BBC Radio 4 Extra

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

World Agony

Tom Sutcliffe

Grayson Perry

Penelope Curtis

Philip Davis

Nicholas Lovell

Katy Hickman

World Agony: Episode 1: Cheryl Strayed, USA

Documentaries

Factual

world-agony_0714_s_g_getty.jpg

Episode 1

Episode 1: Cheryl Strayed, USA

Cheryl Strayed, USA

BBC Radio 4 Extra - World Agony, Cheryl Strayed, USA

Agony aunt Irma Kurtz talks to her USA counterpart Cheryl Strayed about agony in America.

Agony aunt Irma Kurtz talks to her American counterpart Cheryl Strayed about the USA agony in her 'Dear Sugar' column.

Irma Kurtz, Cosmopolitan magazine's Agony Aunt for over 40 years, talks to a different agony aunt from around the world for each programme in this series. 

She speaks to Aunts from America, India, Australia, Egypt and South Africa, and reflects on the universal and contrasting problems that occur in their particular society. These Aunts, many of whom have dramatic personal lives themselves, offer advice in newspaper columns, on radio phone-ins and on-line. 

Irma draws on her ample experience to offer a useful perspective on their approach to problem solving. Together they discuss the problems specific to their communities and listeners hear examples of some of the letters they receive and the advice given.

Programme 1: Cheryl Strayed, U.S.A.
Irma talks to Cheryl Strayed, an American agony aunt who has received thousands of queries to her 'Dear Sugar' online column. Cheryl has grappled with many problems herself, including sexual abuse, bereavement and divorce. It's no surprise then that her strap line reads, "From someone who has been there".
Irma and Cheryl compare notes. They consider American optimism compared with the perceived attitude of the British stiff upper lip and reflect on why so many men write to Dear Sugar.



Producer: Ronni Davis
A White Pebble Media production for BBC Radio 4.

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Irma Kurtz talks to five different agony aunts from around the world.

Irma Kurtz, Cosmopolitan magazine's agony aunt for over 40 years, talks to five different agony aunts from around the world.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

World Agony

Episode 1: Cheryl Strayed, USA

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Series

BBC Radio 4 Extra

About BBC Radio 4 Extra