
Episode #12
Dying for a Cuppa with Hospice Nurse Penny
I’ll admit it. I had a bit of a fangirl moment with this one!! For years, I’ve followed Hospice Nurse Penny — Penny Hawkins Smith from across the pond, watching her talk about death and dying with the kind of honesty, humour and straight-talking approach that I absolutely love. Penny is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care nurse with more than 17 years’ experience. During the pandemic, she took her death education onto social media — using straight talk, storytelling, humour and the occasional TikTok trend to make conversations about dying accessible to millions of people around the world. Today, her community across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube exceeds two million followers . So having Penny join me on Dying for a Cuppa® was a real privilege. We go right back to the beginning — how she found her way into nursing and hospice care, what years alongside dying people have taught her, and how social media unexpectedly gave her a platform to educate people on an extraordinary scale. And, unsurprisingly, we talk very openly about dying. What actually happens to our bodies. Why understanding the dying process can take away so much fear. The expectations families can carry. And why avoiding conversations about death doesn’t stop death from happening. We also explore faith, spirituality and belief at the end of life — including the assumptions and expectations that can sometimes be projected onto dying people, and what Penny has actually witnessed after years of caring for people with many different beliefs and none. Penny is refreshingly open on social media about her own journey and the experiences that have shaped the woman she is today — something I think is a huge part of why people connect with her. No fluff. No euphemisms. Just an honest conversation about something that happens to every single one of us. I absolutely loved this one!! Two death educators. Two sides of the Atlantic. One very frank conversation about dying. Grab a cuppa and let us know what you think! ☕️❤️ You can find Penny, her work and her book Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living at Hospice Nurse Penny. https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/about https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/book Huge thanks to Match and Dispatch - Outstanding celebrant training for supporting this episode https://matchanddispatch.com/ © 2026 Katie Costello. Dying for a Cuppa® is a registered trademark of Katie Costello. All rights reserved. This podcast and its content, including audio recordings, descriptions, and associated materials, are protected by copyright. No part of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission, except for personal, non-commercial use. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of any affiliated organisations. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional, legal, or medical advice.






