It's A Death Sentence: An Unexpectedly Funny, Deeply Human Podcast About Death & Life

Carrie Smith & Emma Skipp
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

💀 It’s a Death Sentence 💀 A podcast about life and death — and everything awkwardly, hilariously and heartbreakingly in between. Hosted by two women in their 40s: one, an APT performing daily autopsies, the other; a professional singer! Both have stared grief in the face — historically and recently — and somehow learned to laugh anyway. A home for anyone who has lost someone . Because grief doesn’t just touch individuals. It ripples through families, friendships and whole cultural communities. It’s a Death Sentence discussions, shared stories, and interviews address unspoken rules, the strange rituals, and the quiet solidarity found when we are ready to mourn together 💔 Each episode dives into the messy, taboo, and occasionally gruesome 🩸 sides of being alive (and not). Expect sharp British sarcasm, uncomfortable honesty, and the kind of dark humour that makes you laugh just when you think you shouldn’t. They ask the questions we’ve all Googled in private — and answer them out loud. 🎙️ Tune in to laugh, cry, and get a little bit philosophical about what it means to live after loss.

  1. 2d ago

    Death & Disney

    This was one of those episodes that took us right back to our childhood. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we unpack how Disney films shaped our early understanding of death - from parental loss in Bambi and The Lion King to dramatic villain endings, the afterlife in Coco, and the emotional punch of stories like My Girl and Watership Down. What You’ll Discover - How Disney Handles Death: Common tropes like temporary “deaths,” the circle of life, and off-screen losses. - Villains and Justice: Why bad characters meet dramatic but indirect ends, and what that teaches kids about consequences. - Grief, Remembrance & Nostalgia: From Coco’s focus on remembering the dead to how these films influenced the way we process loss. Disney often softens death while still introducing big ideas like grief, legacy, and moving forward. Whether through symbolic afterlives or sudden heartbreak, these stories gave many of us our first (sometimes confusing) window into one of life’s hardest realities. It’s a nostalgic, thoughtful conversation about the powerful role media plays in shaping how we understand death from a young age. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    32 min

  2. May 29

    Near-Death Experiences: What Do You See When You Die?

    In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we explore near-death experiences - what people report seeing, feeling, and learning when they come close to dying and return. What You’ll Discover - Common Elements of Near-Death Experiences: Bright lights, feelings of peace and wholeness, out-of-body sensations, and encounters with loved ones or beings. - The Science vs. The Mystery: How the brain might create these experiences under extreme stress, and why they feel so similar across cultures and time. - Personal and Cultural Reflections: Stories of transformation, loss of fear of death, and why these experiences continue to fascinate us. What really stood out is how these accounts - whether explained by brain chemistry or something more profound - often leave people changed, with a deeper sense of peace and purpose. The conversation sits beautifully in that space between science and hope, reminding us that death and what might come after doesn’t have to be purely frightening. It can also spark curiosity, comfort, and even wonder. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    25 min

  3. May 29

    Kids Talk Death: The Deadly Curious Q&A

    This episode felt different because we handed the big questions over to the children. In this special episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we run a kids’ workshop and ask young people what they think about death, grief, the afterlife, funerals, and how they’d support a friend who is sad. What You’ll Discover - Honest Answers from Children: What they believe happens when we die, whether they think there’s a heaven or hell, and how they’d comfort someone who is grieving. - The Curious Questions Kids Ask: Their raw, thoughtful, and often surprisingly funny takes on death and what comes after. - The Kids Turn the Tables: The curious and brilliant questions the children asked us in return. Their answers are honest, sometimes humorous, and often wiser than we expect. It’s a gentle reminder that death doesn’t have to be a scary or forbidden topic - it can be discussed with care, curiosity, and even hope. This episode was recorded as part of a school pilot on death education, showing how naturally young people engage when given a safe space to talk. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    15 min

  4. May 22

    Decomposed & Dead

    This was one of those conversations where you end up equal parts fascinated and slightly horrified. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we getting into what actually happens to your body after you die. Carrie, who performs autopsies for a living, takes us through the full process of decomposition - from the very first changes to the bloating, purging, skin slip, maggots, and everything in between. What You’ll Discover - The Real Stages After Death: Pallor mortis, algor mortis, rigor mortis, livor mortis, autolysis (self-digestion), putrefaction, and how temperature, environment and body type all change the timeline. - The Messy, Honest Realities: Gas, bloating, fluids leaking from the mouth and nose, why bodies can look like old leather in dry conditions, and the unmistakable smell of death. - The Questions People Are Scared to Ask: Do bodies always poop? Why is the tongue sometimes removed? Can organs still be used? Decomposition isn’t just decay - it’s a natural biological process where life keeps doing its thing. This conversation mixes science, dark humour, real mortuary stories, and that strange human curiosity we all have about what happens when we die. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    50 min

  5. May 15

    The Interviews - John Kammer: AI and Grief

    This episode goes right to the heart of one of the most tender, complicated spaces we’ve ever explored. In this episode, we sit down with John Kramer, founder of Guardian Angels, to talk openly about using AI as a tool in grief. John shares his own journey through loss, the accidental beginnings of the platform, and how it evolved from an experiment into a structured, therapist-guided journaling experience designed to help people process pain rather than replace human connection. What You’ll Discover - From Digital Séance to Structured Healing: How Guardian Angels moved from conversational AI to reflective journaling rooted in evidence-based grief tasks. - Why Men Often Connect With This Tool: The safe, risk-free space it creates for those who struggle to talk about feelings or show vulnerability. - Guardrails, Ethics & The Path Forward: How the platform is built to support real healing, with clear boundaries, therapist input, crisis resources, and an intentional focus on integration rather than dependence. John’s clear that this isn’t about speaking to the dead or replacing therapy. It’s about giving people (especially those who find it hard to open up) a private outlet to name their feelings, process pain, and slowly integrate their loss into life moving forward. The pushback he’s received has actually helped shape something more responsible and human-centred. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    36 min

  6. May 8

    Death By Social Media: The Toxic Loop We Can’t Escape

    This episode felt different to record because, if we're honest, there’s a lot of frustration in it. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we take a proper look at social media. The good, the bad, and the parts that are genuinely dangerous. From the pressure to be liked, to the impact on our mental health, and the very real consequences for young people, this is an honest, unfiltered conversation about something most of us use every day but rarely stop to question. What You’ll Discover - The Pressure to Be Liked: Why social media is designed to keep us hooked, constantly seeking validation and comparison. - When It Turns Dangerous: How cyberbullying, harmful trends, and algorithms can contribute to serious mental health risks. - The Parenting Dilemma: Why there’s no clear answer when it comes to protecting young people without isolating them. What really stands out in this conversation is the contradiction. Social media connects us, grows communities, and even helps people access support in moments of crisis. But at the same time, it can isolate, overwhelm, and in some cases, cause real harm. That tension runs through the whole episode. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    32 min

  7. May 1

    Time Warp: Why Grief Distorts Time in Ways No One Explains

    We’ve both felt this, but no one really prepares you for it. In this episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we sit down and talk about how grief completely warps your sense of time. One moment everything feels frozen, like it just happened, and the next, months have passed in a blur you can barely remember. This is a raw, honest conversation about what that actually feels like, why it happens, and why it’s far more common than people realise. What You’ll Discover - Why Time Stops and Speeds Up: Grief disrupts your normal sense of time, creating a strange mix of slow-motion moments and lost months. - The Science Behind the Feeling: Time distortion is a real neurological response where the brain shifts into survival mode during trauma. - Why Nothing Feels Quite Real: From brain fog to disassociation, grief can make you feel like you’re watching life from the outside. What really stayed with us is how disorientating it all is. That sense of being stuck in the moment you heard the news, while the rest of the world keeps moving forward like nothing’s happened. It’s strange, uncomfortable, and often quite isolating. We also talk about the small things that can help. Not solutions, because there aren’t any quick ones, but anchors. Little routines, familiar moments, people around you, things that gently bring you back into the present when everything feels blurred or distant. This episode is for anyone who’s experienced that feeling of time not quite making sense anymore, or for anyone trying to understand someone who has. If it resonates, share it with someone who might need that reassurance. It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

    34 min
  8. Bonus Episode: A Meditation on Grief

    Apr 28 ·  Bonus

    Bonus Episode: A Meditation on Grief

    This special bonus episode from It’s a Death Sentence offers a gentle, guided meditation designed to bring comfort, calm, and a sense of connection in moments of loss. Written and produced by Emma Skipp and Leon Payne, this meditation was created from a deeply personal place. Emma, who finds great comfort in guided meditation, wanted to craft something specifically for those navigating grief - a space to pause, breathe, and feel held. The meditation begins by guiding you into a state of deep relaxation through simple, soothing breathing techniques. From there, you are gently led into a reflective visualisation, inviting you to imagine your lost loved one beside you - a quiet, safe moment of connection. The soundscape has been carefully designed and tuned to 432Hz - often associated with healing and harmony - creating a warm and immersive listening experience. All music was performed and produced by Leon Payne and Emma Skipp, with natural birdsong recorded in Emma’s own garden adding an intimate, grounding touch. This 20-minute meditation is intended to be a soft place to land - whether you are in the early days of grief or carrying loss that has been with you for years. Take a moment. Breathe. You’re not alone. Credits: Written and spoken by Emma Skipp. Produced by Emma Skipp and Leon Payne. Music performed and produced by Leon Payne and Emma Skipp. Birdsong recordings captured in Emma’s garden.

    23 min
See All (70)

About

💀 It’s a Death Sentence 💀 A podcast about life and death — and everything awkwardly, hilariously and heartbreakingly in between. Hosted by two women in their 40s: one, an APT performing daily autopsies, the other; a professional singer! Both have stared grief in the face — historically and recently — and somehow learned to laugh anyway. A home for anyone who has lost someone . Because grief doesn’t just touch individuals. It ripples through families, friendships and whole cultural communities. It’s a Death Sentence discussions, shared stories, and interviews address unspoken rules, the strange rituals, and the quiet solidarity found when we are ready to mourn together 💔 Each episode dives into the messy, taboo, and occasionally gruesome 🩸 sides of being alive (and not). Expect sharp British sarcasm, uncomfortable honesty, and the kind of dark humour that makes you laugh just when you think you shouldn’t. They ask the questions we’ve all Googled in private — and answer them out loud. 🎙️ Tune in to laugh, cry, and get a little bit philosophical about what it means to live after loss.

Information