Sober Awkward

For many LGBTQ+ people, the pub wasn’t just somewhere to grab a drink—it was one of the few places where they could safely be themselves. For decades, bars and clubs became places of acceptance, community and belonging. But when alcohol becomes woven into your identity and social life, what happens when you decide to stop drinking?

For many people, giving up alcohol means changing what they drink. For many LGBTQ+ people, it can also mean changing where they belong.
This week, Victoria sits down with Karl Considine, public speaker, advocate and Ambassador for Alcohol Change UK. Karl has become one of the leading voices in the UK’s alcohol-free movement, using honesty, humour and lived experience to challenge old ideas about sobriety. Karl is helping a new generation build confidence, connection, and identity without alcohol. Through his work, he has helped show that a life without alcohol isn’t about missing out—it’s about creating more connection, joy and possibility.

Together, they explore the powerful relationship between booze and queer culture. They discuss why LGBTQ+ communities experience higher rates of alcohol and substance misuse than the general population, the role discrimination and minority stress can play, and why creating alcohol-free spaces has never been more important.

It’s an honest conversation about identity, connection, loneliness, community and what it means to build a life where you don’t need alcohol to feel like you belong. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or simply curious about why our relationship with alcohol is shaped by so much more than willpower, this episode is full of compassion, insight and plenty of laughs along the way.

💛 Resources & Links
Follow and Find out more about Karl head to @karlconsidine

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
👉 https://amzn.asia/d/0aZ69GpK

Vic's book 'Mumming - A year of Trying (and Failing) to be a better parent - https://amzn.asia/d/0bUJTS2W

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes
👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community
Our private, supportive online space for sober folk
👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.
👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:
Instagram: @soberawkward
TikTok: @soberawkward
Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials -Finally Meeting Myself - By Allyson

Every Thursday, we’re handing the story telling over to you.

Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year’s Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol.

Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone.

Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we’ve hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn’t require you to wear pants.

So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week’s Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community.

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
👉 Buy the book here or head to the website to find out more about writing mentorships with Vic.
👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community
Our private, supportive online space for sober folk
👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.
👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:
Instagram: @soberawkward
TikTok: @soberawkward
Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCES
If anything in today’s episode felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support available. You don’t have to do this alone.
🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline
📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-service
Lifeline
📞 13 11 14 (24/7)
https://www.lifeline.org.au
Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak
https://hellosundaymorning.org
https://daybreakapp.com.au
Clean Slate Clinic
https://www.cleanslateclinic.com
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline
📞 0300 123 1110
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
Alcohol Change UK
https://alcoholchange.org.uk
We Are With You
https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk
🌍 International
Alcoholics Anonymous
https://www.aa.org
SMART Recovery
https://www.smartrecovery.org

💬 A Gentle Reminder
If you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and getting support can make a huge difference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic chats to Ben Gibbs from The Sober Boozers Club about the rapidly changing world of alcohol-free beer and whether pub culture can survive a generation that’s drinking less, drinking differently, or not drinking at all.

Because let’s face it, Vic used to be the kind of customer pubs loved. These days Vic walks into a pub, orders one alcohol-free beer, has a lovely chat, and leaves. Financially speaking, she’s not exactly the customer she used to be.

So what does this shift mean for the hospitality industry? Can pubs, breweries and bars survive if people are only ordering one or two drinks instead of six? Is the alcohol-free movement a genuine revolution or just a passing trend? And why are so many younger people choosing not to drink in the first place?

Vic and Ben also tackle one of the most debated topics in sobriety: alcohol-free beer. Is it a useful tool or a dangerous game? Should people in early sobriety avoid it altogether? What if it triggers cravings? Why does it work brilliantly for some people and not for others?

Most importantly, Ben shares his experience of trying to keep all the things he loved about his old social life, the pub chats, the mates, the laughs, and the sense of belonging, while quietly removing the alcohol from the equation.

Turns out, getting sober doesn’t always mean changing your entire personality. Sometimes it just means changing what’s in your glass.
A fascinating conversation about identity, friendship, changing drinking culture, and whether the future of the pub might be a lot less boozy than we ever imagined.

💛 Resources & Links
Follow and Find out more about Ben here - Ben Gibbs (@sober_boozers_club)

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
👉 https://amzn.asia/d/0aZ69GpK

Vic's book 'Mumming - A year of Trying (and Failing) to be a better parent - https://amzn.asia/d/0bUJTS2W

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes
👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community
Our private, supportive online space for sober folk
👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.
👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:
Instagram: @soberawkward
TikTok: @soberawkward
Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - Alcohol, Motherhood and Me - By Emily

Every Thursday, we’re handing the story telling over to you.

Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year’s Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol.

Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone.

Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we’ve hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn’t require you to wear pants.

So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week’s Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community.

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
👉 Buy the book here or head to the website to find out more about writing mentorships with Vic.
👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community
Our private, supportive online space for sober folk
👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.
👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:
Instagram: @soberawkward
TikTok: @soberawkward
Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

📞 SUPPORT & RESOURCES
If anything in today’s episode felt familiar, or you’re worried about your drinking, there is support available. You don’t have to do this alone.
🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline
📞 1800 250 015 (24/7)
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/alcohol-and-drug-information-service
Lifeline
📞 13 11 14 (24/7)
https://www.lifeline.org.au
Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak
https://hellosundaymorning.org
https://daybreakapp.com.au
Clean Slate Clinic
https://www.cleanslateclinic.com
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline
📞 0300 123 1110
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
Alcohol Change UK
https://alcoholchange.org.uk
We Are With You
https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk
🌍 International
Alcoholics Anonymous
https://www.aa.org
SMART Recovery
https://www.smartrecovery.org

💬 A Gentle Reminder
If you’re drinking in the morning to cope, especially with anxiety or withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor or medical professional. Stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafe for some people, and getting support can make a huge difference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a special treat to celebrate the final episode of Series 13, I’m delighted to welcome Hamish back to the podcast for a proper catch-up.

Yes, he’s still sober. Yes, he’s still awkward. And yes, he’s still as funny as ever.

We chat about what life has looked like since leaving the show, how sobriety is going, and what he’s learned along the way. Hamish is proof that you don’t have to be a stereotypical “problem drinker” to experience the benefits of going alcohol-free. Sometimes life simply gets bigger, better and a whole lot more interesting without booze in the driver’s seat.

Expect laughs, awkward moments, a few reflections on the good old days, and a reminder of why so many of us fell in love with the lanky one in the first place.

It’s great to have him back.

Be warned, as per usual, there is naughty talk about bodily functions.

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes
👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community
Our private, supportive online space for sober folk
👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.
👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:
Instagram: @soberawkward
TikTok: @soberawkward
Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.