Begin Again with Davina McCall

October is Menopause Awareness Month, so for this week’s episode of Begin Again Moments, Penny Lancaster and Natalie Imbruglia join Davina McCall to explore the reality of perimenopause and menopause, and why no woman should ever feel ashamed of what she’s going through.

Penny opens up about experiencing anxiety, rage, hot flushes and the unsettling feeling of no longer recognising herself. She shares how her menopause symptoms were initially mistaken for depression, the impact they had on her family life and how conversations with other women finally helped her understand what was happening.

Natalie reflects on her own experience of perimenopause, from anxiety and changes in her emotions to the shame women can feel when they suddenly don’t feel like themselves. She explains why speaking openly about menopause became so important to her, helping to remove the stigma for the women coming next.

Together, they explore HRT, menopause symptoms, female identity and the power of women supporting women through this life-changing transition – reminding us that menopause isn’t simply an ending, but the beginning of your best chapter yet.

To hear the full conversations, watch the complete episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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What happens when both of your parents receive life-changing diagnoses within weeks of each other?

In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with Dame Meera Syal.

Meera shares the gruelling reality of caring for her mother after her cancer diagnosis while her father was living with Alzheimer’s, describing dementia as a “slow, long goodbye” and reflecting on how her family found strength, support and moments of connection through an incredibly difficult 12 years.

She also opens up about growing up British Asian, feeling like a misfit, and nearly giving up on acting when she couldn’t see anyone like herself on screen.

From ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ to becoming a writer, actor and comedian, Meera explains why telling your truth can help others feel less alone.

The conversation also explores divorce, co-parenting, the unexpected possibilities of an empty nest, surviving assault, and staying resilient throughout life’s ups and downs.

🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again.

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We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/

(00:00) Intro

(01:17) Getting Her Damehood

(08:16) Meera As A Misfit Child

(10:31) Studying At Manchester University

(12:22) The Importance Of Gratitude

(19:20) Monzo GBL Ad

(20:51) British Heart Foundation Ad

(22:02) The Play That Changed Her Life

(26:32) Her New Book 'Vigilauntie'

(34:04) Making 'Goodness Gracious Me'

(38:22) Monzo 90 Days Ad

(39:35) Garnier Ad

(43:17) Married At 25

(45:57) Staying Friends After Divorce

(50:41) Having Her Second Child In Her 40s

(53:07) Her Marriage To Sanjeev

(58:57) The Reality Of Caring For Two Sick Parents

(01:06:29) Speaking Out About Sexual Assault

Sponsored by:

Results from the 2024 Lost Pensions Survey by the Pensions Policy Institute. The value of your pension could go up or down and you could get back less than you put in. You need a free Monzo current account to open a Monzo pension. Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 18-70 years old only and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply.

Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/

British Heart Foundation: To help fund lifesaving research, visit https://bhf.org.uk/keepusbeating to donate now and keep us beating.

Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme
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In this episode of Begin Again Moments, we explore how better communication can help couples navigate conflict and find their way back to each other.

Relationship therapist Karen Doherty and relationship expert Paul C. Brunson join Davina McCall to share practical advice for navigating arguments, understanding your partner’s triggers and communicating with more kindness, honesty and empathy.

Karen explains why seemingly small frustrations can become emotional triggers in a relationship, how repeated arguments can slowly wear away at intimacy, and why choosing the right moment for difficult conversations can make all the difference.

Paul explores how couples can rebuild struggling relationships through therapy, self-reflection and better communication. He shares a simple but powerful way to approach conflict: instead of seeing an argument as you versus your partner, learn to see yourselves as a team facing the problem together.

Both conversations offer hopeful, practical relationship advice for anyone wanting to feel closer, communicate better and protect the love that’s still there.

To hear the full conversations, watch the complete episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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Do the moments that feel like they’re breaking you actually shape who you’re meant to become?

In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur Jake Humphrey for an honest conversation about failure, bullying, masculinity, fatherhood and learning to define success differently.

Jake opens up about the loneliness of being bullied at school, failing his A-levels and being told by the BBC, “we don’t employ people like you”, experiences that ultimately helped shape his extraordinary broadcasting career.

He also reflects on the pressures facing men today, why he believes young men are being led towards dark corners of the internet, and how empathy, vulnerability and honest conversations can offer a different vision of masculinity.

From the powerful influence of his father to becoming a dad himself, Jake shares what parenting has taught him about being present, letting children fail, prioritising what really matters and creating a safe space for them to talk.

This is a hopeful conversation about resilience, parenting, masculinity, success and discovering that most of life’s hardest moments lead us towards something extraordinary.

🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again.

Follow us here:

📸www.instagram.com/beginagain

🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod

✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm

Follow Jake Humphrey here: https://www.instagram.com/jakehumphrey/

Buy Jake's new book 'Game Plan' at https://dk.com/products/9780241734445-game-plan?_pos=2&_psq=gamepl&_psid=5929c8573&_ss=e/

We'd love you to share your Get Busy Living stories with us at https://getbusyliving.beginagainshow.com/

(00:00) Intro

(01:10) Why Service Matters

(07:23) Learning From Older Generations

(09:59) How Bullying Shaped Him

(17:11) Garnier Ad

(19:04) Monzo GBL Ad

(20:33) From Kids’ TV to Sport

(24:27) His Grandmother’s Suicide

(27:07) Failing His O-Levels

(31:10) His Take on the Manosphere

(39:51) Monzo 90 Days Ad

(41:00) British Heart Foundation Ad

(45:13) The Joy of Being a Dad

(46:54) What Really Matters in Life

(54:19) A Letter From His Daughter

(58:02) Embracing Embarrassment

Sponsored by:

Garnier Nutrisse: UK's NO1 hair dye, chosen by 2 million women. Davina is shade 5 Mocha Brown. Find yours: www.garnier.co.uk/our-brands/hair-colour/nutrisse-creme

Monzo: Results from the 2024 Lost Pensions Survey by the Pensions Policy Institute. The value of your pension could go up or down and you could get back less than you put in. You need a free Monzo current account to open a Monzo pension. Download Monzo. Monzo Current Accounts are for 18-70 years old only and UK residents. Ts&Cs Apply.

Join the 'Say Yes Club' and hear more about our events here - https://events.beginagainshow.com/

British Heart Foundation: To help fund lifesaving research, visit https://bhf.org.uk/keepusbeating to donate now and keep us beating.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Begin Again Moments, Simon Squibb and psychotherapist Kathleen Saxton examine how the behaviour of a parent can shape the person you become long after childhood is over.

Simon shares the reality of growing up with a mother he describes as a narcissist, from being left to find his own way home at eight years old to being kicked out of home at 15, shortly after his father died. Now, as a parent himself, he reflects on the experiences he once accepted as normal.

Kathleen helps unpack what happens psychologically when a child grows up around narcissism, addiction or unpredictable behaviour. As Davina reflects on her own relationship with her mother, they discuss why children learn to keep the peace, adapt themselves to their parents and sometimes lose touch with who they really are in the process.

Both conversations examine the difficult work of revisiting childhood as an adult: recognising when something wasn’t okay, understanding why we instinctively defend our parents, and beginning to reconnect with the person we were before we learned to adapt in order to be accepted.

To hear the full conversations, watch the complete episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices