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Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women

Global Radio

Well-behaved women rarely make history – as someone once said – difficult women do. In this new LBC new podcast, Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women, Rachel will be talking to women who had to be a pain in the backside to get where they are today. Women who take the word difficult as a compliment not an insult. And women who had to fight, resist, insist, or otherwise be badly behaved in order to get things done. Listen and subscribe on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Rachel on Twitter: @RachelSJohnson For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

Location:

United States

Networks:

Global Radio

Description:

Well-behaved women rarely make history – as someone once said – difficult women do. In this new LBC new podcast, Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women, Rachel will be talking to women who had to be a pain in the backside to get where they are today. Women who take the word difficult as a compliment not an insult. And women who had to fight, resist, insist, or otherwise be badly behaved in order to get things done. Listen and subscribe on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Rachel on Twitter: @RachelSJohnson For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

Language:

English


Episodes
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The world according to Anne Applebaum

2/17/2025
Anne Applebaum is an American-born historian, journalist, and author, renowned for her expertise in Eastern Europe, particularly the Soviet Union, and the impact of communism. Applebaum is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Gulag: A History, her work often focuses on totalitarianism, historical memory, and the political transformations in Central and Eastern Europe post-communism.

Duration:00:45:27

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The Trailblazing Bonnie Greer

2/9/2025
Bonnie Greer is an acclaimed writer, cultural commentator, and trailblazing feminist whose work has left an indelible mark on the literary and social landscapes. Born in Chicago, Greer moved to the UK, where she became a force to be reckoned with in the realms of literature, television, and politics. Known for her unapologetic approach to issues of race, gender, and identity, she has long championed the voices of marginalized women and challenged societal norms.

Duration:00:37:39

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Sally Clarke's Breakfast with Freud

2/3/2025
Sally Clarke is a powerhouse in the world of fine dining, renowned for her unwavering resilience and culinary mastery. As the owner of the iconic Sally Clarke Restaurant in London, she has not only survived but thrived in the high-pressure, ever-evolving restaurant industry. With a career spanning decades, Sally's commitment to excellence and her ability to adapt have made her a respected figure among chefs and restaurateurs alike. She’s a true testament to grit, passion, and staying the course, no matter what the industry throws her way.

Duration:00:35:07

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Mariella Frostrup, from Penniless Teen to Menopause Queen

1/27/2025
This week's difficult women is Mariella Frostrup. A renowned broadcaster, writer, and outspoken feminist - always ready with her sharp wit and deep commitment to social issues. With a career spanning television, radio, and print, she’s built a reputation as an agony aunt, offering advice with empathy and honesty. Beyond her media work, Mariella is a passionate advocate for women's rights, particularly focused on breaking the silence around menopause. Fearless in her pursuit of equality, she’s made it her mission to amplify the voices of women and challenge the taboos that still hold us back.

Duration:00:40:45

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Tracy-Ann Oberman takes on the "Keffiyeh Karens"

1/20/2025
"I don't give a f*ck if I'm liked or not" - Tracy-Ann Oberman comes from a long line of Difficult Women, her very own aunt fled pogroms in Russia to fight fascists on the streets of east London. She is no less difficult, proudly standing up against antisemitism wherever she sees it. Tracy-Ann Oberman is joined by acclaimed actor Joseph Millson in the critically acclaimed production of The Merchant of Venice 1936, for its strictly limited West End season at the Trafalgar Theatre (28 December – 25 January) and subsequent UK tour in 2025. Tickets can be found at merchantofvenice1936.co.uk

Duration:00:43:06

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Dr Webberly's Tireless Trans Advocacy

1/6/2025
Dr Helen Webberly has dedicated her career to protecting and advocating for trans rights. As the debate, both online and in the halls of legislature, becomes more toxic, I sat down with Helen to see if we could find some common ground on this most controversial of issues.

Duration:00:32:30

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Strictly's Amy Dowden

12/16/2024
The beloved Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden opens up about her journey in dance, living with Crohn’s disease, and her recent battle with breast cancer.

Duration:00:26:42

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Shabnam Nasimi

12/9/2024
Shabnam Nasimi, a passionate advocate for Afghan women and human rights. From fleeing Afghanistan as a refugee to becoming a political activist, Shabnam shares her journey, the challenges Afghan women face, and the power of resilience.

Duration:00:39:58

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Yalda Hakim's Big Break

12/2/2024
Before her tenth birthday, Yalda Hakim had fled a warzone on horseback, learnt two languages, and was well on her way to becoming the world-renowned journalist that we know today. Listen as she explains just how difficult she had to be to get that first big break.

Duration:00:45:44

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Suella Braverman, difficult until the end.

11/25/2024
This week's difficult woman is the Rwanda Dreaming, email leaking, bibby barging former home secretary Suella Braverman. Whatever your thoughts on this twice home secretary - I think we can all agree she certainly is a bloody difficult woman!

Duration:00:51:46

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The Soccer Mom who took down Pornhub

11/17/2024
Laila Mickelwait is a mom on a mission, her tireless work has resulted in the removal of tens of millions of illegal porn videos and she's still not done. Her inspiring story is one of a woman and a mother who was sick of the ineffectual action on sex abuse and so took matters into her own hands.

Duration:00:37:07

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The life long tenacity of Tanni Grey-Thompson

11/11/2024
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of the most highly decorated British Paralympians and truly worthy of the title of Difficult Women. She has spent her life knocking down barriers and fearlessly schooling anyone who dares stand in her way. Even from her earliest memories she has been advocating for not just her own life but for thousands of other disabled people who are routinely forgotten and pushed aside. Listen for an insight into this fascinating life.

Duration:00:47:01

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The Marvellous Miss Feltz

11/4/2024
This week's difficult woman is another member of British broadcasting royalty, Vanessa Feltz! With her signature blonde locks and no-nonsense charm, she’s been captivating audiences for decades, bringing a splash of sass and a whole lot of heat to the airwaves, always ready to tackle the juiciest topics with her trademark honesty. Of which she is certainly not lacking in this ripper of an episode!

Duration:00:41:10

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How Donna Jones gets things DONE

10/28/2024
This week's Difficult Woman is Donna Jones, the conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, and the first female leader of Portsmouth City Council. This is a woman who knows how to get things done and makes no apologies whilst doing it.

Duration:00:45:56

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Madame Anti-Woke, Miriam Cates

10/21/2024
This week's difficult women is the loud proud and utterly brilliant Miriam Cates. Now the former MP for Penistone and Stockbridge, Miriam rocketed into the public eye as one of the spearhead figures of the NatCon movement. She now focuses her efforts on education and pro-natalism

Duration:00:41:12

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How Margaret Casely-Hayford plans to make history

10/14/2024
This week's Difficult Women is the ceiling smashing Margaret Casley-Hayford. A successful businesswoman and lawyer, Margaret has now got her sights set on bringing diversity to the board room. She now aspires to be not just the first black person but the first woman to hold the title of chancellor in nearly a thousand years of the universities history. **Warning - this show does contain descriptive language of a racist incident which some listeners may find offensive.

Duration:00:37:30

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Kate Weinberg's elusive illness

10/6/2024
This week's difficult women is Kate Weinberg whose covid journey is as compelling as her writing. With a fierce determination to understand the mysterious fatigue that doctors couldn't explain, Kate embarked on a personal quest for a diagnosis that would empower her narrative and inform her creative work. Turned away time and again by doctors dismissing her illness, she was reminded of the very same doubts that her mother was subject to before her untimely death...

Duration:00:34:29

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Bunny Guinness' Green Fingers

9/29/2024
This week's difficult women is the Gardening Legend Bunny Guinness. You will be most familiar with Bunny's voice as a regular on Gardeners Question Time but her immersion within the horticultural world goes well beyond her broadcasting career. We delve into everything from her hitchhiking through Europe to the Great Peat Debate!

Duration:00:33:54

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How Natalie Fleet told her daughter she was a product of rape

9/23/2024
When she was 16, Natalie Fleet was raped. More than 30 years later, she will now use her role as a Labour MP to ensure that rapists have no rights to the products of their crime. Listen as she describes her incredible journey of resilience

Duration:00:33:26

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Bibi Lynch and the Plight of the Childless

9/17/2024
This week's difficult woman is writer and podcaster Bibi Lynch. Owing to a combination of factors, Bibi has found herself childless and single in her late 50s - she's not had a boyfriend since Tony Blair was elected and she's come to the realisation that the world just isn't quite comfortable with a middle-aged childless woman. Listen as she talks through the personal reckoning that comes with such a realisation.

Duration:00:36:31