Long-term relationships and why they fail, football and politics, Brain of Britain, Susan Seidelman

Some may say that football and politics don't go together but anyone watching yesterday's matches might think otherwise. The Iranian team declined to sing their anthem & Wales fans showed their support for LGBTQ+ rights last night by wearing rainbow bucket hats. So how useful are these shows of solidarity? Laura McAllister, the ex-Wales footballer & Beth Fisher, freelance sports reporter & ambassador for the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall discuss. Why is it that we so often struggle or fail in long term relationships? We’re not talking about major marriage infractions such as infidelity, domestic abuse or gambling away the family’s savings. We’re talking instead about unremarkable everyday behaviours that help to end a marriage. Guests are Joanna Harrison, author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have and why the washing up matters and Matthew Fray, author of This is how your marriage ends: A hopeful approach to saving relationships. Yesterday Radio 4’s Brain of Britain saw its first ever all-women final. 2022 champion Sarah Trevarthen joins Emma Barnett to discuss her victory, as well as her experiences undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer while taking part in the show. Becky Howell, the co-founder of feminist quiz zine Quizogyny, also joins us to talk about the rise of women in quizzing. Susan Seidelman is an American film director, whose ground-breaking feature film Desperately Seeking Susan is considered one of the 100 greatest films directed by a woman. Susan joins Emma to discuss why the film is still relevant today, how she witnessed Madonna’s rise to success and her long career as a female director.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore Studio Manager: Tim Heffer