Rephonic
Artwork for To Be A Boy
Mental Health
Masculinity
Parenting
Paternity Leave
Misogyny
Boys
Friendship
Toxic Masculinity
Community Support
Social Media
Employment Rights Act
Gender Equality
Fatherhood
Emotional Intelligence
Manosphere
Children
John Lewis Christmas Advert
Loneliness
Sex Education
Consent

To Be A Boy dives into the chaos of raising boys today — from dodgy masculinity myths to the wild world of online culture. Joeli Brearley and Elliott Rae mix humour with sharp takes on the policies, systems and social norms shaping boys’ lives. It’s real talk, big laughs, and a nudge toward a fairer future.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes63Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Kids & FamilyParenting

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for To Be A Boy

Latest Episodes

In a world of social media, body pressures, dating confusion and manosphere content that’s only getting louder, what does it mean to be a young man right now?

In this episode, Elliott and Joeli speak to Ricardo Barcello, a 19-year-old student and me... more

YouTube

This week, Elliott is joined by educator and campaigner Andrew “Bernie” Bernard, with Koru Kid's very own Rachel Carrell stepping in brilliantly as co-host.

Hold tight for this one, the team are going deep on some big topics and have some genuinely... more

YouTube

Join Joeli and Elliott as we revisit our conversation with John Amaechi to talk all things sports, identity and masculinity, emphasising the importance of emotional intelligence and intimacy among men. John reflects on his experiences as a latecomer ... more

YouTube

Meadhbh Park, author of Blackpilled and expert in countering violent extremism, joins Joeli and Elliott to unpack the ideologies pulling young men towards the darkest corners of the internet. From the nihilistic “black pill” philosophy and incel comm... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Happy Mum
Happy MumGiovanna Fletcher
Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe
Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh WiddicombeKeep It Light Media / Spotify Studios
Motherkind
MotherkindZoe Blaskey
No Parental Guidance
No Parental GuidanceHannah East & Louise Boyce
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
How To Fail With Elizabeth DayElizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

Recent Guests

Meadhbh Park
Author of Blackpilled, researcher on countering violent extremism
Counter-extremism and research
Episode: The Black Pill: Inside the Ideology Radicalising Young Men Online
Reena O'Connor
Comedian and Instagram influencer
Instagram influencer
Episode: Live from the Push 4 Paternity Leave March!
Femi Aluwal
Political activist
Activist
Episode: Live from the Push 4 Paternity Leave March!
Nigel Clark
CBB's presenter, DadVentures founder
CBB's; DadVentures
Episode: Live from the Push 4 Paternity Leave March!
Cathy Jones
CEO of the Fatherhood Institute
Fatherhood Institute
Episode: Live from the Push 4 Paternity Leave March!
Gavin Morgan
Co-CEO of Growing2gether, UK charity
Growing2gether
Episode: When Boys Care: The Quiet Superpower of Responsibility with Gavin Morgan
Paul Galdas
Professor of Men's Health, University of York
University of York
Episode: Men’s Health Strategy Is Not a Poster in a GP Surgery with Professor Paul Galdas
George Bell
Author, speaker and co-founder of the Men's Platform Jack
Be A Man About It / Jack
Episode: The Box We Put Men In
Ineke Houtenbos
Senior Safeguarding Trainer at the NSPCC
NSPCC
Episode: The Manosphere After the Camera Stops

Hosts

Elliott Rae
Co-host; engaged in discussions on masculinity, parenting, and policy; frequent guest on the show.
Joeli Brearley
Host; leads conversations on parenting, gender norms, and policy with a focus on practical impact for families.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 166 ratings
  • Finding their voice

    I think they are finding their voice as a new podcast, and have found episodes to improve over time. Format struggles a bit, and doesn’t always flow smoothly. Overall a worthy listen as a new mother to a boy and feel like this content is much needed. I look forward to seeing how they evolve and grow over time!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    ewalk7198
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great guests, discussing important issues

    Elliott and Joeli are a great combination, I like the banter between them. But it’s the guests so far that have made this a great listen. The four-parter on Adolescence in particular is really good. Looking forward to more!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tallcmp172
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Thank you

    Thank you so much for creating this podcast!! I am a mum of 3 boys and I am determined to raise the next generation of happy, grounded, kind and connected boys. For the world to be a better place for all boys and girls and future adults! We need this so much! So very excited to follow this! 🔥🙏🙏🙏

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Popcast_for_kids
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Hoping you go deeper

    I’m 1.5 episodes in and it all feels a bit Blue Peter so far. Planning to persevere because the topic is so important to me but really hoping you both go on a steep learning curve as the series progresses. Ep 1 you say the idea partly came from MeToo and basically wanting to avoid bringing up a predator. Hmmm. Ep2 you show dismay at the global DEI climbdown - policies which are literally about assuming males have ‘privilege’ and must be deprioritised. As things stand I am not convinced you’re th... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Bonbonbons585
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Love most of the content, frustratingly heteronormative

    I love the premise of this podcast and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode.

    The second I struggled to engage with.

    The descriptions of relationship dynamics particularly in the intro were exclusively about hetro cis couples. It felt exclusive and not really good enough for 2025

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    LouLaabelle
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the strong rapport between hosts and the quality of guests, noting the banter adds warmth while episodes feature heavy-hitting insights.
The show is praised for addressing important issues with seriousness and practical takeaways, though some listeners want deeper dives on certain topics.
Feedback often highlights the relevance of episodes around paternity leave and youth masculinity for families and educators.
Guests bring credibility and varied perspectives, strengthening the show's appeal to policy-minded and parenting-focused audiences.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Black Pill: Inside the Ideology Radicalising Young Men Online
Q: How can parents counter this movement without pushing their kids away?
Engage in open, nonjudgmental conversations, understand the signs of withdrawal or online immersion, involve professionals like school counselors or prevent officers when needed, and foster real-world connections and activities to build resilience and healthy self-esteem.
The Black Pill: Inside the Ideology Radicalising Young Men Online
Q: For someone who has never heard the term Blackpilled, what does it mean?
It originated from the Red Pill but represents a nihilistic worldview where some young men believe society has betrayed them and that there is little hope for meaningful connection or success, which leads to fatalistic, often toxic attitudes and a sense of belonging in online communities.
Live from the Push 4 Paternity Leave March!
Q: Why is six weeks paid paternity leave important?
Because it enables bonding, nighttime care, and equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities from the start, which helps close the motherhood penalty and supports families financially and emotionally.
Men’s Health Strategy Is Not a Poster in a GP Surgery with Professor Paul Galdas
Q: What has changed since the strategy was published, and are there signs it will translate into action?
There are encouraging signs of enthusiasm from health leaders and workplaces, and the strategy is being used as a foundation to spur local action within public health systems, authorities, and councils, though real implementation is still in early days.
Fatherhood Is Not a Side Quest: Dr. Anna Machin on Raising Boys & Saving Society
Q: Why is it important to have social fathers or male role models beyond the two biological parents?
Social fathers provide critical developmental input, particularly for boys, and help ensure that children have access to positive male role models; this is important when mothers or fathers cannot be present full-time and supports better outcomes in resilience, education, and social functioning.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About To Be A Boy

What is To Be A Boy about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, policy-minded show examining how boys grow up in today's world, tackling masculinity, parenting, online culture, and education. Episodes frequently feature researchers, activists, and policymakers discussing parental leave, child development, youth mental health, and safe digital ecosystems, alongside personal stories from fathers and caregivers. Its strengths lie in bridging rigorous research with real-world parenting angles, and in inviting a diverse slate of guests, from academics to politicians to everyday parents, to explore practical paths toward healthier masculinity and fairer family policies.

Where can I find podcast stats for To Be A Boy?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for To Be A Boy. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to To Be A Boy and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does To Be A Boy get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for To Be A Boy, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for To Be A Boy?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for To Be A Boy, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does To Be A Boy have?

To see how many followers or subscribers To Be A Boy has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to To Be A Boy?

These podcasts share a similar audience with To Be A Boy:

1. Happy Mum
2. Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe
3. Motherkind
4. No Parental Guidance
5. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

How many episodes of To Be A Boy are there?

To Be A Boy launched a year ago and published 63 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact To Be A Boy?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for To Be A Boy?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for To Be A Boy from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for To Be A Boy?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of To Be A Boy. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on To Be A Boy?

Recent guests on To Be A Boy include:

1. Meadhbh Park
2. Reena O'Connor
3. Femi Aluwal
4. Nigel Clark
5. Cathy Jones
6. Gavin Morgan
7. Paul Galdas
8. George Bell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days