What does it mean To Be A Boy? Meet the new podcast tackling modern masculinity
Hosted by Joeli Brearley and Elliott Rae, To Be A Boy is the podcast exploring how we raise boys in today’s world. Here’s what to expect.
How do we raise kind, confident boys in a world where traditional masculinity is under fire?
Why are so many young men embracing misogynistic figures like Andrew Tate? And is male privilege really a given for all boys? These are just some of the urgent questions tackled in To Be A Boy, a new fortnightly podcast hosted by Joeli Brearley and Elliott Rae.
Brearley, founder of the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, and Rae, the force behind Parenting Out Loud, are both well-known advocates for gender equality. Now, they’re turning their attention to the challenges facing boys and young men today.
Why do boys need more support?
The statistics around boys and men are sobering. In the UK, boys have underperformed academically compared to girls for over 30 years. Later in life, men face further challenges—suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 45, and a staggering 20% of men report having no close friends.
Joeli, a mother of two boys, admits she has struggled with the question of how to raise them in a way that rejects toxic masculinity:
As a mother of two sweet boys whom I love more than anything in the world, I am adrift. How do I raise them to be kind, generous, thoughtful men who reject the many damaging notions of masculinity that surround their very existence?
Her co-host Elliott, a father of two girls, echoes the urgency of these discussions:
We’re still teaching boys that success is about hard work, winning against the competition, making more money than your peers, having bigger muscles than everybody else. But this idea of masculinity is killing us. Literally.
What to expect from To Be A Boy
Each episode of To Be A Boy will feature a mix of candid discussions between Joeli and Elliott, listener contributions, and interviews with experts and thought leaders. Guests for the first season include:
- Lenore Skenazy – author of Free-Range Kids
- Amy Lang – founder of Birds & Bees & Kids
- Chris Stein and Owen Thomas – from the organisation Future Men
- Ruth Whippman – author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity
- Max Dickens – comedian and author of Billy No Mates
- Alex Holmes – author of Time to Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection
Episodes will be released every two weeks, each running up to an hour. The show is supported by Bubble, a trusted childcare app, and Movember, the leading men’s health charity.
Why this conversation matters
While the past few decades have seen a push to empower women and girls, many believe boys have been left behind. The rigid expectations placed on them—stoicism, dominance, financial success—can be damaging.
Elliott believes a balance must be struck:
Working out how we can raise boys to be competitive, hard-working and ambitious, but also caring, empathetic and valuing relationships, is important work. It’s not overstating things to say our health, longevity and happiness depend on it.
Where to listen
The first episode of To Be A Boy launched on 11th February 2025. You can listen on Global Player, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Read more:
Authors
Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.
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