Getting to know... Elaine and Mark Gregersen

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the people behind the business profile, Elaine and Mark Gregersen, co-hosts of The Honeymoon Period podcast, talk about navigating life as parent carers, the power of pop culture as a coping mechanism and why the North East’s creative spirit makes it such a special place to call home.

We know you as the co-hosts of The Honeymoon Period podcast, but who are the people behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick...

We’re a married couple, and parent carers to our son Blake, who is profoundly disabled and requires 24/7 care.

That means we spend a lot of time together as a family of three. 

Our situation has led us to explore solo travel.

Mark has been to the United States several times and is due to visit Finland and Japan next year.

Elaine has taken time away remote writing retreats in North Wales and Cornwall.

Travelling alone might seem unusual to some, but for us it’s a vital form of respite.

We try to champion each other’s dreams whenever we can.

Did you always want to work in podcasting?

We talked for years about starting a pop culture podcast.

Then, we had a difficult personal period.

Our twins were born four months early; our eldest twin died and we brought Blake home just before lockdown began.

Recording our conversations about the TV and films we were watching became a way of showing friends and family that we were okay.

Then, people we didn’t know started getting in touch.

Six years on, we are so glad we pressed record.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The best part is hearing from listeners and having funny debates about the shows and films we all love (or hate).

One listener told us the podcast helped them through a challenging time, which meant a lot.

The worst bit? Editing.

We’ve recorded, edited and produced everything ourselves from day one.

We’re proud it sounds like us, but the editing process is time-consuming and pretty dull.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Being named British Film Podcast of the Week by Film Stories for our episode on Palm Springs was incredibly special.

But just as important are the friendships we’ve made.

The independent podcast community is full of generous, insightful, funny people who genuinely celebrate each other’s successes.

How do you relax outside of work?

By watching TV and films, of course!

In all seriousness, pop culture is our coping mechanism, whether it be an ITV crime drama, a summer blockbuster, or a tiny documentary no-one has heard of.

What makes the North East such a great place to live and work?

There’s so much going on in the North East creatively.

Sometimes, it feels like the rest of the country is finally catching on to what we’ve always known.

We loved when Harrison Ford came to film scenes for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

He had a drink in our local and we did a special episode on where he’d been seen in the region!

And last year we visited some of the filming locations for 28 Years Later so we could talk about them on the podcast.

There’s huge creative energy here and it’s exciting to feel part of that.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

Elaine is working on her debut novel, a dark exploration of female friendship set in a seaside town.

Mark has recently been bitten by the running bug and is in training for the Great North Run.

To listen to The Honeymoon Period podcast, click here. 

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.