Emergency C-sections, Hannah Murray, Strip clubs

About this episode

The episode discusses the rise in emergency caesareans, Hannah Murray's mental health journey, and a campaign against strip clubs.

The way women give birth is changing, according to BBC analysis, which has discovered that one in four births in England are now emergency caesareans. The current figure is 26% - an increase of 8% in the past five years - and the rate of elective caesareans has also gone up. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say the system is struggling to cope with this increased level of unplanned surgeries. To discuss what's behind the rise and the potential impact on women, presenter Kylie Pentelow is joined by BBC Health Correspondent Catherine Burns, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Alison Wright, and Helen Cheyne who’s a Professor of Maternal and Infant Health Research at the University of Stirling. Hannah Murray was at the height of her fame as an actor in 2016, having found fame as the much-loved Cassie in E4’s teen drama Skins, she was now a regular in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones as Gilly. But behind the scenes Hannah was struggling with her mental health, and she found herself involved in an organisation which offered courses in magical healing. The following year, Hannah was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She’s…

People in this episode

Host: Kylie Pentelow

Guests: Catherine Burns, Dr Alison Wright, Helen Cheyne

Topics covered

• emergency caesareans
• mental health
• women's rights
• strip clubs
• childbirth
• Hannah Murray

Keywords

• emergency caesareans
• Hannah Murray
• mental health
• strip clubs
• women's rights
• childbirth
• Royal College of Obstetricians

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, FiLiA

Books & works: The Make-Believe – A Memoir of Magic and Madness

Places: England

More episodes of Woman's Hour

• Weekend Woman's Hour: Women’s Prize winners, Clare Connor, SEND, Weight, Mum’s poem in son’s exam · June 13, 2026 · 57 min
• Women's Prize winners, Weight, T20 World Cup, Mental healthcare · June 12, 2026 · 58 min
• Northern Ireland, Kathryn Stockett and Mum's poem in son's exam · June 11, 2026 · 57 min
• Kanye West allegations, SEND, Author Doireann Ní Ghríofa · June 10, 2026 · 57 min
• Clare Connor, Archers BRCA storyline, Yassmin Abdel-Magied · June 9, 2026 · 58 min
• Nottingham Inquiry, Female sexual pleasure, Serena Williams · June 8, 2026 · 57 min