Published: 08:00 am, 11 May 2026
Updated: 11:57 am, 11 May 2026
BBC Specialist Factual have announced three brand new films for BBC Two and iPlayer which look at some of the most urgent health issues affecting the UK today: Emma Barnett: Endometriosis (w/t); A Bitter Pill: The Sodium Valproate Scandal (w/t); and Plastic in Our Bodies (w/t).
Tom Coveney, Head of Science Commissioning, says: “Our social feeds are full of health advice and clickbait headlines, but they rarely give us the full picture of what’s going on in people’s lives across the UK. These powerful documentaries will get under the skin of shocking stories that are often life-changing but woefully under-reported and little understood. They’ll also highlight the work of brilliant British scientists doing ground-breaking work to help us all live happier, healthier lives.”
Emma Barnett: Endometriosis (w/t)
Endometriosis is a life-long disease affecting one in ten women of reproductive age in the UK, which causes excruciating, often debilitating, pain. It is as common as diabetes but receives a fraction of the research funding. In this groundbreaking film for BBC Two and iPlayer, broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett shares her personal struggle with the condition.
Behind the scenes Emma is struggling. Inside her body rogue cells like the lining of the womb mysteriously appear on her other organs, creating lesions, which bleed, scar and cause inflammation. There is no cure.
With access to specialist treatment centres across the UK, we see women go through surgery and fertility treatment and making life-changing decisions about their health. Emma presses doctors and scientists on why we know so little about the condition, asking what hope there is for the future.
Emma Barnett says: “Making this film has been one of the most important personal and professional projects of my life – the BBC’s first feature-length film on endometriosis.
“It’s staggering to me that more than 1.5 million women in Britain are trying to live their lives as best as they can while endometriosis, a condition that has flummoxed doctors and researchers the world over, wreaks total havoc. It took me 20 years to be diagnosed with it aged 31 – the average diagnosis time is now 9 years and going up.
“There is no cure for endometriosis, no specific treatment pathway and doctors still don’t know what causes it.
“I hope this film inspires a generation of researchers to finally unlock the mystery that is endometriosis and helps women and their families proudly see themselves and all they achieve despite this cruel disease. Simply living with it is unbelievably difficult.”
Emma Barnett: Endometriosis (w/t), a 1×60 for BBC Two and iPlayer is made by Raw. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer is Liesel Evans and Director is Rachel Lob-levyt. The Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney, BBC Head of Science.
IC
A Bitter Pill: The Sodium Valproate Scandal (w/t)
From the co-producers of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Little Gem, comes A Bitter Pill: The Sodium Valproate Scandal (w/t), which reveals the largely untold story of the most widespread medical scandal pregnant women in Britain have ever faced.
Sodium valproate is a very effective drug for treating epilepsy but if taken during pregnancy, it can have devastating consequences – around one in nine babies will have a physical birth defect, and around three or four may have developmental problems. The scale is truly shocking as approximately 20,000 children in the UK have been affected – a greater number than thalidomide.*
This film reveals the ‘David vs Goliath’ battle of two working-class mums, Janet Williams and Emma Murphy, who were ignored and dismissed by doctors and the drug company. Born years apart but drawn together by their ordeal of trying to find answers to why their children had developmental abnormalities, finally discovering each other by coincidence, they take us on an extraordinary unfolding story that spans three decades.
It is a story that shows Janet and Emma search for answers from the medical establishment and fight for justice for their children.
Executive Producer Ben Gale said: “When I met Janet and Emma the first time I was struck by their passion and commitment, and their determination to do the right thing by their children and the many other families who’ve been affected by this scandal. It has been a privilege to work with them to try and get the story to the widest possible audience. When I tell people what we’re working on, they’re amazed they haven’t heard more about it.”
Tom Coveney, Head of Science Commissioning, said: “It’s shocking that in 2026 we don’t know more about this birth defect scandal that’s bigger than thalidomide and that’s been going on for decades. Janet and Emma are clever, funny and extraordinarily determined: the work that they’re doing, along with other mums like them, is truly inspiring.”
A Bitter Pill: The Sodium Valproate Scandal (w/t), a 1×60’ for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Little Gem and was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer is Ben Gale, the Producer is Tammy Hale and the Director is Lottie Gammon. The Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney, BBC Head of Science.
*Sources:
TD
Plastic in Our Bodies (w/t)
Recent studies show Brits are increasingly worried about the potential health impacts of microplastics, with new scientific results regularly bringing new tabloid headlines, but how worried should we be? And what does the latest science really tell us?
Plastic in Our Bodies (w/t), presented by biologist Liz Bonnin, follows a world first experiment at the University of Lincoln, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School, where scientists are dissecting a human body to better understand how much microplastic is in it, and where it is. In 2018, Liz’s award-winning film Drowning in Plastic shone a light on the devastating impact of plastic in the flora and fauna of the natural world, now Liz asks what is it doing inside us?
As well as guiding us through the science of the human dissection, Liz will meet scientists leading research across the UK and beyond to ask not just where plastic is in our bodies but whether it is having an impact. Liz will discover where most microplastics in our daily lives are coming from – whether it is from food, clothes, household items or the air we breathe – giving viewers clear, useful tips on what they can realistically do to reduce microplastics in their lives.
Liz Bonnin said: “Ever since we discovered the impact of plastics on our ocean and wildlife, the big question has been what it might be doing to us too. The research is still in its early stages, but it’s gathering pace – the scientific race is now on to answer some crucial questions about plastics in our bodies. So, it’s the perfect time to delve into the subject, and this groundbreaking dissection, the first of its kind, is set to reveal important new insights into research methods and results.
“Our goal is to sort the facts from the headlines, help viewers reduce their exposure, and if this is indeed a serious human health issue, as some scientists say, the emerging data could also help to inform the legislative changes needed to deal with the root cause of this problem: the ever-increasing production of plastics, that are so pervasive in our world today.”
Plastic in Our Bodies (w/t), a 1×60’ is made by Lion Television Scotland, for BBC Two and iPlayer in partnership with The Open University. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producers are Lizzie Bolton, Lisa Hazlehurst and Dominique Walker, the Producer is Matias Gaggiotti and the Producer/Director is Tim Dowse. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney, BBC Head of Science. All3Media International will handle international distribution.
FS
