In this episode of Begin Again, journalist and menopause campaigner Kate Muir opens up about her personal journey through the menopause and midlife crisis, revealing how these experiences have shaped her life and work.
Kate discusses her groundbreaking work in menopause advocacy, from writing her book to challenging societal taboos around women's health. She shares her own story of navigating the emotional and physical challenges of perimenopause, the impact on her relationships, and how menopause became a driving force for change.
Kate also dives into the science of menopause, exploring its effects on the brain, memory, and Alzheimer’s risk, while emphasizing the importance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and testosterone. She reflects on the emotional highs and lows of midlife, including her divorce, dating at 54, and finding her true self.
Through her powerful activism, Kate is helping shift the narrative on menopause, encouraging women to embrace it and reclaim their vitality and self-worth in midlife.
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(00:01:28) - Kate & Davina: Shifting the Menopause Conversation
(00:04:09) - A Guide to a Magnificent Midlife Crisis
(00:04:58) - The ‘Menodivorce’ & Midlife Crisis
(00:10:18) - Hormonal Rage & Shame in Perimenopause
(00:11:16) - Rewiring Your Brain: The 3 Ps
(00:13:42) - The Mental Health Toll of Perimenopause
(00:17:01) - Menopause Hormones & Alzheimer’s Risk
(00:22:51) - Hormone Therapy & Testosterone for Women
(00:29:56) - The Economic Cost of Menopause
(00:32:42) - New Science & Menopause Myths
(00:38:39) - Adobe Ad
(00:39:13) - Midlife Crisis: Grief, Divorce, Therapy
(00:44:20) - Building Self-Compassion in Midlife
(00:46:30) - The ‘Vagibiome’: Dryness & UTIs
(00:52:06) - Kate’s Affair & Midlife Dating
(00:55:39) - Finding Love at 54
(00:57:45) - Kate’s Journey to Her True Self
(00:59:50) - Davina’s Gratitude & the Miracle Scan
(01:01:56) - Synthetic Hormones & The Pill
(01:07:05) - Why Male Contraceptives Don’t Exist
(01:08:22) - Kate’s Activism
(01:09:46) - Kate’s Lifelong Championing of Women
(01:10:28) - What’s Next for Kate?
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1:16:22
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1:16:22
Penny Lancaster: The Menopause Nearly Broke Me, Why I Chose To Speak Out!
In this powerful episode of Begin Again, Penny Lancaster shares the story behind her extraordinary life, from international model to police officer, mother, and menopause campaigner.
Opening up with raw honesty, Penny revisits the traumatic events that shaped her childhood, including a violent attack at age 12 and a devastating encounter at 17 that she buried for decades. She reflects on how those experiences shaped her confidence, her relationships, and her drive to protect others.
Penny also discusses life in the spotlight, her modeling career, meeting and marrying Rod Stewart, and the unexpected twists that led her to retrain as a Special Constable at 50. With emotion and clarity, she describes the mental toll of perimenopause, her misdiagnosis with depression, and the moment everything finally made sense.
In this moving conversation, Penny reveals what it means to reclaim your voice, how she found strength in vulnerability, and why speaking out was never just for her—it was for every woman still in the dark.
👉 Follow us on Instagram: @beginagain
🎥 Watch more on TikTok: @beginagainpod
(00:00) Intro
(00:01:27) Who Is Penny Lancaster?
(00:03:03) Early Life & Struggles at School
(00:07:53) Assault at 12: Surviving Childhood Trauma
(00:15:43) Lessons Learned From Parents
(00:19:31) Modelling at 17 & Assault by a Client
(00:29:13) Life After Trauma: Navigating the Modeling Industry
(00:35:46) Love, Relationships & Dating
(00:38:35) The Night She Met Rod Stewart
(00:45:27) First Date… Nine Months Later
(00:47:54) How Rod Became Her Biggest Champion
(00:51:22) Rod’s Support Through Menopause
(00:52:33) Penny’s Perimenopause Journey: Symptoms & Support
(01:04:38) Becoming a Special Constable at 50
(01:13:37) Reflections on Family and “Someone Like Me”
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1:22:03
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1:22:03
Alain de Botton: How To Fall In Love Again
In this episode of Begin Again, philosopher and bestselling author Alain de Botton shares a deeply compassionate guide to repairing your love life and building a relationship with yourself that can last a lifetime.
He opens up about his early struggles with belonging, the emotional weight of childhood trauma, and the transformative lessons he’s learned through decades of studying human relationships. Through gentle wisdom and radical honesty, Alain unpacks what keeps us stuck in patterns of pain, why love so often goes wrong, and how we might begin again with ourselves and with each other.
From understanding victimhood and building emotional resilience, to facing regret and redefining success, this conversation invites you to rethink what it really means to live well.
With philosophical clarity and a therapist’s care, Alain de Botton offers a roadmap not just to falling in love again, but to becoming the person you’re proud to be.
👉 Follow us on Instagram: @beginagain
🎥 Watch more on TikTok: @beginagainpod
(Intro)
(00:01:37) Who Is Alain de Botton?
(00:02:37) Finding Inner Strength Through Love
(00:08:22) Healing Emotional Wounds From Childhood
(00:13:44) Letting Go of the Victim Mentality
(00:22:48) Choosing Love When Life Feels Hopeless
(00:26:27) Why Deep Friendships Matter in Adulthood
(00:29:38) The Fear of Love and 'The One'
(00:37:34) Adobe Ad
(00:38:42) Saying No and Discovering Your True Self
(00:46:32) Feeling Safe With Your Weirdest Self
(00:53:27) How to Find the Right Therapist
(00:57:29) Creating Space for Emotional Reflection
(01:00:49) Learning to Live With Regret
(01:04:31) Moving On With Emotional Scars
(01:08:28) Life Always Renews Itself With Love
Sponsored by:
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1:17:01
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1:17:01
Jamie Oliver: Changing The Way We Eat Didn't Make Me Popular!
In this episode of Begin Again, world-renowned chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver shares the real reason he has fought so hard to change the way we eat and live.
Telling his life story in full, Jamie reflects on growing up in a pub kitchen, navigating school with dyslexia, and rising to fame as a young chef whose cookbooks would go on to sell millions of copies around the world. He opens up about the highs and lows of his career, from building his mentoring restaurant Fifteen to taking on the government with his school dinner campaigns.
Jamie also speaks movingly about family life, his enduring relationship with wife Jools, fatherhood, and the emotional moments that have shaped him most.
With honesty, insight, and passion, Jamie reveals how food became his purpose, how activism became his calling, and why creating change has always been personal.
👉 Follow us on Instagram: @beginagain
🎥 Watch more on TikTok: @beginagainpod
(00:00) Intro
(00:01:00) 30 Years of The Naked Chef
(00:02:00) Forming a Relationship With Food
(00:04:43) Jamie the Activist: How It All Began
(00:07:16) Jamie’s School Years and Dyslexia
(00:10:30) Where Jamie’s Confidence Comes From
(00:11:55) Finding Value in Pain and Failure
(00:14:58) From Public Figure to University: Studying Nutrition
(00:17:24) Jamie on Choice, Food Culture, and Unlocking Potential
(00:20:54) Fifteen: Jamie’s Mentorship-Driven Non-Profit Restaurant
(00:33:36) Adobe Ad
(00:34:45) Fifteen’s Legacy and the Power of Human Connection
(00:44:08) Fame at 23: TV Stardom and Loneliness
(00:47:40) School Dinner Activism and Jamie’s Support Team
(00:54:38) Jamie on Jools and Family Life
(00:59:01) A Memorable Moment at Fifteen
(01:00:16) 25 Year Marriage
(01:03:16) Surprise Letter From Jamie’s Daughter
(01:06:19) Turning 50: Emotional Intelligence and Personal Growth
(01:08:16) Jamie’s New Cookbook and TV Show: Eat Yourself Healthy
Sponsored by:
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1:15:35
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1:15:35
AI and Your Health: What You Need to Know (And Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared!)
In this episode of Begin Again, AI expert and journalist Lara Lewington explores how artificial intelligence is transforming our health for the better.
From wearable tech that tracks your every heartbeat to AI that can detect cancer, depression, and even Alzheimer’s before symptoms show, Lara shares the groundbreaking ways machines are helping humans live longer, healthier lives.
She talks candidly about what the future of healthcare looks like, why we should stop fearing AI, and how embracing it might just be the key to solving some of medicine’s biggest challenges.
Through extensive research and real-world reporting, Lara explains how she is learning to embrace AI and how you can too. From boosting our wellbeing to extending our lives, she reveals why AI is not something to fear but a powerful tool here to help us live longer, healthier, and ultimately happier lives.
Lara's Book 'Hacking Humanity': https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/465031/hacking-humanity-by-lewington-lara/9780753561140
👉 Follow us on Instagram: @beginagain
🎥 Watch more on TikTok: @beginagainpod
(00:00) Intro
(01:50) Should We Fear AI?
(05:54) Four Pillars of Wellness
(08:08) Importance of Sleep
(12:56) Airbnb Ad
(14:10) Adobe Ad
(15:20) Loneliness and Health
(19:46) AI in Women’s Health
(26:24) Detecting Depression Early
(32:45) AI Ethics and Access
(38:26) AI Use in Therapy
(40:01) AI, Kids, and Disinformation
(46:06) Fighting Cancer with AI
(50:46) Rethinking Diet with AI
(54:48) Biggest AI Myths
(56:50) AI and Heart Health
(01:04:06) Best Mental Health Apps
(01:06:15) Frictionless Tech
(01:13:24) Lara’s Key Discovery
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Sponsored by:
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This show is dedicated to empowering people to embrace midlife as their most transformative era yet. Davina’s guests will share stories of growth and rediscovery, letting you in on their own life journeys - many of which have challenged outdated narratives and ideas. Whether it's through expert insights, candid discussions, or real-life inspiration, Begin Again will be a supportive community for everyone to explore the revitalising second act of life. Davina wants everyone to know that midlife is not the start of the end; instead, it's the perfect opportunity and time to Begin Again.
Instagram: @beginagain
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davina-mccall-82204a19b/
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