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Scotland's Women
She Never Lies
Your body has never lied to you — but the system has.
In this raw and deeply moving episode, Candice McKenzie, founder of Endo Warriors West Lothian, opens up about more than 30 years of fighting to be believed, referred, and seen within a healthcare system that consistently failed her.
Her story begins at age nine — dismissed as growing pains, chronic constipation, and "just a bad period" — before finally receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis at 21, only after collapsing in her garden, grey and doubled over, while a neighbour recognised what her doctors had not.
Since that diagnosis in 1999, Candice has had 16 surgeries and a pelvic clearance, and has spent nearly nine years on Letrozole — a drug prescribed to advanced breast cancer patients — because endometriosis continues to make its own estrogen even after her reproductive organs were removed. The episode goes deep into what that has done to her body, her femininity, her teeth, her hair, her heart health, and her sense of self.
From the miracle of carrying two children through near-impossible pregnancies, to the invisible poker face that chronic pain forces women to wear in public, to what it truly means to no longer feel at home in your own body — Candice holds nothing back. And she is clear: "endo warrior" is a title none of them asked for.
But this episode is also about action. Candice breaks down why Scotland's average diagnosis time sits at 10 years and two months, how she has been lobbying the Scottish Government through MSPs, and why she believes the UK figure of one in ten women affected is a serious undercount. The conversation covers Jess's Law in England, the urgent need for a holistic approach to pain management including access to medical cannabis, and the 1,400-strong global community she has helped build.
Endometriosis affects an estimated 190 to 200 million women worldwide. This episode is for every single one of them — and for everyone who loves them.
Find Endo Warriors West Lothian on Instagram at @endowarriorswl, @endowl, or search Endo Warriors West Lothian.
Join the revolution of Scotland's Women, a podcast celebrating the voices and experiences of women from all across Scotland. Each episode features inspiring, honest and unfiltered conversations with women from all walks of life - sharing their journeys, challenges, triumphs and perspectives.
These are real stories of women shaping modern Scotland - leaders, creators, dreamers and change makers - offering insight, advice and inspiration to listeners everywhere. Whether you're looking for empowerment, wisdom, or simply a connection to authentic stories, this podcast reminds us that every woman has a voice!
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4. The Final Show
39:55||Season 6, Ep. 4The Final Show: When the Last Curtain Falls, the Real Story BeginsImagine stepping on stage night after night -- sequins, feathers, a packed crowd -- while your father is seriously ill. Nobody in the audience knows. That's the reality Kim Chapman lived for a year, and in this episode of Scotland's Women, she tells it in her own words.For 20 years, Kim was Missy Malone -- a name she created at 18, inspired by old Hollywood glamour and her Irish heritage. She rode the wave of the burlesque boom from 2005 and produced her own touring show for a decade. But behind the stage makeup and costumes, life was hitting hard.When her dad was diagnosed with cancer, Kim moved in with her parents and became a carer. She kept performing because it was the purest escapism she could find. She'd paint her face, become someone else for an hour, and breathe. She describes the makeup as armor -- when she didn't see her own vulnerable face staring back, she felt stronger. She was also filming a Scottish TV series during his final year, commuting between Edinburgh and home, terrified of being away at the wrong time. Parts of that period are still blurry.When her dad passed, everything changed. She came out the other side a different person, with a new urgency about life. She decided to pursue acting properly -- at nearly 40, with no drama school training, when most people would say the boat had sailed. She also gave burlesque the goodbye it deserved: a year-long farewell tour, 45 dates across Europe, the UK, and America, timed with her 40th birthday. She says it was one of the most joyful years of her life -- fully present for the first time, knowing it was the last time.Then something unexpected happened. While filming the second series of Crime, she met actor David Elliot. Her story came pouring out, and after seeing her final show, he said: "I think you should tell your own story." The result is Goodbye Honey Henderson, a short film inspired by Kim's life -- the glamour of the stage set against the raw reality of grief. Filming to begin in October 2026 - follow the film insta to find our more. As a Cabaret vs Cancer ambassador for over 15 years, Kim speaks movingly about how the charity's work took on new meaning after she lived through loss herself. She'll fly their flag forevermore. And at the end, Kim shares the Scottish quote her mum used to say, now framed on her wall: "What's for you it'll no go by you." How true and fitting that is to Kim's story and our's. Connect with Kim:Instagram: @kimchapmanactorFilm Instagram: @goodbyehoneyhenderson
4. The Final Show - TRAILER
04:57||Season 6, Ep. 4Sometimes the bravest thing a woman can do is take off the mask and let the world see what's underneath.Kim Chapman joins Scotland's Women to tell her story. For twenty years, she performed as burlesque star Missy Malone — a name that took her across Europe and America, into dressing rooms full of women who became family, and onto stages where nobody knew what was really going on behind the sequins. Because while Kim was dancing, she was also watching her father get sick, holding everything together for her mum, and learning that life doesn't wait for you to be ready. She talks about grief that changes you into someone you don't recognize, about the stage becoming both an escape and a lifeline, and about the farewell tour that turned out to be one of the most joyful years of her life. Kim also shares how a chance friendship on a TV set led to something she never imagined — a film inspired by her own story, one she's now brave enough to tell herself. It's honest, it's raw, and it's for any woman who has ever had to keep performing when her world was falling apart. 'The Final show' Full episode coming soon.Follow Kim : https://www.instagram.com/kimchapmanactor/Goodbye Honey Henderson: https://www.instagram.com/goodbyehoneyhenderson/
3. Jems Fight For Justice - PART THREE
27:58||Season 6, Ep. 3Your voice matters. Your story matters. And the abuse was never your fault — no matter what anyone made you believe.This is Charlene's story, part of the limited series JEMS Fight for Justice.Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of abuse, sexual violence, and trauma.If you or anyone you know that has or is affected by sexual violence, please contact Rape Crisis Scotland https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-local-rcc/In this deeply personal episode, Charlene opens up about the aftermath of her abuser's conviction and the devastating blow of learning he had appealed both his conviction and his sentence. She describes the terror of being blindsided by the appeal process, standing before four judges in the Supreme Court to defend the truth, and the agonizing six-month wait from June to December wondering what basis the appeal was founded on. The appeal was ultimately denied, but the emotional toll of having to relive the court process all over again left her unable to rest or feel at peace.Charlene also shares the broader context of her ordeal — groomed from the age of 13 into a manipulative and abusive family dynamic that lasted nearly 12 years. She recounts how the family used intimidation, isolation, and control to keep her trapped, how they turned her against her closest friend who was being abused in parallel, and how meeting her husband became the turning point that helped her recognize what had been done to her was anything but normal. She speaks candidly about the moment the police came to her door, the overwhelming relief of finally speaking out, and the fear she carried for years that people would blame her for staying.Looking ahead, Charlene reveals that additional family members are due to be arrested, meaning she faces yet another court case that could take another two to three years. Despite the weight of what lies ahead, she remains steadfast in her belief that this chapter will eventually close and that she will find peace.The episode also touches on the ongoing work of JEMS — Justice for Every Mistreated Survivor — including the arrest of fellow member Ellie Wilson after accusations from her own rapist, and the continued harassment the group faces from another organization. Through it all, Charlene reaffirms what JEMS stands for and why she continues to speak out: because every survivor deserves justice.If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse, please don't suffer in silence. Healing isn't a straight line, and there is no timeline — but you don't have to walk this road alone.Follow JEMS on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jems.justice.for.s?lang=en-GB
3. Jems Fight For Justice - PART THREE - TRAILER
03:56||Season 6, Ep. 3JEM's Fight for Justice – Part Three: Charlene's Own Story | Trailer Full episode coming soon.Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of abuse, sexual violence, and trauma.If you or anyone you know that has or is affected by sexual violence, please contact Rape Crisis Scotland https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-local-rcc/In this powerful third part, Charlene opens up about her own experience of abuse, grooming, and manipulation that began when she was just 13 years old. She shares how she was drawn into a family that systematically isolated her, controlled her, and made her believe that what was happening to her was normal — and how it took over 12 years before she was finally free.Charlene speaks candidly about the moment everything changed, the courage it took to let people in, and the overwhelming relief of no longer having to hide. She reflects on what it felt like to stand in front of her family as they heard her truth for the first time, and the unconditional love that met her there.She also opens up about the harrowing appeal process that forced her back into court just months after finally getting justice, and the strength it took to fight back — again.Raw, honest, and deeply moving — Charlene's story is one of survival, resilience, and the unshakeable belief that every survivor deserves justice. Her message to anyone going through something similar is one that will stay with you long after you stop listening.The full episode drops soon. Don't miss it.Listen to JEMS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE PART ONE:- https://scotlandswomen.com/episode/jems-fight-for-justice-part-onePART TWO:- https://scotlandswomen.com/episode/jems-fight-for-justice-part-twoFollow JEMS on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jems.justice.for.s?lang=en-GB
2. She Never Lies - TRAILER
05:31||Season 6, Ep. 2She just wanted to be a woman. Endometriosis took that from her too.This episode is not to be missed.What does it feel like to sit at a dinner table, smile through unbearable pain, and excuse yourself to a bathroom where you fall apart — alone? What does it feel like to watch your own body reverse through puberty because the medication keeping you alive is stripping away everything that made you feel like yourself? What does it feel like to say, out loud, "I haven't felt like a woman in 30 years"?In this trailer, Candice McKenzie says all of it. No filter. No poker face. Just the truth that millions of women living with endometriosis have never heard spoken so honestly out loud.Candice is the founder of Endo Warriors West Lothian and has lived with endometriosis for over three decades. In the full episode, she takes us through 16 surgeries, a pelvic clearance, nine years on a cancer drug, two miracle pregnancies, and a healthcare system that only listened when a man made the call.The full conversation is raw, necessary, and unlike anything you've heard on this condition before.Find Endo Warriors West Lothian on Instagram at @endowarriorswl and @endowl.
1. Finding My Light
43:21||Season 6, Ep. 1From Breakdown to Breakthrough In this raw and uplifting episode Thesia Kambabanza — stand-up comedian, and founder of the Banza Bridge Foundation —chats to Scotland's Women for a deeply honest conversation about mental illness, healing, faith, and finding your light in the darkest of times. Thesia shares her remarkable story: from a seven-month period of isolation in her room, to multiple psychiatric hospitalisations, to becoming the "advocate for all the patients" even while being the sickest person on the ward. With warmth, humour, and hard-won wisdom, she explains how she rebuilt herself from the inside out.She opens up about what "don't stay broken" really means, drawing on a biblical story that became the turning point in her healing journey. She speaks candidly about her experience of mania, and psychosis — and the deep stigma she faced as an African woman navigating the mental health system in Scotland.She traces her path from retreating into her room for seven months to running a charity, performing stand-up comedy, and launching her own podcast. Along the way, she reflects on how she moved from religion to spirituality, and how discovering meditation transformed her relationship with her own mind.Thesia also explores the personal patterns that contributed to her breakdown — including years of over giving with no boundaries — and the moment she realised that being "too nice" had come at a tremendous cost. She describes finding God not in a church, but alone in a psychiatric ward, and shares the painting she made during that time, where a flash of light in the darkness turned out to mean everything. We also hear about her comedy alter ego Foxy Noir, how she bridges African and Scottish cultures on stage, and the work of her nonprofit Banza Bridge Foundation, which is dedicated to uniting people across cultures through community and connection.Thesia's Advice to Anyone Who Is Broken Right Now "It's okay to be selfish. Pour into yourself first. Healing is not a destination — it's a journey." Connect with Thesia:TikTok | Instagram | Facebook: @TesiaBanzaCharity: Banza Bridge Foundation
1. Finding My Light - TRAILER
03:48||Season 6, Ep. 1Your darkest night is just the canvas — your light was always there.What does it really mean to "don't stay broken"? In this episode, Scotland's Women chats to Thesia Kambabanza —stand-up comedian (Foxy Noir), and founder of the Banza Bridge Foundation — for an honest, moving, and very funny conversation about mental illness, faith, healing, and finding your light.Thesia shares her journey from university breakdown to hospitalisation, from brokenness to comedy stages, and from surviving to truly thriving. She opens up about the stigma of mental health in African communities, how faith and spirituality carried her through her darkest moments, and why she believes healing is not a destination — it's a journey. And through it all, she brings a warmth and humour that will stay with you long after the episode ends.This is a conversation about courage, self-love, and the light that was always inside you.Full episode coming soon.Connect with Thesia:TikTok | Instagram | Facebook: @TesiaBanzaCharity: Banza Bridge Foundation
10. Stop Chasing Perfect
43:30||Season 5, Ep. 10What if the diet, the discipline, and the drive to be "good enough" were never the problem — and the real answer was already inside you?In this episode, we meet Gosia — coach, competitor, mother, and founder of GLOW Online Coaching — for a conversation that is as raw as it is liberating. Gosia shares her journey from a girl told she'd never be athletic, to a bodybuilding competitor who achieved the "perfect" body and still hated herself, to a coach now helping women break free from the exhausting cycle of starting over. This isn't another episode about dieting. This is about identity, self-trust, and finally learning to listen to yourself.Gosia opens up about the real cost of chasing perfection — the years of sacrifice, the stage day she'd worked so hard for, and the devastating anticlimax that followed. She shares what it was like to lose her period for nine months, to binge after months of restriction, and to realise that looking healthy and actually being healthy are two very different things. It was pregnancy, that finally taught her what it felt like to eat intuitively and trust her own body.Gosia goes deep into the "stop-and-start" pattern — the all-or-nothing mindset that keeps so many women stuck, where one biscuit feels like failure and failure feels like the end. She explains why this cycle has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with the beliefs we formed about ourselves long before we ever started a diet. She also breaks down the philosophy behind her coaching brand GLOW — Growth, Love, Ownership, Wellness — and why real, lasting change has to start from the inside out.Contact Gosia at glowonlinecoaching.com or on Instagram at @gosia_mumscoach."There is always a way. Better, worse — but there is a way." If this episode stirred something in you, that's not an accident. You might not have all the answers yet — but you're already on your way.