Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Some difficult times through his childhood in South Africa did nothing to diminish Johannes Radebe's shine. Radebe has now penned his first memoir, Jojo: Finally Home, which documents some of the difficulties he faced growing up and how he got through it. We'll be talking to him about the support and care he got from the women in his life, the way homophobia has affected him, and his passion for dance and the solace it has provided. And of course, we’ll be talking about Strictly.

O'Leary began his career in broadcasting over two decades ago, starting out as a disc jockey and runner, before appearing on screen in Channel 4's T4 and Big Brother's Little Brother. He has since hosted shows for BBC and ITV, such as and The X Factor, The One Show and This Morning, as well as presenting charitable events such as Comic Relief and Children in Need. O'Leary is also a bestselling author of children's fiction, with his critically acclaimed series, Toto the Ninja Cat, based on his own blind cat.

Beginning her professional career as a fashion journalist and stylist, Scanlon has gone on to become a household name at the BBC, fronting documentaries on BBC Three, and presenting Your Home Made Perfect. Scanlon has not stopped there: she has also presented a BBC Radio 2 show and often presents The One Show too. Scanlon has hosted her own podcast since 2019 titled Thanks A Million which has proved to be hugely popular, currently on its fifth series, and her book Joyrider is now on the (virtual and physical) shelves. 

Joining us at Audible Studios is actor and writer Obioma Ugoala. Ugoala trained at and graduated from the Drama Centre, London, and spent the beginning of his career touring and performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has played the role of Kristoff in London's West End Frozen show, Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical, and George Washington in Hamilton. Ugoala also provides workshops and outreach programmes to BAME students in Greater London, and has most recently written a book, The Problem With My Normal Penis.

Making his west end debut in 1985, Ball has been a constant in musical theatre, performing many parts in Les Misérables around the country over the years, appearing in The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and Sweeny Todd. Ball is no stranger to the charts either: after representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, he has regularly released albums. Michael has now taken to writing and we will be talking about his debut novel, The Empire.

Joining us at the Audible studios is Sir Lenny Henry, actor, writer, presenter and comedian. Henry has spent decades in the British public eye on television, on our radios, big screens and as a stand-up comedian, often touring internationally. He co-founded Comic Relief in 1985 and has taken part in almost every year’s show since then, the charity raising over £1 billion so far! Henry has documented his career in his books, and most recently penned Rising to the Surface, which takes a look at his hectic life during the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Known for his roles in Coming Of Age and Hollyoaks, as well as regularly appearing in pantomimes across the country, Tracini is well loved. When Coronavirus and lockdown hit, Tracini began making videos documenting his journey with Borderline Personality Disorder. Using comedy to portray the difficulties he suffers has enabled him to reach a wide audience with his message. And the main issue he addressed? How to not kill himself. Suicidal thoughts are something Tracini lives with every day, and so, on to the next way of ensuring he stays alive: write a book about it!

Joining us at Audible Studios is author Kit de Waal. Growing up in poverty in Birmingham, de Waal was exposed to many challenges as a child. Being British, Irish and Caribbean, she experienced many aspects of racism, and her chaotic home life was both a comfort and a difficulty. We'll be talking with Kit de Waal about her newest book, a memoir titled Without Warning and Only Sometimes, and asking why she turned the lens on herself, how her love of reading began, and how it felt to have Armageddon hanging over her as a child.

Choosing to pursue a career in journalism (rather than being a footballer) has paid off for Dan Walker. Having previously released his book Remarkable People, Walker is following it up with Standing on the Shoulders, another collection full of inspiring people: the heroes that he doesn't want history to forget. We'll be talking to Dan Walker about the stories he tells, what inspires him, and how difficult it is to have a last minute toilet break on Strictly Come Dancing.

Starting out as a double act with Stewart Lee, Herring appeared in This Morning with Richard Not Judy, and Fist of Fun, and became known for his comedy drama You Can Choose Your Friends. His podcasts and interview style have wonderful charm, and his Richard Herring Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (or RHLSTP as it is affectionately known) gives insight into celebs such as Stephen Fry and Jeremy Paxman.

Joining us in the Audible Studios is radio and telly presenter, Nick Grimshaw. Known to us affectionately as Grimmy, he has been a part of our daily lives since reaching his childhood dream of presenting on BBC Radio 1 in 2007. Having hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show, taken over the Drive Time slot, and appeared on our screens in The X Factor and Gogglebox, Nick Grimshaw has become a household name.

Selling out the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 with Asylum Speaker was where Shaparak Khorsandi made a name for herself and she has gone on to perform worldwide. She has appeared as a regular panelist on shows. Her writing career began with her bestselling memoir, A Beginners Guide to Acting English which looks at her childhood as her family fled Iran. Since then she has written a novel, Nina Is Not Okay, and young adult fiction, Kissing Emma. We'll be chatting to Sharapak Khorsandi about her new memoir, Scatter Brain, which takes us through her life with lens of now knowing that she has ADHD.

Rinder was called to the Bar in 2001, beginning a pupillage at 2 Paper Buildings before moving to 2 Hare Court as a criminal barrister. Rinder has worked on cases from fraud to murder, and money laundering to political corruption. Having approached ITV with a television script, written in his spare time, he was asked instead to be the face of a British Judge Judy-esque show, thus Judge Rinder was born.

In 2008, Cain began playing football for Coventry City but in 2012 he had to give up football after an injury put an end to his career. Cain then pursued reality TV, and appeared in shows such as Ex on the Beach, The Challenge and, more recently, SAS: Who Dares Wins. In 2020, life changed for Cain. His 8-week-old daughter, Azaylia, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away aged 8 months. Cain has done his utmost to raise awareness of childhood cancers and raise money, putting himself through grueling physical challenges.

Karen Yates has been a journalist for over ten years; she writes regularly on immigration, politics, housing and culture and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Independent and VICE. Yates has been nominated for accolades such as Culture Writer of the Year, and has contributed to award-winning titles such as The Good Immigrant. We'll be chatting to Kieran Yates about her first solo book, All the Houses I've Ever Lived In, finding out what home means to her, how Britain's housing crisis came about, and how we can fight against it.

Growing up in Dublin, Biala focused on science, completing an undergraduate and master's degree in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Regulation. However, in 2019, she left her job as a professional scientist to take part in reality television series Love Island. Following her departure from the show, Biala became a social media influencer and published articles discussing racial re-naming and the damage it causes. The huge interest in this article led her to write her first book, Reclaiming, which discusses everything from microaggressions, to career choices.

Lloyd is well known for her comedy, regularly appearing on panel shows such as QI, Would I Lie To You and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and acting in Give Out Girls and Peep Show among many others. She is prolific in her radio work, including The Cariad Radio Show, and Here Be Dragons. Lloyd is now equally well known for her conversations on grief. And now, You Are Not Alone, Lloyd's first book, which shares her experiences of death at a young age, and how we deal (or don't) with grief.

After appearing in three seasons of Made in Chelsea, Dunlop decided it was time to leave, and she moved to LA to pursue a career as a singer. Dunlop was struggling with anxiety and depression around this time and the behaviours she had learned when she was younger were no longer serving her to become who she wanted to be. She decided to start a podcast, Saturn Returns, with astrologist Noura Bourni, in which they look at the transitions a person in their late twenties can face when Saturn returns to the position it was in when they were born.