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.

“I kind of just froze in that moment....and everything everyone tells you about being assaulted was true. I just didn't know what to do.”  On this week’s Real Talk, Olympic bronze medallist and former Gladiator Jennifer Stoute, middle-distance runner Sarah McDonald, and health, fitness, and female empowerment influencer Hayley Madigan share their experiences of harassment and assault whilst training. They discuss how they’re now advocating for more awareness and change on athlete safety.   A special thanks to Rachel Williams, the Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Women in Sport who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.  This podcast contains discussions of sexual assault 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 presented by Miriam Walker-Khan and this episode is produced by Sabrina Bal, Alice Reeves-Turner, Claire Taylor and Chessie Bent.  You can also watch our interviews on YouTube (https://bit.ly/RealTalkSkySportsNews), read supporting articles on our website (skysports.com), and find us on social media @skysports.

On this week’s Real Talk, Chelsea women's manager Emma Hayes, former England netballer Eboni Usoro-Brown, and British trampolinist and gymnast Laura Gallagher Cox discuss pelvic floor health in sport.They raise the importance of having more education on pelvic floor health - especially from a younger age, explore why certain sports can damage the pelvic floor and share how they've regained control by working with a specialist.A special thanks to Emma Brockwell, a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic floor health, who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.Plus, stay with us until the end of the podcast to follow presenter Miriam Walker-Khan as she gets her very own pelvic floor personal training session.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://bit.ly/RealTalkSkySportsNews), 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, Millie Stevenson and Chessie Bent.

“I don’t think people know how paralysing it can be....it's like being in a mental prison, you feel trapped.”On this week’s Real Talk, England rugby union international Henry Slade, UFC fighter Nathaniel Wood and Olympic swimmer Freya Anderson open up about their battle with obsessive compulsive disorder – a condition that affects over one million people in the UK. As you'll hear, they discuss openly and honestly how OCD has impacted their lives and careers, whilst sharing how they sought help to manage the disorder.A special thanks to Dr Lynne Drummond, a psychiatrist specialising in OCD, who joins us on this episode to give us her expert advice.If you’ve been affected by anything we talk about in this podcast and would like more information on organisations that can provide you with help and support, please head to sky.com/viewersupport.Real Talk is a brand new Sky Sports series that looks at topics that aren’t often spoken about in a sporting context. Please give the series a follow, or subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch Real Talk on YouTube (https://bit.ly/RealTalkSkySportsNews), 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.

People deal with grief in different ways, but how does the process impact athletes in their professional worlds?On this first episode of Real Talk, Miriam Walker-Khan talks to former Manchester City player Nedum Onuoha, England and Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Claudia MacDonald and 2010 Commonwealth Games champion, boxer Callum Johnson, who have all lost someone close to them. Speaking openly and honestly, these athletes share how they navigate a life and career without them.This podcast discusses the death of a loved one, which some listeners may find upsetting. If you’ve been affected by anything we talk about in this episode and would like more information on organisations that can provide you with help and support, please head to sky.com/viewersupport.Real Talk is a brand new series which looks at topics that aren’t often spoken about in a sporting context. Please give the series a follow, or subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch Real Talk on YouTube (https://bit.ly/RealTalkSkySportsNews) and across 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.

Introducing 'Real Talk' from Sky Sports