Don't Call Me Darling

#011 Karen for Taoiseach, Sex With Machines & Best Before Bollocks

Don't Call Me Darling

Show Notes

Episode Eleven of Don’t Call Me Darling sees Niall and Karen getting stuck into politics, relationships, attraction, religion, friendship and, somehow, a woman who married a bus. Could Karen ever enter politics? She has a few things to say about the Social Democrats, while Niall looks back at Bertie Ahern and remembers his own days with Real Radio. Then things take a slightly stranger turn with mechanophilia, the sexual attraction to machines, including the story of a 35 year old woman who actually married her bus. Back at home, Niall has a few complaints about Karen throwing perfectly good food in the bin because of best before dates, along with arguments over sausages, rashers, squeezing the bread and exactly who knows what they are doing in the kitchen. They also ask whether either of them would survive modern dating if they suddenly found themselves single, whether couples really need to sleep in the same bed to stay close and the ridiculous little things couples pretend they never argue about. Is life actually better with children or without them? Is intelligence sexy? And when it comes to physical attraction, does size really matter, or are we all far more obsessed with weight and appearance than we admit? Somehow, Pierce Brosnan and his Remington Steele days enter the conversation too. Destiny Divine joins the discussion as Karen attempts the seemingly impossible task of convincing Niall to believe in God. There is also the art of haggling. Would you ever ask for a better price, and can Niall rely on his legendary charm to talk his way into a bargain? Following the debate around Ed Sheeran, Niall and Karen ask another question: how important are close friends as you get older, and how many of the people we call friends are actually true friends? And finally, this week’s Listener Dilemma could test even the strongest marriage: “My wife wants her mother to move in.” Real marriage, real stories, real laughs and real truths. It’s Don’t Call Me Darling with Niall and Karen Boylan.

More from Don't Call Me Darling

Oct 19, 2026

It's another week of marital madness, hilarious disagreements, outrageous conversations and plenty of laughs as Niall and Karen return with Episode 14 of Don't Call Me Darling! This week, Niall takes a trip down memory lane with his favourite old TV shows, including For the Love of Ada, Talking Pictures TV and The Footage Detectives. There's also Arthur's Mailbag, some wonderfully ridiculous names like Mr Pickles and Bunny Carr, and the mystery of why we say things like "Let's be frank!" Karen reveals more menopausal madness involving her friend Dee, while Niall wonders whether his wife is getting a little too close to Viktor, the AI assistant in her car! Is there room for another man in this marriage, even if he lives in the dashboard? The couple also get stuck into flying cars, bizarre car launches, Miss Ireland, a giant butt statue and the Irish obsession with shouting "Jesus, Mary and Holy Saint Joseph!" even when you're not remotely religious. And speaking of strange things, Niall has apparently been told he looks like Mick Jagger! Karen might have something to say about that! There's another explosive listener dilemma from a wife who's had enough of her husband drinking too much, doing feck all around the house and generally being, in her own words, "a prick!" Should she put up with him or show him the door? Plus, Niall has a rant about bloody bike lanes, and the pair ask whatever happened to good old-fashioned customer service. From KFC to McDonald's, have those enormous self-service ordering screens made something as simple as buying a burger a complete pain in the backside? It's nostalgia, menopause, marital moaning, mad technology and plenty of Irish humour. Real marriage, real stories, real laughs and real truths. Join Niall and Karen for another funny, frank and occasionally outrageous episode of Don't Call Me Darling, where nothing is off limits and agreeing with each other is entirely optional!

Oct 12, 2026

It's another week of marital madness, outrageous confessions and plenty of laughs as Niall and Karen return with a brand new episode of Don't Call Me Darling, the podcast where absolutely nothing is off limits! Karen's bang on the head seems to be having some lasting effects, especially when she goes shopping and forgets the sugar and bog roll. Meanwhile, the family cat Cinnamon brings home a rather unwelcome present, and Karen's deteriorating hearing is causing a few problems, particularly when it comes to those intimate moments in the bedroom! Niall recalls a hilarious nightclub story, they discuss what it means to be sent to Coventry, and there's the curious case of the smoking doctor. There's also the mysterious Urinator, Niall's unfortunate need for a whizz, a theft at Holy Cross and Lilly's Holy Water font. Even a Wicklow county councillor gets dragged into the madness after a scary TikTok post goes viral. Things get even more embarrassing when Niall confesses to his late father about the 50p porn cinema he once operated in his bedroom! And just when you thought married life couldn't get any more exciting, the couple tackle the great domestic debates, including top loading washing machines, the correct way to load a tumble dryer and how to get rid of moss and algae. There's talk of "linner", why men seem to struggle with babies and the smell of death lurking in a dirty nappy, the Wimbledon Wombles, Rolex watch faces and a little James Bond 007 thrown in for good measure. Niall and Karen also tackle their latest listener dilemmas, debate why we desperately need more bank holidays and holidays in general, and somehow end up discussing lickers, suckers and slurpers while getting stuck into Moules Marinière! It's marriage, mayhem, embarrassing confessions and the kind of conversations most couples probably shouldn't have in public. Join Niall and Karen for another hilarious episode of Don't Call Me Darling, where the arguments are real, the stories are ridiculous and there's never a dull moment! Real marriage, real stories, real laughs and real truths. Got a relationship problem, a funny story or a dilemma you'd like Niall and Karen to tackle? Email [email protected]. And don't forget to follow the podcast on Spotify and share it with your friends and family. Everyone could do with a laugh!

Oct 5, 2026

Karen’s taken a bang on the head, but thankfully it hasn’t stopped her talking, and this week Don’t Call Me Darling is all over the place in the best possible way. Niall has a LOT to say about Aer Lingus WiFi and why getting the password sometimes feels like trying to uncover the Third Secret of Fatima. They also discuss the lost art of putting pen to paper, leaving the house looking like a complete state, the fake sick voice employees put on when ringing the boss and that strange phenomenon where your illness suddenly becomes their illness. Plus, are the days of nicking office stationery finally over? Is a woman’s body hair anybody’s business but her own? Niall and Karen get into loverats, cheaters and relationship boundaries, before discussing the 62 year old woman who packed in her crappy job, went travelling around the world and says she has absolutely no regrets. There’s also “gooning”, the bizarre and potentially dangerous Gen Z trend, Meghan Markle’s Advent Calendar, Tom Cruise apparently keeping chivalry alive and, for reasons nobody can quite explain, the return of the ghee as Chef Fatty reveals his roast potato secrets. And if that isn’t enough, Larry the Cat makes an appearance, there’s a baked beans world record and possibly a few windy days ahead. Finally, this week’s Listener Dilemma: ROAD RAGE! When another driver sends you over the edge, how far is too far? It’s marriage, arguments, laughs, nonsense and absolutely no filter. Don’t Call Me Darling, with Niall & Karen.

Sep 21, 2026

This week on Don’t Call Me Darling, Niall and Karen Boylan tackle the questions every couple thinks about but probably should not ask. Should you ever reveal your “magic number,” or is your sexual history one figure best buried with the exes? Is sharing your location a sign of trust, or simply twenty four hour surveillance with a loving smile? They also discuss how much sex is “normal” in a marriage, and what happens when one partner wants far more intimacy than the other. Niall explains why supermarkets seem deliberately designed to separate couples, and why the most loving thing a man can do when his wife goes clothes shopping is leave immediately and keep his opinions to himself. They also ask whether money really buys happiness after spotting a wealthy, glamorous couple who looked absolutely miserable, although Niall admits he would still prefer to be miserable in a large house with the heating on. Karen reveals her latest collection of mystery insect bites, while they debate whether looking through your partner’s phone should be grounds for divorce and whether working from home is quietly destroying relationships. There is also the important business of naming the pandas at Fota Wildlife Park, although Niall is not entirely convinced they are actually pandas, plus why Karen can never successfully surprise him. Real marriage, real stories, real laughs and real truths, with plenty more along the way.

Sep 13, 2026

This week on Don’t Call Me Darling, Niall and Karen Boylan ask why women refuse to believe a man can genuinely be thinking about absolutely nothing, and why “You pick the restaurant” actually means “Read my mind and choose the one I have already picked.” Would you tell your partner that you hate the way they dress, or keep quiet while they leave the house looking like a badly packed charity bag? Niall and Karen also discuss men, testosterone and why some would rather suffer in silence than admit their body might need a little assistance. Niall remembers learning to drive in his father’s 1979 Ford Fiesta, while Karen recalls her Alfa Romeo days. There is also a Fiat with no heating, a leaking exhaust and a hole in the floor. Luxury motoring at its finest. Karen spots two flies joined together at the bum while flying around Florida. Apparently, they are called lovebugs. Ahhh, how romantic. Even the insects are getting more action than some married couples. They also investigate Italy’s proposal to fine pedestrians who cross the road staring at their phones, Donald Trump’s apparently darker hair, and the tiny protected Doonbeg snail causing enormous problems at his golf resort. Has the next James Bond secretly been chosen, and could Slow Horses star Jack Lowden be the new 007? There are quick DIY teeth whitening tricks, and the important question of whether they whiten your teeth or simply remove the enamel. Niall and Karen also examine the surprising household dangers that begin appearing as we get older, when a loose rug becomes a potential assassin and getting out of the bath requires planning permission. There is also the so called honourable husband who cheated but apparently deserves a medal for staying, the benefits and dangers of couples sharing their locations, and a listener’s dilemma involving a husband getting far too saucy with Alina the Ukrainian. Plus, if you knew something shocking about the bride or groom, would you object during the church ceremony, keep quiet forever, or wait until after everyone had eaten? Expect marriage, mistrust, bad decisions, inappropriate behaviour and plenty of laughs.

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