If it ever gets revealed that I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview and be like, " Clara, you hypocrite and you idiot." Yeah, that was a really, yeah, really special gig. Yeah, memory unlocked with that one. I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay- Z, Ariana Grande, whoever, and just Strictly and all of a sudden my mom, " Oh wow."
Now you've made it there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is Show on the Road brought to you by Autotrader. We are driving famous faces on a personalized road trip, visiting the places that help shape them and hearing how the locations turn them into who they are today. We've matched each celebrity with a car chosen specifically for them. So, join me, Alex Legouix as we get this
show on the road. Today I'm in South London, not far from Brixton, meeting, BBC Radio DJ and TV presenter, Clara Amfo. We've matched her with a Ford Mustang Mach- E, which I'm hoping she will absolutely love, especially because it has an incredible Bang &; Olufsen sound system, which should be right up her street. Let's see what she thinks. Hello?
Hello. All right.
Welcome.
Fancy.
It is the latest Ford and it's a Mustang Mach- E.
It is very fab.
It is a cool car and it has a ridiculous sound system. So that's what we thought would be very Clara.
I'm all about great sound quality all day. I literally can't do anything in silence. I don't think I can, whether it's on the way to work, in the shower, wherever, I always need music on. So I'm glad that there is a great sound system.
That's good. And it's also like it's got this acoustic glass so it cuts all of the sound outside out. So if you do have your music on in here, it is proper sweet.
Fabulous.
Happy?
Yeah.
Good to go?
Yeah, let's do it.
Should we go and have a mooch around the world of Clara Amfo?
Let's roll.
We're going to start at Brixton Market.
Fab.
Let's get this show on the road.
Lovely.
This is not obviously the car that you started your youth in, but it is a Ford.
It is a Ford.
It was Ford-
Sierra.
... Sierra, right?
And I still remember the license plate to this day, which I probably won't repeat on here, but that red car, that was just such a staple in our childhood. I remember actually drawing a picture of it as a kid. Because again, you don't think of, "This is how I live, this is the car that my daddy drives, my mommy drives," whatever. But yeah, well no, we loved that car, but my dad pretty much had it till it was falling to
pieces. Because I've got a memory of it having brown tape on it, I think around the back... Yeah, the rear license plate.
I think that's just a thing that you have to have on those old school cars as well. You keep it until it's dying. Did it have the old school tape deck as well and stuff like that?
I think so. For me, because that car, it definitely had old school radio tuner thingy in it. Because I think, yeah, my dad got... Because my dad passed away in 2015, he was driving loads in the early 2010s, 2000s or whatever, and the new car he got obviously had digital radio and stuff like that. But the Ford that we drove around
in as kids, yeah, he'd tune it. He loved listening to classical music stations, but then local radio or whatever was on in the area that we'd be driving around in. But yeah, no, I flipping loved that car, man.
You have quite a few siblings, don't you?
Yeah, I've got four brothers and one sister.
And were you traveling quite a lot?
Yeah. Oh yeah, loads and loads becasue we were brought up in Kingston. But honestly, it's a really interesting one because I have this... Even though I was raised there, I sort of was and I wasn't in a weird sort of way because pretty much every weekend we would drive to Brixton,
Balham, Peckham to (inaudible) . All the south and all the south east, west London is essentially how I was sort of raised by proxy in this car, going to visit relatives because those are really heavily populated Ghanaian areas.
Yeah, okay.
And obviously, my mom loves cooking Ghanaian food and so those are the markets that we go to as kids. Like Brixton Market, I know like the back of my hand. Brixton and Tooting Market were the two main ones we'd go to as kids, so that we drive from Kingston every weekend to go there. So I would get bits and bobs for cooking family meals and we'd just go and see relatives who were in those areas as well. So that was a lot of my sort of formative journey time. I honestly
feel like I spent... We know how they say that you spend, what is it, 90% of your life in bed or wherever?
Yeah.
I think I spent 90% of my childhood life- ... in that Ford Sierra. Yeah.
In that car. That's brilliant.
My parents came here in 1970 and my dad came over here to study and mum came over here to work as well. And they kind of found where their people... Obviously they assimilated and mix and match and met loads of new people, but of course you want that home from home sort of thing. So going to those areas is really important
for us. And I think it was really fundamental, so we never forgot where our parents came from, where we came from. I always kind of dread to think how I would be if we didn't do those trips and those journeys.
Such formative years and formative times, isn't it? And I think there's something really bizarre about being in the car, sort of what we're doing now, but where people end up talking about completely different things, don't they? And I think that that's something. Car journeys bring out things in families
or in whoever's in the car. You end up doing some arguments, weird games, stuff that you don't really sit down and do in the lounge.
No, that's true. Yeah, I think for me it was always, I used to disassociate a lot as a kid really completely. And doing that thing of thinking you're in a music video, especially if the weather was rubbish, it was pouring down with rain and there was drizzle. I always follow a particular raindrop down the car window, just stare and sing songs or whatever and just just zone out. What sorts
Of music were you into at that sort of age? Gosh,
Everything really. Because the thing is when you're a kid, what your parents are going to listen to it almost like you're just sort of dictated to, its when you're in the car with your mum and dad, I think it was just always any sort of power ballad station, easy listening, that's what my
dad was into and a lot of that classical music. But then we are listening to a lot of high life, which Ghanaian pop music because also the further you'd go in to South London, you'd pick up local stations, like local pirate stations. I don't know, one second, it would be like UK garage and then it would be the local Ghanaian community station and then it'd be Classic FM and then Smooth FM or KISS or Radio 1, or like-
Such an eclectic-
... whatever. So I kind of absorbed it all to be honest. But I think most of those stations at that time, I'm seeing that all those sort of easy listening sections that my dad would love. I think it must've been some sort of Celine Dion moment.
I was literally about to say.
Or Whitney. It'd be like Celine, Whitney or Mariah. One of the Holy Trinity or those sort of-
Proper big characters.
Yeah. And it just... Or Tony Braxton, Unbreak My Heart.
She was a mega.
Yeah, any of those sorts of tunes, I would just be in my feelings not knowing any of those feelings but being like...
Yeah, it's doing something to me and I can't know what's happening.
Exactly.
When you said that you would think about being in your own pop video, would you be the starring role? Would you be the singer?
Yeah, I would be a hundred percent. Oh my gosh. But-
Can you sing?
Oh, no, no, no. I like to sing but I can't sing at all. Absolutely not. But I think we've all got main character syndrome. I think it's been made worse by social media.
So true.
We've all got main character syndrome, baby. You just got to lean in, accept it.
Yeah. And what was little Clara like? Were you mischievous? Were you ambitious? Were you...
I was a little bit mischievous. I think everyone thinks they're a weird kid because I think kids are weird. I think I liked that about being a kid. Well, looking back now, I think I liked that about myself. I was really chatty. But then I also, I quite liked my own company as well and I just... Yeah, I was a proper little... I was a little daydreamer and I was a chatter box.
Liking your own company is quite useful when you're a radio DJ, I would imagine.
It's quite a solitary job because I forget how many millions of people I'm speaking to because essentially it's just me in the studio. And yeah, I've got my production team but even that was challenged because even the pandemic. Just when we were in the proper thick of it, my job was really solitary because I can have my producers in my radio show in the room with me because usually there'd
be like... Could have anything up to six or seven people in the room. But then with social distancing and all of that, for the first, I think, year of the pandemic, couldn't have my producers in the room, we'd always hug and say hello, couldn't do none of that, couldn't have any guests in. Everything was done online and it was a
very weird experience. Because I'm so used to walking into a bustling office, everyone's there, walking into the studio and just high five people, like whatever. But that's why the listeners are so vital because at least you've someone to chat to.
That's so true.
You know?
We are close, aren't we now to-
Yeah, we're in Briton.
... Brixton and Brixton Market, right?
Because I'm seeing the Ritzy Cinema. And I was just here the other week with one of my dear friends, Kieran. We went to see that movie Rye Lane, set in Peckham, and actually they filmed a lot of it in Peckham and in Brixton, funnily enough. I love Brixton.
And so this has been a very big part of your life, hasn't it? Brixton, Brixton market?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Like you said earlier about your mom coming or you guys going to the market and getting your foods and stuff like that.
Yep. I love Brixton and I think it's just got a character to it. It is like every borough and every town has got such a distinctive personality. And I think there's nowhere else like Brixton in London.
No.
I think the beautiful thing about Brixton is it is the second- geners and the first-geners of the Windrush kids and people that make it what it is. It's that thriving Afro- Caribbean community that give it so much flavor and vibrancy. I think it's really important for Brixton to hold onto that
because as we know, gentrification is a wild beast. And of course you want areas, sites to develop and to be invested in, but you don't want it to be at the detriment of the people that built the community. Because that's the thing, anywhere up and down the UK, anywhere that's got any sort of, in my personal opinion, any coolness and just intrigue around it and... Even that, see look coming up, you see
the Ritzy Cinema, " Happy 20th birthday, street classes. Thank you Brixton for loving us." These are the people that make a community what it is and they need to be cherished and protected.
What would the market have been like?
The market? I've got always super, super busy. Because I think one thing about Brixton, Brixton market, for me that is a very sensory thing, is the smell of fresh meat. Yeah. That's where it always goes, straight to the butchers,
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
straight to the butchers around that Cold Harbor Lane, Electric Avenue, all this area because my mum would just go and get loads of lamb, chicken, goat to make traditional Ghanaian meals. That was our thing. But then there'd also be people with their sort of pop- ups selling already made meals. And I'm seeing that more actually because obviously, that sort of pop- up culture is definitely more prevalent now.
And now you are seeing people do like, " Oh, my mom taught me how to make this dish. I'm from this country." And now you can get a little box of food takeaway away. And that wasn't as prevalent when I was growing up. So that's really cool to see. Yeah, that's definitely the thing driving around here, it is that smell of just nicely cooked food, but also raw food. Just feeling the busyness.
Yeah, the vibrancy and...
Feeling the busyness for sure. I don't think I've ever seen Brixton quiet, because even when you're walking around at 02: 00 or 3: 00 am, people are coming out from clubs, bars or whatever. And obviously Brixton Academy is here, which is such a formative part of my... I mean, it still is.
I can't even tell you how many gigs I've been to then and every single artist I interview, especially the ones who were brought up round here, that is their mecca of, " I need to play there."
Your very first gig memories, are they from round here?
Oh gosh, yeah. I'm trying to think about who was one of the first acts that I saw, because I keep tickets stubs from pretty much every gig that I go to.
Oh do you? That's nice.
No, I've got shoe boxes full of ticket stubs. Even though we can get things on our phone wherever possible, if I can get a physical ticket stub, I'm keeping it because I am quite sentimental.
But you touched on the fact that your dad passed.
Yeah.
That I imagine was obviously pretty tough and something that I know has come up since and I wondered how you cope with that, but having to still be the upbeat Clara Amfo for the shows.
I speak about my dad often and I did go for a point and thinking, should I not speak about it so much? Because I think the thing about doing any sort of public facing job, but especially in broadcast, once you say something or you put something out there,
people are always going to want to talk about it. And I get there and I think, I don't ever want to shy away from talking about death because one thing that I've learned since my dad passed is that I think we're making progress as a society in the UK, but I think British people have still got a very conservative way of dealing with death still. I don't think it's necessarily there's
shame around it, but I think there's just an awkwardness. People don't really know what to do and it's like, " Listen, we're all going to die whether we like it or not, that's just life." And I think when it came to my dealing with bereavement, it was an interesting one and it's something that I'm still sort of trying to unpack now really. Because I remember when my dad died, I was literally
back to work a week or 10 days later. And the thing is, radio were amazing with me. The duty of care was great. They said, " You take off all the time you need." But I think I was in so much
shock. Because I remember I joined Radio 1 in 2015 and I remember I got the job offer and I remember I was doing this photo shoot for a magazine that was sort of announcing my new role and, " Here's Clara, she's taken over from Fearne," and dah, dah dah, dah, dah. And at that shoot, I had literally been talking to my dad that day and then I was going to France maybe a couple days later to run the Paris Half
Marathon. I found out my dad had passed away when I was in Paris and he knew about me getting the job at Radio 1 and then, yeah, then he died. And then I was back on air a week or two later, and there were times when I was doing the show in the months after he passed where I'd be
fine doing a link. So I'd be like, " Okay, up next is Little Mix and then I'd just be sobbing uncontrollably under the desk or at the mic and then I'd have to be like, suck it up and then carry on. And again, looking back now, I'm like, " Bloody hell, Clara. You should have allowed yourself more time and more sort of patience with yourself." But it was such an new experience
to me. I've never experienced death like that. I had a friend who passed away when I was a teenager, but until that point, I hadn't experienced a close death like that. It was a weird experience having to switch on the old razzle dazzle when I felt like I was just crumbling. But that is very symptomatic, I think of what British people do. It's so embedded into our way of thinking.
Think about the slogan, " Cute, calm, and carry on." Obviously that's used in wartime, but I think we apply that to so many things.
Yeah, we do.
For anyone listening to this, if you are going through bereavement, my advice would be you've really just got to let yourself feel everything. You really have to, because I never pretended not to be sad per se, but I do wish I allowed myself just to sit with the pain and just the news of it all for a little bit
longer rather than just chucking myself into activity. But then at the same time, I think going back to work and having that routine kind of saved me as well. It's a double- edged sword, to be honest. And everyone's process of dealing with death is so different. And the thing I always tell people as well is that you don't have to get over it. I don't believe in it. You learn
how to deal with it. And I think that is fine. That's something that I do advocate for, learning how to deal with it, but you never have to get over it. I think it's such a bizarre ask of somebody to get over somebody who lived a whole full, rich life. You can't just click your fingers and it's like, " Oh yeah, they were never there."
They're there in everything still.
But that's it.
For most people, they're there forever more.
That's it.
And it's more for the other people around you, I think, that you end up having to make out that you've got over it because other people can't deal with that level of grief.
Yeah, 100%. 100%.
What's it like being interviewed rather than interviewing?
It's nice to have a day off of just jamming the car. But yeah, I don't mind it. I like talking to people. I'm interested in people. I'm interested in the choice of the questions people have for me because I know what it's like to try and construct an interview. And
obviously, there's all different types of interviews you can do because I do... Obviously, I do radio and some of the interviews I get, I'll get four to five minutes with somebody, but then I might do a film premiere and I'll get maybe 10 minutes or I might do a long form interview with an actor or whoever and then I might get half an hour with them. It really depends. And you adapt your skillset for
different people and situations. Sometimes you're live, so you've only got sometimes even a minute. Get this person, ask them this, boom! You're done, and it's highly pressurized.
And you have those moments where like, " Why did that come out of my mouth?"
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
I have one question.
Yeah, exactly.
Why did I choose that one?
Exactly. Oh my God. Yeah. The amount of times I've been like, "Clara, you absolute idiot." Or just, "Did I really say that out loud?"
Yeah.
Yeah, because a mixture of adrenaline, natural nerves, you know-
Exhaustion.
Yeah, all of it can affect how you do your job. Because you can go in with the best of intentions, " I'm going to smash this interview," and then sometimes it doesn't go the way you plan. And sometimes that can be really, really good because even though I like to have a structure of how I work, I also enjoy knowing that a conversation can go anywhere, which I'm sure you know, you experience all the time doing this as
well. It's like, yeah, you have your plan, but you never know where chats are going to go. And I think that's the novelty of it for me.
I completely agree. Do you think that you are... Is it people that you're curious about as well as-
Oh, definitely.
... Obviously, I know we actually haven't spoken enough about music and we will do, but is it people and what makes them?
Oh, a hundred percent. I think actually, I've got equal love for... equal curiosity about people as much as I do any arts and culture. It's like music, theater, film, whatever. I'm just interested in people and why we do the things we do, why we're into what we're into. I love the word curious because essentially, it's more chiccer way of saying I'm nosy.
That is so true.
It's just nosy, make it chic.
I'm really nosy.
Yeah, I'm nosy as fuck. Yeah, I am. I am. People are interesting, man. Even driving around now, there's a man I'm seeing there with his shopping trolley, whatever, and I'm thinking, " I wonder who he is. I wonder where he grew up. I wonder if he's got a partner. I wonder what he does for a living. What's been his day today?"
I do love a good people watch. Do you?
Yeah. It's just like, we're fascinating creatures.
You've touched on the fact that obviously when you're in the car and your passion for music sort of started there, but where did the thirst for making it, I guess, more of a career come from?
I think, I remember I went to a trip, I think it was the Science Museum or the Design Museum, was one of those two and there was a radio station and they set up this whole, " Make your own demo" thing. And I remember thinking, this is so fun. And you basically just got to say your name, introduce a song, and they'd give you the demo back on a CD
of the branded station and with your name on it. And I remember taking that and thinking, " Oh my God, this is so cool. This is it." I'm thinking, " Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is what I'm going to be doing. I need to be doing this. Just chatting and playing tunes." Okay, you can make a career, you can have a job doing this. Absolutely. Because I loved so many things as a
little kid. I loved sport, but let's go back to what we were saying. But when you are a little kid, you've just got the most beautiful sense of ambition because you're just like, "No, anything is possible." Do you know what I mean?
Mm-hmm. Did your folks ever guide you?
Do you know what? Not really, because my dad, he was a microbiologist, so he was very, very intelligent man.
Wow.
For him, in a medical research joy way, COVID, he would've been having a field day because that was literally his vocation, studying viruses and tropical disease or all of that. So we spent a lot of our times in hospital as a kid. I remember some days I'd go and hang out with him in his hospital. It'd be by the fridges full of blood and samples and stuff because
he'd just be in his lab working. Like, " Sit still, don't touch anything," look it or would play with his stethoscope and things like that. But my dad was super academic. And my mom isn't necessarily the most... She's not an academic, but very much sort of like... My mom's like, she's been a dinner lady. She was a cleaner
for, oh my god, 20 years. But yeah, they just wanted us, all of my brothers and sisters sort of ideally have maybe a medical profession or something in law or pharmacy, all your traditional sort of prestige jobs. You know when parents just like, " My God, my child's a doctor or my child's a this, " or like da da da da da da. And none of us... We're all creative.
Oh, really?
Apart from my sister. My sister works in food tech, but all of us just... Yeah, like my brother Andy, he does voiceovers. You've probably heard his voice on things actually.
Oh really?
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on bloody everything. I can't escape him. Actually one really awkward moment, I was just like, " What?" He did a voiceover for a very well known company that sells sexy toys and sexy things to people.
No.
And my brother's on the voiceover and I was just like, " Literally, I cannot. I literally can't deal. Go away. Go away." But yeah, we all do kind of creative things. The great thing about parents was that in an ideal world, we all would've done those sort of prestige, like academic, scientific or whatever jobs, but there was never a thing of, " If you do something outside of that realm, you are
not welcome in my house." There was never that, and I'm really, really appreciative of that. But my dad's whole thing particularly was very much like, " Okay, if you are not going to do one of these sorts of professions, then you got to make sure that whatever you do, you make sure that you are going to be the flipping best or you don't do it by halves, commit and do
it properly. Otherwise what's the point?" So I think that I definitely carried with me.
That sort of competitive spirit?
Yeah. But it was in a sense of not even not trying to compete with anybody else to sort of like-
Competing with yourself.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly, exactly that. And it's funny, because I was on KISS FM before and obviously KISS is... That's a very reputable station, but it wasn't until I joined the BBC and my dad was like, "Oh, okay, all right." And then I think I was a guest on a Radio 4 show or something and he was like, " I see." Because it's those sort of things.
For example, me doing Strictly and I'm someone who's like, I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay- Z, Ariana Grande, whoever, just Strictly and all of a sudden, my mom and all of my auntie friends like, " Oh wow!"
Now you've made it there.
Yeah, yeah. It makes my own peer group. It is funny, isn't it, what people perceive as the thing?
Yeah. Was Strictly fun?
Oh, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Yeah.
It was wicked. Don't get me wrong, it was physically, emotionally intense. It is just, you're in this bubble because you just eat, breathe and sleep dance, dance training and performance ever. But it is honestly, the most... Yeah, it is the most fun thing I've ever done.
Can you still remember the dances?
Oh yeah. No, honestly, it's so funny. The way muscle memory works is so interesting. Because I remember my first dance was to Dua Lipa, Don't Start Now and I still remember that choreography like that.
That comes on the radio, you're up?
Oh, no, no. I still remember it. Sometimes I have been at things, I'll be like, " Go on then, go on." I'm just like, " Don't threaten me with a good time because I might just do it, hun. I might just do it." Oh, what a lovely day. This is Tower Bridge. But I'm based in East London. Sometimes I'll walk from home to here. So I've got
a few mates that live around these sides. It'll take about an hour and a half, but it's such a lovely walk. The sky is blue.
Sky is blue. Does the weather affect you?
Absolutely. Yeah. We are literally mammals energized by the sun. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes all you just need is that... It's that vitamin D band, but I'm such a summertime flight baby. I would rather be too hot than too cold, which is why I'm living for these heated seats in this car.
Yeah, agreed.
That's my joy. Or just frolicking in my local park.
What is your mood lifter music?
That is a great question. What is my mood lifter music at the moment? I love Salon. I mean, do you know what? I'm obsessed, I mean, everyone knows I'm one of Beyonce's biggest fans and that Renaissance album, I've been rinsing it... Because that came out in July of last year and I've played that album every day since. And it just gets me fired. I love it. It's excellent. All killer, no filler .
This is a colorful area.
Yeah, we're on Brick Lane now.
Nice.
Yes. Brick Lane, Brick Lane area or Whitechapel really, but it's all connected. So there's a really big Bengali and Bangladeshi community round here. You can get great South Asian food around this area. But again, this is why I love London because you just get a lesson in other people's cultures like borough to borough.
Do you feel the restrictions from your fame or are you still able to go into the markets?
Do you know what I live in... Because my whole thing is, I've always said that you're only as famous as you act, I think. Obviously, there's nuance to everything, but if you are walking around in a cap and sunglasses on a day where you don't need cap and sunglasses, if it's not sunny-
You're highlighting yourself.
If anything, I'm like, " Oh, why has that person got a cap and sunglasses on? Are you quote, unquote somebody?" But usually people are just like, "Oh, it's Clara, you're all right? How's it going? Cool." Or, " Do we go to school together?" Or, " Why do I know you?" But it's never a thing of like, " Oh my God, I'm getting chased down the street." But I think, yeah, again, you're only as famous as you act. I think if you caught it and you do the most to fan the flames, I
think that's when you get into a tricky situation. I would sooner die than bloody call the paparazzi on myself because please believe it baby. Sorry to like... I believe it's really important to tell the truth and listen, I hate to break it to anyone who's listening, but you'd be surprised and you may or may not have to cut this bit out, but I don't care. I don't care. I'll tell you the truth. But there are people who call the paparazzi on themselves. My God.
Yes.
You would be shocked. And then people are like, " Oh my God, I wish the paps would leave me alon ." Your publicist called them and told them that you were going to be outside this cafe with whoever and they act like you didn't know.
So true.
Oh my God, what are you doing it? You knew they were going to be here. You can't do that and then be like, " Oh my God, the fame."
Yeah.
Do you know what I mean? And if it ever gets revealed that I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview and be like, "Clara, you hypocrite and you idiot."
You heard it here.
And I say that with my chest. I will never do that as long as I live. I'll say this, Adele is probably one of the most famous women on the planet. When that woman is not releasing music, do you ever see or hear a peep from her?
No.
Exactly. It's a choice. It's a choice. But then there are some people who are relentlessly pursued and they don't have a choice. Again, there is nuance to everything, but there is a way to control it. So I just think, don't... Yeah, you don't have to lean in.
So we're just by-
Have a peaceful life. Yes.
... the Genesis Cinema.
Yay.
This is where you come?
Yeah, it's one of my favorite cinemas. I love a cinema that's just got character to it. And if there's one thing, a cinema trope I adore is old school-
Yeah. It looks old school.
... cinema lettering for the signage to let you know what's on. Just how the Ritzy in Brixton has got that style. I love that about Genesis. And they're really good at doing good one- off nights and themed months and things, which I think is really cool. But don't get me wrong, I enjoy your sort of big chain cinemas and I am not adverse to a reclining chair and being able to
eat and drink a cute meal in a cinema. But there is something about just those really preserved spaces.
Is it as old school inside as well as it looks outside?
Yeah. And obviously they've adapted and stuff, but I just think, yeah, just that lived in energy. I don't know, I imagine who was there 50 years ago. One of my favorite things is going to the cinema by myself. Funny enough, I'm planning to go and see the latest Scream movie on my ones because none of my friends will go with me to see
it. I really, really enjoy them now. My mates will come to noir with me to a romcom or just a com or an action movie or whatever. But I was like, " What happened to all of you lot? Come on. Is everyone like... " But yeah, everyone's a scaredy cat. But yeah, funnily enough, when I wanted to go see Magic Mike, all the girlies wanted to come. I went to see Magic Mike's Last Dance at the cinema with a few mates.
Actually, no, just with one mate. And that was hilarious and we laughed and sighed the whole way through.
Do you have a lot of fond memories of going to the cinema or watching films when you were younger as well?
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always the thing. My mum always used to fall asleep in cinema. Yeah, no, I loved going to cinema as a kid. Loved trying to get into films that I wasn't old enough to watch. I remember I went to try and see... I can't remember what film was, but it was a film. I think I was 14, it was 15. My mum had that perfume. It was called Poison.
Oh yes.
My dad had bought it for her as a gift. And she'd held onto the bottle for 20 years or whatever. And I doused something because I was like, " Yeah, this is what teenagers do. They wear fancy perfume and wear button- up shirts or whatever." And I remember me and my friend, I think it's... What's it? I can't remember who it was, but I think me and a couple of school friends, we were like, " Yeah, we're old enough." And
they were just like, "No, you're not going home." I was like, "Okay, fine ." But, but again, those are formative things because it's just about independence, isn't it?
Yeah.
And I think there's something about going to cinema without your parents.
Yes. That's so true.
It makes you feel like a proper grownup. Or going to the local, going swimming, all those, or getting a train by yourself for the first time. They're rights a passage, aren't they?
Yeah, they are really important.
Yeah, proper.
So we're being taken through Shoreditch.
Yeah.
Do you know this sort of area?
I know this area extremely well, like the back of my hand. This area I cycle through a lot, pass through a lot, got a lot of good gig memories here. And yeah, just nights out really. And yeah, late night food stops because there's so many kebab shops here that I've definitely gotten a falafel wrap from and chips.
Is that a go-to at the end of the night?
In the middle of the night. Oh yeah, yeah. Definitely. Chomping down chips at 3: 00 AM.
Yeah. Your journey to starting at KISS was quite unorthodox, wasn't it?
Yeah, because I always had an interest in broadcast, but for a little bit I was like, " You know what? I'm just going to work behind the scenes. I don't need to put myself out there." And looking back now, it was just a fear thing. Because again, going back as the thing about, that almost reverse imposter syndrome. It wasn't
a thing of me not thinking I wasn't capable. I think I was just afraid to put myself out there. Even though I knew I was capable, I was a bit like, " Oh no, I'm not going to do that." So I just didn't. I was like, " You know what? I'm cool. I'll just help out marketing, intern." So I
was helping out doing everything. So I'd go to Ministry of Sound Nightclub and scrape off the KISS branding stickers that we'd put up there the night before for the club nights, give out merchandise. I'd stand outside the big top shop, RIP on Oxford Street, trying to stop people to get voxbox to use for the station, in- house adverts, all those types of things. But I always knew that, " Oh,
I'd love to be able to do the radio bit." And I was always having these sort of sparring matches with my old boss, like, " Why don't you play this song? That song's so out now." I'm like, " Why are you doing that to this? You should be doing this," and dah dah dah dah
dah. And so eventually that one Christmas he was off for God's sake, and then he was just like, " This person's gone away and this person's got a cold, so do you want to cover this show on Christmas Eve?" And I was like, " Oh my God." I was like, " Yes," sprinted to the studio as soon as I got the chance to, to be honest. So Christmas came around and I covered
some shows and they were prerecorded. But the first time I went live, it was Saturday morning, a 4: 00 AM till 6: 00 AM stop. And I was so buzzing on adrenalines. I remember I set my alarm, probably for 02: 00 or even 01: 00 because I think I was so paranoid I was going to sleep through my alarm. And then, yeah, got to the studio and then my old boss, Simon, who'd
really sort of mentored me, produced a show. I remember thinking like, " Yeah, man, this is absolutely what I'm supposed to be doing. I love doing this."
Were you nervous?
Oh yeah, I was shitting myself. I was so nervous. So nervous. But I enjoyed it so much that I just wanted to come back and do it and just learn to be better. And it was such a great... Yeah, it was just such a great feeling.
And were you then like, " That's it?"
Yeah.
" I'm in, this is what I'm doing?"
Yeah, absolutely. I was like, no, I just remember thinking... Because bearing in mind at that same time, I was still working in the office Monday to Friday because I had been promoted from sort of work experience intern to be... They gave me this job lesson. They made up a job for me and it was called station coordinator. But doing that, honestly, it was invaluable because it really gave me a work ethic, which
I really cherish. Because when you understand how the sausage is made, you see all the working parts of a radio station or any sort of any workspace, but particularly radio, TV, when you see it like that, it almost gives you an armor from sort of being a brat because you just know the moving parts.
Yeah.
We're in Camden right now and the houses are beautiful round here.
They really are.
So, so, so, so, so lovely.
Do you think that London is a pioneer for music and new music?
Oh, absolutely. A hundred percent. I don't think it's the sense with the universe for it, but it's absolutely a hundred percent a leader. We're in Camden, which is, I think... When I think of Camden, I think of Amy Winehouse. There's a whole statue of her here. But there are so many iconic leaders who have
come out of London for music. But yeah, zoning on Amy, that's somebody that truly made it accessible, hip hop influence, R&; B influence, just so cool and so unique and truly a one of one artist. And that's a proud North London girl. Actually, I saw her at KOKO
actually, where we're going to. Yeah, I remember because I remember being in the queue and seeing her walk by with her security and her being... I remember her being like, " Wow," because she couldn't believe all these people had come to see her. And that was a really, really fun gig. And you look back on moments like that and you just realize how privileged you were to see somebody of that ilk, just being them. Ultimately,
who she was was just a really great artist. And you could tell she had a lot of pride performing at somewhere like KOKO, because that's somewhere that she would've no doubt been going to as well. But yeah, that was a really special gig. Yeah, memory unlocked with that one.
So we're outside KOKO now.
We are outside KOKO. And yeah, I just literally remember just being in a queue and it curling around to get into that print show. But then there's been times I've walked straight in because I've had a gig early or whatever. But yeah, it's such a fab venue. And they had that fire a little while ago.
Oh yes, of course.
Obviously, so I'm feeling it's been renovated now. But yeah, it's just iconic.
So we're on our way now to Broadcasting House.
Yeah. Yes, we are.
World of Radio 1.
That's it. Portland Place.
What was the feeling when you knew you were making that step up or step over, I guess?
Bit of fear, fear, excitement, overwhelmingness. Because I remember when I first like demoing for Radio 1, when I was sitting at KISS and they're around the corner from each other. And obviously it was
top secret, so I would sneak. I'd finish my work day or during a lunch break, I would sneak around the corner to Broadcasting House and try and go in the Radio 1 and one extra building, incognito, hoping no one would see me be quietly ushered in by a producer, doing my demos and run back to work. And I remember I did that on and off for 18 months on the sly.
Oh really?
Yeah, I think I did about, oh my God, eight or nine demos. And then they finally offered me a contract for Weekend Breakfast at 1Xtra. But yeah, but I remember when you walk into the main concourse, there's that giant BBC sign you can't miss, there's three huge letters. And
seeing that for the first time, it's a lot. Because even now, every day when I'm going into work or leaving work, there's always tourists out there with their selfie sticks getting that BBC picture.
So do you still appreciate that feeling?
Yeah, I do because they're always decorating it with all the people that work there. Because when you walk into the building, there's a giant picture of Claudia and Tess for Strictly, and there's a giant like... There's a TARDIS in there from Doctor Who and giant Pudsey Bear for Children in Need. And now there's a... Because the Broadcasting House is eight floors, so on each floor, they've got blown up pictures of different styles. There's a big picture of David Attenborough and
Harry Styles when he did Big Weekend for Radio One . And there's a big picture of me there, which I didn't know they were putting up there. So I think I'm in between Harry Styles and David Attenborough, which is great company, I must say.
That's an interesting sandwich.
I mean, but I remember, I didn't know they were doing it. And then one day I kept getting tagged in pictures on people's Instagram. So it was like, Grimmy had tagged me in something, Greg, all my coworkers basically, like, " What the hell? Look at you." And I was like, " What?" Because I didn't know they were doing it. And it's like my big old
mug. But if you ever come to visit Broadcasting House, whether you are a BBC employee listening right now, or you're coming in for a tour, yeah, I'm there on the seventh floor in full technicolor.
How do you prepare for the live show?
I do prepare, but I also like to shoot from the hip. I have a basic knowledge of people, and then obviously, we've got our research notes and stuff. But for me, my favorite interview's about the human side of somebody, because ultimately that actually tells you more about the music.
If it's a music artist anyway. You can find out about the album, why they made it, how they made it, sometimes by finding out about what's been going on in their life like six months prior. But I love my producers, because they are always mega prepared with a glossary of bits and bolts. But for me, that's my... And I always do my research as well, but that's my preferred way of working for sure, for sure.
Well...
We're here.
Here it is.
Pulling up to the old Bib.
Yeah.
Oh, there's Shane, who is a very well known radio Plugger dude and looks after all of your faves. Hello. Was just talking about you, saying long time, no bloody see.
Lovely to see you. How are you?
You've been missed. You all right?
Yeah, yeah. Just going to do something in BBC in a bit.
Oh, fabulous. Well, maybe I'll bump into you in a bit. Well, nice to see you.
You too.
Bye my love. Yeah, because I think pandemic wise, you see all the pluggers up all the time.
Yes.
They bring artists in, but then the pandemic just changed the game. And we did so many things. Like remember, I did a Miley Cyrus interview, we had to do it, record it 10: 00 PM our time so we were on her time in LA to get the show done. Because yeah, just artists, it's just, yeah. Corona changed the game, man. Wow. We are home. We are here.
Well, it's been really fun. How has it been taking a nice stroll around your haunts?
It's been really lovely and I want to thank you for your very insightful, wonderful questions. It's been you know , because people ask me a lot, the same thing a lot of the time.
Yes.
But you know what? Sometimes you ask the same thing, but it's about how you ask it. And I really appreciate, I appreciate your choice of words, darling.
Well...
I truly do.
... It's been a real privilege to have you, and I hope you liked our match.
No, I did. Listen, living for the heated seats, living for the chat, living for the general comfort and the snacks. Thanks for the snacks.
Thanks for the snacks.
For the snacks. No, a good time.
I hope you have a good show.
Do people call you Al?
Yeah.
Okay. I was like, I was going to call you Al earlier. I was like, is that over familiar? Thanks Al.
How do people call you?
People call me-
Do you got a nickname?
Clars sometimes. But it is mostly Clara or C. Yeah, C, Clars or Class or Amfo.
Clars.
People do love to surname me a lot.
Yeah, I get surname a lot.
You know?
Well, Amfo, it's been a pleasure.
Thanks.
Thanks so much to Clara Amfo for taking me on a personalized tour around her favorite haunts in London. You can see exclusive footage of the drive by heading to the Autotrader socials. Look at the episode page for links. You'll also be able to see the Mustang Mach- E
that Clara thought was very cool. Plus, if you didn't know already, we are giving away a brand new electric car for free every single month as part of the Autotrader electric car giveaway. We've previously given away two Mustang Mach- Es, just like this one, plus many others. So, if you'd like to be in for a chance of winning, head to autotrader. co. uk/ cars/ electric/ giveaway and find
out what we are giving away this month. And if you're looking for a new vehicle, you can find your perfect match at autotrader. co. uk. This is a new show and I'd love you to follow on your favorite podcast platform. Like what you hear? Rate and review and make sure you tell your friends so you don't miss an episode. Show on the Road is a fresh air production for Autotrader.