Live A Little with Nikki Lilly
BAFTA, Emmy and Pride of Britain award winner Nikki Lilly hosts 'Live A Little,' a podcast that explores the complexities of modern life. The show delves into the space between having a lot going on and searching for deeper meaning. Each episode offers soft conversations about navigating the in-between, without claiming to have all the answers. New episodes release every Thursday.
Episodes
why do we love things that make us sad?
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is exploring a question she’s been thinking about for years: why do we love things that make us sad?from listening to devastating songs on repeat to watching films that leave us emotionally destroyed... there’s something strangely comforting about choosing to feel sad. nikki opens up about her own complicated relationship with sadness, why hap
never make your dreams smaller for other people with dylan
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is joined by uk top 20 charting artist dylan for an honest conversation about ambition, grief and refusing to give up on the life you’ve always imagined for yourself.from adopting an alter ego to protect herself from failure to navigating a music industry that’s tried to put her dreams on hold, dylan has never been afraid to want more. but beh
what if your glow up isn’t about how you look?
what if your biggest glow up has nothing to do with how you look?in this special compilation episode of live a little, nikki lilly brings together some of her favourite conversations and reflections on what it really means to glow up: from learning to accept yourself and letting go of other people’s expectations, to finding comfort in your own company and finally realising that you don’t
why am i so sensitive?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... and this week nikki is wondering why she is so sensitive.what nikki has started to realise is that she doesn't just notice emotions... she carries them. so together, we try and unpack what being 'too senstive' actually means and how we talk about it like it's automatically a flaw.she also touches back on why rejection hits so hard and that
do we have any original thoughts left?
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is asking herself a surprisingly uncomfortable question: when did i become so bad at being bored?from waiting for the kettle to boil to brushing her teeth, nikki fills almost every quiet moment with something: a podcast, tiktok, instagram, anything to avoid the silence. but she’s starting to wonder whether, by constantly consuming everyone els
have we forgotten how to have fun?
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is asking herself a surprisingly difficult question: why is it so hard to have fun nowadays?nikki has plenty of interests, but somewhere along the way, makeup, fashion and baking all became part of her job. and when the things you love become things you have to do, where does the joy go? she opens up about realising she doesn’t really have any
why can't i stop thinking about them?
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly opens up about something deeply personal she’s experienced for years, but never quite had a name for: limerence.it’s more than having a crush. it's the obsessive overthinking, replaying conversations, analysing texts, searching for meaning in a look or a delayed reply, and feeling like you need to figure out exactly how someone feels before yo
why is it so hard to make friends in your 20s?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki is diving into a topic she's never properly covered in 40 episodes: why making and maintaining friendships suddenly feels impossibly harder once you leave school, and why nobody warns you about it.here's the thing about friendship at school: it wasn't something you had to work for. it happened to you. then you turn 20-somet
how to escape everyone's expectations of you with amybeth mcnulty
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki is joined by her friend, actor amybeth mcnulty (anne with an e, stranger things)!the episode kicks off with nikki immediately addressing the elephant in the room: are they dating? the internet has a lot of opinions on this one...the real conversation centres on amybeth's most iconic role. from playing anne in 'anne with an
why does it feel like everyone else is ahead of you? (live a letters)
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week, nikki is opening up her 'live a letters', answering your questions about life, fashion, FOMO, and what it actually means to build worth that has nothing to do with how you look.nikki is answering questions about how she finds her style, the terrible habit of overcommitting, the comparison trap (and how appearance has become curr
why being too self-aware is exhausting
we're going deep and vulnerable on this episode of live a little, as nikki is saying goodbye to a therapist and is exploring what it means to graduate from therapy and trust yourself.
nikki has just finished a year and five months of therapy - 30 to 60 sessions with someone who genuinely got her, after years of bad therapists and therapy at hospital (the place that gave her trauma in the
losing yourself is a bigger price to pay with munroe bergdorf
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is joined by writer, model, broadcaster and activist munroe bergdorf, and the chemistry between them is immediate and electric!
munroe has become one of the most powerful and eloquent voices fighting for trans rights and community liberation. from her ground-breaking memoir 'transitional' to her feature documentary 'love & rage' to her you
why do we need everything to last forever?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki turned 22, and instead of celebrating, she's processing something she's struggled with her entire life: why birthdays feel like grief, what it means to let things change.
nikki talks about grieving her younger self and how this year she is trying to honour the version of herself that is here.
also on this episode, she also
am i failing, or just burnt out?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... on the episode, nikki is talking about something she's been ruminating on heavily: burnout.
nikki wants to preface this by saying it's not complaining - she knows how lucky she is. but here's the thing: gratitude doesn't cancel out struggle. you can be grateful for something and still feel completely lost inside it.
what do you do when you
why beauty standards are stealing our individuality…
it's a new episode of live a little, nikki is diving deep into something deeply personal: beauty standards.
nikki talks about how the constant exposure to our images makes beauty standards today more intense than in previous times, the frustrating packaging of wellness, self-care and "glow up culture" and what all of this means to someone growing up with a facial difference.
nikki introdu
are you in love, or just scared to start again? with jemma sbeg
on this episode of live a little, nikki is joined by the host of hit podcast "the psychology of your 20s" jemma sbeg!
jemma and nikki dive into the universal struggle of making plans in your 20s, friendship breakups and the complicated grief that comes with them and how to appreciate the nuance in friendships.
jemma also shares some psychology tea: love languages are overused... and do yo
how do i stop spiralling and a toolkit for healing
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... and on this episode, nikki brings back 'live a letters' to answer your questions about life!
covering everything from anxiety to friendship betrayal, practicing forgiveness and how to be a better friend to yourself, nikki is getting brutally honest and sharing her own experiences along the way.
nikki also shares her recent experience with
will they take my pain seriously?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... on this episode, nikki is talking about something she has never admitted out loud before: sometimes she feels the need to exaggerate her pain so that people believe her.
nikki opens up about the "how are you feeling?" and "what's your pain out of ten?" questions that have haunted her entire life - especially in hospital settings. but these
being an introvert in an extroverted world with asha banks
you might recognise our guest from the hit film 'my fault: london', the bbc series 'a good girl's guide to murder' or even as one of the most exciting new artists... asha banks joins nikki lilly on this episode of live a little!
on this episode, nikki and asha talk about being introverts in an extrovert industry, being accomplished at a young age and navigating a world that tries to put y
how to feel loved, even if you feel unlovable
on this episode of live a little, nikki is getting deeply vulnerable talking about why she feels unlovable, despite knowing logically that people love her.
there's a crucial difference between knowing you're loved and believing you're lovable, especially romantically. nikki gets brutally honest about her rejection sensitivity - she's never been in a "proper" romantic relationship at nearl
add compassion and whimsy into your life with dodie
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki is reunited with someone she's known for a very long time: musician, songwriter, author and youtuber dodie.
they kick things off reminiscing about the first time they met (when nikki had a massive nosebleed!!) and they became best friends from that moment.
they dive deep into something that both of them struggle with - the
you're not broken, even if you feel it with katie piper
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week comes with a content note for conversations around trauma, disability and health struggles.
nikki is reunited with someone incredibly special - katie piper. it's been 8 years since they last sat down together for an interview. they're each other's "safe person" - the kind of no-BS zone where they don't need small talk or pretence
denying an emotion doesn't stop it from existing with david larbi
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is joined by someone she's been wanting to have on for ages - writer, creator, and poet david larbi.
nikki and david immediately click as "friends in waiting" - those people you follow and just know you'd get on with, but need that in-person connection to solidify it.
they explore the importance of never dismissing what you feel - because deny
how to grieve a life you never got to live
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week comes with a gentle note that nikki is diving deep into grief and loss.
nikki opens with open tabs - the tab she's loving, the tab living rent free and the tab that needs closing.
but this episode is really about something nikki's been unpicking in therapy - what it's like to grieve a version of yourself that you never got to hav
it's time to say no to people pleasing with tobie donovan
welcome back to live a little.. this week nikki, is sitting down with actor and longtime friend tobie donovan (from heartstopper)!
nikki and tobie dive straight into cinema room dreams, the academy museum in LA (dorothy's shoes! maria's dress! the shark from jaws!), and letterboxd panic about whether to be honest or cool with your top four films.
tobie opens up about the pivotal moment th
how do i stop waiting and starting living?
on this episode of live a little with nikki lilly... nikki is getting real about something she's been spiralling about recently: how her world has become very, very small, and how she keeps waiting for the right moment instead of actually living.
nikki opens up about living life like it's a waiting room - waiting to feel better, waiting to be less tired, waiting to be more confident, wait
recovery is possible with ben west (part 2)
trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of suicide, grief, trauma, and mental health struggles
on this episode of live a little, we're picking up from last week's episode, as nikki lilly is once again joined by mental health advocate and campaigner ben west.
our conversation starts with ben explaining why his brother, sam, believed that once you got depression, you never don't
mental health is not mental illness with ben west (part 1)
trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of suicide, grief, trauma, and mental health struggles
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is joined by someone she's admired for a long time - mental health advocate and campaigner ben west.
this is an episode that's especially important to nikki, and it's the first time she's had a male guest on the podcast (and if it had to b
what the oscars was actually like
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... your girl is back from los angeles and the oscars, and she's ready to debrief!
in this episode, nikki takes us through the entire LA trip - from the 35-degree heat that had her sweating off her makeup (goodbye bomber jacket, hello vest tops) to the absolutely chaotic rush hour drive home that should've been 50 minutes but took two and a ha
you are always enough with charithra chandran (pt 2)
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... and we're picking up right where we left off with charithra chandran for part two of this honest, vulnerable conversation.
this episode starts with charithra answering nikki's question from last week about her biggest regret of assimilation - and it's a painful memory...
nikki and charithra share their school experiences, the hilarious and
being different is the currency with charithra chandran (pt 1)
we've got a very special guest on this episode of live a little! nikki is sitting down with british actor charithra chandran!
you might recognise charithra chandran from her starring roles in bridgerton (as edwina sharma), alex rider (on amazon prime), how to date billy walsh and dune: prophecy!
nikki and charithra dive straight into the realities of being in the entertainment industry -
i was invited to the Oscars!
we have an super exciting episode of live a little for you... as nikki lilly shares the behind the scenes exclusive of her invitation to the attend the Oscars (aka the biggest night in film!).
nikki takes us through the surreal journey of how she even got here - from a casual coffee meeting with the academy in april, to finally getting the invite in november.
she opens up about the impost
i'm a kind person, not a nice person
welcome back to live a little... this week's episode title might sound a bit harsh, but hear nikki out - because she's learned there's a massive difference between being a nice person and being a kind person.
nikki dives into why she doesn't want to be nice anymore - and no, it's not about being mean. she gets real about how being "nice" became a survival mechanism for her, especially in
who am i according to myers-briggs?
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... on this episode, nikki is fresh off speaking at the united nations (!!) and she's ready to dive into something completely different - personality tests.
nikki kicks things off with a new sub-segment called "open tabs" - basically everything that's been living rent free in her head this week. from being obsessed with the winter olympics, to
finding comfort during hard days (live a letters)
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week it's another live a letters episode, where nikki answers your questions, dilemmas, and everything in between!
on this episode, nikki is diving into five really good questions from the live a little community. from how to find comfort during hard mental health days (including some guilty pleasure tv watches!) to her favourite/leas
romanticising being alone
this week's episode of live a little is an honest one, filmed the day after nikki had a nosebleed at a bafta event - so she's not quite herself, but that's exactly the point.
in this episode, nikki lilly is diving into what it's really like to go quiet for a while, and why romanticising being alone doesn't have to feel shameful or scary. she gets real about the difference between enjoying
pressure, control and the internet with megan jayne crabbe
trigger warning: this episode may contain discussions of weight loss and eating disorders
we are joined with another guest this week, it's author, body positive activist and presenter megan jayne crabbe!
on this episode, nikki and megan sit down and get raw and honest about their impact and influence when it comes to creating content.
megan discusses the pressures of always having to be
when milestone's don't make sense with emily carey
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week is extra special because we have our very first guest!
nikki is sitting down with actor emily carey. you might recognise emily from all of our favourite shows, including netflix's geek girl and hbo's house of the dragon.
on this episode, emily gets real about why school wasn't a good place for them, being a self-proclaimed geek,
when control feels like safety
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about eating disorders and weight loss.
in this vulnerable and deeply personal episode of live a little, nikki is diving into the topic of control - how it shows up in our lives in both healthy and unhealthy ways, and why we clutch onto it so tightly when everything else feels uncertain.
nikki gets real about losing control over her body
what are my red flags in dating?
ready to hear nikki's response to your questions? on this episode of live a little, it's all about your dilemmas in our new segment: live a letters.
on this episode of live a little, nikki is getting into all things red flags and green flags in dating, reclaiming happiness and she breaks down how people pleasing might be taking over your life...
nikki also gives you the key to finding the
the importance of varied friendships
in 2026, we’re all about not having friends that are copy-paste identical to you.
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is diving into why it’s so important to be surrounded by people who don’t think, look or live exactly like you in order to grow!
when we’re young, similarity draws us together – but, as we get older, differences in life experiences can deepen our connections and
why it's so hard to de-center the male gaze
we're starting the new year the way we intend to continue: getting deeply honest.
on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is opening up about the male gaze, pretty privilege and what it's like to grow up without external validation - especially from boys.
she's unpacking how growing up with a facial difference meant never being "chosen" at school, always being the friend that boys w
ins & outs for 2026
welcome back to your soft corner of the internet... and happy new year!
on this episode of live a little, nikki is kicking off 2026 with her annual "ins and outs" - but this isn't about becoming a new person or setting impossible resolutions, it's about what she wants to move towards and what she's leaving behind (spoiler: no more "cores" or celebrity worship, please).
nikki's getting rea
when christmas isn’t very merry
christmas isn't always the most wonderful time of the year, and on this episode of live a little, nikki is getting real about the two sides of christmas - the magical, nostalgic side vs the heavy, complicated reality that so many actually experience.
nikki is opening up about how christmas used to be her favourite time of year as a kid (hello argos catalogue and santa tracker!), but how
i miss being cringe
everyone has a cringe era, and on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly wants to re-embrace being cringe all over again.
nikki is unpacking why we have lost the ability to just... exist without worrying about being perceived. she also gets real about constantly questioning whether she actually likes something or just likes it because everyone else does, and how exhausting it is to ne
what having a chronic illness is actually like
welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly - your cosy corner of the internet.
on this episode, nikki gets raw about chronic illness and why we need to stop romanticising struggle. she's unpacking how social media trends and "inspirational" narratives can actually be pretty toxic when you're living through something genuinely hard.
nikki opens up about her AVM diagnosis at six years o
how i’m figuring out my 20s
welcome to the very first episode of live a little with nikki lilly... we're so excited to meet you in this new space!
in this very first episode, nikki is diving into the pressure to have everything figured out in your 20s and the art of learning to take up space. she's all in on the messiness of not knowing what's next and living authentically - even when it's not cool.
nikki also gets
Coming Soon
Welcome to Live A Little, the space for soft conversations with a big soul.
BAFTA, Emmy and Pride of Britain award winner Nikki Lilly is exploring the weird in-between of modern life – where you can have a lot going on but still wonder if you’re missing something deeper.
This podcast is not about having the answer – it’s about figuring it out.
New episodes every Thursday, from December 4t
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