In this episode of The Pokes and Jokes Podcast, Grace Neutral and Jen Nolan are joined by drag artist and visual creator Charity Kase for an open and deeply honest conversation about identity, drag, HIV, gender, and learning when to let go of something that once saved you.

Charity talks about losing the spark for drag, the pressure of making creativity pay the bills, and the reality of burnout after Drag Race. They reflect on British drag culture, camp, femininity, and how mainstream success can smooth the edges off something that was never meant to be polished.

The conversation moves into Charity’s experience of being diagnosed with HIV at 18, the stigma that still exists today, and why modern treatment has completely changed what living with HIV looks like. Charity speaks openly about shame, survival, chosen family, and why education matters more than fear.

There is also a candid discussion about gender expression, masculinity, body image, relationships, marriage, and learning not to make yourself smaller just to be accepted.

Funny, raw, uncomfortable, and affirming in equal measure, this is a powerful episode about being unapologetically yourself and knowing when it is time to evolve.

💍 This episode is sponsored by @regalrose — deadly detailed jewellery with a dark & dreamy twist. Use code JOKES20 for 20% off → regalrose.co.uk

Chapters

00:00:00 Cold open

00:01:41 Meeting Charity

00:03:52 Burnout and drag

00:05:10 British drag culture

00:06:13 Drag as therapy

00:07:44 HIV diagnosis

00:09:55 Chosen family

00:11:26 365 days drag

00:13:35 Going viral

00:14:25 Circus work

00:15:40 HIV stigma

00:16:48 Living with HIV

00:17:55 Education and pride

00:22:43 Drag Race reality

00:23:53 Being boxed in

00:29:50 What drag is

00:32:29 Where is the camp

00:34:30 Charity and Harry

00:38:03 Gender expression

00:41:40 Breaking binaries

00:45:28 Being palatable

00:46:24 Marriage regret

00:54:07 Health and insecurity

01:04:33 Future projects

01:09:17 Piercings and body mods

01:10:21 Sponsor shoutout

01:10:59 Final thoughts

#PokesAndJokesPodcast #CharityKase #BritishDrag #DragPodcast #QueerVoices #DragCulture #GenderExpression #LGBTQPodcast #HonestConversations

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 23 of The Pokes & Jokes Podcast is one of our most open and important conversations to date.

In this episode, Grace and Jen reflect on Grace’s recent trip to New Zealand — reconnecting with tattoo culture, trust, and what it feels like to be held in a tattoo space that feels genuinely safe. The conversation then turns to a much heavier topic: safeguarding, accountability, and the growing call for DBS checks within the tattoo industry.

Grace speaks candidly about online abuse, intimidation, and what can happen when boundaries are set and not respected. It’s an honest discussion about power dynamics, safety, and why these conversations are long overdue.

This episode contains sensitive subject matter, but it’s shared with care and intention.

If you work in tattooing and have experiences you’d like to share — or if anything discussed resonates with you — our inbox is open. You can reach us confidentially at podcast@ff-tv.com

We also encourage you to check out Draw the Line Project, who are raising awareness and pushing for better safeguarding and accountability within the tattoo industry. And sign the petition! Links below.

https://www.instagram.com/drawthelineproject/

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/747281?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnYJkISlsS1tiGTk8Px9VvY2jmgqP7dXdcLDilUSwqzCMrGmrMkdNAy8fQiSs_aem_-aj0mL2uLDAxC2pTZgDj8w

💍 This episode is sponsored by @regalrose — deadly detailed jewellery with a dark & dreamy twist. Use code POKESANDJOKES_RR for 20% off → regalrose.co.uk

Chapters

00:00 Intro & New Year energy

02:30 New Zealand trip reflections

04:10 Travel exhaustion & long flights

04:45 Missed flight chaos in Doha

07:25 Visa issues & airport meltdown

08:55 Airport smoking area solidarity

10:20 Returning home & emotional reset

10:30 Reconnecting with tattoo culture

11:00 Māori tattoo experience

14:10 Feeling safe in a tattoo space

15:40 Food, culture & healing moments

19:05 Jet ski & “biscuit” chaos

22:35 The blood-stained biscuit

24:45 Jen’s comedy gigs & crowds

27:45 Sponsor message – Regal Rose

30:10 Trigger warning

30:30 DBS checks explained

32:40 Accountability in tattooing

34:15 Safeguarding & power dynamics

36:45 Why DBS checks are a starting point

38:00 Past industry experiences

39:40 Long-standing abusive behaviour

42:50 Setting boundaries online

46:05 Threatening messages & escalation

49:40 Why this behaviour is frightening

51:50 No one is exempt from abuse

53:00 Why women don’t feel protected

55:30 The need for real accountability

57:00 Final thoughts & speaking out

#PokesAndJokesPodcast #TattooPodcast #TattooIndustry #Safeguarding #DBSChecks #WomenInTattooing #CreativeIndustries #OnlineAbuse #TattooCommunity #UKPodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Pokes & Jokes Podcast, Grace and Jen are joined by Lilly Statham, aka Mystic Primrose — a practising witch with over a 2 million followers online.

Lilly talks openly about her path into witchcraft, the difference between spiritual practice and spirit work, and why she avoids crossing certain boundaries. The conversation drifts into genuinely unsettling territory, including sleep paralysis, night terrors, bad energy, and experiences that made all three of them rethink what they believe.

From creepy encounters in old houses to stories that still don’t quite have an explanation, this episode sits somewhere between spiritual curiosity and “maybe let’s not go there”.

Expect honest stories, dark humour, and a few moments that linger longer than they should.

💍 This episode is sponsored by @regalrose — deadly detailed jewellery with a dark & dreamy twist. Use code POKESANDJOKES20 for 20% off → regalrose.co.uk

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & introducing Mystic Primrose

05:30 – Becoming a witch by accident

12:00 – Witchcraft, films & pop culture myths

18:30 – Early paranormal experiences

24:00 – America, the doll & bad energy

31:00 – The drawings in the garden story

40:00 – Spirits, fear & boundaries

46:30 – Sleep paralysis, addiction & dark experiences

57:00 – Grief, pets & spiritual signs

1:06:00 – Writing the book & oracle deck

1:14:00 – Love spells, ethics & free will

1:22:00 – Social media, followers & final thoughts

#PokesAndJokesPodcast

#Witchcraft

#MysticPrimrose

#SpiritualStories

#SleepParalysis

#ParanormalTalk

#PodcastUK

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.