Episode
ESTHER GHEY: The fight to free children from their phones
- Published
- May 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3372
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com
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Summary
In February 2023, Esther Ghey's 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in a park near their home in Warrington, in a premeditated attack by two 15-year-olds. Today, Esther is a bereaved mother, but she is also one of the most significant voices for social reform in contemporary British life. She founded the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, co-launched the Phone-Free Education campaign with Kate Winslet, and has helped force a national reckoning on children, smartphones and social media. She was named the Independent's Most Influential Woman of 2024 and a GQ Hero. Her bestselling memoir Under a Pink Sky - now available in paperback - is a searing and hopeful account of love, loss and rebuilding. It is one of the most breathtaking tales of resilience I have ever read. POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY: I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details. FIVE LESSONS FROM ESTHER: Grief doesn't get easier – you learn to build your life around the hole the person left. Don't blame other people for your own decisions. Perception is everything: You can walk the same street looking down at the dog mess or up at the blossom – the choice is yours. Mindfulness isn't a wellness trend. It's a tool that rewires how you respond to stress. Compassion costs nothing. CHAPTERS: 03:56 – The cherry blossom and the sign 05:20 – Growing up with mum 07:55 – Leaving school with no GCSEs, becoming a mum at 18 09:13 – The sludge-green walls and the addiction 12:17 – Why she refuses to blame anyone b…