The Life and Death Podcast

What happens when the worst thing happens, and you survive? In this funny, fearless and deeply human conversation, journalist and memoirist Leslie Gray Streeter joins host Stephen Rumford to talk about life after the sudden death of her husband Scott. Together they explore what grief really feels like, the messiness, the humour, the fury, and the pressure to be resilient. Leslie shares how widowho...

Dying isn’t just a medical event, it’s a deeply social one. In this powerful episode of The Life and Death Podcast, Professor Allan Kellehear, sociologist and founder of the Compassionate Communities movement, joins Stephen Rumford to explore how we can all play a part in supporting people at the end of life. From challenging our assumptions about what care means, to sharing stories of connection,...

How can a doula support people who are dying and those important to them?  Dr Emma Clare, chartered psychologist, end of life doula, and director of End of Life Doula UK, joins host Stephen Rumford to unpack the often misunderstood role of the doula. Unlike a healthcare professional, a doula offers emotional, practical and human support at the end of life, simply by being there, witnessing, and wa...

Artist, curator and writer Joanna Ebenstein joins host Stephen Rumford to explore the rich, sometimes eerie, but always fascinating ways we try to make sense of death. Joanna is the founder of the Morbid Anatomy project and author of Memento Mori, a beautiful collection of imagery showing how death has been depicted throughout history and across cultures. Her work invites us to consider what these...

When illustrator Gary Andrews’ wife, Joy, died suddenly from sepsis, everything changed in an instant. Left raising their two young children, aged 7 and 10 at the time, Gary picked up a pen and started doodling - not to create perfect pictures, but to let his feelings out, one sketch at a time. Those nightly doodles became a lifeline. He shared them online, where they struck a chord with thousands...

In the first episode of season six, journalist and author Erica Buist opens up about how the sudden death of her father-in-law forced her to confront her own mortality. Her quest to understand how different cultures approach death took her across seven countries, from Mexico’s Day of the Dead to Indonesia’s corpse parades. Erica, author of This Party’s Dead, explores how these cultures celebrate d...

Joining the final episode of the series is Josefine Speyer, a German psychotherapist based in London who has dedicated much of her life to changing the way we approach death and dying. Josefine co-founded the Natural Death Centre in 1991 with her late husband, Nicholas Albery. This educational charity has been a beacon of support, offering free and impartial advice on all aspects of dying, bereave...

We explore a topic often overlooked—coping with pet loss. Our guest, Dr. Katie Lawlor, a psychologist based in San Francisco, shares her personal and professional experiences with the profound grief that comes with the death of a beloved animal companion. Dr. Lawlor discusses how her journey through the loss of her rabbit, Gem, during the pandemic led her to create her Instagram page, petlossdocto...

Simon Critchley is a renowned philosopher at the New School for Social Research in New York. Simon teaches the popular course "Critchley on Tragedy," and has been recognised as one of the top 25 most influential philosophers today. Simon delves into his fascinating life story, including his early years in Hertfordshire, a life-changing accident, and his journey into philosophy. He shares insights...

Julie McFadden is better known by her online persona Hospice Nurse Julie. With her background as an ICU nurse, Julie developed a passion for educating people about death and dying. For the past eight years, she has been making a significant impact as a hospice nurse, helping others face end of life issues with compassion. Julie’s journey into online education began when her young nieces introduced...

Internationally recognised author and speaker, Rebecca Soffer, began her journey into grief unexpectedly in her early 30s after her mother was killed in a car crash and her father died of a heart attack. The weight of this loss at such a young age left Rebecca feeling untethered.  Rebecca candidly shares her deeply personal story of navigating loss and finding comfort in shared understanding. From...

Stephen chats to Mock the Week star, Ed Byrne, as he shares the deeply personal story behind his new comedy show, "Tragedy Plus Time". Ed opens up about the death of his brother Paul, and how his death became the catalyst for Ed's exploration of grief and humour. Reflecting on the moments leading up to Paul's death and the complexities of sibling relationships, Ed and host Stephen Rumford delve in...

When Amber’s mum died suddenly, shortly after her 19th birthday, she spiralled into a life of self-destruction. After several turbulent years and unable to find the support she needed, Amber started The Grief Gang podcast. This podcast became her outlet, a resource dedicated to people who were experiencing bereavement like she was. Seven years since her mum Sue’s death, Amber chats about the sudde...

Trigger Warning: Listener discretion is strongly recommended. Hayley talks quite graphically about what death looks like, including what a body might look like after death. This includes discussions of infant death as she talks about her experience of seeing a baby in a mortuary. Hayley Campbell is a journalist, writer and broadcaster whose book, All the Living and the Dead, delivers a gripping lo...

Through The Dead and Alive Project, Klaus Bo documents death rituals from across the globe. From the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, where families clean the bones of their ancestors who may have been dead for decades, to families in the Philippines who, due to poverty and overpopulation, are literally living alongside the dead in cemeteries. Klaus takes us on a trip around the world, chat...

It was the 9th September 1989 when Tim’s dad died. It was also Tim’s wedding day. Tim Sullivan is a film director, screenwriter and novelist ( Cold Feet , Coronation Street, Letters to Juliet) and in this episode he opens up about the events of that day, how it has shaped his life, and how it has influenced his writing. Tim’s website: https://timsullivan.co.uk/ Follow us on Instagram @ashgate_hosp...

In 2011, London-based artist Annie Nicholson suffered an unimaginable tragedy when three members of her family were killed in a tragic accident. She talks to Stephen about how the incident changed her life and how she has used her art to help navigate the complexities of grief. Through her alter-ego Fandangoe Kid, Annie uses dancing and music to help unpack her trauma and encourage others to have...

When Ruth’s husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she began documenting their journey through social media and a personal blog. Almost one year since Pete’s death, Ruth reflects on the last year, how the blog has helped others, and how she’s found hope in the face of adversity. https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/resource-centre/ The Life and Death podcast is produced by Reform Radio. 

In this episode, we are joined by Progressive Funeral Director, Louise Winter who is also one half of the team behind Life. Death. Whatever , an initiative redesigning the dialogue around death and dying.  Louise talks with Stephen about her mission to get people to talk more openly about death and dying, reframing how we talk about death and what she has learned about living as a result. She also...

In this episode, we chat to former academic, turned writer and TEDx speaker Stacey Heale whose husband, Delays drummer Greg Gilbert, died from bowel cancer last year. Since Greg's death Stacey has used social media to document her family’s journey, offering an honest insight into “how to live well in the rubble of your life.” The mother of two discusses the difference between expectation and reali...

Acclaimed journalist and Sunday Times bestseller, Clover Stroud, joins us in this episode for a look at how death can help you see the world in vivid colour. Clover’s beloved sister, Nell died suddenly, days after having been told that even with a cancer diagnosis, she would live for years. The shock tore Clover’s life apart and led to her writing ‘The Red of My Blood’ which chronicles Clover’s fe...

In this episode, Stephen sits down with Mary-Frances O’Connor. Mary is an associate professor at the University of Arizona, where she leads the grief, loss and social stress (Glass) lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. She’s also the author of The Grieving Brain: How We Learn from Love and Loss. They discuss how neuroscience can help us to better understand grief, why...

Stephen is joined by Seamus O’Mahony, a recently retired consultant gastroenterologist. Seamus has established himself as a well-regarded commentator on modern medicine and healthcare systems. Join us as he discusses his patient experiences, the state of modern healthcare, and what needs to change.

For the first episode of our new season, Stephen talks to Kimberley Greaves, a young widow and mother of two. Tragically, at just 44 years old, her husband, Andrew, died after being diagnosed with bladder cancer three and a half years before. Kimberley has spent the last 12 months coming to terms with life as a young widow. Join us as we find out what life has been like following the death of Andr...

Podcast host and Ashgate’s senior physiotherapist, Stephen Rumford, sits down with Maria Conyers, whose husband died at the beginning of the pandemic, Maddie Zygmunt, who first experienced grief at just five years old and Ashgate’s Reflective Practice Manager, Simon Bell, who shares his expert view and coping strategies. https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/resource-centre/