The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of mental health and suicide  Many women experience menopause as more than hot flushes and periods stopping. It can also bring a deep sense of flatness, loss of joy, anxiety or even thoughts of hopelessness. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Sally Wainwright OBE, the multiple BAFTA-winning writer and director known for Happy Valley, Gentle...

Despite increased awareness, misinformation around menopause is still everywhere with outdated fears about hormone therapy, confusion over types of hormones and mixed messages about risks leaving many women unsure where to turn.  In this episode, Dr Louise Newson sits down with Amy Alkon, an American author and science writer, for a clear-eyed look at what the evidence really shows. Amy’s book, Go...

Many women reach their 40s and start feeling different. They find themselves more anxious, tired, forgetful or prone to migraines, without realising these are often early signs of perimenopause. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Dr Mariza Snyder, a functional medicine doctor and hormone specialist, about how to recognise the subtle and often overlooked symptoms of hormonal change. They...

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide  Too many women reach perimenopause and menopause only to feel unheard, unseen and underserved by the healthcare system. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by wellbeing pioneer Liz Earle MBE to confront that invisibility and explore how knowledge, improved access to hormonal treatments and open conversation can change the future of...

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide  More than a million worldwide undergo a hysterectomy each year, for reasons ranging from heavy bleeding to pain or other gynecological problems - but what happens to your body post-surgery is rarely discussed in depth. When your uterus and/or ovaries are removed, your body’s hormone production of progesterone, estradiol and testosterone re...

For more than half a century, "the Pill” has been a routine part of women’s lives, prescribed not only for contraception but for acne, period pain and hormonal regulation. It’s so deeply woven into modern medicine and culture that most of us rarely question how it works or what it does beyond its prescribed use. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with psychologist, researcher and author Dr S...

Why are women still not believed when they describe their symptoms? And what happens when stories of pain, struggle or resilience are dismissed by healthcare professionals, families or even society? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by award-winning author and podcaster Elizabeth Day for a conversation that cuts to the heart of these questions. Best known for her podcast How to Fail and...

Across the world, populations are living longer but often with a decade or more of poor health at the end of life. For women in particular, the gap between lifespan and healthspan is significant and the consequences reach far beyond the individual.  In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Tash Mirando, a UK-trained GP now based in Singapore, to discuss what healthy ageing really looks li...

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by broadcaster and menopause awareness campaigner Mariella Frostrup and chef Belles Berry, who is the daughter of renowned cook Mary Berry. They recently co-authored Menolicious , a cookbook designed to provide women with simple, nutritious recipes that make healthy eating more manageable. Together they discuss how hormonal changes during perimenopause a...

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by US-based orthopedic surgeon and bone and hormone specialist Dr Doug Lucas for an important conversation about bone health and why it matters more than most people realise. Together they unpack the reality of osteoporosis, a condition that is often underestimated yet has life-changing consequences for those affected. They explore how hormones play a cr...

GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have become some of the most widely discussed weight loss treatments in the world.  They were once mainly talked about in medical research, but now they’re a regular feature in celebrity culture, weight loss headlines and even major advertising campaigns, including one recently fronted by Serena Williams. But beyond the endorsements and headli...

'It really weighs heavy. It’s like puttingon lots of different cloaks.’   Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a topic many are talking about right now, and thankfully, we’ve movedbeyond the outdated stereotype that it only affects young boys. And with somuch noise on social media alongside lingering stereotypes, is all thisattention truly helping people recognise their symptoms...

“The fire in the belly is coming from people’s want and need to help patients and to make a change”      This week, Dr Fionnuala Vernon, Medical Director of Blackwater Private Clinics and GP trainer in Ireland, joins Dr Louise Newson for a compelling conversation about breaking down barriers in healthcare and addressing the ways in which the system often fails women.    They discuss how global gap...

“I don’t understand why we’re not shouting this from the rooftops, a simple medicine, a natural hormone, that can reduce the risk of both diabetes and breast cancer. That’s incredibly important, isn’t it?”       This week, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, Professor of Medicine at Tulane University and an endocrinologist specialising in metabolism.    In this episode, they dive...

Dr Louise Newson sits down this week with Shelly Horton, an Australian journalist, broadcaster and passionate advocate for menopause awareness. Shelly recently released her debut book, I’m Your Peri Godmother: A happily-ever-after guide to kicking perimenopause in the ovaries, reflecting just how many women are desperate for relatable, honest guidance through perimenopause. In this warm conversati...

In what Dr Louise Newson calls ‘ the most impactful podcast I've ever recorded’, this powerful episode shares the extraordinary story of Hayley and her son, Jay. Hayley spent nearly 30 years in and out of psychiatric hospitals. She was diagnosed with postnatal psychosis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), depression and treatment-resistant mental illness. She was prescribed antipsychotics, an...

This week, Dr Louise Newson is joined by the inspirational Angela Rippon, whose remarkable career in television and journalism spans nearly six decades. From breaking barriers as one of the first female newsreaders on British TV to her more recent appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Angela reflects on the evolution of her work and the deep personal passion that drives her today: getting the natio...

He became a familiar face to millions on Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies and Live From The Clinic – boundary-pushing shows that challenged taboos and brought sensitive health issues into mainstream conversation.   Behind the camera, however, consultant urological surgeon Paul Anderson has established himself as one of the UK’s most experienced urethroplasty surgeons, having performed over 2,500 pr...

Content advisory: this episode includes themes of self-harm In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Christine D’Ercole, a master world champion track cyclist and Peloton instructor, who shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey. Together, they dive into crucial conversations about pelvic floor health, urinary incontinence and eating disorders, shining a light on topics often left in...

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with author Jean Hannah Edelstein about her deeply personal new book, Breasts: A Relatively Short Relationship, and the complex journey she’s had with her own body. Jean shares the experience of choosing to undergo a double mastectomy at 41, after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, and highlights the emotional and practical importance of findin...

In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by her mother, Ann Newson, for a candid and deeply insightful conversation about HRT after 60, as requested by some ofour viewers.  Together, Dr Louise and Ann address the persistent fears around breast cancer and HRT, revisiting data from the controversial 2002 WHI study. They also explore the crucial differences between the older forms of synthe...

'I'm a journalist, and I'm always trying to make sense of stories... that's just how my brain works. But I've never been able to make sense of this one... the whole HRT story, the information women are given, and the choices we make based on information we're not entirely sure about. I've always felt that was just unsatisfactory. So that overview from you, I have found really, really interesting’....

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide ‘You're not just losing a person. You're losing all of those memories’ In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by mental health campaigner and author, Ben West. At 17, Ben’s world was turned upside down when he lost his younger brother, Sam, to suicide at just 15 years old. What followed was a life-altering jour...

'Haemorrhoids is one of those embarrassing problems that a lot of people suffer from. There's a lot of taboos surrounding it, because people don't want to own up that they've got haemorrhoids. A lot of people listening or watching this probably have haemorrhoids, they're probably sitting on them right now. That video is not a sexy topic, but it got over 2 million views... that is a huge amount of...

In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Ferne McCann, TV personality, reality star, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the wellness app Shoorah. Ferne first rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and has since appeared on shows like I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing on Ice.  Ferne talks candidly about the hormonal changes she experienced during and after pregnancy, and how...