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Woman's Hour

Swimming coaching, LGB Alliance, Welsh women's football, Author Emma Stonex

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A world-record breaking swimmer has told the BBC she was left 'broken' by the training regime of one of the UK’s most successful swimming coaches. Rūta Meilutytė - who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics at the age of 15 – said coach Jon Rudd’s focus on her weight and diet contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder. Mr Rudd, who has faced multiple allegations of bullying and verbal abuse of teenage swimmers, has not responded to the BBC. Panorama's Rebecca Woods joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her investigation, The Dark Side of Swimming Clubs, which raises wider questions about an alleged toxic culture for young swimmers in the UK.

Woman's Hour is hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today Nuala speaks to Kate Barker, CEO of LGB Alliance. They were part of a coalition along with Scottish Lesbians and the Lesbian Project, that intervened in the case.

Today the BBC launches the Women’s Summer of Sport, marking the start of a bumper summer of coverage including the Euros, the Rugby World Cup and Queen’s tennis tournament. The Welsh women’s football team have been called 'history makers' after qualifying for the European Championship for the first time. Three of the players, Josie Green, Lily Woodham and Elise Hughes, tell us what this means for them and how they are preparing for their debut tournament.

The author Emma Stonex joins Nuala to talk about her new suspense novel The Sunshine Man. Set it 1989, it tells the story of Birdie, set on taking revenge on the man who she believes murdered her sister. Emma tells us how she approached writing the book, and touches on some of its themes, including the bonds between sisters and parental abandonment.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.

0:03.7

My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.

0:08.4

I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading journalists, experienced

0:12.2

pundits and the biggest sports stars.

0:14.3

Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the player's mouths.

0:19.1

But the best thing about doing this at the BBC

0:21.6

is our unique access to the sporting world.

0:24.8

What that means is that we can bring you podcasts

0:27.2

that create a real connection to dedicated sports fans

0:30.1

across the UK.

0:31.4

So if you like this podcast,

0:33.0

head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.

0:37.1

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:41.4

Hello, this is Neu La McGovern

0:43.2

and you're listening to The Woman's Hour podcast.

0:46.1

Hello and welcome to the programme.

0:47.9

Well, as we kick off the BBC's summer of sport,

0:50.3

we have three of the Wales football team

0:52.5

who have qualified for the Euros for the very first time.

0:56.2

Get ready for Jacey Green, Lily Woodham and Elise Hughes this hour.

0:59.9

And they may be household names after the UEFA women's European championships.

1:05.3

Also today, we continue to hear different perspectives on the UK Supreme Court ruling.

...

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