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Actor Juliet Stevenson. 40 years after Adrian Mole the legacy of Sue Townsend. Paralympian now dancer Ellie Simmonds Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

The Doctor’ first opened at the Almeida in 2019 Juliet Stevenson’s performance was described as ‘one of the peaks of the theatrical year’. Now on stage in London’s West End the play has again been highly applauded by the critics. Juliet joins Emma Barnett to discuss playing Dr Ruth Wolff, medical ethics, identity politics, anti-Semitism, media witch hunts and the way institutions protect themselves against criticism.

It’s been 40 years since The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend was published. On New Year’s Day 1981 Adrian lives in Leicester. His parent’s relationship is rocky, money is tight. He is worried about his spots and the length of his penis and he yearns for Pandora a girl from school who is from the posh part of town. Joining Emma are Dr Emma Parker, Associate Professor of English working on Twentieth Century women’s writing at Leicester University and the writer Cathy Rentzenbrink. What does the diary of a teenage boy tell us about the lives of girls and women in the early 80's?

We hear from the Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge who yesterday at PMQ's asked Liz Truss about the charity Mermaids which offers support around gender and identity to children and young people up to 25 years old and is currently the subject of a regulatory compliance case by the Charity Commission.

Plus Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds talks about her Strictly Come Dancing journey and the impact of the online trolling she's received since taking part in the show.

Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell PHOTO CREDIT. Ruth Wolff

Erin Doherty in The Crucible, Strip clubs, Brazilian butt lifts, Angela Lansbury Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

Based on the Salem trials in Massachusetts in 1692, where young girls accused their elders of satanism, a new production of Arthur Miller's modern classic The Crucible has just opened at the National Theatre in London. Actor Erin Doherty, best known for her portrayal of a young Princess Anne in Netflix series The Crown, plays Abigail Williams, the girl whose spurned affections spark the witch hunt. She joins Jessica.

Strip clubs in Edinburgh will be banned from April next year, but the venues and the strippers who work in them are fighting the decision. Supporters of the ban say it's upholding the Scottish Government's strategy on Violence Against Women and Girls which says stripping encompasses and engenders violence against women and girls. But strippers say it will impact their ability to earn a living and force them into dangerous working conditions at underground clubs. Jessica is joined by Tess Herrman from the Union of Sex Workers and also by former Labour councillor and Scotsman columnist Susan Dalgety.

Dame Angela Lansbury, who won international acclaim as the star of the US TV crime series Murder, She Wrote, has died at the age of 96. The three-time Oscar nominee had a career spanning eight decades, across film, theatre and TV. She was born in London in 1925. When she moved to New York, she was discovered by a film executive who gave her, her first role as a maid in the 1944 film Gaslight. In 1973, Woman's Hour presenter Sue McGregor caught up with Dame Angela when she was performing in the stage show Gypsy.

As university students settle in, are you experiencing empty nest syndrome? Listener Natalie Paddick got in touch to tell us about her feelings of loss now that all her children have left home. She joins Jessica along with author Celia Dodd who's written about the Empty Nest subtitled, 'Your Changing Family, Your New Direction'.

For our occasional series Girl’s World, Ena Miller went to talk to 14-year-olds Ruby, Nyima and Azelea at their school in Stroud.

A Brazilian butt lift is a procedure where fat, usually from the stomach and back, is injected into the buttocks to change their shape and size. In 2018 - after the death of Leah Cambridge who had flown to Turkey to have the surgery - the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, or BAAPS, advised their members not to perform them. But this week they've released new recommendations they hope will make the procedure safer. Joining Jessica are the President of BAAPS, Marc Pacifico, and director Louise Coleman whose documentary The Bottom Line is on ITV Hub.

Helen O'Hara, International Day of the Girl, photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind on Ukraine Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

The Royal College of Nursing, the world's biggest nurses' union, has a culture of bullying and misogyny, according to an internal report. Jessica Creighton speaks to Pat Cullen, the General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN who commissioned the report. Helen O’Hara is a violinist and composer who plays the ear catching violin on the massive No.1 hit Come on Eileen. She joins Jessica to explain why she chose to become a key member of Dexy’s Midnight Runners rather than join a symphony orchestra, how she picked up her violin again after a long break to raise her sons, and the story behind the title of her memoir – What’s She Like. Today is International Day of the Girl, a global day of action for girls rights. The CEO of the charity Plan International, Rose Caldwell is the CEO of Plan International UK & the Welsh Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt will join Jessica Creighton to discuss how to get more women into leadership and where we are with achieving gender equality. At the end of the Coperni show during Paris Fashion Week, two men spray painted a white dress onto model Bella Hadid. After a few minutes the dress moved with Hadid’s body like a regular, fitted fabric as she walked down the runway. Will we all be spraying on our clothes in the future? We speak to sustainable fashion journalist Megan Doyle to find out more. The war in Ukraine may have reached its culmination with the Russian invasion earlier this year, but for people living on the front lines, the fighting has been constant since 2014. Photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind joins Jessica to discuss her work and new upcoming exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Countdown to COP27, Amy Loughren, Poet Cecilia Knapp Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

With this year’s UN Climate Conference – COP27 – just under a month away, political leaders and activists are preparing to visit Egypt which will host the event this year. Climate activist Farwiza Farhan and Patience Nabukalu join Jessica to talk about the power that women hold when it comes to climate conservation.

Amy Loughren is the woman who helped to secure the conviction of notorious serial killer Charles Cullen. Cullen was a nurse who administered lethal doses of medication to patients in multiple hospitals and nursing homes in America throughout his 16-year career. In 2006 he pleaded guilty to 29 murders and is currently serving a life sentence for his crimes. Amy was a critical care nurse who worked the night shift with him at his final place of employment and collaborated with detectives to secure his confession. Her story is now being told in Netflix's new film The Good Nurse, starring Eddie Redmayne as Charles Cullen and Jessica Chastain as Amy.

Friday night saw an historic match between England and the USA, it was the fastest-selling England football game – men’s or women’s – at the new Wembley stadium. Another historic moment saw the original Lionesses finally get caps for their first international game in 1972. They weren’t recognised by the FA at the time but thanks to the reserve goalie of the team Sue Whyatt, who text in to Woman’s Hour earlier this year, they were presented with their caps on Friday night. Sue Whyatt joins Jessica.

Cecilia Knapp is a poet, playwright and novelist and was the Young People’s Laureate for London 2020-21. She won the Ruth Rendell Award in 2021 which honours the writer who has had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK in the past year. She has also been shortlisted for many poetry awards - including the 2022 Forward prize. She joins Jessica to talk about her debut collection Peach Pig, which candidly explores loss, motherlessness, the complicated relationships women have with their bodies, and grief.

Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Emma Pearce

Merope Mills on her daughter Martha, Actor Sheila Atim on Woman King, Women in the armed forces, Truss impersonators Oct 08, 2022

Show notes

Merope Mills’ 13-year-old daughter Martha died in hospital in August 2021. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable, and the hospital has apologised. Merope, who is Editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, says her daughter would be alive today if doctors had not kept information from them about her condition, because as her parents they would have demanded a second opinion.

The award-winng British-Ugandan actor Sheila Atim on her new film ‘The Woman King’. She plays the warrior Amenza, part of the Agojie, an all-female army who battle fearlessly against marauding European slavers to protect their empire in 19th century Dahomay, in West Africa.

A year on from the Atherton Review which found women in the armed forces were being let down with a majority reporting they had suffered bullying harassment or discrimination we hear from Emma Norton from the Centre for Military Justice about what progress has been made.

As the Prime Minister delivered her first speech at the Tory party confernece, the impressionists have been busy at work. Politicians have always been their lifeblood especially our Prime Ministers. Jess Robinson who does many of the famous female voices for Spitting Image and Jan Ravens from Radio 4's Dead Ringers discuss. . Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Sheila Atim, Péju Alatise, Amanda Wakeley, Emma Norton Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

Anita Rani talks to Sheila Atim the award-winning British-Ugandan actor about her new film ‘The Woman King’. She plays the warrior Amenza, part of the Agojie, an all-female army who battle fearlessly against marauding European slavers to protect their empire in 19th century Dahomay, in West Africa. Her role is Lieutenant to Nanisca (AKA Viola Davis), the formidable head of that female military regiment.

A new sculpture by Nigerian artist Péju Alatise, Sim & The Glass Birds, can be seen in this year's Frieze Sculpture 2022 in London's Regents Park. Sim & The Glass Birds is a four-panel life-sized sculptural composition featuring the figure of a young girl and glass birds in flight highlighting the plight of marginalised young girls and the issue of child labour in Nigeria . Peju joins Anita in the studio.

Amanda Wakeley OBE is one of Britain's best-loved designers. She has three British Fashion Awards and has dressed everyone from Diana, Princess of Wales to Beyoncé but a downturn during the pandemic saw her company collapse into administration. She’s now started her own podcast called Style DNA by Amanda Wakeley. She talks to Anita about starting over again, turning 60 and her never-ending love for a good white shirt.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Merope Mills on her daughter Martha, Rugby World Cup preview, Truss impersonators, Iran update Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

Merope Mills’ 13-year-old daughter Martha died in hospital in August 2021. She had sustained a rare pancreatic trauma after falling off a bike on a family holiday, and spent weeks in a specialist unit where she developed sepsis. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable, and the hospital has apologised. Merope, who is Editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, says her daughter would be alive today if doctors had not kept information from them about her condition, because as her parents they would have demanded a second opinion. She joins Emma for her only broadcast interview.

As the Prime Minister Liz Truss jets off to Prague to a meeting of a new political club of nations, the summit of the European Political Community - the impressionists have been busy at work. Politicians have always been their lifeblood especially our Prime Ministers. Jess Robinson who does many of the famous female voices for Spitting Image and Jan Ravens from Radio 4's Dead Ringers join Emma.

It has been three weeks since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who fell into a coma hours after being detained by morality police on 13 September in Tehran for allegedly breaking the strict law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. She died in hospital three days later. It sparked widespread unrest in Iran which has moved to the classroom where schoolgirls have been removing their hijabs. Meanwhile the protests are going global. Last week British Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe cut her hair and yesterday a video was posted in which 50 high profile French women also cut their hair in support, including the actor Juliette Binoche. On Tuesday Abir Al-Sahlani, MEP for the Swedish Centre Party made a speech in the European Parliament where she cut her hair while standing behind a podium. Abir joins Emma along with Faranak Amidi,

This Saturday marks the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup. It's being held in New Zealand and England are the runaway favourites. Wales and Scotland are also taking part and Northern Ireland, who play as Ireland, failed to qualify. To give us a preview Emma is joined by Ali Donnelly, podcast host and author of Scrum Queens, the story of women's rugby and Rocky Clark, England's most capped player (men and womens). Rocky represented England in the last four World Cups, lifting the trophy with her team in 2014.

Nicola Rollock, Sexsomnia, Liz Truss, Anonymity prior to charge, Nadine Shah Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Nicola Rollock, Professor of Social Policy and Race at King's College London and an expert on racial justice, has a book out, The Racial Code: Tales of Resistance and Survival. in which she explores the hidden rules of race and racism, how they maintain the status quo, the pain and cost of navigating everyday racism and how to truly achieve racial justice.

The Crown Prosecution Service has apologised unreservedly to a woman whose rape case was dropped after defence lawyers claimed she had an episode of a rare sleep walking condition called ‘sexsomnia’. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK - the CPS now says it was wrong to drop the case and it should have gone to court. The BBC followed Jade McCrossen-Nethercott’s case as events unfolded over three years. Emma speaks to Jade and Emma Ailes, the producer and director of the BBC 3 documentary : SEXSOMNIA: CASE CLOSED? about why she began following Jade's case.

The Home Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled that she may consider giving anonymity to criminal suspects as she feels a “media circus” jeopardises a fair trial. Speaking to an audience of Young Conservatives at the Conservative Conference in Birmingham, her comments came in answer to a question referring to the high profile cases of singer Sir Cliff Richard and Harvey Proctor, a former Conservative Member of Parliament, who were falsely accused of sexual abuse and never charged. Currently, alleged victims of sexual offences receive lifelong anonymity under UK law but there is no law against naming a suspect. So what effect would it have, particularly on women, if anonymity were given? Joining Emma is Lady Nourse who was cleared of 17 counts of historical child sex abuse involving a boy under the age of 12 in 2021, and Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist and former detective who exposed Jimmy Savile as a paedophile.

When was the last time you tried something completely new? After over a decade in the music industry, 4 successful albums, and a Mercury Prize nomination under her belt, Nadine Shah has turned her hand to acting for the first time. The singer, songwriter, and musician talks to Emma Barnett about fear of failure, updating Shakespeare, and learning to act for her debut role as Titania in Matthew Dunster and Jimmy Fairhurst’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

It’s exactly a month since Liz Truss became leader of the conservative party and today she makes her first speech in that new role to the party faithful at their conference in Birmingham later this morning. Instead of the usual honeymoon period a new leader can expect to enjoy she has been beset by adverse publicity after the unveiling of chancellor’s mini budget almost two weeks ago. It led to huge market unrest with the pound plunging to record lows against the dollar. Emma speaks to Kirsty Buchanan, her former Special Advisor.

Alex Scott, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Molly Russell inquest Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Alex Scott is one of the most high profile names in women’s sport. The former Lioness started playing football for Arsenal when she was just eight years old, later, as a semi-professional player for the club she washed the men's team kit to earn extra money on the side. Alex went on to play for England 140 times and now presents on the BBC and Sky Sports. She has recently released her memoir entitled ‘How (Not) to Be Strong’ and joins Emma in the studio.

Last Friday after two weeks of the inquest into the death of Molly Russell in 2017 coroner Andrew Walker concluded Molly died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content. He said the images of self-harm and suicide she viewed "shouldn't have been available for a child to see" and that social media content contributed "more than minimally" to her death. Her father, Ian has called for urgent changes to make children safer online. Emma Barnett speaks to Merry Varney, the family’s lawyer.

It's just five weeks until the midterm elections in the United States. Emma is joined by the Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the first woman in US history to be elected both as a Governor and as a Senator for New Hampshire, a small but decisive State.

In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a car park in Leicester. The search had been orchestrated by an amateur historian, Philippa Langley, whose unrelenting research had been met with incomprehension by her friends and family and with scepticism by experts and academics. Emma speaks to Philippa Langley.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Gentle parenting, Truss and leadership, Indicator offences Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

What is a gentle parent? Does it really mean never saying ‘no’ to your child? And how did #gentleparenting attract more than 2.6 billion views on TikTok? Emma Barnett talks to TikTok content creator Kelly Medina Enos and psychologist Dr Penelope Leach about the rising popularity of this parenting approach.

Only yesterday the Prime Minister Liz Truss said her government would be sticking to the measures announced in the mini budget ten days ago. But this morning the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, has reversed the tax cut proposal that has led to volatility in the value of sterling and pressure on interest rates and inflation. Is it strong leadership to admit mistakes and move on or will it blight the premiership of Liz Truss? Emma is joined by the Times journalist Rachel Sylvester, and then business leader Nicola Horlick to discuss new research showing that just a third of girls want to be the boss in their future careers.

We learned last week that the charity Mermaids is to be investigated by the Charity Commission. This is after an undercover investigation by the Telegraph newspaper claiming that Mermaids is supplying breast binders to children without parental consent. These are devices that are used to bind up the breasts in order to give the appearance of a flatter chest. Emma speaks to Lauren Moss, the BBC’s LGBT and Identity correspondent who has been following the story.

Wayne Couzens is serving a whole life sentence for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021. He has appeared this morning at The Old Bailey at a plea hearing for two flashing offences he allegedly committed prior to this. Couzens was not actually asked to enter a plea however, amid ongoing industrial action by barristers, so we don't know yet know whether these charges will lead to a trial. We explore the subject of so-called ‘indicator’ offences, those low-level offences which could lead to more serious crimes. Emma is joined by Zoe Billingham, Former Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary who was responsible for inspecting 15 police forces & Kieran McCartan - Professor of Criminology at the University of the West of England.

We speak to Sam and Alena Cox, a married couple of artists whose Kent home is attracting a lot of attention. Sam is an artist known for his doodles and he has gone everywhere in his home with his paintbrush and spray can. It's black and white all over - from the external walls to the toilet lid and even Alena’s tutu.

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