← All episodes

Ep. 15 · August 25, 2026

Episode 15: Alanna Groom on Family Trauma, Postnatal Depression, Addiction & Finding Herself Again

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode includes discussions of emotional abuse, postnatal depression, addiction and suicidal thoughts. Please listen with care. 🤍 This week I'm joined by coach Alanna Groom — known as @iknowafatlossgirl — for an incredibly honest conversation about being raised by teenage parents, family trauma, divorce, emotional abuse, postnatal depression, slimming tablets and addiction, discovering ADHD, and how a lockdown decision turned into a global coaching business.

Watch on YouTube →Listen on Spotify →

Welcome back to Storme Diaries 🤍

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions around emotional and mental abuse, postnatal depression, addiction and suicidal thoughts. Please listen with care. 🤍

This week's episode is a conversation full of honesty, vulnerability and some incredibly important conversations about relationships, family trauma, motherhood, mental health, addiction, body image and finding yourself again, with my 15th guest, Alanna Groom — known on Instagram as @iknowafatlossgirl.

Alanna is one of those people who is completely open about her experiences, and in this episode she holds nothing back. From the difficult parts of her childhood and relationships to motherhood, mental health, fitness and the incredible journey she has been on, this is a conversation that takes you through so many chapters of her life.

Alanna opens up about being brought up by teenage parents and how her upbringing shaped some of the relationships and choices she made later in life. We talk about being with the wrong partners, getting divorced and even having regrets on her wedding day.

She speaks honestly about experiencing mental and emotional abuse, including having family trauma used against her, and how those experiences affected the way she viewed herself and relationships.

We then talk about meeting her now husband and how, initially, she tried to push him away because being treated well felt unfamiliar to her. Alanna shares how his support, patience and consistency helped her realise that she didn't have to accept the relationships she had become used to.

We also have an incredibly honest conversation about postnatal depression, struggling to bond with her new baby, changes in lifestyle and identity, and the impact this had on her mental health. Alanna talks openly about taking sertraline and her experiences with slimming tablets and addiction. She shares some of her darkest moments, including suicidal thoughts, and how she eventually began to find a way forward.

Lockdown became another huge turning point for Alanna. After reaching the biggest she had ever been, she decided she needed to make a change and found an online coach. What started as her own fat-loss journey eventually became something much bigger.

Your past does not have to define your future.

We talk about her transformation, bodybuilding, discovering ADHD, becoming a coach herself and building a business that now allows her to coach people globally.

Alanna also opens up about perimenopause, bootcamps, Rise & Rave, and the importance of communication within a family. We talk about how being open with the people around you can completely change the way a family supports one another.

In this episode we discuss: • Being brought up by teenage parents • Childhood and family trauma • How our upbringing can shape our relationships • Being with the wrong partners • Divorce and regretting your marriage on your wedding day • Mental and emotional abuse • Having family trauma used against you • Meeting her now husband • Trying to push someone away because healthy love felt unfamiliar • Postnatal depression and struggling to bond with a new baby • Motherhood, identity and lifestyle changes • Sertraline and mental health • Slimming tablets, addiction and addictive behaviours • Suicidal thoughts and her darkest moments • Lockdown and finding an online coach • Her fat-loss journey and bodybuilding • Discovering ADHD • Becoming a coach and building a global business • Perimenopause, bootcamps and Rise & Rave • Family communication and supporting each other

This episode is raw, honest and incredibly relatable. Alanna has been through so much, but what really stands out is just how far she has come.

Whether you've experienced difficult relationships, struggled with your mental health, navigated motherhood, battled with your relationship with food and your body, discovered ADHD later in life, or simply feel like you've lost yourself somewhere along the way, I think there will be something in Alanna's story that resonates with you.

If you're in the UK and struggling right now, you can call Samaritans free, 24/7, on 116 123. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, comment, subscribe and share it with someone who might need to hear Alanna's story. Your support genuinely helps Storme Diaries continue to grow and reach more people with real stories and honest conversations. 🤍

Related Storme Diaries Content

More episodes

Ep. 01

Episode 1: Lisa's IVF Journey, Ectopic Pregnancy & The Reality of Motherhood

The very first episode of Storme Diaries had to be a special one. Lisa joins me for an honest conversation about motherhood, IVF, pregnancy loss, resilience and navigating some of life's most difficult moments whilst still showing up every day. It's emotional, inspiring and the kind of conversation I wish more women felt comfortable having openly.

Ep. 02

Episode 2: Jaye North on Grief, Motherhood, Family & Finding Strength Through Loss

This episode of Storme Diaries is a truly special one. Jaye North joins me for a heartfelt conversation about family, motherhood, grief and the incredible strength that can be found even during life's most difficult moments. Together, we talk about growing up after losing a parent, raising five children, becoming a grandmother, and navigating the heartbreaking loss of her mum just before welcoming her fifth child into the world. It's emotional, inspiring and full of perspective. Jaye's warmth, resilience and gratitude shine throughout this conversation, and her story is a powerful reminder to cherish the people we love and appreciate the moments that matter most.

Ep. 03

Episode 3: Frilly on Hypnobirthing, Birth Preparation, Pregnancy Support & Finding Your Village

This episode of Storme Diaries is all about supporting women through pregnancy, birth and motherhood. I sit down with the wonderful Frilly, a doula, hypnobirthing teacher, pregnancy yoga instructor and baby massage specialist, for an honest and inspiring conversation about helping women feel empowered, informed and supported during one of the most transformative periods of their lives. Together, we talk about hypnobirthing, birth preparation, building confidence during pregnancy, and the importance of finding your village as a new mum. Frilly also shares her own birth story and the experiences that inspired her passion for supporting women from pregnancy through to parenthood. Warm, insightful and full of practical advice, this episode is a reminder that motherhood was never meant to be navigated alone, and that the right support can make all the difference.

Ep. 04

Episode 4: Kat on IVF, Becoming a Mum at 39, Building a Business & Choosing the Right Partner

Kat is the fourth guest on Storme Diaries, and this episode is full of honest conversations, life lessons and moments that will stay with you long after you've listened. We talk about her IVF journey, becoming a mum at 39, building a successful business, the importance of choosing the right partner, being a misbehaved teenager and the lessons she learned along the way. From motherhood and relationships to resilience and so much more, Kat shares her story with warmth, honesty and a whole lot of heart. It's the kind of conversation that will make you laugh, reflect and feel completely inspired.

Ep. 05

Episode 5: Claudia Wells on Motherhood, Pilates, Building a Business & A Traumatic Birth Story

Claudia Wells joins me on Storme Diaries for an honest, heartfelt conversation about motherhood, business and finding balance in the beautiful chaos of family life. Claudia is an incredible mum of two, a business owner and the founder of a thriving Pilates community. In this episode, she opens up about life as a working mum, building her studio from the ground up, and the importance of carving out space for yourself whilst raising little ones. We also talk about her two pregnancies and births, including a particularly emotional and traumatic moment during the birth of her second baby when he needed to be resuscitated. Claudia shares the support that helped her through, including cranial osteopathy, and reflects on one of the most challenging chapters of her motherhood journey so far. It's warm, raw, inspiring and full of the kind of honesty I love most about these conversations.

Ep. 06

Episode 6: Dean & Michelle on Addiction, Loss, Love & Second Chances (Our First Couples Episode)

This week's episode of Storme Diaries is one that will stay with you long after you've finished listening. I sit down with the incredible Dean and Michelle, a couple whose story is filled with love, heartbreak, resilience and hope. Together, they open up about addiction, the devastating impact it had on their relationship and family, the heartbreaking loss of their unborn baby, and the turning point that changed everything. And for the first time ever on Storme Diaries, my husband John joins the conversation too, making this our very first all-couples episode (chaos and unexpected family interruptions included). It's raw, emotional, hopeful and a powerful reminder that no matter how dark life may feel, there is always hope.

Ep. 07

Episode 7: Lauren E Cloud on Single Motherhood, Grief, Career Pivots & Finding Confidence

Welcome back to Storme Diaries 🤍 This week's episode is a beautifully honest conversation with the lovely Lauren E Cloud – ex fashion buyer, content creator, single mum to two incredible boys, and a woman whose resilience shines through every chapter of her story. On the outside, Lauren's life may look perfectly put together, but behind the scenes she's navigated heartbreak, loss, motherhood, career pressures and the everyday challenges that so many women quietly carry. From building her own catering business to opening up about the loss of her brother and her dad, this conversation is raw, relatable, emotional and full of laughter.

Ep. 08

Episode 8: Carla Fuller on Motherhood, Identity, Business & Backing Yourself

This week on Storme Diaries I sit down with the lovely Carla Fuller for a conversation that feels like a proper heart to heart with a friend. We chat about motherhood, identity, building a business whilst raising little ones, the mental load so many mums quietly carry, and what it really takes to back yourself when life feels overwhelming. Carla is honest, warm and refreshingly real, and this episode is packed with the kind of reminders every woman needs to hear.

Ep. 09

Episode 9: Matt Brandon on Love, Loss, Keeping Promises & Telling Sammy Jo's Story

This week on Storme Diaries, I sit down with the incredible Matt Brandon for one of the most moving conversations we've ever had. We talk about Matt's childhood, his career, becoming a dad, the unbreakable bond he shared with his daughter Sammy Jo, and the unimaginable journey their family faced after her breast cancer returned and became terminal. It's a conversation about love, grief, resilience, and finding purpose through the darkest moments. Before Sammy Jo passed away at just 29 years old, one of her last wishes was for her dad to write a book about her journey. Matt made her a promise, and today that promise lives on through his book, When Life Goes Tits Up.

Ep. 10

Episode 10: Bill Carta on Fatherhood, Grief & Pushing Through

This week's episode is with my 10th guest, Bill Carta from @pintstopeaks — a dad, fundraiser and all-round inspiring guy whose honesty throughout this conversation really stayed with me. We talk fatherhood, grief, NICU life, charity challenges and why the habits we build between 30 and 40 can shape not only our own future, but our children's too. 🤍

Ep. 11

Episode 11: Steph Sibley on Face Fitness, Single Motherhood & Rewriting Your Story

This week I sit down with the incredible Steph, founder of Face Fitness, for a raw and honest conversation about growing up around domestic abuse, falling in love in Thailand, co-parenting across countries, and building a business that's changing women's confidence. 🤍

Ep. 12

Episode 12: Sian Sheekey on Teen Motherhood, Home Birth & Raising Kids Today

This week I'm joined by lash artist and mum of two Sian Sheekey for a conversation full of honesty, laughter and unforgettable stories — becoming a mum at 17, fighting for a home birth, finding out she was pregnant while being treated for meningitis, and raising teenagers in a social media world. 🤍

Ep. 13

Episode 13: Hollie Dowding on Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control & Turning Trauma Into House of Her

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of domestic abuse, violence, cancer and serious illness. Please listen with care. 🤍 This week I'm joined by the incredible Hollie Dowding — mum of two, business owner and domestic abuse advocate. Hollie bravely shares her experience of coercive control and violence, how she found the strength to put her abuser in prison, and how she turned one of the darkest chapters of her life into House of Her, a trauma-informed hub supporting women navigating domestic abuse.

Ep. 14

Episode 14: Rob Swaine on Fatherhood, IVF, Health & Why Dads Should Do More At Home

This week I'm joined by coach and dad Rob Swaine for an honest conversation about parenthood with no manual, their IVF journey, a surprise second baby born the day they moved house, life with a threenager and a terrible two, why stay-at-home mums deserve far more recognition, and the truth about peptides, weight-loss injections and feeling good rather than just looking good. 🤍

Ep. 16

Episode 16: Emily O'Rawe on Career Changes, Birth Trauma, Breastfeeding & Finding Her Own Way

This week I'm joined by my 16th guest, Emily — a mum of three — for a conversation full of honesty, vulnerability and some really important discussions about motherhood. Emily takes us through her journey raising two girls and a boy, and the differences she's noticed between them. We talk about traumatic birth experiences, haemorrhaging and tearing, the realities of recovery, colic, reflux and the struggles she faced with breastfeeding. We also dive into miscarriage, moving home with children, the role of dads during birth, school holiday fines, home schooling and whether some of life's most valuable lessons are actually learnt outside the classroom. 🤍

The Community

Join The Storme Diaries Community

Join the Storme Diaries community for weekly podcast updates, honest conversations and real-life diary entries on motherhood, relationships and everything in between.