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All Episodes

The Shift with Sam Baker — 302 episodes

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1

Stacey Duguid on coming back from midlife collapse - THE SHIFT REVISITED

2

Clare Grogan: Back on the road and better than ever at 60 THE SHIFT REVISITED

3

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys: how running saved me from workaholism and alcoholism THE SHIFT REVISITED

4

Dawn O'Porter - on ageing, Botox, self-worth & kaftans! THE SHIFT REVISITED

5

Lyse Doucet: What I learnt from 40 years on the frontline THE SHIFT REVISITED

6

Liz Earle: 'Much of what we've been told about ageing as women is wrong'

7

Dr Kate Lister: Most women could benefit from 'pleasure education'

E
8

Maria Semple knows all the dirty little secrets of midlife!

9

Melissa Auf der Maur on surviving the 90s and her big midlife resurrection

10

Katriona O'Sullivan on women's bodies, hunger & why women shrink

11

Siri Hustvedt on living on when the love of your life dies

12

Bryony Gordon is done with people pleasing

13

Margaret Busby: Britain's first black female publisher on the power of passing it on

14

Abi Morgan on rebuilding just about everything in your 50s - THE SHIFT REVISITED

15

Emily Nagoski knows the surprising secret to long term intimacy - THE SHIFT REVISITED

16

Elif Shafak on the power of older women & why menopause can be the end of shame - THE SHIFT REVISITED

17

Christie Watson on menopause, mischief and midlife - THE SHIFT REVISITED

18

Martha Wainwright on music, motherhood & finding love in midlife - FROM THE ARCHIVES

19

Prue Leith: 'I've had HRT patches on my bum for more than 40 years!'

20

Poorna Bell is rewriting the rules around ageing

21

Elizabeth Gilbert: "It's quite radical, what happens to us as we get older"

22

Fatima Bhutto: surviving a coercive relationship & letting go of shame

23

Catherine Newman on surviving the midlife sandwich – THE SHIFT LIVE

24

Amy Larocca: 'the wellness industry sets women up to fail'

25

Gretchen Rubin on happiness, acceptance and the secrets of adulthood

26

Melani Sanders DOES NOT CARE - and she doesn’t care that she doesn’t care!

27

Dr Gladys McGarey: Life lessons from a 103 year old - FROM THE ARCHIVES

28

Isabel Allende on feminism, anger and being 'fatally heterosexual' - FROM THE ARCHIVES

29

Lynda La Plante on a lifetime of breaking boundaries - FROM THE ARCHIVES

30

Helen Garner on divorce, grandmothering and the erotic gaze - FROM THE ARCHIVES

31

Miriam Margolyes on the power of living life without secrets - FROM THE ARCHIVES

32

Lady Glenconner on stepping into the spotlight at 87

33

Karen Dobres: how menopause & football turned me into an accidental radical

34

Samantha Ellis on food, family and finding your identity in your 40s

35

Holly Dawson on facing permanent memory loss at 40

36

Bobbi Brown on doing it all her own way in her 60s

37

Hollie McNish on sex, shame and telling the truth about womanhood

E
38

Jen Hatmaker: “It’s like I woke up halfway through my life”

39

THE SHIFT LIVE: Mary Portas on fashion, Ab Fab & how her childhood shaped her

40

Lyse Doucet – my extraordinary 40 years on the frontline

41

India Knight on finally gaining a sense of self in her 50s - from the archives

42

Hilma Wolitzer: 80 years of writing – and not done yet (from the archives)

43

Caryn Franklin on why fashion still fails older women - from the archives

44

Lisa Jewell on hitting a golden seam of success in her 50s - FROM THE ARCHIVES

45

Thomasina Miers on the midlife Mexican escape that rebuilt her

46

Laura Lippmann is having a second coming at 60

47

Charlotte Mendelson – middle-aged women are entitled to want more

48

Betsy Lerner is on a mission to destigmatise mental health in her 60s

49

Nicola Sturgeon on life after leadership

50

Sarah Perry on "becoming a woman who didn't have children"

51

Glynnis MacNicol: everything you've been told about being a middle-aged woman is a lie

52

Steph McGovern on money, menopause & staying out of your lane

53

Alison Bechdel on tarot, ageing & why men are scared of women who can do push-ups! - THE SHIFT REVISITED

54

Esther Freud on upending your life in your 50s - THE SHIFT REVISITED

55

Helen Garner on divorce, ageing and the erotic gaze - THE SHIFT REVISITED

56

Molly Jong Fast: confessions of a bad daughter

57

Jo Hamilton: The Post Office scandal stole 20 years of my life

58

Olia Hercules: my periods vanished when the war started

59

Melissa Febos on what she learnt from a year of celibacy

60

Reeta Chakrabarti on growing older & bolder

61

Jeanine Cummins on confidence, identity and surviving the American Dirt controversy

62

Jennifer Weiner on Ozempic, ageing and growing some boundaries!

63

Naga munchetty on her 30 year battle to get her painful periods taken seriously

64

Clover Stroud on grief, love, sex & sisterhood - THE SHIFT REVISITED

65

Tracey Thorn on being a woman in a bloke's world, hormones and going "statement grey" - THE SHIFT REVISITED

66

Maggie O'Farrell on Hamnet, imposter syndrome and why she didn't think she's the marrying kind: THE SHIFT REVISITED

67

The "other" Maggie Smith on her midlife reappearing act - THE SHIFT REVISITED

68

Lorraine Kelly on menopause, misogyny, toxic men in telly, being a granny, Botox, you name it!

69

Jenni Fagan: I'm 46, nobody thought I'd make it past 16

70

Ione Skye: I'm still working on being seen in the world – and I'm 50

71

Denise Lewis shares her secrets for adapting to a big life shift

72

Liz O'Riordan: When breast cancer surgeon becomes breast cancer patient

73

Martha Beck on creativity, anxiety & finding your life's purpose

74

Diana Evans on expectation, ageing & turning 50 without her twin

75

Kate Fagan on success, ambition and ageing alongside the L-word!

76

Miranda July on the unexpected wildness of ageing - THE SHIFT REVISITED

77

Ruby Wax on building an emotional toolkit for the second half of your life - THE SHIFT REVISITED

78

Dani Shapiro on family secrets and coming into your full potential at 60 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

79

Bryony Gordon on burnout, binge eating and perimenopause - THE SHIFT REVISITED

80

Sarah Knight: why selfish isn't a four letter word - THE SHIFT REVISITED

E
81

Dr Gladys McGarey: a 102-year-old shares her life lessons - THE SHIFT REVISITED

82

Barbara Kingsolver on why life gets better with every passing decade - THE SHIFT REVISITED

83

Katherine May: why we all need a little more wonder in our lives - THE SHIFT REVISITED

84

BONUS EPISODE: Neneh Cherry on love, loss & legacy

85

Bella Freud: "I've definitely got more daring with age"

86

Donna Ashworth on finding her calling in midlife

87

Baroness Lola Young: "you can't be what you can't see, but somebody has to go first"

88

Jennifer Cox: why women are furious (and getting angrier)

89

Louise Doughty on the unrealised potential of older women

90

Kate Weinberg on the kindness of women & living with a mother-shaped hole

91

Vanessa Feltz on divorce, dating and finally shaking off her inhibitions at 62

92

Jane Campbell on reinventing herself at 40 – and again at 80!

93

Marianne Power: how to build a happy single life

94

Louise Minchin: why midlife is the time to take more risks

95

Moon Unit Zappa: "We're all just growing each other up"

96

Carol Vorderman on finding her voice (and how!) at 60

97

Bella Mackie: "Nobody tells you motherhood is a choice"

98

Ruth Crilly: "This is my face, I don't want to tweak it"

99

Deborah Harkness on witches, wising & the cancer diagnosis that upended her life

100

Fearne Cotton on the joy of embracing her second chapter

101

Lindsay Nicholson on resilience, recovery and the pursuit of perfection

102

Taffy Brodesser-Akner: "Everyone taught me to be afraid of middle age - I wish I could have started in it!"

103

Zandra Rhodes: the legendary fashion designer on ageing uncompromisingly

104

Terri White on work, class and mental health - FROM THE ARCHIVES

105

BONUS EPISODE! Katie Price on taking back control of her own life at 46

E
106

Kate Mosse: Why caring is a feminist issue - FROM THE ARCHIVES

107

Gabby Logan on resilience, reclaiming middle age and why equality begins at home - FROM THE ARCHIVES

108

Kathy Lette’s midlife mantra: if it doesn’t spark joy, it’s time to toss it away!

109

Molly Roden-Winter on becoming an ambassador for polyamory in your 50s

110

Liz Jensen on learning to love life again after devastating loss

111

Emily Nagoski: what happens when a sex expert loses her sex drive?

112

Anna Cascarina: you’re never too old to wear what the hell you want

113

Jackie Kay on absence, adoption & the art of living together apart

114

Helen Lederer on anxiety, failure & living an “alarmingly truthful” life

115

Miranda July on the unexpected wildness of ageing

116

Kate Muir on the menopause experience that turned her into an activist

117

Amanda de Cadenet on reframing ambition and success in midlife

118

Minnie Driver on ageing, expectation and creased Brad Pitt! - THE SHIFT REVISITED

119

Mariella Frostrup on refusing to be "scrap-heaped" at 50 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

120

Marian Keyes on HRT, Botox and learning to be shameless - THE SHIFT REVISITED

121

Cathy Newman: "turning 50 feels like a superpower"

122

Helen Garner on marriage, divorce and why she couldn't give a monkey's about the erotic gaze

123

Leslie Jamison on divorce, ambition & discovering the parts of ourselves we don't yet know

124

Lyn Slater (aka Accidental Icon) on writing a new narrative for ageing

125

Karyn McCluskey on menopause, paying it forward & being the only woman in the room

126

Annie Macmanus on rebuilding her identity at 45

127

Lucinda Chambers: the former Vogue fashion director gives us a midlife style masterclass

128

Bryony Gordon on burnout, binge eating and perimenopause

129

Jennifer Clement on women, art, creativity & why we love Frida Kahlo

130

DJ paulette: how perimeno knocked her sideways at 39 (39!)

131

Delia Ephron on getting a second chance at love in your 70s - THE SHIFT REVISITED

132

Julia Cameron believes creativity is the answer, whatever the question - THE SHIFT REVISITED

133

Dr Sharon Blackie wants you to embrace your inner hag - THE SHIFT REVISITED

134

Raynor Winn on the power of hope & becoming a public person at 60 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

135

Lindsey Hilsum on menopause in a warzone and why going grey is NOT brave - THE SHIFT REVISITED

136

Nina Stibbe on menopause, middle age and midlife sex scenes - THE SHIFT REVISITED

137

Miriam Margolyes on the power of living a life with no secrets

138

Bee Wilson on how cooking helped her heal after divorce

139

Patricia Cornwell on how writing helped her take back control of her life

140

Lindsey Kelk on grief, gynae hell and why she's had enough of ageism in romcoms

141

Dr Gladys McGarey: a 102-year-old shares their life lessons

142

India Knight answers your midlife beauty questions

143

Tracy-Ann Oberman on the strong women who've shaped her

144

The Shift LIVE: Trinny Woodall on how she learnt to fear less in her 50s

145

Dr Louise Newson: I was "told off" for prescribing HRT

146

Agony Aunt Philippa Perry is back!

147

Grace Dent on balancing a Gen X body image with eating for a living

148

Stacey Duguid on coming back from midlife collapse

149

Sara Pascoe: what happens when a weirdo grows up!

150

Natasha Walter on being a middle-aged activist

151

Maggie Smith on her midlife reappearing act

152

Helen Rebanks is flying the flag for invisible women

153

Dawn Butler is living proof that well-behaved women seldom make history

154

Miki Berenyi on freeing yourself from the anxiety of youth

155

Leila Slimani: It's time women started telling each other the truth

156

Andi Osho: I'm 50, get used to it!

157

Annie Macmanus: why middle aged women are a force to be reckoned with - THE SHIFT REVISITED

158

Emma Freud on mothering millennials and refusing to lie about her age - THE SHIFT REVISITED

159

Alison Bechdel on her search for inner and outer strength - THE SHIFT REVISITED

160

Barbara Blake Hannah on feeling new at 80 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

161

Tracey Thorn has got it all going on at 60 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

162

Jo Whiley on menopause, finding your fashion mojo and... gardening - THE SHIFT REVISITED

163

BONUS EPISODE: Barbara Kingsolver on why life gets better with every passing decade

164

Lennie Goodings on ageism, bringing your A-game and the women who've shaped her

165

Aasmah Mir on how she finally dislodged the pebble in her throat

166

Tanya Sarne on losing Ghost, surviving rehab and living life to the full

167

Josie Long on why she hopes she'll still be doing standup at 80 (old lady arms and all!)

168

Joanna Cannon on why it took her 50 years to learn it's OK to be her

169

Ruby Wax on building an emotional toolkit for the second half of your life

170

Melanie Sykes on her autism diagnosis at 51 and being her own person

E
171

Natasha Carthew on class, poverty and refusing to stay in her lane

172

Marina Benjamin on emotional labour & the caring conundrum

173

Curtis Sittenfeld rejects the idea that ageing is somehow bad or shameful

174

Sarah Knight on finding the courage to make change and why selfish isn't a four letter word

E
175

Anita B on why the beauty industry wants us to fear ageing

176

Anna Murphy shares her take-no-prisoners approach to growing older

177

Dani Shapiro on family secrets and coming into your full potential at 60

178

Katherine May on burnout and why we all need a little more wonder in our lives

179

Martha Wainwright on music, motherhood and finding love in your 40s

180

Carolyn Hays on parenting a transgender child

181

Charlene White on fighting the bias that still exists against older women

182

Jojo Moyes on the total liberation of being in your 50s

183

Cariad Lloyd on what she's learnt from 25 years in The Grief Club

184

Clover Stroud on sex, sisterhood & looking forward to menopause - THE SHIFT REVISITED

185

Kit de Waal on race, class – and her exceedingly cool hair! - THE SHIFT REVISITED

186

Kat Farmer has the answer to all your "my wardrobe hates me" dilemmas - THE SHIFT REVISITED

187

Poorna Bell on the unexpected power in being 40 - THE SHIFT REVISITED

188

Sheila Hancock on the class ceiling and the "strong woman" problem - THE SHIFT REVISITED

189

Abi Morgan on rebuilding just about everything in your 50s - THE SHIFT REVISITED

190

The Shift LIVE: Ruth Jones on daughterhood, menopause and being Nanny Ruth

191

The Shift LIVE: Elif Shafak on intersectionality, identity and finding the courage to come out in her 40s

192

Nadiya Hussain on becoming the independent woman her nan was afraid of

193

Kaye Adams on ambition, insecurity and surviving Strictly

194

Sali Hughes on the positive power of being a grown up

195

Milly Johnson on grafting, greetings cards and life in the "sandwich" zone

196

Caryn Franklin on how being a carer in her thirties changed her attitude to ageing

197

Marina Hyde on gaining confidence and growing older riskily

198

Dawn O'Porter on cats, kaftans and kicking the need to be liked

E
199

Sharon Blackie on embracing your inner hag & the magic of menopause!

200

Susannah Constantine on alcoholism, 'mental' menopause & finding herself in her 50s

201

Raynor Winn on walking, nature and the power of hope

202

Deborah Frances-White on feminism, guilt-exfoliation and being diagnosed with ADHD in her 40s

203

Dr Jen Gunter has things she wants you to know about the menopause - THE SHIFT REVISITED

204

Nana-Ama Danquah on the triple burden of mental health, menopause and being Black - THE SHIFT REVISITED

205

Anita Rani on why her 40s are her power decade - THE SHIFT REVISITED

206

Lisa Jewell on hitting a golden seam of success in her 50s

207

Hilma Wolitzer: 80 years of writing, and not done yet

208

Clare Grogan on the superpower that helped her survive her most difficult decade

209

Emma Forrest on sex, celibacy and solitude

210

Kit de Waal on race, class, privilege – and her exceedingly cool hair!

211

Julia Cameron on alcoholism, creativity and emotional sobriety

212

Jane Fallon on embracing 60 and being a Botox hold-out

213

CJ Hauser on learning to live your own dreams, not other people’s

214

A quick word from Sam

215

Poorna Bell on the unexpected power in being 40

216

Lisa Taddeo on women, power and the success stitch-up

217

Janey Godley on kicking the "I'm fine" compulsion & being proud to be gallus

218

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys on rural racism, alcoholism and the life-saving power of running

219

Ruth Ozeki on why menopause is the new adolescence - FROM THE ARCHIVES

220

Christie Watson on menopause, midlife and mischief

221

Sheila Hancock on sexism, classism and the double-edged sword of being seen as a "strong woman"

222

Natalie Lee on breaking free of shame and finding sexual freedom

E
223

Amy Bloom on love, death, dignity – and tarot!

224

BONUS: Sam Baker on menopause, the HRT lottery and the power of invisibility

225

Minnie Driver on ageing, expectation and creased Brad Pitt!

226

Abi Morgan on embracing catastrophe and rebuilding just about everything in your 50s

227

Chitra Ramaswamy on memory, mothering & the "mid-life gift" of responsibility

228

Nina Stibbe on the relationship-saving power of a sofa bed!

229

Jojo Moyes on radical life change in your 40s - FROM THE ARCHIVES

230

Philippa Perry takes issue with your inner critic - FROM THE ARCHIVE

E
231

Lindsey Hilsum on menopause in a warzone - FROM THE ARCHIVES

232

Delia Ephron on getting a second chance at life and love in your 70s

233

Kat Farmer has the answer to all your "my wardrobe hates me" dilemmas

234

Dana Spiotta on putting paid to menopause shame

235

Clover Stroud on grief, love, sex and sisterhood

236

Barbara Blake Hannah on feeling new at 80 and why she believes in miracles

237

Christina Patterson on how to deal with the blows life throws at you

238

Marian Keyes is BACK!

239

Jami Attenberg on the joy of starting over and finding a place of your own

240

Dorothy Koomson on how she learnt to be enough

241

Nicola Sturgeon on power and the fiftysomething woman

242

Pepsi and Shirlie on miscarriage, mental health and 40 years of friendship

243

Lynda La Plante on breaking boundaries and why there STILL aren't enough good roles for women

244

Liz Fraser on living with and loving an alcoholic

245

Mariella Frostrup on fearlessness, menopause and knowing your worth

246

Bobbi Brown on taking a leap at 64

247

Ruth Ozeki on why menopause is the new adolescence

248

Fi Glover and Jane Garvey on Fortunately, friendship and pushing boundaries in your 50s

249

Paula Sutton on how age has liberated her and the rejuvenating power of dressing up

250

Val McDermid on anger, ageing – and an unlikely "cure" for menopause

251

Sophie Ellis Bextor on music, men and motherhood

252

Tasmina Perry on career, confidence and how not to get stuck at the amber light (from the archives)

253

Marian Keyes on menopause, Botox and learning to be shameless (from the archive)

254

Isabel Allende on feminism, anger and being fatally heterosexual (from the archive)

255

Denise Mina gets frank about HRT, sex and ageing (from the archive)

E
256

Jess Phillips on why we need to talk about menopause in parliament

257

Lucy Kellaway on fear, freedom and starting a whole new life in her 50s

258

Elif Shafak on the power of older women and why menopause can be the end of shame

259

Paula Hawkins on midlife success and the importance of financial independence

260

Laura Friedman Williams on sex and the newly single 40something mum

E
261

Torrey Peters on finding a roadmap for ageing as a trans woman

E
262

Terri White on work, class and mental health

263

Anita Rani on ditching the baggage, owning her anger and why her 40s are her power decade

264

Dr Jen Gunter on menopause, mental health and why we all need a meno-party

E
265

Esther Freud on motherhood, guilt and upending your life in your 50s

266

Kate Mosse: why caring is a feminist issue (from the archives)

267

Pragya Agarwal on shame, surrogacy and the many faces of motherhood

268

Annie Mac on turning 40 and why middle aged women are a force to be reckoned with

269

Mona Eltahawy on anger, ambition and ageing disgracefully

E
270

Alison Bechdel on her search for inner and outer strength. Plus tarot

271

Anya Hindmarch on beating self doubt and why fashion needs to take some responsibility

272

Tamsin Calidas: the truth about the "escape to the country" dream

273

Tracey Thorn on being a woman in a bloke’s world, hormones and going statement grey

274

Mel Giedroyc on starting a new career at 51 and being a menopause dodger

275

Lindsey Hilsum on Marie Colvin, menopause in a warzone and why going grey is NOT brave

276

Sadie Frost and Frances Ruffelle on 40 years of friendship - and why it's more important than love

277

Nana-Ama Danquah on the triple burden of mental health, menopause and being black

278

Isabel Allende on feminism, anger and being "fatally heterosexual"

279

Rosie Green: a how to cope with mid-life crisis special

280

Sarah Pinborough on why women need to get comfortable talking about money

E
281

Alexandra Heminsley on body image, identity and building an LGBTQ+ family

282

Kate Mosse on why caring is a feminist issue

283

Salena Godden on why 40-plus is where the party is

284

Philippa Perry on getting hold of the "steering wheel of life"

E
285

Season 3 of The Shift with Sam Baker is back!!

286

Gabby Logan on resilience, reclaiming middle age – and why equality begins at home

287

Erica Davies is here to help you rediscover your fashion mojo

288

Maggie O'Farrell on imposter syndrome and why she didn't think she was "the marrying kind"

289

Denise Mina on the feminism, HRT and how to be assertive

E
290

Meg Mathews on menopause, osteoporosis and feeling like she'd "lost it"

291

Jodi Picoult on sexism, Donald Trump and why everyone has a "what if?" moment

292

Bryony Gordon on alcoholism, mental health & why she feels lucky to be 40

293

Karen Arthur on how to turn a breakdown into a breakthrough and #MenopauseWhilstBlack

294

Emma Freud on millennials, going grey and why she'll never lie about her age

295

Kate Spicer on menopause stereotypes, being child-free and single at 50

296

Jo Whiley on regaining your confidence, finding your fashion mojo and... gardening

297

Caroline de Maigret on being older but better and grown up style

298

Jojo Moyes on visibility, imposter syndrome and female friendship

299

Sara Collins on the power of women and turning a midlife crisis into success

300

Marian Keyes on menopause, Botox and learning to be shameless

301

Tasmina Perry on career, confidence and how not to get stuck at the amber light

302

Coming soon