Priscilla (89) shares racy secrets with Kirkintilloch’s Chloe (21) on new BBC Scotland show Talking Sex with Gran

A Kirkintilloch woman is among five young Scots meeting five grans for a frank and honest discussion about sex and relationships in a new TV show on the BBC Scotland channel going out this week.

From innocent discussions about the true meaning of the peach emoji to the intimate details of the weirdest place they’ve had sex, this is a whole new kind of sex education – for both generations – in Talking Sex with Gran.

With memories of what it was like to be young in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, the ‘Grans’ offer insight and wisdom. With the world laid out in front of them, the younger generation offer their own take on what sex and relationships are like today.

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Across the conversations, there are surprising revelations on both sides and also a lot of laughs.

Grandmother to seven, 89 year old Priscilla Martin, makes a friend for life in 21 year old Chloe Mayhew, who came out as gay two years ago.

Chloe studied musical theatre at college and now works behind the scenes at the King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal in Glasgow. Taking part in Talking Sex with Gran really helped Chloe, from Kirkintilloch, in unexpected ways.

Says Chloe: “I had come out to my immediate family and friends but I was hesitant about coming out to extended family, especially older people. I had thought that I would wait until the programme was being broadcast to come out to my cousins, aunties, uncles etc.

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“But recording it – and meeting Priscilla, who was so lovely – gave me the confidence to break through the ‘taboo’ I had about that in my head and I came out to everyone at my 21st in December last year.

And everyone was terrific…Relatives were saying to me ‘you should have told us earlier and we wouldn’t have pestered you so much about getting a boyfriend.’

“Doing this programme has given me huge confidence to accept – and celebrate who I am. Priscilla was just so accepting that it was huge bolster for me and I’m just so glad that I took part in the show.”

Priscilla, who grew up in Springburn but moved to East Kilbride when she got married in the 1950s, says: “For me – if you love someone that’s an end of it – you love them and you should be together. It doesn’t matter if you are a woman and you love a woman or man and love another man. It’s about love and that’s that. People didn’t talk about being gay when I was growing up but it is much better that people can talk about this now, because people can just be themselves, they don’t have to hide who they are. And they shouldn’t have to hide who they are.”

Other conversational pairings in the programme include:

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Nicholai, 24, who has come from Trinidad to study in Scotland, is already an open minded man of the world. But even he will admit to being caught by surprise by 81 year old Irene’s admission of the wildest place she’s ever had sex.

Margaret, 81, meets Jada, 19. While Margaret has only ever been with one man, Jada remains to be convinced that marriage is an important part of her own future.

Sheilagh, 69, has known Seamus, 23, for several years as he’s a close friend of her granddaughter. But that doesn’t stop her being amazed at the discovery of the sex toy he’s been saving up for - and the cost.

Pauline, 76, and Chloe, 19, are grandmother and granddaughter. And it is grandmother and retired nurse Pauline who urges granddaughter Chloe: “Don’t be bashful!”

Talking Sex with Gran, which is produced by Finestripe Productions, will go out at 11pm on Thursday, February 6 on the BBC Scotland channel and it will be available to view on the BBC iPlayer.

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