Movers and Shakers: a podcast about life with Parkinson's

This week we're doing something a little bit different on Movers & Shakers. We're joined in the pub by Dr Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein, a distinguised American cardiologist with a controversial idea: that Parkinson's might be caused by too much, rather than too little, dopamine. Sackner-Bernstein's ideas call into question the underlying assumptions of the condition and have been refuted by many of his colleagues. But the debate is worth having – not least as the opposition is eloquently represented by Dr Kit Wu – because it shows just how much we still don't understand about PD, dopamine, and the human brain.Movers & Shakers is brought to you in partnership with Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

One of the strangest symptoms of Parkinson's is the sudden appearance of unexplained figures – whether that's a cat or a small child, a barking dog or a fully clad Venetian – in your environment. There hallucinations can be benign, but they can also be unsettling, and this week we're trying to find out what's causing them. Are they related to night terrors? Can they always be rationalised? And are there any potential treatment pathways for people struggling with hallucinatory visions? As ever, we're aided in our quest of understanding by a top expert.Movers & Shakers is brought to you in partnership with Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

This week we're returning to one of the most contentious subjects in Parkinson's world: what causes the condition? Research has increasingly focused on the role of pesticides – particularly one called Paraquat – which are routinely used in agriculture yet are severely toxic to humans. Could investigations into the role of Paraquat prove a connection to PD? And, if so, does that mean that we could, eventually, arrest the spread of the illness? To discuss this subject, the Movers and Shakers are joined in the pub by a filmmaker, Sarah Teale, who has been working with international experts on a new film that tries to unravel this link.Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

Last year was a landmark year for the Movers & Shakers team, as our Parky Charter project reached 100,000 petition signatories and generated a parliamentary debate. So how will we be following it up in 2026? To debate the possible campaigns we could embark on this year, the gang are joined by Mark 'Crippo' Cripps, our marketing guru, to try and come up with an impactful, yet achievable, proposition. As ever, you can send your thoughts and suggestions to us on social media or via email here.Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

If certain windsurfing former Judges are to be believed, there's nothing quite like a bout of vigorous exercise for easing the symptoms of Parkinson's. But does the medical evidence support this? Cramped into their booth in the Notting Hill pub, the Movers & Shakers pick over the verifiable scientific facts behind the assumption that exercise can alleviate PD symptoms. Is it possible to fairly analyse the impact of exercise? Could the effect be more psychological than physical? And might exercise, one day, be prescribed by your neurologist? We're discussing all this (and more) with top experts and the gang.Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

Freezing is one of PD's most unusual symptoms. Whether it's a threshold, a zebra crossing or just getting out of bed, the sudden inability to move can strike at any moment. Why does it happen? And is there anything that can be done to combat this mysterious immobilisation? The Movers and Shakers – who have experienced very different types of freezing – squeeze into the Notting Hill pub (and hopefully don't freeze in place) with top experts on what's known as Freezing of Gait (FOG) or, here at M&S Towers, Freezing of Everything (FOE).Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

After our festive break, the Movers & Shakers are back in the Notting Hill pub with glad tidings for the new year. Gillian and the Judge have been sunning themselves (in Antigua and Australia, respectively), Rory has been hitting the Vegas strip, Mark has been battling with Turkish Airlines, and Paul has finally completed shooting of his new film. But Paul isn't the only Mayhew-Archer bringing life with Parkinson's to the screen. His son, Simon Mayhew-Archer, is the creator of Can You Keep a Secret? a new sitcom (loosely) based on his old man. Simon joins the gang, along with actor Mark Heap, who plays almost-Paul on the small screen, to discuss the family dynamics behind one of the BBC's best new comedies. Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

It's the end of another year – and what a year it's been! From the Big Sing on World Parkinson's Day through the Parky Petition campaign and getting our debate in Parliament, 2025 has been a stellar year for the Movers and Shakers and our community. For this final episode before we tootle off for Christmas, we've gathered at Chez Lacey-Solymar (minus Gillian herself, who was struck down by flu) to recap our year. What were the best moments of the year that's been? And which episodes of the podcast affected us most?Sponsored by Albion Chambers.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.

From our little corner of the Notting Hill pub, it can be hard to see what life is like for people with Parkinson's across the rest of the UK – let alone around the world! Today, however, we're talking about Parkinson's care in Africa, a continent where levodopa access is limited and where stigmas around the condition still impact countless lives. We're joined by experts – both in the pub and down-the-line from the frontline of treatment – to try and understand the situation and how the global community might collaborate to alleviate some of the suffering of African Parkies.Sponsored by Albion Chambers.Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.Music by Alex Stobbs.