Friend talks about another friend constantly- tedious

[RosaMoline]

I have a very close friend who I’ve known in excess of 50 years - a lifetime!
Anyway, when she started nursing 40 years ago, she trained with another girl - my friend is J and the other girl is N. J and N became good friends too. (No problem with that at all)
However, when I see J she manages to insert N into every conversation. No matter how tedious and boring. I’ve only met this woman once (at J’s hen night…many years ago) but I feel I know the ins and outs of her life - I’m great detail - even J telling me about her marital woes when her N’s husband cheated (which is none of my business anyway…)
It’s almost laughable - recent examples:
Me showing J a cute photo of a chihuahua on Instagram (‘ooh N has chihuahuas…they’re called..’ yes I already knew that. 🙄)
Me mentioning I’m hoping to go to Japan next year with DD:
‘N went to Japan last year…’
We’ve just been on a mini break last week, and at times my eyes were rolling so hard when she wasn’t looking directly at me. N, her family, the cheating husband, her dogs, house, life shoehorned into practically every conversation.
Is there any way I can kindly tell her she’s boring the piss out of me by yapping on about this random woman all the time?

I don't find this that weird. When I see my close friend I expect to be updated on her best friend's life even though I've just met her once. This is because she is my close friend's BEST FRIEND. I also would catch my close friends up on any news (that was appropriate to share) on my best friend. In my eyes it's the same as discussing a family member, but I am an only child which may have an impact on my view.

I'll bet she talks about you endlessly to the other friend. It sounds like you both mean a great deal to her.

Hopefully you can work through it.

This drives me mad too, my colleague does it about her whole family as well as others at work .I call her the reporter.

Would be very interested in a reply that doesn’t make me look mean. I have 2 breaks per day that are filled with conversation that I have zero interest in.