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Jo Brand turns advice giver in a typically irreverent guide to life.

She says she's messed up enough times to feel confident she has no wisdom to offer anyone.

But who cares? She's going to do it anyway.

Once upon a (very, very) long time ago Jo Brand was what you might describe as "a nice little girl". Of course, that was before the values of cynicism, misogyny and the societal expectation that Jo would be thin, feminine and demure sent her off down Arsey Avenue.

The plot thickened when, due to a complicated fusion of hormones, horrible family dynamics and a no-good boyfriend they hated, Jo ended up leaving home at 16.

Now she's considerably further along life's inevitable journey and, in this memoir, she reveals a side of herself that we don’t normally hear - the things she wishes she'd known and the things she hopes for the future. As you’d expect, she pulls no punches.

Jo begins with the wisdom (or otherwise) of giving advice, and guidance on how to survive your family. From her own battlefield experiences, she suggests the best attitude for family holidays and Christmas.

Sometimes, it’s just a case of lowering your expectations.

Written and read in five parts by Jo Brand.

Abridged and produced by Pippa Vaughan

A Loftus Media production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2018.

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