Lessons From Our Mothers
Society & Culture
About
What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt from your mum? How have the maternal figures in your life shaped you? In Lessons from Our Mothers, sisters Isabella and Cressida explore the wisdom, love, and lessons passed down through generations. They speak with remarkable people like Kate Winslett, Mary Berry, Alain de Botton and Dr Shefali about the maternal figures - biological or not - who influenced them. The life lessons they’ve carried forward, the things they’ve chosen to leave behind, and how certain experiences have informed the way they parent. Whether they had a strong relationship or a mor...
Episodes
- Jessica Urlichs: The Poetry That Found Me in Motherhood
Jessica Urlichs, a poet, joins the podcast to discuss her journey through motherhood and how writing poetry became a way to cope with postpartum anxiety. She explores lessons from her mother and the shift in perspective after having her th…
- Pearl & Daisy Lowe: An ADHD Diagnosis That Explained Everything
Pearl and Daisy Lowe join hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss Pearl's experience with addiction, her adult ADHD diagnosis, and raising a daughter as a young mum. The pair reflect on their relationship and the lessons passe…
- Nazanin Boniadi: Raised by Women Who Refused to Be Silenced
Actor and activist Nazanin Boniadi discusses the resilience and wisdom of maternal figures in her life and the women of Iran. The episode also features a listener sharing lessons from her own mother.
- Two Cultures. One Truth: Gurinder Chadha on Identity, Belonging & Owning Your Story
Award-winning director Gurinder Chadha joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss her upbringing as the daughter of Punjabi Sikh immigrants. They explore the influence of maternal figures, cultural expectations, and the imp…
- Gabriella Wilde: How My Mother Showed Me We Can Always Transform Ourselves For The Better
Actor and grief counsellor Gabriella Wilde joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss her childhood, the influence of her mother, and her own journey into motherhood. She also shares insights from her professional work in p…
- Tilly Rose: My Mother’s Relentless Quest to Save my Life
Author and advocate Tilly Rose discusses how her mother's persistence helped her receive a rare diagnosis after living as a medical mystery for nearly 20 years. Hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson also feature a listener story about…
- Julia Samuel: How a Therapist Deals with a Complex Maternal Relationship
Psychotherapist and author Julia Samuel discusses her complex relationship with her mother, experiences with grief, and the childhood separation from her twin brother. Hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson also feature a listener's les…
- Riley Keough: The Gift and Challenge of Finishing Lisa Marie Presley’s Memoir
Riley Keough joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss the process of completing her mother Lisa Marie Presley's memoir. She also reflects on her upbringing in the Presley family and navigates the loss of her brother, Benj…
- Kate Winslet: From “Put Up and Shut Up” to Raising Confident Children
Actor Kate Winslet joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss her career, her film 'Goodbye June', and her approach to motherhood. The episode explores breaking generational cycles of self-doubt and the impact of maternal f…
- India Rakusen: The surprising truths about motherhood uncovered making BBC’s ‘Child’
Journalist and podcaster India Rakusen joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss insights from the BBC podcast Child and her personal experience with motherhood. The episode also includes a listener submission regarding le…
- Chelsea Hirschhorn: How her mother’s influence ignited a revolution in mothercare
Chelsea Hirschhorn, founder and CEO of Frida, shares how her mother's influence and life lessons in resilience, empathy, courage, and ambition shaped her entrepreneurial path. She discusses dedicating her life to serving mothers through he…
- Alex Ikonn: How extreme challenge shaped his mindset, attitude and choices
Alex Ikonn shares how extreme challenges, like escaping danger in Russia and immigrating to the US, instilled gratitude, influenced by his mother's resilience. He explains how reframing difficulty and daily gratitude journaling shifted his…
- Alan Titchmarsh: From Yorkshire roots to national treasure
In this episode of Lessons From Our Mothers, Alan Titchmarsh shares memories of his supportive childhood in Yorkshire and how his parents' encouragement fueled his passion for gardening. He also touches upon difficult experiences such as b…
- Donna Lancaster: The pain of being “unmothered” and the journey back to love
Writer Donna Lancaster joins Cressida and Isabella to discuss her complex maternal relationship, her journey toward healing and forgiveness, and the importance of sharing imperfections with one's children.
- Jamie Laing: How his mum shaped his life, business, and views on parenthood
In this episode of Lessons From Our Mothers, Jamie Laing joins hosts Cressida and Isabella to discuss how his mother's parenting shaped his life and business, including his confectionery company inspired by her 'no sweets' rule. He also sh…
- Jo Woodhurst: How her mother’s cancer journey inspired a life of wellness
Jo Woodhurst discusses how her mother's approach to nutrition and mindset during her cancer journey inspired Jo's career in wellness. The episode also features listener Georgia sharing lessons from her own mother.
- Tanya Burr: How A YouTube Star Navigates Motherhood in the Public Eye
In this episode of Lessons From Our Mothers, Tanya Burr joins hosts Cressida and Isabella to discuss navigating motherhood in the public eye, setting boundaries around social media, and the influences of her mother and nanny on her career.…
- Haemin Sunim: A Zen Buddhist monk’s guide to healing old wounds and finding inner peace
In this episode of Lessons From Our Mothers, Cressida and Isabella are joined by Zen Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim. He shares wisdom on discussing death with children, self-compassion, and fostering well-being, alongside his personal journey…
- Parenting Differently: Donna Ashworth on embracing neurodiversity
Best-selling author Donna Ashworth discusses her son’s autism and ADHD diagnoses with Cressida and Isabella, sharing insights on embracing neurodiversity and finding answers within. The episode also touches on coping with the loss of a mot…
- Elizabeth Day: How struggling to conceive made her reimagine motherhood
Elizabeth Day joins Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss her mother's inspiration and her own path to motherhood. She shares her experience of accepting she wouldn't be a biological mother and discovering diverse, meaningful ways…
- Geri Horner-Halliwell: "Motherhood is better than a number one record"
Pop icon Geri Horner-Halliwell joins Cressida and Isabella to discuss her transition to motherhood, her relationship with her former bandmates, and parenting advice. She shares her mother's perspective on her fame and her views on screen t…
- Sarah Hoover: “ I was allergic to being a mother. It was the worst thing that could have happened to me, and I felt monstrous for thinking that way”
Sarah Hoover shares her difficult journey into motherhood, detailing experiences with birth trauma and postpartum depression. She reflects on the complex lessons inherited from her mother, some of which she has chosen to move beyond. The d…
- Jonathan Haidt: “All of these things are designed to take over your child's life”
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt joins Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss how smartphones and screen time are impacting childhood. Haidt provides parents with practical, research-backed advice on setting screen boundaries and…
- Camila Alves McConaughey: “Finding the balance of giving them everything I think they deserve and also what I think I deserve, is a challenge”
Camila Alves McConaughey joins Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss the challenges of balancing motherhood, career, and personal needs. She shares insights into her relationship with her mother and offers parenting advice for tee…
- Mishal Husain: “She really liberated me - she said, your life is completely different from mine, you've got to pursue the talents God's given you”
Journalist Mishal Husain shares lessons learned from her mother and discusses how they influenced her career and motherhood. She also talks about her book, Broken Threads, which explores her grandparents' migration to Pakistan.
- Alain de Botton: “Children will smell their parents' compromises, neuroses - to force the parent towards maturity"
Philosopher Alain de Botton joins hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss the complexity of a mother’s love, how maternal relationships shape adults, and the concept of being a "good enough" parent. The episode also features a…
- Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice: “We'd have to do 10 of these recordings to really get into the many different things she's done for us”
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice join Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson to discuss their upbringing, balancing public roles with motherhood, and the life lessons learned from their late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Listener Richard al…
- Giovanna Fletcher: “I don't remember my mum playing with us…you might not be the one chasing kids around, but you are creating their safe spaces”
Giovanna Fletcher joins Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson on Lessons From Our Mothers to share honest insights into motherhood, including staying present with children amidst a busy schedule and gaining confidence. The episode also featu…
- Dr Shefali: “Allow your child to be who it is they are”
Psychologist Dr Shefali joins Cressida and Isabella to discuss conscious parenting, the importance of allowing children to be themselves, and how parents can manage their own insecurities to foster courage in their children. The episode al…
- Mary Berry: “ She died at 105, and how lucky was I that she still had her mind?”
Mary Berry shares childhood memories of her mother and the lessons she learned. She also reflects on how parenting has changed and discusses the grief from losing her son.
- Karl Lokko: “I started to understand the mother I had the first time I got arrested”
Karl Lokko shares how his mother's enduring love and support, even through his arrests, guided him. Hosts Cressida Bonas and Isabella Branson delve into the impact of maternal figures on their guests' lives.
- Clover Stroud: "Motherhood destroys who you are, yet completely makes you"
In this episode, author Clover Stroud shares her experiences with grief after her mother's severe brain injury and how she navigated raising her children. She reflects on the profound influence her mother has had on her life and work. List…
- Trailer: Lessons From Our Mothers
This podcast trailer introduces