Women in Iran, Chloé Zhao, the Bar Council, Lesley Sharp
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 9 January 2026
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Iran has been in the news, with protests building over the last 13 days. Commentators say that what started as a protest about the economy has now turned into a call for regime change, and for women's rights. There are reports that young women are fearlessly taking to the streets, flouting compulsory hijab rules and risking arrest. Anita Rani talks to the BBC's Global Women's reporter Feranak Amidi, an Iranian who lived there until she was 30, and has been following events closely.
Chloé Zhao is only the second woman and first woman of colour to win an Oscar for Best Director. She returns with one of the year’s most anticipated films: Hamnet. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, it reimagines the lives of Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare, exploring how the loss of their 11-year-old son Hamnet shaped their marriage and inspired Hamlet. Chloe co-wrote and directed the film and speaks to Anita.
Kirsty Brimelow KC has been appointed Chair of the Bar Council and is the first to lead an entirely female senior leadership team. A specialist in human rights, criminal and public law, she takes on the role of representing around 18,000 practicing barristers in England and Wales. Anita asks about her plans for the role.
ITV’s compelling action-aviation drama Red Eye is back for a second series with the actor Lesley Sharp playing the cool-headed MI5 boss, Madeleine Delaney. In this new conspiracy, Madeleine is flying in a small plane from Washington DC when she receives a message that there’s a bomb on board which will be detonated if certain conditions aren’t met. Lesley speaks to Anita about that role, and her acting career to date, including the new film Pillion.
Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:05.7 | Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, and I'm Ed Gamble, host of another BBC podcast, The Traitors Uncloaked. |
| 0:12.7 | But my show is available only on BBC Sounds, just like Ellis and John's Saturday bonus episodes, |
| 0:18.2 | The Pop Top Ten podcast with Scott Mills and Rylan, and comedy specials |
| 0:22.2 | from the likes of Harriet Kemsley, Susie Ruffel and Rommashranganathan. However, and maybe I'm biased, |
| 0:27.9 | it's really all about the traitors uncoaked. So for a whole bunch of exclusive scoops and |
| 0:32.6 | podcasts, listen only on BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Anita Rani and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4. |
| 0:40.5 | Good morning and welcome to the programme. |
| 0:43.2 | I can tell you that the food programme will definitely be fed very well in those DESE pubs. |
| 0:47.7 | But on to Woman's Hour, a roll call of very impressive women on today. |
| 0:52.2 | Actor Leslie Sharp will be here to tell us about series two of the gripping ITV spy |
| 0:57.5 | thriller Red Eye and a beautiful new film called Pillion and I might have to fan girl |
| 1:02.5 | over her being in Rita Sue and Bob 2. |
| 1:05.5 | Kirsty Brimelow has just got the top job at the Bar Council representing 18,000 |
| 1:10.1 | barristers in England and Wales. |
| 1:11.9 | We'll be finding out what she has on her plate for the next year and just what it takes to get to |
| 1:16.4 | where she is. And Oscar-winning director, Chloe Zhao, popped in to talk to me about her extraordinary |
| 1:22.6 | new film, Hamnet, starring Jesse Buckley and Paul Mescal, based on Maggio Farrell's book, who co-wrote |
| 1:28.7 | the screenplay with Chloe. If you follow us on Instagram, it's at BBC Women's Out, if you |
| 1:34.1 | don't already, you may have seen a clip of the interview where Chloe talks to me about bonding |
| 1:39.6 | with Jessie Buckley. Jesse messaged her late one night asking how she was. And in that moment, |
| 1:45.2 | as a woman, she could have easily just said, I'm fine. I'm sure lots of us can relate to that. |
... |
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