Emma Barnett

Emma Barnett is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster, with more than two thousand interviews under her belt and a seat on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Emma was encouraged to ask questions from a young age and she’s built her entire career around them. Whether she's holding a politician to a 12-second silence on live radio or interviewing the Prime Minister, she’s known for running towards difficult conversations, not away from them. She’s also become a powerful voice for women. In our conversation, Emma opens up about her IVF journey and the miscarriage that left her so defeated she nearly didn’t go through another round of treatment - the one that led to her daughter. In this episode, Emma shares: What it's like interviewing the UK's biggest politicians Her IVF journey and why she chose to speak openly about treatment when it failed Remembering the people who wanted children and can’t have them How she shut down a troll and their surprising response What intimidates her most in the world… Emma is proof that the best interviewers aren't the ones with all the answers, they're the ones brave enough to keep asking the questions of others and of themselves. Emma Barnett is Great Company. You can follow Emma on Instagram HERE Listen to Emma’s podcast, Ready To Talk, HERE Discover Colour Your Streets - Emma’s family colouring book company HERE If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us: Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast Jamie - @jamielaing And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk THE CREDITS Producer: Helen Burke & Faye Lawrence Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins Video: Josh Bennett Senior Social Media Manager: Laura Coughlan Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is Emma Barnett More Successful Than Richard? On this week's episode Emma talks to Richard about her incredible career to date fronting the Today programme and Woman's Hour, how to get into the industry, her new hit podcast Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett, and her hugely popular business Colour Your Streets. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe - we have more amazing guests like this one. - You can follow us on Instagram: @yesyesmediatv @whyareyoumoresuccessfulthanme - Full episodes are available to watch on Spotify & YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WhyAreYouMoreSuccessfulThanMe - If you have any questions and comments you can email us at: moresuccessfulpod@yesyesmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s our first episode of 2026 and we have the wonderful broadcaster and radio presenter Emma Barnett joining us for lunch after an early morning start for her at Radio 4. Emma has actually interviewed me before (and we got quite drunk together back in 2011), and it turns out that mum & Emma’s mum went to school in Manchester many moons ago! We covered everything from her breakfast routine, nostalgic Jewish food, being a colouring-in-book entrepreneur, her endometriosis diagnosis, the amazing guests she has interviewed over the years, and we reminisce about the time she got a Conservative MP to apologise live on air for lying! What a delight to share an afternoon with Emma, one day we’ll have to take a trip to Manchester to check out the bagels together. Emma’s fab new podcast ‘Ready To Talk’ is available on BBC Sounds and all other podcast platforms now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Barnett is a broadcaster, journalist and author who we admire hugely. She is one of the BBC’s most high-profile journalists who is currently part of the presenting team on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme - as well as previously hosting Women’s Hour and Newsnight. Alongside her incredible broadcasting career, Emma has also become a powerful advocate for women’s health - having chosen to speak up about her very difficult IVF journey as well as struggling with both endometriosis and adenomyosis. Emma told us about why she chose to bring her private reality into light to advocate for women’s health and to disrupt the assumptions that we may hold about ‘serious’ news presenters. We also spoke to Emma about interviewing Kate Bush, what happened when she called out Rory Stewart for lying on air and why she is concerned about women feeling the need to be liked all the time. Experiences that have reshaped lives. Bold questions, unexpected truths, lots of tea... Emma Barnett invites you into her world for deeply human conversations. You can listen to episodes on BBC Sounds HERE . New episodes of Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett are available every Friday on BBC Sounds. Follow @emmabarnett on Instagram If you want to get in touch you can email us on shouldideletethatpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram: @shouldideletethat @em_clarkson @alexlight_ldn Should I Delete That is produced by Faye Lawrence Studio Manager: Elliott Mckay Video Editor: Celia Gomez Social Media Manager: Sarah English Music: Alex Andrew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Flack was a Bafta-winning TV presenter, host of shows including Love Island and The X Factor. In February of 2020, she took her own life ahead of a court case in which she was charged with the assault of her then boyfriend, after weeks of press scrutiny. Her mother Christine Flack tells Clare McDonnell about spending the past five years uncovering documents from the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to try to find out more about the events around Caroline’s death and she also questions the role of the press. That journey is documented in a two-part documentary out on Disney+ called Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth. A new schools inspection system begins in England today. Overall judgements, such as 'good' or 'requires improvement,' have been scrapped and schools will now be given one of five grades in several different categories. The changes were prompted by the death of the head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life in January 2023 whilst waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report she knew would grade her school as "inadequate." Clare speaks to the BBC Education Reporter Vanessa Clarke and Tom Middlehurst, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders. Louise Penny is the multi award-winning Canadian crime novelist. Her books have sold over 18 million copies worldwide and this year marks the 20th anniversary of her hugely popular Inspector Gamache series. Her latest novel is called The Black Wolf and follows on from her previous one The Grey Wolf. Gamache has foiled a plot to poison Montreal’s drinking water, but has discovered that this is simply phase one of a dark master plan and he needs to take on not only an organised crime syndicate, but also delve into the murky depths of government and power to discover who the black wolf is. There is a brand new podcast out from a familiar voice - Emma Barnett: Ready to Talk, in which Emma invites listeners into her world for bold, honest, and deeply human conversations about the experiences in life that shape and connect us. In the first episode Emma talks to her friend, the journalist and presenter Kate Thornton, about something she’s never spoken about publicly before: perimenopause. In the UK, 13 million women are currently experiencing the perimenopause, or menopause, but information about what it is and what can help can be hard to find. Emma tells Clare about her own experience. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Andrea Kidd

From presidents to popstars, award-winning broadcaster Emma Barnett has interviewed thousands of fascinating people live on radio and television. But now she’s ready to talk to her guests much more deeply, about the profound experiences that shaped their lives. In this special preview episode, Emma reveals more about the bold, honest conversations coming up in the series. Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett will publish weekly from 7 November. Subscribe on BBC Sounds and have your push notifications turned on so you never miss an episode. Emma also wants to hear from you - our community of listeners. Join the conversation and share what’s on your mind by getting in touch via text or WhatsApp, on 08000 556 101.

Emma Barnett is 40 years old and at the top of her game. She’s regularly up at 330 in the morning to broadcast to the nation and to hold powerful people to account. But will the early starts and work stress have played havoc with her body? Emma’s used to asking the questions but in this frank, thought-provoking conversation, Emma talks openly about the impact of 6 rounds of IVF followed by early years parenting, her endometriosis, her more recent diagnosis of adenomyosis, and the lifestyle changes she is trying to alleviate her symptoms. She’s not too worried about how she’ll look as she gets older, but she is hoping to feel better as she ages with the long-term goal of retiring in Miami with big hair! From Kate Bush to Nigel Farage, to Nazanin Zahgari Ratcliffe, Emma has interviewed them all and is one of the youngest presenters ever to reach such heady heights of broadcasting. But is she really? Listen in to find out! Dr Nichola is, of course on hand to talk in more depth about endometriosis and how it affects inflammation. Plus how and why shift work impacts our biological age. Emma talks about anti-semitism in this episode which was recorded in August before the attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester. Emma also talked about her book Maternity Service and the range of colouring books she has created with her husband - Colour Your Streets https://colouryourstreets.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOorUHbG2nR3Dez5OnzaSo8PHwdMgCp_vO9NTtzdWTvktKeQUQZaH Senior Video Producer – Elena Cotton Video Producer– David May Social Media - Demi Brockway Artwork – Ben Watkins Video Editor - Mossie Cassidy Head of Video – Edie Jefferys Sound Designer – Phil Atkins Executive Producer – Henrietta Harrison Head of Production – Cat Moran Chief Creative Officer – Lucie Cave

Quick note about this episode before I introduce it - the audio quality isn't up to the usual standard. I've done what I can to improve it, and hopefully it doesn't take away from the importance and brilliance of the conversation. That said... My guest on this episode is the fantastic Emma Barnett. Emma is a presenter and journalist, currently on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and formerly presenter of Woman's Hour. Emma joins me to discuss her new book Maternity Service: A Love Letter to Mothers from the Front Line of Maternity Leave which looks at what maternity leave is really like for millions of new mums. Emma talks about her own experiences from her two 'tours of duty' and questions why it's called maternity leave which it involves no actual leave... Buy Emma's book: https://amzn.eu/d/2KtDOkB Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmabarnett/ Buy Emma's ace colouring books: https://colouryourstreets.co.uk If you enjoyed this episode then please leave a rating or review - and you can follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss future episodes. Thank you! Not Another Mummy Podcast is brought to you by me, journalist and author Alison Perry. I'm a mum of three and I love interviewing people about parenthood on the podcast. You can check out my other episodes and you can come chat to me on Instagram: @iamalisonperry or on Twitter: @iamalisonperry . You can buy my book OMG It's Twins now. Music: Epidemic Sound Artwork: Eleanor Bowmer Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/notanothermummy . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is all about a one-word switch that is going to completely reframe an experience that most of us will have had. We're joined by the amazing journalist and broadcaster Emma Barnett, whose voice you'll recognise from Radio 4's Today programme and Woman's Hour. She's with us to talk about changing the phrase 'maternity leave' to 'maternity service' and how that simple switch changes everything. We talk to Emma about her experience as a mother, why we have to prepare women better for their journeys as mothers, and Emma shares some brilliant practical tips for your maternity service and beyond. Find your copy of Emma's new book Maternity Service here Click Here to order your copy of 'Motherkind: A New way to thrive in a world of endless expectations’ Motherkind is sponsored by Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind This show is sponsored by Usborne books. If you want to add a little extra joy to storytime, 'Don’t Tickle' touchy-feely sound books are available now from all good booksellers. This show is sponsored by Yeo Valley. Find Your Daily Groove: visit the Yeo Valley website to find out more. Yeo Got This! This show is sponsored by FreePrints. Download the Free Prints app for iPhone and Android from the App store or Google Play or visit freeprints.co.uk. Continue the Conversation: Join our community over on Instagram for inspiration, tips, and sometimes a bit of humour to get us through our day - @zoeblaskey Join our mailing list to receive news, updates and new episode releases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, award-winning broadcaster, journalist and author Emma Barnett opens up about the unseen struggles that have shaped both her personal and professional life. Emma shares her journey with endometriosis and adenomyosis, the toll of chronic pain, and the emotional realities of going through IVF to have her children. Speaking with clarity, honesty and conviction, she dismantles taboos around women’s health and offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of motherhood — one that goes far beyond picture-perfect expectations. We also dive into her book Maternity Service , where Emma challenges outdated notions of maternity leave and reclaims the narrative of what it means to become a mother. This episode is a candid reflection on resilience, identity, and why the stories we don’t often tell are the ones that matter most. 01:02 Emma's Health Challenges 03:13 IVF Journey and Motherhood 05:50 Living with Pain and Finding Strength 08:28 Emma's Background and Upbringing 15:11 Professional Life and Broadcasting 20:26 Discussing the Book 'Maternity Service' 33:25 Losing and Gaining Yourself 33:43 Balancing Career and Home Life 34:00 The Importance of Flexibility 35:12 The 'Let Them' Movement 35:26 Influence and Relationships 38:50 Community and Support 45:46 Survival Strategies for Parents 49:07 Hope and Determination 54:24 Reflections on Motherhood Find Emma: Instagram: @emmabarnett Buy her book, Maternity Service: https://amzn.eu/d/3C2izpu Website: https://www.emmabarnett.org/ Please subscribe and leave a review—it truly makes all the difference! Follow Julia at @juliasamuelmbe for more insights, tips, and conversations on life's challenges and how to improve your mental well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Netmums Podcast, Wendy Golledge and Alison Perry welcome the incredibly insightful Emma Barnett, an award-winning journalist and broadcaster known for her work on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and Women's Hour. Emma, a mother of two, shares her experiences surrounding maternity leave and the often-unspoken realities of motherhood. The conversation includes: - The Reality of Maternity Leave: Emma discusses the challenges of feeling both isolated and in need of connection during this transformative period. - Rebranding Maternity Leave: Emma proposes a new perspective on maternity leave, framing it as a time of service and kindness rather than just a break from work. - The Impact of IVF: Emma opens up about her IVF journey, reflecting on the emotional rollercoaster and the importance of community support during this time. - The Myth of Motherhood: The trio explores the romanticised notions of motherhood and how the realities often differ from expectations. - Finding Balance: Emma shares her approach to juggling work, motherhood, and her new business venture, Claire Your Streets, while offering practical advice for parents seeking to find their footing. Join us for a discussion that challenges the norms of motherhood and offers a fresh perspective on the journey of parenting. Stay connected with Netmums for more parenting tips, community support, engaging content: Website: netmums.com / Instagram: @netmums Proudly produced by Decibelle Creative / @decibelle_creative