Never Have I Ever... Camped at a Music Festival

Poker is about far more than cards. It's about psychology, pressure, risk, and knowing when to trust your instincts. In this week’s episode, Claire meets one of Ireland's greatest poker players, Andy Black. From multimillion-dollar tournaments in Las Vegas to years spent living in a Buddhist community, Andy's life has been anything but conventional.  With the World Series of Poker reaching its climax, Claire explores what it takes to make decisions when the stakes are high, why fear can be both a warning and a weakness, and whether taking a chance is ever really a gamble.  Can Andy convince Claire to sit down at a poker table... for real?  Email the show at [email protected].

What would happen if somebody put you under constant surveillance, deprived you of sleep, encouraged you to distrust everyone around you, and then broadcast the results to the nation? For most of us, it sounds like a nightmare. For Vanessa Ogbonna, it was a winning strategy.  This week, Claire sits down with one of the stars of The Traitors Ireland to talk about what reality TV is really like once the cameras start rolling. Vanessa lifts the lid on the strange psychological experiment at the heart of one of Ireland’s biggest TV hits.  Born in Nigeria and raised in Waterford Vanessa reflects on growing up in direct provision, finding belonging through football and the devastating setbacks that forced her to rethink her future. As World Cup fever takes a grip, she shares how football became an escape and an identity — and why losing it was one of the hardest challenges she’s ever faced.  Together, Claire and Vanessa talk about what it feels like to be watched and judged by complete strangers. And of course, Claire asks the question many listeners will already be wondering: should she sign up for Celebrity Traitors?  If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave a rating, and tell a friend. And if there's a Never Have I Ever confession you'd like Claire to tackle, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected].

Never Have I Ever is the podcast where Claire Byrne explores things she's never done by talking to people who have. This week, she steps up to the front of the room.  Claire's been to plenty of weddings and funerals, but she's never been the person leading the ceremony. So, in episode three, she meets Karen Dempsey, one of Ireland's best-known celebrants and the founder of Entheos Ireland.  They explore what it means to be invited into people's most intimate moments. From weddings filled with hope to deathbed ceremonies and the funerals of babies and children, Karen reflects on the privilege and emotional weight of her work. Claire asks how anyone can carry those experiences, while Karen explains her mission to create spaces for people who feel excluded from traditional faith, including many LGBTQ+ people who still want spirituality to be part of their lives.  And the big question: should Claire keep being a guest, or is it time she stepped up and became a celebrant herself?  Email: [email protected]  💒 Weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies and more — discover Karen's work and the story of Entheos at: https://entheos.ie/