What the FFS!
What the FFS! is our podcast.
It exists because Fortuna Female Society exists.
And Fortuna Female Society exists because women kept having the same conversations, in kitchens, car parks, WhatsApp messages, and quiet corners of rooms.
This episode, we’re asking: “What the FFS! is loneliness?”
Laura is joined by Fortuna Female Society trustees Jan and Sal for an open, honest conversation about loneliness, isolation, and what meaningful connection actually looks like in real life.
Not the stereotype “sad person on their own” version.
The version that can show up when you look busy. When you look fine. When you’re surrounded by people.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
What the FFS is Loneliness? Watch the FFS! Podcast Episode 2
Loneliness, isolation and connection
Loneliness isn’t a fixed state.
That’s one of the first things we land on in this episode. It can come and go. It can creep in quietly. It can feel like a sense that something is missing, even when your diary is full and you’ve got people around you.
We talk about how hard it can be to even admit it. Laura shares that for her, one of the hardest things was saying “I feel lonely” out loud, especially at a time when she looked like the least lonely person ever. Busy. Out. Doing lots.
Jan talks about being the sort of person who isolates anyway, and that familiar moment of clocking it: “I’m isolating again.” Then asking the bigger question behind it. Is that isolation? Is that loneliness? Or is it something else that needs naming?
And Sal brings it back to what loneliness really is: it’s not simply about whether you’re physically alone. You can have connections and still feel lonely if they aren’t meaningful. You can be with lots of people and still feel like nothing is actually connecting.
We also talk about how Fortuna Female Society fits into that. Because our mission is tackling social isolation. Building places where women can connect. And giving permission for women to take time out to just be in a room with other women.
Not for networking.
Not for fixing yourself.
Just for connection that feels real.
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What the FFS is Loneliness? Our conversation goes there
We talk about Supper Club and the way something simple became a real anchor for connection, especially after the lockdowns.
We talk about that post-COVID “forgetting how to be human” feeling. The fear. The disconnect. The way people lost the habit of being together. And how easy it is for life to stay that way if nobody creates an alternative.
We talk about loneliness around motherhood and life transitions. One of those messy truths: having kids can be one of the loneliest times, even if you’re surrounded by groups and activities. And going back to work can bring a different kind of loneliness too, when the “bubble” of community shifts and you’re suddenly expected to present yourself a certain way again.
We talk about stigma. About the pressure to look fine. About how loneliness can hit around the 35–40 mark when life shifts, roles change, and the things that used to prop you up start to melt away.
We talk about online connection. It can help. It can reconnect you with people you’d otherwise lose touch with. But it doesn’t replace real human contact. We’re mammals. We’re social beasts. A screen doesn’t give you the same thing.
We talk about making friends as an adult. The difference between acquaintances and real friends. The truth that friendship isn’t static, and the people who fit your life now might be different than the ones who fit your life at 17.
We talk about loneliness across sexes and generations. Men may experience it differently. Young people are feeling it more. And growing up online changes the way connection and social skills develop.
We talk about health impacts too. Not just mental health. Physical health. The bigger picture people don’t always connect to loneliness and isolation.
And we come back, again and again, to the hardest part:
Getting over the threshold.
Showing up.
Taking the first step through the door.
What the FFS! Podcast Episode 2 Timestamps
00:00 Intro music
00:34 Welcome and introductions
01:33 What does loneliness really mean
03:44 Supper Club and noticing isolation
05:31 COVID, disconnection, and forgetting how to be human
08:25 Loneliness, motherhood, and life transitions
10:49 Stigma, being alone vs feeling lonely
13:04 Online connection vs real-world connection
15:37 Making friends as an adult
19:32 Do men experience loneliness differently
22:50 Loneliness in younger people and growing up online
25:06 Permission to slow down and just be
31:52 Getting over the threshold and showing up
34:07 Health impacts, isolation, and community breakdown
38:09 Why come to Fortuna Female Society
41:47 Final reflections and closing
Keep the conversation going
If this episode resonated with you, don’t just nod along.
Share it.
Send it to someone who needs it.
And tell us on our socials what you’d add to the conversation.
Have you ever felt lonely when you “shouldn’t”?
What does meaningful connection look like for you?
What makes that first step through the door feel hard?
Drop into our socials and tell us. Or tell us in person at one of our activities. (Find out what’s on here)
Our podcast grows the same way FFS did. From real voices, real experiences, and women shaping the conversation together.
Podcast Credits
Recorded, produced, and originally distributed by Hype Podcast Studios in Widnes. Huge thanks to Al and the team for supporting the FFS! Podcast.
(c) 2026 Hype Podcast Studios Ltd and Fortuna Female Society. All rights reserved.