Ghostwriting: How to tell someone else's story

18/11/2025 22 min

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Episode Synopsis

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has stirred up plenty of controversy with her new autobiography, in particular with an extract, published in a national newspaper, in which she discusses her international retirement - seemingly criticising both Hannah Hampton, who succeeded her as England's first-choice goalkeeper, and England manager Sarina Wiegman.Earps says she feels the reaction to the extract distorted her words, and insists she doesn't want to "tear anyone down" with her book, which was written with the help of a ghostwriter.Lee James and John Bennett are joined by Jonathan Northcroft, football correspondent for UK newspaper the Sunday Times, who's ghostwritten autobiographies for a host of sports stars. How do writers help sportspeople turn their anecdotes, memories and personal stories into books, and how do they make sure their words do justice to their subject's story?More than the Score is the BBC World Service's daily podcast exploring stories from all over the world of sport. Every Monday to Friday, we're telling stories beyond the scoreline, from tennis to football, boxing to bobsleigh, and rugby league to the NFL. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like pole vault titan Mondo Duplantis, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and tennis legend Boris Becker, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from top football scouts to physios who keep NBA stars in peak condition. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

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