Woman's Hour

Simone Ashley plays Kate Sharma in one of Netflix's biggest shows, Bridgerton, and also graced our screens in groundbreaking comedy Sex Education. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about her new romcom, Picture This, Bridgerton's success and her musical ambitions. The Tate brothers - Andrew and Tristan - have arrived in the US after Romanian prosecutors lifted a travel ban. The controversial Britis...

The government has published an independent review into the world of online pornography, Creating a Safer World - the challenge of regulating online pornography, written by the Conservative Peer Baroness Gabby Bertin. It proposes outlawing “degrading, violent and misogynistic content,” including making it illegal to possess or publish pornography showing women being choked during sex. Anita Rani t...

The BBC board has apologised over "missed opportunities" to tackle "bullying and misogynistic behaviour" by the former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood. Nuala discusses with BBC correspondent ChiChi Izundu. Same Dress Different Bodies began when fashion-loving friends Laura Adlington and Lottie Drynan realised they were both having problems finding clothes they felt comfortable in, Lottie because of bl...

Care and support providers are coming together around the UK in a series of protests over the government's plans to increase employer National Insurance contributions. They are warning that care providers may go out of business unless they receive more support. Nadra Ahmed, co-chair of the National Care Association, which represents smaller and medium-sized care providers, joins Nuala from Westmin...

It was a crime that horrified the nation. Three young girls murdered and another eight children and two adults seriously injured at a yoga and dance workshop in Southport in July 2024. Teacher Leanne Lucas, who was running the event, has agreed to speak for the first time about what happened. She's been speaking to the BBC’s special correspondent Judith Moritz who joins Nuala McGovern. The German...

'Sen-betweeners' is the term Lisa Lloyd, a mum of two autistic children, uses to describe her children. She says their neurodivergence is too severe to fit easily into mainstream school, but not severe enough for a special school, so they fall between the gaps. Lisa has written a guide for other parents on ‘Raising the Sen-betweeners,’ in which she, whilst recognising that all children are differe...

We discuss the case of former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent at the 2023 World Cup final. Anita is joined by Semra Hunter, a sports broadcast journalist and Virginia Alvarez from Amnesty International Spain. Nussaibah Younis’s debut novel Fundamentally is based on her own experiences working as a peac...

A group of 70 female chefs and hospitality professionals have signed an open letter calling out what they call the ‘pervasive’ sexism in British kitchens. It’s in response to chef Jason Atherton saying he had never seen sexism in the kitchen - he has since clarified his comments, saying that he wasn't denying the existence of sexism, just that he hadn't 'witnessed it personally. Anita is joined by...

During a tennis match in Dubai, Emma Raducanu was subject to what the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) are calling 'fixated behaviour' from a man in the public area. How safe is tennis for women players - and what is being done to protect them? Ahead of the Queen's Women's tournament's return this summer, Nuala McGovern speaks to sports journalist Molly McElwee to find out more. Actor Gugu Mbatha-...

Why are members of the Afghan Cabinet speaking out against the de facto leader over his ban on girls' education and restrictions on women working? Nuala McGovern speaks to the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, and Fawzia Koofi, member of the Afghan Parliament and the first woman to be elected as Second Deputy Speaker. Harvest, a new documentary, shows the realities of the egg f...

Nao is a Grammy and Mercury nominated singer songwriter. She's described her unique brand of music as “wonky funk”. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about fame, motherhood and her new album Jupiter. She performs live in the studio. As European leaders are set to meet in Paris later today today for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister has said he is 'ready and willing' to c...

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP wants more care and support for new mothers struggling with their mental health. Her own friend died by suicide just 10 weeks after giving birth and she recently led a debate in parliament on the subject. Laura joined Nuala McGovern to discuss the changes she wants to see. They were joined by perinatal psychologist Dr Alain Gregoire from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. As...

Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston are currently playing Beatrice and Benedict the sharp-witted sparring friends in Much Ado About Nothing on stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Hayley joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio. Is Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy Much Ado the original rom com? And how much fun is it to be on stage with a friend of 20 years standing? We find out. The BB...

As part of the EastEnders 40th anniversary Woman’s Hour celebrates this iconic soap’s track record of featuring strong female characters and exploring some of the most pressing, contentious and emotional issues for women over the past four decades. Anita Rani presents live from the Fox & Hair salon in Walford. The salon is managed by Diane Parish’s character Denise Fox, whose love triangle sto...

Ellie Wilson, a rape survivor, is campaigning for the right for victims to be able to appear at parole hearings, after being denied permission to attend one for her attacker. She tells Nuala McGovern why she wants the law changed in Scotland, and barrister Harriet Johnson explains more about the process. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says that rooting out people who should n...

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP wants more care and support for new mothers struggling with their mental health. Her own friend died by suicide just 10 weeks after giving birth and she recently led a debate in parliament on the subject. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the changes she wants to see, along with perinatal psychologist Dr Alain Gregoire from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. What does t...

England have won the Netball Nations Cup for the first time after beating South Africa. It proved sixth time lucky for the Vitality Roses after being defeated in the five previous finals. To celebrate, Nuala McGovern is joined by head coach Jess Thirlby and former England Netball captain, Pamela Cookey. Last month, Eleanor Frances received a settlement of £116,000 from two Whitehall departments th...

Anita Rani speaks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley Kumar, mothers of Barnaby and Grace, both 19, who were killed in Nottingham in June 2023. They’ll be responding to the findings of a major review of the NHS care of Valdo Calocane, the man who attacked their children. The Oscar-nominated actress Mikey Madison tells Clare McDonnell about playing the title role in Anora, a film about a sex worker...

The West End star Marisha Wallace joins Anita Rani in the studio. She's the latest actor to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club in London, alongside Billy Porter who plays Emcee. Marisha talks about the significance of them both playing these roles together and her journey to the top. The UN has reported that more than 100 female prisoners were raped and then burned alive during a jai...

Anita Rani speaks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley Kumar mothers of Barnaby and Grace, both 19, who were killed in Nottingham in June 2023. They’ll be responding to the findings of a major review of the NHS care of Valdo Calocane the man who attacked their children. A report Emma has already described as a horror show. Nina Bhadreshwar’s crime novel The Day of the Roaring tells the story of Shef...

Women in prison are resorting to self-harm because of “astonishing gaps” in basic services including strict time limits when contacting their children, according to a new report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales released today. The report's author Sandra Fieldhouse joins Anita Rani, as does the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood. Singe...

Actor and writer Daisy May Cooper shot to fame with This Country, the mockumentary about rural poverty in the Cotswolds that she wrote and starred in with her brother Charlie. She followed that with the lead in BBC/HBO show Rain Dogs and in 2022 she co-wrote and starred in the twisting female-friendship thriller Am I Being Unreasonable? With the second series about to drop on BBC 1 and BBC iPlayer...

Oscar-nominated actress Mikey Madison joins Clare McDonnell in the Woman’s Hour studio. She speaks about playing the title role in Anora, a film about a sex worker in New York. Mikey spent months embedded in a strip club to fully immerse herself in the world. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards as well as BAFTAs and Golden Globes – we speak to Mikey about how she’s finding receiving such...

In the last year, women with disabilities experienced domestic abuse at more than twice the rate of those without, according to the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Yet data from Women’s Aid shows less than 1% of refuge vacancies in England are suitable for wheelchair users. Where does this leave women with disabilities impacted by domestic abuse? Anita Rani hears one an...

The singer/songwriter Rumer is a MOBO award winner and double Brit Award nominee. Her new album In Session is out today celebrating the 15th anniversary of her platinum debut album Seasons Of My Soul. The success that followed that album affected her mental health. She stepped away from the industry and relocated to the US. Now back in the UK she has returned to the record that has shaped so much...