3Spoonies: On Long Covid Episode Number: 66, 15 October 2026 In this episode we are joined by Amy Butterworth and Emma Brackenbury for an open and honest conversation about living with Long COVID and the enormous impact it can have on your health, work, identity and everyday life. Long COVID doesn't look the same for everyone. Symptoms can change, fluctuate and appear unexpectedly, while things that would once have been completely ordinary can suddenly require careful planning and days of recovery. And being able to do something once doesn't mean they'll be able to do it again tomorrow. This is a conversation about Long COVID, but it's also about living with chronic illness, learning to listen to your body and building a life that works with the energy you actually have. If you live with Long COVID, we'd love to hear about your experience in the comments. What do you wish more people understood? Feel free to come and join us on any of our socials Website - www.3spoonies.co.uk Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/3Spoonies Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/3spooniespodcast/ Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/3spoonies.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3spoonies If you’d like to find out more about our hosts; Jo O’Neil Website: https://bright-cat.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-oneil/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightCatBusiness Claire Napper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-napper Website: www.strangelittleobsessions.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/Strangelittleobsessions Karen Duncan Website: http://www.ponyponypony.co.uk LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/PonyPonyPony Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PonyPonyPonyCourses Guests Amy Butterworth Amy had a career in comedy, theatre and music before turning to youth work, focusing on young people who were systemically under-served. She designed award-winning inclusive youth programmes for the Scouts, before getting long covid in 2021. Since then she has become a disability activist, and accessibility consultant, using intersectional, universal design principles, ensuring the workplace is inclusive for all. You can find her work at @LongCovidRockstar (Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn), and you can sign her petition to Make Disability Leave the Law at https://the.organise.network/campaigns/network-make-disability-leave-a-statutory-right-for-every-worker-in-the-uk-6fb0dfca8bf17b65. Emma Brackenbury I am a Costume maker and tutor, I Have worked in Film and Tv and taught at universities as well as my own events – the corsetry retreat. I have long covid and juggle a busy life style with minimal energy. Since getting long covid life has changed and I now split my working time between 2 businesses, Emma Brackenbury Costume, and The Corsetry Retreat. Emma Brackenbury costume is my freelance costume work I do from home around my energy, and The Corsetry Retreat is a wonderful but intense teaching event that I really have to plan my energy around. Emma Brackenbury Costume Links: https://www.instagram.com/emmabrackenbury.costume/ https://www.facebook.com/emmabrackenburycostumeandjewellery/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6433353/ The Corsetry Retreat Links: https://thecorsetryretreat.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/705744647745192 https://www.instagram.com/thecorsetryretreat/ Sponsors A HUGE thank to our Main Sponsor for this Season: Disability Is My Strength with Vicki Admin Fairy Vicki Wilson is an author, business owner and disability advocate who was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Her memoir, Disability Is My Strength: A Life Built Without Limits, Labels or Permission, is an honest, funny and powerful account of a life spent challenging assumptions, building her independence and refusing to let disability or other people’s expectations define what she could achieve. Vicki is also the founder of Vicki Admin Fairy®, where she helps self-employed people bring order to their admin chaos and gain greater confidence in their businesses. Disability Is My Strength is published on 5 November and will be available from Amazon or through Vicki’s website: https://vickiadminfairy.co.uk/disability-is-my-strength-vicki-wilson/ https://www.facebook.com/Disabilityismystrength https://www.instagram.com/disabilityismystrength/ And to our Feature Sponsors! The Smart Bear Suzi Brown is the founder and owner of The Smart Bear which was launched in 2013 as a website design and development company for small businesses - offering a range of website and SEO services to suit different budgets. And since 2021, the business is now prioritising being more ethical and responsible by offering eco and accessibility options for websites, as well as adhering to The Ethical Move’s pledge. https://thesmartbear.co.uk http://thewebsiteclub.co.uk Cockleshell Creative Coaching Cockleshell Creative Coaching is run by Mary Duggan, a productivity coach based in Wakefield. Mary spent years managing other people's projects, but when she started working for herself she found that traditional productivity approaches just didn't work for her mindset or the demands on her time. So she built something that did: a way of working that flexes around the day you actually have — small steps, a proper break after each one, and nothing lost when you get interrupted. She coaches women who are running a business alongside everything else. If you'd like to try her approach before booking anything, start with her free tool, Untangle the Knot, at cockleshellcreative.com. https://www.facebook.com/CockleshellCreative/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-duggan-creative-coach/ Their support allows us to keep showing up every week, having these conversations, and making the podcast what it is — so if you can, please do go and check them out and support them in return. Would you like to buy us a coffee? Check our Ko-Fi at Ko-fi.com/3spoonies
