From shock and shame to fun and friendship: How creating The Diabetic Duo helped besties Beth and Ellen reclaim their identity

Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories

Get ready for a double diabetes delight, as we spend a delightful hour with Beth McDaniel and Ellen Watson, also known as The Diabetic Duo.
Type 1 since childhood, Ellen was busy living her best university life alongside bestie Beth, when at the age of 20 Beth also joined the type 1 diabetes club. Not too long after, the girls caught the internet’s attention in 2019 when a TikTok video of them getting ready for a night out wearing their matching sensors went viral, and The Diabetic Duo was born.
The girls now have tens of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram, and continue using their platform to show others that life with type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to be perfect to be fabulous.
The marketing professionals from Northern Ireland chat about everything from friendship, building community, handling a night out with a cheeky Aperol Spritz or two, to reclaiming their power and being able to empower both themselves and other type 1s through their content. And if you want the secret to a perfect fake tan around your glucose sensor, the ladies have got you!
Beth and Ellen have such an amazing outlook, and their friendship is all the more beautiful for being able to share not only the tougher parts of type 1 diabetes, but the amazing experiences they've had as The Diabetic Duo. From wearing tech with confidence to always looking out for your loved ones, this episode is also a lovely reminder to have fun and enjoy the ride!
CONNECT WITH THE DIABETIC DUO
Follow The Diabetic Duo on Instagram.
Follow The Diabetic Duo on TikTok.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/