This week, we learn 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 – just in time for your New Year's resolutions – 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:

– 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 FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found 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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