Sarah Hadland, Men Fixated on Violence, Author Jennifer Saint

Sarah Hadland will be a familiar face to many, having played numerous roles over the years, but is probably best known for her role as Stevie in the BAFTA-nominated sitcom Miranda. Currently on stage in London’s West End, she joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her latest role as Alice in The Truth, a fast-paced comedy of infidelity and duplicity.

The Southport inquiry – set up after Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar were murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in 2024 – will resume in September this year. It will look into the government's anti-extremism programme ‘Prevent’. Last week, the chairman of the public inquiry, Sir Adrian Fulford, promised that his team will look at strategies to handle boys and men who fixate on violence. Nuala discusses with David Anderson, the Independent Prevent Commissioner from July 2025 to April 2026, and Dr Ruth Tulley, a consultant forensic psychologist.

The author Jennifer Saint has retold some of the best-known stories from Greek literature and mythology through the eyes of women: Ariadne, Atalanta, Electra and Hera. In her latest novel, This Immortal Heart, Jennifer turns to Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and reimagines Aphrodites’ relationship with Ares, the god of war. Jennifer joins Nuala to talk about how stories that originated over two thousand years ago and their themes can tackle contemporary questions about female agency and identity – and what happens when two seemingly opposite forces – love and war - are drawn irresistibly together.

Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer: Louise Corley