There are a lot of things we don’t have to think about on a daily basis. Such as, if you’re a 3ft 5” adult, how do you reach the locks on public toilet doors, or sinks, or soap dispensers? Or where can you get this season’s shoes? No, not the light up ones for kids, but well designed, flats and heels. When you start seeing the world through the lens of a little person like Sinéad, you realise how the world is not designed for her. It’s designed for the people who design it. Our theme for the mon...
Sep 20, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Like many of you, I was glued to Love Island over the summer. And when Ovie Soko, came on to our screens, I think we all fell slightly in love with him, as he showed us a refreshing version of masculinity. Ovie’s been a bit of a Love Island and general reality TV anomaly. But he shouldn’t be. It opens up the conversation about the toxicity that pervades masculinity, which has fuelled a one-dimensional view of what’s defined manhood for decades. Obviously, a hugely outdated mould, and one that th...
Sep 05, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 26
I remember being ten. It was fun. That sense of freedom, when your summer holiday feels never-ending and it’s all sleep-overs and how much flavoured sugar you can convince your parents to let you have. I definitely did not get asked to perform on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury like our youngest ever Gurls Talk guest, Princess K, did. This year alone, she has managed to tick that off her list, as well as dance with the icon that is Lauryn Hill – all before her 11th birthday. This was a truly wo...
Aug 05, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 25
I love, love, love babies. But we all know motherhood is hard work, and when you’re a young mum, it comes with its own set of challenges. So, I invited Fiona Small, the founder of Young Mums Support Network (YMSN) and two incredible young mums – Yannicke Clarke and Dylan Downs – on to the podcast to talk about what young mums face in today’s society. Young mums certainly don’t have it easy. From healthcare professionals informing them of their pregnancy as if it’s bad news, to families bearing t...
Jul 29, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Thank God for Gen Z. They truly care about wanting to make the world better. When I first met Amika a few years ago, she wasn’t old enough to vote, yet she was on a mission to change government policies to fight period poverty with her Free Periods movement. And she still is. Our theme for July is YOUTH, and Amika was at the top of the list of people I wanted to get on Gurls Talk. She embodies how the youth are driving change and how politics isn’t just Westminster, it’s standing up for what you...
Jul 11, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Being one of the greatest athletes of all time is obviously a monumental accolade. But when Serena and I sat down, we didn’t just talk about kick-ass serves and Grand Slam wins. Like you, I wanted to know how she wins at life, not just on the court. When it comes to learning life skills – our theme for June – Serena is the perfect powerhouse woman to turn to. I loved hearing about Serena’s relationship with her sister, Venus, and how her family’s support has played such a huge part of who she is...
Jun 28, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Reading Ore Ogunbiyi’s ‘A letter to my fresher self: Surviving Cambridge as a black girl’ hits such an emotional chord with me. Being a minority in a predominantly white institution creates some serious life skills. Which is why I invited Ore on to the podcast this week. We chat about discrimination in the classroom, overcoming imposter syndrome, and when you arrive back at uni with braids – no, your hair isn’t something people can freely smell and touch! Really guys, WTF?! We also talk about th...
Jun 21, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 21
I may have known Sharmadean for a while but that doesn’t mean I’m not flabbergasted by her selfless, raw and boundary-pushing talents every time I meet her. As the founder of Wah Nails and Beautystack, Sharmadean is no stranger to business and changing the world through tech. This conversation blew me away, not least because I found out just how much this phenomenal woman has achieved for herself and for all women just by being passionate and determined in her path. If you’re looking to set up y...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 20
I think I’m in love with JJ, the UK’s first hijab-wearing and female referee who’s got her sights set on reffing the world’s biggest games. The Somali refugee spent her teens hiding her love of football from her family for cultural reasons, but now she’s proudly changing stereotypes and thrashing barriers on the pitch as she coaches, plays and refs all around the world. Listen now to hear how sport can change your life no matter who you are, what your background is or what you look like. And pre...
May 30, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Yes, we're all bored of Brexit. And it's hard to keep up with what politician is making what terrible decision. Sometimes it's easier to just look the other way. But that's literally the worst thing we can do. On Thursday 24 May, I urge you all to vote in the European election. Femi Oluwole breaks it down for us, giving us a 101 of what these elections mean. As a co-founder of pro-European Union advocacy group Our Future Our Choice, he says, "if you're bored of Brexit, you cannot let Brexit happ...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Watching my country’s reaction to migration has broken my heart many many times. Choosing love should be in our DNA, but too often we choose hate, which is why I want to dedicate May to this sensitive subject as we all try and change the script and help be the good we want to see in humanity. For our first episode, I’ve invited Philli Boyle, one of the founders of Help Refugees whose work on the ground at Calais and beyond has improved and saved the lives of more women, children and men than any...
May 13, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 17
We couldn’t talk about 'Gender’ without getting this trailblazing voice of the trans community on the podcast. Her eloquence is only outshone by her passion for society’s acceptance of all genders, and I learnt so much from our conversation. I’ve walked away from the episode knowing how we can all open our world to things we don’t understand. We might be scared of saying the wrong thing, but Munroe tells us to embrace the discomfort, because “being uncomfortable spurs growth”. So, block out the ...
Apr 12, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 16
I’m obsessed with love, absolutely obsessed! And to close this month’s theme of love and sex, there is no one more apt that the incredible Dolly Alderton. Full disclosure, Dolly is someone I have a huge girl crush on. As you’ll hear in the episode, Dolly’s book captured everything I’ve been feeling, and I’m delighted to be able to sit down with @dollyalderton and share this conversation with my listeners. We spend time speaking about growing up and feeling like unlovable weirdos. Our friends fal...
Apr 02, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Carrying on with this month’s theme of love and sex, we move our focus to all things love, and on this week’s episode I am delighted to be joined by netball stars, Sasha and Kadeen Corbin. Not only are they incredible netball players, but they are also sisters. Sisters with an unbreakable bond both on and off the court. We speak all about love for the game, family and beyond, and @Sasha_Corbin and @Kadeen_Corbin leave us with some valuable lessons about finding what it is that you love, going ou...
Mar 19, 2019•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 14
It’s a new month, and a new theme, and this month we’ll be talking all about Love and Sex. On this week’s episode I am joined by the awesome Aimee Lou Wood and Emma Mackey from Netflix’s breakout show, Sex Education. We chat about, sex, boys, falling in love, and us girls learning what we like… If you’ve seen the show you’ll know exactly what i’m talking about! When it comes to talking about the trials and tribulations of love, sex and sexual discovery, the world we live in has a tendency to sta...
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 13
For this episode I am surrounded by females of absolute Gurl Boss status. Firstly, I got to be in the presence of the fastest woman in the whole world, @DinaAsherSmith. And if that wasn’t enough, we were joined by the new host of the Rap Show on Radio 1 and 1Xtra, @TiffanyCalver, who is the first woman and the first black person to be given the role. We talk about how amazing it is to be black, female and British as we celebrate our achievements as firsts in our fields. We also talk about how ou...
Feb 20, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 12
It’s not every day that you’re in the company of someone who’s a national treasure, truly one of the most inspirational people you’ve ever met and a blinding ray of light. Bebe Vio is that person. She’s my new idol. For those who haven’t heard of her, Bebe is the European Fencing Champion, the World Fencing Champion and the Paralympic Fencing Champion. She’s also the only fencer in the world to fight without any arms or legs. The way she talks about her quadruple amputation and her disability is...
Feb 12, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 11
What an episode this is! For our theme of representation, I invite Tom Rasmusen (@TomGlitter) and Chiyo Gomes (@ChiyoGomes) onto the podcast so we can talk about all things gender, identity and Drag Race! We truly put the world to rights in this episode and we get real deep, real quick. Buckle yourselves in for an educational, inspirational and seriously empowering discussion about how our beautiful drag artists got to where they are today. The wonderful Chiyo is currently raising funds for top ...
Feb 04, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this fascinating episode, I invite Sporting Chance onto the podcast to tell me about their work in the rehabilitation of sports stars who are suffering from addiction. The charity was founded by England and Arsenal player, Tony Adams after his own battle with addiction, and it does excellent work helping athletes of all kinds in their recovery. We dissect the underlying reasons behind pro athletes becoming addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling, as Alex and Colin shine a light on their rehab ...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 9
I want to focus one episode this month on an addiction I think almost all of us can relate to: a social media and internet addiction. I invite self-confessed social media addict and Brit nominee @Mabel onto the show, alongside Comparison Coach, @LucySheridan. We talk about why we visit our social channels on average 28 times a day - is it for gratification or masochism? 28 times a day is a lot of repeat prescriptions, and it’s having some serious side effects on young girls in particular, includ...
Jan 22, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Continuing with our January theme of Addiction, I wanted to find out more about eating disorders and how it’s possible to be addicted to the feeling of consuming nothing at all. So for this episode, I talk with the author or Raw Uncut: The Diary of an Anorexic Vegan, @Lydiabellsprout, about her 8-year addiction to anorexia nervosa and bulimia. I think her story of recovery may just be one of the most inspiring I’ve ever heard and I can’t wait for you all to hear it. As Lydia says, she may not fe...
Jan 11, 2019•57 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Happy New Year to all my gurls! For the month of January 2019, Gurls Talk Addiction, so I’ve invited a man I adore and admire onto the podcast to share his story. His name is @sonny_hall and his life after being adopted at the age of 4 seemed to be a constant voyage of escape, leading him into the arms of alcohol and drugs. He tells me with captivating honesty about what led to his addiction and what brought him out the other side. Ever since I first met Sonny, he’s had a place in my heart, and ...
Jan 04, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Our December theme of grief has taken me on a journey of inspiring stories and humbling memories. For my last episode of 2018, I invite the Manchester City and Denmark striker, Nadia Nadim (@Nadi9nadim) onto the podcast as she blows me away with her never-ending tales of ambition, drive and success against the odds. After her father was executed by the Taliban, Nadia’s mother knew that Afghanistan was no safe place for her and her 5 daughters. The story of what happens to them once they escape w...
Dec 21, 2018•44 min•Season 1Ep. 5
As we continue our December theme of grief, I invite a woman who I absolutely adore onto The Gurls Talk podcast; my dear friend, @victoria_lampley. Victoria kindly opens up about the devastating impact of her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and how becoming a mother herself shortly after she died was such an impossible transition. We also discuss the importance of talking about grief and how to be a good friend to those who are suffering from bereavement. To read more from Victoria’s quote on strengt...
Dec 14, 2018•47 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Throughout December, Gurls Talk Grief, and I have one of the most accomplished panels of experts to help us unpack this devastating and taboo subject. @ProfessorGreen uses his experience with his father’s suicide to show us how we should be celebrating the lives of those lost. Julia Samuel MBE tells me about her pillars of strength and how kickboxing is her secret weapon for coping with grief. And Amy Green explains why the bereavement charity, Cruse, is so valuable for those dealing with the lo...
Dec 10, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 3
I invite the British female boxing champion, Ramla Ali (AKA @somaliboxer), onto the Gurls Talk sofa. We talk identity, religion and how your story shouldn’t define you, as well as how Ramla’s love for boxing forced her to keep it a secret from her parents for over a decade. So headphones in, and get ready to love yourself with Ramla’s mantra for keeping her confidence up, and find out why I believe passion is the most attractive thing in a person. View past submissions from our gurls @GurlsTalk ...
Nov 30, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 2
For our first ever podcast, I invite Jorja Smith over for some love, laughs and gurl talk around what sport means to us. The stunner and I celebrate being black women, embracing our natural hair, our love of boxing (and why we hate yoga!), and how comparing yourself to others is one of the worst thing you can do. To find out more about Gurls Talk or to send us your artwork, poetry or anything you want to share, visit www.gurlstalk.com or find us on Instagram @GurlsTalk. Mad love to Jorja Smith a...
Nov 23, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 1
The Gurls Talk Podcast is coming! Hosted by Adwoa Aboah and with a different guest invited on each week, we’ll be talking about the issues that affect us most - with absolutely nothing off limits. From sexuality, to mental health and disability to religion, we want to provide young women everywhere with the tools to take control of their lives. So next time you need to escape the chaos of the everyday, put your headphones in and get lost in The Gurls Talk Podcast. Your regular source of fierce f...
Nov 09, 2018•1 min
