Ashgate Hospice’s podcast that explores frank and honest conversations about life, death and grief is set to return for a sixth series. 

The North Derbyshire hospice’s The Life and Death Podcast has already welcomed a wide range of guests – from writers and comedians to healthcare professionals – all sharing their personal experiences of death, dying and bereavement. 

Launching on Monday 5 May to mark the start of Dying Matters Awareness Week, the new series begins with journalist and author Erica Buist. Erica’s book, This Party’s Dead, explores grief and global mourning rituals – inspired by the sudden death of her father-in-law, which forced her to confront her own fears about mortality. 

Other guests include Gary Andrews, an illustrator, animator, and author from Surrey, whose work explores grief, love, and the healing power of creativity. 

His life was forever changed when his wife, Joy, died suddenly from sepsis in 2021 after 19 years together.  

Left to navigate profound loss while becoming a single parent, Gary found an unexpected lifeline in doodling and started sharing his doodles to thousands of followers on social media.

Speaking with podcast host, Stephen Rumford, Gary said: “When people ask what it was like, surreal is the word that springs to mind. Suddenly your life is being turned upside down in a moment. 

“We had 19 years together, which is more than a lot of people get, so I always consider myself really lucky. 

“One of the things that I kept going back to after she died was instead of ‘poor me, poor me, what have I lost’ was ‘lucky me, lucky me, what did I have’.”  

“I think that attitude is important to remember. You may have lost someone, but if you loved someone that much, how lucky are you? 

“Doodling was like self-counselling. If there was something worrying me, I would put it down on paper and it would exorcise that demon.  

“Realising it was helping people made Joy’s death less pointless. How could someone like Joy be taken away? But suddenly – from beyond the grave – the fact of her death was helping people.” 

The fortnightly episodes will also feature a wide range of voices, including: 

• Dr Emma Clare, chartered psychologist and director of End of Life Doula UK 

• Joanna Ebenstein, Mexico-based author and founder of Morbid Anatomy, which explores the intersections of art, death, and culture 

• Erica Buist, journalist and author of This Party’s Dead, exploring grief and global mourning rituals 

• Gary Andrews, illustrator, animator, and author whose creative response to grief gained widespread attention following the sudden death of his wife 

• Professor Allan Kellehear, sociologist and internationally recognised expert on end of life care and compassionate communities 

The series follows a successful fifth season, which included an appearance from comedian and TV personality Ed Byrne. 

New episodes will be released every other Monday from 5 May! You can listen to episodes from all six series of The Life and Death Podcast online or by searching for ‘Ashgate Hospice’ on all streaming platforms.