This episode was modified to correct an inaccuracy in the intro. We said Britain has appointed one of the women interviewed for this story to director of GCHQ. Britain did recently appoint the first woman director of GCHQ, but it wasn’t one of the women interviewed for the story.

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes, to hear about the secret lives of women spies. Our colleague Helen Warrell got exclusive access to the women at the top ranks of Britain’s MI6 agency. For the first time, they reveal what it’s like to be a woman in espionage, and how pop culture – from James Bond to John le Carré novels – has made it harder for MI6 to recruit a diverse team of spies. Then, we’re joined by behavioural economist and friend of the podcast Tim Harford, who makes a compelling case for learning when it’s time to quit.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Our coverage of Anne Keast-Butler’s appointment as head of GCHQ: https://on.ft.com/3JJiMIG

– Helen’s exclusive story trailing the women at the top of MI6: https://on.ft.com/3Im2962

– Helen is on Twitter @HelenWarrell

– Tim’s column on why quitting is underrated: https://on.ft.com/3vEBVnx

– Tim’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales and he’s on Twitter @TimHarford

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Best Of: The secret lives of MI6’s women spies