Jo Brand Won’t Fix You (And That’s the Point)

‘Born Lippy’ doesn’t feel like advice so much as a long, honest conversation with someone who isn’t trying to impress you. From the first pages, it’s clear that Jo Brand has no interest in presenting a polished version of herself or offering neat solutions. She’s just telling you what she’s learned.

The book is framed as advice to her daughters, with the frank acknowledgement that they probably won’t follow most of it. This intention means there are no ‘shoulds’ here, no sense that you’ve failed if you haven’t lived correctly or the way she has. Jo Brand reflects on her own messy younger years with warmth rather than regret, and that generosity extends to the reader.

I love the book’s deep acceptance of mistakes. Reading it made it easier to loosen my grip on my own catalogue of past errors – that tend to surface at three in the morning! Her message, repeated in different ways, is simple and oddly bracing: get on with it, and enjoy your life now.

Her advice stays grounded. On exercise, she argues for doing things on your own terms – finding something you actually enjoy doing. She does note that regular movement reduces the risk of bowel cancer recurrence so dramatically it would be celebrated as a wonder drug if it came in pill form. On friendships, she suggests lowering your expectations, as a way to be happier and experience less friction and disappointment.

The strongest message is to be comfortable in your own skin. Jo Brand writes openly about not being beautiful, and how she is able to stand her ground in the face of hecklers telling her to get off the stage because of her appearance.

I listened to ‘Born Lippy’ on audiobook and long after finishing it I can hear her warm, pragmatic voice in my head – reminding me to stop overthinking everything.