Frances Whiting

I really love that I can talk to other women who are panicking and I'm able to say to them, you don't have to panic.

Thank you, Sarah.

I'm very, very happy to be here.

You know what, Sarah, the nice thing about the column that I would say is that it is the one thing, the one part of my job that hasn't changed at all.

And I think that is why it is still going.

I'd like to say it's because I'm a very talented writer and brilliant everywhere to gem.

But I honestly think that with the column, it's been pretty much in the same space on Sunday for 30 years.

And I think in a world where people are feeling very disconnected, where social media makes us feel a little bit insecure, you know, I think that

For readers, having that anchor point every Sunday that's very familiar, they kind of know what they're going to get.

There's not too many surprises with it.

And for me as a journalist, the nicest thing would be that every time I sit down to write that column, genuinely, I just think the same thing, which is two things.

I think I'm writing to a friend and I think, and my job is to make that friend smile and or laugh if I can swing it.

I still actually get physical letters.

Obviously nowhere near as many as I used to, but I get mostly emails and then Instagram messages as well.

It's really special.

The thing is, is that when we write, Sarah, and you would feel this too, you're not quite sure who you're writing to.

With a column, I know exactly who I'm writing to because they write back.

And some readers have read every single column for 30 years.

And as I'm doing this book tour for my book, some of them are coming.

and saying, I'm here because I've been reading your column for 30 years, or my mum's been reading your column for 30 years.