This week we're returning to one of the most contentious subjects in Parkinson's world: what causes the condition? Research has increasingly focused on the role of pesticides – particularly one called Paraquat – which are routinely used in agriculture yet are severely toxic to humans. Could investigations into the role of Paraquat prove a connection to PD? And, if so, does that mean that we could, eventually, arrest the spread of the illness? To discuss this subject, the Movers and Shakers are joined in the pub by a filmmaker, Sarah Teale, who has been working with international experts on a new film that tries to unravel this link.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year was a landmark year for the Movers & Shakers team, as our Parky Charter project reached 100,000 petition signatories and generated a parliamentary debate. So how will we be following it up in 2026? To debate the possible campaigns we could embark on this year, the gang are joined by Mark 'Crippo' Cripps, our marketing guru, to try and come up with an impactful, yet achievable, proposition. As ever, you can send your thoughts and suggestions to us on social media or via email here.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If certain windsurfing former Judges are to be believed, there's nothing quite like a bout of vigorous exercise for easing the symptoms of Parkinson's. But does the medical evidence support this? Cramped into their booth in the Notting Hill pub, the Movers & Shakers pick over the verifiable scientific facts behind the assumption that exercise can alleviate PD symptoms. Is it possible to fairly analyse the impact of exercise? Could the effect be more psychological than physical? And might exercise, one day, be prescribed by your neurologist? We're discussing all this (and more) with top experts and the gang.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freezing is one of PD's most unusual symptoms. Whether it's a threshold, a zebra crossing or just getting out of bed, the sudden inability to move can strike at any moment. Why does it happen? And is there anything that can be done to combat this mysterious immobilisation? The Movers and Shakers – who have experienced very different types of freezing – squeeze into the Notting Hill pub (and hopefully don't freeze in place) with top experts on what's known as Freezing of Gait (FOG) or, here at M&S Towers, Freezing of Everything (FOE).

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After our festive break, the Movers & Shakers are back in the Notting Hill pub with glad tidings for the new year. Gillian and the Judge have been sunning themselves (in Antigua and Australia, respectively), Rory has been hitting the Vegas strip, Mark has been battling with Turkish Airlines, and Paul has finally completed shooting of his new film. But Paul isn't the only Mayhew-Archer bringing life with Parkinson's to the screen. His son, Simon Mayhew-Archer, is the creator of Can You Keep a Secret? a new sitcom (loosely) based on his old man. Simon joins the gang, along with actor Mark Heap, who plays almost-Paul on the small screen, to discuss the family dynamics behind one of the BBC's best new comedies.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the end of another year – and what a year it's been! From the Big Sing on World Parkinson's Day through the Parky Petition campaign and getting our debate in Parliament, 2025 has been a stellar year for the Movers and Shakers and our community. For this final episode before we tootle off for Christmas, we've gathered at Chez Lacey-Solymar (minus Gillian herself, who was struck down by flu) to recap our year. What were the best moments of the year that's been? And which episodes of the podcast affected us most?

Sponsored by Albion Chambers.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From our little corner of the Notting Hill pub, it can be hard to see what life is like for people with Parkinson's across the rest of the UK – let alone around the world! Today, however, we're talking about Parkinson's care in Africa, a continent where levodopa access is limited and where stigmas around the condition still impact countless lives. We're joined by experts – both in the pub and down-the-line from the frontline of treatment – to try and understand the situation and how the global community might collaborate to alleviate some of the suffering of African Parkies.

Sponsored by Albion Chambers.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you run clinical trials that maximise the efficiency for patients, clinicians and drugs developers? That's the challenge being addressed by world's largest ever clinical trial of Parkinson's medications. To discuss this new, and potentially extremely effective, way of runnings multiple trials simultaneously, the Movers & Shakers are joined at the pub by some of the core team from the project, who answer their questions and consider whether this represents the future of clinical trials.

This special episode is sponsored by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, after two long years of campaigning, this week the Parky Charter – our set of demands for the government – had its moment in Parliament. With the Movers & Shakers and other supporters in attendance, MPs debated the need for improved care for people with Parkinson's across the UK. But what were the important moments from the debate? What wasn't mentioned? And where do we go from here? To celebrate how far we've come and mull over our next steps, the gang gathered back at Gillian HQ (though she was regrettably laid up with a fever) where the Parky Charter was first conceived, back in the winter of 2023.

Sponsored by Albion Chambers.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Movers & Shakers are joined in the pub by our friends from Cure Parkinson's and Parkinson's UK. They are two of the charities working so hard to find ways of dealing with Parkinson's and improving the lives of those with the condition. But they also face huge challenges. Is enough being invested in research? Are the charities forced to compete with one another for limited resources? And what is the rule of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the huge American body that operates at a much larger scale than its UK counterparts? We're talking about all this – and more! – on today's episode.

It's not too late to write to your MP ahead of next Monday's debate – you can do so here.

Sponsored by Albion Chambers.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We try not to shy away from the less cheerful topics here on Movers & Shakers, and this week we're once again looking at depression. We're joined in the pub by a top expert – Professor Dag Aarsland – to look at how depression affects Parkies, whether there's something specific about the condition that causes it, and what responses are available. As ever, this is a candid chat that gets to the heart of a matter which is too often left silent.

If you'd like to download a template for writing to your MP, you can find one here.

Sponsored by Albion Chambers.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.

Music by Alex Stobbs.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.