It was a total fangirl moment talking to Elsa, who has got so many of us through lockdown with her videos. Her real, honest, universally relatable, hilarious videos. Saying the things we say in our own heads but never out loud. It’s this energy that has taken the world by storm over the past year. Elsa has a refreshing take on being unashamedly herself, refusing to fit into the mould that’s out there. A 19-year-old African woman who clearly won’t take any shit from people who think her youth and...
May 15, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 24
It’s easy to spiral from the seemingly smallest things during the pandemic. Life has been really tough for a long time now. But one thing, one huge thing, has helped immeasurably: being sober. And in this episode, Brandon shares his experience of leaning into the AA community and reaching his first year of sobriety. Choosing a life of sobriety, he says, has been the hardest and most gratifying thing he’s ever done. Brandon is a brilliant human, an empath, and an authentic voice on and off screen...
Apr 09, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Remember being squished in a sweaty crowd with thousands of people watching an insanely talented music artist performing on stage? And the artist’s energy, and the crowd’s energy feeding one another, and in that moment, your body’s buzzing with joy – you feel alive. Yeah, us too. For Rosalía, she misses the energy from performing to a large audience, she misses being around people. I think most of us do. In this episode, we talk about how performances have had to adapt in this upside world. Bein...
Mar 12, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 22
On this week’s podcast, I catch up with two formidable ladies in the fields of women’s health and sport. Stacy Sims, PhD is an expert in sex differences, and globally acclaimed for her research and TED Talk, ‘Women are Not Small Men’. She’s dedicated the last 20 years to educating women, and men, on the female body, and how it responds differently to athleticism than the male body. Joslyn Thompson Rule, a woman with many strings to her bow, is a Nike Global Master Trainer, a Sports Therapist, an...
Feb 17, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Fangirling Rupi is an easy thing to do. If not for her raw, intimate poetry, for the way she talks about the power of her friendships and platonic, familial love. It makes talking (and listening) to Rupi feel like you’ve been friends forever. As we ruminate life in lockdown – me in London, Rupi in Toronto – we talk about making sense of our identity in the stillness and being gentle with ourselves. In home body , Rupi’s recently released, brilliant third book of poetry, she dedicates a whole cha...
Feb 07, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 20
On this week’s episode, I spoke to the incredible, inspiring Michaela DePrince. The epitome of poise and grace, Michaela is a dancer, author and War Child ambassador. She has overcome tremendous challenges over her lifetime, including grief, war, racism, bullying and more, all in the pursuit of what she calls ‘her soul’ – her passion for dance. What stands out for me is her unmistakable grit; a burning desire to prove critics wrong and succeed against all odds. But that dedication is not without...
Jan 21, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Warning: This episode covers difficult topics, which some listeners may find upsetting. These areas include sexual and physical abuse, child sexual abuse, addiction, the death of a child, police brutality and systemic racism. Please practice good self-care and listen at your own discretion. If you need additional support please visit our website at www.Gurlstalk.com/hotlines This week’s episode is a lesson in perseverance. Susan Burton is an activist and advocate for women caught in the cycle of...
Dec 03, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 18
She’s known as the supermodel turned actress turned writer who’s sick of being put in a box because of how she looks. This episode with @Emrata is a biggie for anyone who’s sick of being told how they should behave, how intellectual they should be, and what they should or shouldn’t have an opinion on. While the world is on fire, my conversation with Emily Ratajkowski gave me a whole lot of love. She’s taught me how to appreciate myself, and to realise my impact on the world. We spoke just before...
Nov 07, 2020•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 17
They say don’t meet your idols. But for this week’s episode I was lucky enough to do just that, and it was completely exhilarating. Bernardine Evaristo, the acclaimed author of one of my all-time favourite books, Girl, Woman, Other, joined me to chat about everything from her win of the 2019 Booker prize, to understanding her proximity to whiteness, to her work in theatre in the eighties. Bernardine is a force of nature, and I spent most of this episode enthralled by her passion and vivacity. He...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 16
On this week’s episode, I was lucky enough to speak to Ada Hegerberg, the first woman in history to win Football’s most coveted individual prize, the Ballon d’Or. Ada’s positivity and sense of perspective is infectious. While discussing her recent ACL injury, she explains how she viewed the healing process as an opportunity for gratitude and mental strength, as well as a chance to understand her body in new, enlightening ways. As a passionate advocate for gender representation and equity in spor...
Sep 17, 2020•48 min•Season 2Ep. 15
This week, I’m honoured to introduced the Gurls Talk community to my dear friend, the talented iO Tillett Wright. This autumn, he releases a new book, Self Evident Truths: 10,000 Portraits of Queer America. It documents a 10-year journey across America where he has photographed thousands of people from every walk of life. Centred on the tenet that ‘familiarity is a gateway drug to empathy’ his pictures are a deeply powerful glimpse into the lives of people marginalised by oppressive systems. In ...
Sep 03, 2020•56 min•Season 2Ep. 14
The experience of Black girlhood is a difficult one. We are thrust into spaces and organisations that aren’t built for us, that do not understand us and that deny us agency. Few people understand this more than my guests this week. Ebinehita Iyere founded Milk & Honey to create spaces where young Black girls could connect with their feelings and vulnerability at that pivotal point in their lives — before they are forced into the trope of ‘strong Black woman’. With her colleagues Sophie and C...
Aug 20, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 13
As protests calling for racial justice sweep the globe, people are becoming increasingly aware of the ongoing impact racism has on the mental health of Black communities. However, less attention has been devoted to understanding how this abuse manifests and is exacerbated in online spaces. My guest this week, Seyi Akiwowo, is the founder of Glitch UK, a charity that aims to end online abuse. In this episode, we discuss how online abuse impacts vulnerable populations, the lack of accountability a...
Jul 30, 2020•59 min•Season 2Ep. 12
If you’re anything like me, then you were in awe of the dedication and focus shown in Netflix’s Cheer. Lexi Brumback ( @lexisbrumback ) was the tumbler with a natural ability to fly through the air like an actual goddess. This episode, Lexi will wow you with her honesty as we enter the world of her teens. After running away from home at 16, Lexi credits cheerleading for turning her life around, coming back and setting her life back on track. The Gurls Talk Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple ...
Jul 16, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Growing up biracial in Britain is something I have in common with this week’s guest. Afua Hirsch and I are both proud of our Ghanaian heritage, but growing up in predominantly white spaces meant we both struggled to express that pride and protect ourselves from the microaggressions of our white peers. This episode explores some deeply personal themes of acceptance and identity, and reflects on the exhilaration and exhaustion that has come with the recent wave of anti-racist awareness and activis...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Ever since the tragic murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade, the Black Lives Matter movement has protested against police brutality and racism in all 50 US states and more than 18 countries (and counting). But activism cannot be achieved without vulnerability and sacrifice, which is exactly what my guest this week epitomises. Janaya Future Khan talks about how their past shaped, but didn’t define, their future and how they’re unpacking the narrative around black w...
Jun 11, 2020•56 min•Season 2Ep. 9
I just love episodes like these… where I know I’m going to talk to someone who will change my entire outlook on life. Hollie Arnold is a record breaking, gold medal winning javelin thrower who loves makeup and was born without her right arm. She’s an absolute force of pure joy and she puts it all down to her love for sport and the positive people in her life. We talk about how finding something you’re good at it is one of the most freeing experiences you can have. If you’re trying a new sport, o...
May 28, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 8
The maneater, the glamour model, the sexy one. Well, that’s the role the producers of Love Island put on Megan Barton-Hanson when she was in the villa in 2018. But as we all know, reality TV is a heavily edited version of what really happens, and Megan and I dive into this and how sudden fame affected her mental health. We talk about how women are still being judged against each other in the media and online, and how this toxic negativity needs to stop. Like, NOW. Megan tells us about her strugg...
May 21, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This is a special one for me as I’ve always wanted to introduce my wonderful mum to the Gurls Talk community. She’s an inspiration to me and many others, not only as my mother, but as one of the mothers of the fashion industry. Her talent agency CLM represents some of the biggest names in the business, and watching her juggle a career and being a parent has taught me so much about what’s possible. We talk about how she got through the darkness of finding out that her daughter was battling with h...
May 14, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
“The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” I read this Mark Twain quote in Lucy Sheridan’s new and utterly brilliant book ‘The Comparison Cure’ and it really resonated with me, because we can all get stuck in a compare and despair space. Lucy’s a great friend of Gurls Talk, and I loved having her back on the podcast as she really is a deity of building up self-worth. We talk about her incredible new book which is a much-needed guide for today’s world, helping us overcome rank...
May 07, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Releasing an album in the middle of a global pandemic wasn’t part of her plan, but this week’s guest Dua Lipa did exactly that. In this week’s episode, she talks through the process of launching her new album Future Nostalgia , the pitfalls of listening to social media, and explains how she’s taking care of her mental health during isolation. This episode explains how the pressure for this to be a period of self-improvement and productivity is unnecessary. To get through this, we all need to cut...
Apr 30, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 4
There’s nothing more important right now than a good chat with a wise friend, and that’s exactly what Dr. Ciara Dockery is for both myself and every member of the Gurls Talk community. Ciara is a clinical psychologist and our new chief clinical advisor and she’s here to show us how we can do more than just survive isolation, we can thrive in it. This episode teaches us all about how our mental health can be impacted during such strange times. To overcome, we must take stock of our emotions and e...
Apr 23, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Starting a conversation with some spiritual handholding is always a good sign. And that’s the vibe Bea and Tina from the TARA Sisters, and Nike athlete Zeina Nassar brought to this episode from the Gurls Talk Berlin live event. Both the TARA Sisters and Zeina are playing their part in changing the world. For Bea and Tina, it’s about recognising how our youth are key to building a peaceful and compassionate future. They talk about how they create a space for teenage girls to navigate self-love an...
Apr 16, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 2
I really hope that you and your loved ones are all well and staying safe and healthy. I’m extremely happy to be back with you all for our new season. Given the global crisis caused by Covid-19, we are releasing this in an increasingly uncertain and scary time. Now, more than ever, it is important to create safe spaces that encourage open and honest conversations and help us stay connected. While we did debate as to whether or not to release one of the many podcasts we’ve already recorded pre-Cov...
Apr 09, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 1
It’s not every day that I get to sit down and talk to an Olympic fencer. And Ibtihaj Muhammad is so much more than her sporting accolades that catapulted her into the spotlight. Being the first American athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab was simply the springboard to everything that she’s done since – from writing books, to launching a clothing company and being an all-round superhero to a generation of girls. After speaking about the importance of role models on a panel talk at ...
Dec 20, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Recovery is no walk in the park, it’s hard work. But the thing about recovery, is that you can come back as a better version – the 2.0 you. And that’s what Tally’s done. In our conversation, we rewind five years to when we met in treatment to get clean and sober. As two very different people, we found our similarities and realised that although recovery can be lonely, it’s less so when you’ve got people to go through it with. I loved recording this episode. Tally and I talked about going into tr...
Nov 25, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Self-care doesn’t have to mean celery juices, mineral face masks and sage-burning yoga classes overlooking the ocean. Self-care is whatever makes you feel good. This is something the brilliant Kai-Isaiah Jamal and I spoke about in this week’s podcast. We discussed the power of preventative recovery, about knowing your triggers, setting boundaries and understanding what protective practices bring you back to yourself. We often think of recovery as the after event, what you do to heal. But prevent...
Nov 11, 2019•58 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Let’s get one thing clear – it’s absolutely OK to admit that things aren’t OK. But so often, our fears around mental health can be what holds us back from getting the support we need. I really wanted to get a male perspective on mental health and loved talking to Ashley as he opened up about his own experiences of suffering with depression and overcoming the macho, suck-it-up, don’t-share-your-feelings front that’s imposed on boys from a young age. Ashley and I talked about the negative impact o...
Oct 31, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Relationships are tough – sexual relationships, family relationships, friendships – because we all have stuff . We're all flawed and make mistakes. Candice Carty-Williams' brilliant debut book Queenie is all about living with our stuff and understanding our value. In this week's episode, Candice and I had a very frank conversation about the themes in her book. We talked about sex, and the importance of women having sexual agency. We talked about online dating, interracial dating and the damagi...
Sep 30, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Spots, cysts, acne, bright-red-tomato-face with skin flaking off. Whatever your breakout, we know how much of a confidence-kill troubled skin can be. I have battles with my own skin, but I hide it quite well – I say no to jobs, I don’t go to events, I wear a hoodie. We’re so used to retreating to the shadows when our skin flares up. We apologise for it, feel judged because of it. But Louisa is making big steps in acne positivity with her amazing Instagram movement #freethepimple. She’s created a...
Sep 25, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 28
