Our Lives with Michelle McManus

Michelle gets spring cleaning advice from the Queen of Clean, Aggie Mackenzie. She speaks to Zoe Berry from Life Edit about what prompted her to set up her decluttering business and meets Ariel Wang, who gave up her job during lockdown to set up Leafy Love Affair, selling houseplants.

When Katie applied to take part in reality TV show Eden, she had no idea she would spend a whole year living cut off from the world on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula. It was tough, but inspired more off grid adventures. Michelle also hears from Nadia who set up a hedgehog hospital in her own home.

Michelle McManus speaks to Holly Keir, an award wining researcher who has been working all year on potential treatments for COVID-19. Also joining Michelle is Newsbeat's Shiona McCallum who shares her experience of giving birth during lockdown. Shiona is now an ambassador for See Me, Scotland's programme for mental health.

Michelle meets Emily from Findochty. When she was two her gran put a message in a bottle with her name on it. Fifteen years later it turned up in Siberia and Emily's invited to an international summit in Reykjavik. When Hermann arrived in Scotland thirty years ago, he became fascinated by photographing Asian Scots, even gate-crashing weddings! And Michelle learns all about super recognisers with Lauren, who never forgets a face, and facial recognition expert Anna.

Michelle meets Cal and Clare, a young couple who accidently bought the wrong house at auction and then decided to restore the derelict property with a little help from their amazing friends. Heidi explains what it takes to become Scotland's number one pole dancing athlete and we hear from Danny, the singing hairdresser from Arbroath who has raised thousands for the NHS with his live lockdown performances.

Morag Sangster sold her city home, escaped to the country, and set up a sanctuary for farm animals in need of a little TLC. Michelle hears how she ended up sharing her house with Francesco, a twenty stone pet pig. Knowing well the highs and lows of instant fame, Michelle chats with Gary Faulds, whose comic videos became a social media sensation. Soon Gary was packing out auditoriums, but when Covid hit, he had to declare himself homeless.

You can find information and support around homelessness by looking up the BBC Action Line Homelessness.

Michelle meets Amanda and Darren Cleary. After having their own two wee ones Ben and Olivia., 22 year old Amanda couldn't wait to start fostering, but Michelle fins out how this went down with Darren and the kids. Dwayne Davies might sound Welsh, but he's a Shetlander with Viking ancestry who did the ultimate themed wedding in full Norse regalia. Michelle discovers he's the longest Jarl in waiting, or leader of the Viking squad for the uninitiated, his moment in the spotlight at the Up Helly Aa festival postponed due to Covid.

Michelle meets Ally Boyle MBE, founder of the Anthony Nolan and SFRS Partnership and talks to Kelvin Frew and finds out what it takes to become a Queen's Nurse.

Hand rearing baby badgers, treating an infestation of moths in a mountain hare and promoting diversity in engineering.

Michelle meets Megan and Sam from Dumfries, the parents of Robyn, who was born profoundly deaf. Michelle learns of their journey from Robyn’s birth through to her being fitted with a cochlear implant and then onto the miracle moment when she uttered her first word.