In a media landscape crowded with shallow takes on intimacy, award-winning Iranian-British journalist and documentary filmmaker Sahar Zand is flipping the script. Today marks the launch of her newest project — “Doing Sex”, a bold, investigative video podcast produced by Vespucci, designed not to titillate, but to interrogate sex as a window into society, power, and identity.
With a mix of global storytelling, investigative journalism, and personal vulnerability, Zand is determined to open doors often kept firmly shut. This is not a podcast about how to spice things up in bed — it’s about how sex reveals the deeper mechanics of who we are, how we’re shaped, and the systems that govern us.
“I come from a sexually suppressed background,” Zand says. “Now, even though I’m in a long-term, loving partnership, my complicated relationship with sex still lingers. I’m finally ready to face it.”
While mainstream sex talk often focuses on the mechanics, Sahar Zand’s “Doing Sex” aims to deconstruct sex as a cultural, political, and personal phenomenon.
Themes the Podcast Explores:
🔻 The intersection of sexuality and power
🌍 Global perspectives on intimacy, desire, and control
🧠 How our sexual identities are shaped by trauma, migration, religion, and law
🗣️ Who gets to speak about sex, and who is silenced?
Why It Matters:
In today’s polarized and digitized world, where online sexuality is both overexposed and misunderstood, “Doing Sex” cuts through the noise, offering an empathetic yet analytical exploration of how deeply sex is intertwined with the human experience.
🌎 Meet the Global Voices Behind the Mic
Every episode of Doing Sex features intimate, uncensored conversations with remarkable individuals whose stories challenge norms and break silence. Here’s a look at just a few of the bold voices featured in the first season:
👠 Eva Oh — The Diplomat-Dominatrix
Former UN refugee advocate turned dominatrix
Commands over $10,000 per session
Explores consent, power exchange, and how dominance can be liberating
🧠 Catherine De Noire — Academic Meets Industry
PhD candidate and legal brothel manager in Europe
Discusses the realities of regulated sex work and the ethics within it
🌈 Mahmoud Baydoun — Queer Sexologist with a Global Following
Lebanese-Brazilian influencer and educator
Speaks on queerness, diaspora, and reclaiming identity through sex
💔 Fatou Badjie — Survivor. Warrior. Healer.
Gambian woman and FGM survivor
Shares her trauma, healing, and the revolutionary act of reclaiming pleasure
Each guest offers not only a personal story but also a lens into broader systems — patriarchy, colonialism, capitalism — that shape our sexual realities.
💬 Why Sahar Zand Is the Voice We Need Right Now
A Personal Mission Meets Professional Rigor
Sahar Zand’s journey began far from podcast studios and red carpets. Raised in Iran, Zand grew up in a society where sex was taboo, shrouded in shame, secrecy, and censorship. Her journalistic eye and lived experience make her uniquely suited to lead these conversations.
A Career Rooted in Investigative Courage:
🏆 Award-winning journalist and filmmaker
🌍 Reported from over 30 countries
🎥 Known for her fearless documentaries on mental health, migration, gender, and conflict
🗞️ Work featured by BBC, Channel 4, VICE, The Guardian
Zand brings the same journalistic rigor to “Doing Sex” that she brought to war zones and refugee camps — but this time, the battlefield is internal.
“Sex isn’t just about what happens in private. It’s about power, politics, trauma, religion, pleasure, and resistance,” she says.
🧩 Podcast Format: A Smart Blend of Stories, Studies, and Self-Discovery
The structure of the podcast defies genre. Think part memoir, part exposé, part global documentary — all stitched together with powerful narration.
Episode Flow:
🎧 Deep-dive interviews with international experts and activists
🧠 Cultural analysis backed by research and context
📝 Personal monologues where Zand reflects on her evolving understanding of sex and self
🎬 Video podcast format with visual storytelling and cinematic pacing
This layered storytelling keeps listeners engaged, informed, and emotionally invested.
🧠 Topics We Can Expect in Season 1
From sex work to sexual trauma, kink to colonization — the range is vast, yet always rooted in relevance and compassion.
Upcoming Topics Teased:
❌ How societies regulate female sexuality
📱 Digital intimacy and the politics of OnlyFans
🕍 Religion, repression, and sexual awakening
✊🏽 Pleasure as resistance in post-colonial societies
⚖️ The economics of sex: who pays, who profits, who loses
💻 The future of intimacy in an AI and tech-driven world
🎥 Behind the Scenes: Vespucci’s Bold Creative Vision
The production house Vespucci is known for creating premium, boundary-pushing content. The idea for “Doing Sex” reportedly draws inspiration from a long-abandoned concept once developed by Anthony Bourdain.
“We’d heard Bourdain once developed a show about sex, but it never got off the ground,” said Vespucci co-founders Johnny Galvin and Daniel Turcan. “Sahar brings exactly the kind of ambition needed to explore stories like these.”
With Vespucci’s cinematic vision and Zand’s storytelling edge, the podcast blends education, empathy, and entertainment — a winning combination in today’s content economy.
📅 Launch Details & Where to Listen
🎙️ Title:Doing Sex
🎧 Release Date: July 29, 2025
🔁 New Episodes: Every Tuesday
📺 Format: Video + Audio
📱 Available on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more
🌐 Why “Doing Sex” Is Perfect for the Current Media Climate
📈 SEO & Trends That Align With the Podcast:
“Sex and identity podcast”
“Sexuality and power documentaries”
“Intersectional feminism podcasts 2025”
“Cultural perspectives on sex”
“Journalists exploring sex and society”
The show aligns with rising interest in sex-positive education, personal storytelling, and intersectional analysis — all of which are trending in search behavior and cultural media.
🧲 Why Audiences Will Click — and Stay
High Click-Through Drivers:
✅ A-list production quality
✅ Controversial yet thoughtful subject matter
✅ A credible host with global experience
✅ Visually immersive video episodes
✅ A new take in a saturated niche
In an era of performative feminism and commodified “sex talk,” Doing Sex delivers actual depth, providing value, education, and conversation without falling into cliché.
✍️ Conclusion: A Podcast for Anyone Who’s Ever Questioned Their Relationship With Sex
Whether you’re a researcher, a survivor, a curious mind, or someone questioning the sexual norms you grew up with, “Doing Sex” is not just a podcast — it’s a revelation.
Zand’s work dares to ask: What can our attitudes toward sex reveal about our deepest truths? In exploring the global spectrum of experiences, Doing Sex makes one thing clear: sex is never just sex — it’s a mirror to the soul of society.
