Podcast appearances and mentions of melanie abbott

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 bloating caused by IBS, and Laura because she was limited by what was available in plus sizes. They tell Nuala about turning their positive approach to fashion into a live show.The mother of the Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who took her own life, tried to discourage her from joining the army. Assistant Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg ruled Jaysley died by suicide and that the Army's handling of a sexual assault complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber was ‘more than a minimal contributory part in her death'. She was later subjected to relentless harassment by her line manager, Former Bombardier Ryan Mason. He sent her over 4,600 messages confessing his feelings for her and showed her a 15 page love story about her. The Army's failure to take action after she was harassed by him also contributed to her death. Her mother LeighAnn McCready tells us about her daughter and the army's investigation.Fatma Said is a renowned classical singer – she was the first Egyptian soprano to perform on La Scala's famous stage in Milan. She has also sung alongside Elton John and Ed Sheeran and was the first female artist to perform at the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2023. Fatma sings in several languages, and her albums span an eclectic mix of genres: El Nour celebrated her cultural heritage, and Kaleidoscope, featured everything from opera to Whitney Houston. She joins Nuala to discuss her latest album – Lieder - in which she turns to 19th Century German romantic music.Presented by Nuala McGovern. Produced by Melanie Abbott.

The Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin is the Bishop of Dover and the Bishop in Canterbury - Britain's first black woman bishop. She's a trailblazer, who has been right at the heart of a changing nation for over 40 years. Despite discrimination due to her gender and ethnic minority background, Bishop Rose has never wavered from the call she received to enter ministry at the age of 14. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her memoir, The Girl from Montego Bay.The fast-fashion company Shein, whose customers in the UK are 80% women, may be listing on the London Stock Exchange soon. But questions remain over the company's supply chain and work practices amid allegations of forced labour and human rights abuses. Nuala speaks to sustainable fashion consultant Natalie Binns and Head of Money and Markets at Hargreaves Lansdown Susannah Streeter. We asked Shein for a comment, but they said they didn't want to provide a statement.Zoe Kornberg is a trainee doctor in Texas who says she left her obstetrician and gynaecology training programme because she felt that, under the strict abortion laws, she wasn't able to care for her patients safely. Nuala and reporter Melanie Abbott speak to women on both sides of the abortion debate in the US, as well as hearing from Zoe herself. If you've walked through Pounds Park in Sheffield recently, you might have seen a 25m-tall heron...it's a colourful mural by street artist Megan Russell, also known as Peachzz, who has been nominated for Street Art Cities' best mural in the world 2024. Megan joins Nuala to tell us more.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lottie Garton

French actress Isabelle Huppert is renowned for her portrayal of dark, complex characters. She's also been hailed by many as one of the greatest actors of modern cinema. Since the 1970, she's starred in more than 120 films, including The Lacemaker, The Piano Teacher, and Elle for which she was Oscar nominated. She joins Nuala to discuss her latest role in a new comedic film The Crime is Mine, directed by François Ozon.From today NHS staff in England will be able to whisteblow on colleagues for sexual harassment, as part of plans to improve safety for staff across the health service. Almost three-quarters (74%) of NHS England staff are female and in this year's NHS Staff Survey, almost 58,000 staff said they'd been the victim of assault, touching, sexualised or inappropriate conversation or jokes from their colleagues. To discuss the plans Nuala speaks to reporter, Melanie Abbott and Dr Chelcie Jewitt co-founder of Surviving in Scrubs set up to raise awareness of the sexist and misogynistic culture within health care.New podcast The Kill List follows a group of journalists who discovered a page on the dark web detailing requests to have people killed, with women most likely to be the ones targetted. The investigation led to a major international police operation over four years and, at the heart of it are the real people whose lives were seemingly at huge risk. Nuala is joined by the programme's producer Caroline Thornham and Jennifer whose former husband posted a 'hit' for her on this website. Cecelia Ahern is the bestselling author of an incredible twenty books. She first found success at a remarkably young age. She was only 21 when her novel PS I Love You became an international bestseller and then a Hollywood film. She tells Nuala McGovern how Celtic mythology and a return to nature inspired her latest novel.Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

We hear about the thousands of women suing the breast implant manufacturer Allergan over alleged links with a rare cancer. We have an exclusive interview with a woman who has received a payout from the company after falling sick. Susan Axelby told our reporter Melanie Abbott that she ended up being diagnosed with cancer after having an operation which was supposed to prevent it. Plus, Nuala McGovern was joined by lawyer Sarah Moore to go over details of the case and reveal whether more women in the UK are likely to take action. And Professor Suzanne Turner from Cambridge University discusses her research into this cancer and gives advice to women who have implants, including the fact that the numbers diagnosed are small and it is treatable.Ellen Burstyn has been a star of American stage and screen for 70 years. This week she received the Liberatum Pioneer Award at the Venice Film Festival for her contribution to cinema and the industry, particularly in paving the way for women. She talks to Krupa Padhy about her stories from a lifetime on camera.Head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January last year whilst waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report she knew would grade her school as "inadequate". Ruth's sister, Professor Julia Waters, has been campaigning for change in the way Ofsted rates schools ever since. A review was published today into Ofsted's response to Ruth Perry's death, and this week the Government announced changes to the way the school's inspector for England rates schools. Nuala was joined by Professor Waters to give her response.From spongy flesh to wandering wombs, there have been many theories about the inner workings of women across the centuries. In her new book, Immaculate Forms, Professor Helen King talks to Anita Rani about how scientific theories and religious beliefs have shaped our understanding of women's bodies, from Ancient Greece to the present day.This week we speak to not just one Paralympic medallist but two - Team GB triathletes Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore, who won bronze and silver in the Para-triathlon category in PTS5. They join Nuala from Paris.Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

We hear about the thousands of women suing the breast implant manufacturer Allergan over alleged links with a rare cancer. We have an exclusive interview with a woman who has received a pay-out from the company after falling sick. Susan Axelby tells our reporter Melanie Abbott that she ended up being diagnosed with cancer after having an operation which was supposed to prevent it. Plus, Nuala McGovern is joined by lawyer Sarah Moore to go over details of the case and reveal whether more women in the UK are likely to take action. And Professor Suzanne Moore from Cambridge University will discuss her research into this cancer and give advice to women who have implants, including the fact that the numbers diagnosed are small and it is treatable.Actor and producer Gemma Arterton returns to our screens this week for the second season of Funny Woman, which tells the story of Sophie, a comedian trying to forge a path for women's voices in the male-dominated world of 1960s comedy. Gemma joins Nuala to tell her about the series and her own passion for getting women's voices heard.Giuseppe and his Nonna, Marianna, have been making social media content together since 2021, sharing videos of them making food inspired by Nonna's Italian home cooking, but vegan. Giuseppe and Marianna join Nuala to discuss their relationship, how Nonna found social media fame in her 80s, and their first cookbook Cooking with Nonna. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Editor: Deiniol Buxton Studio Manager: Gayl Gordon

A record-breaking number of women MPs have been elected following Labour's win at the general election. It's also the first time in parliamentary history that the proportion of women elected is more than 40%. Harriet Harman, the now ex-Labour MP and former Mother of the House, gives her reaction.Three women who say they were the victims of a racial attack have had the charges of assault made against them by their assailant discontinued by the CPS. Selma Taha, the executive director for advocacy group Southall Black Sisters, and Danae Thomas, two of the women, join Anita Rani to talk about what impact the charges being dropped has had, and how they're hoping this might impact further action against racist violence against women and girls.Cathy Rentzenbrink is known for her non-fiction books – but now she's written a second fiction novel – Ordinary Time. It tells the story of Ann, a reluctant vicar's wife, and her grappling with ideas of marriage, duty and temptation. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss.A recent article in the New York Times coined the phrase "medium friends" to describe “not our besties, but more than just acquaintances.” Anita talks to Dr Susan MacDougall, a social anthropologist at Oxford University, and to Shazia Mirza, a comedian and writer, about friendship levels.Women are turning to increasingly risky ways to get weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as online prescribers become more stringent about who they will give them to. Two young women tell Woman's Hour's Melanie Abbott about using drugs they buy on the black market, despite the potential dangers. Plus Professor Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal College of GPs talks to Nuala. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal speaks to Nuala McGovern about his independent culture review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which is the independent regulator for nurses and midwifes in the UK. The report is highly critical, finding that a "dysfunctional culture" at the council has "threatened public safety and puts nurses at risk." Sir David Warren, Chair of the Council also joins them to respond to the findings of the report.Women are turning to increasingly risky ways to get weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as online prescribers become more stringent about who they will give them to. Two young women tell Woman's Hour's Melanie Abbott about using drugs they buy on the black market, despite the potential dangers. Plus Professor Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal College of GPs explains the dangers of taking unregulated drugs.A new Radio 3 documentary looks at the life and work of 20th Century American composer Undine Smith Moore. Presenter Dr Samantha Ege tells Nuala about the woman affectionally called “The Dean of Black Women Composers”. She explains how Moore's radical, experimental composition ‘Soweto' helped her find her anger and heal after trauma.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Olivia Skinner

Yesterday, Kate Garraway returned to Good Morning Britain following the loss of her husband, Derek. She spoke about her reaction to being called a widow for the first time, by a delivery man, apologising for her loss. Anita Rani speaks to Poorna Bell, a journalist and author who lost her husband in 2015, and Karen Sutton, host of The Widow Podcast, who became a trained grief coach after her husband passed away in 2016. Anita Rani talks to a woman who says a cosmetic surgery clinic tried to silence her after she reported concerns about her eye operation. Signature clinic is taking five people in total to court after they posted negative reviews or comments on support groups. A judge has thrown out an attempt to get a gagging order against one of them. BBC reporter Melanie Abbott speaks to the woman concerned. And that woman's solicitor tells Anita what she thinks this judgement means for free speech. A trend is surfacing on social media, where women reach out to one another with a request - Can you find out if my partner is cheating on me? Anita speaks to Becky Hayes from The Laura and Becky Show podcast, who is creating social media content out of these requests and a journalist who has researched the subject, Beth Ashley, for a discussion on the morality of social media investigators. Although payments are not taken for these requests and identities are kept secret, some might ask whether it's appropriate to make humorous content, out of what could possibly be very devastating news for someone. And without the context of the relationship to inform them, whether the trend invade people's privacy. Fans are eagerly waiting to see if Taylor Swift will make it from Tokyo to Las Vegas in time to support her American footballer boyfriend Travis Kelce at the US Super Bowl this Sunday. Many in the Trump camp are watching closely too, as right-wing conspiracy theories run wild that the pop megastar might use the event to influence the presidential elections. What is going on? Anita talks to BBC reporter Holly Honderich, based in Washington.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt Studio manager: Emma Harth

Woman's Hour investigates the cosmetic surgery clinic taking legal action when patients post unfavourable reviews. Kate Kronenbach tells reporter Melanie Abbott she was disappointed when she had an operation to remove fat from her arms after losing 10 stone, and received a solicitor's letter when she wrote about her experience on the Trustpilot website. Action has also been taken against five others. The Free Speech Union is supporting them in their case. Clare McDonnell discusses the story with Melanie and speaks to the Union and to patient campaigner Dawn Knight. Is speed-dating making a comeback? Apathy over dating apps seems to be pushing both men and women towards the kind of speed dating that was so popular in the nineties. But is it better than online dating? And does it work? Clare is joined by writer Radhika Sanghani and relationship counsellor Suzie Hayman to discuss.Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina won a controversial fourth consecutive term in Parliamentary elections last elections last Sunday. The opposition party called it a 'sham' election, coming after mass arrests of her political opponents and refused to participate. The leader of the Opposition former PM Khaleda Zia – also female - is under house arrest. Between them the two women have dominated Bangladeshi politics since 1991. BBC News South Asian Correspondent, Samira Hussain, joins Clare McDonnell to tell us more about these leaders and the political situation in Bangladesh. Last week on Woman's Hour we heard the candid admission by the former Labour MP and Government Minister, Dame Joan Ruddock that she was ready to end her terminally ill husband's life using a pillow in a bid to end his pain. Her husband the former MP Frank Doran had been suffering from end stage bowel cancer in 2017, and she struggled to get him pain relief medication in the hours before he died. She is now calling for a free vote in the Commons to legalise assisted dying. The public debate around the subject has been revived in recent months by leading figures such as Esther Rantzen - who revealed that she is considering travelling to a Dignitas clinic in Switzerland if her cancer worsens; and the late Dame Diana Rigg, who made a recording before her death making the case for assisted dying. But others such as Baroness Ilora Finlay, a cross bench peer in the House of Lords and a palliative end of life care expert, are cautioning against a law change. She believes improved access to care and pain relief is the answer when people are dying rather than the taking of lethal drugs. She joins Clare McDonnell to reflect on the new push for a law change.Presented by Clare McDonnell Producer: Louise Corley

Economic abuse was officially recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021, yet a new study from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse suggests victims are still being let down by the police and the courts. Their CEO Nicola Sharp-Jeffs joins to tell us more about their findings, alongside ITV broadcaster Ruth Dodsworth who shares her own personal experience. What would you do if you weren't afraid? That is the question Michal Oshman is asking in her latest book. As the former Head of Company Culture at TikTok and International Leadership Development Executive at Facebook, she is no stranger to success. But Michal says that she has spent most of her life hiding anxiety and fear under this success - and uses her book to explore how we can all replace uncertainty with purpose for a better life. She joins Anita Rani to discuss. You might have seen in the papers and online that the actress Sophie Turner and the singer Joe Jonas are getting divorced. The couple met back in 2016 on Instagram, and were married a year later. They have two daughters together, but earlier this week released a joint statement saying they have 'mutually decided to amicably end' their marriage. However, TMZ reported that a source claimed that they had very different lifestyles. Sophie Likes to party, while Jo stays at home, they reported. Olivia-Anne Cleary is a senior editor and writer who felt compelled to write an article about it for Glamour magazine, Can We Please Stop Mum Shaming. She joins Anita to discuss. When you think of traditional barbershop singers you probably think of men. But there are just as many female acapella singing groups as male. The Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers has around 60 clubs as members. And Mountain Harmony Chorus, the only one in Wales, wrote to Woman's Hour during Listener Week, inviting us to one of their rehearsals. We hear from our reporter Melanie Abbott who went along. Is Belfast the new city of love? Well it's the backdrop to new Sky Atlantic romcom, The Lovers, which follows local supermarket worker Janet and her love affair with English TV presenter, Seamus O'Hannigan who has a whole other life, and a girlfriend, back in London. Roisin Gallagher, who plays Janet, joins Anita to talk about filming in her hometown and changing perceptions of Northern Ireland's capital. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

The mother whose daughters were murdered, and their photographs then shared on a police WhatsApp group gives a keynote speech this morning at the launch of a new organisation designed to help stamp out misogyny, sexism and racism in the police. Mina Smallman has become an activist since the death of her daughters in 2020. Nuala McGovern will speak live to our reporter Melanie Abbott who will be at the launch and to Mina Smallman. Are you guilty of 'phubbing'? This means snubbing someone to look at your phone. New research into the effects on married couples has found that couples who regularly phub each other have lower marriage satisfaction. To discuss the issue Nuala is joined by Claire Cohen, author and journalist, who says she is guilty of this. Having graduated from drama school only three years ago Georgina Onuorah takes on the role of Dorothy in a new production of The Wizard of Oz currently on stage at the London Palladium. She joins Nuala in the Woman's Hour studio to sing ‘Over the Rainbow' live. Over 80% of legal practitioners feel that the family court, when dealing with private law cases, is likely to retraumatise victims and survivors of domestic abuse. That's according to a survey by the Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner which was published in a report yesterday. Nuala is joined by Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to find out what the report revealed. Nuala also hears from a Woman's Hour listener who is critical of the way that the family court works. Today a new song, Call Me A Lioness, is released to coincide with the start of the Women's World Cup. The drummer on the track, Al Greenwood from the band The Sports Team, joins Nuala in the studio. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

A woman who was stalked by her husband and then placed into witness protection with a new identity to escape him, says she feels like she's the one being punished. She's complained to the police about the way her case was handled after being told she failed an assessment and was no longer being supported by them in her new life. She spoke to our reporter Melanie Abbott, and says she felt completely cut adrift. We hear her story of how she had to uproot her two children and start a new life with a new job in a new town, while her husband is free to live wherever he likes. Academic Rachael Wheatley from the university of Derby tells Anita how she is training police to be better at dealing with stalkers and how victims need better support. A new report by the Trade Union Congress has highlighted a gender pension gap between what men and women are living on in retirement. The estimate it's currently running at 40.5%, which is more than double the current gender pay gap. Nuala talks to Nikki Pound from the TUC and financial expert Sarah Pennells Consumer finance specialist at Royal London - pensions insurance provider about the issues facing women and possible solutions. You can't read a tabloid newspaper without some form of cheating scandal filling the headlines. But what makes someone lie to the person they love? Nuala asks Natalie Lue, a boundaries and relationships coach about the big and little lies we tell in relationships. Writer and Podcaster Jackie Adedeji speaks to Nuala about her new Channel 4 documentary UNTOLD: My Big Boobs, a look into the impacts of having big boobs and the rise in breast reduction surgery. Sarah Ditum also joins to discuss the cultural trends of breasts through the years. Dr Edna Adan Ismail is known as the ‘Woman of Firsts'. She's Somaliland's first trained midwife, first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and former First Lady. And now she has added another first to her title. She is this year's winner of the Templeton Prize - making her the first black African woman to receive the honour. She has been awarded the £1.1 million prize for her contribution to women's health. In 2002 she sold everything she owned to build The Edna Adan Hospital and University which has played a crucial role in cutting maternal mortality rates in Somaliland. She still lives and works within the hospital. Edna Adan Ismail explains what life is like for women in Somaliland, and what will she spend the prize money on. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Hanna Ward

A woman who was stalked by her husband and then placed into witness protection with a new identity to escape him, says she feels like she's the one being punished. She's complained to the police about the way her case was handled after being told she failed an assessment and was no longer being supported by them in her new life. She spoke to our reporter Melanie Abbott, and says she felt completely cut adrift. We hear her story of how she had to uproot her two children and start a new life with a new job in a new town, while her husband is free to live wherever he likes. Academic Rachael Wheatley from the university of Derby tells Anita how she is training police to be better at dealing with stalkers and how victims need better support. The England manager Sarina Wiegman has this week named her squad for the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July. But star players like Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby will all miss out because of injury. Wiegman is also keen to get her squad training together at the earliest possible opportunity, but says her plans are being blocked by the European Club Association who only want players released from their club teams at the end of June at the earliest. So what does this mean for England Women's world cup chances and how will they fare down under? Anita finds out from Jo Currie, BBC women's sport reporter. This week, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law. It's a country already known for its strict laws against LGBT people, but the new bill includes legislation changes such as the death penalty for what is being described as ‘aggravated homosexuality', for example anyone engaging in gay sex who is infected with a life-long illness such as HIV. The bill also states that anyone facilitating same-sex marriage in the country could face up to seven years imprisonment, and anyone promoting or normalising LGBT relationships could be served whole life sentences. Kasha Nabagesera, LGBT activist and founder of Freedom and Roam Uganda, one of the main lesbian, bisexual and transgender women's rights organizations in the country, joins Anita to discuss what this means on the ground. Did you grow up in the 90s and noughties during the advent of the internet, when MSN, chatrooms and MySpace were the dominant platforms? Harriet Gibsone is an author and millennial who was part of the first generation to come of age online. In her new memoir Is This OK? One Woman's Search for Connection Online, she examines the long-term impact it had on her and the pros and cons of online connection at different stages of her life, from being a teen to becoming a mother struggling with early menopause. She joins Anita in the Woman's Hour studio.

After working together for almost a decade, Melanie and Noelle were tired, frustrated and burned out.  They were always having to fight – the insurance companies, their employers, the system the worked in – for their patients.It became so bad Noelle was dealing with stress-related anxiety and medical issues and considering leaving the physical therapy profession!Then they started their own practice and everything changed.  Founders of Empassion Pelvic Health and members of the Pelvic PT Rising Family, Melanie and Noelle have created a multi-six figure business in less than six months.They are a perfect example of working for 10 years to be an overnight success.  They're still learning the ropes of business, but more fulfilled than at any point in their careers.  So proud of all they've accomplished and excited to see where they go!Empassion Pelvic HealthYou can find out more and get in touch with Noelle and Melanie at www.empassionpelvichealth.com or on Instagram @empassion_pelvichealth Business ResourcesIf you're starting or growing a cash-based pelvic health practice, we've got some great resources for you!  We've helped more than 200 practices take off in markets across the country.  From business courses, handouts and resources to true business mentorship in our Rising program, we've got something that can help.  Check out all our Business Resources (www.pelvicptrising.com/business) and fill out the Entrepreneur Survey there!About UsNicole and Jesse Cozean founded Pelvic PT Rising to provide clinical and business resources to physical therapists to change the way we treat pelvic health.   PelvicSanity Physical Therapy together in 2016.  It grew quickly into one of the largest cash-based physical therapy practices in the country.Through Pelvic PT Rising, Nicole has created clinical courses (www.pelvicptrising.com/clinical) to help pelvic health providers gain confidence in their skills and provide frameworks to get better patient outcomes.  Together, Jesse and Nicole have helped nearly 200 pelvic practices start and grow through the Pelvic PT Rising Mentorship Program (www.pelvicptrising.com/business) and business courses to change the way pelvic health is administered.Get in Touch!Learn more at www.pelvicptrising.com, follow Nicole @nicolecozeandpt (www.instagram.com/nicolecozeandpt) or reach out via email (nicole@pelvicsanity.com).Check out our Clinical Courses, Business Resources and learn more about us at Pelvic PT Rising...Let's Continue to Rise!

Tracy Chevalier discusses a historic Vermeer exhibition at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the largest collection of his paintings ever assembled including Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was celebrated by Chevalier's 1999 novel of the same name. Bristol Old Vic is collaborating with four universities in the West Country for a major study into audience reactions in the theatre. Do reactions in the auditorium differ from those watching it online? Melanie Abbott investigates, talking to Iain Gilchrist from University of Bristol, Mike Richardson from University of Bath, Charlotte Geeves from Bristol Old Vic, actor Sophie Steer and Emma Keith, Director of Digital Media at the National Theatre. The finely wrought rhyming and metrical poetry of A. E. Stallings has won her prizes in the US, but until now she has not been published in the UK. Manchester-based publisher Carcanet is putting this right with This Afterlife, her Selected Poems. A. E. Stallings talks about living in Greece, drawing on classical mythology, making art out of the minutiae of life, and the joy of rhythm and rhyme. Jonathan Howard of The King's Singers tells us about the recent cancellation of a concert they were due to perform at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, over what the group says were "concerns related to the sexuality of members." Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Paul Waters (Photo: Photo Rijksmuseum)

Amongst all his other difficulties, Boris Johnson has promised to improve the outcome for rape victims, saying he will fix the system. It was a pledge made after the murder of Sarah Everard. Today, long awaited guidelines on evidence in trials have been published which campaigners say will do just the opposite. They'll deter women from coming forward because police and prosecutors will STILL be allowed to ask for personal records like medical and therapy notes and even school reports. We discussed this last month - when our reporter Melanie Abbott heard that draft guidelines prepared by the Crown Prosecution Service were being overturned. She joins us to tell us the latest. Bravehearted is a new book that explores the extraordinary story of the women of the American ‘Wild West' during the 19th century. Whether they were the hard-drinking hard-living poker players and prostitutes of the new boom towns, 'ordinary' wives and mothers walking two thousand miles across the prairies pulling their handcarts behind them, Chinese slave-brides working in laundries, or the Native American women displaced by the mass migration, all have one trait in common: extreme resilience and courage in the face of the unknown. We speak to author and historian, Katie Hickman about a period of history she believes has never been as well-documented by women as this. The Living Wage Foundation has said that women are being disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis as they are more likely to be in low paid work. Today the government is set to announce support, the Financial Times' Clear Barrett joins Jessica on the programme to discuss how this could help you. One of the most successful pop groups in history is back! 40 years since their last concert, ABBA, are once again performing. Well almost… Agnetha, Freida, Benny and Björn spent 5 weeks performing their songs in motion capture suits so that their movements could be captured and turned into ABBA-TARS. The end result? A digital, 360-degree, immersive concert experience which feels like you're watching ABBA, from the 1970s, perform in front of you. Producer Svana Gisla has kept the whole production on track for five years. A recent landmark report revealed 75% of women of colour have experienced racism at work, 27% having suffered racial slurs and 61% report changing themselves to fit in. Produced by gender equality organisation, the Fawcett Society, and the race equality think tank, the Runnymede Trust, ‘Broken Ladders' explores and documents the experiences of 2,000 women of colour in workplaces across the UK, showing the harmful and entrenched racism that women of colour endure at every stage of their career journey. Zaimal Azad, senior campaigns officer at the Fawcett Society joins Jessica Creighton. Presenter: Jessica Creighton Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Vera Baird Reporter: Melanie Abbott Interviewed Guest: Katie Hickman Interviewed Guest: Claer Barrett Interviewed Guest: Svana Gisla Photo Credit: Baillie Walsh Interviewed Guest: Zaimal Azad

Bethany Shriever's win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 gave the British Olympic team its first ever gold medal in BMX racing even though she had to launch a crowdfunding appeal to stand a chance of qualifying for the games. What does this latest award mean for her and BMX racing? In the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, Boris Johnson said he'd stop at nothing to jail more rapists' and promised to fix the system which means just 1.3% of cases result in a charge. Our reporter Melanie Abbott has been investigating new guidelines on evidence gathering issued by the Crown Prosecution Service and Emma Barnett talks to Sian Ruddick who is an independent sexual advisor who works with victims of sexual assault. In 1958, The Great Leap Forward was a campaign led by the Chinese Communist Party to reconstruct the country and its economy which resulted in mass starvation and famine. Thousands of people fled to the neighbouring state of Hong Kong, which was a British colony at the time and many children – often girls - living in overcrowded Hong Kong orphanages were adopted by British families in the sixties. We hear from two of those children Katherine Gordon and Debbie Cook and their remarkable start to life. After the DJ Tim Westwood faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct - which he strenuously denies - we talk to Tamanna Rahman and BBC Producer Ruth Evans. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is a funny novel about mental illness and families and love of all sorts. Martha Friel is loved and hilarious and clever but she sometimes cries for days. When she was 17 she had a breakdown which has shadowed her life since then. At 40 she finally gets a diagnosis which helps her to understand why she is as she is. So why did Meg Mason decide not to name Martha's illness in the book? She explains her decision to Emma. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Tim Heffer & Michael Millham

Jamie-Lee O'Donnell is best known for playing the wise cracking Michelle in Channel 4's Derry Girls, the comedy series about a group of teenagers growing up in 1990's Northern Ireland. Jamie-Lee has swapped the school uniform for a prison uniform for new drama Screw on Channel 4, about working in a men's prison. This time last year shocking footage coming from Washington DC, as supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, captured the world's attention. Two women, who were part of that riot, were among the people who died. The event in America is now simply known as January the Sixth. Helen Lewis, writer for the Atlantic Magazine joins Emma to discuss the the significance of the event a year on. The Pope has come under fire by some and been supported by others for comments during his weekly general audience at the Vatican in which he lamented that some married couples opt to remain childless and instead transfer their love to cats, dogs and other animals. We get your views and those of Cathy Adams, a maternal ambivalence blogger. Dr Lin Berwick MBE has cerebral palsy quadriplegia and became totally blind at the age of 15. She also has partial hearing loss and is a permanent wheelchair user. She wasn't expected to live past her teens and has needed care 24/7 all her life. Now in her seventies, she has been a fierce advocate and ambassador for people with disabilities and their carers, and has written a new book On A Count of Three all about what it's like having a carer - and what she thinks carers should know. Today sees the unveiling of the 1921 census records. Details of the census are always kept secret for 100 years, apart from broad statistics. This census for the first time includes details of divorce and also where people worked. Melanie Abbott reports and Emma speaks to Dr Michala Hulme, a social historian and genealogist from the University of Birmingham.

In our series Under Pressure we've been looking at what happens to relationships when couples are put under extreme strain: how do they cope? Today we hear from Kate and Annie who live in Northumberland. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. In March, Julia Chain was announced as the new chair of the HFEA. Now Julia is calling for the 1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Act to be updated. She joins Emma to discuss the changes she wants to see. We talk to Deborah Bull and Jill Baldock about how dancing can lift your mood. A report out today from the Institute for Fiscal Studies says there's been 'almost' no progress towards closing the gender pay gap in the last 25 years. Professor Lucinda Platt, who's on the panel of the IFS Deaton Inequalities review, and who researches inequality at the London School of Economic, explains why not. If your facial fillers aren't to your liking, or worse injected in a dangerous spot, you can get them dissolved with a substance called hyaluronidase. But women are reporting nasty side effects including swelling, tissue loss, burning sensations and headaches. A cosmetic surgeon, Daniel Ezra, is studying this to try to establish exactly what's going on. We hear from him as well as our reporter Melanie Abbott.

The US Supreme Court is set to hear a case on a Mississippi abortion law, which would ban abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. It was signed in 2018 by the state's then Republican Governor, Phil Bryant. But it was blocked by several lower courts, so didn't come into effect. Now, Mississippi is asking the Supreme Court to rule in favour of their law and overturn the landmark case of Roe v Wade, which legalised abortion nationwide. Our reporter Melanie Abbott spoke to Jenny Ma, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents the last abortion clinic in Mississippi and Amanda Taub, a reporter for the New York Times, joins Chloe live. Many of us have probably scribbled a poem to past lovers, but imagine writing a whole book dedicated to them. The poet Kim Moore has done just that with her new collection All the Men I Never Married. She joins Chloe to talk about the impact of those different relationships and the contradictions and complexities of desire. Last Saturday while talking to football fans outside the Castellani stadium in Empoli after a Serie A match, Greta Beccaglia, an Italian journalist with Toscana TV, was assaulted live on air. A fan appeared to spit in his hand before slapping the journalist on her bottom. Beccaglia has since filed charges after police managed to identify the man. Investigative journalist, Alessia Cerantola joins Chloe Tilley to explain why this story has caused such a stir in Italy. Last night in their World Cup 2023 qualifier the Lionesses - England Women's football team - beat their opponents Latvia 20-0. Whilst a great win, and one that saw Manchester City's Ellen White become the top scorer ever for England, what does that score line actually tell us about the structure of the women's game - are such results a failing of trying to mimic the way men's football is organised and does it need overhauling? Chloe speaks to BBC Women's Sport reporter Jo Currie.

With the murder of Sarah Everard shining a light on police vetting procedures, File on 4 reveals that thousands of officers have still not been re-vetted to standards brought in in 2006. As a public inquiry tries to establish what's going wrong with our policing, Melanie Abbott talks to the women who say they've been betrayed by police officers who should have kept them safe and to officers who say sexism and harassment are part of the job. Reporter: Melanie Abbott Producer: Mick Tucker Editor: Nicola Addyman

Hot flushes are probably the first thing you associate with going through the menopause. But Radio 2's Liza Tarbuck had an interesting angle on it she wanted us to investigate - gums! Decreases in oestrogen can have a significant effect on your dental health including bleeding gums, burning, a dry mouth and even tooth loss. But the link to menopause and perimenopause is often missed. Dr Uchenna Okoye, Clinical Director of London Smiling Dental Group and Dr Louise Newsom, NHS Advisor for the National Menopause Programme, discuss the signs to watch out for and things you can do to help. Today the government is pulling together a specific plan to help Afghan refugees come and settle in the UK. Girls and women will be especially helped. Women's rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has called for world governments to open their borders and take 'bold stances for the protection of women and girls' in Afghanistan. But what might that bold stance look like? Emma Barnett speaks to Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy. Rape prosecutions have fallen dramatically - to the lowest ever level since data started being collected. But to what extent is this a result of intrusive requests by police and the CPS to access victims' records? Rape crisis centres around the UK are telling Woman's Hour that requests for everything from counselling records to school reports can deter women from taking the case further. Denying access to records may also lead to the case being dropped. Melanie Abbott reports on the burden women feel to prove a perfect life history in order to move forward with rape prosecutions. It's August and for lots of parents, it's time for back to school supply shopping. But it's not just kids that want all the latest products. In 2020 alone, households in the UK bought £3.52 billion pounds worth of stationery and drawing materials. And today, we're looking specifically at pens - buying them, trying them out and even watching videos of people writing with them. Pen TikToker and hand-letterer Jenna Meyers and mum Rhiannon Morgan, who runs mummy of four YouTube channel, join Emma to discuss all things pen-related.

The first producer to be awarded a new UK Geographical Indication Status is revealed and they tell Caz Graham what they hope this will do for their business and why it's important. Caz asks Joel Smith, a specialist in intellectual property, how this new standard differs from those awarded in the European Union and what steps producers in the UK might need to take to ensure that their GI status is protected elsewhere in the world. For forestry week Melanie Abbott is in Warwickshire to meet a commercial tree grower who says that prices are improving. New figures reveal that the number of beavers in Scotland have more than doubled in recent years, but not everyone's happy, as Richard Baynes explains. Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Toby Field

This Friday marks 10 years since the tragic death of the singer Amy Winehouse from alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27. A new documentary film, Reclaiming Amy on BBC 2 on Friday at 9pm features Amy's closest friends and family and seeks to tell the story of the real Amy. We hear from her mother, Janis and close friend Catriona Gourlay. A brand-new cricket competition, the Hundred is launching today. It's the first time a major team sport competition, which features both male and female teams, has opened with a women's match. Despite a push for equality, the women playing in this tournament are set to earn thousands of pounds less than the men. Can this competition change things further for women in cricket? Head of the Women's Hundred and Female Engagement at the ECB, Beth Barrett-Wild and English international cricketer, Kate Cross join Chloe to discuss. After a year long inquiry the all party parliamentary group on aesthetics beauty and wellbeing has called for much tougher regulation of Botox and fillers. MPs say the lack of proper regulation is putting women at risk. But their report stops short of recommending that only healthcare practitioners should be allowed to inject. We hear about the background and some of the horror stories from our reporter Melanie Abbott, and then from David Sines, who chairs the body registering practitioners and overseeing training providers, the Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners and Leslie Blair from the British Association of Beauty therapy and Cosmetology, which represents therapists. Plans to tackle violence against women and girls following the mass protests when the marketing executive Sarah Everard was murdered on her way home from a friend's house, have been unveiled by the government. This strategy also comes amid concern about low rape conviction rates and a culture of sexual harassment at schools. Chloe is joined by Andrea Simon, Director of End Violence Against Women Coalition and BBC special correspondent, Lucy Manning.

Composer Shirley J. Thompson is the first woman in Europe to have composed and conducted a symphony within the last 40 years. She tells us about her new work Emanation, which she's written for the disabled-led ensemble BSO. Dame Darcey Bussell Former Principal of The Royal Ballet & Strictly Judge, President of the RAD & creator of Diversity Dance Mix, Dame Darcey Bussell tells us about her mission to rescue Britain's ballet dancers and raise spirits and money for struggling dance companies by creating the British Ballet Charity Gala at the Royal Albert Hall in London bringing together eight ballet companies in one evening of dance. We discuss the results of a BBC Freedom of Information request which asked police forces in the UK how many police had been accused of sexual misconduct. We hear from our reporter Melanie Abbott, from Ruth a former officer who found herself being sexually assaulted by a colleague and Harriet Wistrich from the Centre for Women's Justice. This year the government has announced an extra 19 million pounds for domestic abuse schemes in England and Wales the majority of which will go to towards perpetrator programmes. . But just how effective are they? We hear from John who has just completed a 20 week domestic violence prevention programme at the Hampton Trust and to Vicky Gilroy who is a facilitator on those prevention programmes at the Trust. In today's online digital world everything we do now on our phones or our computers—everything we look at, click on or say online—becomes “data”. Companies and governments increasingly share and use this information to make decisions about our lives. A small UK based team of experts called Foxglove is challenging how our data's used and they've had some remarkable successes over the last year. It's director Cori Crider tells us how the group successfully challenged the A Level grading algorithm last year. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Summer's here and despite the restrictions still in place on social gathering we're still managing to meet up with friends and enjoy the odd night out. One aspect of that is of course looking your best and a big part of that is your hair, which has had to take a backseat in terms of grooming and maintenance over the last eighteen months of lockdowns. But, we are returning to salons and apparently trying lots of new and old styles, as well as getting more creative with colour. Hair stylist Nicky Clarke gives Emma Barnett a summer make over and Camilla Kay from Glamour Magazine points out the trends including seventies flicks and “big hair” and the “Shullet” – the modern take on the mullet. Most of us would think of the police as a safe place to turn to in a time of need. But it's a belief that has been seriously questioned by a couple of incidents over the past year. In a joint investigation with Newsnight we asked police forces in the UK, how many police had been accused of sexual misconduct. Of course most police officers do their jobs with integrity and honesty but campaigners say some of the results were worrying. Our reporter Melanie Abbott has been looking at this. Shamima Begum, Kimberly Polman and Hoda Muthana are just a few of the names who made headline news around the world after leaving their homes in the West to join the so called Islamic State. With rare access to the detention camp in Northern Syria, Alba Sotorra Clua's new film 'The Return: Life After ISIS' features some of the women who devoted their lives to the group and who feel they should be given the chance to start over, back home in the West. MP Jess Phillips is calling for there to be less shame around HPV – a sexually transmitted infection that she had in her twenties. Most sexually active people will contract HPV but won't know they have it. For 90% of people it clears up but for others it can be serious. Jess Phillips found out she had HPV when she was 22 and pregnant and is talking about this to raise awareness for Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness week. Dr Sarah Jarvis also joins Emma. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Harriet Wistrich Interviewed Guest: Nicky Clarke Interviewed Guest: Camilla Kay Photographer: Daniel Thomas Smith from Glamour Interviewed Guest: Alba Sotorra Clua Interviewed Guest: Jess Phillips Interviewed Guest: Dr Sarah Jarvis

Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani composer, based in Brooklyn. She joins Anita to talk about her music and influences from jazz and Qawwali to Jeff Buckley and Abidi Parveen. She explains how grief has shifted the tone of her music to ‘heavy metal harp’, and discusses her latest album, Vulture Prince, which honours and reimagines centuries-old ghazals, a form of South Asian poetry and music that she grew up listening to with her family. Now the dust has settled on the recent court ruling on compensation for women with PIP Implants, it's become clear a group of women will miss out. The French court ruled that those who had implants pre 2006 will not get any money, as it decided the safety regulator who approved the implants for market couldn't have been aware of any problems before that date. Lawyers representing the women will go back to the French supreme court to fight this. Melanie Abbott has been looking into this. Therapist and researcher, Guilaine Kinouni’s book Living While Black looks at the racial inequalities within the mental health system and their consequences for Black people. She is joined by author, academic, and broadcaster Emma Dabiri whose new book What White People Can Do Next looks at racial justice and how we demonstrations of support can be transformed into real and meaningful change. Language – and the way we use it – is forever changing. We explore how the word ‘bitch’ and other similar words with a sexist history are being reclaimed and reinvented by women to mean something positive. Chante Joseph is a social media creative and writer. Jacqueline Springer is a Black music and culture journalist. Helen Taylor is an Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Exeter. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Frankie Tobi

Human impact on planet earth’s plant life might be detectable several thousand years back in fossil pollen cores taken from mud columns around the world. As Suzette Flantua and Ondrej Mottl describe in a paper published in the journal Science, a rapid acceleration in the changes in pollen species goes back further than we might have expected. This matters particularly when it comes to decisions around re-wilding and re-planting areas today in the name of conservation. As they hope to build on in future work, learning more about the state of ecosystems further back into the past might prevent us making the mistake of simply recreating different types of post-agricultural situations which might not solve the problem we are trying to fix. One of the biggest impacts on the earth’s flora today is of course influenced by our meat consumption. The BBC’s Melanie Abbott has been to see a new exhibition opening at Oxford University’s Musuem of Natural History. Produced in association with the University’s Livestock, Environment and People research programme, this exhibition “Meat the Future”, seeks to raise awareness of the issues for health and the environment around eating – or not eating meat - and is open until January 2022. At the same time, a travelling interactive experience called Meat Your Persona will be moving around the UK, starting in Cardiff. And there's an online interactive questionnaire you can try from home. See the links at the bottom of the BBC Inside Science programme page. Researchers in the US are working on devices that might be able to connect with people’s brains to allow them to manipulate robotic or digital devices to regain abilities lost to disease or injury. As Dr Frank Willett and Prof Krishna Shenoy - both at Stanford University’s neural prosthetics translational laboratory - describe in the journal Nature, they have managed to create a device that allows one patient to create text using just thought. Rather than trying to guide a cursor over a keyboard, their technique works by learning which letter the patient is thinking of drawing by hand, despite being unable to wield a pen. And Jacob Dunn, associate professor at Anglia Ruskin University describes his team’s work which finds that tamarin monkeys will use the “accent” of another species when they enter its territory to help them better understand one another and potentially avoid conflict. His paper, published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, describes findings in the Amazon rainforest near Manaus where a species that ordinarily use quite distinct long distance calls subtly change their call to sound more like a neighbouring species’ equivalent call when they are sharing the same area of forest. Not so much an aggressive intrusion as a polite lingua franca, it may be that the shared understanding reduces unnecessary and costly territorial fights between the two species. Presented by Victoria Gill Produced by Alex Mansfield

Have you always wanted to get on a bike, but something is holding you back? This is the programme for you, presented by Melanie Abbott. If you're completely new to cycling, there's no doubt it's intimidating on the roads. It's definitely worth sharpening up your road sense and many local councils now offer bike training courses. In East London, Bikeworks run cycling for wellbeing sessions for women returning to their bikes, after a long break. Melanie goes out with a group who've been cycling together now for a few weeks. Cycling is still, predominantly a male, middle class sport. Getting more women involved isn't easy, especially for women of colour. British Cycling, which covers everything from elite sport to grass roots, has set up its first ever diversity programme. and will be publishing its strategy in the coming months. Aneela McKenna is co chair of their diversity and inclusion advisory group. She joins Melanie along with Iffat Tejani, founder of Evolve, a cycling club for Muslim women and Victoria Hazael from the charity Cycling UK, who is a trustee of the Women of Colour in Cycling Collective. Many disabled women find accessing sport particularly difficult and cycling can seem completely off limits and/or too expensive. But there are inclusive cycle groups all over the country offering weekly sessions on a huge range of adapted bikes. Others arrange rentals and ‘try before you buy’. Our Disability Affairs reporter Carolyn Atkinson goes to Herne Hill Velodrome in South London where a charity called Wheels for Wellbeing runs sessions for disabled cyclists. Tracy Moseley has won countless mountain biking trophies, including the World Cup downhill in 2006. She officially retired six years ago, and had her little boy Toby three years ago. Like many keen cyclists who have children, life has changed a lot since then. Melanie gets her tips on teaching children to ride, and her views on racing with e-bikes. Even if you are not entering races you may still be keen to "Strava your ride". It's one of the apps you can use to record your speeds and compare them with others. It's traditionally used by men, competing for the 'king of the mountain' crown, to be the fastest up a hill. But last year the company says there was a surge in the number of women using it and it seems they are just as keen to get a queen of the mountain accolade. Cyclist Sally Owens agreed to record her ride for us, up a tough hill near her home in Nottingham.

The 2011 Census found that 6.5 million people in the UK are carers and provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, older or disabled family member, friend or partner. It found that women are more likely to be carers than men, with 58% of carers being female and 42% male. Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK and Alyson Corner, psychologist and co-runs the 'My Horrid Parent' website discuss carers who have a relationship with the person they are caring for that involves a history of abuse. A parliamentary report into body image has just been published. The Women's and Equalities Committee has been looking into why so many people feel dissatisfied about the way they look. We hear from Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the committee. Tatyana Findlater who's 21 and has visible burn scars who gave evidence to the Committee and Dawn Estefan, Psychotherapist who works with black women's groups. Janice Baker, shepherdess on a farm in the Durham Hills, was badly injured when she working having been trampled by one of her own sheep. Her son, the Countryfile and former One Show presenter Matt Baker dropped everything to help keep the farm going. They discuss what happens when the roles are reversed and a child has to help a parent. Women play a critical role in the cacao industry in West Africa but their voices are rarely heard. Dr Nyagoy Nyong'o’s, Fairtrade Global CEO talks about what life is like for women cocoa farmers. Hairdressers and beauty salons have been closed for a total of eight months since the start of the pandemic. Weddings were banned in the UK for more than three months last year. Our reporter Melanie Abbott spoke to hair and make-up artist Kirsty McCall. Writer and singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn talks about her new book, My Rock 'n' Roll Friend. The friend in question is Lindy Morrison who was drummer for an Australian band, The Go-Betweens. Tracey talks about friendship, being a female performer and why she chose to write about Lindy. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Paula McFarlane Editor: Siobhann Tighe

Writer and singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn has a new book out, My Rock 'n' Roll Friend. The friend in question is Lindy Morrison. They first met backstage at the Lyceum in London in 1983 when Tracey was 20, insecure, shy, just starting out in the music business. Lindy, ten years older than Tracey, was drummer for an Australian band, The Go-Betweens. To Tracey she looked like "self belief in a minidress". Tracey joins Emma to talk about friendship, being a female performer and why she chose to write about Lindy. A year ago this week Anneliese Dodds was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by the newly elected leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer becoming the first ever woman to hold this position. The economic landscape has shifted dramatically over the last year with women often being worst hit by jobs losses and access to support. Anneliese reflects on the big issues of the last year and talks to Emma Barnett about Labour’s plans for a post covid recovery. Women say they are at the back of the queue when it comes to Covid handouts. We hear from the wedding and beauty sector. Melanie Abbott talks to Kirsty McCall, a wedding make up artist had a breakdown after spending all her savings after Covid almost wrecked her business. Emma discusses the issues with Jessie Westwood, who set up the campaign What About Weddings? last year, and Victoria Brownlie, from the National Hair and Beauty Federation. Presented by Emma Barnett Producer: Louise Corley

The playwright Mark Ravenhill joins us to talk about his new play Angela. It is a tender portrait of his parents; his mother, Angela, who died in 2019, and of his father, Ted. Angela had dementia and the play is about the memories that make us, and how time is more fluid than we might think. Ravenhill began Angela as a play for the stage that he was going to act - and even dance - himself. But Covid restirctions made that impossible so it became an audio play, starring Pam Ferris (Harry Potter, Call the Midwife) as Angela and Toby Jones (Detectorists, Uncle Vanya ) as Ted. Melanie Abbott joins us to update on the select committee concerning the future of UK music festivals. We also hear about a test festival that took place this weekend in The Netherlands, organised by Fieldlab. The winner of the 2021 Rathbones Folio Prize is announced today and Front Row we will have the first interview.

The Supreme Court are today announcing their judgement on the so-called "pizza test". That is whether a residential or home carer who "sleeps in" is entitled to the minimum wage. The reason it is named the "pizza test" is that they are required to be on site, and cannot leave to go and buy a pizza, even if they're not actually performing some specific caring activity. The case was brought by a highly-qualified care support worker called Clare Tomlinson-Blake. If the Supreme Court find in her favour it will have huge implications as it could cost the sector over £400 million in back pay. Anita Rani is joined by our reporter, Melanie Abbott, who has been speaking to Claire, and Christina McAnea, the general secretary of UNISON. The British multi-national consumer goods company, Unilever announced last week that it will remove the word ‘normal’ from 200 of its beauty products, in an attempt to create a ‘more inclusive definition of beauty’. They will also ban excessive editing of photos in relation to ‘body shape, size proportion and skin colour’. This includes models, as well as social media influencers who have been paid to promote its products. Florence Adepoju, founder of MDMflow and Sasha Pallari, the make-up artist who campaigned for better regulations on social media beauty advertisements, discuss why diversity in the beauty industry is important and what brands can do to work towards inclusivity. All week on Woman's Hour we have been thinking about and discussing the murder of Sarah Everard. Today Jacqueline Rose is one of the world's leading feminist literary and cultural critics discusses her new book, 'On Violence and On Violence Against Women'. The singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson has a rare sound that combines classical music and eclectic soul. She was nominated for her first MOBO Award in 2012. Her recent release 'Rise Up', featuring Akala, has become a revolutionary anthem for young Black people. Part of the WOW UK Festival, which is online now and will be running until Sunday 21st March, she joins Anita in the studio. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Claire Tomlinson-Blake Interviewed Guest: Christina McAnea Interviewed Guest: Florence Adepoju Interviewed Guest: Sasha Pallari Interviewed Guest: Jacqueline Rose Interviewed Guest: Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Music producer Phil Spector who has just died in a California jail was serving a life sentence for the murder of the actor Lana Clarkson. Lana Clarkson starred in a number of 1980s B movie sci-fi films like "Barbarian Queen" but at the time she met Spector she was working in a bar. Emma is joined by the biographer of Phil Spector, journalist and author Mick Brown. New exclusive research by reporter Melanie Abbott for Woman's Hour has found more and more aesthetic doctors and nurses are treating women for mistakes made injecting fillers by untrained practitioners. Melanie Abbott, Sharon Bennett from the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses and Labour MP Carolyn Harris from the all party parliamentary group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing join Emma. Duchess is the new podcast from Duchess of Rutland Emma Manners and daughter Lady Violet in which they talk to titled women who are responsible for ancestral piles around the UK. They have their own huge place, Belvoir Castle, and they join Emma to discuss the pros and cons of running such a business. We've all seen images in the press of houses where terrible things happened and heard stories of children held captive by their parents. Abigail Dean's first novel 'Girl A' is told by Lex the survivor, the one who flagged down a car and escaped from 'The House of Horrors'. It explores the impact on 'Girl A', as she was dubbed, of childhood trauma. She and her six siblings have different stories and different outcomes - what happens to those left behind when the headlines and the fascination fall away? Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Laura Bates is founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. In her latest book, she traces the roots of extreme misogyny across a complex network of online groups from Pick Up Artists to Incels. Laura explains what attracts men and boys these movements. Blogger Stephanie Yeboah has been a part of the fat acceptance and body positive movement for years. Her first book – ‘Fattily Ever After’ – is a self-help guide and love letter to black, plus size women everywhere. In the latest of our How To series, Jenni discusses how to be on time with Grace Pacie, author of LATE! A Time-bender’s guide to why we are late and how we can change, and therapist and writer Philippa Perry. Buy Now and Pay Later is increasingly being offered by many online retailers. How much are young women being led to spend more than they can afford? Jenni speaks to financial campaigner Alice Tapper, Sue Anderson from debt charity Step Change and Anna, who has managed to clear considerable debt. Now that non-invasive cosmetic procedures are able to resume operating after lockdown, are treatments such as Botox being normalised? We take a look at the trends over time with journalists Alice Hart-Davis and Melanie Abbott. As we increasingly work from home, is this the end of the office romance on screen and in real life? And why do we love the idea of one so much in the first place? We speak to the film critic Anna Smith and the Metro lifestyle editor Ellen Scott. Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Lucy Wai Editor: Lucinda Montefiore

In the Christmas edition, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom which reflect the range of contemporary life in the country. Ian McMillan tells a story known with subtle variations across the country - the Christmas card that's received each year but which can't be acknowledged because you've lost the address of the people who send it. They aren't relatives, they're not friends and they're not really acquaintances. But their card says something profound beyond the sentiments it contains. Meanwhile, Jane Labous joins the Special Constables on Christmas patrol. They're part of the police force in England, Scotland and Wales and yet not for they are volunteers who have the power to detain and fine those who break the law. At a time of tight police budgets in Dorset, the regular police tell Jane, without the Specials there would be many fewer arrests. But who are the Specials and what is the essential job they perform for no salary? Those who are single at Christmas may be thinking the best present they could have is a partner to shower them with affection and maybe the odd gift. Increasingly, they are turning to technology to find that special one and Melanie Abbott discovers if online dating is delivering for them. With the seasonal party season in full flood, Datshiane Navanayagam reveals that while she loves make-up, she'd rather wear it indoors, unseen by the rest of us, and then wipe it off and go to bed than show it in public. Can a celebrity make-up artist she approaches change her mind? And Garry Owen explains why a rude horse is coming to call more frequently in Wales at this time of year and how she should be greeted if there's a knock at your door. Producer: Simon Coates

Naz Shah MP, parliamentary ambassador for Islamic relief's ‘Honour Her’ campaign, speaks candidly to Edward about her personal reasons for joining the campaign to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls. A bitter divorce case in the orthodox Jewish community of Stamford Hill has revealed instances of housing benefit fraud - with some claiming it's prevalent in the community and assisted by local community organisations. Melanie Abbott has been investigating. And Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a staunchly Catholic conservative career politician, has been elected as the successor to Angela Merkel as leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats. We'll be exploring how her faith may shape her policy. Producers: Rajeev Gupta Helen Lee Editor: Amanda Hancox

Extra armed police have been put on the streets of Dublin after two murders within just four days of each other. It's being blamed on a flare up of gang wars more akin to Sicily. The first involved gunmen carrying Ak47s disguised as police who burst into a respectable hotel packed with people. The next was assumed to be a swift reprisal: a man was shot several times in his own home. Melanie Abbott travels to Dublin to find out the background to this bitter gang feud and talk to the community caught in the middle. Producer: Anna Meisel.

The 'pink pill' flibanserin has been called 'the female Viagra', but critics argue its benefits are few and side effects many. Melanie Abbott investigates how the failed anti-depressant came to be licensed in the USA, and what the future plans are to bring the drug to Europe. Presenter: Melanie Abbott Producer: James Melley Researcher: Phoebe Keane.

On today's WOW Radio #podcast, Margaret Wallis-Duffy talks with Dr. Melanie Abbott-Cambridge from Abbott Chiropractic healthcare and Lindsay Branton from Train Me Fit about their upcoming health fair promoting wellness in the Brampton region, at the Brampton fairgrounds on Heart Lake Road, on Saturday September 26th, from 10 am to 4pm. Be there at 9:45 am the 5k run, walk or Nordic walk starts! To suggest a story idea, or follow us on Social Media, visit www.wallisforwellness.com or www.Talk-Radio.ca Dr. Melanie Abbott-Cambridge Chiropractor Medical Acupuncture Rehabilitation Phone: 905-453-0032 #wowlivingradio #wowlivingradio #wowtv #wowradio #WallisForWellness #Wallis4Wellness #AbbottChiropractic

Why is important that our seniors matter? Our seniors are the fabric that holds a community together. They laid the foundation for the success of our communities, and are still a vital and important part of it’s ongoing success. We thought it was important that seniors and their caregivers have a place to ‘go’ weekly to learn, share ideas, share experiences and create a new online community for the betterment of everyone, especially seniors. On “Making Our Seniors Matter” today: Joan Reid, Geriatric Emergency Management Nurse & Kim Moss O'Hearn, Clinical Services Manager of the Emergency Dept, both from William Osler Health System chatting about the intake process at Emerg with #‎seniors; Dr. Melanie Abbott chats about keeping our muscles strong to that we can minimize both the occurrence of falls and the impact from a fall; Constable Wells from Peel Regional Police Service joins Glenn in studio to talk about our Senior Scam Alert; To nominate a senior for the “Shining Senior Award”, suggest a story idea, request a song or just comment on a show segment, call us at 1-866-269-6155 Ext. 3. Making Our Seniors Matter is a presentation of: Wow Living TV & Radio Real Estate For Seniors Blue Willow Consulting for Seniors Listen UP! Talk Radio The following incredible sponsors have stepped up to the plate to give this important show much needed financial support, and we’d appreciate if you could check them out. HomEquity Bank Roland Mackintosh, AMP rmackintosh@homequitybank.ca mobile 905-483-0820 toll free 1-866-883-2447 Dr. Melanie Abbott-Cambridge Chiropractor Medical Acupuncture Rehabilitation Phone: 905-453-0032 Lindsey John Croft 519-307-1344 lindsey@thehomeupdaters.ca www.thehomeupdaters.com Renovations for Life’s Stages Elizabeth Cunningham Blue Willow Consulting for Seniorsinfo@BlueWillowforSeniors.com 647-982-4052 Shelley Raymond shelley0007@gmail.com Solterra Co-housing Ltd. | Shared home ownership www.solterraco-housing.com Gary Booth Chartered Professional Accountants Chartered Accountants 555 Burnhamthorpe Rd. – Suite 406, Toronto, ON, M9C 2Y3 Tel. No. 416-626-2727 Fax No. 416-621-7136 E-mail: admin@garybooth.com Kate M. Salhanha, B.A. (Hons.), J.D. 905-451-6610 Toll free 1-877-217-4732 ksaldanha@pdclawyers.ca www.pdclawyers.ca Leslie Booker Downsize Moving and More 647-888-0459 downsizemovemore@aol.com Terry McIntyre Investment Advisor Life Insurance Advisor Manulife Securities Incorporated 3 Robert Speck Pkwy Suite 200 Mississauga, ON L4Z 2G5 Bus: (905)896-9060 ext 3838 Toll Free 1-800-586-3863 Fax: (905)366-0990 Email: terry.mcintyre@manulifesecurties.ca Website: www.terrymcintyre.ca Limited sponsor opportunities across Canada still exist, please feel to reach out if you or your business would like to support us and help us spread the word across Canada. 1-866-269-6155 Ext 3 or listenup@Talk-Radio.ca. Listen LIVE here each Monday at 2pm and repeated at 8p ET, but if you miss it, it will be podcast below each Tuesday: https://soundcloud.com/rtds/sets/making-our-seniors-matter #‎seniors, #‎makingseniorsmatters, #‎wowlivingtv, #‎wowlivingradio, #‎realestate, #‎thebestyears, #‎thegoldenyears, #‎nursinghome, #‎reversemortgages, #‎renovations, #‎safety, #‎Remax, #‎GTA, #‎Toronto, #‎MakingOurSeniorsMatter, #‎MOSM, #‎podcast, #peelpolice, #scam, #scamalert, #cohousing, #housing, #thehomeupdaters, #peelregionpolice

Why is important that our seniors matter? Our seniors are the fabric that holds a community together. They laid the foundation for the success of our communities, and are still a vital and important part of it’s ongoing success. We thought it was important that seniors and their caregivers have a place to ‘go’ weekly to learn, share ideas, share experiences and create a new online community for the betterment of everyone, especially seniors. On “Making Our Seniors Matter” today: Shelly Raymond from Solterra Co-housing Ltd. chats about a new idea called co-housing. Solterra Co-housing Ltd. offers an innovative alternative to shared housing options available to seniors. Already practiced in Australia, the concept of “Shared Home Ownership” is growing in popularity, both abroad and throughout North America. At Solterra, we have adapted this concept to the unique requirements of senior citizens; Constable Wells from Peel Regional Police Service joins Glenn in studio to talk about some of the scams that are going around right now that are targeting seniors; Dr. Melanie Abbott from Abbott Chiropractic joins us to talk about some great ways to make seniors stronger and help prevent falls, which can be debilitating. To nominate a senior for the “Shining Senior Award”, suggest a story idea, request a song or just comment on a show segment, call us at 1-866-269-6155 Ext. 3. Making Our Seniors Matter is a presentation of: Wow Living TV & Radio Real Estate For Seniors Blue Willow Consulting for Seniors Listen UP! Talk Radio The following incredible sponsors have stepped up to the plate to give this important show much needed financial support, and we’d appreciate if you could check them out. HomEquity Bank Roland Mackintosh, AMP rmackintosh@homequitybank.ca mobile 905-483-0820 toll free 1-866-883-2447 Dr. Melanie Abbott-Cambridge Chiropractor Medical Acupuncture Rehabilitation Phone: 905-453-0032 http://abbott-chiropractic-health.com/ Lindsey John Croft 519-307-1344 lindsey@thehomeupdaters.ca www.thehomeupdaters.com Renovations for Life’s Stages Elizabeth Cunningham Blue Willow Consulting for Seniorsinfo@BlueWillowforSeniors.com 647-982-4052 Shelley Raymond shelley0007@gmail.com Solterra Co-housing Ltd. | Shared home ownership www.solterraco-housing.com Gary Booth Chartered Professional Accountants Chartered Accountants 555 Burnhamthorpe Rd. – Suite 406, Toronto, ON, M9C 2Y3 Tel. No. 416-626-2727 Fax No. 416-621-7136 E-mail: admin@garybooth.com Kate M. Salhanha, B.A. (Hons.), J.D. 905-451-6610 Toll free 1-877-217-4732 ksaldanha@pdclawyers.ca www.pdclawyers.ca Leslie Booker Downsize Moving and More 647-888-0459 downsizemovemore@aol.com Limited sponsor opportunities across Canada still exist, please feel to reach out if you or your business would like to support us and help us spread the word across Canada. 1-866-269-6155 Ext 3 or listenup@Talk-Radio.ca. Listen LIVE here each Monday at 2pm and repeated at 8p ET, but if you miss it, it will be podcast below each Tuesday: https://soundcloud.com/rtds/sets/making-our-seniors-matter #‎seniors, #‎makingseniorsmatters, #‎wowlivingtv, #‎wowlivingradio, #‎realestate, #‎thebestyears, #‎thegoldenyears, #‎nursinghome, #‎reversemortgages, #‎renovations, #‎safety, #‎Remax, #‎GTA, #‎Toronto, #‎MakingOurSeniorsMatter, #‎MOSM, #‎podcast, #peelpolice, #scam, #scamalert, #cohousing, #housing,

How Satanic abuse accusations in a North London suburb went global, but turned out to be untrue. Melanie Abbott investigates. It's members are, it's claimed, drawn mainly from a school and church in Hampstead. They are said to wear shoes made of baby skin, to dance with the skulls of dead babies and to sexually abuse young children. But the cult doesn't exist. The claims are, according to a High Court Judge, 'baseless' and those who have sought to perpetrate them are 'evil'. The Report investigates why, after a police inquiry and a family court judgement which unequivocally rubbished the notion of Satanic abuse in Hampstead, the allegations are proliferating on the internet and being spread all over the world? We hear from the supposed cult members who have had their personal details and photographs published online and received death threats. And we ask about the welfare of the two children at the centre of it all who were coerced into fabricating the fantastical story. Producer: Joe Kent.

In August, a man died after 35 Afghan Sikhs were found in a container at Tilbury docks, trying to enter the UK. The case shone a light on the lengths some Afghan Sikhs will go to as they seek to escape persecution in their homeland. Melanie Abbott asks why they were so desperate to get to the UK and gets to know the community of which they were to become a part. In Southall, she finds a thriving community of Afghan Sikhs and learns about how it absorbs new arrivals. She also hears from lawyers and academics about the plight of Sikhs in Afghanistan and the challenges in claiming asylum in Britain. And she meets a lorry driver in Dover to hear how and his colleagues are facing an ever harder task to prevent immigrants from entering the UK as stowaways on their vehicles.

It may never be known why MH370 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of everyone on board. Melanie Abbott asks how a plane can disappear in the 21st Century, and why nearly a month on we are still no nearer to solving the mystery of what happened on that flight.

The 'Cyber Monday' computer meltdown that affected RBS and NatWest customers as they tried to bag bargains in the run-up to Christmas was just the latest in a string of IT glitches that have plagued the big UK banks in recent years. But is there a greater problem than the inconvenience caused for shoppers? Melanie Abbott talks to those who have worked on the huge, ageing computer systems at the heart of the UK banking system and finds out that banks like RBS face a massive dilemma - spend billions replacing their 'mainframes' or risk bigger, more serious problems in the next few years. Melanie finds out about the scale and size of the IT systems behind our everyday transactions as she becomes the first journalist allowed access to one of the secret data centres that power the banking payments system at Vocalink. And she hears from Andrew Tyrie, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, about the urgent need to solve the banks' IT problem before they damage the entire financial system.

More and more police are being armed with Taser stun guns prompting questions about whether they are always used in the right circumstances. Campaigners point to the controversial cases of partially-sighted Colin Farmer, Tasered in the back when police mistook his white stick for a Samurai sword. And 23 year-old Jordan Begley who died after being Tasered by Greater Manchester Police in July this year. But how much do we really know about how dangerous these stun guns are compared with alternatives like CS spray, batons and police dogs? And is the training adequate? Melanie Abbott is given rare access to police officers as they undertake their final Taser assessment. And she'll hear demands for more research into the medical impact of being Tasered. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Jason and Melanie Abbott sit down and chat with escape artist Curtis Lovell. In our chat we discuss his death-defying escapes, the difference between magic and illusion, and keeping your cool under extreme pressure. We also talk about the importance of overcoming fears on grand scales and in ordinary life. Curtis is based out of Los Angeles, CA and can be found through his website at www.curtislovell.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @curtislovell. Our music is brought to you by Secrets and can be found on soundcloud. Come join in the discussion and support the IGC at www.intellectualgentlemensclub.com. You should follow us on Twitter @igccast and on Facebook to receive updates and random interesting information. The podcast is available on iTunes and other directories as well. Please share this Podcast… Get the word out!

After revelations that an undercover police officer spied on Stephen Lawrence's family and friends, Melanie Abbott looks for the truth about undercover policing.

The Jimmy Savile scandal has prompted a wave of new investigations into alleged sexual abuse of children and young people, some of it dating back decades. But can the police and the criminal justice system deliver on their promise to put offenders behind bars? In The Report, Melanie Abbott investigates whether there really have been improvements in getting justice for both victims and the accused in these complex cases. What results can the public expect from the millions of pounds being spent on Operation Yewtree and the new investigation into abuse at North Wales care homes? Those who have suffered false accusations, and those who have gone through the heartache of failed attempts to prosecute their attackers reveal the human reality behind police and legal actions.

Melanie Abbott looks at the measles outbreak in South Wales. She looks at how the legacy of Andrew Wakefield's 1998 paper still lives on because of a perception that autism is rife amongst some immigrant groups. She talks to Somalis in Minnesota and finds that a lack of answers and high rates of autism in their families has affected MMR uptake and how this message is being heard back here in the UK.

Following the PIP breast implants scandal, has the cosmetic surgery industry cleaned up its act? Melanie Abbott investigates.