Why we should think before having a conversation about Ariana Grande episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 4, 2026 · 18 MIN

Why we should think before having a conversation about Ariana Grande

from This Is Why

The 33-year-old star has announced that she is taking a break from public life due to “endless scrutiny”. In recent years her weight and health have been the subject of much speculation and concern.Grande has endured a series of traumatic events. In 2017 a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her Manchester Arena show, and in 2018 her musical collaborator and ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose. Her latest music video Petal - in which she takes a chainsaw to her critics - sparked controversy as she looks visibly underweight.But what’s the balance between ghoulish voyeurism and concern? And does she have a responsibility to her young impressionable fans? Mhari Aurora is joined by journalist and author of Toxic: Women, Fame And The Noughties, Sarah Ditum.If you or someone you know needs support with disordered eating, you can contact Beat, the eating disorder charity, via their website beateatingdisorders.org.uk. Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: [email protected]

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Why we should think before having a conversation about Ariana Grande

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