Dead Honest (Georgie Vestey)

Cheryl Johnson has a heartbreaking day job. She photographs babies whose lives are cut short. For the parents she helps, her photographs are more than precious. They are often the only memory they will have of a much-loved child. 

You can find out more about Cheryl Johnson and Remember My Baby.

Listener discretion is advised especially if you have been affected by the loss of a baby. 

Join Georgie Vestey for Season 1 of Dead Honest as she talks to the people who helps us as we die and when we're dead.  Meet Cheryl a photographer who takes photos of babies whose lives are cut short, Andy a funeral director who cares as much about the living as the dead, Bob and Karen, Coroner's officers who investigate sudden deaths, Lizzie a death doula who brings comfort as we die, Mo a DVI expert who spends his time identifying our dead and Lou, a family liaison officer who supports families after traumatic death. 

We need to talk about death. Whilst the vast majority of us are not going to die of the coronavirus, some of us will. How do we talk about our last wishes with those we love? And what are our options? A very practical guide to having 'the conversation' with leading UK Death Doula, Hermione Elliott from Living Well, Dying Well.

For further details about making a Living Will or Advance Decision visit Compassion in Dying.

For advice on how to complete a Living will or Advance Decision contact End of Life Doula UK.

Original music composed by the very talented John Biddle.

Sgt Suzanne Crossley supervises a team of police divers who recover dead bodies. She  reveals why this is the best job she’s ever had. 

Based in  the north of England, her team is regularly deployed to find missing people and gather forensic evidence. 

Warning: This episode contains references to suicide. For information on organisations offering mental health support, please contact:

The Samaritans 24/7 crisis helpline: 116 123

Papyrus Helpline for under 35’s: 0800 068 4141

Calm: Campaign Against Living Miserably Helpline: 0800 58 58 58

SOBS: Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Helpline: 0300 111 5065 

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle.

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show, I’d love you to share it using the icons below. You will help raise the profile of these extraordinary people who are way too modest to promote themselves.

Every 30 hours someone dies on Britain’s railways. Liam Johnston is a Railway Chaplain supporting the drivers and devastated families left behind. 

For more information about Liam’s chaplaincy work visit  Railway Mission.

Warning: This episode contains references to suicide. For information on organisations offering mental health support please contact:

Samaritans 24/7 crisis helpline: 116 123

Papyrus Helpline for under 35’s: 0800 068 4141

Calm: Campaign Against Living Miserably Helpline: 0800 58 58 58

SOBS: Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Helpline: 0300 111 5065 

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show, I’d love you to share it using the icons below. You will help raise the profile of these extraordinary people who are way too modest to promote themselves.

Mac Hobbs is a tow truck driver. He recovers vehicles after fatal crashes and from remote locations where people have taken their lives. The hardest part of his job? Reuniting the cars with the families left behind. 

Warning: This episode contains references to suicide. For information on organisations offering mental health support please contact:

Samaritans 24/7 crisis helpline: 116 123

Papyrus Helpline for under 35’s: 0800 068 4141

Calm: Campaign Against Living Miserably Helpline: 0800 58 58 58

SOBS: Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Helpline: 0300 111 5065 

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show, I’d love you to share it using the icons below. You will help raise the profile of these extraordinary people who are way too modest to promote themselves.

Anita Hardy is an Anatomical Pathology Technologist. She takes great pride in caring for her ‘patients’ in the morgue. 

For more information about Anita’s work, contact her association: 

Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology 

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show, I’d love you to share it using the icons below. You will help raise the profile of these extraordinary people who are way too modest to promote themselves.

Cathy MacDonald’s is a former police Crisis Negotiator. Her calm voice and capacity to listen have saved lives. She’s sat on the edge of many high places persuading the troubled to chose life over death.  

Since leaving the Scottish Police, Cathy has built a successful communications business, Art of Communication.

Warning: This episode contains references to suicide. For information on organisations offering mental health support, please contact:

The Samaritans 24/7 crisis helpline: 116 123

Papyrus Helpline for under 35’s: 0800 068 4141

Calm: Campaign Against Living Miserably Helpline: 0800 58 58 58

SOBS: Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Helpline: 0300 111 5065 

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show, I’d love you to share it using the icons below. You will help raise the profile of these extraordinary people who are way too modest to promote themselves.

Stumbling across a dead body is the stuff of nightmares. For Mo Oliver, it’s all in a day's work.

That’s because Mo Oliver identifies human remains for a living. It’s a job that’s taken him to some very dark places; from mass graves in Bosnia to Sri Lankan beaches clogged with the bodies of the Boxing Day Tsunami. We talk about the challenges of his work and how it feels to reunite the lost with the living.

For more information about Mo Oliver's work, visit  Kenyon International

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you have enjoyed this episode, I'd love you to share it either with colleagues or rate it on your favorite podcast app. It really helps us to find new listeners.   

“Specialist officers are supporting the family at this time” is a chilling phrase. Lou Pye explains why.

As a former Police Family Liaison Officer, Lou talks about her role in supporting families after a traumatic death, the surprising reactions she’s witnessed, and why her “parking face” is never far away.

Produced by Georgie Vestey with original music by John Biddle. 

And finally … if you have enjoyed this episode, I'd love you to share it either with colleagues or rate it on your favorite podcast app. It really helps us to find new listeners.   

Bob and Karen are Coroners Officers who investigate sudden deaths, from fatal car accidents to deadly cliff falls. We discuss how you prepare families for viewings, the challenge of dealing with suicides, and the cases they will never forget.

This episode includes references to suicide so listener discretion is advised.

Cheryl Johnson has a heartbreaking day job. She photographs babies whose lives are cut short. For the parents she helps, her photographs are more than precious. They are often the only memory they will have of a much-loved child.

You can find out more about Cheryl Johnson and Remember My Baby.

Listener discretion is advised especially if you have been affected by the loss of a baby. 

When Andy Holter sees his first dead body he is riveted. He also knows he’s found his vocation. 

He leaves the police and decides to become a funeral director. We discuss working with death, the mourners that get forgotten and why some people are actually quite pleased to see the back of us. 

This episode includes references to suicide so listener discretion is advised.

Click here to find out more about Andy and the work of his firm CPJ Field.

For information and advice about natural burial options visit Natural Death Centre.

Some midwives guide us into the world. Lizzie Neville guides us out. She’s part of a growing band of Death Doulas supporting us as we die. Lizzie Neville shares her upbeat observations of the many deaths she has attended revealing common regrets and offering sage advice on how to die well.

For more information about Lizzie Neville visit End of Life Doula UK

For support, information, and end of life doula training in the UK visit Living Well Dying Well 

Robert Jensen is the man you want in the room on the worst day of your life. He runs the world's largest disaster recovery business, Kenyon International,  and is an expert in  recovering the dead and reuniting them with  the families they leave behind.

We discuss the challenges of collecting fragmented remains, the importance of managing family expectations and why returning personal effects is so critical to the grieving process.

To read more about Robert’s work, his memoir “Personal Effects” is now available.

Produced by Georgie Vestey and Kate McAll, with original music by John Biddle.

And finally … if you’ve found this episode interesting and want to support the show,  please rate it on your favourite podcast app.  It really makes a difference.