Episode details

Radio 4,26 Jun 2026,53 mins

Beth Orton performs live, The 23-year divorce case, DJ Smokin Jo

Woman's Hour

Available for over a year

For three decades, the singer-songwriter Beth Orton has remained one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. She’s developed a devoted audience, winning a BRIT Award and Mercury Prize nominations for albums such as Trailer Park and Central Reservation. She has collaborated with artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Andrew Weatherall and Nick Cave, and she’s performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Glastonbury Festival and Carnegie Hall. Her 2022 album, Weather Alive, became a major critical breakthrough. Her first self-produced album, it earned widespread acclaim, with The New York Times praising its “modal vocal phrases". Beth joins Anita to discuss her new album The Ground Above, and to perform live. Schools across England and Wales have faced major disruption this week as extreme heat forces closures and early finishes. BBC analysis suggests more than 2,400 schools have either shut or been disrupted as temperatures climbed. It’s raised fresh questions about whether the education system and its buildings are prepared for hotter summers. BBC Education reporter Vanessa Clarke explains the impact the heat has had alongside Harry Paticas, architect and Founder of RAFT, non-profit community organisation focussing on reducing emissions in schools and communities. Varsha Gohil’s 23 year case against her ex-husband changed the law for anyone whose spouse hides their wealth in divorce proceedings. It is thought to be the one of the longest-running financial disputes in English family law. Varsha tells Anita Rani about a two-decade battle that included gaining a law degree and representing herself in court. DJ Smokin Jo has been a trailblazer in an industry largely dominated by men. A resident at the legendary Trade parties in London in the early 90s she was soon playing the world’s biggest clubs and was the first - and still only - woman to be named DJ Magazine’s DJ of the year. Jo joins Anita to discuss her memoir which details the highs and lows of her career, from finding her community on the dancefloor to rehab, misogyny and what has and hasn’t changed for women in dance music. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Simon Richardson

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