Women Are Mad

To date, only a third of UK MPs are female and only one reads the names of murdered women annually in parliament. Despite rates of domestic abuse more than doubling since 2016. She's spoken up for abortion rights, she's spoken up for sex workers. She's spoken against having an international men's day. Women, this woman has your back. This episode, we are privileged to speak to the Labour MP, Jess...

Deborah Joseph is a leader among women. She is a champion of diversity in the beauty industry and has brought body positivity into the limelight. She fights for equal pay and better work-life balance, she's appalled by everyday sexism, and she refuses to stay in the box which society has tried to carve out for her. We are thrilled to bring you such an inspirational, yet amazingly down-to-earth wom...

Claire Cohen is one of the foremost voices of this generation on the female experience. She writes on everything from friendship to our physical suffering. Her book BFF: The Truth About Female Friendships explores the reality of maintaining and even sometimes ending friendships, interviewing the likes of Emma Barnett and Pandora Sykes, to form a manifesto on the relationships which get us through....

Pro-ageing storyteller and Hollywood screenwriter Heidi Clements is an oracle of wisdom and honesty. She uses social media to dispense her incredible learnings on life and love whilst getting dressed in fashion-forward accoutrements. There's something powerful about this intimate act; the creation of a safe, shared, feminine space. She has so much to teach about understanding, compassion and not s...

Join us for a vibrant discussion about justice and womanhood with woman of the hour Kelechi Okafor. Kelechi Okafor is an actor, writer and social commentator. Her book Edge of Here explores with limitless scope the experience of contemporary Black womanhood. Whilst her children's book Strong Like Me encourages children to celebrate all forms of strength. In this episode, Kelechi Okafor brings her...

Jessica Knappett is a comedian, actress and writer, who’s wowed us in some of the best British comedy of this century, from Avoidance to Taskmaster to the Inbetweeners movie to her own long-running sitcom Drifters. In this episode the extremely talented Jessica Knappett talks about having it all (or not) and passive aggression from people and furniture. Knappett is the creator, writer, executive p...

The memoirist Bryony Gordon is unparalleled in using her talent to bring the raw honesty of her experiences to other women. Generosity and a desire to help others shines through and defines her copious achievements. In this episode, Bryony talks everything from running with boobs to bullying. Bryony's new book, Mad Woman is the hotly anticipated follow-up to bestseller, Mad Girl. Since 2006, Gordo...

Stacey Duguid speaks her mind. And we love it. She’s a wise and welcome voice in the notoriously fickle world of fashion. Here, she shares her feelings on everything from parenting to Instagram oversteps. In 2004, Stacey joined  British ELLE  as Fashion Editor and during this time, she wrote the award-winning column,  Mademoiselle, Confessions of an ELLE girl.  Featuring on the back cover of ELLE...

Alison Spittle is has an eye for the absurd. From her stand-up to her TV work to her play-writing, Alison offers a new angle. Much of her anger focuses on injustice, and she talks to us about the misogyny and harassment she’s faced within her industry. As well as what she’s done about it.  Voted one of British Comedy Guide’s best reviewed artists of the Edinburgh Fringe, this funny woman has appea...

Rebecca Reid's journalistic truth-telling and infamous debates with Piers Morgan are the stuff of legend. Her book, The Power of Rude, is a WAM must-read. When journalist Rebecca Reid sushed a man who was speaking over her on Good Morning Britain the tabloids labelled her as ‘Rude Rebecca’. Tarred with this label, she got to wondering if the fear of being rude is actually holding women back? In he...

Hatty Ashdown is infectiously funny. Her talent finds its home in her many sitcoms and live performances. It also lodges itself firmly into the brilliant Funny Mummies podcast. And, it turns out, the Women Are Mad podcast. Hatty shares her thoughts on how to be a good ally to those who are grieving and how a recent 'life event' is impacting her anger levels. We love Hatty's openness and authentici...

British comedian and author Shaparak Khorsandi has a rare talent for bringing the unlikely together in a seamless and poignant way. In this episode, she deftly uses the skill to steer us through the reality of romance, and what repressing her rage has meant for her life and career. A must-listen. Trigger warning: sexual assault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara is a breath of fresh air. Punchiness and straight talk are hallmarks of her critically-acclaimed comedy, which you'll recognise from her regular TV appearances and sell-out live shows. She absolutely embraced the spirit of Women Are Mad, and didn't hold back on giving us the controversial lowdown. We mulled over why she's conflict averse with other women but finds it easy to get mad with men....

If school successfully killed your love of poetry, Donna Ashworth is the woman to resurrect it. Donna's ability to absolutely capture the joy and pain of daily life has in turn captured the nation's hearts, as evidenced by her bestselling anthologies. Here, Donna talks us through what makes her mad, from family role-casting to women tearing each other down. We absolutely fell in love with Donna's...

Sangeeta Pillai is an award-winning activist, writer and creator of Soul Sutras, but above all else, she is a woman's woman. From choosing to not have children to struggling with self-doubt, our conversation with Sangeeta explores how women's hatred of our own voices can be fundamental to holding us back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Heawood is a journalist and writer, and author of The Hungover Games. We talk everything from single parenthood to women's martyrdom. By the end of the conversation, we wanted Sophie as our best friend. We suspect you will too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minna Dubin is the author of bestselling Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood. We discuss how Minna’s candid exploration of her own anger during the pandemic resonated with women across the globe. Along the way we dig into the importance of female friendship and how men get scared when we express the full spectrum of our emotions. Recorded on 20th September 2023 Hosted on Acast. See...

Our guest this week personifies both resilience and kindness. Through her own struggles, she offers hope to others. From her ambassadorship of mental health and homelessness charities, to her newly forged comedy career, this woman never stops giving. Gail Porter’s anger is directed mostly towards social injustice, and she targets little of it towards those who have wronged her. We were bowled over...

Soraya Chemaly is  the  feminist voice of our time. Her extraordinary capacity to see the whole picture with unrivalled clarity serves as an inspiration to us all. Soraya's authenticity and bravery are beacons of light in a turbulent global situation, and her book Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger, is our bible at WAM HQ.  This conversation was recorded on 6th October 2023 and covers a...

This episode is a Women's Health Special. Our guest has brought the menopause into public conversation. Now, she's bringing it to ours. Her tireless work and dedication to women's health is awe-inspiring. But this wouldn't be Women Are Mad without asking Dr Louise Newson what makes HER angry. From medical gaslighting, to the shutdown she faces within the profession, Dr Newson shares all. As well a...

Do you love Motherland? Then you're going to love our convo with show writer Helen Serafinowicz! Helen shares what makes her mad, from ghosts to kitchen extensions to the sound of people eating. To the realities of campaigning to amend abortion laws. Helen is wry, sharp and, much like her hit TV show, highly relatable. Recorded on 25th September 2023 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...