After losing the sight in her right eye at age 11 and losing her eyesight entirely at age 17, Lucy Edwards lives in a world not constructed for her. Lucy has the very rare genetic condition incontinentia pigmenti, one that only about 1,200 people have in the world, and 97% of those people, are women. At the time, and as a teenager, whilst having the utmost support from her nearest and dearest, Lucy struggled, and her mental health took a hit. Now, at 26 years old, and as a presenter, producer an...
Apr 08, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Grace Victory is a fighter. After starting her YouTube channel at 21 years old, writing a book, being a body positive activist, a digital creator, a TedX speaker and falling pregnant with her first child, Grace had already fought for who she wanted to be, and life was going in the right direction. But in December 2020, Grace was struck down by a severe case of Covid-19, forcing her to give birth to her baby boy 2 months early, and being put into a coma 2 days later. A year on from “waking up”, a...
Mar 25, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Holly Ramsay is making waves in the podcast and social media world, speaking out about her own struggles with mental health, which in turn is helping others not to feel so alone. After the courageous decision to open up about her sexual assault at university, on Instagram, Holly decided she would tell her story exactly the way she wanted. So last year she started her very own podcast 21 & Over, describing her journey, and chatting to her guests about the struggles they’d overcome too. Today,...
Mar 11, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Tilly Lockey is a 16 year old with a superhero style difference. As a model, presenter and ambassador for Open Bionics, a company which develops medical devices that enhance the human body, Tilly is on a journey to help give as many other children like her, a chance at having hands again too. Tilly lost both of her hands when she was just 15 months old, after battling a devastating strain of meningitis. The support from her family and her incredible inner strength has got her where she is today,...
Feb 11, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 2
In 2019 Dr Julie Smith decided to start making videos to post on social media about how to help keep our minds healthy. Little did she know, a pandemic was just beginning and her knowledge and expertise was about to help millions of people on the world wide web. Dr Julie is a Clinical Psychologist, blogger, online educator, Tik Tok genius, and as of 6th January, an accomplished author too! Inspired by her own quick and easy watching videos, Dr Julie has written ‘Why Did Nobody Tell Me This Befor...
Jan 28, 2022•40 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Fatima Timbo is a comedian, model and content creator, making waves in the industry about the treatment of people with disabilities. Fatima has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism that has restricted her growth, and she has had her fair share of negativity from others over her 24 years and which she still gets today. In Fatima’s words, she now has an “invisible shield” and has found comedy and modelling to be some of her favourite things to do. She has been part of BBC Three’s “Laugh Lessons”, wh...
Dec 31, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Lucy Dawson is the epitome of the word extraordinary, and what this podcast is all about! At 20 years old, whilst in her final year of university, Lucy experienced head pain which quickly evolved into manic episodes, leading to her being sectioned by medical professionals for 3 months. This however was the opposite of the treatment Lucy really needed. As we now know, she had encephalitis, a deadly and acute inflammation of the brain and due to the malpractice at the hospital, she is also now par...
Dec 17, 2021•45 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Candice Brathwaite started blogging about being a black British mother in 2016. An online space that was Candice’s for the taking, and boy did she claim it! After sharing her story and helping other mothers whilst she was at it, Candice grew a dramatic online following, and in May 2020 released her first book ‘I Am Not Your Baby Mother’, to critical acclaim! Now a presenter, author and campaigner for making motherhood inclusive for all, Candice released her second book ‘Sista Sister’ in the summ...
Dec 03, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Anton Ferdinand is a former professional football player, husband and father and is now using his own experiences to mentor the next generation of young players. Anton was involved in probably the biggest racism case within English football in 2011 when John Terry was accused of using racist language towards him during a huge West London Derby. The repercussions of the incident had a huge impact on Anton’s mental health, which he talks about candidly in his BBC documentary “Anton Ferdinand: Foot...
Nov 12, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Jack Ivens-Gardiner is living his best life as a married, gay man with autism, but finding his place in the world hasn’t always been so easy. Katie met Jack at ITV studios many moons ago, doing his job in production on ITV daytime. Katie loved Jack’s vibrant clothes and kind nature, and the two found common ground more recently as they made their voices heard about their invisible disabilities in a new ITV campaign. Jack and his husband Wes have also recently adopted a little boy and made an inf...
Oct 15, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Lauren Mahon is a campaigner and podcast host who has gone, and continues to go, above and beyond to share the truth of what being diagnosed with breast cancer as a young woman really means. After receiving her own diagnosis in 2016, at just 31 years old, Lauren took her natural strength and gumption and started raising money for charity the very next day, all whilst spreading the word to women to check their breasts. Lauren went on to write about her experiences candidly on her “girl vs cancer”...
Oct 01, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Jamie Campbell joins Katie on the day “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”, the star-studded film, drops on Amazon Prime. This is a huge day for Jamie, who’s story of wanting to go to his small town high school prom in drag, started out on the small screen in the BBC Three documentary “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16” in 2011. This poignant time of Jamie’s life went on to be told on stage in the popular musical version in 2017 in Sheffield, moving quickly into London’s West End. Katie chats to Jamie about ...
Sep 17, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Ollie Locke and Gareth Locke became the Locke-Locke’s less than a year ago, as they got married with only 13 guests in attendance, 1 minute before another lockdown hit the UK. Not ones for going low-key though, cast members Ollie & Gareth filmed their wedding for the popular reality tv show Made In Chelsea, and it became the most watched wedding, worldwide, of 2020! A few months ago the happy couple started their surrogacy journey and are taking their huge following of fans with them through...
Sep 03, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Dawn O’Porter is an author and presenter, wife and mother, who thrives on been open and honest, especially with her dedicated Patreon fan base. Dawn is well- known for her critically acclaimed books and presenting deep-diving documentaries but, like the rest of us, the lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic hit hard. To add to the struggle of not being allowed to leave the house, Dawn experienced the tragic and sudden loss of her close friend Caroline Flack, and so, dealing with this grief an...
Aug 20, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Ed Jackson is a successful TV presenter, mountaineer, and as of yesterday, an author, however this hasn’t always been Ed’s way of life. A former professional rugby player, Ed was involved in a freak accident, diving head-first into the shallow end of a swimming pool back in 2017. Ed broke his neck and crushed his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed in a hospital bed, and was told he would never walk again. That, however, was not going to get in the way of Ed living his life to the fullest. In the...
Aug 06, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Seema Jaswal is a successful sports presenter who most recently landed her dream job as lead co-host of ITV’s coverage of Euro 2020. Having worked across sport for many years, including for Channel 4 and on the Premiere League’s worldwide coverage, Seema is an absolute pro, but her success has not been handed to her on a plate. After being hit by bacterial meningitis at just 16 years old, sport was an important part of Seema's recovery and accelerated her passion for life and her work! Seema's e...
Jul 23, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Gareth Thomas is a former Rugby Union captain, winning 100 caps for Wales, then moving to rugby league and leading his country to victory over France in the European cup. Going against the grain in the world of male dominated sports, Gareth came out publicly as gay in 2009 and more recently, 10 years on, revealed that he was HIV positive. Now leading a Tackle HIV campaign, Gareth uses his passion to end the stigma surrounding HIV to educate others. Gareth tells Katie a story about his experience...
Jul 09, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Gary served in the military and the British Transport Police. He was a frontline worker in the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings and is haunted by some of the tragic things he has seen as part of his job. As mentioned in the podcast, here is the link for the charity that Gary runs. https://www.ptsd999.org.uk/ Claudia Winkleman and Professor Tanya Byron identify struggles faced by real-life parents and family members by inviting them in and hearing their story, in a one-time unscripted session with a...
Jun 30, 2021•3 min
Emma Barnett is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, having worked for several newspapers and across the BBC for a number of years. In January this year, Emma stepped down from her show on BBC Radio 5 Live to begin her new role as lead presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. In 2019, after opening up about her struggles with endometriosis, Emma published her first book “It’s About Bloody Time. Period.”, extending the conversation about the secrecy and stigma attached to one of women’s m...
Jun 25, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Rose Ellen Dix and Rosie Spaughton are the most successful same-sex couple on YouTube in the UK, renowned for their very honest and open conversations about their relationship as a gay married couple, and at the same time tackling wider LGBTQ+ issues. After struggles with not knowing exactly how to go about having a baby, and Rose going through a miscarriage in lockdown, the pair are now pregnant, with Rosie giving birth in a matter of weeks! The couple discuss their difficult journey to pregnan...
Jun 11, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Nic Hamilton had a dream of becoming a racing car driver when he was just 4 years old. As a child however, he was told he’d always be reliant on a wheelchair and never have his independence because of his disability. Nic was born with Spastic Diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy which affects the use of both his legs. Not one to be told what to do, Nic was determined to prove everyone wrong. He became the British champion of an online driving game, developed the strength in his legs to drive a rac...
May 28, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Daniel Howell is a name that 17 million people will know from being avid followers of his YouTube channel for the past 10 years. In the beginning, these followers were built tall from Dan’s comedian prowess… and no-one questioned it. Several years into his success one person started to question where his humour came from and who he really was, and the person with those questions, was Dan. In the last few years Dan has bravely used his platform to air his struggles with his mental health and his ...
May 14, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Leomie Anderson is an International Model, Spokesperson and Entrepreneur and on her podcast, she asks major names the questions that others are afraid to ask. Unapologetically different, Leomie created her brand LAPP to amplify the voices of young women across the world. On Role Model, you will hear her real conversation with big stars that will inspire you to follow your dreams. Role Model is a Somethin' Else production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 10, 2021•7 min
Livi Deane was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at 12 years old. A rare cancer of the eye, it is usually diagnosed in children under the age of 4 and after Livi went through 16 rounds of chemotherapy, the decision was taken to remove Livi’s eye at 14 years old. At the time, Livi was only the second person in the UK to be diagnosed with this cancer over the age of five which means, at 23, the intricacies of her experience are even more memorable. Livi took to Instagram in 2019 to find her tribe and ...
Apr 30, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In 2006, Sue Hunter’s life changed forever when she was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 47. At the time, her daughter was only 8 years old as she was urged to get a test after being alerted by her ex-partner that she may now carry this virus. The man died two weeks later, and Sue was not only grieving someone close to her, but thought her life might end too in the very near future. After processing her diagnosis, Sue decided she wanted to make a change to dispel the stigma and false truths abou...
Apr 16, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Matt Haig released the Sunday Times bestseller Reasons To Stay Alive, back in 2015. Though Matt had written several successful novels prior to this release, 16 years after suffering a breakdown at the age of 24, Matt started writing about his own experiences with his mental health and how he has learned to enjoy life again since. It has sold over two million copies in the UK and been translated to over 40 languages, saving lives all over the world. Matt has continued to release best selling nove...
Mar 19, 2021•48 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Laura Whitmore sits down with Katie, the day after the release of her first book, ‘No One Can Change Your Life Except For You’. As one of the most loved faces on our screens, she’s become known for fronting shows like Love Island and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here NOW, as well as her appearances on Celebrity Juice, Strictly Come Dancing, and countless red carpets. On top of all that, she’s carved out successful careers in acting and radio broadcasting too. In her new book, she looks back on ...
Mar 05, 2021•49 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Carole Baskin was one of the biggest break-out stars of 2020. Having devoted her life to the Big Cat Rescue animal sanctuary, she suddenly found herself at the centre of the cultural phenomenon of the year, as one of the stars of Netflix series Tiger King. On its release, it soon became clear to Carole that the series was not the ‘Blackfish for big cats’ that she signed up for, but rather a deep-dive into co-star Joe Exotic’s vendetta against her, and about her husband Don Lewis’ disappearance, ...
Feb 19, 2021•55 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Katie sits down with singer, songwriter, DJ and all-round national treasure, Craig David MBE. Craig has had an incredible career. Soon after getting noticed by teaming up with Garage duo Artful Dodger, Craig became a huge hit in his own right. His debut single and album both went to number one when he was still just 19 years old, and the hit albums kept coming. After taking a break in the mid-noughties for a change of scenery, and a life of partying in Miami, Craig made his musical comeback in 2...
Feb 05, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Just a few years ago, Dr Alex George would not have been a face that you’d have recognised, unless he’d treated you on the A&E wards. That all changed when he won the hearts of millions of fans in the 2018 series of Love Island. He may not have found love in the villa, but he became a much loved face on our screens, going on to use his fame to help spread awareness about mental health. What makes Dr Alex particularly extraordinary is how he remained so positive during an extremely tough 2020...
Jan 22, 2021•43 min•Season 4Ep. 2
