Andrea McLean on the Menopause

In 2019, Anya Culling ran her first marathon in 4 hours 34 minutes and swore she'd never run again. A few years later she'd cut two hours off that time, finished as the third British woman at the London Marathon and was named Athletics Weekly's Most Improved UK Road Runner. Anya tells Dr Oscar Duke how she got there. As a teenager she lived with autoimmune conditions, including Graves' disease, and doctors found a tumour behind her eye. During lockdown she started running every day to get her spark back. She also talks about the years she spent unknowingly underfuelling and losing her period while racing at elite level, before a role model's post led her to a coeliac disease diagnosis. Looking back, every pasta party before a race had been working against her. She covers what changed once she began fuelling properly, how hard it is to carb load in Tokyo without gluten, and her next challenge: an Ironman in Copenhagen. Professor Saud Ishaq, a gastroenterologist from HCA Healthcare UK, explains how coeliac disease differs from gluten intolerance and why a few crumbs can be enough to cause harm.

Chef, author and broadcaster Ken Hom CBE introduced authentic Chinese cooking to millions of homes. At 61, with no symptoms at all, a routine annual check-up revealed he had prostate cancer. In this episode of Bedside Manners, Dr Oscar Duke talks to Ken about growing up poor in Chicago's Chinatown and washing dishes in his uncle's restaurant at 11. He also tells the story of the BBC audition that changed his life, and the moment the doctor said "cancer" and he froze. Ken talks openly about his proton beam treatment in Japan and why so many men avoid getting tested. He explains why he has spent 15 years as a prostate cancer ambassador, urging men to get a simple blood test. Consultant urological surgeon Mr Jeremy Oates from HCA Healthcare UK then joins Oscar, straight from theatre and still in his scrubs, to answer the questions men actually ask.

At just 24, professional skater and Dancing on Ice champion Alex Murphy-Klein suffered a stroke while performing on a cruise ship. Unable to speak or feel her right hand, she had no idea what was happening — or that doctors would discover a hole in her heart. Three months later, she was lifting the Dancing on Ice trophy in the Netherlands. In this episode of Bedside Manners, Alex joins Dr Oscar Duke to share the extraordinary story behind her return to the ice. She opens up about the fear of losing her career, why she kept her stroke a secret, and the anxiety and emotional challenges that continued long after she was back performing. Plus, consultant neurologist Dr Bal Athwal explains what happens during a stroke.

This week on Bedside Manners, Dr Oscar Duke is joined by broadcaster and bestselling author Andrea McLean for an honest conversation about her menopause journey. After years of living with endometriosis, Andrea underwent a hysterectomy and had her ovaries removed at 46, bringing on a sudden surgical menopause. She opens up about the impact on her confidence, relationships and career. Plus, Oscar speaks to GP and menopause specialist Dr Rachel Hines from HCA Healthcare UK about recognising perimenopause, understanding HRT options and looking after your long-term health through menopause and beyond.

From the Strictly ballroom to a breast cancer diagnosis, Dr Punam Krishan’s life changed dramatically in the space of a year. In this deeply personal episode of Bedside Manners, the GP, broadcaster and author joins her friend and colleague Dr Oscar Duke to share what happened when she became the patient—and why being a doctor didn’t make the news any easier to hear. Punam opens up about the discomfort that led her to seek help, the shock of her diagnosis and the difficult task of telling her children. She explains why she kept her cancer private during treatment, the extraordinary support of her breast cancer nurse, and why recovery means more than finishing treatment—it also means learning to feel safe in your body again. Plus, breast oncologist Professor Peter Schmidt joins Oscar to explain how treatments are tailored to each patient and discuss managing menopausal symptoms when HRT isn’t an option.

Dr Oscar Duke is joined by Hilary and Michael Whitehall for a candid, funny and surprisingly revealing conversation about getting older. From the realities of changing bodies and shifting priorities to staying curious, connected and healthy as the years go by, the Whitehalls bring their trademark warmth, honesty and sharp humour to the subject of ageing. Together, they explore what it really means to grow older well — and why a good sense of humour may be one of the best medicines going.

In this episode of Bedside Manners, Dr Oscar Duke is joined by rugby star Keegan Hirst to talk openly about heart failure — from recognising the warning signs and understanding the diagnosis to managing life after treatment. Keegan shares his personal experience of living with heart failure, the impact it has had on his health and everyday life, and what he wishes he had known sooner. Dr Oscar explains what heart failure really means, how it can affect people of all ages, and why early support and medical advice matter.

Dr Oscar Duke is back for a second season of Bedside Manners. This week, Gabby Allen, the Love Island star, fitness professional and SAS: Who Dares Wins contestant, joins Dr Oscar to discuss being diagnosed with severe scoliosis at 11 and undergoing major spinal surgery. She shares the impact on her dancing, confidence and fitness career.

Dr. Oscar Duke welcomes Leanne Quigley—former British Army officer, logistics expert, and triumphant winner of The Traitors season three—to share her extraordinary journey through IVF, premature birth, and neonatal intensive care. Leanne reveals how the most intense battle of her life unfolded not on a gameshow set or the parade ground, but on the front lines of fertility treatment and parenting premature twins. Leanne opens up about her lifelong dream of starting a family, the challenges of same-sex conception, and the rollercoaster of hope and heartbreak that IVF brought for her and her partner, Sophie.

TV and radio presenter Jenny Powell joins Dr Oscar Duke for an open, honest conversation about perimenopause, chronic pain, and major surgery – and what it takes to keep going when your body starts changing faster than you can keep up. Jenny reflects on the invisible symptoms of perimenopause, from brain fog to emotional overwhelm, and how years of discomfort led to a diagnosis of adenomyosis – a condition many women live with in silence. She shares the story behind her decision to have a robotic hysterectomy to remove her womb and ovaries, how it impacted her physically and emotionally, and why better awareness around women’s health is so urgently needed. Oscar is also joined by Dr Mahshid Nickkho-Amiry, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist from HCA Healthcare UK, who explains the stages of perimenopause, and how personalised care and surgical advances can improve quality of life. This episode is sponsored by HCA Healthcare UK.