Last year the Difficult Women team went to darkest Gloucestershire to record the one and only Dame Jilly Cooper, whose death, aged 88, was announced this week. We went to the Chantry, her house near Stroud, which is as bonkers and beautiful and brilliant as its owner. Jilly gave us an incredible, breathless interview full of jokes and laughter and then an even more liquid lunch in her kitchen. In honour of the imperishable genius that was Jilly Cooper, we are ripping up the schedule so that her grief-stricken fans around the world can hear her voice and jokes again.

In this episode Rachel speaks to a woman who has been thrust into unimaginably difficult circumstances. Hanan Khashoggi is the widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist assassinated after being critical about the Saudi Arabian regime. She joins us from the US, where she has found a level of safety, but still fears assassination every day. She tells Rachel about the terrible day she learned that her husband had been killed and how her life has since fallen apart. Separated from her family across three continents and speaking to us from a dingy flat, Hanan remains full of passion and determination in her quest to get justice for her husband. This is a powerful account of love, loss, and the fight for truth against a backdrop of international corruption and oppression.

Rachel sits down with Baroness Fall, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister David Cameron, for an intimate and insightful conversation. She delves into Kate's unique journey from the heart of British politics to the House of Lords, exploring what it's really like behind the doors of Number 10. They discuss the pressures of power, the nuances of political loyalty, and the personal sacrifices that come with life in Westminster. Kate opens up about her time navigating historic events, managing high-stakes decision-making, and her reflections on leadership in turbulent times.