To Be A Boy
To Be A Boy podcast is an exploration of boyhood and what it means to be a man in today’s world. How do we raise kind, thoughtful, happy, healthy boys? Why are we seeing so many men embrace misogyny and the hard right? Does male privilege apply to all boys? How do we support boy’s emotional development and address issues of male loneliness?
Joeli Brearley, mother of two boys and founder of the feminist charity and campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed – the UK’s most well-known campaign group for mothers; and Elliott Rae founder of Parenting Out Loud the culture change programme for working dads, presenter of a BBC One documentary on fatherhood, and dad to two girls, uncover answers to these questions and more, on a mission to understand modern day boyhood and where we are potentially going wrong.
The podcast launched in February 2025 and quickly became one of the most listened to parenting podcasts in the UK. With weekly episodes released every Tuesday, To Be A Boy has built a strong fanbase. The podcast reached number 7 in the all podcast Spotify charts and spent 6 weeks as the number 1 parenting podcast on the Apple charts. The podcast has clocked up over 1.6 million listener minutes, and attracts some high-profile guests as reflected in one of their latest guests, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.
Together, Elliott and Joeli bring warmth, honesty and lived experience to conversations about boyhood and masculinity. Across the episodes, they explore everything from gender stereotypes, education and male friendships to mental health, online influences and how boys learn what it means to “be a man”. The conversations are candid and often funny, but always rooted in care. They challenge harmful clichés while opening up healthier, more compassionate ways of thinking about masculinity.
To Be A Boy sits closely alongside the Parenting Out Loud mission. Both are about making space for openness, care and reflection, and about supporting boys and men to grow up free from limiting expectations, with the emotional literacy and support they deserve.
You can listen to To Be A Boy on your streaming platform of choice.
Watch our latest episode
Past and upcoming guests
From the Prime Minister to fitness icons, advertising rebels to bestselling authors – we sit down with the people challenging what it means to be a man, a father, and a role model today.
Watch our highlights
To Be A Boy interviews the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer
Our stats
Since launching, To Be A Boy has climbed to number 7 in the Spotify Charts for all podcasts, topped Apple’s parenting charts, and clocked up over 1.6 million listening minutes.
