We asked you, and What’s On editor Liam Joyce, while Pitfire Pizza founder Michele Johnson – who garnered quite a few votes – joined Helen to announce an exciting new opening.

We also learned about Abu Dhabi’s new community awards, discussed a theatrical new opening in Dubai, and found out how to eat your way to a better night’s sleep…

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Emirati Women’s Day isn’t just a celebration - it’s also about telling the stories of what it means to be a woman in the UAE today. Helen meets two local role models whose work is giving a global voice to local women.

Plus, we’re joined by the business coach teaching kids across the UAE about entrepreneurship, finance and thinking like a boss….

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From credit cards and car loans to family expectations back home, getting into debt in Dubai can be easier than getting out of it. Helen hears one worker’s debt story – and gets advice from the experts. 
Meanwhile, as a new survey finds 45% of Gen Z workers want a job with more social interaction, has the appeal of remote working waned? 

And if you’re finding it challenging to get your kids to pull their weight at home, we discuss weaponised incompetence – and how to rid your home of it…

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Multiple European countries have now enshrined children’s rights to digital privacy in law. But what does the law in the UAE say? Lawyer Dino Wilkinson and digital educator Philippa Wraithmell advise.

Plus, we discuss those robot womb hoax posts, Serena Williams’ new campaign for weight loss jabs, and Dr T is on hand to discuss the emergence of a ‘new’ personality type.

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Feeling like the holiday buzz just won’t fade? Is the quiet house making you wonder where your kids—and your energy—went? Join Jen Crichton as she unravels whether what you're experiencing is just seasonal slump—or a sign it’s time for a deeper life reset.

Shazia Bharuchi, Career Guidance Practitioner, and Rhiannon Downie‑Hurst, business coach, break down how to return to routine without letting those “post-holiday blues” spiral into something more.

Rhian Lindley, The Positive Divorce Coach, dives into the complex emotions of empty nest syndrome—why this new chapter can bring both grief and freedom, and how to support your children even as you find your own footing.

Julie Mallon, sleep expert from Nurture To Sleep, shares practical insights on how recalibrating sleep habits can transform mornings, and Clementine Munro from Haus & Haus discusses how navigating traffic and the school run can even influence where you choose to live.

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From movies and TV to live music and, of course, the city's best food, Helen has everything you need to know as we head into Dubai's busiest season...

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Quiet quitting made headlines, but now there’s a more worrying workplace trend– quiet cracking. It’s the breaking point employees reach when financial pressure means they can’t walk away, and HR expert Rohini Gill says it’s on the rise…

Plus, Adam the OT has all the advice you need for navigating back to school anxieties.

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It’s hard to see how arguing could save your marriage, but one lawyer is so convinced it could, he’s written a whole book about it – called If You're in My Office, It's Already Too Late. So, what can it teach us? Sarah Rasmi from Thrive Wellbeing Centre and family lawyer Madeleine Mendy weigh in. 

Plus, we discuss Denzel Washington’s blast on cancel culture, and the Dubai Hair Doctor is with us for a hair loss clinic…

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From world-changing kids to pastel-colored debt to a culture stuck on refresh—this episode of Afternoons with Helen Farmer dives into the contradictions shaping 2025.

We begin with AlDhabi AlMheiri, the 11-year-old Emirati changemaker behind the world’s first AI academy for kids. Her mission? To make tech ethical, inclusive, and accessible—especially for girls.

Next: why is debt now wrapped in soft colors and influencer aesthetics? We unpack the hidden risks of Buy Now, Pay Later culture with financial planner Michele Carby, and hear from Mei, a Filipina expat navigating the fallout of a 7,000 AED loan.

Finally, we ask: what happens when a summer has no defining vibe? No anthem, no blockbuster—just vibes and brain rot. Is it a cultural crisis, or a break from the hype machine? We hear from Afroz Nawaf, Film Lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai, and Amanda Hoover, the Business Insider journalist who coined the term "Summer Brain Rot."

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Join Jen Crichton for a compelling conversation on caring across generations and borders.

Discover what’s behind the rise in eating disorders among UAE children (as young as eight) and how experts like Aisling Oslizlok and Liam Kelly are responding. 

Then, explore the emotional challenges expats face when supporting ageing parents from afar with therapeutic coach Anne Jackson and finance coach Jay Adrian Tolentino. 

We’ll also unpack the pressures of overexercise culture with trainer Rory Brown, and debunk the biggest myths Dubai property investors need to know featuring insights from Haus & Haus Sales Director Tom Poulson.

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