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Woman's Hour: London Hughes; Motherhood when you have an inherited condition; Helen Thorn; Stalking; Sunisa Lee

30/07/2021

London Hughes; Motherhood when you have an inherited condition; Helen Thorn; Stalking; Sunisa Lee

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, London Hughes; Motherhood when you have an inherited condition; Helen Thorn; Stalking; Sunisa Lee

Comic London Hughes on having to move to the US to make it.

Since moving to the US last year, the British stand-up comic, actor, writer and presenter London Hughes is making it big.  Her stand up special To Catch A D*ck - originally performed at the Edinburgh Fringe - has been adapted for TV and is streaming globally on Netflix.  She’s also one of the hosts of Netflix's weekly chat show Afterparty and a new comedy Hot Mess is set to follow with Universal.  Her success in the US comes not long after she spoke out about the lack of opportunities in the UK given to black female comic talent to shine.  She speaks to Anita from LA. 

Has the pandemic contributed to an increase in stalking? The number of stalking and harassment offences rose by 28 per cent in the year to March 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.  The Suzy Lamplugh Trust say that half of the one hundred and eleven stalking victims they surveyed, had experienced an increase in the behaviour either online or offline during Covid lockdowns. Anita is joined by their Chief Executive Suky Bhaker to discuss.

It is estimated that 1 in 25 children is affected by a genetic disorder in the UK - this can range from mild to life-threatening. For the women living with an inherited condition, pursuing motherhood can be a scary and challenging process. We speak to two women about their own experiences, the support they received, and advice for other soon-to-be parents in a similar position. Carlie lives with Cystic Fibrosis and has a young son. Francesca has Sickle Cell and two young daughters.

Gymnastics have been at the centre of coverage of this Olympics after Simone Biles withdrew from a number of events citing issues with her mental health. She's been cheering her team mates on from the side lines, including Sunisa Lee who won the gymnastics individual all round gold medal yesterday. Anita finds out more about Lee, the 18-year-old daughter of refugees who fled Laos for the US at end of the Vietnam war, with the Telegraph's Women's Sports Reporter Molly McElwee.

Just a few days before the national lockdown in March 2020 Helen Thorn’s life imploded. The comedian - you might know her as half of the Scummy Mummies duo - found out her husband had been unfaithful. She tells us how she navigated the heartbreak, divorce and single parenthood with home-schooling, enforced social isolation and only being able to leave your house once a day for exercise. Her book ‘Get Divorced, Be Happy’ details her first year of separation.

Image credit: Ryan Pfluger

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London Hughes; Motherhood when you have an inherited condition; Helen Thorn; Stalking; Sunisa Lee

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