How Downton Abbey Saved Our Family (Our Hardest Location Podcast Yet)

How Downton Abbey Saved Our Family (Our Hardest Location Podcast Yet)

Author: Liz Deacle and Brian Deacle September 24, 2025 Duration: 1:04:59

We recorded this week's marriage diary podcast on location under the famous Sycamore Tree in Bampton, the real village of Downton Abbey. But it was harder than we thought.

Downton Abbey has become our family's anchor, so when we found ourselves in the UK close to the location where many of the show's outdoor scenes were filmed, we packed our microphones and set off to record a podcast.

While we were talking about why this show has become a lifeline for both our marriage and our family, a coachload of tourists turned up. I've never felt so awkward and self-conscious in my life. But Brian refused to stop filming.

So you will hear my awkwardness in all its glory...

After a year of loss and leaving our home in New Zealand, Liz and Brian, husband and wife, have been living out of suitcases, feeling nomadic and uncertain.

In this very raw episode, we talk about how binge-watching Downton Abbey has given our family a surprising sense of routine, safety, and connection as we travel the world and heal after loss.

We also open up about the expat's identity crisis, what it's like to not know where "home" is, and pushing through the fear of being seen when you're grieving.

This is one of our most authentic and vulnerable conversations yet, and we hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for joining us, you are what make this happen.

Our hearts

Liz and Brian xx

Kia Kaha.

Liz and Brian xx

PS: If you haven't yet joined my inner circle of friends, my life-letter readers, please do. You will be the first person I share everything with. I'd love to have you. Go here to join us.  

❤️Join my inner circle. Liz's free newsletter is here: https://itsadrama.com/frontrow/

❤️ Like what you heard? Please rate and review the It's a Drama Podcast here, or if you are on Spotify, please review us over there. Your short review helps us massively and encourages us to continue!

🏡 We are staying in an Airbnb in Greece, but nine times out of ten, Brian and I house-sit.

It has saved us approximately $30k in accommodation around Europe.

If you want to join us in using TrustedHousesitters to travel the world, use our exclusive discount code to get a WHOPPING 25% off HOUSESITTING yearly membership. It's cheaper than one night's stay in an Airbnb.

⛑️Safety wing Nomad Travel insurance. If, like us, you are travelling for more than a couple of weeks, then we recommend getting a "rolling pay-as-you-go insurance". We use Safety Wing. They have been brilliant and offer us everything we need at a great price.

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❤️ Like what you heard? Please rate and review the It's a Drama Podcast here, or if you are on Spotify, please review us over there. Your short review helps us massively and encourages us to continue!
 

You might think from the title It's a Drama Podcast that you're in for some heavy theatrics, but it's actually the opposite. Hosted by world traveller and best-selling comedy author Liz Deacle alongside her husband Brian, this is a space for the gloriously unfiltered and often hilarious conversations that happen between two people sharing a life and a suitcase. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair at their kitchen table, where the topics roam freely from travel mishaps and cultural observations to the everyday dramas of family, food, and navigating the second half of life with a sense of humor. Liz and Brian’s candid dynamic is the heart of the podcast, offering a blend of laughter and genuine honesty that makes the personal feel universal. You’ll find yourself in the middle of stories that are both frank and funny, often accompanied by the clink of a wine glass and the admission that adulthood isn't always a dignified affair. It’s less about destination and more about the messy, joyful, and relatable journey, making this a uniquely comforting listen for anyone who appreciates real conversation served with a generous side of comedy.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

It's a Drama Podcast
Podcast Episodes
A Year Spent Together: It's Not The Same Anymore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:21
A year ago, I was terrified of being alone. When we started this year-long nomadic healing journey, I was convinced that if I let my family out of my sight, something terrible would happen to them; that they'd all die, a…
Married Life in Paradise (let us just pop that bubble for you) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
We've been living as a family (husband, wife + young adult kids) on the Greek island of Paros for 3 months. The Greece vacation feel has worn off, and now it's just us. Dealing with stuff. Looking at the bins. Because we…
Nowhere To Live [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
❤️ Suffering from loss? I see you. Liz's new book is here This is one of those episodes where we need courage (or a stiff drink) to press publish. Today, Liz and Brian, husband and wife, are talking about the struggles o…
Greeks: Things that might get up your nose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:58
Find Brian's Toolbox Meetings Here ➡️ There are some things that you'll only ever experience in Greece, and today we want to share those endearing little oddities with you. Including the way police deal with baddies, get…
Stuck in Greece. 6 weeks in and This Happens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:52
Find Brian's Toolbox Meetings Here ➡️ We've been living as a family on the Greek Island of Paros for six weeks. Not much has happened. Life has been pretty drama-free. Until last night. Join us (and the Sequidas) today,…
Living in Greece has changed a few things [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:25
Find Brian's Toolbox Meetings Here ➡️ We're still in Paros, Greece. When we arrived on this Greek island six weeks ago, Brian was a little broken. Both physically and mentally. He couldn't even lift a coffee cup. An inju…
We're on a Greek Island...Let's Talk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:53
Today, we come from Paros, Greece (one of our favourite places on earth) with an overdue catch-up and update. On everything. And a few stories thrown in for good measure. Liz and Brian xx Links mentioned in the show: 🇳🇿…
Thailand. Why we keep Coming Back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:05
Brian and Liz are back in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the fourth time. Why do they keep coming back? Because it seals their empty gaps. Fills their tired tanks. Because they feel like emotionally intelligent adults. A grow…
Back in New Zealand. To face the Music. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:26
Brian and Liz, are back in New Zealand. They have rented their rural lifestyle property for another year so they can continue their nomadic lifestyle around the world. The new tenants take over in ten days. But before th…