We’ve all had those moments in our lives when everything feels… darker, colder, a little (or a lot) less hopeful.... more

If you were a teenager in the late 80s you only have to hear the name Neneh Cherry to conjure... more

My guest today is the fashion designer Bella Freud. Bella launched her eponymous label in 1990. Over thirty years later... more

My guest today is a woman who is credited with putting poetry back on the map, Donna Ashworth…. Donna came... more

My guest today is one incredible woman. Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey is an actress, academic, campaigner for social justice and... more

My guest today is the forensic psychotherapist Dr Jennifer Cox. She trained at the Tavistock and now has an extensive... more

My guest today is Louise Doughty, the woman behind some of the knottiest thrillers to grace our bookshelves and TV... more

Today’s guest is a personal favourite. I first met Kate Weinberg (the bestselling author of The Truants) when I was... more

My guest today is the broadcaster Vanessa Feltz. Ever since the mid-90s, Vanessa has been a fixture on British TV... more

If you sometimes worry you’ve left it too late to follow your heart, today’s guest should give you hope. At... more

My guest today knows a thing or two about being single, and she’s hear to tell you that there’s more... more

My guest today is author, endurance athlete and ex BBC breakfast presenter Louise Minchin. Louise is, of course, best known for... more

Today’s guest is the American actress, writer and singer Moon Unit Zappa. Moon shot to fame in her early teens when... more

My guest today is a woman who has truly come into her own in middle-age. A broadcaster, engineer, statistician and... more

My guest today is Bella Mackie. Until her mid-30s Bella was a journalist, then she wrote a book called Jog... more

My guest today is the award-winning… well what is she? Writer? Content creator? Blogger? Influencer? Ruth Crilly is all of... more

My guest today is the creator of the global bestseller and smash hit TV adaptation, The Discovery of Witches, Deborah... more

Today’s guest is the queen of embracing the second chapter. Fearne Cotton started young. She became a children’s TV presenter... more

I have known today’s guest for quite some time. Decades in fact. To begin with she didn’t really know me,... more

If there’s anything more daunting than interviewing a professional interviewer it’s interviewing an award-winning professional interviewer. Today’s guest Taffy Brodesser-Akner is... more

I can’t be cool about today’s guest, so I’m not even going to try. Ever since I started The Shift... more

In the last of our FROM THE ARCHIVES episodes, I'm revisiting one of the most important conversations I think I've... more

There are plenty of famous women who we think we know all there is to know without ever having met... more

I'm not sure there's anyone quite like Kate Mosse. The driving power behind the Women's Prize for Fiction which is... more

It's Gabby Logan's summer. First there's the Euros and then the Paris Olympics are hot on their heels. Plus, she... more

It's season finale time! And my guest today is the whirlwind also known as Kathy Lette. Australian Kathy smashed her way... more

My guest today is the teacher, musician and writer Molly Roden Winter. Molly hit the headlines earlier this year when... more

CONTENT WARNING: There are many moments of joy in this conversation, but please be aware that Liz talks candidly about... more

I first came across today’s guest, Dr Emily Nagoski, on this very podcast, when my then guest Sarah Knight (creator... more

My guest today is a fashion editor on a mission to improve the representation of all women over 40 -... more

My guest today has blazed a trail through the British poetry scene ever since her work was first published in... more

My guest today is the writer, actress and comedian Helen Lederer. Helen began as a stand-up comedian in the “comedy... more

Every so often you get the chance to interview someone whose work has fascinated you for, well, forever. And today... more

My guest today is the writer, film-maker and women’s health campaigner Kate Muir. Until perimenopause struck, Kate was the chief... more

My guest today has lived a lot of lives in her 50 years.  If you were knocking around in 1990, Amanda... more

My guest this week is one of the most enduring movie actresses of our (by which I mean my!) generation.... more

A couple of weeks ago, journalist and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup stepped down from her presenting role at Times Radio so... more

This week, Marian Keyes celebrates the publication of her 16th novel, My Favourite Mistake. So it seemed like as good... more

My guest this week is the first female main presenter of Channel 4 news, Cathy Newman. Cathy joined Channel 4 News... more

My guest today is the writer Helen Garner. I’m pretty sure that right now you are either going, wow I... more

My guest today is the American author and essayist, Leslie Jamison. Leslie has the kind of CV that makes other... more

My guest today is a woman who knows all about reinvention. For 45 years, Lyn Slater was a professor of... more

Regular listeners have probably noticed that I’m trying a few different things with this series. I wanted to hear more... more

Last time Annie Macmanus came on The Shift she was about to make a MASSIVE change. Then, in her early... more

My guest today is a woman whose style I have admired for a very long time. To quote the fashion journalist... more

Today I’m delighted to welcome back one of The Shift’s very first guests, journalist and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon. Bryony... more

My guest today has lived, well, a life like no other. The writer Jennifer Clement grew up in 1960s Mexico,... more

My guest today is a true trailblazer. If you’ve ever been a clubber, DJ Paulette will need zero introduction. If... more

For the last of our January archive episodes, we're revisiting an emotional and uplifting chat with screenwriter Delia Ephron. Next... more

Been meaning to get going on those Morning Pages since forever? Well, as part of our January motivation series, this... more

Yes, it's still January! And this week we're revisiting an episode with psychologist, folklorist, mythologist and all-round one-woman campaigner for... more

It's January (Again! So soon!) so, rather than give up everything, this month we're revisiting a host of episodes that... more

This week we're revisiting one of my favourite episodes from one of the first series. It was back in the... more

Last week, Nina Stibbe joined me on The Shift bookclub (if you're not a member, I've taken the "lock" off... more

It’s the final episode of the season and all my podcasting dreams have come true. Because my guest this week... more

My guest today is a food writer’s food writer. Beloved by such luminaries as Nigella Lawson, Diana Henry and Yotam... more

My guest this week is the crime writing legend, Patricia Cornwell. Patricia wrote her first novel about forensic pathologist kay... more

Anyone else feel in serious need a romcom right now? I know I do. And my guest today has your... more

A few months ago I read an article that took my breath away. The author was 102 years old and... more

Today’s guest is the Sunday Times’ Style’s beauty columnist India Knight. Every week thousands of women turn to her column... more

Today’s guest, Tracy-Ann Oberman has made a career out of defying expectations. After training as an actor she went straight... more

My guest for this very special live episode of The Shift is the entrepreneur, CEO, fashion and beauty expert, presenter... more

Today we’re celebrating Menopause Awareness month (now there’s a phrase I couldn’t have imagined saying four years ago when I... more

I’m delighted to welcome back one of my most popular guests ever, Philippa Perry. Philippa is an artist, psychotherapist, agony aunt... more

Today’s guest and I have lived parallel-ish lives. Growing up “ordinary” her in the north, me in the south, Grace... more

Before I got to know today’s guest, Stacey Duguid, I thought she was a bit scary TBH. Fierce in all... more

This week’s guest is the comedian, writer, and all-round screen hogger, Sara Pascoe. Host of The Great British Sewing Bee,... more

My guest today is the journalist and human rights activist, Natasha Walter. She is the author of two generation-defining books about... more

Like most of the rest of the world, I first discovered today’s guest Maggie Smith (no, not the legendary British... more

My guest today is the farmer, business woman, cook, conservationist, mother and now writer, Helen Rebanks. She has been cooking... more

My guest today has made history – more than once. Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central was only the third... more

Today’s guest is the singer-songwriter Miki Berenyi. If you were a teenager in the late 80s or early 90s with... more

My guest today is the prize winning author, Leila Slimani. Leila was the first Moroccan woman to win France’s prestigious... more

Welcome to season 12 of The Shift! Season 12! How did that happen?! My guest today is the actor hyphen screenwriter... more

Back in season 4, I spoke to Annie Macmanus just as she was about to make the big leap from... more

Back at the very beginning, when The Shift was still a hair-brained idea, I sat in Emma Freud's kitchen chatting... more

This week we're revisiting cartoonist and creator of the Bechdel test, Alison Bechdel. This episode first ran back in season... more

This week we're revisiting the legendary Jamaican journalist Barbara Blake Hannah. I spoke to Barbara at the start of last... more

While we take our summer hiatus we're revisiting some classic episodes of The Shift with Sam Baker. Since I recorded... more

To celebrate the DJ's 27th year of presenting Glastonbury on the BBC, we revisit one of the very first episodes... more

For this bonus episode of The Shift, I’m delighted to welcome a very special guest: the award-winning author of ten... more

If 18-year-old Sam was here now, today’s episode would be a real pinch-me moment. Back in the mid-80s, I was... more

My guest today is the award-winning broadcaster Aasmah Mir. Born and brought up in Glasgow, of Pakistani Heritage, Aasmah started... more

I’m pretty sure there isn’t a woman who was alive in the 90s who didn’t own one of this designer's... more

Today’s guest is the comedian Josie Long. Josie started early – and I mean EARLY. She has been performing standup... more

My guest for Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is mental health campaigner, psychiatrist and bestselling novelist Joanna Cannon. Jo left school... more

OK, I admit it, I’m a bit in awe, because today’s guest is someone I’ve wanted to get on The... more

How does it feel to walk into a room and know that everyone already thinks they know all there is... more

This week's guest is the rural poverty campaigner Natasha Carthew. Natasha was born and brought up in Cornwall, in the... more

I first encountered today’s guest, Marina Benjamin, when I was researching The Shift book and stumbled across her memoir, The... more