Hearts and Handlebars

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, every short episode is recorded on the bike, in real time, on the way to school – made to be played on your own school run, during the bedtime wind‑down or with a much‑earned post drop‑off coffee. You’re riding along for big feelings, shifting identities, TikTok topics and the daily tightrope walk between paid work and care work. The same skills praised as “strategy, leadership and resilience” in boardrooms show up here as the invisible graft of getting kids dressed, fed, encouraged and delivered on time – Hearts and Handlebars is a gentle protest against keeping that labour, and you, unseen. This is not a vibe‑checked guide to perfect parenting. It’s messy, unfiltered, funny and honest company for those mornings when you need proof you’re not the only one spinning plates – and that you’re doing better than you think. Listeners’ stories and school‑run dramas will roll in too, with Zena on hand to rate the chaos, plus all the sounds you never get in a studio: bells, traffic, weather and the kind of chatter that makes it feel like you’re in the bike lane with them. If you’re over glossy “having it all” content and want something real to share with your kids, Hearts and Handlebars is your ride. Share your morning chaos (or enviably nailed routines) on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars – and, as Zena says, “STAY LOVIN!”.