Intelligence Squared Lyse Doucet on Reporting from the Frontlines (Part Two)
Oct 23, 2025
Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent with 40 years of frontline experience, reflects on her career in this insightful discussion. She shares poignant stories from her time in Afghanistan, including the symbolism of a wedding dress left unworn amidst turmoil. Doucet emphasizes the role of food in culture, spotlighting Abeda, the first female chef at the Inter-Continental Hotel, whose resilience is inspiring. The conversation also touches on her recent coverage from Gaza and the stark contrasts in Afghan women's rights under different regimes.
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Wedding Dress Left Hanging
- A bride at the Inter-Continental Kabul never wore her white wedding dress when the Taliban arrived and the celebration collapsed.
- Hotel staff told Lyse Doucet this first, showing their world revolved around weddings and normal life shattered by history.
Food As A Path To Memory
- Lyse Doucet argues food is a direct path to memory and cultural history, often evoking deep personal recollections.
- She uses cuisine to trace Afghanistan's layered past and to humanise the hotel's story.
Abeda: The Chef Who Reclaimed Dignity
- Lyse Doucet recounts finding Abeda, a widowed, illiterate cook who became the hotel's first female chef after 2001.
- Abeda taught managers Afghan dishes, changed the menu, and reclaimed dignity through work.
