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Layla Moran MP is fighting to keep her seat.

There are trolls, there are threats, there are hostile journalists.

And throughout the journey, as she campaigns in the 2019 general election... we are at her side.

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In this Modern Mann exclusive, host Olly Mann and producer Matt Hill accompany the Liberal Democrats’ rising star as she pounds the streets, battles her opponents, and goes public about her sexuality.

From campaign launch to vote count, we learn what it takes to face the electorate in a divided nation.

And, quite by accident, find ourselves documenting someone who may yet become leader of one of Britain’s major political parties...

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Elsewhere this episode, Ollie Peart tries out a trio of health trends in this month’s Zeitgeist - getting seriously sweaty at CrossFit, bouldering his way round a climbing course in Poole, and trying his hand at Ayurvedic massage. You’ll never dress your salad with sesame oil again.

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Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener affected by inflammatory skin condition Lichen Sclerosus. Can a body-mapping app keep the heat in his relationship - even as he applies emollient to stop the burning? Perhaps, if he can uncover the ‘tiny everyday thrills’ of daily sensuality...

(For more support about sex with LS, Alix recommends Sam Evans’ blogs for Jo Divine, and the Facebook group LS UK Awareness).

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Our record of the month is ‘Your Light’ by The Big Moon, from the album ‘Walking Like We Do’ - follow-up to their Mercury Music Prize nominated debut, ‘Love In The 4th Dimension’.

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please tell your friends - we’re @themodernmann on Twitter - or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

And, if you can afford to support us financially, please buy us a beer.

As an independent podcast, we can only make the show thanks to the generous support of listeners like you.

We’ll be back on March 1 with a brand new episode.

In the meantime, if you have a suggestion of a guest Olly should interview, a trend Ollie should test or a sex question Alix should answer - get in touch via our Feedback form.

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MORE POLITICS ON THE MODERN MANN

9/2 - The Downing Street Heckler

6/3 - Do Focus Groups Work?

5/9 - Life In Westminster

“I thought everyone else was able to cope with alcohol, and I was the only one who couldn’t”

Clare Pooley gave up a booze-fuelled job in advertising - complete with a bar in the office and a massive expenses budget - to be a full-time Mum to her three kids.

But as she left the ladette lifestyle behind, she didn’t find herself drinking any less. In fact, she was polishing off ten bottles of wine per week, as she tells Olly in this confessional, compelling conversation...

Clare’s book, ‘The Sober Diaries’ is out now, and her blog Mummy Was A Secret Drinker and Facebook page SoberMummy provide support if you’re looking to give up drinking. Clare also recommends Club Soda and Soberistas.

Meanwhile, for this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has been digitising the Prime Minister and trawling through clips of Olly on The Alan Titchmarsh Show to create a terrifying ‘deep fake’ hybrid. Is misinformation the future of news? And can AI services like Lyrebird and Resemble contribute something positive to the world of podcasting?

If YOU would like to suggest a trend for Ollie to test out, fill out our Feedback form now.

Elsewhere, Alix Fox kicks off the one hundredth edition of The Foxhole with THE perennial penile puzzler: can pumps or pills give you greater length and girth down-below?

She meets the man behind one of the world’s most popular extenders, and considers whether, sometimes, size concerns aren’t just about ‘locker room syndrome’, but may be a healthy expression of kink.

If YOU have a question of sex for Alix to answer in a future edition of the show, just fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

Music this episode comes from Cavetown, with his charming song ‘Things That Make It Warm’; indisputably our first record of the month about birds building nests:

Remember, The Modern Mann is an entirely independent podcast, funded in part by your generous donations. If you’ve enjoyed our first one hundred episodes for free, and can afford to give financially to the show, follow the links 👇. Thanks!

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See you for our next edition on 1st Feb.

Happy New Year!

This episode is sponsored by Thriva, the health-tracking finger prick blood test you do at home. Get 50% off your first kit by visiting Thriva.co and using the code Mann50.