
Lady Brittan on false accusations, playwright Anna Jordan on Mother Courage, author Claire Powell, strength training
From Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4
June 3, 2026 · 57 min
About this episode
The episode discusses strength training, false accusations, and a modern adaptation of a classic play.
New research shows that strength training twice a week can lengthen your life. Sarah Best and Emma Holmes, who are 49 and 51, will compete at an elite indoor fitness competition, the Hyrox World Championships later this month. Only the top 0.5% of competitors worldwide qualify to compete. They tell Nuala about how they achieved this impressive level of fitness and explain how you can be strong at any age. Lady Brittan is calling on the government to recognise those falsely accused as victims, when a perpetrator is released. This follows the release of Carl Beech who was jailed in part for perverting the course of justice. Beech, whose allegations sparked one of the Metropolitan Police’s most high-profile investigations, Operation Midland, was jailed for 18 years in 2019 after his claims of historic child abuse against prominent figures were proven to be false. Now Lady Brittan is among those saying they should have been informed about his release. She explains why she is is a signatory to a letter to the Justice Secretary, alongside some of those falsely accused by Carl Beech. Mother Courage and her Children is Bertolt Brecht’s 1939 tale of a wartime profiteer who prefers to see…
People in this episode
Host: Nuala
Guests: Sarah Best, Emma Holmes, Anna Jordan
Topics covered
- strength training
- false accusations
- fitness competition
- theatre adaptation
- victims' rights
- age and fitness
Keywords
- strength training
- fitness competition
- false accusations
- Mother Courage
- Anna Jordan
- victims' rights
- Carl Beech
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Metropolitan Police
Books & works: Mother Courage and her Children
Places: London
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