Afternoons with Helen Farmer

Last week, we were preparing to talk to you about buying gold. And then, it crashed. So, when markets are so predictable we get the experts to guide you in investing and saving.

Why does neurodiversity impact our sleep and what can you do if your brain wakes up when your head hits the pillow? A new book may have the answer…

And in our psychology hour... Gen Z have got their first ‘retirement’ facility to help them recover from burnout. Meanwhile, biscuit firm Kit Kat has launched a round the clock Teams meeting aimed at helping employees ‘pretend’ to be busy so they can take a break at work. What does this tell us about the prevalence of burnout? We ask Dr Thoraiya Kanafani from the Human Relations Institute and Clinics.

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The headlines are a challenge for even adults right now – but with our kids exposed to news online at ever- younger ages, how do we parent through all of these unprecedented times? Helen asks Maha Cooper, a family-focussed counselling psychologist at The Free Spirit Collective.

Plus, we talk equality in sport and go behind the scenes at a new course aimed at improving driving standards on the UAE’s roads.

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From arts and culture to Wicked at Dubai Opera to the foodi finds you need to know, we've got your social life sorted!

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Advertiser permits become a legal requirement for influencers in the UAE from this weekend - but who needs them and what does it entail? Helen puts your questions to media lawyer Martin Hayward. Plus, we're live from Xposure in Sharjah, where we meet the filmmakers and world creators in town to teach the Middle East's next generation of creators.

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French rugby pro Thibaud Flament made headlines this week when he said he’d miss his country’s Six Nations opener due to fertility treatment and his wife’s cycle. So why has his move sparked such a chord with so many? Helen asks racing driver and male fertility campaigner Toby Trice and Dr Luciano Nardo from Orchid Fertility.
We talk cervical cancer awareness month – and ask why screening rates remain stubbornly low – with Dr Natasha Shah. And as new research suggests our uncertain times are changing holiday plans in unexpected ways, we talk repeat destinations with luxury travel expert Rowena Hanley.

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Research from the children’s finance app GoHenry estimates that Gen Alpha now have around £3.3 billion in spending power through their influence on household purchases, with 26 percent of parents saying their children directly shape how money is spent. Helen gets the lowdown from financial coach Carol Glynn.
Plus, lawyer Byron James tells us what the UAE’s new digital laws mean for your family, and we discuss Hamnet and its portrayal of parental grief with doula Lala Langtry-White and psychologist Tanya Dharamshi.

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New research has found 70% of UAE residents want to buy property this year. But what do you need to know if you’re taking your first steps into the market?

Helen puts your questions to industry expert Clementine Munro.

Meanwhile, as we’re live from Gulfood, we discuss the importance of variety – in diet and exercise alike – with Dr Shef, and we find out how cultivated foods could change the way we eat, forever, with cardiologist and founder of Upside Foods, Dr Uma Valeti.

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Afternoons is live from the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, getting the lowdown on all the fun - sporting and otherwise - on site for 2026...

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It’s the challenge of our time - how to maintain respectful dialogue with people we vehemently disagree with. Could a new book help? Helen meets Paul Dolan, author of Beliefism: How to Stop Hating the People We Disagree With.Plus we meet the teen skier headed from Ski Dubai to the Winter Olympics, and talk childhood anxiety with the author aiming to tackle it.

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Brand Beckham has long been presented as the ultimate tight-knit family, but this week that image cracked. So, behind the gossip, what does their story really tell us about family breakdown? Helen asks psychologist Noha Al Khatib.

Meanwhile, we discuss new research into why so many of us are looking for a new career path with recruiter David MacKenzie. And dating coach Hunt Etheridge lets us in on the difference between realism – and settling for less than you deserve.

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