When Tatiana Ashborn invited her 80-year-old grandmother onto her podcast in August 2022, she expected a light-hearted chat. What unfolded was a candid, hilarious, and deeply moving conversation about sex, intimacy, and a mysterious banana that shattered stereotypes and brought them closer than ever.
From Podcast Curiosity to Candid Confessions
Tatiana, host of 'Under The Sheets with Tatiana Ashborn and Friends', initially intended to keep the interview PG-rated, partly at her mother's request. They discussed her grandmother's limited sex education and her love story with Tatiana's grandfather, marrying at 21 after meeting at 18.
However, the conversation soon took a more revealing turn. They talked about pubic hair grooming (her grandma prefers a trimmed bush) and her wedding night, with Grandma wishing she'd had sex sooner to 'take the pressure off'.
The real bombshell dropped when audience questions rolled in. Tatiana asked if her grandmother had ever been to Ann Summers. Instead of shying away, her grandma confessed she had. Emboldened, Tatiana asked what else she'd tried in the bedroom. "A banana," her grandmother announced in a fit of giggles.
Breaking the Ultimate Taboo
The conversation flowed freely from there. Grandma recounted the time she and Grandpa were caught having sex because of a creaky bed. She also revealed that a man other than her husband once gave her an orgasm, admitting she "didn't know what Grandpa was doing at the time."
She defended her experiences, rightly pointing out she was allowed "to have fun in those days" and that her upbringing didn't make her "prudish." This frank discussion challenged the societal assumption that sex and intimacy fade, or become irrelevant, with age.
Tatiana, who felt her own school sex education lacked crucial lessons on pleasure, had long sought wisdom by interviewing older couples. She realised that if she didn't ask her grandmother, she might miss a lifetime of experience.
A Precious Legacy of Love and Connection
The timing of the recording made the episode profoundly precious. Shortly after they spoke, Tatiana's grandfather passed away. The conversation became a priceless window into their 60-year relationship, reminding Tatiana that sex is about lifelong connection, not age.
"It gave me a vision of the kind of relationship, and sex life, I hope to have one day," she reflected. She saw that at its core was a great love story, with sex and intimacy woven deeply into their friendship.
Tatiana believes more families should have these open conversations. While daunting, they can bridge generational gaps, foster understanding, and dismantle harmful taboos. Her grandmother's final word on the banana? She has no idea where that dildo is now, so Tatiana won't be rummaging through her drawers anytime soon.
