Doing Death

Host Amanda Blainey talks to thought leader BJ Miller, who is a longtime hospice and palliative medicine physician and educator who is dedicated to moving healthcare towards a more human-centered approach. His 2015 Ted talk 'What Really Matters at the End of Life' has been watched over 14 million times. BJ has given numerous interviews including Oprah Winfrey, The New York Times, and GOOP. He co-founded Mettle Health which aims to provide holistic consultations to patients or caregivers navigating the practical emotional and existential issues that can come with serious illness and disability.

The actor Greg Wise's sister Clare died in September 2016 from cancer, she started a blog post to update family and friends, which Greg took over writing when Clare became too ill. Two years after she died the blog was turned into their book titled 'Not That Kind of Love’. We met before lockdown to talk about Clare’s death, their relationship, navigating cancer, and post-traumatic growth. This is a useful conversation for anyone caring for someone dying and gives insight into grief and love through Greg's own personal and moving experience.

Entrepreneur Charlie Gladstone has the most infectious positivity and zest for life. Being the great-great-grandson of the UK's Prime Minister Sir William Ewart Gladstone, Charlie comes from an incredible family legacy. He is a business owner,  farmer, father and is one of the co-founders of The Good Life Experience, founder of Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages, Pedlars shops, and the ‘Some Good Ideas’ online community dedicated to encouraging British craft and manufacture. He also hosts the ‘Mavericks’ Podcast’ and is the author of several books, his latest 'Do Team' will be published in 2021. We meet to talk about legacy, death, and his interest in making a good life and embedding some of that huge spirit within his family and generations to come. 

Reverend Richard Coles has led a colourful and vibrant life, forming the band 'The communards’ with singer Jimmy Somerville in the mid-'80s. He’s the only reverend in the UK and probably the world to have a number 1 hit. After some drug-fuelled years and witnessing the death of many of his friends from AIDS Richard had an awakening which led him to become a reverend for a parish in rural Northamptonshire. Richard’s civil partner David died in December 2019 at the age of 42. A year on Richard talks candidly about his extraordinary life, the madness of grief, and how he is doing now.

Death Cafe was founded in 2011 by death activist Jon Underwood. In this episode host, Amanda Blainey is joined by Jon’s sister Jools Barsky and his mum Susan Barsky Reid. Talking about Death Cafe’s grassroots, their surprise at how it became a global movement, and the unexpected death of Jon in 2017 at the age of 44.

Suicide is one of the biggest killers in men under 45, this can be caused by many factors including mental health issues, cultural expectations of masculinity, and childhood experiences like grief or abuse. Amanda Blainey talks to Jack Norman who has been working in change management for 5 years and who in 2015 co-founded Milk for Tea a social enterprise that has developed mental health and masculinity programmes with many clients such as We Work, Rolls Royce, and Bacardi.

Amanda Blainey talks to Maggi Hambling who has established a reputation over the last four decades as one of Britain's most significant and controversial artists, a singular contemporary force whose work continues to move, seduce and challenge.

Amanda Blainey talks to the extraordinary and courageous Kris Hallenga who after an incurable cancer diagnosis at the age of 23, eleven years ago, kick-started a unique breast cancer awareness charity called CoppaFeel. That was 11 years ago, Kris thankfully is still here and has been spending her time in lockdown writing her forthcoming book “How to Glitter a Turd”.