Reality TV star Vicky Pattison opens up about her personal battle with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), a debilitating condition that goes far beyond typical PMS symptoms. She candidly discusses the physical and emotional toll it's taken on her life, and how finally getting diagnosed changed everything.

Vicky also shares her experience with egg freezing, offering an honest perspective on the process, the emotions involved, and why she made this important decision for her future. Her vulnerability about fertility and planning for motherhood will resonate with many listeners navigating similar choices.

Vicky’s new show ‘Maybe, Baby?’ is available to stream now on Channel 4.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:00 What Is PMDD? Understanding the Symptoms

03:16 Two Weeks of Hell: Living with PMDD

05:51 Five Years to Get a Diagnosis: Medical Gaslighting

08:13 "Just a Period" - How Doctors Dismissed My Pain

10:21 The Social Media Diagnosis That Changed Everything

12:16 Finally Heard: Getting My PMDD Diagnosis

14:46 Why Boys Need to Learn About Periods

17:31 Antidepressants for PMDD: The Treatment Dilemma

20:36 Navigating PMDD as a Couple

24:11 Maybe Baby: Our Fertility Journey on TV

27:01 Freezing My Eggs at 35: Taking Control

30:31 The Hate I Got for Freezing My Eggs

33:16 One Message That Made It All Worth It

37:21 Can You Be a Good Mum with PMDD?

42:01 Feel Your Feels: My Wellness Advice

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What does it really mean to navigate womanhood under constant scrutiny? This week on Well Enough, author, DJ and broadcaster Ashley James explains the impossible standards women face.

Ashley reveals the truth about misogynistic labels, from the slut-shaming she experienced at an all-boys school to being called 'selfish' both for not having children and then for wanting a life outside motherhood. She shares how becoming a mum forced her to confront her own internalised misogyny - and why birth trauma is dismissed as a 'negative mindset problem' rather than a maternity care failing.

We also explore the hidden costs of being a woman, from the £20,000 women spend on menstruation in their lifetime to the double standards that mean female voices are constantly questioned while male commentators speak without proving their credentials.

Ashley James’s bestselling Bimbo is available here

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

03:16 The Misogyny Behind Calling Women Influencers

05:46 Slut-Shamed at 14

08:21 Punished for Having a Woman's Body

11:01 Why "Bimbo" Needs Reclaiming

14:06 The Impossible Standards of Mothers

17:11 Regretting Motherhood

20:16 Birth Trauma & the Failure of Maternity Care.

22:46 Why C-Sections Shouldn't Be Shamed

26:31 Childcare Costs More Than My Mortgage

28:46 The Pressure to "Bounce Back" After Birth

32:26 Trolls & Misogyny: Refusing to Be Silenced

36:41 The Hidden Cost of Having a Period

40:31 Medical Gaslighting: Why Women's Pain Is Dismissed

43:21 Raising Kids Without Misogynistic Labels

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Rosie Viva used to travel the world as a fashion model. It wasn’t until being arrested after a psychotic episode in Stansted Airport that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

On the week of World Bipolar Day, Rosie joins Emilie on Well Enough to ask: what does the world still get wrong about bipolar, especially for women.

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’ charts her journey with bipolar. She documents mania, depression and recovery all whilst navigating relationships, jobs and her new identity. In today’s episode, she also shares her one rule for drinking on medication, how to manage hypomania without losing the magic, and why thinking she was Susan Boyle for a week taught her family not to challenge delusions.

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Useful links:

Rosie’s Substack

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’

‘Maybe its bipolar?’ test from Bipolar UK

Samaritans

Timecodes:

00:00 What Is Bipolar Disorder? Breaking Down the Basics

02:46 Type 1 vs Type 2 Bipolar: Understanding the Difference

05:21 Misdiagnosis: When Doctors Miss Bipolar in Women

08:16 The Psychotic Episode That Changed Everything

10:11 Religious Delusions & Mania: My Breaking Point

11:26 Arrested at Stansted Airport: The Baggage Drop Incident

13:01 The Shame Around Mental Illness Nobody Talks About

15:16 Getting the Right Medication: Why It Takes Time

17:26 When Therapy Goes Wrong: My NHS Experience

20:01 Managing Hypermania: Practical Tools That Work

22:16 Navigating Friendships with Bipolar Disorder

24:51 PMDD & Bipolar: The Hidden Connection for Women

27:31 Can Women with Bipolar Be Stable? The Answer Is Yes

29:56 How to Know If You Have Bipolar: First Steps

32:31 Making My Channel 4 Documentary: Telling My Story

35:26 Is My Madness Actually Magic? Reframing Bipolar

38:01 The Euphoria of Hypermania: Like Astronauts in Space

39:21 Drinking with Bipolar: My One Simple Rule

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The UK has a nutrition problem, and it's not the one most wellness influencers are shouting about. While TikTok pushes high-protein everything, Britain quietly ranks second-worst globally for fibre intake.

Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert joins Emilie to expose the fibre gap, reveal why Parliament is finally paying attention, and explain how protein hype has distracted us from a genuine public health crisis. Only 4% of Brits meet the 30 gram daily target, and 80% think fibre is just about bowel movements - missing its profound impact on immunity, heart health, brain function, and even longevity.

Rhiannon also dismantles dangerous wellness trends, explains why "what I eat in a day" videos are mostly fiction, and shares the changing gender norms behind our lost cooking culture.

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Get Rhiannon’s book ‘The Fibre Formula’ here

Timecodes

00:00 The Pressure to Be a Perfect Nutritionist

02:46 The Reality of “What I Eat in a Day” Videos

05:46 The UK's Shocking Fibre Crisis

09:16 Why Diet Culture Destroyed Our Relationship with Food

12:01 Rhiannon’s journey: Opera Singer to Nutritionist

15:46 Taking the Fibre Fight to Parliament

18:56 Why Fibre Has Had Such Bad PR

22:11 The Protein Hype Has Done Damage

25:21 How to Eat More Mindfully

28:16 Fibre for Immunity, Heart Health & Your Brain

32:46 Why Women Lost Cooking Skills

35:01 Wellness Trends to Avoid

37:51 Why Social Connection is as Important as Nutrition

40:26 Simple Swaps for Better Gut Health

41:21 Shut Out the Noise

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TV presenter Cherry Healey shares her unexpected perimenopause journey, revealing how debilitating anxiety and heart palpitations at age 40 led her to nearly seek antidepressants, before discovering her symptoms were hormonal.

In this conversation, Cherry discusses the misdiagnosis crisis facing women in their forties, the connection between depleting estrogen and UTIs (including her own life-threatening sepsis scare), and why she believes perimenopause is actually "the main event", not menopause itself.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Perimenopause Hit at 40: Cherry's Story

02:11 When Menopause Was Taboo

04:01 The Dread That Won't Go Away

05:36 Finally Getting Diagnosed

07:01 How Misdiagnosis Destroys Women's Lives

08:06 Is Perimenopause the Main Event

10:06 Perimenopause as a Gift

11:21 Why Lifting Weights Changes Everything

14:31 Perimenopause Ended My Relationship

16:01 Should You Get Your Hormones Tested?

17:26 Track Your Cycle to Understand Your Body

21:26 The Power of Sleep

22:31 UTIs & Perimenopause: The Hidden Link

24:26 My UTI Turned Into Sepsis

27:01 Advice for Women Turning 40

32:21 The Wellness Boom & Longevity

38:46 What Makes You Feel Well Enough

Follow Cherry on Instagram here

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This week, award-winning BBC broadcaster, journalist and author Emma Barnett joins us to challenge everything we think we know about the newborn bubble. Emma's new book, Maternity Service, tears through the toxic positivity of early motherhood with refreshing - and often hilarious - honesty.

From the physical reality of recovering from a C-section to the quiet grief of losing your pre-baby identity, Emma holds nothing back. She also opens up about 21 years without an endometriosis diagnosis, six rounds of IVF, and how she's learned to survive - and thrive - with a chronic pain condition while raising two children and fronting some of the UK's biggest radio programmes.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction: Why Maternity Leave Is a Lie

01:01 What Is Maternity Service? The Book Explained

01:31 Six Rounds of IVF and 21 Years Without a Diagnosis

02:01 Matrescence: How Your Identity Shifts When You Become a Mother

04:10 Can You Ever Really Prepare for Becoming a Mother?

05:03 Toxic Positivity in Motherhood

06:30 Reframing Motherhood as a Tour of Duty

07:35 The Physical Reality: Healing a Broken Body After Birth

08:57 C-Sections, Too Posh to Push, and the Stigma of Stomach Surgery

09:50 What Is a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor? What No One Tells You

11:25 The Loneliness of New Motherhood Nobody Talks About

12:22 Identity Loss: Your Maternity Uniform and the Flattening of Self

14:01 IVF, Bruising, and the Hidden Uniform of Fertility Treatment

16:29 Delayed Gratification: The Survival Skill Every Mother Needs

18:20 Perimenopause, Grief, and the Pressure to Have It All

21:23 Maternity Discrimination and the Psychology of Being Replaced

23:30 Is Boredom on Maternity Leave Normal? Yes, and Here's Why

24:40 Writing a Letter to Your Pre-Baby Self

26:35 Ready to Talk: Emma's New BBC Podcast on Women's Interior Lives

30:50 The Best Books on Motherhood Emma Recommends

39:00 Living With Endometriosis: The Diagnosis That Took 21 Years

42:20 Endometriosis and IVF: When Getting Pregnant Becomes a Crisis

49:30 Emma's Tip for Feeling Well Enough: The Power of Music

Episodes of Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett are available every Friday on BBC Sounds.

Buy Emma’s book Maternity Service - out in paperback March 12th

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Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women - yet it still takes an average of eight years to be diagnosed. Why are so many living with debilitating pain for so long?

In this episode, Emilie sits down with GP, TV doctor and endometriosis advocate Dr Raj Arora to unpack the reality of living with a chronic condition that is too often dismissed as “just bad periods”.

We explore the early warning signs of endometriosis, why painful and heavy periods should never be normalised, and how cultural stigma can delay women from seeking help. Dr Raj also explains how the historical exclusion of women from medical research has shaped everything from diagnosis to pain management - and what needs to change.

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Follow Dr Raj on Instagram here

Timecodes:

00:00 What Is Endometriosis?

01:15 Endometriosis Explained: What’s Happening in the Body

02:55 Why Does It Take 8 Years to Get an Endometriosis Diagnosis?

04:00 The Gender Pain Gap & Why Women’s Pain Is Ignored

06:05 Dr Raj Arora’s 11 Year Diagnosis Journey

09:20 Painful Periods vs Endometriosis: What’s Normal?

10:45 Medical Misogyny & The Lack of Women in Research

14:35 How to Advocate for Yourself at the GP

17:40 Endometriosis Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

20:40 How Is Endometriosis Diagnosed? (Laparoscopy, MRI & Tests)

22:05 Endometriosis Treatment Options: Surgery & Hormonal Therapy

23:10 Is There a Cure for Endometriosis?

24:10 How Common Is Endometriosis in the UK?

25:40 Endometriosis, Work & Menstrual Leave

28:20 Fertility, Egg Freezing & Why Doctors Take It Seriously

31:45 Why Doctors Need Better Training in Women’s Health

33:40 Managing Endometriosis: Lifestyle, Diet & Exercise

35:00 Natural Pain Relief, Heat Therapy & TENS Machines

38:20 Finding Support: Endometriosis Community & Online Forums

Resources mentioned in today’s episode:

The Endometriosis Foundation helpline 0808 808 2227

Symptom Checker to create a letter to take to your GP

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In this episode of Well Enough, we’re joined by the man who effectively pioneered the British gut-health revolution: Professor Tim Spector. As a leading genetic epidemiologist and the force behind ZOE, Spector has spent decades deconstructing why health outcomes are not all about genetics - it turns out our microbes are the ones calling the shots.

Tim explains why a sanitized modern life is making us miserable and how the simple act of fermentation can act as a "vaccine" for the immune system. We’re talking about the "Four Ks" - Kefir, Kombucha, Kimchi, and Kraut - and why your expensive probiotic supplement might be a waste of money compared to a wedge of raw-milk cheese.

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00:00 Introduction: Meeting Professor Tim Specter

00:27 What is Fermentation? A Simple Definition

01:21 Science Behind the Health Benefits of Ferments

01:58 How Microbes Stimulate Your Immune System

02:37 The Zoe Study: Why 3 Portions a Day Matters

03:45 Real Results: Mood, Energy, and Hunger Improvements

04:53 From Genetics to the Microbiome Revolution

06:03 Why Identical Twins Have Different Gut Microbes

06:48 How Modern Life Is Killing Our Good Bacteria

07:31 The Hidden Cost of Overusing Antibiotics

08:36 The "Four Ks" of Fermented Foods

09:24 Beware of "Wellness Washing" in Supermarkets

10:18 Prebiotics vs. Probiotics: What’s the Difference?

11:15 Pickled vs. Fermented: How to Tell the Difference

12:47 Postbiotics: The Benefit of "Dead" Microbes

13:49 How to Choose a High-Quality Kefir

16:38 Foods to Avoid: Artificial Sweeteners & Fake Fruits

17:47 Why You Should Introduce Ferments Slowly

19:10 Supplements vs. Whole Foods: Which is Better?

20:41 Best Cheeses for Gut Health (Unpasteurized & Raw)

23:13 Choosing the Right Kombucha: Sugar & Stevia

26:38 Tim Specter’s Daily Gut Health Routine

30:16 Alcohol and the Gut: Red Wine vs. Spirits

32:13 Budget Tips: Fermenting Scraps at Home

34:58 Explaining the Gut-Brain Axis

41:53 The #1 Tip: Diversity of 30 Plants a Week

More from Tim:

Find Tim on Instagram

Buy Tim’s new book ‘Ferment’

More from ZOE

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