This episode was A MOMENT for ‘Pause. And Rewind..’. It was my first time recording live with a live audience! And a celebration of three things…

• A whole year since I launched the podcast
• Lesbian Visibility Week
• My guest - the one & only Char Bailey

“Once I know what my truth is, can’t nobody tell me shit about shit. Because I know exactly who I am”.

Char (she/her) wears many hats. Director of People & Culture for Birmingham Pride. Education & Inclusion Office for UK Black Pride. She’s on the Board for Neurodiversity in Business. Features Editor & Roving presenter for Diva Magazine. NLP Practitioner, Coach & Facilitator. And Tree Hugger. Yes, that’s a lot. Char shows up for people. With a lot of heart, energy & skill. Plus the best hugs!

We chat about community, forgiveness, legacy, relationships, spirituality & more. I’m not gonna overload this description - I’ll let the podcast speak for itself but it’s packed with anecdotes, insights & realisations that say so much about Char’s origin story & the absolute change maker we know & love today. It’s also bloody hilarious too. ENJOY!

BIG thanks to The Common Press for hosting. Buy your book from there peeps & support this super special space!

Please take care of yourself whilst listening as we do cover some challenging topics around racism, health & life generally.

“You'll be surprised how often your friends, acquaintances & family will go ‘You were right about that thing”. If you have a bit more faith in yourself, you're like, I'm just waiting for the world to catch up.”

I’m chatting to this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ about the three words they’d use to describe themselves & their origin story when they bust out the word ‘Little Bit Much’ and how they’ve embraced that - and why you should too!

Natasha Devon (she/her) is a mental health activist & campaigner, broadcaster, journalist & writer. She hosts her own show on LBC on Saturdays from 6pm - 9pm which is often referred to as ‘The Woke Hour’ by some disgruntled listeners to which she hilariously retorts “It’s actually three hours.” And it’s a place where Natasha educates people on society’s important issues, armed with stats, research & insights. She isn’t afraid to challenge harmful rhetoric, outdated views & misleading headlines… and very much sees this as her responsibility with such a huge platform.

Known for covering mental health, gender identity & body image, Natasha talks about her work in schools being her main focus and her passion for working in depth with young people shines through. And with her love for learning & openness to new opportunities, she’s branched out in many other avenues. We dive into Natasha’s many outlets, from her debut fictional novel to hosting podcasts being something she really enjoys. She recently started hosting a podcast called ‘New Beginnings’ which focuses on the largely unknown issue of gambling & women, an area she didn’t know much about - I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

As a person of mixed-heritage & being bisexual along with her own experiences around mental health, Natasha opens up about feeling like ‘a bridge connecting worlds’. And whilst she has felt tribeless in the past, this sentiment - which stemmed from a casual conversation with a colleague - was a moment of realisation for her. It’s something she also brings into her professional approach to help people join the dots.

We chat about Natasha’s love of school & finding interest in everything, manifestation & striking the balance between letting things happen vs making things happen, being political and marriage. Oh & dealing with ballbags on air!

I loved this conversation & was so grateful when Natasha said yes to being a guest - enjoy!

Catch Natasha on LBC on Saturday evenings & follow her on socials for sharp AF educational & informative content & facts.

“Don’t think if you haven’t got to where you want to be in your twenties it’s game over. Because it’s really not. You can achieve great things at any point in your life."

Solid advice from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ especially in a society obsessed with youth & achieving things whilst young.

Roxy Bourdillon (she/her) spent a decade bouncing between jobs, dealing with rejection & not knowing if she’d ever land her dream job of being a writer. Fast forward to today, Roxy is the Editor-in-Chief of DIVA, the world’s leading magazine for LGBTQIA+ women & non-binary people. And though she jokes during this conversation about people not taking advice from her given how long it took her to get where she wanted to be, Roxy Bourdillon is a shining example of why it’s so important to not give up on your dreams or write yourself off.

RIGHT NOW is also a super exciting time for Roxy as she’s written her debut book & it’s available to buy TOMORROW! ‘What a Girl Wants: A (True) Story of Sexuality and Self-Discovery’ is a funny feminist soul bearing memoir about what it was really like for Roxy growing up & navigating the world as a woman who happens to really really love women in a world that can sometimes make you feel terrible about both of those things. I had the privilege of reading it ahead of this conversation and trust me, it’s bloody funny AF but so so touching too. My review is below…

We chat all about the book & Roxy’s creative processes as well as her role at Diva magazine & the moment she landed her first writing job for it! We also explore Roxy’s passion for the LGBTQ+ community, life by the sea in Hasting with her partner Naomi, her love of Dolly Parton & her beautiful relationship with her Nan which you’ll truly feel when reading the book. This was such a gorgeous conversation - enjoy & go buy the book ASAP. It’s a must-read.

GO BUY WHAT A GIRL WANTS!! Ideally from your local queer book shop please.

My review of Roxy’s FANTASTIC debut book…

‘What a Girl Wants’ is packed full of heartwarming, heartbreaking & HILARIOUS moments & escapades from Roxy's life. It's a queer time-machine ride back to special places & spaces from a beloved time on the scene along with the most gayest, nostalgic cultural references you could wish for. It's a history lesson & a crucial call to action for allyship & solidarity. And finally, it's a deep, unapologetic & beautiful display of pure love & affection for women & the LGBTQ+ community".