What Would The Aunties Say‪?‬ Anchal

"How will you find a husband with that weight?", "put some lipstick on", "you must wax your hair.". These are some things you might hear a South Asian Auntie say when talking about body image. Model and activist Neelam Kaur Gill joins me to discuss the pressures of looking marriage ready and meeting the South Asian standard.

"You will never find a husband in this job, be a doctor", "Indian girls never make it in those industries", "You will never make money in a creative job". When talking to South Asian Aunties about getting into a creative career, these are some of the things you might hear them. I'm joined by BBC Women's Hour presenter and broadcaster Anita Rani. We discuss her experiences as a brown woman in a predominantly white industry and the pressures of following a particular career path.

“Isn’t there a cure?!”, “I hope they get well soon”, “so sorry, she will never have a normal life”, “Your childs illness is paying for your bad karma”. These are some of the things you may hear from a South Asian Auntie when seeing a child or person that may have a disability. This is a huge taboo topic within the culture, and my special guest Manal from @wakeupandmakeup shares the experiences of having a sister with cerebral palsy.

"Let him drink, this is what men do", "He’s drinking because of you", "Girls don’t drink” - these are some of the phrases you might hear from a South Asian Auntie on the topic of alcohol. In this episode, we’re discussing alcohol culture, predominantly in the Punjabi culture, whether there is a hidden problem, ways of dealing with alcoholism, and hearing the experiences of my special guest Dipz Danjal and how he was able to turn his life around.

"Girls only leave the home once they’re married", "It’s shameful to live with a boyfriend", "Why would you want to leave your parents? Don’t you love them?" These are some of the things you might here from the Aunties when if you’re thinking about moving out of your South Asian family home before marriage. In this episode I’m joined by Niki Mahon where we discuss why the Aunties disapprove so much and how to tackle your parents when dealing with this topic!

"My daughter-in-law doesn't listen", "She's taking him away from the family”, “Live with us beta, and come and learn our families way." These are some of the things the Aunties might say when talking about their daughter-in-law. Dealing with your in-laws can be challenging if you don't have the best relationship. In this episode, I'm joined by psychotherapist Dr. Reenee Singh to discuss how to set boundaries, how to improve in-law relationships, and whether you should live with them after marriage.