From management to mushrooms: when Eleanor Mills got fired.
When a midlife collision becomes the silver lining you never knew you needed. What 'The White Lotus' is teaching us about ugly female friendships. And Mia's pants that divided the internet.
Eleanor Mills had no idea she was about to get fired.
At 50, she was at the peak of her career at The Sunday Times in London — a demanding job she'd built her life and identity around for decades.
And then one day, she was asked to come up and have a chat with her new boss.
Just like that, it was over.
“I was suddenly made redundant out of the blue. It was a massive shock,” she told Mamamia's MID, the podcast for midlife women who are anything but.
“It was one of those surreal moments, like being in a car crash, or when you realise someone is trying to break up with you.”
In that moment, the world seemed to slow.
“I could hear these voices talking, and all I could see was a tugboat chugging slowly up the Thames and birds flying around the cathedral. It was as if I wasn't even there in my own life.”
Everything Eleanor thought she was suddenly stopped.
“I really had that feeling of having been pushed off a roof, with no idea what I was going to do next,” she recalled.
“I'd always been the main breadwinner, so I was terrified about money. And I also realised that this incredible wave I'd caught as a young journalist in my early 20s — 25 years on — had come to an end. I had been spat off it. And I was like, ‘Wow, what am I going to do next?’”
Here's where things get interesting.
Before Eleanor’s entire world imploded, she’d taken a trip to Jamaica with a friend for a story. Not just any trip — they were there to experience guided psilocybin (yes, magic mushrooms) sessions for a story.
Little did she know, she was having a vision of her future…
🎧 Follow below to listen to MID: Holly and Eleanor talk about her “midlife collision” when the boss called her up to their office for a “chat”. Which as it turned out, led her to her true calling.
Read and listen to more
READ: “You're either an ‘innie’ or an ‘outie’ at work. Only one of them is right.'
LISTEN: Ambition Says Yes. Body Says Nup. Bruna Papandrea on MID
The vexing problem of being in a three-friend group.
“Oh look, it’s that weird girl trying to tell us there’s something wrong with our friendships again.”
Wow. That's so mean. But yes, here I am, over-sharing once again.
Today’s problem comes from two groups of three. One is a possible misunderstanding and the other is my worst nightmare. Let’s start with the misunderstanding.
A little while back, Sex And The City & And Just Like That stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis posted a photo together on Instagram with the caption “Girls weekend out”. It’s something I still think about constantly.
Now, the average person would look at this photo and think, “That’s nice”.
I looked at this photo and completely spiralled.
There is someone missing from this duo — Sarah Jessica Parker. Yep, you were tricked. This isn't a best friend pic, it’s actually a three-friend group pic where one of the friends is MIA.
If you're a fan of Sex and the City, you know that these women are not only friends on screen but IRL as well (except for Kim Catrell, but we don't have time to get into that. You can read about the sub-drama here if you’re not caught up on your SATC lore).
Now, onto the nightmare…
I need to talk about the three best friends that everyone is talking about right now — Jaclyn, Laurie and Kate. They’re the lead characters in the third season of comedy-thriller series The White Lotus, played by Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb respectively.
If you've been watching the show, you’ll know exactly what I mean about the complexities of a three-friend dynamic. These women have been friends for decades, and on the surface, they seem like the perfect trio. But underneath that polished exterior? It’s giving passive-aggressive chaos.
The moment one of them steps away from the group (usually to get another bottle of wine), the other two immediately launch into a carefully crafted critique of their absent friend. It’s always disguised as concern, of course. “I’m just worried about her,” or “I hope she can relax, she seems so tired.” The kind of comments that sound caring but are actually... not.
What makes it even more fascinating (and slightly terrifying) is that they all know it’s happening. Each woman is acutely aware that she’s probably the topic of conversation when she’s not there, but they maintain this elaborate dance of pretending everything’s fine when they’re together. They’re sitting in a landmine of unspoken truths, and my hope for this friendship group is that either they lay it all out on the table and are honest about themselves and, in return, genuinely want to help each other OR they go completely nuclear and blow up (for our own entertainment, of course).
It’s like watching my worst friendship fears play out on screen, but with beautiful rich blonde women in designer wear with great hair…
🎧 Follow below to listen to why Laurie, Jaclyn and Kate’s glossy toxic dynamic on The White Lotus is cringingly familiar on Out Loud.
Read and listen to more
READ: Why The White Lotus nailed the ugly friendship dynamic we all recognise.
LISTEN: We're Best Friends. Shut Up. I Love you. Go Away on MID
READ: 'I was the social planner of my friendship group. Then a comment made me stop.'
In 1997, Sandra Sully was attacked at gunpoint. In the aftermath, there was one thing that ‘saved’ her.
On an otherwise nondescript November night in 1997, Sandra Sully pulled into her own apartment building’s car park.
There was a man there waiting for her. He had a gun in hand and a balaclava covering his face.
Recalling the incident in a recent interview with Stellar, Sully recalled the one thing that might have saved her that night.
“It did save me. I really believe that. I had a dream as a young woman about a really frightening experience: that I would be trying to scream and nothing would come out. At the time, I remember screaming, and I was shocked that it was coming out,” she said.
Neighbours immediately contacted the police because Sully “didn't stop screaming” while she was being attacked.
“He ran off. That was the only thing that saved me. I was lucky. Because he had a gun, balaclava and handcuffs. So he meant business,” she explained.
Sully first opened up about the ordeal for the first time in 2017 — 20 years after the assault. She recalled the man grabbing her by the shoulders, then her hair. She did not know who he was, what he wanted, or where he came from.
“I started fighting. He put a gun to my head.”
As she fought, they both fell to the ground. He held the gun to her head and pulled the trigger…
Read and listen to more
LISTEN: Hannah Grundy's Deepfake Nightmare on No Filter
READ: MIA FREEDMAN: 'Why can't we go for a f**king run?'
LISTEN: Meet The Anonymous Host Of Casefile on True Crime Conversations
THE SCROLL 📱
5 things to feed your mind and fill your soul.
1. Tyler knew there was something unusual about her family. When her dad was arrested, she learnt the truth.
2. The tragic true story behind Pamela Anderson's decision to go makeup free.
3. This 5-minute method for dealing with anxiety will change your (and your kid's) life.
4. Fran Drescher and her husband were high school sweethearts. When they divorced, he came out as gay.
5. MIA FREEDMAN: 'The pants that divided the Internet a little bit.'
ICYMI 👀
The best, most questionable and most deceiving looks from the SAG Awards red carpet. And in case you really missed it, fingering is back. As Elon Musk’s custody battles are dragged into the spotlight, one video speaks volumes. Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, known for Buffy and Gossip Girl, has died aged 39. Why the 2025 Oscars will be the most controversial ceremony of all time. 900 employees at a top Australian law firm received an email. It contained a damning spreadsheet.
MID-SPO STYLE 👗💄
A pair of Adidas Original sneakers covered in cow print went viral this week. And sold out quicker than a cow jumps over the moon.
Which brought to our attention, the very important news that cow print is this season’s hottest print trend. But why now, brown cow?
You can milk the trend for all it’s worth here.
But we’d love to hear your thoughts…
Our pick of what’s new in beauty and style on Mamamia this week.
'The $18 primer I love more than this $104 one for my over 50s skin.'
The best bras for big boobs, from women who have them.
LEIGH CAMPBELL: 'The $3 glow drops that will give you instantly radiant skin.'
The 5 affordable finds that will upgrade your work wardrobe now.
While we have you, we’d love to hear about your family car life 🚗
What makes the perfect family vehicle? Share your thoughts in our quick survey and you could win a $50 voucher HERE.
Bet you know someone who’d get a kick out of MID. Time to share the love, don’t you think?
Before you go, did you know that you could be getting even more weekly marvels in your inbox from fan favourites Mamamia Out Loud, You Beauty and Nothing To Wear to name just three? Oh yes, friends, there’s more goodness just waiting to inspire, surprise and delight you.
We’ll be back in your box, same time next week ; )