Begin Again with Davina McCall

What if your ‘begin again’ moment comes after you lose everything your marriage, your children, your best friend, and almost yourself?

Sarah Hiscox is Davina’s best friend of nearly 40 years, but this is a side of their story that has never been told like this before.

In this episode of Begin Again, Sarah Hiscox joins Davina to talk about friendship, addiction, shame, motherhood, recovery, love, and the long road back to herself.

Sarah opens up about growing up with low self-worth, an alcoholic mother, and a childhood where difficult feelings were pushed down rather than spoken about. She reflects on the early experiences that shaped her relationship with shame, food, pills, and eventually heroin.
Davina and Sarah also revisit the moment their friendship changed both of their lives, from Sarah confronting Davina about her drug use, to Davina later having to draw a painful boundary when Sarah’s own addiction had taken hold. Together, they speak honestly about what it means to love someone through addiction, while also knowing you cannot save them unless they are ready to save themselves.

Sarah shares the devastating reality of losing her marriage, her children, and almost her life to heroin addiction, as well as the moment she finally found a way to begin again. She talks about getting clean, rebuilding trust with her children, finding her way back to her husband Renshaw, and learning how to become the mother she had always wanted to be.
This is also a conversation about creativity, self-belief, and finally finding your voice. Sarah discusses writing her debut novel, The Beginning and the End of Everything, and why becoming an author has been one of the most meaningful chapters of her life.

At its heart, this is a story about love in all its forms: friendship, marriage, motherhood, forgiveness, and chosen family.
Sarah Hiscox reminds us that even after shame, addiction and loss, it is possible to come home to yourself, and to the people who never stopped loving you.

This episode contains conversations about addiction, eating disorders, overdose and recovery, please watch with care.

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✨Follow Sarah Hiscox: https://www.instagram.com/popular/sarah-hiscox/
✨Buy Sarah’s book, The Beginning and the End of Everything: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-End-Everything-foreword-Davina/dp/0715656767

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In this heartfelt episode of Begin Again Moments, we bring together two powerful conversations about navigating separation with compassion, and putting children first.

Fatboy Slim reflects on his divorce from Zoe Ball and how, despite the challenges of ending their marriage, they found a way to become even better parents. He shares why letting go of resentment, protecting their children from conflict, and embracing a new kind of friendship became their greatest achievement.

Novelist Jojo Moyes then opens up about what she calls her "good divorce." She shares the lessons she learned about separating with kindness, why your children should never carry the weight of adult conflict, and the advice she believes everyone should hear before they get married.

Together, these moments offer a hopeful perspective on co-parenting, showing that while relationships may end, the commitment to raising happy, secure children never has to.

To hear the full conversations, watch the complete episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by Do-Health -

Do Health - The waitlist is open. Begin Again listeners get fixed early access pricing when they sign up today at dohealth.co/beginagain use code BEGINAGAIN
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of Gisèle Pelicot’s story, she spoke to Davina about her life before the world knew her name, the marriage she believed she had, and the moment she began to discover the truth of what had happened to her.

This is Part 2 of Gisèle Pelicot’s story on Begin Again.

Gisèle opens up about the public and private aftermath of the case, the impact on her children, and the pain of having to tell her family that their lives had changed forever.

Gisèle reflects on why she chose to waive her right to anonymity, what it meant to let the world know her name, and why speaking publicly became a way to help other women feel less alone. She talks about the trial, the women who wrote to her, the strength she found in their support, and the responsibility she felt to challenge the shame too often carried by victims.

Davina and Gisèle also speak about rebuilding after trauma: staying connected to her family, finding love again, learning to trust, processing anger, and holding on to hope without denying the pain of what happened.

This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, drugging, trauma, court proceedings, and abuse, which some viewers may find difficult. Please watch with care.

At its heart, Part 2 is a conversation about courage, justice, love, and the power of refusing to carry shame that was never yours.

Gisèle Pelicot reminds us that speaking the truth can help others feel less alone, and that beginning again can also mean standing up, not only for yourself, but for every woman who has been taught to stay silent.

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Buy ‘A Hymn to Life’ here:Exclusive discount code for Gisèle’s audiobook can be found here:

Hardback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hymn-Life-Shame-Change-Sides/dp/184792896X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pKtWbZhPB1Me57eLekSRlRNTiKNoYduQoXz3CqbwwvY.6BNLixMym6UnLPYhwlSkqOF7fhXDf1AKLW_mmcGaeSM&qid=1781522906&sr=8-1

Audiobook (read by Emma Thompson):

https://open.spotify.com/show/1Gy9pylmMgYWm6zOvcvv6Y?si=d3f1f19009134671

✨ Exclusive discount code for Gisèle’s audiobook can be found here for A HYMN TO LIFE by Gisele Pelicot exclusively for Begin Again
(this offer is valid until 1st July 2026)
To claim your exclusive £9.99 audiobook of for A Hymn To Life, enter Y9DMKZKJ572HM at checkout on Google Play by 1st July. UK and Ireland only.  Redemption link: https://play.google.com/redeem?code=Y9DMKZKJ572HM

✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for all your behind the scenes access, recommendations and much much more at: https://linkly.link/2g2xm

(00:00) Do Health Ad
(01:11) Episode Introduction
(01:42) Part 1 Recap
(02:29) Gisele Explains Why She Thinks It Was Hard For Some People To Believe Her Story, But Also How It's Helped Others
(03:53) What It Was Like For Gisele To Tell Her Children What Their Father Had Done
(06:49) Why Gisele Continued To Live In The Same House And Sleep In The Same Bed
(09:09) Why Gisele Tries To Hold On To The Positives Despite Her Abuse
(09:44) Why Gisele Decided To Go Public Later In The Trial
(10:39) Gisele On Preparing To Face Her Attackers In Court And Watching The Videos Of Them Raping Her
(12:13) How Gisele Fell In Love Again After Her Traumatic Experience, And Her Continued Faith In Humanity
(13:55) Gisele On Wanting To Speak With Her Ex-Husband One Day
(14:40) How Happy Gisele Is That Her Relationship With Her Children Is Repairing
(15:49) Why Gisele's Lack Of Memory Of Her Attacks Makes Things Easier For Her
(17:46) Davina Emphasises The Importance Of Gisele's Book
(18:42) Davina Thanks Gisele For Her Bravery In Telling Her Story

Sponsored by:

Do Health - The waitlist is open. Begin Again listeners get fixed early access pricing when they sign up today at dohealth.co/beginagain use code BEGINAGAIN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gisèle Pelicot became known around the world when she waived her right to anonymity in the sexual assault trial that shocked France and beyond. But before the headlines, before the courtroom, and before the world knew her name, Gisèle had a life, a family, a marriage, and a story of her own.

This is Part 1 of Gisèle Pelicot’s story on Begin Again.

In this episode, Gisèle joins Davina to talk about her life before the case became public. She reflects on falling in love as a teenager, building a family, becoming a mother, and the life she believed she was living with the man she had trusted for decades.

Gisèle speaks with extraordinary dignity about the moment her life began to change, the questions she had no answers for, and the painful process of discovering what had happened to her. She reflects on the moments she could not explain at the time, the questions that went unanswered, and the devastating betrayal of discovering what had happened to her.

Davina and Gisèle also discuss why so many victims struggle to speak, and why shame should never belong to the person who has been harmed.

This conversation ends as Davina asks Gisèle what it felt like for people not to believe her. That question, and everything that followed, continues in Part 2 of Gisèle’s story.

🌟 Follow for more honest conversations about identity, growth, and beginning again and to stay connected with new episodes of Begin Again.

Follow us here:

📸 www.instagram.com/beginagain

🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod

Buy ‘A Hymn to Life’ here:

Hardback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hymn-Life-Shame-Change-Sides/dp/184792896X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pKtWbZhPB1Me57eLekSRlRNTiKNoYduQoXz3CqbwwvY.6BNLixMym6UnLPYhwlSkqOF7fhXDf1AKLW_mmcGaeSM&qid=1781522906&sr=8-1

Audiobook (read by Emma Thompson):

https://open.spotify.com/show/1Gy9pylmMgYWm6zOvcvv6Y?si=d3f1f19009134671

✨ Exclusive discount code for Gisèle’s audiobook can be found here for A HYMN TO LIFE by Gisele Pelicot exclusively for Begin Again
(this offer is valid until 1st July 2026)
To claim your exclusive £9.99 audiobook of for A Hymn To Life, enter Y9DMKZKJ572HM at checkout on Google Play by 1st July. UK and Ireland only.  Redemption link: https://play.google.com/redeem?code=Y9DMKZKJ572HM

✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for all your behind the scenes access, recommendations and much much more at: https://linkly.link/2g2xm

(00:00) Intro(00:01) Do Health Ad(01:11) Why Gisèle Pelicot’s Story Matters(01:55) What Beginning Again Means To Gisèle(03:02) Meeting Dominique Pelicot At 19(04:30) Gisèle’s Life Before The World Knew Her Name(05:33) When The Abuse Began(06:29) The First Time Gisèle Questioned Him(08:26) How Gisèle Discovered The Truth(10:33) Seeing The Photos For The First Time(12:46) How The Drugging Was Uncovered(13:51) Chemical Submission, Shame & Speaking Out

Sponsored by:

Do Health - The waitlist is open. Begin Again listeners get fixed early access pricing when they sign up today at dohealth.co/beginagain use code BEGINAGAIN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's Begin Again Moments, we're celebrating the fathers and the impact they've had on their kids.

For the full episodes search wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices