Podcast appearances and mentions of jo fidgen

Edith Blais was kidnapped by armed militants and held captive in the Sahara for 450 days.As a young French-Canadian who had overcome her teenage agoraphobia, Edith took several years to work up the courage to go travelling – but once she did it, she got the bug. In 2018 she backpacked to West Africa with her good friend Luca Tacchetto. When they got to Benin they were kidnapped by armed militants and taken to the desert in a lawless area of Mali, where groups linked to al-Qaeda were known to operate.The couple pretended to be husband and wife so they could stay together but Edith soon found herself held captive alone, kept in isolation for long periods of time. As well as suffering physically with dehydration and starvation, she had to find different techniques to keep her mind strong and stay sane. A borrowed pen enabled her to write poetry, and she sang songs to remind herself of her own voice.After agreeing to convert to Islam she was eventually reunited with Luca. By this time they had been held for 14 months, and they knew they had to break free. But with their captors never more than a few feet away from them, how would they do it? Edith spoke to Jo Fidgen in 2021 about how forces of nature aided their staggering escape. Edith's book about her time in captivity is called The Weight of Sand.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy TakatsukiPicture: Edith Blais Credit: Sara Mauve RavenelleGet in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784

Jo Fidgen hears what was happening in the Pentagon and the Kremlin in the final days of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev finally offered to withdraw the missiles as the crisis came to a head. In 2012, his son Sergei remembered those fraught few days. (Photo: Nikita and Sergei Khrushchev. Credit: Sergei Khrushchev)

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Jo Fidgen spoke to American Intelligence officer Dino Brugioni who played a crucial role as the crisis unfolded. Dino was a CIA expert whose job was to interpret the photographs of missiles in Cuba. This programme was first broadcast in 2012. (Photo: Dino Brugioni. Credit: The Washington Post and Getty Images)

Astonishing true stories, jaw-dropping twists. Why would an Olympic hopeful rob a bank? How does someone keep their double life a secret? From the team behind Outlook, incredible personal stories from around the world, to show you just how surprising and extraordinary humans can be. With Emily Webb, Mobeen Azhar and Jo Fidgen. Premieres on 25 April.

Enter other people's worlds. Welcome to the new weekly podcast from the Outlook radio team, finding amazing personal stories from around the world. Premieres on 25 April. With Emily Webb, Mobeen Azhar and Jo Fidgen.

Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thousand other quilters to do the same. Karen tells Jo Fidgen about the challenges of quilting in zero gravity and of leaving her three-year-old son and husband - also an astronaut - behind on earth. She's now designed a collection of fabrics called Earth Views based on photographs she took from Space. The archive clips you heard came courtesy of NASA. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: June Christie Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Dr Karen Nyberg with her quilt square in space. Credit: NASA)

In the 1990s Terence Smith launched his campaign to run for United States president in drag, shocking voters and the media. His mission was not to win, but instead, to raise awareness about the Aids crisis which was killing his community. Critical of the government's slow response to the epidemic, Terence armed himself with a blonde wig, platform shoes, and the persona of Joan Jett Blakk and decided to run against future president Bill Clinton. Jo Fidgen speaks to Terence from his home in San Francisco, USA. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Poster from Joan Jett Blakk's political campaign. Credit: Eric Stein Photography)

After pro-democracy protests broke out in 2011, Kholoud Helmi was determined to cover the human rights violations carried out by the Syrian government, as a reporter on the ground. So with the help of her friends and brother, she founded Enab Baladi, one of the only surviving independent media outlets founded in Syria. Kholoud paid a high price for this, risking her life, and the lives of her family, to report on atrocities happening in locations inaccessible to foreign reporters. The paper had to be printed in secret - and its copies would be distributed covertly in rubbish bins. The team did their best to avoid the military checkpoints scattered throughout the city, but they couldn't stay out of trouble forever. Kholoud's brother was arrested, and subsequently disappeared. 10 years later, Kholoud and her family still don't know whether he's dead or alive. After losing her home, brother, and friends to the civil war that has torn the country apart for over a decade, she continues to carry a dream of a free Syria with her. Jo Fidgen talks to her from Turkey, where she is currently living in exile. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Kholoud Helmi speaking on the war in Syria. Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HBO)

After pro-democracy protests broke out in 2011, Kholoud Helmi was determined to cover the human rights violations carried out by the Syrian government, as a reporter on the ground. So with the help of her friends and brother, she founded Enab Baladi, one of the only surviving independent media outlets founded in Syria. Kholoud paid a high price for this, risking her life, and the lives of her family, to report on atrocities happening in locations inaccessible to foreign reporters. The paper had to be printed in secret - and its copies would be distributed covertly in rubbish bins. The team did their best to avoid the military checkpoints scattered throughout the city, but they couldn't stay out of trouble forever. Kholoud's brother was arrested, and subsequently disappeared. 10 years later, Kholoud and her family still don't know whether he's dead or alive. After losing her home, brother, and friends to the civil war that has torn the country apart for over a decade, she continues to carry a dream of a free Syria with her. Jo Fidgen talks to her from Turkey, where she is currently living in exile. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Kholoud Helmi speaking on the war in Syria. Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HBO)

Scot Kate Ballard is the daughter of world-famous mountaineer Alison Hargreaves. In 1995, when Kate was just four, Alison was caught in a storm on K2 in the Himalayas and died. Despite the tragedy, Kate and her brother Tom were raised by their dad to love the slopes and it soon became clear that Tom shared his mother's climbing talent. But sadly he would also share her fate. Kate speaks to Jo Fidgen about travel to the Himalayas and how, despite her personal losses, her love of the mountains is undiminished. A film about the family is called The Last Mountain. It's by director Chris Terrill and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Kate Ballard. Credit: Ballard Images)

Scot Kate Ballard is the daughter of world-famous mountaineer Alison Hargreaves. In 1995, when Kate was just four, Alison was caught in a storm on K2 in the Himalayas and died. Despite the tragedy, Kate and her brother Tom were raised by their dad to love the slopes and it soon became clear that Tom shared his mother's climbing talent. But sadly he would also share her fate. Kate speaks to Jo Fidgen about travel to the Himalayas and how, despite her personal losses, her love of the mountains is undiminished. A film about the family is called The Last Mountain. It's by director Chris Terrill and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and via online streaming services. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Kate Ballard. Credit: Ballard Images)

As a 16-year-old boy in Togo, Tété-Michel Kpomassie knew he had to escape. It was the late 1950s, and his father had ordered him to train as a priest in a snake cult. But Tété-Michel was terrified of snakes after a close encounter up a coconut tree that had nearly cost him his life. One day, he came across a book about Greenland. He read that there were no reptiles, only ice, and he was intrigued by the Inuit people. So he set out on an odyssey to reach this mysterious country, full of images of icebergs and sledding and hunting. It took him eight years to travel through Africa and Europe, all the while doing clerical odd-jobs, before final reaching the south of Greenland in the mid-60s. He was the first African they had ever seen, and was offered a warm welcome. For 18 months, he learnt the culture and way of life; dog-sledding, seal-fishing and acclimatising to the cold. Then, he returned to Togo as a different man - he shared his story and built a bridge between Africa and Greenland. Now 80, he speaks to Jo Fidgen about his extraordinary adventure and his hopes to return this year to buy a house and spend the last part of his life there. Michel The Giant: An African in Greenland is by Tété-Michel Kpomassie. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Tété-Michel Kpomassie in the 60s. Credit: Tété-Michel Kpomassie)

As a 16-year-old boy in Togo, Tété-Michel Kpomassie knew he had to escape. It was the late 1950s, and his father had ordered him to train as a priest in a snake cult. But Tété-Michel was terrified of snakes after a close encounter up a coconut tree that had nearly cost him his life. One day, he came across a book about Greenland. He read that there were no reptiles, only ice, and he was intrigued by the Inuit people. So he set out on an odyssey to reach this mysterious country, full of images of icebergs and sledding and hunting. It took him eight years to travel through Africa and Europe, all the while doing clerical odd-jobs, before final reaching the south of Greenland in the mid-60s. He was the first African they had ever seen, and was offered a warm welcome. For 18 months, he learnt the culture and way of life; dog-sledding, seal-fishing and acclimatising to the cold. Then, he returned to Togo as a different man - he shared his story and built a bridge between Africa and Greenland. Now 80, he speaks to Jo Fidgen about his extraordinary adventure and his hopes to return this year to buy a house and spend the last part of his life there. Michel The Giant: An African in Greenland is by Tété-Michel Kpomassie. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Tété-Michel Kpomassie in the 60s. Credit: Tété-Michel Kpomassie)

JoAnn Jansen is a film choreographer, known for working with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Part of her journey to becoming a dancer herself has even been made into a film – the sequel to the Dirty Dancing movie, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, which was based on her teenage experience in Cuba. But her dancing hopes nearly came to an abrupt end when, at 19, she found herself the single mother of a severely disabled baby. JoAnn tells Jo Fidgen that the experience eventually gave her the drive to pursue her goals. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent (Photo: JoAnn Jansen. Credit: Michael Higgins)

JoAnn Jansen is a film choreographer, known for working with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Part of her journey to becoming a dancer herself has even been made into a film – the sequel to the Dirty Dancing movie, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, which was based on her teenage experience in Cuba. But her dancing hopes nearly came to an abrupt end when, at 19, she found herself the single mother of a severely disabled baby. JoAnn tells Jo Fidgen that the experience eventually gave her the drive to pursue her goals. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent (Photo: JoAnn Jansen. Credit: Michael Higgins)

While travelling through West Africa in 2018, Canadian Edith Blais and her companion Luca Tacchetto were kidnapped. They were taken to the desert in a lawless area of Mali where groups linked to al-Qaeda were known to operate. They were, initially, held together for some months. But then they were separated, and Edith found herself alone for long periods of time. As well as suffering physically with dehydration and starvation, she had to find different techniques to keep her mind strong and stay sane. A borrowed pen enabled her to write poetry, she sang songs to remind herself of her own voice, and a very special relationship with a spider helped ease her loneliness. Edith eventually agreed to convert to Islam and was reunited with Luca. It was then they dreamt up a plan to flee their captors. Fifteen months after being kidnapped they staged a staggering escape. Edith has written a book about her time in captivity called The Weight of Sand. Radio listeners, if you are searching for the combined podcast version of Edith's interview with Jo Fidgen - this is it! Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Edith Blais. Credit: Sara Mauve Ravenelle)

While travelling through West Africa in 2018, Canadian Edith Blais and her companion Luca Tacchetto were kidnapped. They were taken to the desert in a lawless area of Mali where groups linked to al-Qaeda were known to operate. They were, initially, held together for some months. But then they were separated, and Edith found herself alone for long periods of time. As well as suffering physically with dehydration and starvation, she had to find different techniques to keep her mind strong and stay sane. A borrowed pen enabled her to write poetry, she sang songs to remind herself of her own voice, and a very special relationship with a spider helped ease her loneliness. Edith eventually agreed to convert to Islam and was reunited with Luca. It was then they dreamt up a plan to flee their captors. Fifteen months after being kidnapped they staged a staggering escape. Edith has written a book about her time in captivity called The Weight of Sand. Radio listeners, if you are searching for the combined podcast version of Edith's interview with Jo Fidgen - this is it! Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Phorto: Edith Blais. Credit: Sara Mauve Ravenelle)

For nearly 30 years Bobby and Cheryl Love lived a very ordinary married life together in New York. They raised four children, worked hard, attended church…but Cheryl could never shake the feeling that Bobby was hiding something from her. It was in 2015 that she finally found out the truth, when armed police burst through the door of their apartment one morning. Bobby and Cheryl tell Jo Fidgen what the secret did to their marriage. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent Picture: Bobby and Cheryl Love Credit: Brandon Stanton

For nearly 30 years Bobby and Cheryl Love lived a very ordinary married life together in New York. They raised four children, worked hard, attended church…but Cheryl could never shake the feeling that Bobby was hiding something from her. It was in 2015 that she finally found out the truth, when armed police burst through the door of their apartment one morning. Bobby and Cheryl tell Jo Fidgen what the secret did to their marriage. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent Picture: Bobby and Cheryl Love Credit: Brandon Stanton

Amrou al-Kadhi - who goes by the pronoun ‘they' - was raised Muslim, but even as a kid Amrou was different. They had no interest in playing with boys their age, and instead loved dressing up with their mother. Amrou grappled with issues of gender identity and sexuality for years. It was not until they picked up drag as a student at Cambridge University that they were able to find solace and belonging. Amrou has written a book called Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen. Amrou spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen. This interview was first broadcast 5th November 2019. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Laura Thomas Picture: Amrou Al-Kadhi as Glamrou Credit: Harry Carr

Amrou al-Kadhi - who goes by the pronoun ‘they' - was raised Muslim, but even as a kid Amrou was different. They had no interest in playing with boys their age, and instead loved dressing up with their mother. Amrou grappled with issues of gender identity and sexuality for years. It was not until they picked up drag as a student at Cambridge University that they were able to find solace and belonging. Amrou has written a book called Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen. Amrou spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen. This interview was first broadcast 5th November 2019. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Laura Thomas Picture: Amrou Al-Kadhi as Glamrou Credit: Harry Carr

Geraldine Mullan lived with her husband John and their two children Tomás and Amelia in a town on the beautiful Irish coastline of County Donegal – a salty inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. They all loved the water, which during lockdown became a welcome escape for the whole family. But in August 2020, the car they were travelling in plunged into the sea during a dreadful storm – in a split second Geraldine lost her husband and both of her children. She tells Jo Fidgen how she found the strength to get back into the water two months after it stole the people she loved most in the world, and why she feels closer to them when she's swimming. Geraldine has opened a centre for her local community called the Mullan Hope Centre, in memory of her family. If you've been affected by any of subjects in this programme you can find support and additional information below: BBC Action Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/ Befrienders Worldwide: https://www.befrienders.org/ Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: June Christie Picture: Geraldine Mullan in the sea Credit: David Conachy

Geraldine Mullan lived with her husband John and their two children Tomás and Amelia in a town on the beautiful Irish coastline of County Donegal – a salty inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. They all loved the water, which during lockdown became a welcome escape for the whole family. But in August 2020, the car they were travelling in plunged into the sea during a dreadful storm – in a split second Geraldine lost her husband and both of her children. She tells Jo Fidgen how she found the strength to get back into the water two months after it stole the people she loved most in the world, and why she feels closer to them when she's swimming. Geraldine has opened a centre for her local community called the Mullan Hope Centre, in memory of her family. If you've been affected by any of subjects in this programme you can find support and additional information below: BBC Action Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/ Befrienders Worldwide: https://www.befrienders.org/ Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: June Christie Picture: Geraldine Mullan in the sea Credit: David Conachy

In the late 1970s, a bunch of fun-loving young Polish guys fed up with living under communism built themselves some kayaks and set off on an adventure. Despite their initial lack of experience, equipment or money, Andrzej Pietowski, Jacek Bogucki and their friends became the first to paddle one of the world's deepest river canyons - the Colca in southern Peru. They were about to return to Poland as heroes when the military imposed a crackdown on the burgeoning Solidarity movement, leaving the kayakers in a risky position. Andrzej and Jacek tell Jo Fidgen their extraordinary story, which is featured in the upcoming documentary Godspeed, Los Polacos! Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Picture: The kayakers Credit: Canoandes Inc

In the late 1970s, a bunch of fun-loving young Polish guys fed up with living under communism built themselves some kayaks and set off on an adventure. Despite their initial lack of experience, equipment or money, Andrzej Pietowski, Jacek Bogucki and their friends became the first to paddle one of the world's deepest river canyons - the Colca in southern Peru. They were about to return to Poland as heroes when the military imposed a crackdown on the burgeoning Solidarity movement, leaving the kayakers in a risky position. Andrzej and Jacek tell Jo Fidgen their extraordinary story, which is featured in the upcoming documentary Godspeed, Los Polacos! Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Picture: The kayakers Credit: Canoandes Inc

Mike Brace lost his sight after a childhood accident - but he adapted fast and soon discovered the freedom and excitement he craved in the sport of blind skiing. Having represented Great Britain at the first Paralympics - he's since dedicated his life to getting young disabled people into sport. He spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Picture: Mike Brace Credit: Mike Brace Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Troy Holmes

Mike Brace lost his sight after a childhood accident - but he adapted fast and soon discovered the freedom and excitement he craved in the sport of blind skiing. Having represented Great Britain at the first Paralympics - he's since dedicated his life to getting young disabled people into sport. He spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Picture: Mike Brace Credit: Mike Brace Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Troy Holmes

When Bernard Drosihn was growing up in 1970s Germany he rebelled against the predominantly meat-heavy diet. These were the days when no one around him had even heard of vegetarianism. He later spent time in New York where he came across tofu - a bean curd block - and a product that wasn't available in Germany. So he and some other young hippies decided to produce their own, setting up a tofu collective. Bernard tells Jo Fidgen that the local authorities saw them as dangerous radicals, and the so-called ‘meat police' raided their premises and even threw them in jail for a few nights. Undeterred, Bernard went on to become one of Europe's biggest producers of tofu. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Kevin Ponniah Picture: Bernd Drosihn in his tofu factory Credit: Marcus Simaitis, laif, Camera Press Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

The Thunder was the most notorious and elusive poaching ship in the world; for ten years governments had struggled to catch it. Then, in 2014, a crew from the organisation Sea Shepherd - known for its anti-whaling activity - found it illegally hunting Patagonian toothfish in the ice floes of the Antarctic and decided to stop it. They pursued the Thunder for 110 days over 10,000 miles before a dramatic stand-off in the Gulf of Guinea. Captain Peter Hammarstedt, from Sea Shepherd, tells Jo Fidgen about the dramatic chase and eventually watching the Thunder as it burned. This episode was first released on 19th November 2020. On-board recordings in this piece are from the documentary Ocean Warriors: Chasing the Thunder, courtesy of Brick City TV. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Mariana Des Forges Photo: The Thunder surrounded by icebergs Credit: Sea Shepherd

Mortada Gzar experienced violence and persecution as a gay teenager under Saddam Hussein's regime. He tells Jo Fidgen how he tried to immerse himself in religion to overcome his feelings, later serving as an imam while studying at university in Baghdad. But during the US-led occupation of Iraq in 2003, he fell deeply in love with an American soldier who was stationed at a checkpoint outside his university. The two men spent years hiding their relationship, and dreamed of one day living openly together in the US. But things didn't go according to plan... Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent Picture: Mortada Gzar Credit: Jonathan Reibsome

After striking doctors refused to treat his dying son, Agibou Bougobali Sanou was so angry that he was tempted to kill in revenge. Dancing helped to relieve this urge, so he decided to go into a dangerous prison to bring its healing power to criminals, whose lives he also changed. The world renowned dancer and choreographer tells Jo Fidgen his moving story. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Producers: Saskia Edwards and Edgar Maddicot. Picture: Aguibou Bougobali Sanou with prisoners in Burkina Faso Credit: Jacob Yisra'el / supplied by Aguibou Bougobali Sanou

Paul Mendez is a British writer, Beyoncé superfan and once devout Jehovah's Witness. Growing up in the Midlands, where his Jamaican grandparents settled, Paul was all about preaching, paradise and playing Monopoly with elderly ladies. But at 17, he was cast out from his congregation. Alone and looking for new friends, life took an unexpected and dangerous turn – but help was to come in an unlikely form. A story of sin, sexual awakening, and the salvation of 90s RnB. (Radio listeners, if you are searching for the combined podcast version of Paul's interview with Jo Fidgen - this is it!) Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Maryam Maruf Picture: Paul Mendez Credit: Christa Holka Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

It's secrets and lies season here on Outlook and we have two stories about the way lies and fake news online can wreak havoc in our offline lives. Monika Glennon is a Polish-born estate agent living in the US. One morning she got a frantic call from a colleague: an explicit post had been written about Monika, claiming she had an affair with a client and that she was a ‘homewrecker'. The story was fabricated, but as it became the first hit when you googled her name, Monika began to lose business, fell into a depression, and even feared for her safety. Who was behind the post? She tells Jo Fidgen her terrifying story. Rema Rajeshwari is an Indian police officer. In 2018, rumours of child kidnappers and violent murders spread throughout her district via messaging apps. Locals were scared and started forming mobs and attacking strangers. Rema had an unorthodox solution: traditional storytelling, inspired by her grandmother. She told Outlook's Emily Webb how she used storytelling to combat fake news. Do you have a story about how a secret or lie changed a life? It could be something that happened to you or someone close to you, or it could just be an amazing story you heard. If so, we'd love to hear about it. Record a short voice memo or write an e-mail and send it to us at outlook@bbc.com. If your story is about someone you know, just make sure they're ok with you telling us about it. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Fiona Woods Original story producers: Saskia Edwards and Harry Graham Music: Joel Cox

Sonia Mann's life has been guided by the letter her father wrote her on her birth. In September 1990, when she was just 16 days old, her father was killed in the Indian city of Amritsar, when he was on his way to meet her for the first time. Baldev Singh Mann was a left-wing activist and revolutionary, and in his letter he urged Sonia to continue his work. Sonia grew up to become an actress, but she tells Jo Fidgen that she carried his letter with her everywhere. In 2020, when thousands of India's farmers began protesting against the introduction of new agricultural laws, Sonia saw a chance to follow in her father's footsteps. She joined the protests on the edge of the city of Delhi and has turned her back on the world of movie-making to support them. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Picture: Sonia Mann taking a selfie at the farmer's protests in Delhi Credit: Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

From the time he started playing rugby at the age of four, Alix Popham and everyone around him knew he was destined for big things. He didn't disappoint, representing his country, Wales, more than thirty times during a long and successful career at the top of the game. When injury forced him into retirement in 2011, he became an entrepreneur and fell in love with an old schoolfriend, Mel, with whom he had a baby girl. But their bright future dimmed when Alix found out last year - at the age of 40 - that he has early-onset dementia, a condition his doctors blame on brain trauma suffered throughout his career. He now struggles to remember many of his finest moments on the pitch. The devastating diagnosis has rocked his family - and the sport they love. Alix and Mel spoke to Jo Fidgen. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Picture: Alix Popham and Mel Bramwell-Popham Credit: Alix Popham

Homeira Qaderi lived for reading and writing. In the mid-1990s, when she was 13 years old, the Taliban banned girls from going to school in Afghanistan, so she set up a secret classroom in her kitchen. She also taught young refugee children in a tent, risking death if she was caught, and sought out a teacher who could secretly instruct her in the art of writing stories. She later went to university in Iran and became a successful writer, academic and women's rights advocate. Homeira has written a memoir as a ‘mother's letter to her son', in which she tries to explain to him what growing up as a girl in Afghanistan was like, and the sacrifices she made along the way. She tells Jo Fidgen just how much she has had to battle to pursue her dream. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Rebecca Vincent Picture: Homeira Qaderi Credit: Tim Schoon

Warning: This programme contains descriptions of mental and sexual abuse which you may find distressing. In the 1970s child sexual abuse was rarely talked about and for some people, barely understood. So when a trusted member of the community called Bob Berchtold inveigled himself into the Broberg family's lives, becoming like a second father to their three girls, nothing seemed out of place. Berchtold went on to kidnap 12-year-old Jan Broberg, twice, brainwashing her with an elaborate conspiracy that aliens were in charge and the world would end unless she had a baby with him. Decades on, Jan and her mother Mary Ann talk frankly to Jo Fidgen about how the abuser fooled the whole family - and how they eventually rebuilt their lives. This interview contains themes of child sexual abuse which may be difficult and triggering to hear. Details of organisations offering information and support for victims of child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Picture: Jan Broberg as a child with her abuser Bob Berchtold Credit: Courtesy Jan Broberg

T La Rock grew up in New York's Bronx and is seen by many as a pioneer of the Hip Hop music genre. He became the first artist to be recorded by Def Jam records and performed around the world, but that all came to a halt when he was attacked and left with 70% memory loss. Struggling to recover, he ended up in a Jewish nursing home where he found an unlikely group of supporters who helped him to perform again. Jo Fidgen spoke to him in 2018. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki Image: 'T La Rock' Credit: Stijn Coppens

Former US poet laureate Natasha Trethewey began writing to express her feelings about her violent stepfather. She told Oulook's Jo Fidgen how it became her comfort and career, after her worst fears came true. Her memoir is called Memorial Drive. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder and Sophie Eastaugh Picture: Natasha Trethewey receives an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree at Emerson College in 2015 Credit: Paul Marotta/Getty Images

Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho is a Mexican biologist who's braved poachers and cartels in a quest to save the world's most endangered marine mammal - a tiny porpoise known as vaquita. There's only a handful left in the world and their survival is in large part due to Lorenzo's efforts. His work with the animal has earned him the nickname ‘Mr Vaquita'. Jo Fidgen caught up with Lorenzo to name him one of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For full details of the awards and Covid-19 related changes, please check the revised terms on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations. With music from Jorge Castillo and the Fandango Fusión Fronteriza. Producers: Clayton Conn, Saskia Edwards, Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes, Andrea Kennedy Editor: Munazza Khan Picture: Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho Credit: Clayton Conn

As a teenager, Ana Baquedano sent a nude selfie to her boyfriend in exchange for a promise to delete it. Instead, he shared it. Ana was bullied, harassed and suffered from depression. But then she got to work making Mexican history. While Ana was still a student, she led a campaign to make 'revenge porn' a crime in her state of Yucatan - and in 2018 the historic legislation was passed. Jo Fidgen caught up with Ana to name her one of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For full details of the awards and Covid-19 related changes, please check the revised terms on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations. With music from Jorge Castillo and the Fandango Fusión Fronteriza. Producers: Asya Fouks, Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes, Andrea Kennedy Editor: Munazza Khan Picture: Ana Baquedano Credit: Courtesy of Ana Baquedano

Diane Reeve is a Texan martial arts teacher who discovered that her boyfriend had knowingly infected her and many other women with HIV/Aids. She then tracked down a number of his former partners, rallied the women together to testify against him in a groundbreaking case. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Diane is now an advocate for safer online dating and an Aids awareness activist. Jo Fidgen caught up with Diane to name her of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For full details of the awards and Covid-19 related changes, please check the revised terms on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations. Producers: Tom Harding-Assinder, Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes Editor: Munazza Khan Picture: Diane Reeve Credit: Alyssa Vincent

Justin Finlayson is a former bus driver on a mission to save young lives. He comes from an area of London which suffers from a long term gang divide. When the violence got particularly bad back in 2017, he drew on his driving background and came up with an idea to try to heal the rivalries. Justin bought a double decker bus, built a recording studio inside, and created a musical sanctuary where young people from warring areas could make music. Justin's project, which he called United Borders, soon captured the attention of the stars of UK hip hop and grime - Akala, Stormzy and Nines. But the project wasn't easy, and the first bus was burnt down by arsonists. Justin persevered and now he's operating in a new bus, surrounded by young people whose lives he's changed. Jo Fidgen caught up with Justin to name him of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For rights reasons, we were unable to include Akala's contribution in this podcast, but you can listen to him in the radio version. It's available - along with full details of the awards, Covid-19 related changes, and our revised terms - on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations. Producers: Harry Graham, Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes Editor: Munazza Khan Picture: Justin Finlayson Credit: Brunel Johnson

In 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay went missing in Texas. Several years later, he apparently resurfaced in Spain, and he was reunited with his family. But all was not as it seemed. Private investigator Charlie Parker knew he had an imposter on his hands. He spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen in 2018. Rob Weston was abandoned in a cinema toilet in the UK in 1956. Decades later he was reunited with his brother Tommy Chalmers, thanks to the help of DNA detective Julia Bell. He spoke to Jo Fidgen in 2018. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Harry Graham Picture: Newspaper article about Rob Weston Credit: Photo courtesy of Rob Weston

Growing up on a farm in Ireland as a lonely and unpopular child, Noel Fitzpatrick found solace in an invented superhero, ‘Vetman', who rescued all the broken animals of the world. He's now a pioneering veterinary surgeon who has become famous for fitting bionic limbs on injured pets. He tells Jo Fidgen how an operation on a tortoise almost cost him his life's passion. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Picture: Noel Fitzpatrick operating on Oscar the Cat to give him two Bionic back feet in 2010 Credit: Wild Productions Ltd

Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands - known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas - is still the subject of a dispute between Britain and Argentina. Now that the last landmine has been cleared from the islands, Jo Fidgen hears what it was like to live through the ten-week Falklands War of 1982. Trudi McPhee grew up on the Falkland Islands, she's the sixth generation of her family to live there. As a child, she loved the place so much that she never wanted to go on holiday, so when Argentina invaded, Trudi's reaction wasn't fear, but anger. Although she'd been told directly by the Argentine military not to help British soldiers, when the local chief of police asked her and other farmers for help, she said yes. In an area with no roads, the volunteers' knowledge of the boggy ground conditions proved invaluable in moving supplies, troops and medics across the island. During the battle for Mount Longdon, Trudi wore white gloves to lead a convoy of vehicles, at night, over rough ground. Her determination to help in any way she could took her close to the frontline. Claudio Ayuso and Ken Griffiths were both teenagers when they began their military training, Ken with the British Royal Navy and Claudio as a radio operator with the Argentine Navy. Neither expected that they would ever go to war, but in 1982, they both found themselves in the middle of the Falklands conflict. Years later both men realised that they needed some closure on that part of their lives. After reaching out to each other online, they formed a friendship more meaningful than they could ever have expected. Any comments please email us on outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Laura Thomas Picture: Road from Stanley with Mount William in the distance Credit: Getty / Dennis Gooch

The recent feuding within Nelson Mandela's family has reminded us that within the anti-apartheid hero's myth is a man and a family with very human frailties, as Gabriel Gatehouse ponders when he visits a play in Johannesburg. Yolande Knell pays a visit to the deported cleric Abu Qatada's new home - Jordan's al-Muwaqar Prison. Jo Fidgen joins the crew of a Norwegian whale hunting boat. Ed Stocker finds out why some poorer Bolivians can't afford to eat their staple food, quinoa, any more. And Dany Mitzman on the Calabrian mafia's most recent and high profile victim.

Correspondents' news and views from around the globe: Hugh Schofield is in Paris as French troops take on Islamist rebels in the former French colony of Mali; Will Grant on how Venezuelans are starting to consider a future without their president, Hugo Chavez; Emily Buchanan on the Indian holy man who wowed the ladies in New England; Jo Fidgen on how the Sami people of northern Sweden haven't quite forgotten their traditionally nomadic ways and James Luckhurst takes shelter from the cold and finds a welcome in one of the most unusual museums in the Baltic states.

Unemployment's up, the tax bills are up, public cheerfulness is down. Hugh Schofield says these are gloomy times in France. Sunday's general election in Venezuela could be a close one. And already it's providing our correspondent Paul Moss with a wardrobe nightmare. The stalemate in London surrounding Wikileaks founder Julian Assange continues. Jo Fidgen says that in Sweden, where he's wanted after allegations of sexual assault, most people believe he should come back for questioning. Hundreds of thousands of Crimean Tatars have been returning to their homeland. Robin Banerji has been learning that many are finding it hard to track down their cultural heritage. And biggest, tallest, longest, most expensive? Modern China certainly deals in superlatives but Martin Patience wonders if size really does matter or if it's all a question of insecurity.

How did the lifeboat of the North Atlantic, as it's called, manage to cope with thousands of unexpected air passengers? Jo Fidgen is in Gander, Newfoundland, with a story of 9.11 kindness. In Sudan, there are fears of a new offensive by government troops once the rains have stopped -- Julie Flint's in the Nuba mountains in the south. Nick Thorpe's at a monastery overlooking the River Danube in Romania. There they've been celebrating a holy day when people come to have their ailments washed away by holy water. Thomas Dinham tells of a febrile atmosphere in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in the days after a mob laid seige to the Israeli embassy there. And in the week when the president of the European Commission spoke of a fight for our political and economic future, Paul Henley argues that increasingly Europe is becoming a continent of extremes.