Sky Sports: Real Talk

Award-winning podcast Real Talk is back with a one-off episode about the FA’s ban on transgender women in FA-affiliated football. We speak to players Blair Hamilton and Sammy and Paula from Goal Diggers FC, to understand what the ban means for them. We also hear from sports law professor Dr Seema Patel, who specialises in the balance between inclusion and exclusion in competitive sport, to unpack the FA’s decision to ban transgender women from football after the Supreme Court ruling on April 16th which unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality law.And in a world exclusive, we hear from St Pauli captain, Jackson Irvine, who calls the ban “heavy-handed” and “worrying.” A special thanks to Jessy Parker Humphreys, sports reporter at the Observer, who joins us in the studio to unpack the interviews. You can read more on the Sky Sports website and watch our interviews on the Sky Sports News YouTube channel. Find us on social media @skysports Real Talk is presented by Miriam Walker-Khan and produced by Chessie Bent, Maryam Chaudhary, Becky Thompson and Tom Mordey.

Our award-winning podcast 'Real Talk' is back with a one-off episode, and this time, we deep-dive into the world of IVF and fertility equality to understand what it's like for lesbian sportswomen to have babies.We discuss sperm donors and football genetics with former Arsenal and England legend, Anita Asante and her wife Beth Fisher, and find out how West Ham captain Katrina Gorry walked into an IVF clinic on her own one day and ended up pregnant just a few weeks later. A special thanks to Laura-Rose Thorogood, founder and CEO of LGBT Mummies and lesbian mother of 4 children, who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.You can also watch our interviews on the Sky Sports News YouTube channel, read supporting articles on our website (skysports.com), and find us on social media @skysports.Real Talk is presented by Miriam Walker-Khan and this episode is produced by Harshini Mehta, Eddie Decardi-Nelson, Alice Reeves-Turner, Tom Mordey and Chessie Bent.

Missed Real Talk? Don't worry! Here's Miriam Walker-Khan with all you need to know about the series from Sky Sports, where athletes speak openly and honestly about topics that aren't often covered in a sporting context. All Real Talk episodes are available to listen to for free, you can watch our athlete interviews on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@skysports), and read supporting articles on our website (skysports.com). Real Talk will be back soon, so please give us a like, follow or subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 

In the final episode of Real Talk season one, Miriam Walker-Khan chats to two-time Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton, double Paralympic gold medallist in archery, Danielle Brown, and Sky Sports pundit and former footballer Stephen Warnock about their retirements. They share what is for some, the pain - and for others, the relief - of leaving the dream they once lived.A special thanks to Dawn Airton, the UK Sports Institute’s Senior Performance Lifestyle Coach and former Harlequins player, who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.This podcast contains discussions of depression and suicidal thoughts which some listeners may find distressing. If you’ve been affected by anything we talk about and would like more information on organisations that can provide help and support, please head to sky.com/viewersupport.Real Talk is a series from Sky Sports that looks at topics that aren’t often spoken about in a sporting context. Please give us a follow, like, or subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts.  You can also watch our interviews on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@skysports), read supporting articles on our website (skysports.com), and find us on social media @skysports.  Real Talk is presented by Miriam Walker-Khan and is produced by Alice Reeves-Turner, Claire Taylor, and Chessie Bent.

On this week’s Real Talk, Miriam Walker-Khan chats to three incredible athletes, who are also all Mums. Boxing legend Natasha Jonas, seventeen-time Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey, and Pakistani cricketer and trailblazer Bismah Maroof discuss their pregnancies and how they managed to come back to competing at the top level of their sports after giving birth - both physically and mentally.  A special thanks to Baz Moffat, founder of The Well HQ, co-author of The Female Body Bible, ex-Team GB rower, and mother, who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.  Real Talk is a series from Sky Sports that looks at topics that aren’t often spoken about in a sporting context. Please give us a follow, like, or subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts.You can also watch our interviews on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@skysports), read supporting articles on our website (skysports.com), and find us on social media @skysports. Real Talk is presented by Miriam Walker-Khan and is produced by Alice Reeves-Turner, Claire Taylor, and Chessie Bent.