement & Filler Discussion
- “Sticker on the Car” Analogy:
Contemplating penis fillers, Joe (the producer) chimes in: “That’s like sticking stickers on your car to make it look like a racing car…” (31:30) - Trans Surgery Facts & Tiny Dick Empathy:
Vogue shares what she learned while filming: trans men surgeries and the plight of “really small” penises, and why filler is a booming trend (29:18–31:24).- Joanne: “If I was a man, I'd say I’d be averagely sized...I would definitely be going in for the filler.”
- Vogue: “You don't want it too big either, because that's not great.” (31:07)
9. Superbugs, the Plague & Medical Resurgence
- The Plague Returns:
Vogue incredulously reveals a person in California tested positive for “the plague” after a flea bite (33:07).Joanne: “What a flex. The plague! How iconic is that?!” (33:25)
- Joanne jokes she'd put “the plague” on her Hinge profile as a conversation starter.
- Historical Trivia:
The duo marvel at how the plague “wiped out 50% of the population” (33:58), and how these ancient sicknesses are “all making a comeback”—due in part, they speculate, to vaccine hesitancy (35:59).
10. Grave Goods and Gold Coffins
- Traveler King’s Extravagant Burial:
The hosts react to a story about “Traveler King Frank Thompson”’s six-figure gold coffin and posthumous UK tour.- Joanne: “When I die, if I die… I wouldn’t bury as much as a Claire’s Accessories toe ring with me!” (40:19)
- Cat Charities and Inheritance:
Joanne bemoans millionaires leaving fortunes to cat homes rather than people, calling that “a bit odd” (42:02). - Coffin FOMO:
Vogue: “It’s really sad that we're going to have to be buried with nothing. I’d feel real naked with no jewelry!” (42:55)
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On Meghan Markle Parody Abuse:
“She gets more abuse than Kim Jong Un!” – Vogue (01:55) -
On Virality:
“Michael Pavano… I will enjoy Michael Pavano till I’m getting lowered slowly into the ground or the crematorium.” – Joanne (03:46) -
On COVID Testing & Nostalgia:
“I miss the COVID times at points. I don’t miss running out of toilet paper and stuff…” – Vogue (08:44) “Joanne, I think you want COVID!” – Joe (fake accusation, 08:38) -
On Defending “Mad as a Box of Frogs”:
“No one will take that from me. I don’t care if the frogs rise up with the AI revolution!” – Joanne (12:00) -
On Adult Birthday Parties:
“I was there at 2 in the day waiting for all my friends…there was slight concern from the three bar staff that I had hired for the day.” – Vogue (14:18–15:00) -
On Leg Surgery:
“Tall women are going and having themselves shortened by having chunks of bone taken out of them.” – Joanne (24:02) -
On Penis Fillers:
“That’s like sticking stickers on your car to make it look like a racing car…” – Joe (31:30) -
On Getting the Plague:
“I’d love to have the plague. Like, what a flex…How iconic is that!?” – Joanne (33:25) “It just never goes—it’s like Lindsay Lohan…it just keeps rebranding and coming back—like the Cher of diseases.” – Joanne (35:45) -
On Gold Coffins:
“I wouldn’t bury as much as a Claire’s Accessories toe ring with me!” – Joanne (40:19) “It’s really sad that we’re going to have to be buried with nothing though. I’d feel real naked with no jewelry.” – Vogue (42:55)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Meghan Markle & Parody Culture: 00:50–04:30
- COVID Nostalgia & Social Media Drama: 07:26–09:09
- Cancel Culture & Language Policing: 11:10–13:37
- Birthday Party Recap & Samantha Mumba: 14:05–18:33
- Starstruck Stories: 18:33–21:05
- Leg Lengthening/Shortening & Reality TV Pitch: 23:00–26:50
- Penis Fillers & Trans Surgery Insight: 29:14–31:45
- Superbugs, The Plague, & Vaccines: 32:48–37:38
- Gold Coffins, Grave Goods, Cat Charities: 39:27–43:35
Tone & Style
True to the hosts’ signature style, the episode blends tongue-in-cheek honesty, silly sidebar commentary, and frankness about taboo or controversial subjects. Their conversational energy is infectious, jumping between topics with playful jabs and self-deprecating humor. Audience feels like they're part of an inside joke or a gossipy chat between friends who aren't afraid to say the things most wouldn’t.
Conclusion
This episode of “My Therapist Ghosted Me” delivers on its promise of “honest, unqualified therapy” and unapologetic banter, tackling everything from pandemic moods and party FOMO to medical oddities and societal obsessions. Whether you care about celebrity parodies, cosmetic surgery, or just want a good cackle about catching the plague, the hosts prove that no topic is too odd—or too honest—for their podcast couch.
