Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain

Joy Peddlers
  • 5.0 (8)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS

Real people. Real stories. Unbelievable Britain. Victoria Derbyshire sits down with people who have lived through extraordinary, jaw dropping and sometimes heart stopping experiences. Deeply personal stories that reveal the incredible breadth of lives, backgrounds and journeys that make up the people who live across the UK. Honest, powerful and unforgettable conversations that do not just stay with you, they can change the way you see your own life.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. I lost my sight, but I wouldn't want it back | Lucy Edwards with Victoria Derbyshire

    3 DAYS AGO

    I lost my sight, but I wouldn't want it back | Lucy Edwards with Victoria Derbyshire

    From Losing Her Sight to Inspiring Millions Lucy Edwards, who went blind at 17 due to a rare genetic condition. "In that moment everything I knew had gone." Lucy opens up about the moment everything changed, from trying to hold onto memories of her mum’s face to navigating a world that suddenly treated her differently. She speaks candidly about discrimination, her IVF journey, independence, and how she rebuilt her confidence to become one of the most influential disability advocates online. After losing her sight, Lucy began sharing TikTok videos, building a following of 1.1 million, and growing her YouTube channel, ⁠@lucyedwards⁠, to over 800K subscribers, where she shares her lived experience and advocates for the blind and visually impaired community. This is a powerful conversation about identity, resilience, and redefining what your future can look like when everything is taken away. 🔔 Subscribe to Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain for more extraordinary stories told by the people who lived them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min
  2. Men Pay Me To Punish Them | Sherry Lever With Victoria Derbyshire

    16 APR

    Men Pay Me To Punish Them | Sherry Lever With Victoria Derbyshire

    Sherry Lever, widely recognised as the UK’s oldest professional dominatrix. At 74, Sherry (known professionally as Mistress Sofia) shares the incredible story of how a "wallflower" who once struggled to pay the mortgage transformed into an empowered leader in the world of BDSM. In this episode, we explore: The Transition: How Sherry went from a phone chat operator to running a professional "playroom" from her conservatory. The Psychology of Kink: Why high-powered professionals from judges to surgeons seek out submission, and how Sherry views her role as a form of "unorthodox therapy." Family Ties: The surprising story of how Sherry’s own daughter became her "driving force" and now works alongside her. Debunking Myths: Sherry explains the difference between being a dominatrix and an escort, and why consent and "safe words" (like Sherry's favorite: "Jamaica") are the foundation of everything she does. Empowerment at 70+: A powerful message on independence, finding your voice after three difficult marriages, and why Sherry has no plans to retire.Whether you're curious about the BDSM community or looking for an inspiring story of personal reinvention, Sherry’s journey is truly unbelievable. 🔔 Subscribe to Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain for more extraordinary stories told by the people who lived them. #VictoriaDerbyshire #UnbelievableBritain #BDSM #SherryLever #Documentary #Empowerment #humanstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min
  3. From Trauma Survivor to the NHS’s Toughest Investigator : Donna Ockenden

    9 APR

    From Trauma Survivor to the NHS’s Toughest Investigator : Donna Ockenden

    "I promised Gina that I’d try every single day to make maternity care safer." We are joined by Donna Ockenden, the midwife and investigator behind some of the most significant maternity reviews in NHS history. Donna opens up about a childhood marked by poverty, instability, and a harrowing period of abuse at the hands of her grandfather. She shares how these formative experiences of responsibility and survival eventually led her to a 40-year career in nursing and midwifery—a journey fueled by a quiet but fierce determination to protect the vulnerable. Donna also recounts the heartbreaking story of baby Gina, a moment that changed her life forever and became the foundation for her "Gina Promise": a lifelong commitment to ensuring no family has to suffer avoidable harm. In this video: A Childhood of Resilience: Growing up in poverty in South Wales and surviving trauma. The "Moonlight Flit": Being uprooted to Ireland and having her identity changed as a teenager. The Gina Promise: The tragic loss that defined Donna’s mission to make maternity care safer. Reshaping the NHS: Insights into the Shrewsbury, Telford, and Nottingham maternity reviews. A Message to Mothers: Why "speaking out and speaking up" is vital for safer births today. Donna’s story is a powerful testament to how personal pain can be transformed into a professional crusade for justice and safety. What did you take away from Donna’s journey? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments below. 🔔 Subscribe to Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain for more extraordinary stories told by the people who lived them. #VictoriaDerbyshire #DonnaOckenden #MaternityCare #NHS #Resilience #HumanStories #UnbelievableBritain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
  4. Four Stories, One Question: What Has Life Taught You?

    2 APR

    Four Stories, One Question: What Has Life Taught You?

    What is the most unbelievable lesson life has taught you? In this special episode of Life Lessons from Unbelievable Britain, Victoria Derbyshire meets people whose lives have been shaped by identity, illness, resilience, and reinvention. Inside this episode: Gamal “G” Turawa - A former police officer navigating identity, race, and sexuality, and what it means to truly become yourself. FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/ch6sflkeIWI Paul Cooper - From everyday life to unexpected success in acting later in life, proving it’s never too late to change direction. FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/9zYNQYUqgdA Kate Allatt - A devastating illness left her unable to move or speak, fully aware but trapped inside her own body. FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/mkLJH3CF6q8 Emma Sayle - Challenging societal norms around sex, power, and control, and creating a world without shame or judgement. FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/uQI4ZujCshI These aren’t just stories, they are lessons in persistence, identity, and what it means to keep going when life doesn’t go to plan. Unbelievable Britain brings you the most remarkable personal stories from across the UK. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week: #UnbelievableBritain #VictoriaDerbyshire #RealStories #LifeLessons #Resilience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 min
  5. The UKs First Openly Gay Black Office | G Turawa

    26 MAR

    The UKs First Openly Gay Black Office | G Turawa

    A masterclass in "unlearning" and finding the courage to finally be yourself. G, Turawa, previously known as Gamal, has a life story worthy of a novel. From a happy childhood in Kent to being tricked into exile in Nigeria, and eventually becoming the Met Police’s first openly gay Black officer. G opens up about the "unbelievable" reality of life inside the force: the institutional racism, the trauma of hiding his true identity, and the shocking moment he let colleagues paint his face white just to fit in. This is a raw story of survival, the breaking point that led to a suicide attempt, and his ultimate triumph as a BAFTA winner. "It took years of vomiting up the filth I’d been taught about myself before I felt I had a right to be here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 8min
  6. Life Lessons: Four Britons Who Survived the Unimaginable

    19 MAR

    Life Lessons: Four Britons Who Survived the Unimaginable

    What happens when life pushes you to the absolute breaking point? In this special episode of Life Lesson's from Unbelievable Britain's - Victoria Derbyshire meets four people who survived the unimaginable, from a secretive British cult to a Taliban kidnapping. Inside this episode: Ryan Stevens: The daily reality of living with severe Tourette’s when your body isn't your own. Luke Dyson: How a life of chaos and anger was transformed through the discipline of the ring. Sean Langan: A frontline journalist on what it’s actually like to be held captive by the Taliban. Katy Morgan-Davies: An incredible escape after 30 years inside one of Britain’s most secretive cults. These aren't just stories of survival; they are lessons in what truly matters when everything else is stripped away. Unbelievable Britain brings you the most remarkable personal stories from across the UK. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week: #UnbelievableBritain #VictoriaDerbyshire #RealStories #resilience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min
  7. Trapped inside: Kate Allatt's impossible comeback

    12 MAR

    Trapped inside: Kate Allatt's impossible comeback

    Locked inside her body, Kate could hear and see everything but could tell anyone. A worst nightmare. Kate Allatt was a fit and healthy mother of three when her life changed overnight. After being sent home from hospital with severe headaches, she collapsed and fell into a coma. When she woke, she was diagnosed with Locked-In Syndrome. Fully conscious, but unable to move or speak. From the first flicker of an eye and against all expectations, Kate slowly relearned how to communicate, walk again, and rebuild her life. Sixteen years on, her story is one of extraordinary determination and hope, and today, she shares it with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
  8. From Gangs to Redemption | The Divine Ampofo Story

    5 MAR

    From Gangs to Redemption | The Divine Ampofo Story

    Divine Ampofo grew up in Walthamstow, sharing a cramped flat with his mum and three siblings in a neighbourhood shaped by poverty, violence and survival. By the age of thirteen he had been pulled into “the game”, a street culture where respect came through fear, drugs and violence. As a teenager he was shot, involved in stabbings and narrowly escaped death more than once. Surrounded by conflict and constant danger, the life promised money and status but delivered paranoia, loss and the very real prospect of prison or death. From childhood racism and isolation, to the pull of street identity, to the turning point that forced him to walk away from the life he once believed was success. Today he is an author, speaker and the founder of KIS4LIFE, working with schools, councils and youth organisations to prevent gang exploitation and knife crime. Victoria Derbyshire has spent decades as one of the UK's most trusted journalists, breaking major stories and leading some of the most powerful interviews on radio and television. Now with Unbelievable Britain, she'll prove the most unbelievable stories aren’t fiction… they’re happening right here. Extraordinary people with stories that reveal who we really are as a nation, surprising, inspiring, and sometimes hard to believe. Unbelievable Britain shares remarkable personal stories from across the country, told by the people who lived them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Real people. Real stories. Unbelievable Britain. Victoria Derbyshire sits down with people who have lived through extraordinary, jaw dropping and sometimes heart stopping experiences. Deeply personal stories that reveal the incredible breadth of lives, backgrounds and journeys that make up the people who live across the UK. Honest, powerful and unforgettable conversations that do not just stay with you, they can change the way you see your own life.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Joy Peddlers
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joy Peddlers

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