By Brooke Ivey Johnson
Diana Vickers has launched podcast Just Between Us alongside Metro鈥檚 Alice Giddings (Picture: Getty)
Diana Vickers is no stranger to a reinvention.
Since charming the nation on The X Factor in 2008, she鈥檚 made her mark in music, theatre, and comedy.
Now, she鈥檚 taking on the world of podcasting with Just Between Us in collaboration with Metro 鈥 a no-filter, sex-positive agony-aunt style show which launched earlier this week.
The concept? Each week, Diana and her co-host, Metro鈥檚 Alice Giddings, a bona fide sex expert (鈥榓 sexpert!鈥 as Diana gleefully puts it), take calls from listeners navigating everything from threesomes and sex parties to cheating scandals and bedroom blips.
And while Alice brings the expert insight, Diana brings the chaos and the laughs.
鈥楢lice already works at Metro, she鈥檚 fabulous and she really knows her stuff,鈥 Diana explains.
Diana and Alice unpack questions from listeners on the brand new podcast (Picture: Natasha Pszenicki)
Diana said dating in 2025 is a 鈥榥ightmare鈥 (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
鈥楽he鈥檚 the sexpert and I guess I鈥檓 the one who doesn鈥檛 really know what the hell鈥檚 going on. I鈥檓 more the messy one鈥擨 just react. My advice might not always be the best鈥 so I鈥檓 sorry!鈥 she laughs.
But between the giggles, Diana admits the stakes can feel high when real people are involved: 鈥業t鈥檚 definitely a lot of pressure,鈥 she says.
鈥榊ou鈥檙e giving advice that could actually affect someone鈥檚 life. I think I鈥檓 quite good at it, but I鈥檓 always like, 鈥淚f I mess this up, please don鈥檛 come for me.鈥濃
Still, Diana sees the podcast as a space for honesty and solidarity: 鈥楧ating right now is such a nightmare. It鈥檚 exhausting. Hinge, Raya, all of it鈥 it鈥檚 just a mess. So I think the podcast will actually be a comfort for a lot of people. You hear someone going through absolute madness and you鈥檙e like, 鈥淥K, it鈥檚 not just me who鈥檚 losing the plot over some f**kboy.鈥濃
That blend of empathy and entertainment is already proving effective. The first episode features a jaw-dropping story of a woman who found a condom in her boyfriend鈥檚 bed 鈥 despite their agreement to be exclusive.
The singer is giving honest advice to listeners (Picture: James Manning/PA Wire)
She鈥檚 definitely not sugar-coating the current state of modern dating: 鈥業 do think it鈥檚 an absolute nightmare at the moment,鈥 she says.
鈥榃ith Hinge and dating apps, there are so many possibilities, and people get really, really bored and ghost people. And I mean, to be honest, I鈥檝e taken a little break off the apps because I鈥檓 knackered.鈥
Even Raya, the exclusive dating app for creatives, has lost its appeal. 鈥楻aya is a weird one,鈥 Diana admits. 鈥業鈥檝e actually connected with a few people that I already knew and then we cemented that friendship鈥 But I think mostly it鈥檚 a place for hookups, like, nothing serious.鈥
One guy even messaged her on Instagram asking why she hadn鈥檛 matched with him. 鈥業 thought he looked quite nice, normal guy, so I matched with him. And then he just turned out to be a bit of a dick. Kind of put me off it.鈥
Diana鈥檚 particularly passionate about breaking down shame around female sexuality.
Alice and Diana have teamed up for the agony-aunt style show
鈥楾here鈥檚 still a stigma,鈥 she says. 鈥楳en watch porn and think sex is done like that鈥攂ut female pleasure is more complex. I think it鈥檚 really important to talk about it, to be direct, to tell people what you want. I鈥檓 quite bossy in that way, and I think that鈥檚 the best sex advice I鈥檝e ever been given 鈥 just be honest. And if he doesn鈥檛 like it? Sod him.鈥
While Just Between Us might be Diana鈥檚 newest outlet, she鈥檚 far from done with the rest.
She recently starred in Just For One Day, a musical about Live Aid, and has a TV appearance and a secret stage project lined up for later this year.
She鈥檚 also dipped back into music after a break, writing what she calls 鈥榮uper gay, super fun songs for the gays and the girlies鈥.
Still, it鈥檚 clear that the podcast has struck a special chord. 鈥業 absolutely love talking about sex and relationships, especially from a woman鈥檚 perspective. I鈥檓 such an advocate for women being able to express themselves openly.鈥
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