Hearts and Handlebars

What’s This Podcast
About?

Hearts and Handlebars is a school‑run podcast for working parents whose mornings look more like spilt coffee than green‑juice perfection. Hosted by BBC foreign correspondent Anna Holligan and her 9‑year‑old daughter Zena, each bite‑sized episode is recorded on the bike, in real time, on the way to school – made for parents to share with their kids on their own school run, as part of a bedtime wind‑down routine or with a fresh post drop-off coffee. You’ll ride along for big feelings, evolving identities, trending topics and the constant effort to steer mum‑life and professional life in tandem while still chasing some kind of balance. The same skills praised as “strategy, leadership and resilience” in boardrooms show up here as the uncredited labour of getting kids dressed, fed, motivated and delivered on time – Hearts and Handlebars is gentle pushback against the pressure to keep that work, and you, invisible. This is not a vibe‑checked guide to perfect parenting; it’s messy, unfiltered, honest company for whenever you need proof that you’re not alone and you’re doing better than you think. Listeners’ stories and school‑run dramas will pop up too, with Zena on hand to rate the chaos, and you’ll hear all the sounds you never get in a studio – traffic, weather and chatter that make it feel like you’re cycling alongside them. If you crave relatable stories instead of another glossy performance of “having it all”, Hearts and Handlebars is your ride. Share your morning chaos (or enviably nailed routines) on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars – and, as Zena says, “STAY LOVIN!”.

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