Pick of the day

WEDDING BELLS Leyla & Pete EMMERDALE

STV, 7pm IT’S the day before Pete and Leyla’s wedding, and there’s much talk of hen and stag dos (does anyone really have their hen or stag the night before their wedding?). But in a rare moment of male emotion, Pete confides in Adam that he’s having second thoughts.

Elsewhere, there’s comedy as Kerry tries to get Dan exercising with her. But she catches him eating a block of cheese. STUDY Dr Javid Abdelmoneim NO MORE BOYS & GIRLS: CAN OUR KIDS GO GENDER FREE?

BBC2, 9pm PRINCESS and superhero story books were banned, the separate sex coat cupboards were repainted and, much to the pupils’ horror, unisex toilets were introduced. This is what happened to a class of seven-year-olds at Lanesend Primary School on the Isle of Wight, after a bold social experiment turned them gender neutral for six weeks.

And you can see exactly what happened in this fascinating and challenging two-part documentary, that will certainly start a debate.

It’s presented by Doctor Javid Abdelmoneim who wants to find out whether stripping away the pink and blue will change the way these youngsters think and achieve.

And there’s a shock right from the off, as neuroscientist Professor Gina Rippon reveals there is no such thing as a male or female brain – we are all shaped and moulded by society, our upbringing and experiences.

She says: “This hungry brain arrives, and the world is instantly plunging it into a tsunami of pink and blue.”

Javid demonstrates this perfectly as he tasks a group of adults to play with babies who have secretly had their clothes swapped with the opposite gender. They shove trains and cars in front of the “boys” and dolls in front of “girls”.

Back in the classroom, the endearing teacher Graham Andre has his knuckles rapped for calling the girls “love” or “sweetpea” and the boys “mate” or “pal”.

But there’s a worrying trend that is soon uncovered that suggests society’s gender stereotypes have deep and lasting consequences.

Interviews with the kids reveal they all believe boys are stronger, cleverer and more successful than girls, while the girls only describe themselves with words like “pretty” or “ugly”.

In the light of recent debates on gender pay gaps and inequality, this is a highly topical and thought-provoking series.