Highlights From Lunchtime Live

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Elizabeth Oakes, Founder of Pure Reflections, joins Andrea to answer any of your questions around water cremation.

We all have them, we all use them, and some of us would rather forget them: nicknames! From childhood tags that never seem to die, to the affectionate (or not-so-affectionate) labels we pick up at work or online, nicknames say a lot about who we are, and how others see us.So, the question is - why are we so obsessed with using them?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public, while Andrea is joined by Independent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and listeners to discuss.

November is Remembrance Month in the UK. In honour of this, celebrities, football teams and people around the world wear a red poppy to remember soldiers that have fought for the British army in wars of years gone by.However, not everyone is comfortable wearing the poppy, given the British Army’s history, particularly in Ireland.But. would seeing an Irish person wearing the poppy offend you, or would you feel indifferent?Andrea is joined by Aontú Leader and Meath West TD, Peadar Tóibín, as well as listeners, to discuss.

Mick Kelly of Grow It Yourself shared a story on his instagram page of his local newsagent, following an impressive revamp. But, with the new and improved look and stylish new coffee machine, came a sight that Mick did not welcome: an aisle filled with ultra processed foods and sugar-laden snacks snaking up along by the registers with the stands at what he calls ‘pester-height’ for younger shoppers. Is this every parent’s nightmare, having successfully navigated the shop and avoided the aisles specifically containing all the biscuits, sweets, crisps and chocolate - only to be hit by another row of temptation upon reaching the checkout?How do you manage to keep your kids and yourself from grabbing a bar of chocolate or a bag of jellies – are you a label scrutinizer and do you avoid all ultra-processed foods or do you think that the old saying of ‘everything in moderation’ holds weight?Joining Andrea to discuss is Grow it Yourself’s Michael Kelly, Lecturer in retail management at Technological University Dublin

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Two MEPs have condemned the sale of childlike sex dolls on fast fashion retailer Shein. Both Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty are shocked with what they have come across and have called for a €5 levy on ultra-fast fashion purchases from China, as the sale of these dolls violates both our moral and legal obligations to protect children.What needs to be done to tackle the sale of these products and how can we prevent these platforms from advertising certain explicit and harrowing content?Joining Andrea to discuss Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews, Arts and Culture Journalist Ashley Chadomoyo Malone, Traitors Contestant Faye Louise Brennan as well as listeners.

This week, the Home Squad are in Cork to discuss wall finishes, and how you can get them just right!Joining Andrea to discuss is Ger Cooney from Ger Cooney Design and Kate Hobbins-Lockett from Interiors By Kate Hobbins-Lockett.

Black Friday is coming up this month, which for those online shoppers amongst you, could be a time to start burning up the debit card.But, there are unfortunately plenty of tricks and scams we need to watch out for when we’re shopping online...Joining Andrea to discuss this is Financial Planner with Castle Capital, Leah McMahon.

Endometriosis procedures in Ireland can have long waiting lists, which might make you want to look abroad for treatment…Sinead O’Neill did exactly that, and joins Andrea to discuss her experience of going to Greece for an endometriosis procedure. Keira O’Neill was also meant to discuss her hopes to get endometriosis treatment abroad, but was unable to join because of her condition, and sent in a statement read out by Producer Dee King.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Bon Jovi’s album, ‘Slippery When Wet’!

This week, the internet’s buzzing after NFL legend Tom Brady revealed he’s cloned his dog. It’s sparked a big question: if you could bring your beloved pet back, would you do it?Is cloning the ultimate act of love, or are we crossing a line nature never intended?Joining Andrea to discuss is Pete Wedderburn, AKA Pete the Vet, Laoise Downes, owner of Outpaws and Wedding Woofs and Suzie Walsh, Dog Behaviourist & Trainer.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…Image: President of Ireland - Facebook

From CCTV to location services on the apps we use and even livestreaming cameras at self-service checkouts, we constantly have eyes on us.But, how safe are we in a world where we are constantly under surveillance?Joining Andrea to discuss is Caitríona Redmond, Consumer Columnist with The Irish Examiner, Ronan Murphy, Chief Executive for Smart Tech 24/7 and listeners.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss the importance surrounding the weight and age of a pregnant woman.

Today, we’re asking: what truly makes a gentleman? Is it about style, manners, or the way we treat others? How has the idea of a gentleman evolved, and what it means today?Joining Andrea to discuss is 98FM Presenter, Luke Thomas, Mark Fennell, Life Coach and Meghann Scully, Broadcaster.

In a bid to tackle the war against drugs in Ireland, The Labour Party will today call for a health-led drugs policy and decriminalization of people who use drugs.Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has said the Government has failed to deliver on its promise of a health-led approach, and that criminalising, shaming and stigmatising people in addiction has created a broken system that punishes rather than supports.Would you be in favour of decriminalising drugs?Joining Andrea to discuss is Addiction Therapist in Limerick, Michael Guerin, as well as listeners.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Podiatrist Niall Donohoe to answer all of your podiatry-related questions!

Today, we’ve got the creator behind one of TikTok’s biggest trends: the Jet2Holiday craze. He’s taken social media by storm with his creativity and energy. Brad Bennett joins Andrea to discuss! Also joining to discuss the impact of this meme is Brand Strategist and Storyteller, Kerry Matzelle.

Nowadays, kids spend a lot of time consuming content online, one of the most popular platforms for this is YouTube, but they mostly watch American content due to the lack of dedicated Irish creators.This has resulted in some observing younger children developing Americanised accents and using American words.One person who is trying to change that is teacher Fergus Lacey with his channel RíRá Rhymes.Fergus, as well as Katie Makk, Presenter of the ‘Opinions Matter’ podcast and Peter Melrose, Primary School Teacher from Meath, join Andrea to discuss.

Ed Sheeran did a secret gig to Irish mega fans last night – were you there?Organised by Spotify, his highest Irish streamers were sent links to register for free tickets to the exclusive gig.Is this the best way to reward fans? Gigs exclusively for your biggest listeners?Or is it all too inaccessible?Joining Andrea to discuss is Aoife Rooney, Assistant Editor of Weekend Magazine at the Irish Independent, Dave Hanratty, Host of the ‘No Encore’ music podcast and Singer-Songwriter Tim McStay.