Mia McKenna-Bruce, Teens and misinformation, Older women and publishing

Jan 13, 2026

Guest

Lesley Kara

Award-winning actor Mia McKenna-Bruce shares her experiences portraying Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent in the Netflix series Seven Dials, discussing the importance of confidence and motherhood in her career. Nawal Al-Maghafi delves into her investigative work on Russia's recruitment of foreign fighters, revealing the exploitation and false promises faced by vulnerable recruits. Lesley Kara highlights the underrepresentation of older women in publishing, advocating for richer and diverse narratives. This lively discussion covers critical themes of creativity, media literacy, and representation.

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INSIGHT

Conspiracies Lead To Conspiracy Clusters

Conspiracy theories cluster: one fringe interest can algorithmically lead teens into many others.
Teachers don't need to know every theory but need an approach to examine suspect claims.

ADVICE

Equip Teachers With Systemic Training

Train teachers in psychology, technology and handling sensitive conversations rather than expecting expertise ad hoc.
Embed media literacy across the curriculum, not only in PSHE.

ANECDOTE

Snack Basket On Set

Helena Bonham Carter kept a wicker snack basket on set and taught Mia to use it for energy during long shoots.
Mia applied the trick to maintain stamina while performing physically demanding scenes.

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Miss Marple and Poirot have been household names for decades but now one of Agatha Christie’s lesser-known sleuths – Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - is finally getting her time in the spotlight. The fearless young amateur detective is the focus of new Netflix mystery series Seven Dials. Mia McKenna-Bruce is the award-winning actor bringing ‘Bundle’ to the screen, alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman, and Mia joins presenter Nuala McGovern live in the studio.

How do you spot misinformation online? BBC Bitesize has launched a new series for schools tackling the problem, after new research with more than 400 teachers highlighted their growing concern about teenagers’ relationship with online content. It shows most teachers believe critical thinking is now the most essential skill for young people, yet only a third feel able to teach it. Nuala is joined by psychologist Dr Martha Deros Collado and Pip Sanderson from the Center for Digital Information Literacy in Schools to discuss the issue and how to approach talking to teenagers about it.

A new BBC investigation has been examining one of Russia's most covert war operations: the recruitment of foreign nationals as frontline soldiers for its invasion of Ukraine. A central figure of the documentary is a woman called Polina Alex-an-drovna Azarnykh. She's a former teacher turned recruiter who is now accused of misleading economically vulnerable men across the world into joining Russia's military. BBC documentary Into the Void: Putin’s Foreign Fighters follows Senior International Investigations Correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi as she exposes this shadowy system and the human cost behind it. She joins Nuala to discuss the story.

Publishing "isn't taking the power of older women seriously" according to author Lesley Kara, in an article for industry bible The Bookseller. Lesley wrote about the number of older female authors, why there aren't enough books about middle-aged and older women and why she thinks the protrayals that do exist are often cliched. She joins Nuala along with book critic and journalist Alex Clark.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths