Woman's Hour

Research by the charity Stamma shows that 8% of children will start stuttering at some point. Our listener Geri, a mother who’s son has a stammer, got in touch with Woman’s Hour and asked us to discuss the topic. Kirsten Howells from Stamma, Tiktok influencer Jessie Yendle and Geri join Claire McDonnell to share their own experiences and advice. Actor Emily Blunt found fame as the scene-stealing assistant in The Devil Wears Prada, and has since starred in many films including Mary Poppins Returns and A Quiet Place with her real-life husband John Krasinski. She is also in one of this year’s biggest cinematic hits, Oppenheimer. As Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster about the father of the atomic bomb is released on ultra-HD DVD and Blu-ray, Emily Blunt talks to Clare McDonnell about her role as Kitty Oppenheimer, Robert’s wife. How do you keep long-distance friendships going? Clare talks to filmmaker Shannon Haly, who lives in New York and wrote a viral poem about missing her best friend. They are joined by the journalist Rose Stokes who, after having an 18-year long-distance friendship decided to move to live in the same city as her friend. What do women look for in a bra after breast cancer surgery? Clare is joined by Katy Marks, an architect by trade, who discovered after her single mastectomy that there was no bra on the market that was flat on one side. She didn’t want to use a prosthetic and so designed her own, called Uno, which launched on Monday. She’ll be joined on the programme by Asmaa Al-allak who won this year’s Great British Sewing Bee and is a consultant breast surgeon who has made post-surgery lingerie for her patients. Today marks 100 years since the birth of one of opera’s most renowned and influential singers of the 20th century: the iconic heroine, Maria Callas. But what is it about her talent that has transcended the decades? Two sopranos – Alison Langer and Nadine Benjamin – join Anita to describe Maria Callas’ enduring star quality. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Emily Blunt on her role in Oppenheimer, the actor’s strike and stammering.

In Adura Onashile’s debut film, Girl, mother Grace and daughter Ama have recently arrived in Glasgow and have created a beautiful cocoon for themselves in a council block apartment. But Grace carries deep trauma from her past, and she finds it exceptionally difficult to watch her daughter go out into the world alone. Director Adura Onashile tells Anita why she emphasised the beauty of urban poverty, and how she drew on her relationship with her own mother. Gwyneth Paltrow shared a photo on Instagram holdings hands with her ex-husband Chris Martin's current partner, Dakota Johnson.. But we ask, could you be friends with your ex's new partner? Alexandra Jones, a journalist who wrote a feature for Vogue about why she feels great about having a friendship with her ex’s now wife. Tomorrow marks one hundred years since the birth of one Opera’s most renowned and influential singers of the 20th century: the iconic heroine, Maria Callas. But what is it about her talent that has transcended the decades? Two sopranos – Alison Langer and Nadine Benjamin – join Anita to describe Maria Callas’ enduring star quality. Going shopping after a loved one has died can be a sharp reminder of your loss. Carmel Bones, who recently lost the main three men in her life now finds it hard to go into men’s department stores. Anita speaks to Carmel about her plan to tackle her grief and psychotherapist Julia Samuel gives her advice. Next Sunday, December 3, the annual Radio 4 Christmas Appeal is taking place. Money raised by the Appeal will go to people experiencing homelessness, as well as to support frontline workers and to fund organisations working to end and prevent homelessness. West Mercia Women’s Aid are one of the charities who receive donations to assist some of the women that come to them for help. Anita speaks to Chief Executive, Sue Coleman to find out how important this funding is and why they are focussed on older women vulnerable to domestic abuse. Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley

Director Adura Onashile on the jewel colours and lush score of her debut film, Girl.

Actor Emily Blunt found fame as the scene-stealing assistant in The Devil Wears Prada, and has since starred in many films including Mary Poppins Returns and A Quiet Place with her real-life husband John Krasinski. She is also in one of this year’s biggest cinematic hits, Oppenheimer. As Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster about the father of the atomic bomb is released on ultra-HD DVD and Blu-ray, Emily Blunt talks to Clare McDonnell about her role as Kitty Oppenheimer, Robert’s wife. The price of baby formula has been making the headlines this week. The main brands have been pulled up by the Government’s Competition and Markets Authority for their high pricing. In fact, their research shows that the retail price is a lot higher than the costs to make the product. Joining Clare to discuss the high prices is Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA and Kirsty Jackson, the founder of High Peak Baby Bank, a donation service for families in need up in the Staffordshire area. How common is it for a long relationship to end with a short marriage? What is it about formalising a union, or having a wedding that can be the catalyst for a split? And what are the legal pitfalls that couples might want to avoid? Clare is joined by Eve Simmons, US Health and Wellness Editor for the Daily Mail and Laura Naser, a partner in family law. As Ireland's first female state pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy helped to solve murders and clarify unexplained deaths for over 15 years. She tells Clare what drew her to this career, how she deals with the emotionally taxing nature of the job and why she's now turned to writing with her debut novel 'Body of Truth'. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Duncan Hannant and Neva Missirian

Emily Blunt speaks to Clare McDonnell about Oppenheimer and the actors' strike.

Last year's landmark Whyte Review into gymnastics detailed 'systemic issues' of physical and emotional abuse between 2008 and 2020. Today, British Gymnastics has for the first time introduced safeguarding policies relating to weighing, hydration and academic education, which they say are designed to better protect the welfare of gymnasts, but do they go far enough? Clare speaks to David Hart, performance director for British Gymnastics, Karen Whelan, gymnastics coach and mother of two-time British Olympian Hannah Whelan, and Eloise Jotischky, former elite gymnast and trustee and the youth voice on the Gymnasts for Change board and the first (and currently only) person to win a civil case against British Gymnastics for the abuse she experienced in the sport. The actor Myha'la joins Clare to discuss her latest project starring alongside Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali in the film Leave the World Behind. It's an apocalyptic thriller which sees Julia Roberts's character Amanda rent a luxury house in the countryside with her family. They're disturbed by Ruth, played by Myha'la, and her father who claim they own the house and need a place to stay following a mysterious cyber attack. Team GB hockey player Tess Howard campaigned for women to be able to choose whether they play in shorts or the traditional skort for their matches, resulting in official changes to the sport’s kit regulations. She’s been awarded Changemaker of the Year at the Sunday Times Sportswomen awards for her work. How do you keep long-distance friendships going? Clare talks to film maker Shannon Haly, who lives in New York and wrote a viral poem about missing her best friend. They are joined by the journalist Rose Stokes who, after having an 18-year long-distance friendship decided to move to live in the same city as her friend. It's long been claimed that in prehistoric times, women were gatherers while men were hunters. However, new research debunks this narrative and suggests that women were actually superior to men when it comes to hunting. Clare spoke to Dr Annamieke Milks, a palaeolithic archaeologist from the University of Reading who is an expert in hunting and weapons. Presenter Clare McDonnell Producer: Dianne McGregor

New safeguarding rules to better protect the welfare of gymnasts - do they go far enough?

Research by the charity Stamma shows that 8% of children will start stuttering at some point. Our listener Geri, a mother who’s son has a stammer, got in touch with Woman’s Hour and asked us to discuss the topic. Kirsten Howells from Stamma, Tiktokker Jessie Yendle and Geri join Claire McDonnell to share their own experiences and advice. In 2013 Benita Alexander was working as a producer at NBC in New York. Tasked with putting a documentary together on renowned Swiss surgeon Dr Paolo Macchiarini, the pair soon grew close and started dating. However, not was all what it seemed with both their relationship and the success of his surgical invention. Benita joins Claire McDonnell to tell her story, as featured in the new Netflix documentary, Bad Surgeon: Love Under The Knife? The UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission is being investigated by the UN over its position on “biological sex” and the provision of single-sex spaces. We talk to EHRC Chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner. Kamila Hryshchenko is one of the highest chess ranked players in England however until very recently she represented a different nation. Kamila and her mother were forced to flee their home nation of Ukraine during the outbreak of war in 2022 and it was chess that proved instrumental to securing Kamila and her mother’s safety. Kamila has chosen to now play for England and she joins Clare McDonnell. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Emma Pearce

A listener asks: How best to parent a child with a stammer?

Award-winning actor Dame Harriet Walter is back on stage at the National Theatre in Federico Lorca’s newly-adapted The House of Bernada Alba. After a break of seven years playing assorted television roles including ‘difficult’ mothers in Succession and Ted Lasso, she’s back treading the boards and once again playing a formidable matriarch. She joins Clare McDonnell in the studio to talk about her career so far, as well as her newest role. As of today, police in Northern Ireland can now charge people with upskirting, downblousing and cyber-flashing. At the same time, British Transport Police are encouraging women to lower their tolerance for sexual harassment during their commute and report minor offenders more often. So is recognition of so-called 'minor' sexual offences improving? Clare speaks to Naomi Long, Leader of the Alliance Party and former Northern Ireland Justice Minister, and to women's rights activist Zan Moon. What do women look for in a bra after breast cancer surgery? Clare is joined by Katy Marks, an architect by trade, who discovered after her single mastectomy that there was no bra on the market that was flat on one side. She didn’t want to use a prosthetic and so designed her own, called Uno, which launches today. She’ll be joined on the programme by Asmaa Al-allak who won this year’s Great British Sewing Bee and is a consultant breast surgeon who has made post-surgery lingerie for her patients. Runner Eilish McColgan follows in the footsteps of her mother Liz McColgan in the pursuit of sporting greatness. Now she’s made a documentary telling their story, looking at their relationship and charting the times Eilish has broken her mother’s records – all except the marathon. Eilish joins Clare to talk about making the documentary, as well as the pressures and benefits of following in the family business.

Award-winning actor Dame Harriet Walter on playing horrible mothers.

For more than two decades, Sharon Osbourne has been a regular feature on our screens. She came to prominence while appearing with her husband Ozzy on The Osbournes - a reality television show on MTV, which followed the family's daily life. She later became a talent show judge on television programmes such as the X Factor and America's Got Talent. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her forthcoming theatre show - Sharon Osbourne - Cut The Crap! Actor Jodie Whittaker joins Woman’s Hour to talk about her role in a new Australian six part drama called One Night. Shot in New South Wales the story unfolds around three women from a coastal community whose reunion after many years apart is intensified by the publishing of a novel based on their lives. She joins Emma to discuss some of her other hard hitting roles post Doctor Who. Amanda Spielman is coming to the end of an unprecedented seven year tenure at the helm of Ofsted. This year the organisation has come under intense scrutiny over its inspection regime and in particular the use of single-phrase judgments of schools, and the potential mental health impacts of those on school leaders and teachers. During the week Ofsted’s annual report is released, Amanda Spielman joins Emma for her only BBC interview. Another Body is an award-winning documentary which follows US engineering student, 'Taylor', in her search for answers and justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online. Ahead of its release in the UK, one of the documentary's directors, Sophie Compton joins Emma to discuss why she decided to make this documentary, what she found and why she used deepfake technology herself to anonymise the identities of the protagonists. Coaching for sonographers, the professionals carrying out the scans, on how to deliver unexpected and potentially devastating pregnancy news has been successfully tested in new research from the University of Leeds. Emma speaks to the lead researcher, Dr Judith Johnson, and also Karen, who says she was left with PTSD after receiving unexpected news about the health of her baby during a scan.

For more than two decades, Sharon Osbourne has been a regular feature on our screens. She came to prominence while appearing with her husband Ozzy on The Osbournes - a reality television show on MTV, which followed the family's daily life. She later became a talent show judge on television programmes such as the X Factor and America's Got Talent. She joins Anita Rani to discuss her forthcoming theatre show - Sharon Osbourne - Cut The Crap! - in which she promises to reveal all about some of the hardest years of her eventful life. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is warning of a growing mental health crisis amongst nursing staff, as its membership support line data shows a substantial increase in the number of nursing staff seeking help for having suicidal thoughts. We hear from Hannah Cadogan - a nurse currently working in the NHS - and Stephen Jones, the Lead for Mental Health at the RCN to unpick what lies behind this increase. Dr Shani Dhanda is a disability inclusion & accessibility specialist, social entrepreneur and broadcaster. This month she was named the UK’s most influential disabled person by the Shaw Trust as part of the Disability Power 100 nominated by the public and judged by an independent panel. Shani is also an Ambassador for disability charity Scope. The Autumn Statement was controversial in its announcements affecting sick and disabled people, with the Government claiming their changes would support more people into work and campaigners and some professionals saying they could make the situation worse. Shani joins us to give her take, but also to discuss her life. Women composers for the film, TV and gaming industries are rare; this month a report, Female Professionals in European Film Production 2023 revealed only 10% of European film composers are women; and in this year’s GameSoundCon Game Audio Industry Survey, women game composers and sound designers made up only 15% of the talent. Anita discusses what can be done to reduce the gender gap in the media music industry with the composers Hannah Peel and Bishi. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Actor Jodie Whittaker joins Woman’s Hour to talk about her role in a new Australian six part drama called One Night. Shot in New South Wales the story unfolds around three women from a coastal community whose reunion after many years apart is intensified by the publishing of a novel based on their lives. The central theme being the rape of Jodie’s character Tess twenty years previously and the impact its had on all their lives. Emma Barnett will be asking her about some of her other hard hitting roles post Doctor Who. Amanda Spielman is coming to the end of an unprecedented seven year tenure at the helm of Ofsted. This year the organisation has come under intense scrutiny over its inspection regime and in particular the use of single-phrase judgments of schools, and the potential mental health impacts of those on school leaders and teachers, with many in the profession arguing that the current system is now unfit for purpose, and requires a complete overhaul. On the day Ofsted’s annual report is released, Amanda Spielman joins Emma Barnett for her only BBC interview. The politician Margot Wallström introduced the concept of a feminist foreign policy to the world in 2014 when she became foreign secretary of Sweden. During her tenure she publicly recognised the state of Palestine, endorsed a United Nations ban on nuclear weapons and made no secret of her dislike for President Trump. Since then more than a dozen governments have announced their commitment to a feminist foreign policy, but what does it actually mean? Emma Barnett talks to Margot Wallström and to the German activist and author Kristina Lunz who has just written the Future of Foreign Policy is Feminist Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Emma Pearce

Another Body is an award-winning documentary which follows US engineering student, Taylor, in her search for answers and justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online. Ahead of its release in the UK, one of the documentary's directors, Sophie Compton joins Emma to discuss why she decided to make this documentary, what she found and why she used deepfake technology herself to anonymise the identities of the protagonists. The Covid-19 inquiry continues with key scientists sharing their insights into the pandemic response. Someone who has already given their testimony is Professor Yvonne Doyle. Professor Doyle was the former Medical Director and Director of Health Protection for the now defunct Public Health England. She speaks to Emma about the role of PHE in the pandemic response, her experience as a senior woman in government at the time and lessons we can learn from the pandemic. Israel has agreed to a four day pause in its retalitory bombardment of Gaza for the first time since the attacks, masssacring and kidnapping of Israelis by Hamas on October 7th. Hamas has agreed a deal to release 50 of the more than 200 hostages being held in Gaza. It is understood these will be women and children. Emma discusses the news with Yolande Nell, the BBC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem and Martin Richards, hostage and crisis negotiator and kidnap response consutlant. The pianist Chloe Flower came to the public’s attention after a show-stopping performance with rap queen Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards. She has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music from Celine Dion to American rappers such as: Meek Mill, Lil Baby, 2Chainz and Nas. Recently Chloe received an award from Gloria Steinem at the Asia Society’s Last Girl Awards for her efforts in the fight against human trafficking. She joins Emma to talk about her “popsical” musical style, which infuses classical music with contemporary pop, and to perform live from her ‘Chloe Hearts Christmas’ album. Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques and Joan Sims were some of the iconic women who starred in the Carry On films from the late 1950s onwards. From Carry on Camping to Carry on Up the Khyber, the humour relied largely on innuendo, double entendre and slapstick comedy, with the women viewed as objects for male desire. But were they really sexist? Emma Barnett speaks to Gemma Ross, co-author of The Carry On Girls, who argues it was the women who came out on top and were more sexually confident than the men, as well as actor Anita Harris who was in Carry On Doctor. The experiences of staff in the NHS are the subject of a report out today which has found that female NHS workers face an ‘embedded culture of misogyny.’ The campaign group Surviving in Scrubs has gathered testimony of 150 staff members through their website that launched last year and finds "systemic and institutional sexual violence" with experiences ranging from sexism to rape in the workplace. Emma is joined by Dr Chelcie Jewitt, a specialist trainee in emergency medicine at Merseyside hospitals and co-founder of Surviving in Scrubs, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, former President of the Royal College of Physicians. The podcast series Intrigue - Million Dollar Lover looks at love in later life and the question of inheritance when someone with adult children finds a new partner. Sue Mitchell follows the unlikely love story of Carolyn, who is 80 and has properties worth a few million dollars, and Dave, 57, a former drug addict who is homeless and has spent a decade in jail. Sue joins Emma ahead of the series release on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Coaching for sonographers, the professionals carrying out the scans, on how to deliver unexpected and potentially devastating pregnancy news has been successfully tested in new research from the University of Leeds. We hear from the lead researcher, Dr Judith Johnson, and also from Karen, who says she was left with PTSD after receiving unexpected news about the health of her baby during a scan.

After being the latest celebrity contestant to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom, Angela Rippon tells Emma Barnett about forming a lifelong friendship with her 28-year-old dance partner Kai Waddington. At 79, she was the oldest competitor in the series and has wowed the judges and the audience with her flexible dance moves. Sam Fraser started working as a standby weather presenter for BBC South in 2012. When a fan club for her bottom surfaced online and she became a topic on the YouTube channel, Babes of Britain, she soon realised her public reception was not on par with her male counterparts. She turned to stand-up comedy as an outlet – and compiled the experiences of women in her job to produce an Edinburgh Fringe Show, as well as Scorchio! The Story of the Weather Girl, which is on BBC Radio 4 this week. Yvette Greenway-Mansfield won a record settlement of at least £1 million from the NHS in September after her vaginal mesh implant following a hysterectomy caused traumatic complications. We hear her story and about her ongoing campaign on behalf of other sufferers. The legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s eldest daughter Jamie talks to Emma about her father and the new film about his life, Maestro, which is released this week. And Noam Sagi talks about waiting for news of his mother currently being held hostage in the Israeli-Gaza war. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes spoke publicly about her sexuality for the first time last year. Her new memoir, Unique, details how serving in the military in the late 1980s - when it was illegal to be gay in the military – was a major factor in contributing to her decades-long silence. She joins us to speak about her experience. After a reshuffle that left the government with no women in the “big four” offices of state, we speak to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk about the impact of the reshuffle as well as sentencing reforms which will affect women. From Nefertiti to Amy Winehouse, what is the personal and political power of eyeliner? We discuss with Zahra Hankir, author of Eyeliner: A Cultural History. Tish Murtha is a celebrated photographer whose images of working-class life in North East England can be found in the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain. But in her lifetime, Murtha struggled to find work of any kind. Now her daughter, Ella, has made a film about Murtha’s life and work. We speak to Ella and producer of the documentary, Jen Corcoran. How is our interaction with AI shifting our concepts of intimacy and sexuality as humans? We discuss with Kate Devlin, Reader in Artificial Intelligence & Society at King's College London, and to Trudy Barber, Senior Lecturer at Portsmouth University in Media Studies. In April 2020, Debenhams in Ireland closed all 11 of its stores, informing its staff they had been let go in the process. What ensued were pickets and protests across Ireland that lasted for 406 days. As a new film is released on the subject, we're joined by two women who were involved, Carol Ann Bridgeman and Jane Crowe.

Brave Girls is a new sitcom following a dysfunctional family made up of sisters Josie and Billie and their mum Deb. It’s a fictional show exploring trauma but it's a comedy in every sense of the word. Ahead of its release on BBC Three and iPlayer next Wednesday, Anita Rani is joined by Kat Sadler, who plays Josie, and by her real life AND fictional sister Lizzie Davidson, who plays Billie. Just over a year ago, on 28th October, 2022, we did a nursery and childcare special programme, looking at whether the system needs an overhaul. Early this year, the government announced plans to extend the government's existing offer of 30 hours free childcare to working parents of children aged 9-months to two-years-old in England. Beginning in April 2024, funding will be rolled out in stages. Prior to this, only working parents of three and four-year-olds were entitled to the free 30 hours. Now, new BBC News analysis estimates that demand for places at nurseries and childminders is likely to rise by about 15% - equivalent to more than 100,000 additional children in full-time care. Anita dicusses the issues with Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance. Tish Murtha is a celebrated photographer whose images of working-class life in North East England can be found in the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain. But in her lifetime, Murtha struggled to find work of any kind. Now her daughter, Ella, has made a film about Murtha’s life and work. Ella talks to Anita, along with Jen Corcoran, who produced the documentary. Are you an apple? A pear? An hourglass? Or even an inverted triangle? For years women have been told to dress for their shape. But our shape doesn’t stay the same over the course of our lifetime. So, how helpful are these shapes? Anita discusses with Anna Berkeley, stylist and founder of the body mapping app, Think Shape, who believes we should actually be more interested in our proportions, and Shakaila Forbes-Bell, Fashion Psychologist and author of Big Dress Energy. Presented by Anita Rani Producer: Louise Corley