Starcast Join the waitlist
Begin Again with Davina McCall

Begin Again with Davina McCall

Dame Meera Syal: 12 Years Caring For My Parents & Surviving Divorce

Oct 1, 2026 · 1h 16m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

What happens when both of your parents receive life-changing diagnoses within weeks of each other? In this episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall sits down with Dame Meera Syal. Meera shares the gruelling reality of caring for her mother after her cancer diagnosis while her father was living with Alzheimer’s, describing dementia as a “slow, long goodbye” and reflecting on how her family found strength, support and moments of connection through an incredibly difficult 12 years. She also opens up about growing up British Asian, feeling like a misfit, and nearly giving up on acting when she couldn’t see anyone like herself on screen. From ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ to…