Woman's Hour - Davina McCall, Highland Games, Essex accents
Download Davina McCall, Highland Games, Essex accents
Davina McCall, one of TV’s most popular presenters has a new book out, Birthing, co-written with the midwife, Marley Henry. Davina joins Anita Rani to talk about her stellar career so far, including hosting Big Brother for 10 years, campaigning for better menopause care and building a fitness empire. What makes her tick? And what drives her forward to clear hurdles such as an usual childhood, drug addiction and most recently, brain surgery for a benign tumour that she nicknamed Jeffrey.
Funding of at least £2 million a year needs to be restored to help combat Female Genital Mutilation in the UK, according to a new report by the Women and Equalities Committee. It says that access to health services for FGM survivors in the UK is inconsistent and a postcode lottery. Anita hears from the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, the Labour MP Sarah Owens and from Hibo Wardere, the educational lead and co-founder of the charity Educate Not Mutilate.
Last month Scottish history was made at the Glenurquhart Highland Games as the World Female Heavy Events Championship was held for the first time. The Championship brought together women from across the globe to compete in the heavyweights, including tossing the caber. As we reach the end of the season, athletes Elizabeth Elliott and Emmerleigh Barter, who competed in the games, join Anita Rani to discuss how it felt to compete at this level on home soil.
If you're making your way through Essex on the train in the coming days, you might notice poems being read over the PA system, with young women and girls sharing how they feel about their accent. It's part of a new project from the University of Essex and c2c Rail, celebrating the Essex accent. Anita is joined by Dr Tara McAllister-Viel who led the project and the comedian Esther Manito who is from Essex.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
Published on Friday, 12th September 2025.
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