Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women cover art
Podcast · 47 episodes

Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women

by Global · English

Well-behaved women rarely make history – as someone once said – difficult women do. In this new LBC new podcast, Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women, Rachel will be talking to women who had to be a pain in the backside to get where they are today. Women who take the word difficult as a compliment not an insult. And women who had to fight, resist, insist, or otherwise be badly behaved in order to get things done. Listen and subscribe on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Rachel on Twitter: @RachelSJohnson For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: GlobalStudiosSales@global.com

Latest episodes

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223. Anne JenkinAnne Jenkin, Conservative life peer and co-founder of Women to Win, discusses women’s representation in politics, risk and intimidation faced by female candidates, and how to increase women on…17 Jul 2026 · 45 min · 20 chapters
222. Tulip SiddiqInterview with Labour MP Tulip Siddiq about her political career, controversies, and two “difficult” episodes: Bangladesh corruption allegations leading to her resignation, and her role in the…10 Jul 2026 · 46 min · 23 chapters
221. Sonya BarlowEpisode 221 features Sonia Barlow, a Pakistani-born UK tech entrepreneur, author, and CEO of the Like-Minded Females Network.3 Jul 2026 · 37 min · 14 chapters
220. Julia PerowneJulia Perrone, founder/CEO of Perrone International, discusses modern travel and hospitality PR/communications amid geopolitical chaos, rising costs, and Europe’s new entry/exit biometric system; she…19 Jun 2026 · 46 min · 18 chapters
219. Kathryn StockettKathryn Stockett discusses her novels The Help (1963 Mississippi) and The Calamity Club (1933 Mississippi), focusing on voice, backlash, and why women’s rights—especially reproductive/health…12 Jun 2026 · 33 min · 17 chapters
218. Isla TraquairIsla Traquair, a Scottish crime journalist/TV producer/podcast host, discusses her career from a 15-year-old Sun front-page reporter to producing murder documentaries, then her later work exposing a…29 May 2026 · 41 min · 15 chapters
217. Philippa LangleyPhilippa Langley’s evidence-led search for Richard III’s burial site in Leicester, culminating in the 2012 discovery and 2013 identification, plus disputes over credit and her later “Hidden Abbey…22 May 2026 · 38 min · 18 chapters
216. Penny EastPenny East, new CEO of the Fawcett Society, argues women’s rights and advocacy are not “done,” citing worsening trends and “medical misogyny.” She links biased medical research to AI health advice…15 May 2026 · 36 min · 18 chapters
215. Zoe StrimpelZoe Strimpel discusses her views on feminism, antisemitism/anti-Zionism in the UK, and her book The Good Slut, linking misogyny and antisemitism.1 May 2026 · 43 min · 17 chapters
214. Kadiatu Kanneh-MasonKadiatu Kanneh-Mason discusses raising a highly musical, diverse family in Britain, the struggle for music education amid class/race barriers, and the psychological impact of racism on her children’s…24 Apr 2026 · 31 min · 14 chapters
213. Bryony GordonBryony Gordon discusses being a “difficult woman” (standing up for her needs), and how OCD and addiction shaped her life and writing.17 Apr 2026 · 37 min · 16 chapters
212. Ela LeeEla Lee, a British-Korean-Turkish former anti-bribery/fraud/corruption lawyer, discusses writing during COVID, her debut novel Jaded (a young lawyer assaulted after a firm gala), and her second novel…3 Apr 2026 · 33 min · 11 chapters
211. Nimco AliNimco Ali discusses her childhood experience of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somaliland/Somalia, how she became a leading UK and global campaigner against FGM, and broader arguments about…27 Mar 2026 · 47 min · 16 chapters
210. Amanda CraigAmanda Craig discusses her novel High and Low (a sequel to A Vicious Circle), her “best writer you’ve never read” status, the UK literary world’s sexism and lack of support, publishing’s decline, and…20 Mar 2026 · 37 min · 14 chapters
209. Claire CoutinhoClaire Coutinho (MP) discusses being a “nerdy” woman in politics, her opposition to UK net-zero policy, her views on trans rights vs biological sex, and her near-death childbirth experience from…13 Mar 2026 · 42 min · 18 chapters
208. Tilly RoseTilly Rose’s two-decade medical mystery journey, from repeated pneumonias and bowel surgery to diagnoses of active tuberculosis, Addison’s disease, and later Ehlers-Danlos syndrome with vascular…6 Mar 2026 · 34 min · 16 chapters
207. Olia HerculesOlia Hercules’ family memoir Strong Roots, centered on her Ukrainian childhood and the upheaval caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, including displacement, cultural survival, and coping…27 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 17 chapters
206. Baroness Kishwer FalknerBaroness Kishwer Faulkner’s life story and her tenure as former Chair of the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), focusing on controversies over “gender critical” rights, single-sex…20 Feb 2026 · 51 min · 20 chapters
205. Rachel CockerellRachel Cockerell discusses her debut book Melting Point, which reconstructs the early 20th-century Galveston movement: a proto-Zionist split where “Ugandists” sought a temporary Jewish homeland and…13 Feb 2026 · 37 min · 9 chapters
204. Sabrina Cohen-HattonSabrina Cohen-Hatton discusses her life and career as a senior British firefighter and chief fire officer, homelessness and stigma, and how to make better split-second decisions under pressure.6 Feb 2026 · 43 min · 11 chapters
203. Eluned MorganSharon Gaffka (ex-Love Island contestant, UK civil service alum, gender-based violence activist) discusses her “pre/post Love Island” life, reality-TV backlash, and her 2020 alleged…30 Jan 2026 · 38 min · 18 chapters
202. Cat BohannonCat Bohannon discusses how mainstream science and medicine have historically ignored female biology, arguing the core problem is not just sexism but the “messiness” of estrus/menstrual-cycle dynamics…23 Jan 2026 · 38 min · 17 chapters
201. Hannah BarnesInvestigative journalist Hannah Barnes discusses her work on the JIDS (Tavistock) gender identity service for children, the evidence base behind puberty blockers and gender-affirming care, and her…16 Jan 2026 · 48 min · 17 chapters
200. Cindy GallopConversations with women who embrace being "difficult" as a means to achieve their goals and effect change.9 Jan 2026 · 31 min · 17 chapters