Clémentine Galey wants to unwind mothers with Bliss Hot Stories: “You have the right to have a fulfilled sexuality!”

Solène Delinger 8:15 p.m., March 26, 2024

After the dazzling success of Bliss Stories, her podcast on motherhood, Clémentine Galey is interested in a new very "hot" series in another important aspect of women's lives, unfortunately still taboo: their sexuality. 

INTERVIEW

Clémentine Galey ticks all the super girl boxes. She is brilliant, funny, super accessible, very stylish and on top of that, she helps others. More particularly women who, like her, have gone through the experience of motherhood. Mother of two, Clémentine Galey left her job on television to launch Bliss Stories, a podcast about motherhood that you've probably already heard of.

The concept is simple but yet brilliant: Clémentine Galey gave the floor to mothers to tell their story, their childbirth, their postpartum, their joys, their sorrows, their difficulties too, without filters, without taboos. The result exceeded all of Clémentine Galey's expectations: Bliss has accumulated more than 70 million streams in six years. Proof that there was a real need for women to speak but also to listen to the stories of other women and to identify with them. What if it was exactly the same for sexuality? Taboo subject for women, even more so when they are mothers. With her Bliss Hot Stories segment, Clémentine Galey lets them tell their craziest sex stories, thanks to which they finally connected with their bodies and assumed their desires. Spicy, fun and refreshing, the Bliss Hot Stories podcast returns for an even more liberating second season, of which Clément Galey is particularly proud. Interview. 

Why did you decide to launch a second season of this Hot Stories segment? 

Quite simply because the first season worked extremely well! After last summer, we saw that there was a real expectation and a real enthusiasm for this subject. We had over a million listens over the summer, which is huge. We understood that this was still unexplored territory because there were few testimonies from people who had lived experiences. Until now, in audio sexuality, there were mainly fictions. 

How do you explain this absence of testimonies?  

It was as if women didn't dare talk about these subjects. It's not that they didn't want to talk about it, but they couldn't get over the hump. From the moment we get a foot in the door by allowing women to talk about their experiences, it works and it's a real breath of fresh air. Women tell themselves that they are not alone in having these desires, in being ashamed of doing this or that thing, in feeling disconnected from their body after giving birth. As with motherhood, it gets better when we talk about it! 

How did you manage to get all these women to speak?

We put out a call for applications on Instagram and received dozens of spontaneous testimonials. But they were mostly stories of adultery. As if the women who dared the most were also those who assumed having extra-marital affairs. It was very weird. We realized that women in a relationship were going to testify much less spontaneously. One wonders if sexuality in the couple is at a standstill! As a result, the first season was very focused on adultery even though that was not our primary desire. 

LISTEN BACK –

 “Bliss”: Clémentine Galey was the guest of Culture Media to talk about women and motherhood

But the episodes were still a hit...

We're not going to lie, these are still super juicy and exciting stories! Many women have sent me messages to tell me that these testimonies had rekindled the flame with their partner. Stories of extramarital affairs can also stimulate sexuality within the couple! It's not an incitement to debauchery to talk about that. We do not tell our listeners to cheat on their partner, but rather we invite them to use their imagination. 

The second season of Bliss Hot Stories talks a lot less about extra-marital affairs. How did you manage to diversify the testimonies? 

We had more time to find the testimonies of this second season. We sought a broader panel so that as many listeners as possible could identify. In these new episodes, we find couple stories, extra-marital stories, slightly unusual experiences. All this in a very respectful treatment of information and testimony. We want to democratize these kinds of stories and free women from their inhibitions. We know that it crosses our minds at some point in our lives and we shouldn't be ashamed! 

How can we approach such subjects without falling into vulgarity, without shocking?

I ask women who contact me to send me a voice note to project me. It's not all about having a good story, you also need to have the right person to tell it, even more so when it comes to sex stories! You have to tell the story while having a slightly naughty and mischievous air, but not vulgar. It's never vulgar. 

We barely hear you in the podcast. Why this choice ? 

We chose to opt for raw, immersive testimonies, because it gives listeners the feeling of being on the phone with a friend who is telling you what happened to her the day before. It's really the debrief of the day after the evening with this side: "But you'll never guess what happened to me!! But no?! Tell me!". 

Why do you think it is still so difficult for women to talk about sexuality, even more so when they become mothers?

Our society has difficulty conceiving that a woman can be both a mother and a lover. As if by becoming a mother, we had to give up our life as a woman. There are several obstacles in our lives that prevent us from fulfilling our desires. First there is motherhood and then menopause. People put obstacles in our way all the time. Women who accumulate conquests or who like to seduce are always considered sluts. I really wish they would let us go!

With Hot Stories, do you want to change mentalities? 

I want women to realize that they have the right to be demanding and to have fun. I am appalled by the number of women who settle for average sexuality. They say to themselves: "At the beginning it was good but it calmed down, it's normal. And then, I would have gone there that evening with that guy but I didn't dare. 'what will people think of me?' They don't realize what they have the right to and what they are missing out on! But above all there is no fatality and it is never too late. With my podcast, I want to say to these women: “Wake up!”. 

You are the mother of two children yourself. Do certain testimonies echo your own story?

Of course ! I am part of a generation of women who took a long time to connect with their bodies. I had a breakthrough before motherhood. Having children has never hindered my libido. Certainly because I always spoke a lot with the father of my children. We always told each other when things were going well, when things were not going well, what we were missing. We wondered what we could do to get the machine running again after the birth of our daughter. At the time, we already had a son who wasn't even two years old, so two babies at home. We were exhausted! The urge had lessened but not the desire. We knew it was going to come back. It's super important for women to tell themselves that there is no rush or pressure. 

What other advice would you give to new mothers?

I would tell them to never give up and never forget that their body has superpowers. Beyond knowing how to give life, it can also give a lot of pleasure. It's all a question of state of mind! I would also like to push them to take on certain things because the results can be pleasing. And above all: talk to their partner, laugh about it all, play down the drama, relieve the pressure. Complicity is the key to fulfilling sexuality!