Changes with Annie Macmanus

This week on Changes, we welcome Shon Faye journalist and author of The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice, the biggest selling book on this topic in Britain and a Sunday Times Bestseller. Shon also hosts the podcast Call Me Mother which features conversations with LGBTQ+ trailblazers about what it means to be queer today. Shon’s book has been described as both urgent and important and something which everyone should read. It presents the facts about trans people in Britain today uncovering the reality of what it means to be trans in a transphobic society whilst offering solutions.Here Shon talks Annie through her changes, her own experience of being trans, media misrepresentation, education, family, shame, addiction and love.Content warning: references are made to abuse, alcoholism and drug addiction.You can buy Shon’s book The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transgender-Issue-Argument-Justice/dp/0241423147Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.htmlChanges is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can knowing more about the Universe change your life? Professor Brian Cox has the answer. A Former rock star turned physicist who has gone from playing keys in the band D:Ream, which had a UK No. 1 hit with "Things Can Only Get Better", to becoming everyone’s favourite physicist selling out arenas around the world with his fascinating shows about the Universe. Brian has previously been compared to David Attenborough in the science world having presented numerous documentaries for the BBC including the ‘Wonders of’ series, starting with ‘Wonders of the Solar System’. He’s also co-written 8 books with his latest ‘Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe’ coming out in October. This episode will make you think about our significance in the Universe and maybe even change your mind about your ability to change things - Brian's certainly tried to do that with our world leaders delivering a definite mic drop moment which he relives here. You can buy tickets to the world tour of Horizons – A 21st Century Space Odyssey with Brian and comedian Robin Ince here: https://briancoxlive.co.uk/ You can also pre order Brian’s new book here:https://www.waterstones.com/book/black-holes/professor-brian-cox/professor-jeffrey-forshaw/9780008597061Changes is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s fair to say Robbie Williams knows a thing or two about change - catapulted from Stoke On Trent to superstar fame as a teenager in Take That before becoming one of the best selling artists of all time, a spotlight which came with relentless scrutiny and pressures. Robbie has achieved 13 number one UK albums, a record 18 Brit Awards and sold 80 million records worldwide. Today, he is a husband and father to four children, makes his own art which was showcased at Sotheby’s in London and has just released a new album, ‘XXV’ celebrating 25 years as a solo artist. There’s also a big tour coming up and a biopic of his life being made called ‘Better Man’, so it felt like a good time to speak to Robbie about the changes that have defined his life. In this conversation we get a real insight into his childhood, what it really felt like to join Take That, the fame game and its impact, his purpose and why he’s up for trying new things, including his first experience of DJing in Ibiza. As you’d expect Robbie is incredibly giving and doesn’t shy away from the big stuff.You can buy tickets to Robbie's tour and buy the new album here: https://robbiewilliams.com/Content: references to suicide and drug useShould you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.htmlChanges is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for a South Dublin takeover! Annie is joined by the Irish comedian Joanne McNally, who, as well as hosting the phenomenally successful podcast ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’ with her friend Vogue Williams, has sold out 60 nights at the Vicar Street venue in Dublin with her stand up show The Prosecco Express (that’s 63,000 tickets for that venue alone), played 4 sold out shows at the Palladium in London and recently sold out the Apollo with extra dates added. As the Guardian says, 'she radiates relatability; she’s able to sum up many women’s innermost thoughts and feelings with lightning wit and an invariably hilarious turn of phrase.'In her late thirties now, Joanne has had a completely unconventional route to comedy success, taking in seven years to complete her university degree, a phase working in PR, and spell in an eating disorder recovery programme. Joanne is unflinchingly honest and open about her life and this episode is predictably hilarious but also revealing and inspiring for anyone who feels like they are lost or unsure of what their path in life is. Content: eating disorders are discussed.Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.Changes is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changesFor tickets head to: https://www.joannemcnally.com/Listen to My Therapist Ghosted Me Here: https://podfollow.com/1560176558/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are revisiting actress and director Billie Piper and Bexy Cameron who was born into a cult called the Children of God.Billie Piper has been famous since she was 14, first a popstar then an award winning actress often playing complicated female characters, starring in Doctor Who, Secret Diary of A Call Girl, Collateral, I Hate Suzie, Yerma (for which she won 6 best actress awards) and, in 2021, Rare Beasts, which she wrote and directed. On Changes, Billie opened up about her life, relationships and early fame and the impact of that on her, including having to answer inappropriate questions in high profile interviews.  Bexy Cameron, was born into one of the world’s most notorious cults called the Children of God which her parents became the leaders of. She was 9 years old when she experienced her first exorcism. Children in the cult were raised to believe that sex was love and there were no boundaries. Bexy escaped and is now leading a happy life and is able to speak about what happened to her having written a book about her experience called 'Cult Following: My Escape and Return to the Children of God'. Here we revisit the beginning of her story before she escaped. Content warning: child abuse is referencedYou can buy Cult Following: My Escape and Return to the Children of God by Bexy Cameron here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cult-Following-escape-return-Children/dp/1786580926Listen to the full episodes here:Billie Piperhttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/8a434451433883c231836d9712570fe60355a3e8/viewBexy Cameron https://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/c6f46ccbea3e9988fb9e901a3cfdd9a26e639543/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looking back at some stand out episodes, this week we revisit Davina McCall and Billy Porter. National treasure and TV legend Davina McCall has become a voice for women going through menopause raising awareness and understanding. She has also been through a lot in her life, here talking about being left with her Granny as a child and her subsequent fear of abandonment which she unintentionally came to face as an adult with a hypnotist. She also spoke so openly about her experience and knowledge of the menopause. We revisit some important lessons. Billy Porter, the incomparable Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winning actor, singer, writer and fashion icon literally sings to you about change here. In spite of all his success with Kinky Boots, Pose, a Strange Loop and so much more, Billy has had a difficult life leading up to it with a lot of trauma. He has overcome huge obstacles, prejudices and changes in his life, so we had to revisit this episode and his relationship to change. Billy’s directorial debut Anything's Possible is now out on Amazon Prime. Content warning: references child abuse and homophobiaListen to the full episodes here:Davina McCall https://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/d05c49b36647de927e41b9b57dc24c68ae04c73e/viewBilly Porterhttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/b0b7620c4ec62f86dc1850cf9c439a21239ec115/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we revisit highlights from two impactful episodes, the incredible author Zadie Smith and Jhemar Jonas who’s brother Michael was fatally stabbed to death.Since the night of his brother’s death, when Jhemar was 16, Jhemar has been trying to change the world advocating for youth-led solutions to violence and knife crime. He has mentored students and provided consultancy for City Hall, the Metropolitan police and Google about youth culture and violence prevention. He’s also a rapper who goes by the name of Rippa. The episode is one of Annie's favourites to date, an essential listen for an insight into the problem of knife crime in London. Here, we revisit that fateful night he lost his brother, as well as how Jhemar’s own mentor has changed his life.  Highly celebrated, bestselling and award winning author Zadie Smith spoke to us about New York and coming home. In her early days she wrote about her experiences as a young black woman growing up in London and changed the landscape in the publishing world. She spoke to Annie during lockdown when she had just written six personal, powerful and reflective essays called Intimations exploring ideas and questions around the new reality during the pandemic and the things it made her reflect on including socialism and the dangers of individualism. Zadie had just moved back from New York to her home city of London, when Trump was still President, and spoke about that change, the events of 2020 and the differences between the two cities.Listen to the full episodes here:Jhemar Jonashttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/374003823e75775dd520a560e71f7e88c7b1b8fc/viewZadie Smith https://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/04620326c73bb820b8cc28750958f7811ee42d59/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In August 2015 author Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile south west coast path. Setting her feet down on the rugged and difficult path by the sea answers long standing questions. What followed was the journey of self discovery documented in her book The Electricity of Every Living Thing which has just been adapted into an immersive Audible Original drama. This week, we invited Katherine to talk about the physical and psychological journey that she undertook in the Electricity of Every Living Thing. Katherine kindly and patiently tells us her story of discovery, the repercussions of growing up unaware that she was autistic, the ways she coped and struggled and masked over the years, the profound relief of being able to put a name and a community around her experiences, and how nature has become her best friend, in all its sensory glory.  Katherine’s story gives a life affirming message of what it means to be different and how we handle change within ourselves. The Electricity of Every Living Thing is now available as an Audible Original immersive audio drama. Listen for free with your 30-day trial at audible.co.uk. From £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See audible.co.uk/FT for eligibility Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes If you've been affected by today's show or want further resources around autism or autism diagnosis please visit: https://katherine-may.co.uk/autism-resource-page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are revisiting highlights from two very prominent people in British Media - Romesh Ranganathan and Katie Price.Romesh is one of the UK’s most successful comedians but as you will hear in this conversation he experienced seismic changes in his life before he became famous. His whole world was turned upside down as a child when within the space of six months, his house was repossessed, he changed schools, his mum found out his dad was having an affair and his dad went to prison! Here we revisit him telling us about his childhood and relationship with his Dad after these events.  Katie Price, best known as a glamour model ‘Jordan’ has had a rollercoaster of a life, so this episode in March 2021 was the same. She discussed her early days and fame, her relationships (she’s been married 3 times), her five children, online abuse and feeling more herself. But here we revisit Katie telling us about her mental health, what was then her recent stay in the Priory and her relationship with the press. Listen to the full episodes here:Romesh Ranganathanhttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/6c73fb35adf9f5a1b1667634f5086aeb09d98778/viewKatie Pricehttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/ca37ffd7ecfa29c243f45d9a3caaaca2b2b55144/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do people commit violent crimes? Do we all have the capacity to be evil? And is it possible to change the mind of a murderer? This week on Changes, we speak to one of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrists Dr Gwen Adshead, co-author of the Sunday Times Bestseller The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry. Dr Adshead has spent over thirty years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons like Broadmoor working with violent offenders who have committed terrible crimes - serial homicide, stalking, arson. Her job is to help them to better know their minds and in turn understand why people do what they do. In this conversation, we look at the concept of evil, her work and lessons learnt, her experiences and the benefits of therapy. It will challenge you, it may even change how you think about offenders and evil.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denise Gough is a double Olivier Award winning actress having blown away critics in the plays People, Places and Things and Angels in America, but before seeing her name in lights, Denise was a homeless drug addict begging on Shaftesbury Avenue. This is her account of her remarkable story of change, from a small town in Ireland to being one of the most in demand actresses today. That success includes starring alongside Keira Knightly in Collette, giving a phenomenally powerful performance in a psychological crime drama Too Close on ITV with Emily Watson and this summer becoming an even bigger star in the new Star Wars series Andor. Denise’s story is one of tragic revelations from her childhood in Ireland, where she grew up with 10 brothers and sisters, coming to terms with the experiences that she lived through and ultimately now owning her past and using it to be able to touch people through her acting today.Content warning: references to child abuse, sexual abuse and drug addiction.Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big Zuu is changing the face of television. From growing up on the Mozart Estate in West London to winning two BAFTAs for Big Zuu's Big Eats, delivering a powerful acceptance speech, he is a shining example of what people can achieve given the chance. Big Zuu’s mum arrived in the UK from Sierra Leone when she was pregnant. Since then, together, they have navigated changing circumstances, with Big Zuu studying to be a youth worker before becoming a rapper/grime MC and now huge TV personality and chef, winning people over by being unapologetically himself - upbeat, fun, charismatic, warm. He’s a man people want around and luckily for us we will be seeing much more of him. In this conversation he walks us through the biggest changes in his life from his humble beginnings to now and importantly, the changes he’d like to see. WatchHungry For It, out now on BBC ThreeBig Zuu’s Big Eats Series 3, just returned to Dave on Mondays Sneakerhead, Zuu’s acting debut, out on Wednesday 13th July on Dave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the age of 20, Lady Unchained went to prison. She didn’t believe she was the type of person who would ever do that. She went to church, was about to launch her own business and had no former convictions, but one day everything changed. She spent eleven months behind bars and five months tagged. Inside, she faced systemic racism and had to adapt to survive. It changed her, and leaving prison, she realised she was facing an uphill battle in changing people’s perceptions. Here, she shares her gripping account of her story leading up to, during and after her prison sentence.  Since her release, Lady Unchained has made it her mission to become an advocate for life after prison - a poet, performer, award winning broadcaster and now author with her new book ‘Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release’. She is the Founder and Creative Director of Unchained Poetry, an artistic platform for artists with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and runs poetry workshops in prisons and in Women Centres.  This is an inspiring and moving conversation. It will make you think, perhaps even change you.Content warning: references to suicide and racist abuse.  Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html You can buy Lady Unchained’s book Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release here:https://linktr.ee/lady_unchainedhttps://www.unchainedpoetry.com/Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a conversation about class, identity, ambition and grief. It's Grace Dent stripped back. Grace is a broadcaster, columnist, author, award winning food critic and now host of the brilliant podcast Comfort Eating. But she is also just a woman from humble working-class beginnings who grew up in Carlisle in the north of England and grafted and adapted to get to where she is today. Despite now living a glittering media life in London, appearing on MasterChef, dining in some of the best restaurants in the world and critiquing the food of Michelin star chefs, Grace has never forgotten where she is from or shied away from who she is - her accent, relationship to money, her perspective, all of which is covered here. She also lost her mum last year and dealt with her Dad having dementia before he died, experiences that changed her and which she doesn’t shy away from. In her own words, “why on earth did I choose those subjects, they’re so intimate and confessional”. But that is why this conversation is so illuminating, from Carlisle to London to facing mortality, it’s real, relatable and heartfelt. Grace's memoir Hungry: A memoir of wanting more can be bought here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hungry-Highly-Anticipated-Greatest-Writers/dp/0008333173You can also currently watch Grace hosting a new show with Ainsley Harriott called Best of British By The Sea for Channel 4https://www.channel4.com/programmes/best-of-britain-by-the-seaChanges is now a deaf friendly podcast please spread the word. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 It’s been 3 years but finally Glastonbury will be back in all its magnificent glory this week. The biggest festival in the world. A festival like no other. To get excited, co-organiser Emily Eavis made a visit to Annie’s rave shed to talk about all things change; personal change and changes at the festival which turned 50 in 2020! This year back on Worthy Farm in Somerset, the family and 200,000 revellers will finally be able to properly celebrate. Emily grew up on Worthy Farm so has witnessed it evolve since the 80s, taking on the role of co-organiser after her mum died when Emily was 19. Since then, she has had her own family and made her mark on Glastonbury, a festival with the most legendary line ups of all time. Annie and Emily talk through early memories, the festival's beginnings and roots, personal highlights and that defining moment of booking Jay Z to headline in 2008. All hail Emily Eavis.Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, ahead of Glastonbury, we welcome to Changes the incredible powerhouse that is Irish singer Róisín Murphy! Former frontwoman of Moloko and a solo artist with five solo albums to her name, nominations for the Mercury Music Prize, the Brit Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards and an icon in the world of fashion, with incredibly extravagant stage outfits and wild performances to match. She’s the queen of electronic music. Bold, unafraid and uniquely herself. No one exists like Róisín Murphy. Born in Arklow in Ireland, she moved with her family when she was 12 to Manchester. It was here that her life got turned upside down experiencing huge changes at a young age and ultimately immersed herself in music. Fearless, unique and not to be missed, on stage or otherwise. Find out more here:https://www.roisinmurphyofficial.com/Róisín has two playlists she curates and updates regularly on Spotify you can listen to here:Mum's Old School:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GLct83KuPD9lfpPcSa7ON?si=54b69510fa3e448aRóisín Caviar:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ewxLnbONaLb2keK5fCTC9?si=b7c1420ccf07495eChanges is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first ever live guest for Changes!! Ella Vaday is the drag persona of Nick Collier and self-proclaimed “drag beast from Dagenham East” who dominated the UK’s third series of Drag Race UK, almost winning. In this special episode recorded in front of a live audience at the London Podcast Show, Nick explains how despite appearances he hasn’t always been so confident in his identity. As a young boy Nick went through numerous challenging changes in quick succession and was always in denial about being gay unti much later in life. Here, he discusses how he came through these changes, came out to his family and starred in West End musicals like Wicked, Book of Mormon, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat and Cats. That is before the pandemic forced him to stop rehearsing for Hairspray and start stacking shelves in Morrisons. It was then that Nick honed his skills as drag queen Ella Vaday, on instagram, in lockdown before applying for Drag Race, the rest, as they say, is history! This is a conversation about identity, gender conditioning, starting things later in life, believing in yourself to overcome setbacks and how we can change the world if we can just allow ourselves to to live our truth!  Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long Covid is something which has changed many people’s lives, Kate Weinberg is one of them. According to the Office for National Statistics 1.3 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms as of 2 January 2022. Of those people more than four in 10 (so 42 per cent) were experiencing Long Covid symptoms more than a year after their first suspected infection. But what is it? How does it impact people? And most importantly, how do people get better? Kate Weinberg is an author who was at the height of her career having released her first novel ‘Traunts’ to great acclaim when she got Covid, which then developed into Long Covid. She is also a journalist and since suffering with Long Covid has written about her experience, being completely debilitated by it and coming through the other side 18 months later. In this episode, Kate shares the many symptoms she had, the countless things she has tried and tested and what she has learnt along the way and through her research. Long Covid has changed her. Much of what Kate has been through and felt could also apply to other long term conditions and will be relatable to many. Kate is incredibly articulate and we hope this will be a helpful insight for anyone suffering or supporting others.  You may find the following websites useful for further information, statistics, advice and tips on symptoms:https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covidhttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-long-covid/https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/what-is-covid-19/long-covid/We must note the first port of call for anyone with covid symptoms should be your GP. You can find more about Kate and buy her novel here: https://www.kateweinbergwriter.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roddy Doyle is a cultural beacon of Ireland and an absolute joy to listen to. In this episode the renowned novelist speaks to Annie about art, identity, growing older and a changing Ireland. Roddy won the Booker Prize in 1993 for his seminal novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, and is the author of eleven acclaimed novels including The Commitments, The Snapper,The Van and Smile. Roddy grew up in Dublin in the 60s and talks in this episode about his really uncomfortable experience of attending a Christian Brothers School in Ireland and how that shaped him, how he started out as a writer, bad reviews, his use of the Dublin dialect, and how becoming a Father didn’t just change when he wrote but how he wrote.  Content warning: references to sexual abuse of children and corporal punishment. You can find more about Roddy’s work and buy his books here:http://www.roddydoyle.ie/index.htmlBIG NEWS! Changes is going Live tomorrow on 24th May at the Podcast Show in London with drag queen Ella Vaday! Find out more and buy your tickets here:https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/homehttps://thepodcastshowlondon.seetickets.com/event/changes-with-annie-macmanus/business-design-centre/2338017Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Lycett is one of Britain's most loved comedians affecting change through his comedy in the most brilliant and beautiful ways. Not one to shy away from the bigger issues at play, Joe invites people to think, and actively questions about the systems we live in. After the death of his friend who died in lockdown, a change which has had a huge impact on Joe’s life, his mockery of the official inquiry into party gate by tweeting a fake Sue Grey report made headlines. Even the Government was concerned there was a serious leak! And, as you will hear, a chance meeting with Conservative MP Nadine Dorries at the BAFTAs went really well!Joe is also an artist, pansexual and openly addresses LGBTQ+ issues in his work.  His current UK tour More More More! How Do You Lycett? How Do You Lycett? does just that and has a big reveal which Joe has been working on for years, a show which confirms just how possible it is to change communities for the better. We love Joe. This episode will show you the changes that fuelled his life today, why he does what he does and the changes he still wants. You can find ticket details to Joe’s tour here:https://joelycett.com/ComedyYou can find Joe’s tweeted fake Sue Grey Report here:https://bit.ly/3PfCPQfBIG NEWS! Changes is going Live on 24th May at the Podcast Show in London with drag queen Ella Vaday! Find out more and buy your tickets here:https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/homehttps://thepodcastshowlondon.seetickets.com/event/changes-with-annie-macmanus/business-design-centre/2338017Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it is Mental Health Awareness Week so to talk through his own journey, specifically his experience with psychosis, is actor, director and now author, David Harewood, best known for his roles as CIA Counterterrorism Director David Estes in Homeland.From Birmingham, born to parents from Barbados, David has had huge success on stage, in TV and in Hollywood. Yet, in his recent memoir ‘Maybe I Don’t Belong Here’, David details the racial abuse he suffered as a black British boy and man growing up in the UK, abuse which ultimately led to, as he describes, his “unravelling” and being sectioned under the Mental Health Act twice. His BAFTA nominated BBC documentary David Harewood: My Psychosis and Me is shocking and insightful particularly around the difference in psychiatric treatment of black people in hospitals. In this episode he talks through his life and experience, the things that led to his psychosis, the voices in his head, the contrasts between America and the UK and how he became a successful actor despite all of this psychological upheaval and racial abuse. His book Maybe I Don’t Belong Here is crucial reading. You can buy it here:https://linktr.ee/DavidHarewoodChanges is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changesContent references: racism, racist abuse, psychotic episodes. Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is Deaf Awareness Week, so we welcome Eastenders actor and 2021 Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling Ellis to Changes, our first deaf guest. Rose has been deaf since birth and is a British Sign Language user, recently backing the campaign to make it a recognised language in England. This year, Rose received the Visionary Honours Award for Inspirational Person of the Year whilst her appearance on Strictly last year has significantly helped in changing people’s perceptions of deaf people and given confidence to the deaf community. Her Couple's Choice dance with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice featured a period of silence as a tribute to the deaf community and became an award winning TV Moment of the Year. Since her appearance on Strictly there has been a 4000 per cent increase in uptake of British Sign Language classes! Rose creates change just by being present, showing what she is capable of and breaking down barriers. She boldly seeks to change perceptions and the law to make life fairer for the deaf community. She’s also irresistibly charming.  We are delighted to say that Changes is now an accessible podcast for deaf people. You can find a transcript of this episode and all future episodes on the below website, please spread the word. https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changes Revisited is a chance to revisit some of our most compelling and entertaining episodes from the archives. This week we look back at highlights from two very different episodes and two very different people - Kelis and Dr Larch Maxey (a climate activist).Kelis, the multi-platinum, Grammy nominated artist, fashion icon, entrepreneur, mother, and now Cordon Bleu chef and farm owner, talks about these changes in her life including going from city life to tending to animals. She also shares her unique perspective on motherhood and the power of women. It’s a favourite on Changes!Dr Larch Maxey is a man who’s dedication to affecting change knows no boundaries. Larch is part of the Extinction Rebellion. We spoke to him in February 2021 from underground as he and a small group of other protesters occupied tunnels outside Euston station in London protesting against the high speed rail project HS2. Larch talked through fighting for what he believes in, his first experience of learning about climate change and the turning point that made him dedicate his life to activism. It was a rare, emotional and insightful conversation.Further reading https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-am-being-punished-for-peaceful-protest-before-appearing-in-court-k992m58l8https://juststopoil.org/https://www.hs2rebellion.earth/Listen to the full episodes here:Kelis:https://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/d002397ffc232691d2724ae61da43072b6f2dd1e/viewDr Larch Maxeyhttps://podfollow.com/changeswithanniemacmanus/episode/daf25c4b320565e72dd61d7fd2e190e0c07c1376/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's difficult not to divide Grace Spence Green's story into a before and after. The event that splits the two is one of the most dramatic instances of change that you can possible imagine: in 2018, Grace, then a 22 year-old medical student, was walking through a London shopping centre when a man jumped from a balcony, three storeys above, and landed on her. When she awoke, seven minutes later, surrounded by people, she realised she couldn't feel her legs. So began a painful process of coming to terms with the full extent of what had just happened – a process that, a few years later, is still in some sense on-going. Because while Grace quite quickly accepted the reality of her injury, and the implications it would have on her day-to-day, what she couldn't have predicted was the ways it would change her understanding of care, empathy and other people. This is a conversation about autonomy, quiet prejudice, and Grace's rejection of the expectations and limitations that society places on disabled people. It's also a powerful testament to something we all know, but avoid considering: unbelievable, uncontrollable changes can rear their heads at any ordinary instant. We may be powerless to stop them, but we can certainly control how we react to them. And in that way, Grace's story is profoundly inspiring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Douglas Stuart is the 2020 Booker Prize winning author. His story is one of survival, perseverance and defying people’s expectations. Douglas’ incredible debut novel Shuggie Bain was inspired by his upbringing in Glasgow, a time when he describes himself as a young queer son of a single mother struggling with addiction and poverty. Following his mother’s death, Douglas fended for himself and remarkably went on to study fashion at the Royal College of art in London where he was recognised and moved to New York to work for some of the biggest fashion brands in the world. He still lives in New York but now finally, after many rejections, as a writer, an acclaimed writer. Revisiting his past and putting pen to paper changed everything for him.  His writing is so immersive, due to his granular descriptions of the worlds his characters inhabit. They struggle against and around brutal violence and substance use and always with the backdrop of relentless poverty. His stories are sad, and frightening and viscerally told. His books take over your world and you can’t forget them. Here he shares the story of his life changes with Annie. Stuart’s second novel Young Mungo will be published this Thursday (14th April). You can pre order it here: https://www.douglasdstuart.com/books-1Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Ronson is one of the most celebrated and successful music producers around. Oscar, Golden Globes, Grammys, you name it he’s been awarded it for his services to era defining pop music. He’s made records with Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Queens Of The Stone Age, Bruno Mars, and the list goes on and on.  Annie has interviewed Mark Ronson countless times in her career, but this was a different flex of interview, where they were able to zoom out on his whole journey, and explore his processes of music production, growing older in the music game, a new template of success, a new marriage, and how all his big personal changes are rooted in his beloved New York City (Cue Odyssey - Native New Yorker!) Enjoy!Annie and Mark mention Yebba in this episode who you can listen back to on Changes here:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changes-with-annie-macmanus/id1465937091?i=1000535968549 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring you a conversation with TV legend Scarlett Moffatt. Gogglebox legend, I’m A Celeb winner, Podcaster and now documentarian. Scarlett joined me to talk through her biggest changes, from road accidents to bell's palsy to bullying to TV stardom, to extreme celebrity to how she eventually found her way back to herself. Scarlett experienced brutal changes in her childhood and surreal and extreme changes in adulthood but none of them have held her back thank god. Talking to Scarlet was refreshing and uplifting and a total tonic. Hopefully listening to this will be the same for you. Scarlett Investigates... will be out on Channel 4 this Spring.You can listen to Scarlett's podcast here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08c6f5x/episodes/playerShould you be affected by bullying or any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.htmlIf you like this episode you may also be interested in listening to Lisa Nealan's story: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/lisa-nealan/id1465937091?i=1000538890862 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Danila Khomutovsky is a 38 year old Ukrainian man. He is a husband and a father to a 7 year old son, a voice artist, co-founder of the radio station Aristocrats and has lived in Kyiv for the last 10 years.  On 24th February 2022, his life and the lives of millions was upended when Russia invaded Ukraine. Despite peace talk efforts, Russian artillery and warplanes are continuing to pound cities and towns across Ukraine. More than three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia began its invasion — a rate of more than a million per week, the International Organisation for Migration has said.  Danila is now taking shelter in the Ukrainian countryside and working for ICTV channel as a voice of the “Civil Defence” program, volunteering for state agencies and private studios, recording voice overs in four languages to help win the war. He reached out to Annie on instagram as a listener to Changes and they spoke on the morning of Friday 11th March 2022.  In this important and compelling listen, Danila tells his story and experience of life in Ukraine before the war and now.  You can find out all about Artistocrats here:https://aristocrats.fm/Danila can be found here:https://m.facebook.com/100000473788642/twitter.com/DanKhomutovskiy instagram.com/danila_onemoretimehttps://m.soundcloud.com/danila-khomutovskiy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the vast majority of the Irish Diaspora, St Patrick's Day offers a regularly scheduled opportunity to get in touch with all of those warm, fuzzy notions of Ireland and home. But what if your relationship to home is a little bit more complicated? Emma Dabiri is the best-selling author of Don't Touch My Hair and What White People Can Do Next – two monumentally important discussions about race that have offered vital nuance and context at a time where more and more people have become engaged with identity politics. She also happens to be Irish! In fact, there are plenty of parallels between her life and Annie's. She grew up in Dublin, walking the very same streets at the very same time. Then, like Annie, she moved to London and started a new life, and a family, away from Ireland. But unlike Annie, her nostalgia for Ireland will always be tempered by her memories of growing up black in the overwhelmingly white context of Dublin in the '80s and '90s. It's led her to have a more delicate, and less rose-tinted, understanding of Ireland than many of her compatriots – but it's also imbued her with a strong sense of potentiality for Ireland's future. This is an honest conversation about Ireland's past, but it's also an optimistic look at that future, and the ways in which a country that, until recently, has had little experience of diversity – might be able to start with a blank slate, and avoid some of the pitfalls that have dogged nations with long, tangled histories of systemic racism. But more broadly, it's a conversation about home, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For International Women's Day tomorrow, we wanted to highlight women who experience homelessness. The average age of death for women sleeping rough or in emergency accommodation is four years lower than a man at just 41 years old.  Women are at much greater risk of physical and sexual violence, and more likely to be struggling with complex trauma, mental health issues, physical health, domestic abuse and/or substance misuse and some are permanently separated from their children. These traumatic experiences make it harder for some women to trust support services and harder to reach to offer support. There also just isn’t enough specialist accommodation for women in England.Someone who has experienced and witnessed all of the above is Kerri Douglas. In this episode, she shares her heartbreaking and remarkable story. After spending years on the streets battling severe substance and physical abuse as well as losing custody of her first child, she has become a force for change helping to inspire and educate others. She is now a mother to two more children (twins) and a certified substance abuse counsellor, studying for a psychology degree. The big turning point for Kerri was when she met some brilliant outreach staff from a charity dedicated to helping people who experience homelessness, called St Mungo's. The fact that Kerri is alive and thriving today is testament to her herculean strength and determination. Content warning: references to drug abuse, suicide, sexual abuse, miscarriage and violence. You can buy Kerri’s book Gutter To Glory: From Pavements to Parliament and listen to her podcast Conversations with Kerri here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blessed-Assurance-Gutter-Kerri-Douglas-ebook/dp/B07P58CX7Xhttps://anchor.fm/conversationswithkerri/episodes/A-Driving-Force-For-Change-e1e8gbhhttps://dropthelabel.co.uk/the-blog/ You can also contact St Mungo’s or donate to the charity here:  www.mungos.org/annieShould you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode of Changes, Annie talks about nightclubs with The Blessed Madonna - their history, their cultural significance and their tenuous future after Covid restrictions ravaged the industry in the last two years. Through statistics, lived experience and passion for what night-clubs can do to and for a person, Marea and Annie explore exactly why clubs matter.We couldn’t think of a better person to speak with than Marea; with years of DJing experience at some of the most treasured nightclubs in the world, from Smart Bar in Chicago to Berghain in Berlin. And fittingly, the voice of Fred again..’s ‘We’ve Lost Dancing’ song that documented the sadness, confusion and optimism of the events of last year. In 2021, as countries began to ease COVID-19 restrictions, iconic venues all over the globe reopened their doors to welcome back DJs and dancers. Although there were joyous moments throughout the summer and Autumn, the year of reopening did not mark the “roaring 20s'' we all predicted.While technically open for business, many dance music venues are facing pandemic-related debts that threaten to close their doors for good. A few have been passed over for crucial reopening grants, and others were affected by another round of lockdowns.  In 2022, dance music scenes and venues all over the globe are fighting for survival. Join Annie and The Blessed Madonna to hear their unique perspective, as they share their thoughts and stories. You can also watch this conversation, sponsored by Amazon Music here:Amzn.to/ChangesPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What entity better captured the spirit, energy, and atmosphere of the '90s than the Spice Girls? From the outside, it was a fairytale: five girls, all utterly relatable and recognisable, were plucked from obscurity and turned into the world's biggest popstars. Melanie Chisholm was one of those girls, but we didn't know her by that name. To us, she was Mel C, or Sporty Spice – and all these years later, she's still figuring out where one identity ends and the other begins. The Spice Girls, in its first iteration, was over almost as soon as it begun – just a couple of short years of world domination – but the ripple effects of that period have followed Melanie well into her adulthood. This is a conversation about the realities of becoming an overnight sensation, both positive and negative, and the long road to self-discovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, there has been a huge change in eating habits, with many of us choosing to eat more plant-based foods. Even some of the biggest fast-food chains in the world are now offering plant-based alternatives and nearly 1 in 3 Brits drink plant-based milk alternatives.  In this bonus episode of Changes, sponsored by Oatly, we explore this transition with the help of vegan chef Rachel Ama. We discuss why it’s happening now, the trends and the myths, along with the idea of making a plant-based diet work around your life, not rule it. Rachel Ama became vegan 7 years ago and now has over 600k subscribers to her YouTube channel. She won the Observer Food Monthly Rising Star award in 2019, the same year she released her bestselling debut cookbook Vegan Eats, and last year she released her second cookbook, One Pot: Three Ways. You can buy those here: https://www.rachelama.com/new-page-31. Rachel is the perfect guest to speak about our new normal and share her expertise.  Our sponsors Oatly have recently launched ‘The New Norm & Al Show’ featuring Norm & Al, oat drink carton puppets who, like many of us, are trying to navigate the switch to plant-based eating. You can stream it at https://www.oatly.com/. Reference is made in this episode to the following survey:https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/the-cream-of-the-vegan-milk-crop-sales-of-oat-milk-overtake-almond-in-the-uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you imagine not knowing anything about your family, being rejected by the one you thought you knew and, at 17, finding out your real name and that your mother did in fact want you? In honour of Care Day, the world's largest celebration of the successes and achievements of children and young people with experience of care, which took place on Friday, we welcome to Changes, the hugely celebrated poet, writer and phenomenal human, Lemn Sissay. A man who was stolen from his mother, rejected by his foster family and moved through the care system from one brutal institution to the next. Lemn is now a BAFTA nominated International prize winning writer and was appointed an OBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and charity. In this episode, Lemn recounts in detail the physical journeys he took when being driven away from his foster family, the only life he knew and, later in life, travelling to meet his mother for the first time in Africa. It is deeply moving.  Lemn’s unique and incredible story of determination as well as his perspective on the concept of family, home and how we can improve care for children are both humbling and incredibly important. Here Lemn shares his unbelievable story with Annie, his most recent changes and his relationship now to the word ‘Care’.  Lemn’s incredible Memoir, My Name Is Why was a number one Sunday Times Bestseller. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Name-Why-Lemn-Sissay/dp/1786892340His new children's book Don’t Ask The Dragon can be pre ordered here (released Friday 24th February 2022) https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09DZ477R5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4Visit Lemn’s exhibition at the Foundling Museumhttps://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/event/superman-was-a-foundling/ You can find out more about Care Day here: https://careday.org/ Content: Abuse, neglect, racism, addiction. Should you be affected by anything raised in this episode, there is help on hand. In the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. You can also contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 or head to mind.org.uk. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bring you a very unique episode this week, where Annie speaks to her husband Tom (a music producer who goes by the name Toddla T). It’s an incredibly insightful and generous conversation about being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, becoming sober and how they have both navigated those changes together. ‘Four years after meeting Tom at Fabric nightclub, we had a baby together. We had another kid just under four years later. We’ve been together for 13 years in all. We’ve both had to grow up a lot since becoming parents, but since we got married in 2018, Tom has had a reckoning of sorts in terms of understanding himself, and this is all due to a huge change that happened in his life a few years ago, where he got an adult diagnosis of ADHD. I asked him to talk to me about his changes, and we covered his journey from being a misunderstood kid in school, to his epiphany of discovering music, to becoming famous, to becoming sober and the crippling anxiety that came as a result of that, to finally finding clarity after visiting an ADHD specialist and the work in progress that is his recovery. ‘We really hope you enjoy this very special episode of Changes. All the links that Annie and Tom mention in the episode are as follows:https://adhdaware.org.uk/what-is-adhd/getting-nhs-diagnosis/https://aadduk.org/help-support/specialists-support-and-coaches/Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scattered-Minds-Origins-Attention-Disorder/dp/1785042211The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Grayhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Unexpected-Joy-Being-Sober-alcohol-free/dp/1912023385Untangle Your Anxiety: A Guide To Overcoming An Anxiety Disorder By Two People Who Have Been Through It by Joshua Fletcher and Dean Stotthttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Untangle-Your-Anxiety-Overcoming-Disorder/dp/B08YQM9SPY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1ZXJHAT5OSQA5&keywords=anxiety&qid=1644340522&sprefix=anxiety+%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-4ADHD and Anxietyhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CZiPPFHK7Xp/?utm_medium=copy_linkShould you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. You can also contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 or head to mind.org.uk. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damon Albarn is a man whose whole creative ethos is based on change. His career spans over three decades now, with thirty albums released. His band Blur have released 8 studio albums, with Park Life released in 1994 the same year that Oasis released Definitely Maybe. It defined an era, making Blur synonymous with the 90s and the term Britpop. As co-founder of Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett he has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He is prolific collaborator, forming various bands, like The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Paul Simonon of the Clash, Simon Tong of the Verve, and Tony Allen of Fela Kuti and Rocket Juice And The Moon, again with Tony Allen and flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He’s worked with the Strokes, Bobby Womack, De La Soul and so many more! Damon has also created film scores, composed an opera, written music for a musical called Wonderland and is one of the people behind the Africa express movement, a platform for exchanges between African and western musicians. Damon is 53 now, with a grown up daughter and spends him time between London and Devon and Iceland, where he has just received Icelandic citizenship. He is as busy as ever. His latest solo album The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, has had rave reviews and is out now. You can buy it here: https://damonalbarn.ochre.store/?ffm=FFM_bc82b474204774cc44f23dbfe8711498  We met at Damon’s studio in Tottenham before Christmas and had a lovely meandering conversation starting with Damon as a teenager going through bullying in school, moving to rural Essex, the start and the end of Blur, the inception of Gorillaz, social media addiction, metal detecting, and being witchy … Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changes is back for a new year and kicking off with an emotional and inspirational conversation with award winning journalist, broadcaster and author Elizabeth Day.From the outside Elizabeth Day’s career has been an indisputable success story, a double first in history at Cambridge, a British Press Award for Young Journalist of the Year in 2004, endless writing credits and five novels. But it’s her podcast How To Fail and her memoir How To Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong and Failosophy: A Handbook For When Things Go Wrong that have ironically been her biggest successes. Elizabeth talks us through her biggest changes, from a move to Northern Ireland at the age of 4 and her troubles fitting in with an English accent in school there, to her divorce in her late thirties and her struggles with trying to have a baby. All of these things changed her sense of self and they way she looked at the world. And in that way that change can, she was able to do things differently as a result of them. How To Fail was her reaction to her own personal failures and has been a huge success as a podcast. And her latest novel Magpie, is borne out of Elizabeth wanting a book to exist in the world that tells the story of those women who struggle with infertility. The result is a thrilling, unique, and at times, heart wrenching novel. Elizabeth is remarkably open and articulate in talking about her IVFs and her miscarriages here, in a way that so many women will relate to and will find comforting and constructive. We thank her! And hope that you enjoy this episode.  You can buy Magpie and any of Elizabeth’s previous books here:https://www.elizabethdayonline.co.uk/booksYou can listen to How To Fail, the podcast here:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-fail-with-elizabeth-day/id1407451189 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changes is back for one last lap of 2021. It's been a year of high hopes, broken promises, and, in amongst it all, some fairly profound changes (end of Trump! Vaccine! Billionaires flying to space in rockets!). To help us make sense of it all, we've invited the excellent comic and actor, Lolly Adefope onto the show for a bit of a debrief on the year that was. Lolly's been busy charming audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for the last few years – with roles in Ghosts, This Time with Alan Partridge, and the TV adaptation of Lindy West's memoir, Shrill. Even amongst the turmoil of the pandemic, she's been moving from strength to strenth, so we're thrilled to welcome her onto the show now, before bidding adieu to 2021 for good. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Series finale time, and we're not just talking "a" change, we're talking THE change – with a bona fide national treasure, no less. Davina McCall is part of the fabric and texture of day to day life in the UK. As a TV presenter she has been a warm, generous, and deeply empathetic fixture on our televisions since the dawn of Big Brother at the beginning of the millennium. The path she'd taken to that point was pretty bumpy, and you'll hear her talk a little bit about that in this conversation, but the main reason that we've invited Davina onto Changes is to talk about the menopause. Like countless women, Davina was blindsided by the first signs of her own perimenopause, ten years ago, and she's spent much of the time since trying to get to the bottom of the truth about what was happening to her body. She's discovered more than she could have possibly imagine, and she's on a mission to share that information with as many people as possible, so that the big change of menopause might be less of an ambush for generations of women still to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prue Leith is a living legend, and one of the most joyous conversationalists we've ever hosted on Changes. It's difficult to know where to start with the life that Prue has led. Most will know her as one of the judges of The Great British Bake Off, but you can pretty easily get dizzy reading her CV – novels, cook books, michelin star winning restaurants, catering companies, cookery schools – etc ad infinitum. Prue believes that life should be punctuated by plenty of little revolutions, and she's made an astounding career of practicing exactly what she preaches. Given that outlook, she's exactly the kind of guest we love on Changes – full of insight and perspective about the nature of change itself. It is quite simply a delight to hear her talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billy Porter is a man at the peak of his powers. Emmy, check. Tony, check. Grammy, check. Critically acclaimed memoir, first directorial film, major label recording contract; check, check, check. With a CV that reads like that, you'd be forgiven for assuming that Billy Porter has never had any trouble finding recognition for his creative powers. But the truth is, the man you see before you today, strolling up and down red carpets in a staggering ballgowns, is the product of so much change, trauma, and healing. Before booking the succession of parts that changed his life (Angels in America, Kinky Boots, and Pose), he spent a decade teetering on the brink of total obscurity, running on nothing but his own determination. The path that has delivered Billy Porter to the pinnacles of success was, at times, almost unbearably difficult, and it has gifted him with a laser sharp perspective on the tides of fate and the nature of change itself.You can hear Billy Porter's new single, Children, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CbrteAcXGI&ab_channel=BillyPorter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Ratajkowski has made an unbelievably successful life by commodifying her body. She'd be the first person to tell you that. And for the first part of her career, she felt very comfortable with that reality. On all of her shoots, she believed herself to be strong, capable, and in control. But somewhere along the line, something changed, and Emily began questioning the truth of her out look. She started looking back at the situations she'd been placed into as a young model, and finding new depths of nuance in the power dynamics at play there. She started writing things down, largely to figure out her what she really felt about her life, and was surprised to discover two things: firstly, that much of what she'd told herself about the world she moved in was wrong; secondly, that she felt a deep, powerful connection to the act of writing – and that it could offer her something she'd never experienced in her modelling work. This is a conversation about a fundamental change in world view and belief systems, all the more radical for arriving at the very pinnacle of success.You can buy Emily Ratajkowski's book, My Body, here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/my-body/emily-ratajkowski/9781529420906 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you discover that your entire world is based upon a lie, how do you begin to pick up the pieces and move ahead? Bexy Cameron spent the first part of her life convinced that the apocalypse was coming, and that she'd be dead by the age of 15. That's because she was brought up, alongside her 11 siblings, in a cult called the Children of God. No school, no TV, no contact with the outside world; all she knew was what the cult's mysterious and dangerous leader told them. The details of what Bexy went through, during the first part of her life, are harrowing to hear about – but they are not the end of her story. Bexy has lived a brilliant life since leaving the Children of God as a teenager, and she has now written about her experiences, as well as the unbelievable journey she went on to make sense of it all, in a memoir called Cult Following. In this conversation, she recounts some of the unbelievable things that she's been through, and offers rare perspective on the most earth-shattering changes imaginable. You can buy Cult Following here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/cult-following/bexy-cameron/9781786580924 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When your entire life has been about working towards one goal, what happens when you've reached it? For Nick Grimshaw – that goal was becoming a presenter on BBC Radio 1, and specifically, hosting its famous breakfast show. It's a dream that came true for him in 2012. But now, like Annie, he has decided to leave Radio 1, and set off in pursuit of a new adventure – the specifics of which remain pleasantly undecided in his mind. For both Annie and her old pal, Grimmy, it's been a year of big changes. So, this conversation is an opportunity to catch up and connect over the shared experience of it all – the nerves, the thrills, the weirdness – as well as reminisce about the days in which they knocked around the BBC together. It's a chance for two old friends to sit round the kitchen table and put the world to rights.Transition – Galaxy 2 Galaxy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZ_vKWF8e8&ab_channel=Scubadevils Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we making progress in the war against gender inequality? If anyone should know, it's Caroline Criado Perez. A couple of years ago, she released Invisible Women: Exposing Gender Bias in a World Designed for Men. It was a book, founded upon an enormous amount of research, that made explicit something known instinctively by many: the world we move in was not created with women in mind, and that the repercussions of that oversight are too many to count, ranging in impact from minor annoyance to potentially life-threatening. With the recent murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard once again focusing attention on the treatment of women in society, we thought it a pertinent time to ask Caroline onto Changes, to discuss the ways things have and haven't shifted since her book exploded onto the scene. As you will hear, there is cause for sadness and frustration, as always, but there is also more reason than ever to educate yourself and join the fight. You can buy Invisible Women here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1113605/invisible-women/9781784706289.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can a stutter or a stammer change the way you move through the world? If you speak fluently, you've likely never given it a great deal of thought, but talk to Lisa Nealan and you'll start to understand the ways a speech impairment might dominate your day-to-day existence. That was the case with Lisa for years. At the age of eight, she suffered an accident that left her speech permanently changed, and she subsequently built her entire life around her stutter, avoiding any and all situations that might require her to speak. Though you'd never know it to hear her talk, now. That's because at the depths of one of the most desperate periods of her life, Lisa managed to carry out some awe-inspiring personal changes, that have left her entire world expanded and transformed. This is a thrilling and powerful conversation about one woman finding her voice after so many years of silence.If you're affected by some of the themes in today's episode, you can reach the Samaritans by phone on 116 123, or email them at [email protected] the US, the National Suicide Prevention Line can be reached 1-888-628-9454.You can find the Change – The Glow of Love (referenced in her intro) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMrDJLPlq20&ab_channel=AuntieSoul34 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perez Hilton is not a popular man. He'd be the first one to tell you that, by his own estimation, 80% of people hate him. That's because he pioneered a certain type of celebrity gossip blog – the kind that trades in secrets, scandal and shame – and he was rewarded handsomely for it. To the outside world, he seemed perfectly comfortable playing the villain, but if Perez is to be believed, something was amiss the entire time. These days, Perez Hilton says he has changed a great deal, even though he knows full well that many will never forgive him for the way he behaved during the peak of his success. This is a conversation about what might drive a person to behave venomously, what could cause that person to stop, and whether it's ever too late for true, meaningful change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Jimmy Carr was 25 years old, his life looked very different. He was a marketing exec at an oil company, a practicing Catholic, a virgin. And he was sad. In order to change that. He asked himself one question: "What do I want?" He soon discovered that knowing the answer to that question was half the battle. In this conversation, you'll hear exactly how Jimmy Carr turned a quarter-life crisis into an astonishingly successful career in comedy – and why he'd recommend a similar degree of upheaval to anyone stuck in a rut.You can purchase Jimmy Carr's new book, Before & Laughter, here: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/jimmy-carr/before-laughter/9781529413076/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's it like to say goodbye to your family, your friends, your entire life – and head out into the unknown, never to return? As the Migrant Crisis continues to displace hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year, and as Priti Patel weighs up policies to deter those who wish to seek asylum in the UK, Annie zeroes in on the human experience at the centre of something too often reduced to statistics and rhetoric. Hassan Akkad has lived the world-upending change of seeking asylum. Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, he was arrested and imprisoned for taking part in protests against the Assad dictatorship. He was subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of his captors, and eventually fled the country. His journey to the UK began on a rubber dinghy off the coast of Greece, and ended, months later, in the arrival hall of Heathrow airport. What happened in-between transformed his world, forever. But Hassan's story does not end with his arrival in the UK. He is a teacher, an activist, a filmmaker – and now, an author. His memoir, Hope Not Fear, is a powerful and moving account of the treacherous journey that Hassan and countless others have been forced to make. It is also a vital, optimistic portrait of resilience and the human spirit – which makes fertile ground for one of the most inspiring conversations we've heard on Changes.Hope Not Fear is available for purchase here: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/hassan-akkad/hope-not-fear/9781529059830 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like to stand on the brink of a total, all-encompassing change? Abbey Smith, who releases music as Yebba, would be a good person to ask. After collaborating with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Sam Smith, and Drake – and being touted as a 'once in a generation' voice – she is now releasing her long-awaited debut album, and it's poised to make her a superstar. That's about as dramatic a change as life can throw at you, but Yebba is used to upheaval. Five years ago, just as her singing career was really beginning to take off, she lost her mother to suicide, and she has spent much of the time since wrapping her head around the grief and trauma that followed – often in the form of the songs that comprise the album. When the album was finished, she called it Dawn, after her mother. In this conversation, Abbey is open and honest about the impact of her grief, and the ways it still plays out in her day-to-day, but she is also defiant, strong, and powerfully inspirational – ready to finally release the album that took so much out of her, and to face whatever comes next.If you have been affected by the themes of this episode, there is help on hand. In the UK, the Samaritans can be reached from any phone on 116 123In the USA, the Suicide Prevention Line is 1-800-273-8255 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.