Past Imperfect

Joan Bakewell, 89, is a Labour peer is a broadcasting legend. She was one of the first women to be taken seriously in television and on radio. She broke boundaries with her arts and investigative programmes but was in a constant battle to pursue her career in an environment where institutional sexism and discrimination were rife. Her private life was equally fascinating, she juggled two children, a high-powered job, two marriages and a seven-year affair with the playwright Harold Pinter who wrote a play based on their relationship, Betrayal. “Even when she was behaving badly, she behaved well,” one fellow journalist commented at the time. Today she discusses her novel cancer treatment, sex, music and miniskirts, death and growing up during the War in the industrial North of England. Warning: Contains discussions of sensitive subjects including cancer and sexual abuse.-------OUT Links for Additional support (on Past Imperfect pod pages Website) Child abusehttps://www.nspcc.org.uk Cancer Supporthttps://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson are joined by Conservative peer, campaigner and one of the founders of legendary dance club Ministry of Sound, James Bethell. James talks candidly about his campaign against online pornography, his aristocratic background, raves and the devastating impact of his mother's descent into depression, addiction and her tragically early death. NB: (trigger warning included) Contains discussion of sensitive topics including: postnatal depression, child neglect, drug and alcohol misuse, mental illness, suicide. Links for additional support (also on Past Imperfect podcast pages) Post Natal Depression Supporthttps://pandasfoundation.org.uk/what-is-pnd/post-natal-depression Alcoholism and Addictionhttps://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-serviceshttps://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk Mental health and suicide awarenesshttps://www.mind.org.uk/ The Samaritans Tel: 116 123www.samaritans.org.uk

Rachel and Alice talk to Professor John Bell, Regius professor of Medicine at Oxford University. His first memory, he says, was looking up and seeing “a load of guys with white coats around me”. He’d contracted polio and his father, had also caught the disease and was critically ill in the same hospital. “People forget about polio,” he says, but Professor Bell never did, always concerned that another disease may sweep across the world. Now, more than 70 years later, he is known for helping secure a covid vaccine and advising the government on how to lead Britain out of the pandemic. His research teams are also on the brink of major breakthroughs in the fight against cancer. Links for additional support (also on Past Imperfect podcast pages)Polio information and support Polio - Eradication, Vaccination, & Access | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Polio Survivors Network – Lives lived with healthcare lessons for the futureCancer Supporthttps://www.cancerresearchuk.org/  

Explorer, broadcaster and Chief Scout Bear Grylls talks candidly to Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson about his love of adventure, the profound impact of the deaths of his inspirational father, and one of his closest friends in the SAS, Sergeant Chris Carter. Bear discusses life in the special forces, the challenges of climbing Mount Everest, and the catastrophic parachuting accident that nearly paralyzed him for life.Links for additional support (also on Past Imperfect podcast pages) Bereavement supportwww.sueryder.org.uk The Royal British LegionSupport for soldiers and ex-soldiershttp://www.britishlegion.org.uk Mental health https://www.mind.org.uk/Support for those affected by paralysisLiving with Paralysis - Reeve Foundationwww.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis 

David Harewood (MBE, OBE) is an actor who attained international stardom with TV roles in Homeland and The Night Manager. He was the first black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre in London, and has delivered acclaimed performances as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. His latest role is a white Conservative commentator William F Buckley pitched against the liberal Gore Vidal in the hit play Best of Enemies which has received rave reviews in the West End.But David’s early life was marred by racist attacks, and mental illness, culminating in him experiencing a psychotic breakdown. Despite being awarded both an MBE and an OBE he still sees himself as an outsider. “There’s a sense of displacement, “he says, “That’s been constant throughout my life.” WARNING: contains some strong language and discussion of sensitive topics including: racist attacks, homophobia, drug and alcohol misuse, mental illness, suicide. Links for additional support (also on Past Imperfect podcast pages) Anti-racismhttps://www.stophateuk.org/about-hate-crime/racism-in-the-ukAlcoholism and Addictionhttps://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-serviceshttps://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk Mental health and suicide awarenesshttps://www.mind.org.uk/ The Samaritans Tel: 116 123www.samaritans.org.uk 

Lady Glenconner, talks candidly to Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson about growing up as a member of the Royal Family’s inner circle. She reveals the highs and lows of her life as a socialite: Riding tricycles with Princess Margaret, holidays in Mustique and being maid of honour at the Queens’s coronation. She speaks frankly about her marriage overshadowed by an abusive husband and the death of two sons.Warning: Contains frank discussion of domestic violence, death, brothels and violence to animals (eels)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anne-GlenconnerLinks for additional support (also on Past Imperfect podcast pages) Domestic abusewww.womensaid.org.ukDomestic Abuse Help · National Centre for Domestic Violence (ncdv.org.uk)Child Abusehttps://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Mariella Frostrup is a renowned journalist and a voice familiar to Times Radio listeners. Today, the tables are turned. Mariella is on the other side of the mic, answering the questions rather than asking them.She talks candidly to Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson about her chaotic childhood, constantly being moved from house to house, from country to country as her parents divorced. She talks about the devastating impact of her dad’s early death and her stepfather’s violence and links to the IRA.   Mariella also shares warm memories of her youth in the music industry, living in London’s Kings Road at the height of its punk glamour, jokes with Bono and dates with Iggy Pop. Warning: Contains discussions of sensitive subjects including: alcoholism, bullying, death, drug use, domestic violence and coercive control, death.-------Links for additional support  Bereavement supporthttps://www.sueryder.org/https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/ Domestic Violencehttps://www.ncdv.org.uk/domestic-abuse-help/ Bullyinghttps://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/ Alcoholism and Addictionhttps://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-serviceshttps://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk Mental health https://www.mind.org.uk/young people’s mental healthhttps://www.youngminds.org.uk

Candice Brathwaitei s a best-selling author, television presenter and social media star. Her honest and funny accounts of motherhood as a black woman have made her one of Britain’s most successful influencers. But her early life was far from picture perfect. She was raised by her grandfather due to her mother’s mental health issues. Her father died suddenly was she was 21. Then she was almost killed by an infection following the birth of her first child. This experience led her to explore the experiences of black mothers and baby in the UK health care system. A 2018 study showed that black women were more than 5 times more likely to die in childbirth. A shocking statistic, that inspired Candice to become a vocal campaigner for health care reform. Warning: Contains frank discussion of illness, childbirth, abortion, suicide and racism. Additional support Pregnancy and Post-natal supportNational Childbirth trusthttps://www.nct.org.uk/ Mental health and suicide awarenesshttps://www.mind.org.uk/ www.samaritans.org  The Samaritans Tel: 116 123  Abortion advice(www.mariestopes.org.uk)