Very Necessary

Learn why TV presenter AJ Odudu can't live without toothpaste! We discover the sometimes disgusting history behind oral hygiene: from the blacksmiths of Medieval England who took care of loose teeth, through the teeth nicking grave robbers of the Victorian era, to the bright white Insta smiles of today.

Find out more about WaterAid's good loos project at https://bit.ly/verynecessaryhygiene

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Learn why actor and broadcaster Cel Spellman can't live without his hemp backpack - and why he wants to grow the hemp revolution! We discover the sometimes confusing history behind hemp: from how it helped the Allies win World War II, via some dodgy back allies of Camden Market, through to the houses being built out of hemp today.

Find out more about WaterAid's good loos project at https://bit.ly/goodloos

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Learn why cook and author Anna Jones just doesn't feel herself without her contact lenses. We discover the sometimes excruciating history behind these ingenious eye gadgets, from the first pairs created by an amateur German glass blower, to the latest frontier in wearable tech.

Find out more about WaterAid's work fighting Trachoma at https://www.wateraid.org/uk/trachoma

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Learn why vegan chef Rachel Ama just can't live without her morning cup of tea. She takes it with sugar and a splash of (plant-based) milk - but why are Brits the only people in the world to have their tea like this? And what does it have to do with China? The mysteries of tea will all be revealed!

Find out more about WaterAid's work at http://bit.ly/tea-pickers

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Learn why TV and radio presenter Vick Hope just can't live without her very necessary object, headphones. We discuss our incredibly emotional connection with music and trace the story of our trusty audio companions way back from the bulky, army telephone sets of the 1890s, via Sony's famous Walkman, all the way to today's tiny Bluetooth power houses.

Find out more about WaterAid's work at www.wateraid.org.

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Learn all about the surprising stories behind the everyday objects we just can't live without. In each episode chef and food writer Melissa Hemsley is joined by a special guest who brings along their very necessary object. Think Desert Island Discs, but for things!

The first episode will be released on Thursday 20 May, with new episodes released every other week. Subscribe to keep up to date!

Very Necessary is a brand new podcast brought to you by WaterAid. Find out more at https://www.wateraid.org/uk/verynecessary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.