Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

About Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Season 4 Joyce Harper is Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, author, public speaker, scientist and host of the podcast Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Together with expert guests and people with lived experience, this podcast offers practical tools to help you build a life of good health and happiness. www.joyceharper.com Instagram, TikTok: @profjoyceharper Facebook: Global Women Connected. The podcast features the personal views and experiences of the host and contributors. These views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their employer or any organisation they are associated with.

Publisher

Joyce Harper

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jan 2023

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

104 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   S4, #26: Fiona Clark: MenoWars

   Why menopause’s moment has gone horribly wrong, and how you can navigate your way through it Fiona Clark is an award-winning journalist, writer and passionate women's health advocate. She is the author of MenoWars. Driven by frustration due to the lack of research into women's health around menopause, she founded the Menopause Research and Education Fund, a charity which aims to support research into menopause related issues as well as providing evidence-based education and information for all those who go through menopause or support them. Fiona started her career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation back in the 1980's working in TV news and quickly moved into investigative reporting, becoming the supervising producer of its flagship current affairs program, Lateline (similar to Newsnight). With majors in anatomy and physiology, she returned to her first love, health, in the early 2000's moving into medical publishing. She has worked at in various editorial roles in both print and online B2B and B2C publications and has written for prestigious publications including The Lancet. She continues to write for various medical education sites. https://mref.uk/ @mre_fund https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseResearchEducationFund In this episode, Fiona shares her own menopause journey and explains why she wrote MenoWars. We discuss the growing challenge of menopause misinformation, the importance of understanding scientific evidence, and why social media can make it difficult to separate fact from opinion. We explore menopause testing, supplements and HRT, including why symptoms should be considered alongside overall health and why ruling out other medical conditions is so important. Fiona also shares her concerns about the commercialisation of menopause and the rise of unsupported health claims. A theme running throughout our conversation is the importance of lifestyle, particularly exercise, nutrition and bone health. We also discuss the urgent need for more research, better education for healthcare professionals, and the work of the Menopause Research and Education Fund. Finally, Fiona reflects on life postmenopause and why these years can be a positive, fulfilling and empowering time of life. Date of episode recording: 2026-09-24 Language of episode: English Presenter: Professor Joyce Harper Guest: Fiona Clark Producer: Joyce Harper

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   S4, #25: The Truth about HRT: What Does the Evidence Really Tell Us?

   The Truth about HRT: Four Experts. Four Perspectives. What Does the Evidence Really Tell Us? Professor Susan Davis, Professor Annice Mukherjee, Professor Aimee Spector and Dr Juliet Balfour. For this World Menopause Day special, I am doing something a little different. HRT has become one of the most talked-about topics in women's health, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Social media, headlines and personal stories can make it difficult to separate evidence from opinion, leaving many women confused about the benefits, risks and limitations of treatment. I've invited four internationally recognised menopause experts to discuss four areas where women need clearer, evidence-based information about hormone therapy; 1/ Dr Juliet Balfour explores what we know, and don't know, about the benefits and risks of HRT. Dr Juliet Balfour is an experienced NHS GP with a longstanding interest in women's health. She is a British Menopause Society registered menopause specialist with the Advanced Certificate in Menopause Care and a member of the BMS Medical Advisory Council. She is the Lead for the Somerset NHS Menopause Service and director of Wells Menopause Clinic, a private online clinic. 2/Susan Davis examines the evidence for testosterone, including who may benefit and who may not. Susan Davis is a Monash University Vice- Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor and an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council L3 Investigator. She is Head of the Women’s Health Research Program, and Head of the Women’s Endocrine Clinic, the Alfred Hospital Melbourne. She has published over 500 scientific papers and is considered one of the world leaders in research into oestrogens and androgens in women. She has written two books. 3/ Annice Mukherjee discusses menopause management after breast cancer and how women can navigate treatment decisions in this complex area. Professor Annice Mukherjee is an NHS hospital physician and endocrinologist with a medical career spanning nearly 30 years. She specialises in general medicine and endocrinology with a career long interest in complex medical illness, quality of life in endocrine disease, hormone problems in cancer survivors, including early menopause and other complex menopause issues as well as managing complex fatigue. She has supported thousands of women going through menopause to help them manage symptoms and improve their quality of life and overall health safely. She is the author of the book The Complete Guide to the Menopause. 4/Aimee Spector updates on the latest evidence of whether HRT can reduce the risk of dementia. Professor Aimee Spector is Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Director of the University College London International Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) centre and ‘Menopause Mind Lab’. Her expertise lies in the global development and evaluation of complex interventions for ageing. She was recently commissioned by the World Health Organisation to support their guidelines around Menopause Hormone Therapy and dementia risk.

3. 

   14 Oct 2026

   S4, #24: Ionica Adriana: Adoption week special

   From one world to another: the untold side of adoption – resilience, strength, beauty and life Ionica Adriana is an actress, presenter, broadcaster and speaker. Born in Romania in the late 1980s, she spent the first two and a half years of her life in a Romanian orphanage before being adopted by a British family and moving to Yorkshire. She has since built a successful career in television, radio and theatre, appearing in productions including The Syndicate, Coronation Street and Smoggie Queens. She has also presented for BBC Radio York, BBC Politics North and Countryfile Live. In recent years, Ionica has spoken openly about her adoption journey, including searching for and finding her birth mother, and has explored the legacy of Romania's orphanage system through documentary work such as Ceausescu's Children. Instagram: @ionica_offical_ For this special Adoption Week episode, Ionica talks about her adoption journey, from spending her early childhood in a Romanian orphanage to being adopted by a loving family in Yorkshire. Ionica describes the emotional experience of reconnecting with her birth mother and sisters as an adult, reflecting on identity, belonging and the importance of honesty in adoption. She also discusses the realities of Romania’s orphanage system, challenges common misconceptions about adoption, and highlights the life-changing difference adoption can make for children in need. Throughout the conversation, she celebrates the families who adopt, encourages openness around adoption stories, and shares her belief that compassion, connection and love can help shape a brighter future for everyone involved. Date of episode recording: 2026-10-01 Language of episode: English Presenter: Professor Joyce Harper Guest: Ionica Adriana Producer: Joyce Harper

Who has been a guest on Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Sophie Messager
• Julia Hollander
• Di Westaway
• Deborah Ives
• Professor Helena Teede

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

89

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

Contact Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  ZOE Science & Nutrition

• 

  Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

• 

  Americast

• 

  Begin Again with Davina McCall

• 

  The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show

• 

  The Rest Is Politics

Questions about Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?