Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women
Episodes
213. Bryony Gordon
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel is joined by the journalist, author, broadcaster and podcaster, Bryony Gordon. Having worked at the Telegraph for decades, Bryony is ...
212. Ela Lee
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel is joined by the author Ela Lee, whose debit novel 'Jaded', took the literary world by storm. Ela became a secret novelist during the...
211. Nimco Ali
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Woman is Nimco Ali, co-founder and CEO of The Five Foundation,&...
210. Amanda Craig
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Difficult Women, Rachel sits down with the author Amanda Craig, known for her ‘state of the nation’ novels that explore British...
209. Claire Coutinho
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is Conservative MP for East Surrey, Claire Coutinho, who is Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, as...
208. Tilly Rose
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel is joined by the author and activist Tilly Rose, who spent 20 years in and out of hospital as a ‘medical mystery’. When Tilly was...
207. Olia Hercules
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is the chef Olia Hercules, who before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was mainly known for celebrating Eastern European...
206. Baroness Kishwer Falkner
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel is joined by Baroness Kishwer Falkner, the recent chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. During her time in the role, Bar...
205. Rachel Cockerell
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel is joined by the writer and historian Rachel Cockerell, whose debut book ‘Melting Point: Family, Memory and the Search for a Promis...
204. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the senior firefighter, psychologist and author, Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton. From joining the fire service at just 18 year...
203. Eluned Morgan
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is truly a first for the podcast. First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan, aka Baroness Morgan of Ely, joins Rachel in the...
202. Cat Bohannon
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is the writer, researcher and intellectual Cat Bohannon, best known for her New York Times bestseller Eve: How the Femal...
201. Hannah Barnes
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s Difficult Women, Rachel is joined by Investigations Editor at the New Statesman, Hannah Barnes. Hannah led BBC Newsnight’s investig...
Cindy Gallop
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cindy Gallop is a true Difficult Woman: born in Buckinghamshire, raised in orthodox Brunei by a formidable “tiger mother,” and destined for marria...
Jazz Saunders
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the reality TV star Jazz Saunders, much loved for her kind, down to-earth nature, close friendships and fiery rows on M...
Introducing: Iain Dale All Talk - Iain Dale All Talk
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you love Difficult Women, we think you'll love All Talk with Iain Dale. In this podcast, the broadcaster brings his acclaimed, incisive insight on ...
198. Holly Tucker
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is Holly Tucker MBE. Nicknamed ‘Holly hurricane’ when she was growing up, she is one of those women who really do ap...
197. Penny Mordaunt
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is Penny Mordaunt, former Conservative minister for Women and Equalities. You may know her for holding the sword at the ...
196. Devi Sridhar
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is the global health expert Devi Sridhar. She tells Rachel how she became committed to improving public health after los...
195. Dame Denise Lewis
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is the athlete, Dame Denise Lewis. She won gold in the Heptathlon in the 2000 Olympics and has continued to light up our...
194. Gina Martin
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is activist Gina Martin. Gina fought to make upskirting a crime in 2017 after a man took a picture of her crotch at Brit...
193. Dame Kelly Holmes
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of Difficult Women Rachel is joined by Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes. Kelly won double gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, raci...
192. Marina Wheeler KC
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s Difficult Woman is the human rights barrister, author, and Rachel’s former sister-in-law, the very redoubtable Marina Wheeler KC, who ...
191. Sophy Ridge
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode Rachel sits down with Sophy Ridge, an immensely talented Sky news presenter who achieved great success from early on in her car...
190. Hallie Rubenhold
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Rachel chats with bestselling historian Hallie Rubenhold, the woman rewriting the stories behind Britain’s most famous crimes. Hallie’s...
189. Juliet Nicolson
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Difficult Women, Rachel sits down with acclaimed author and historian Juliet Nicolson for an intimate and in-depth conversation abo...
188. Jilly Cooper
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last year the Difficult Women team went to darkest Gloucestershire to record the one and only Dame Jilly Cooper, whose death, aged 88, was announced t...
187. Hanan Khashoggi
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Rachel speaks to a woman who has been thrust into unimaginably difficult circumstances. Hanan Khashoggi is the widow of journalist Jam...
186. Kate Fall
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel sits down with Baroness Fall, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister David Cameron, for an intimate and insightful conversation. She de...
185. Thomasina Miers
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel sits down with chef, author, and food campaigner Thomasina Miers. Best known as the winner of MasterChef and co-founder of the Mexican-inspired...
184. Michal Herzog, First Lady of Israel
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Difficult Women, Rachel Johnson is joined by Michal Herzog, First Lady of Israel, in a rare and timely interview recorded during her offi...
183. Emma Willis
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel sits down with renowned shirt maker Emma Willis for an inspiring and insightful conversation. From crafting bespoke shirts for royalty and film...
182. Polly Toynbee
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel sits down with Polly Toynbee, one of The Guardian’s most respected columnists, for a wide-ranging conversation about politics, society, and t...
Helen Whately MP
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel sits down with Helen Whately MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. They explore the challenges facing the NHS and social care sector, delve i...
Sophia Money-Coutts
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lively and entertaining episode, Rachel Johnson sits down with author and journalist Sophia Money-Coutts for a sharp, funny, and refreshingly ...
Emma Forrest
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this intimate episode, Rachel sits down with acclaimed author Emma Forrest for a candid conversation about the turning points that shaped her life....
Sharon Gaffka: from Love Island to the Lobby.
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sharon Gaffka shot to fame on Love Island, but she’s since traded villa drama for real-world impact. A former civil servant turned fierce activist, ...
Feeling Out of Place in Obama's White House
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Deesha Dyer is a former White House Social Secretary under President Barack Obama whose journey from community college student to one of the most seni...
Kate Muir Bridges The Hormone Gap
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Muir is a bestselling author, campaigner, and documentary maker whose powerful work has helped spark the conversation around women's health. Form...
Periods, Power, and Psychology: Breaking the Taboo with Clare-Louise Knox
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Clare-Louise Knox is a leading feminist psychologist and founder of See Her Thrive, a consultancy dedicated to improving women's health and wellb...
Pochin's first Podcast
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Pochin, the newly elected Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, made headlines with a shock by-election win—snatching the seat by just six vote...
The Adventures of Penny Smith
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Penny Smith is a seasoned British television and radio presenter, journalist, and author, best known for co-hosting GMTV's News Hour from 1993 to 2010...
India Hicks: from the Bahamas to Bakhmut
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India Hicks resists definition. Famous for being Di’s bridesmaid, the King’s Goddaughter, and the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten, murdered by t...
Natasha Hausdorff: Law to her Core
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Natasha Hausdorff is a British barrister and legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel. A passionate debater since her school days, she is the UK’s fi...
The Myth of a Magical, Instagrammable, Motherhood, with Sarah Hoover
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Hoover is a writer and art historian whose hit debut memoir, The Motherload: Episodes from the Brink of Motherhood, delivers a raw and gripping ...
Depression and Dinner Parties with Rachel Kelly
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Kelly is a bestselling author and mental health advocate whose work shines a light on postpartum depression and the pressures faced by modern m...
The biscuit breaking politics of Mumsnet
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Justine Roberts is the founder and CEO of Mumsnet, the UK’s largest online network for parents—and a surprising powerhouse in British politic...
Katie Lam... Remember the name
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is novice MP Katie Lam. You may have seen Katie this past month making waves for her bold advocacy on victim’s rights, e...
The forgotten women, remembered by Anne Sebba
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the author and historian Anne Sebba. Her works, including Les Parisiennes and That Woman (the story...
Suzanne O'Sullivan's prescription for Overdiagnosis
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan is a neurologist and award-winning author. In her latest book, The Age of Diagnosis, she tackles the growing crisis of overdi...
Tessa Dunlop and a career of Difficulty
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Tessa Dunlop is a historian, author, and broadcaster known for bringing history to life. She’s the co-host of the new global podcast Where Polit...
Elif Shafak: Turkish writing in troubled times
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Women is the award-winning Turkish author Elif Shafak. Known for her powerful storytelling that explores identity, cultural conf...
Jude Kelly on directing a man's world
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jude Kelly is a visionary British theatre director and producer, renowned for her bold, transformative approach to the arts. As the founder of the gro...
Climbing Mont Blanc in a Bonnet! With Elise Wortley
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is a sorely underrepresented group amongst the difficult women Alumni - a female adventurer. When she was at her lowest mo...
Emmeline Pankhurst's Great-Granddaughter and the state of women's rights
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Pankhurst, born in 1960, is a British women's rights activist and the granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, the renowned suffragette. Continuing ...
Ukrainian MP, Kira Rudik
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the leader of Ukraine's Golos party, Kira Rudik. For three years her country has been under attack from an invading Rus...
Tonia Antoniazzi and the Afghani Cricket Team
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I am joined by Welsh Labour MP and former international rugby star Tonia Antoniazzi. Before entering politics, her distinguished rugby caree...
The world according to Anne Applebaum
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Applebaum is an American-born historian, journalist, and author, renowned for her expertise in Eastern Europe, particularly the Soviet Union...
The Trailblazing Bonnie Greer
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bonnie Greer is an acclaimed writer, cultural commentator, and trailblazing feminist whose work has left an indelible mark on the literary and social ...
Sally Clarke's Breakfast with Freud
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sally Clarke is a powerhouse in the world of fine dining, renowned for her unwavering resilience and culinary mastery. As the owner of the iconic ...
Mariella Frostrup, from Penniless Teen to Menopause Queen
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is Mariella Frostrup. A renowned broadcaster, writer, and outspoken feminist - always ready with her sharp wit and deep co...
Tracy-Ann Oberman takes on the "Keffiyeh Karens"
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I don't give a f*ck if I'm liked or not" - Tracy-Ann Oberman comes from a long line of Difficult Women, her very own aunt fled pogroms in Russia to f...
Dr Webberley's Tireless Trans Advocacy
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Helen Webberley has dedicated her career to protecting and advocating for trans rights. As the debate, both online and in the halls of legislature,...
Strictly's Amy Dowden
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After Announcing her return to BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, Amy Dowden shares her journey in dance, living with Crohn’s disease, and her recent batt...
Shabnam Nasimi
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shabnam Nasimi, a passionate advocate for Afghan women and human rights. From fleeing Afghanistan as a refugee to becoming a political activist, Shabn...
Yalda Hakim's Big Break
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before her tenth birthday, Yalda Hakim had fled a warzone on horseback, learnt two languages, and was well on her way to becoming the world-renowned j...
Suella Braverman, difficult until the end.
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the Rwanda Dreaming, email leaking, bibby barging former home secretary Suella Braverman. Whatever your thoughts on thi...
The Soccer Mom who took down Pornhub
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Laila Mickelwait is a mom on a mission, her tireless work has resulted in the removal of tens of millions of illegal porn videos and she's still not d...
The life long tenacity of Tanni Grey-Thompson
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of the most highly decorated British Paralympians and truly worthy of the title of Difficult Women. She has spent ...
The Marvellous Miss Feltz
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is another member of British broadcasting royalty, Vanessa Feltz! With her signature blonde locks and no-nonsens...
How Donna Jones gets things DONE
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Woman is Donna Jones, the conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, and the first female leader of Portsmou...
Madame Anti-Woke, Miriam Cates
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is the loud proud and utterly brilliant Miriam Cates. Now the former MP for Penistone and Stockbridge, Miriam rocketed int...
How Margaret Casely-Hayford plans to make history
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Women is the ceiling smashing Margaret Casley-Hayford. A successful businesswoman and lawyer, Margaret has now got her sights se...
Kate Weinberg's elusive illness
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is Kate Weinberg whose covid journey is as compelling as her writing. With a fierce determination to understand the m...
Bunny Guinness' Green Fingers
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is the Gardening Legend Bunny Guinness. You will be most familiar with Bunny's voice as a regular on Gardeners Question Ti...
How Natalie Fleet told her daughter she was a product of rape
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When she was 16, Natalie Fleet was raped. More than 30 years later, she will now use her role as a Labour MP to ensure that rapists have no rights to ...
Bibi Lynch and the Plight of the Childless
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is writer and podcaster Bibi Lynch. Owing to a combination of factors, Bibi has found herself childless and single in her ...
Alice Hendy from tragedy to triumph
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Woman is Alice Hendy. In November of 2020, she received news that her only sibling had taken his own life. Alice found that...
From the Archive: the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“On Saturday 31st August, the IDF recovered the body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. To many he was the recognisable face of the hostages kidnapped on Octo...
Why Eleanor Mills was REALLY fired from The Sunday Times
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is the brilliant author and journalist Eleanor Mills to discuss her new book, which dives into the challenges and triumphs...
The Many Strings to Kat Brown's Bow
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult women is Kat Brown, author, journalist, and guide to all things ADHD. Upon being diagnosed as an adult, Kat's whole life began t...
Why Jennifer Ewing believes Trump will still win in November...
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Difficult Women is Jennifer Ewing, wealth manager and proud republican living overseas, in the enemy territory! Given the ever present mel...
Harriet Wistrich: The feminist lawyer's feminist lawyer
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The stalwart defender of women's rights, Harriet Wistrich, is this week's difficult woman. Responsible for keeping John Worboys locked up and the foun...
The many voices of Ronni Ancona
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's difficult woman is probably more accurately described as difficult women! Lorraine Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Olivia Coleman, Ann Widdecombe A...
Why Ann Widdecombe REALLY abandoned the Tories...
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Widdecombe is a titan of British politics. Wheather or not you agree with her, you cannot deny the monumental impact she has made on our political...
How Plum Sykes lives with the weight of familial legacy...
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A gala edition of Difficult Woman Live! with the author, influencer, glamazon, and daughter of one of the most fascinating families in Britain – the...
What's next for Sharon White?
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh off the back of her tenure at the head of John Lewis, Dame Sharon White is at a bit of a loss. With Ofcom and the Treasury on her CV, there is v...
The Many Friends of Rosemary Reed...
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If there is a man woman or child in showbiz that Rosemary Reed doesn't know, then they're not worth knowing! This producer/director is the mastermind ...
Kathy Lette's advice on aging with style!
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Go forth and be fabulous!" Strap in dear listener for our most raucous episode yet! The inimitable Kathy Lette is this weeks difficult woman, done wi...
What the Godmother of Radio REALLY thinks about podcasting...
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I don't have a single bad word to say about this weeks difficult women... not least because she may well be listening! Gillian Reynolds, the Doyenne o...
Rachel Goldberg's 208 days without her son
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"We are frozen in a trauma that has now become our reality" This week's difficult woman may well be one of the strongest I have ever met. The ter...
Patsy Stevenson on the arrest that catapulted her into the public eye
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When something goes wrong, you don't take it lying down" This week's difficult women is Patsy Stevenson. She is a writer and campaigner who was catapu...
How Alexandra Tolstoy escaped from a Russian Dacha
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"He brought in a Psychiatrist to sedate me and handcuff me" From a Bareback Cossack to an abusive Russian Oligarch, Alexandra Tolstoy has lived one he...
Sam McAlister, the woman behind THAT Prince Andrew interview
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s difficult woman is Newsnight's star booker Sam McAlister. A working class girl who’s mixed with princes and paupers, Sam has always kn...
How Daisy Goodwin derailed the Conservative Mayoral campaign
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Men get away with it because women don't want to report it" This week's difficult woman is author, producer, and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin. The bril...
The Former Chief of Ofsted on the death of Ruth Perry
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“People assume everything should be about making the adults comfortable and happy and forget about the extra risk that puts on children.” This wee...
How to destroy the institution of marriage according to Merav Michaeli
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The structure of marriage is a big part of maintaining the gender inequality between men and women" This week's difficult women is the Israeli l...
Dr Charlotte Proudman, the original 'feminazi lawyer'
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"A barrister said I should be sectioned and left in a padded room" This week's difficult woman is Dr Charlotte Proudman, a fiercely defiant lawyer who...
What Jilly Cooper REALLY thinks about modern men...
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I'll probably get cancelled for this!" Little needs to be said about this week's Difficult Woman, a prolific author, columnist and self-declared bitc...
How Tanya Laperouse turned the death of her daughter into a terrible victory...
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"When we started this fight, we made enemies in the food industry." This week's difficult women is Tanya Laperouse, whilst you may not know her name b...