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Woman's Hour

Holly Walsh on Amandaland, novelist Ilona Bannister, Greenlandic mothers in Denmark

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.13K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Motherland spin-off Amandaland is back for a second series, starring Lucy Punch as Amanda and Joanna Lumley as her frosty mum Felicity. Nuala McGovern talks to the show’s award-winning writer and co-creator Holly Walsh about what’s in store for the SoHa crew second time around, as Amanda navigates life as a single mum of teenagers, juggling online influencing and her ‘co-lab’ with her dreams of moving up in the world.

A review into the death of 21‑year‑old showjumper Katie Simpson has found 'institutional misogyny' and 'systemic failures' within the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The review, commissioned by the Department of Justice and released yesterday, found that not one officer seriously considered abuse or coercive control during the initial investigation. Katie died six days after being admitted to hospital in in 2020 and her death was initially treated as suicide. The PSNI has acknowledged the review and apologised to Katie's family. Nuala is joined by Allison Morris, Crime Correspondent at the Belfast Telegraph who's been following the case.

What if the next five minutes were your last? That’s the question the American born author Ilona Bannister wants us to answer in her latest novel Five. Set on a train station platform we meet five strangers: a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman and a gambler. Unbeknownst to them they are facing a countdown where in just five minutes one of them will die. Ilona tells Nuala what drew her to this idea.

A case in Denmark is prompting public debate and urgent questions about child protection practices and the treatment of Greenlandic people. The case centres on a Greenlandic mother, Keira Alexandra Kronvold, whose newborn daughter was taken into care just two hours after birth in 2024, following the use of controversial psychometric assessments known as FKU tests. Critics say these tests, conducted in Danish and based on culturally specific assumptions, have disproportionately led to Greenlandic children being removed from their families. Her case has now reached the Danish high court, with a decision due imminently, and now the United Nations has intervened. Joining Nuala to discuss are Miranda Bryant, the Guardian’s Nordic correspondent, and Tillie Martinussen, a former MP in Greenland from the Cooperation Party.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts.

0:07.0

Shall we get cracking?

0:08.7

You've got a BBC podcast coming up.

0:10.8

These were immensely popular.

0:13.0

But if you also like looking back,

0:14.7

then the BBC has loads of history podcasts to offer.

0:17.6

Proof that being a historian is a very exciting job.

0:19.7

Covering everything.

0:20.7

From epic events.

0:21.8

It was the year 1666. Two personal stories. It was an anxiety that people felt even in the ancient world.

0:27.9

So in future, for more history podcasts, free people making a free choice about what they wanted.

0:34.3

Search History on BBC Sounds.

0:38.4

Hello, I'm Neula McGovern and welcome to Women's Hour from BBC Radio 4.

0:43.3

Just to say that for rights reasons, the music in the original radio broadcast has been removed for this podcast.

0:49.9

Hello and welcome to the programme.

0:52.6

Three years ago, Christy Daywood lost her husband and son

0:56.4

aboard the Titan sub. They were diving to view the Titanic wreck. Christine will be with me

1:02.7

in studio to tell me about her experience that took place over the 96 hours that she waited

1:08.3

with hope and her heart to hear their fate. She has written about it

1:12.4

in a new book. Also this hour, get ready for a sound palette sculpted from sampled audio and

1:19.7

homemade instruments. We have Cog, Selena Kay and Kheris Hogg. They are an experimental

1:24.8

musical duo who are about to release their debut album.

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