Woman's Hour

Today sees the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s much anticipated Netflix series. To discuss Krupa is joined by Catherine Mayer, author of Charles: The Heart of a King and co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party, and the former Royal photographer Jayne Fincher who was the only woman in the press pack with Princess Diana. Yesterday on the programme, we spoke to actor Kate Winslet about her new drama I am Ruth on Channel 4. During that interview, Kate told Emma about a donation she made to pay a soaring energy bill for a child’s life support after being moved by the family’s story. Freya, who is 13, has severe cerebral palsy and relies on receiving oxygen for chronic breathing problems. Freya’s mother, Carolynne Hunter, joins us today.At least nine children across the UK are said to have died recently from complications caused by the Strep A infection. So just how concerned should parents be, and what, if anything, can parents do to protect their children? Professor Devi Sridhar, Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, joins Krupa.Sara Collins won the Costa First Novel Prize in 2019 for The Confessions of Frannie Langton, a gothic thriller about a Jamaican maid in 1820’s London. Sara has now adapted her book for television and the four part series is available on the streaming service ITVX from today. Sara joins Krupa in studio.How do you convince your adult children to spend Christmas with you? We hear from Sue Elliot Nicholls who says she’s already preparing for the fact that her son’s will choose their girlfriends family over her and from relationship psychologist Emma Kenny.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Emma Pearce

Oscar winning actor Kate Winslet stars alongside her real life daughter Mia Threapleton in Channel 4’s female led drama series ‘I am..’. The feature length episode tells the story of Ruth, a mother, who becomes concerned for her teenage daughter’s welfare, after she witnesses her retreating more and more into herself. Freya has become consumed by the pressures of social media and is suffering a mental health crisis. The story was developed and co-authored by Kate and Dominic Savage. Kate talks to Emma about the issues examined in the film and working with her daughter. This year the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures will be given by Professor Dame Sue Black; one of the world’s leading forensic investigators. She is currently the President of St Johns College Oxford, but her previous achievements include heading the British Forensic Team in Kosovo, identifying victims from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and convicting Scotland’s largest paedophile ring. In the lectures she will share the real-life scientific detective process that she uses to identify both the dead and the living. She tells Emma Barnett how she will be separating crime fiction from fact using examples from her own casebook.Conservative MP Chloe Smith is one of a number of parliamentarians who have already announced they won’t be standing at the next General Election in two years time. Aged only 40 she has served in a range of ministerial positions including her last post when she made it to the cabinet as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions albeit for only seven weeks during Liz Truss’s brief tenure as Prime Minister. What have been her main achievements? and what does she plan to do with her life after leaving the commons?The work of the British artist, the late Beryl Cook, has been given a new lease of life in a gallery in New York. The exhibition, entitled, Beryl Cook Takes New York, is the first ever exhibition of her work abroad. Cook's colourful pictures documented ordinary people in their every day surroundings and she was known for her robust women and men, all seemingly having a fantastic time. Celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg and Yoko Ono own her work. Emma speaks to Beryl’s daughter in law, Teresa Cook and Rachel Campbell-Johnston about her enduring appeal.

The story is that of June and Jennifer Gibbons who grew up in Wales in the 1970s. For years, the two would only speak to each other earning them the name ‘the silent twins’. At 19, they were institutionalised at Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital indefinitely. They remained there for 11 years. In 1993, they were moved to a less restrictive clinic in Wales. However Jennifer died during transit. The cause of her death has never been fully determined but has been suggested it was part of their pact as twins. Their story has been largely forgotten or left to folklore. It is now being brought to light in a new biographical film that comes out this Friday, called The Silent Twins. We speak to the award-winning actors, Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance, who star as the silent twins. We also hear from Marjorie Wallace, former investigative journalist and founder of mental health charity, SANE, whose book inspired the film.‘Mummy Brain’ is the term given to feelings of brain fog or memory loss that women experience during and post pregnancy. Despite the fact that 80% of pregnant women will experience this, very little is known about the specific causes. What we do know is that women’s brains change more during pregnancy than at any other time during adulthood. Dr Jodi Pawluski has been researching the topic for over 20 years and has personally experienced ‘mummy brain’ herself. She tells Emma what we currently know about the impact pregnancy and parenthood has on women’s brains - and what more we still are yet to find out.How much should you tell your children about your past? In the new film ‘Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men’, a woman details every relationship she has been in, in the hope that her daughter won't make the same mistakes. The film is backed by Refuge - the charity supporting survivors of domestic violence. It's made by 21 female directors across 23 short films. Then Lorien Haynes, who wrote the script and acted in the films, made one full length movie feature from the short films. All proceeds from the movie will go to Refuge. Emma speaks to Lorien about why she wanted to do this project.In one of his first big tests as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has had to water down housing targets for local councils - faced by a rebellion from his own backbenchers. The former Northern Ireland and DEFRA minister Theresa Villers led the charge alongside fellow Conservative MP Bob Seeley. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has now offered councils more flexibility over meeting the government-set targets. The 60 rebels had argued they are excessive and undermine local councils. Emma talks to Kitty Donaldson, UK Political Editor at Bloomberg News and to Rosie Pearson, who has been branded by some as the 'Queen of NIMBYs', due to her campaigning on this issue.

We talk to the journalist Hadley Freeman about why she resigned as a columnist at The Guardian newspaper after 22 years in the job. She has accused the publication of “censoring” discussion about gender identity and says she was discouraged from writing about antisemitism. Emma Barnett speaks to Hadley about her concerns and plans for the future. We speak to the parents of Toni Crews, a young mother who died from a rare form of eye cancer back in 2020. Her parents Jo and Jason Crews talk to Woman’s Hour about her life and her decision to waive her anonymity and donate her body to medical science, she is first person in the UK to have done this. Also talking about this ground breaking moment for medical science is Professor Claire Smith who led the team behind the dissection which is shown as part of a documentary that goes out tonight. It's Radio 4’s Christmas Appeal Week. For 96 years, BBC Radio and St Martin-in-the-Fields have been in partnership to raise funds for people who are homeless and urgently need support around the UK. In the last two years, the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal has raised over £9 million for St Martin-in-the-Fields and The Connection at St Martin's benefits from these funds, which help run their resource centre in central London, providing shelter, food, help and advice. This year, the Women’s Development Unit at The Connection has created the first ever census of women who were sleeping rough across London. I’m joined by Eleanor Greenhalgh, the Manager of the Women’s Development Unit & Pam Orchard, CEO of The Connection at St Martins who can share their data exclusively with Woman’s Hour. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Rachael Watts was seven years old when Russell Bishop abducted, attacked and sexually assaulted her in 1990. It is a crime that should never have happened, as back in 1987, Russell Bishop had been charged with the murders of two nine-year-olds, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. But police were unable to secure a conviction when a series of prosecution blunders meant evidence and testimonies failed to stand up in court. Bishop was able to walk free and three years later he abducted and attacked Rachael. Miraculously she survived and it was her testimony which finally meant Bishop was convicted and put behind bars, despite him protesting his innocence. Dr Rosemary Coogan has been selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency, becoming the first British woman to join their astronaut corps. She joins us in her first in-depth BBC interview to discuss the tough selection process, upcoming training and hopes for her first mission.A cross-party coalition has launched a campaign to abolish the 11 plus entry exams. One of the members of the campaign is Jackie Malton, known for her success in the Met Police, and for being the real-life inspiration for the character DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Despite getting two masters degrees and a doctorate, she still feels ashamed about failing her 11 plus.600,000 people in the UK are actively seeking part-time jobs, most of them women – but just twelve percent of jobs advertised in the UK currently offer part-time hours. We discuss with co-founder of Timewise, Emma Stewart MBE, and working mum Shaline Manhertz.Why is social media obsessed with nurseries and toys in neutral, muted colours? We speak to Hayley DeRoche who coined the term ‘sad beige clothes for sad beige children’, and journalist Martha Alexander.

Anoushka Shankar is a respected sitarist and composer who has just received two Grammy nominations for her new live album Between Us. She joins Anita to talk about the her new song, In Her Name, in memory of the young girl from Delhi, referred to as Nirbhaya, who 10 years ago was gang raped on a bus and was subjected to an attack so badly that she died from her injuries. The incident sent shockwaves across the world and led to the introduction of new anti-rape laws in India.An estimated half of all women will suffer from a urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime – so why has testing been such an inexact science until now? Some patients have their infections missed entirely, or, on the flipside, they receive unnecessary or incorrect antibiotics which may leave them host to an antibiotic resistant strain. But a new test could be about to change that. Dr Emma Hayhurst is part of a team of scientists developing a new test for UTIs that could provide a diagnosis in just 40 minutes. She joins Anita, along with Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who last year executive produced a documentary film on the experience of living with a chronic UTI. Why is social media obsessed with nurseries and toys in neutral, muted colours? Anita speaks to the writer and librarian Hayley DeRoche, who coined the term ‘sad beige clothes for sad beige children’. She tells us about her viral videos which skewer the beige aesthetic. And journalist Martha Alexander explains why she has resigned herself to a life of multicolour with her daughter.Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley

Rachael Watts has spent her life hiding a secret. Now 40, she was seven years old when Russell Bishop - known as the Babes in the Wood murderer - abducted, attacked and sexually assaulted her in 1990. It is a crime that should never have happened, as back in 1987, Russell Bishop had been charged with the murders of two nine-year-olds, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. But police were unable to secure a conviction when a series of prosecution blunders meant evidence and testimonies failed to stand up in court. Bishop was able to walk free and three years later he abducted and attacked Rachael, leaving her for dead. Miraculously she survived and it was her testimony which finally meant Bishop was convicted and put behind bars, despite him protesting his innocence. However, in 2018, forensic scientists presented new DNA evidence and Bishop received two life sentences for the murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. Ever since her attack, Rachael’s family have fought to protect her privacy, hoping she could lead as normal life as possible. Rachael has never done a broadcast interview about what happened to her. But since Russell Bishop’s death in January this year, she decided she wanted to tell her story.Danielle de Niese has been hailed as 'opera’s coolest soprano' by New York Times Magazine. She has starred in the West End musical 'Man Of La Mancha' alongside Kelsey Grammar, hosted at the BBC Proms, performed on stage with LL Cool J, and sung in a Ridley Scott movie. She is now taking over the theatres in London in the build up to Christmas. She joins Emma to discuss her recent performance at the Royal Opera House in La Boheme, current role as the angel Clara in the new opera It’s A Wonderful Life at the ENO, and to perform a sneak preview from the forthcoming immersive experience of Handel’s Messiah.'Where are you really from?' It's a question the black British charity boss Ngozi Fulani was asked repeatedly at an event earlier this week at Buckingham Palace, she's told the BBC the experience was 'abuse'. Lady Hussey has resigned since the incident. The Palace described the remarks as 'unacceptable and deeply regrettable'. A spokesperson for Prince William said 'racism has no place in our society'. We hear from Ngozi and Emma speaks to Professor Nicola Rollick, author of The Racial Code.

Dr Rosemary Coogan has been selected as a career astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA), becoming the first British woman to join their astronaut corps. She joins Emma in her first in-depth BBC interview to discuss the tough selection process, upcoming training and hopes for her first mission.On Monday’s Woman’s Hour, we heard from the American TV show host Ricki Lake who has produced a new documentary The Business of Birth Control. The programme looks at the side effects of the hormonal contraceptive pill and it’s relationship with women’s liberty. Today Emma Barnett is joined by Dr Helen Munro, the Vice-President of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.A cross-party coalition is launching a campaign to abolish the 11 plus entry exams. One of the members of the campaign is Jackie Malton, known for her success in the Metropolitan Police, and for being the real-life inspiration for the character DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Despite getting two masters degrees and a doctorate, she still feels ashamed about failing her 11 plus exam. Jackie joins Emma Barnett.We hear the first major speech from Camilla, Queen Consort, as she hosts a reception on violence against women and girls.A listener we are calling Christina contacted us after she heard a recent documentary on Radio 4 about benzodiazepines or Street Valium. Christina recognised what she heard. Her daughter, who we are calling Beatrice, became addicted to Xanax after taking it to deal with the extreme anxiety she experienced after the coronavirus lockdown. Beatrice has given us permission for her story to be told. Christina joins Emma Barnett to discuss her experiences.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce(photo credit: ESA - P. Sebirot)

Today is day two of an international conference held here in the UK to prevent sexual violence in conflict and Emma Barnett will be talking to Lord Ahmad, who’s the Prime Minister’s special Envoy on this issue. It’s ten years since the conference began and Woman’s Hour will be looking at what progress has been made to date as well as hearing the testimony of Lejla Damon who was born after her mother was raped in the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s. Adopted by a British couple, she is now a campaigner raising awareness about rape as a weapon of war and the fallout for victims. 600,000 people in the UK are actively seeking jobs with part-time hours, most of them women – but just twelve percent of jobs advertised in the UK currently offer part-time hours. Those that do are mostly for low paid jobs. That’s according to new research from social enterprise & flexible working experts Timewise. Emma will be speaking to the co-founder of Timewise, Emma Stewart MBE about the impact this is having on both living standards and businesses as well as hearing from one highly successful working mum who’s desperate for more part time work whilst recovering from bone cancer, but has found it impossible to find anything that reflects her impressive skillset. Sisters Sophie and Scarlett Rickard have brought the suffragette story to life in a new graphic novel called No Surrender. Based on the 1911 novel by the real life suffragette Constance Maud, they hope to make it accessible to a modern audience in a time when protest, and modes of protest, are being debated more than ever in the UK. They tell Emma about their creative process, being women in the world of comics, and living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Ricki Lake is widely known for her American talk show in the '90s and early 2000s. She's an actor and a producer as well as an independent filmmaker. Emma talks to her about her role as Executive Producer, on a new documentary "The Business of Birth Control" which looks at the complex relationship between hormonal birth control and women's health and liberation. The head of the Royal Navy has defended the way the service handles allegations of rape and sexual abuse. Admiral Sir Ben Key says the Navy had changed how it investigates complaints. His defence follows a very memorable interview earlier this month with a woman we called 'Catherine' . She called for the complaints process to be made independent of the Royal Navy. He gave his response on yesterday's Broadcasting House. Over the weekend we learned that Camilla, the Queen Consort, has created a squad of her own. Rather than opting for ladies-in-waiting, she will instead be helped by "Queen's companions". Camilla has picked six of her closest friends and their role will include helping her at public events. We hear from journalist Claire Cohen, author of 'BFF? The Truth about Female Friendship.' Extraordinary protests in China grew over the weekend as people in cities across the country demonstrate their frustration at President Xi Jinping’s zero-covid approach, with some people calling for him to resign. Noticeable among these protestors are the numbers of young women, being called the ‘prominent voices’ of the action. Yuan Ren is a Chinese journalist and former editor of Time Out Beijing, and Isabel Hilton is the founder of China Dialogue, a non-profit independent organisation that works to promote an understanding of China's challenges,. Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell