Woman's Hour

Christine Flack, New Ofsted school grading, Emma Barnett


Listen Later

Caroline Flack was a Bafta-winning TV presenter, host of shows including Love Island and The X Factor. In February of 2020, she took her own life ahead of a court case in which she was charged with the assault of her then boyfriend, after weeks of press scrutiny. Her mother Christine Flack tells Clare McDonnell about spending the past five years uncovering documents from the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to try to find out more about the events around Caroline’s death and she also questions the role of the press. That journey is documented in a two-part documentary out on Disney+ called Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth.

A new schools inspection system begins in England today. Overall judgements, such as 'good' or 'requires improvement,' have been scrapped and schools will now be given one of five grades in several different categories. The changes were prompted by the death of the head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life in January 2023 whilst waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report she knew would grade her school as "inadequate." Clare speaks to the BBC Education Reporter Vanessa Clarke and Tom Middlehurst, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders.

Louise Penny is the multi award-winning Canadian crime novelist. Her books have sold over 18 million copies worldwide and this year marks the 20th anniversary of her hugely popular Inspector Gamache series. Her latest novel is called The Black Wolf and follows on from her previous one The Grey Wolf. Gamache has foiled a plot to poison Montreal’s drinking water, but has discovered that this is simply phase one of a dark master plan and he needs to take on not only an organised crime syndicate, but also delve into the murky depths of government and power to discover who the black wolf is.

There is a brand new podcast out from a familiar voice - Emma Barnett: Ready to Talk, in which Emma invites listeners into her world for bold, honest, and deeply human conversations about the experiences in life that shape and connect us. In the first episode Emma talks to her friend, the journalist and presenter Kate Thornton, about something she’s never spoken about publicly before: perimenopause. In the UK, 13 million women are currently experiencing the perimenopause, or menopause, but information about what it is and what can help can be hard to find. Emma tells Clare about her own experience.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell

Producer: Andrea Kidd

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Woman's HourBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

269 ratings


More shows like Woman's Hour

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,874 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,074 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,565 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,805 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,761 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,051 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,962 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,000 Listeners

Happy Place by Fearne Cotton

Happy Place

970 Listeners

Death in Ice Valley by BBC World Service

Death in Ice Valley

2,737 Listeners

Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware by Jessie Ware

Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware

1,668 Listeners

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

1,206 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,222 Listeners

Postcards From Midlife by Lorraine Candy & Trish Halpin

Postcards From Midlife

127 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,016 Listeners

The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan by Gabby Logan

The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

221 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

66 Listeners

Comfort Eating with Grace Dent by The Guardian

Comfort Eating with Grace Dent

114 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

48 Listeners

Off Air with Jane & Fi by The Times

Off Air with Jane & Fi

177 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

545 Listeners

Begin Again with Davina McCall by Begin Again

Begin Again with Davina McCall

653 Listeners

What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

What's Up Docs?

105 Listeners

Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball by Persephonica

Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball

197 Listeners

Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett by BBC Sounds

Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett

29 Listeners