The Crown, Diana and a New Generation

The fourth series of The Crown currently airing on Netflix lays bare the ups and downs of the royal marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer . The drama has introduced a new generation to the Princess, her depression and struggles with the eating disorder bulimia. Jane Garvey talks to the veteran royal watcher Jennie Bond and also to Ali Pantony from Glamour magazine who has herself suffered from bulimia and who says the issues faced by Diana three decades ago have resonated strongly with young people today.

Next week the government begins a scheme to get more than a million university students back home safely to their families in time for Christmas. This includes on-campus mass testing using self test kits which give results in 30 minutes, cutting out the need to use a laboratory . Jane Garvey talks to the Universities Minister Michelle Donelan about this and other issues-from the rise in students experiencing mental health problems to the challenges of online tuition.

How does it feel to reach the age your Mum was when she died? In a new series we talk to four women who feel a clock ticking. Their stories are all different but they have one thing in common – none of them have felt able to talk about this before. They didn’t want to worry their loved ones or vocalise these dark thoughts. They describe their fears as well as the joy of ordinary life and the freedom that comes from realising that you are not your mother. First, we’ll be hearing from Rachel whose Mum died shortly after turning 40.

‘The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside’ is the debut novel of Jessica Ryn. Published yesterday, Jessica, having only recently finished her MA in Creative Writing, joins Jane to talk about the inspiration for her setting her first book in a hostel for the homeless in Dover.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Jennie Bond Interviewed Guest: Ali Pantony Interviewed Guest: Michelle Donelan Interviewed Guest: Jessica Ryn