Life

Radio review: Undressing taboos about nudity

Nuala McCann

Nuala McCann

Nuala McCann is an Irish News columnist and writes a weekly radio review.

Nuala McCann
Nuala McCann Nuala McCann

The Naked Podcast BBC Radio Sheffield

They call themselves “two besties in the buff” and, honestly, it seems such a gimmick for two radio presenters – Jenny Eells and Kat Harbourne – to take off their clothes and interview a guest who also gets her kit off for the occasion.

They’re on air to “ponder pubes, boobs and prudes”. They call it celebrating and undressing the taboos about nudity.

But when everyone gets naked, then the truth will out. It is cheery and full of alliteration. It is, after all “nude news”.

“Ready to get naked?” woo hoo.

But give it a chance. In Chesterfield, they interview Becky Measures who is also a work colleague and radio presenter. She’s also a campaigner for the hereditary breast cancer helpline because of her family history.

Becky had a very public preventative double mastectomy at just 24 years old and instant reconstruction.

She had a “goodbye boobs” party for her old set and then got on with the op.

“I got an amazing pair of breasts at the same time... I’m over the moon,” she said.

Now she’s a role model for others. She says she gets her breasts out at the back of buses and behind trucks so that other women can look and see that it’s okay... have the op and get on with life.

“I needed people to see these breasts to understand it’s not the end of the world,” she said.

Now people around her who are her age are dying – she said she lost a lady last year who was called Louise, aged 36 with a daughter who was six.

“If she had known like I’d known, she could have done something about it, but she didn’t.”

There are those who simply don’t understand.

One person told her: “You’ve just done it for a free boob job.”

“I’ve done it to save my life,” she said.

But there was a woman from Cornwall who came to see her, who had the surgery and now has a little girl; she credits Becky with saving her life.

It was inspirational, it was up close and personal and warm as a hug. Maybe getting naked on air is the future.