Relatively

International netballing duo Sasha and Kadeen Corbin grew up in a sporty household. Their dad played cricket for Glamorgan and as a girl, their mum raced Tessa Sanderson on the track. Early success in gymnastics gave way to a passion for netball which saw both girls represent the country together. In this episode they talk the pain of injury, the heartbreak of not being selected to play when your sister has been and the fun of sharing a dream. 

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Professor of psychology and sibling expert Alison Pike joins Catherine to talk about family roles, childhood labels and why we grow up so differently to our brothers and sisters. Do we become clumsy if we are called clumsy ? Is it all down to our parents? And do our roles in the family translate into our identities or reputations in life more generally? 

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Catriona and Antonia (or Catinks and Noon) are only 20 months apart: as children they lived around the world, keeping unusual pets, playing at horses (and riding real horses) and generally enjoying wonderful freedom. Dartmoor in Devon was the one constant in their lives – but much as they loved it, their house was terrifying for author Catriona - who now writes horror fiction for a living. In this episode they talk about fitting in in new places, fighting over each other’s possessions and the important role of aunty.

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Meet Alison Pike - a professor of child + family psychology who has been studying sibling relationships for the last 25 years. Over the next few weeks she will join Catherine for a series of bonus conversations on things like rivalry, roles and family memories and stories… In this short episode, she talks about her own family and why she is so interested in brothers and sisters.

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Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, are two of seven musical siblings from Nottingham. They still argue over board games and, as children, strove to win the annual Christmas bedroom-decorating competition. But their on-stage relationships are totally different, revelling in each other’s unique skills and abilities. In this episode they talk about the importance of creativity for its own sake, family WhatsApp groups and celebrate 'MUSE' their first album as a duo. Click HERE to hear all 7 siblings perform their beautiful arrangement of Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song'.

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Susie Dent is a whizz with words. The lexicographer and etymologist’s fascination with language started early, when she would devour German and French vocab books in the back of the car on the way to family holidays. In this episode of Relatively, Catherine asks Susie all about the words we use to talk about families – from sibling to sister and brethren to relative. A delve into the dictionary with Susie Dent! Her newest book Word Perfect is here .

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Gok (Babe) and Kwoklyn Wan’s grandfather came to the UK from Hong Kong in 1958 and opened the very first Chop Suey house in Leicester 4 years later. Their mum and dad were also restaurateurs, and the pair grew up (like twins) learning to be perfect hosts: helping in the kitchen, dancing to ABBA in the basement and eating steak and rice at 3AM after service with their fun-loving parents. Home was a bubble which protected the siblings from the bullying and abuse endured in 1980s Britain. Later on, Gok suffered from anorexia, after trying to lose weight to fit in – a period his brother still finds hard to talk about.

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Meg and Chris (the bag) Clothier were brought up by their seafaring, hardy parents who met one another ocean racing. Childhood holidays spent ‘bored wet and cold’ nevertheless left the pair with a deep love and respect for the sea. As straight A students, they headed to Oxbridge and became 'real' friends although tomboy Meg remembers Chris as always being a 'really nice playmate' (or maybe first mate!). In this episode, they talk about: the sea, (of course) teenage fashion, the heartache of divorce and the joy of shepherd’s pie. https://profilebooks.com/work/sea-fever/

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TV presenter Kirsten O' Brien and her little brother Tim had a globetrotting childhood, racking up the airmiles following their engineer dad's career to some pretty far flung corners of the world. Living the ex-pat life made them close and gave them a world view way beyond their native Middleborough, where they were the first people to have a microwave and a VHS. The pair scrapped and fought a lot, something Kirsten - as self professed "wind-up merchant" - takes full responsibility for. However, as older teens their shared indie-kid identity brought them close, a bond which was tested by the grief which followed the death of their mother when she was just 54.

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Angela and Maria Eagle - both Labour MPs - were encouraged to aim high from as early as they can remember. At 8 years old, the twins started beating their dad at chess and then quickly moved on to squarely defeating the boys at their local chess club. As well as chess, their parents taught them about equality for women and the value of education. At home they were also immersed in politics - debating and arguing with each other as well as "shouting at the telly" if a Tory happened to be on "spouting Tory nonsense..." . As serving members of parliament they are sustained by the bond forged as children and in 2016 when Angela made her bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn as party leader, Maria provided emotional support in the face of relentless trolling and abuse, some of which focussed on her sister's sexuality.

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