‘So whose idea was this,’ said my mother. ‘Was it hers?’ she said, pointing to me. My memory being what it is, I honestly couldn’t remember. I recall Peter – I do the podcast with Peter Marriott Thompson who is also the man I’m enjoying a sexy, fun time with – saying something about starting a YouTube channel and me saying that perhaps recording a video related to sex where anyone could view it – was not the best platform for it. We needed somewhere that was more discreet. At that point, I believe I suggested a podcast and Sex Advice for Seniors was born.
Friends of mine will know that I don’t do frivolous things just for the sake of it. My interest in sex goes way back, and I have more experience than most when it comes to that particular recreational activity. Being impulsive, I also tend to dive into things without giving them too much thought, only to realise that – yet again – I have taken on something which requires work. I’m not sure what Peter had in mind when he suggested the YouTube channel, but I suspect that it wasn’t taking on a full-time job but rather having a bit of fun and talking about one of his favourite topics.
They say in business, timing is everything, and in our case, this was undoubtedly true. I could never have imagined doing an interview for the Sun newspaper or the Independent about my sex life if had it not been for the Emma Thompson movie, Good Luck to you, Leo Grande. This happens to be about a 55-year-old woman never having had an orgasm and paying a male sex worker to support her sexual voyage. It was released the same week as our first podcast, and I suddenly found that I was an easy go-to spokesperson when talking about sex over 60. We had our first one hundred subscribers within a week, and we were off!
Sex Advice for Seniors is dedicated to addressing all older people’s questions about sex and relationships, which often those same people don’t know how or who to ask. Peter and I discuss issues around sex and the older person in a witty, open and respectful way. Sex is still taboo as I suspect many people, especially younger ones, find the idea of older people still doing it a bit ‘ick.’ I know it is divisive within the Advantages of Age Facebook group. Some people seem relieved and happy to be free of any responsibility from having sex now that procreation is off the table. In contrast, others are still enthusiastic and enjoy an active sex life. And many would like to find a partner and struggle with doing so.
Since we’ve started, we’ve tackled various subjects, from how to keep desire alive within a long-term relationship to why men over 50 should pay for sex, which came about as a result of an interview with a 59-year-old American ‘courtesan.’ Nothing is off the table, including using sex toys, various types of lubricants and pharmaceuticals such as Viagra.
We believe there’s a place for every point of view and are keen to develop a dialogue with our listeners. We would love it if they would contact us with suggestions or questions or participate in the program. For example, our fifth and sixth episodes consist of an interview with an older ‘sex worker’ from the US who got in touch with us. We are always happy to interview people about
any related subject area.
Sex and concerns about sex remain central elements of the human experience even in older age. We would like to make this the place where older people can discuss any concerns they might have, share their experiences, pick up tips and even make connections with others. We would like Sex Advice for Seniors to become the go-to-place for those who recognise that the adventure of sex does not end with age but can ripen and become even better.
Launching our TikTok channel was my idea after a friend whose business is helping older people to grow their awareness using this particular form of social media encouraged me. My son, who also works in digital marketing, suggested that our special quirkiness would appear to TikTok’s users. And he was right.
Within a week, we had over half 1 million views of one of our videos, which took Peter and me entirely by surprise as it was simply a minute of us talking about, well, not very much. But it seems on TikTok that being old, sitting in bed talking about not very much is all you need to become an influencer these days. We are enjoying our newfound fame and joking that perhaps they’ll come a time when we get mobbed walking down the street. Oh, look, those two oldies talk about sex in bed!
So far, we’re having a lot of fun making our podcast and TikTok videos. With the benefit of knowing and understanding each other sexually, it’s a real turn-on. Let’s face it, talking about sex is sexy!
You can subscribe to our podcast here.
You can find us on TikTok here.
