Leading Psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE Talks To Ellie About Losing Billy
Release Date: 01/06/2026
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Every year in England, thousands of bright, capable kids sit down to take their GCSE English and maths exams — and fail. Not because they don't know the material. Not because they haven't worked hard. But because the exam itself only tests one narrow way of showing what you know. My guest today has lived this. She watched her own dyslexic son work harder than anyone, understand the material, and still miss the pass mark — again and again — by the smallest of margins. And she watched what that did to him. So she did something about it. She founded Fairer Exams, a parent-led campaign...
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Can We Change The Future of DIPG? A Conversation With Dr Ashley Vardon
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What is it like to dedicate your career to finding a cure for one of the deadliest childhood cancers? In this deeply personal episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with , an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, whose pioneering research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is being part-funded by Billy's Battalion. Together, they explore what life is like on "the other side of the room"—the side where doctors and researchers must deliver devastating diagnoses while working tirelessly to change the future. From the latest breakthroughs in...
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Mum Rage: You Are Not Bad For Getting Mad
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If you've ever found yourself shouting over something small, only to be overwhelmed with guilt moments later, you're far from alone. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by award-winning journalist and author to explore one of motherhood's least talked about realities: mum rage. Lauren has spent more than two decades reporting on family life, child safety and social issues, and after becoming a mother herself during the Covid-19 pandemic, she turned her attention to the hidden pressures facing modern mums. In her book Meltdown, she explores what really sits beneath...
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Becoming parents changes everything, including your relationship. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by relationship and sex therapist to discuss what really happens to intimacy, communication and connection after children. Why do so many couples end up feeling more like colleagues than lovers? Is it normal for sex to disappear after kids? How much conflict comes down to the mental load? And how do you know the difference between a rough patch and a relationship that's genuinely in trouble? Together, they explore the biggest communication mistakes couples make,...
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Body image worries are starting younger. Diet culture may have changed its clothes, but it certainly hasn’t gone away — it’s simply rebranded as wellness, self-improvement and “health optimisation,” all while our children scroll through TikTok, influencers and impossible appearance standards in real time. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by , eating disorder expert, coach, author of the upcoming book Food Freedom, and someone whose own struggles with body image and disordered eating began at just 10 years old. Together, they explore the early warning...
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Starting Secondary School: How To Help Your Child Feel Confident And Ready
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SATs, GCSEs And Exam Pressure: Are We Expecting Too Much From Our Kids?
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Exam season can bring stress to the entire household. From slammed bedroom doors and sleepless nights to younger children already feeling the pressure of assessment before secondary school is even on the horizon. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by education expert , author of , to unpack what exam pressure is really doing to our children, and to us as parents. Are SATs putting too much pressure on children far too young? How do anxiety, ADHD, autism and perfectionism change the way exam stress shows up? And how can parents support revision without becoming the...
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Andy Day On Dinosaurs, Dad Life & Rock ’n’ Roll
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Andy Day is one of the UK’s most recognisable faces in children’s television, best known for sparking curiosity through his hugely popular Andy’s Adventures series. But beyond the dinosaurs, safari trips and underwater explorations, Andy is also a musician, author, performer and all-round creative force. On this episode of the My Baba Podcast, Ellie chats to Andy about life beyond the screen — from favourite films and bands to his real-life pop band Andy and the Odd Socks, writing bestselling children’s books, and the brand new adventures currently in the works. If your family loves...
info_outlineLeading UK psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE joins Ellie Thompson to talk about child loss and the lifelong impact of grief. Julia is one of the most trusted voices in the UK on bereavement, trauma and healing, and has spent decades supporting families through the unimaginable. Her work has shaped how we understand grief, not as something to “get over”, but as something we learn to live alongside.
As many listeners will know, Ellie lost her son Billy, aka Billy the Brave, to DIPG, and grief has since become woven into everyday life in ways she could never have imagined. Like so many bereaved parents, she has learned that we don’t move on from our children; we move forward carrying them with us.
In this conversation, Julia brings compassion, clarity and deep insight as we explore what it truly means to live with grief: how it shows up in relationships, how siblings experience loss, and how parents can find moments of meaning and hope again — while continuing to hold the profound love we have for the children no longer in our arms.
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Show notes
Child Bereavement UK - Child Bereavement UK helps children and young people (up to the age of 25), parents and families, to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.
Podcast
- Therapy Works — Julia’s main podcast
- Grief Works
- A Living Loss
Books
Grief Works – A compassionate guide to understanding grief and how it affects us.
This Too Shall Pass – On surviving life’s challenges and finding strength through adversity.
Every Family Has a Story – Exploring family relationships, trauma and healing.
App
Grief Works App - A supportive grief app offering tools, reflections and guidance for those living with loss.
Social Media
Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe
X (Twitter): @juliasamuelmbe
Website
juliasamuel.co.uk — for therapy work, writing, speaking and resources
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