Beauty and the Deceased Episode 3: Family Funerals

Dan and James find themselves in church with their new friend, Granny. They definitely didn’t see that coming when they started the series. Oh – and they meet Hodor from Game of Thrones! His real name is Kristian Nairn. He tells them what it was like growing up gay in Northern Ireland and why he thinks things have got better for LGBTQ+ people there.Producer: Phoebe KeaneOriginally released in September 2019

Dan and James come face to face with someone in Northern Ireland who offers “talking therapy” – what many call “gay conversion therapy” – to people who don’t want to be gay. For James, who’s gay, it’s a difficult encounter. They also hear Vicky Beeching’s story. Vicky spent years trying to change her sexuality. Doing so, she says, made her seriously ill.Producer: From Gay to Non GayOriginally released in September 2019

Dan Hudson and James Barr present a podcast called ‘A Gay and a Non-Gay’. They’ve received messages from listeners asking them to travel to Northern Ireland to see what life is like for LGBTQ+ people there. So they head to Belfast where they find out about gay 'conversion therapy’.Producer: Phoebe KeaneOriginally released in September 2019

We're in court with Yusuf as he gets his sentence. Will he be jailed or allowed to go free? Presented by Tracy Ollerenshaw. Drugs, Drill and Doing Time is a four-part series that follows the story of 17-year-old Yusuf, a notorious London gang member who's facing jail for carrying a knife and acid. Produced by Tracy Ollerenshaw, Toby Sealey and Will Chalk.

Yusuf's mindset is changing as his court sentencing gets closer – but is it too late for him to get out? We meet Michael, who's spent years behind bars and is now out of the gang lifestyle. Presented by Tracy Ollerenshaw. Drugs, Drill and Doing Time is a four-part series that follows the story of 17-year-old Yusuf, a notorious London gang member who's facing jail for carrying a knife and acid. Produced by Tracy Ollerenshaw, Toby Sealey and Will Chalk.

Experts at the special gangs unit in east London give us their take on drill and we return to Yusuf's story. It’s been a fortnight since we first met him – but has he changed his ways? Presented by Tracy Ollerenshaw. Drugs, Drill and Doing Time is a four-part series that follows the story of 17-year-old Yusuf, a notorious London gang member who's facing jail for carrying a knife and acid. Produced by Tracy Ollerenshaw, Toby Sealey and Will Chalk.

We spend months with Hackney Integrated Gangs Unit and eventually get their number one gang member to speak to us.Presented by Tracy Ollerenshaw. Drugs, Drill and Doing Time is a four-part series that follows the story of 17-year-old Yusuf, a notorious London gang member who's facing jail for carrying a knife and acid. Produced by Tracy Ollerenshaw, Toby Sealey and Will Chalk.

Raegan meets with her friends to talk about her job and how it has changed their perceptions of death.In this episode, her friends dig deeper into what the role of a Funeral Director involves, including questions on what exactly happens to our bodies after we die, and how this changes if you donate your body to medical science.We also hear about how Raegan’s job has impacted her romantic relationships and how she sometimes tells people she works at a bank to avoid awkward conversations!

Raegan takes us to a mortuary and she reflects on one funeral she will never forget.In this episode, we hear about the process of what happens when someone who has died arrives in Raegan’s care, and how a hair and beauty salon for the deceased compares with visiting a beauty hall in town.We also hear a moving conversation Raegan has with her Godfather Stephen about what it was like to arrange a funeral for someone very important in her life. Stephen’s mother passed away suddenly but already had some unusual requests prepared for her funeral.

Raegan visits her mum and dad to speak to them about how her career has allowed her to be there for her own family.At home with her parents, we hear how Raegan has embalmed past family and friends of the family and how she believes this is the last thing she can do for them.She also talks about the effect grief can have on your mental health, why talking about funerals doesn’t always have to be a glum subject, and why this job means so much to her.