The Making of...

Our guest this week is the very funny and very thought-provoking Lucy Davis! Lucy is best known as Dawn from the British TV show The Office, she then went on to star in movies like Shaun of The Dead,  Wonder Woman and now lives in LA, having broken America and starring in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. We talked about pivotal moments in Lucy's life which has involved some setbacks including a kidney transplant and recovering from an eating disorder. In our conversation, we talk about disordered eating in some detail so that's something to bear in mind if you're going through it right now. Lucy has really leaned into the spiritual side of her life, which is new ground for this podcast and we talked about positive thinking, healing and gratitude so it's a bit of a different conversation for the last in our series but it really made us think about the power of the mind. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/.

Our very special guest this week is Ruby Bridges who changed the world forever at just six years old. In 1960 Ruby was the first black child to go to an integrated school in the American South. This moment has become an iconic symbol of the civil rights movement and changed her life forever. Books have been written about her, movies made about her and the artist Norman Rockwell painted the moment of her first day at school - a work of art that Barack Obama moved into the White House during his precedency. Ruby and I talked about her story, how she became an activist, the horrific racism she faced and how she feels about her place in history. We were so lucky to have this conversation and I hope it means as much to you as it did to us. Ruby’s memoir This Is Your Time is released in the UK this month.  *** Born on September 8, 1954, Ruby Bridges was the oldest of five children and at two years old, her parents moved their family to New Orleans, Louisiana in search of better work opportunities. Ruby’s birth year coincided with the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, which ended racial segregation in public schools. But southern states continued to resist integration, and in 1959, Ruby attended a segregated New Orleans kindergarten.  A year later Louisiana was forced to desegregate. The school district created entrance exams for African American students to see whether they could compete academically at the all-white school. Ruby and five other students passed the exam. On November 14 1960 Ruby and her mother were escorted by four federal marshals to the school and they escorted her every day that year. She walked past crowds screaming slurs at her - someone even held a black baby doll in a coffin. She spent her first day in the principal’s office due to the chaos created as angry white parents pulled their children from school. Some parents withdrew their children permanently.  Over time, other African American students enrolled and Ruby graduated from a desegregated high school, became a travel agent, married and had four sons.  Ruby has been a lifelong activist for racial equality and in1999 she established The Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote tolerance and create change through education.  *** The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest today is the award-winning poet Hollie McNish! Hollie was UK Slam Poetry Champion in 2009 and went on to win the prestigious Ted Hughes Award for poetry in 2016. She's released 4 books of poetry and her fifth collection called Slug is out this month. Hollie spoke about everything from childbirth to the magic of words and she even performed one of our favourite poems. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest this week is the actor Rebecca Root! Rebecca came to fame in 2015 starring in the groundbreaking BBC TV Series Boy Meets Girl, where she was the first transgender actor to be cast in a lead transgender role in a mainstream sitcom. Since then Rebecca has worked on a range of film and television shows including the smash hit The Queen's Gambit and The Danish Girl. We talked about the huge changes in her life, the power of an inspiring teacher, struggling with gender identity & falling in love. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest this week is the actor, writer and disability campaigner Samantha Renke! Samantha came to fame in the groundbreaking Maltesers ad which was one of the first representations on TV of a wheelchair user as being funny and sexy. This moment was a turning point for Samantha's career but also a really painful time due to online trolling which we talked about in our conversation. We also covered ableism, finding independence, dating and why she hates being called an inspiration. Samantha was so funny and so honest, it was one of the most enlightening conversations and we hope you think so too. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest this week is Mandu Reid, leader of The Women's Equality Party. Mandu made history as the first Black leader of a national political party in Britain. She was born in Malawi and lived for some time in Swaziland under the last years of apartheid. She's been campaigning for racial and gender equality throughout her life, leading her to The Women's Equality Party. We talked about a lot of meaty subjects like racial segregation, abortion, sexual harassment and hitchhiking as a teenager through the night in South Africa. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest this week is the writer and campaigner Bryony Gordon.  As well as her weekly column for the Telegraph, Bryony is a prolific author - writing six books in the last seven years. These memoirs are funny and painful explorations of mental health and addiction, and her most recent book No Such Thing as Normal is a practical guide for those struggling to cope Bryony is a passionate mental health campaigner and in 2016 she founded Mental Health Mates - a network of peer support groups.  In 2017 she started her Mad World podcast, where Prince Harry chose to give his first interview about the mental health problems he has experienced. In our conversation we talked about addiction, rehab, motherhood, mental health, and why it’s good to choose the slightly dull guy.  The two of Bryon’s books we talk about most are: No Such Thing As Normal  (2021) My Glorious Rock Bottom (2020) And this is the excellent mental health support group set up by Bryony: Mental Health Mates  The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the second series of The Making of... from The Female Lead Our guest this week is the fastest British Woman in history! It’s Dina Asher Smith Dina’s career as a sprinter has been a series of firsts - she is the first British woman to win a major global sprint title. In 2018, she won three gold medals at the European championships making her the first British woman to ever win a treble at a major event.   As a young athlete she was the world's fastest teenager ever over 60m and 200m. And Dina still found the time to get into King’s College University to study History - a subject that she says has given her a vital perspective on everything she does. And that is exactly the kind of astute comment that Dina comes out with throughout this conversation. Dina is so wise and inspiring at only 25 years old. Our chat delved into everything from the psychology of winning, how she deals with racism and the motivational power of a McDonalds apple pie! The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead. And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma Make your moments last forever with Missoma and get an exclusive 15% by using MAKE15 now on https://uk.missoma.com/

Welcome to the final episode of this series of The Making Of... from The Female Lead.  Our guest this week is the comedian, actor, writer and national treasure Mel Giedroyc! This was our first ever conversation with Mel, but it feels like talking to an old friend because she is so relaxed and funny and loves a chat. She is also packed full of wisdom - just as a national treasure should be. Best known as part of the Mel and Sue double act, she started out doing live sketch comedy, then moved into acting and presenting, culminating in seven years hosting the phenomenal Great British Bake Off. Famous for their unique style of gentle but irreverent humour, Mel and Sue set the tone for what has become one of Britain's best-loved shows.  As well as presenting, acting and everything else, Mel has also written two books on motherhood and now her first novel The Best Things, which is out in the new year.  Mel shared a great list of moments that have made her, ranging from her first “road to Damascus moment” in the theatre and up to losing her house in her 40s. We also talked about the loneliness of being a new mum, female friendship and how she managed seven years of eating loads of cake. The interview was recorded over zoom, at the height of lockdown, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly.  Although this is the last episode, we will be back soon with a new series of brilliant women in the new year.  * Mel Giedroyc grew up in Leatherhead as the youngest of four children,  she went to Cambridge University where she met Sue Perkins and they formed a double act which was shortlisted for the Best Newcomers Award at the Edinburgh Festival. They built a long-standing professional relationship including hosting Light Lunch and then Late Lunch on Channel Four. Mel & Sue are best known these days for presenting The Great British Bake Off. In September 2016, Love Productions switched the contract to televise The Great British Bake Off from the BBC to Channel Four. Both Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc stepped down as hosts of the show after seven years. In her career, Mel has worked on numerous TV shows and radio shows, as well as on stage - most recently in Steven Sondheim’s Company in the West End and Much Ado About Nothing at the Rose Theatre.  Mel has always loved writing and has published two books about motherhood  From Here to Maternity: One Mother of a Journey and Going Ga-Ga: Is there life after birth? In 2021 her first novel The Best Things will be released. * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

Welcome to the 7th episode of The Making Of... from The Female Lead.  Our guest this week is the classicist, writer, broadcaster and troll fighter Dame Mary Beard!  Mary is the best-known classicist working in Britain today and has written many popular books on the ancient world including the award-winning Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town.  She has also presented highly-acclaimed BBC documentaries and is a regular broadcaster and media commentator. She is classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement and writes a regular blog, A Don’s Life.  Despite writing about and studying the ancient world, Mary is very much part of the now and is an avid social media user, where she became known for standing up to sexist trolls on Twitter. Her stance on how older women are treated in the media has also made her something of a feminist hero in recent years and we talked a lot about the disappearance of older women in our conversations. We also covered how to deal with trolls, how to not be boring and cancel culture.   The interview was recorded over zoom, during lockdown, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly.  * Mary Beard is one of Britain’s best-known classicists, Professor at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Newnham College. She has written numerous books on the ancient world, has presented highly-acclaimed TV series and is a regular broadcaster and media commentator. Mary is one of the presenters for the BBC’s recent landmark Civilisations series. In 2013 she received an OBE for services to classical scholarship, her latest books include the critically-acclaimed SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome and thought-provoking Women & Power: A Manifesto. Mary was made a Dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2018 * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead and the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma 

Welcome to the 6th episode of The Making Of... from The Female Lead.  Our guest this week is the legendary make-up artist, entrepreneur and founder of the iconic Bobbi Brown cosmetics. It’s the one and only Bobbi Brown herself! Bobbi started out as a make-up artist and then, through a chance conversation with a chemist, created a few simple lipsticks that evolved into a global beauty empire. Since leaving her billion-dollar company in 2016, she has launched Beauty Evolution and finished her 9th book, ‘Beauty from The Inside Out’.  But despite her incredible story of glamour and success, Bobbi could not be more down to earth, easy-going and funny. We talked about not feeling beautiful, how to start a business, and the stressful moments working mothers deal with every day (even big-time beauty moguls) like racing home to deal with your child’s fever - Bobbi has been there. We recorded the interview over zoom, during lockdown, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly.  * Bobbi Brown grew up in Chicago and graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a self-created degree in theatrical makeup and photography. After that, she moved to New York to work as a professional make-up artist. During this time she became known for a totally new style which was all about natural tones, which was very different to the popular look at that time in the late 1980s. In 1991 she launched the brand Bobbi Brown Essentials, which was a phenomenal success resulting in Estée Lauder buying the company in 1995, and keeping Bobbi on until she stepped down in 2016. Since leaving Bobbi has started a new lifestyle brand, Beauty Evolution, and continued to write books, making her a New York Times bestselling author as well as all of her other accolades.  Bobbi’s style of make up has been hugely influential in the beauty industry - she genuinely revolutionised the world of make-up and her impact lives on forever. * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead and the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

Welcome to the fifth episode of The Making Of... from The Female Lead.  Our guest this week is the FGM campaigner and author, Nimco Ali. As a survivor of FGM herself, for over 10 years Nimco has been fighting to end this practice throughout the world. She is CEO of the Five Foundation and she has just been appointed as an independent government adviser tackling violence against women and girls. In 2019 she also published her first book What We’re Told Not To Talk About (But We’re Going To Anyway).  Our conversation covered many tough topics like FGM and violence against women, as well as race, privilege and coming to terms with the past. It was an emotional conversation at times and we were honoured to experience Nimco’s total honesty and willingness to share.  We recorded the interview over zoom, at the height of lockdown, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly.  * Nimco Ali OBE is a Somali British social activist and writer. She co-founded Daughters of Eve, a non-profit organisation which works to protect girls and young women who are at risk from female genital mutilation (FGM), in 2010 and The Five Foundation, which leverages resources for front line activists, in 2019. Nimco has helped to position FGM as a central issue in ending violence against women and girls. Her professional experience has included working for counter-terrorism within the civil service, supporting the rights of girls in the UK as part of Girlguiding UK and as network lead on The Girl Generation, the DfID-funded anti-FGM social change communications initiative. She is also a leading commentator in international media on the rights of girls and women – particularly surrounding FGM and related issues. In 2014, she was awarded Red Magazine’s Woman of the Year award, and placed at No 6 on the Woman’s Hour Power List. Most recently she was named by the Sunday Times as one of Debrett’s 500 most influential people in Britain, as well one of the Evening Standard‘s 1000 most powerful and BBC’s 100 Women 2018. * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead and the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

Welcome to the fourth episode of The Making Of... from The Female Lead.  Our guest this week is the Chief International Anchor of CNN, Christiane Amanpour. To say that Christiane is a powerhouse is an understatement - she has covered every major war zone, interviewed the world’s most powerful leaders and asked hundreds of difficult questions in the toughest situations. We asked Christiane to choose six key life moments that have made her who she is today and her list is as formidable as you might imagine with some great revelations including her work as a pub cleaner and the time a political leader slammed the phone down on her, live on TV.  Our conversation didn’t just cover Christiane’s incredible life. This episode was recorded in June 2020,  just after George Floyd’s death, and so we spent the first part talking about the BLM protests happening around the world and Christiane gave her candid view on how journalists should deal with the question of impartiality during these important times. We recorded the interview over zoom, at the height of lockdown, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly.  * Christiane Amanpour is CNN's chief international anchor of the network's award-winning, flagship global affairs program "Amanpour," which also airs on PBS in the United States. Beginning in 1983 as an entry-level assistant on the international assignment desk at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, Amanpour rose through the organisation becoming a reporter at the New York bureau, and later, the network's leading international correspondent. Amanpour's fearless and uncompromising approach made her popular with audiences, and a force to be reckoned with by global influencers -- in 1996, Newsweek said that her reporting from conflict hotspots in the Gulf and the Balkans had helped make CNN 'must-see TV for world leaders' Amanpour has earned every major television journalism award including eleven News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, nine honorary degrees, has been named a CBE,  is an honorary citizen of Sarajevo and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of the Press and the Safety of Journalists. * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead and the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

Welcome to the third episode of The Making Of from The Female Lead. Our guest this week is the journalist and author Yomi Adegoke. We love Yomi’s work and were so excited to interview her and capture her infectious energy, honesty and humour.  As always, she chose six key life moments that have made her who she is today. The list she came up with is a great story which starts with her deciding not to care about looks at the age of 15 and comes full circle to giving up on hair - listen and you’ll see what we mean! We also touched on the big subjects of race, class, and mental health, but somehow there’s a lot of laughs too. The episode was recorded during lockdown, over zoom, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly. Yomi Adegoke is a multi-award-winning journalist, who writes for The Independent, The Guardian and Vogue among others. In 2018 she was listed as one of most influential people in London by the Evening Standard after the publication of her first book, written with co-author Elizabeth Uviebinene, Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible. This phenomenal book was based on interviews with 39 successful black British women spanning different industries and gives advice and inspiration to young black women. The Slay in Your Lane brand has become a huge phenomenon with a podcast, journal, events and this year, another branded book. In October 2020 Yomi and Elizabeth launched another Slay in Your Lane title: Loud Black Girls - an important and timely anthology of black British writing, featuring essays from the diverse voices of 20 established and emerging black British writers. The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead and the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

Welcome to the second episode of The Making Of from The Female Lead. Our guest this week is the broadcaster, journalist and author Emma Barnett. We asked her to choose six key life moments that have made her who she is today. The list she came up with is full of surprises, and all delivered in her wonderful straight-talking style. Our conversation covered a lot of ground - Emma’s naughty school days, her burning ambition, struggles with fertility, dealing with IVF and the agony of endometriosis. It sounds heavy, but Emma always delivers even the most painful stories with a big helping of irreverent humour.  The episode was recorded during lockdown, over zoom, so please bear with us as some bits may sound a little wobbly. That’s the new normal! Emma Barnett is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster.  She presents The Emma Barnett Show on BBC Radio 5 Live, where she has gained a reputation as a fearless political interviewer. She’s also one of the regular Newsnight hosts and has just announced that in January 2021 she will be taking over the national treasure that is BBC Woman’s Hour. Emma and her radio show have won a string of industry awards, with Emma named Radio Broadcaster of the Year 2018 by the Broadcasting Press Guild and Broadcaster of the Year 2017 by the Political Studies Association. Prior to joining the BBC, Emma worked in newspapers, while cutting her broadcasting teeth at LBC. In 2019 Emma launched her first book, Period: About Bloody Time, which examines the taboos around menstruation. The book was inspired by the major reaction she received after announcing she was on her period while debating on Sky News, and her own recent diagnosis with endometriosis. The book looks at the history of myths and misconceptions about periods,  tells women’s untold stories and aims to instil a sense of period pride in both women and men. * If you think you might be suffering from Endometriosis here is a good place to find out more. As Emma says on this podcast: if you’re suffering from period pain do try to find answers. https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/ * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma 

The episode was recorded during lockdown, over zoom, so please bear with us as some bits might sound a little wobbly (especially when Caitlin’s husband called in the middle of the recording to ask what she wanted from the shops and on another occasion her dog was pulling up the carpet). Caitlin is the eldest of eight children, home-educated on a council estate in Wolverhampton in a three-bedroom house. She published a children’s novel, The Chronicles of Narmo, at the age of 16, and became a columnist at The Times at 18 and she still has a column there. She has been named Columnist of the Year six times and at one point, was also Interviewer and Critic of the Year. Her multi-award-winning bestseller How to Be a Woman has been published in 28 countries and won the British Book Awards’ Book of the Year 2011. Her two volumes of collected journalism, Moranthology and Moranifesto, were Sunday Times bestsellers, and her novel, How to Build a Girl, debuted at Number One, and is now a movie starring Beanie Feldstein - it’s great you can watch it on Amazon now!  Her book How to Be A Woman, was a game-changing take on feminism and the patriarchy. Now in her 40s, with teenage daughters, Caitlin is back with More Than A Woman: a guide to growing older and a manifesto for change. In this interview we spoke about body image, marriage, sharing the domestic load, eating disorders, botox and loads more. * If you are struggling with eating disorders, or someone close to you is, Caitlin recommended these great places to find help: Beat  https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ Eva Musby  https://anorexiafamily.com/ * The Making Of is hosted by Bea Appleby and is edited by Lauren Lind. The production is brought to you by The Female Lead And the whole series is very kindly sponsored by Missoma

The Making Of is a new podcast from The Female Lead, launching next Wednesday 23rd September 2020 (with a new episode dropping weekly). In this 8-part series, The Female Lead's, Bea Appleby interviews brilliant women about the moments that have made them. Each woman has chosen 6 key moments - some are fateful, some decisive, some just accidental, but all show just how rambling our routes to success and happiness can be. We laughed, we cried and we generally got to the bottom of these brave, funny and fascinating women to find out how they got where they are. Our first episode is with the legend Caitlin Moran  - you don't want to miss it, so make sure to subscribe. This series was created in lockdown and is kindly sponsored by Missoma. And again, don't forget to subscribe! Series one includes The Making Of: Caitlin Moran, Bobbi Brown, Yomi Adegoke, Christiane Amanpour, Steph Yeboah, Emma Barnett, Mary Beard, Nimco Ali