The actor, writer and comedian Sally Phillips best known for Smack the Pony, the Bridget Jones trilogy, Miranda, Veep and, of course, Radio 4’s very own award-winning 'Clare in the Community' returns to our screens next week in the third series of Sky’s popular parenting comedy Breeders. And on Sky Cinema from today she takes the starring role in a new film ‘How to Please a Woman’. Set in Western Australia, Sally plays fifty-something Gina who, having just lost her job, feels invisible and stuck in a sexless marriage, and sets up an all-male house cleaning service that also offers sexual services.

With the school holidays having already started in Scotland and Northern Ireland and fast approaching in England and Wales, the charity Pregnant Then Screwed surveyed 28,000 parents, 99% women, on their childcare plans for the summer. From the data they found 1630 women who had had an abortion in the last five years said childcare costs had influenced their decision and nearly 1 in 5 of them had made that choice solely based on childcare costs. Joeli Brearley, founder of the charity joins Anita to explain why this unexpected results are such a cause for concern.

Freemasons are known for their white aprons, mysterious symbols and secret handshakes. To the outside world their rituals, which are shrouded in mystery, appear cult like. But for over a hundred years female freemasons have been gathering to conduct initiations and ceremonies like their male counterparts. The Order of Women Freemasons has several thousand members while Freemasonry for Women has about 700. So what is the appeal of becoming a member of an organisation that is shrouded in mystery? I am joined by Grand Master Zuzanka Penn of the Order of Women's Freemasons and Gaelle Ndanga from Freemasonry for Women.

Actor and writer Rebecca Humphries had often been called crazy by her boyfriend. But when paparazzi caught him kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner, she realised the only crazy thing was believing she didn't deserve more. Posting her thoughts on social media, a flood of support poured in, but amongst the well-wishes was a simple question with an infinitely complex answer: 'If he was so bad, why did you stay?'. Rebecca joins Anita Rani to talk about her new book ‘Why Did You Stay: a memoir about self-worth’. They explore why good girls are drawn to darkness, whether pop culture glamourises toxicity, when a relationship 'rough patch' becomes the start of a destructive cycle, if women are conditioned for co-dependency, and - ultimately - how to reframe disaster into something magical.


Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Sally Phillips
Interviewed Guest: Joeli Brearley
Interviewed Guest: Zuzanka Penn
Interviewed Guest: Gaelle Ndanga
Interviewed Guest: Rebecca Humphries