Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Jill Halfpenny has been an actor since the age of 10, first coming to our screens in Byker Grove in 1989, and most recently appearing in the Channel 5 drama The Feud. She has also appeared in Coronation Street, Eastenders, numerous TV dramas, on the West End stage and in Strictly Come Dancing.We shared our thoughts on dealing with downtime as performers, which has its challenges even in a busy career.Jill has a son Harvey who is nearly 17, and they clearly have a close relationship, based on honesty and openness, including during difficult times such as when her partner Matt died suddenly 8 years ago, in circumtances similar to how she lost her Dad aged 4. Sadly they both had unexpected heart attacks. Jill has recently written a beautiful memoir 'A Life Reimagined', which touches on both these deaths.Finally, I tried out Jill's Agony Aunt skills as she has a podcast 'Dear Jill' where she answers listeners' questions, from her Newcastle studio. I can now tell you that I am either on the right tracks as a mum or Jill was being extremely kind to me!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Kelly is a writer of many books about mental health and wellbeing and has recently published ‘The Gift of Teenagers: Connect More, Worry Less'. She is a mum of five grown up children.Rachel and I talked about the teenage brain and how it's wired for novelty, connection with peers, and altruism. We discussed how we could be more sympathetic to what teenagers are going through.She also had some timely tips on exam stress, which we could definitely do with in our house at the moment. Rachel told me about her own struggles with anxiety and depression, including being hospitalised and feeling suicidal, and she talked about how your teenager can come through difficult times feeling stronger, wiser and more amazing.She also said: don't give advice unless it's asked for. Now that is something I've definitely got to work on! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Salima Saxton is a writer, an actor and a coach, and she co-presents the podcast ‘Women are Mad'. She has 3 children aged 9, 12 and 15 and she recently caught my attention with her amazing Moth story about a Valentine's Day announcement by her husband which changed her life. It's 5 minutes of supreme story telling; you must listen! Salima and I talked about how she grew up with an alcoholic Dad and was always trying to be a ‘good girl'. Now she embraces a messy, crazy family life and says it's vital to show up as yourself. Early in our chat we also confessed that we are both ‘secret control freak' mums, but let's not concentrate on that! I love Salima's idea of connecting with your 8 year old self and maybe doing some of the things that SHE used to love doing. Now, where are my rollerskates...?Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Karni Arieli is a photographer. Her lockdown project Eye Mama @eyemamaproject asked photographer mums all over the world to share honest pictures of their own experiences of motherhood. She has just had it published as a book. She also makes short films, commercials and music videos and has recently had a BAFTA nomination for a film about the life of a salmon, played by a woman and narrated by Marianne Faithfull.Karni and I talked about how showing our children our weakensses is important and she shared how her first experience of motherhood was extremely tough as she had a herniated disc and couldn't walk or lift her baby for the first 8 months of his life.Karni also shared her life motto that she's passed on to her children: 'Do it like you mean it'. And she described her love of 'awe walks' with her children, which I am defintiely going to practise on the walk to school from now on!https://www.instagram.com/eyemamaproject/?hl=enhttps://eyemamaproject.com/Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olympic athlete and TV commentator Paula Radcliffe lives in Monaco with her husband Gary, and her two children Isla and Raphael.Paula is a 3 time winner of the London Marathon and held the Women's World Marathon Record for 16 years (2003-2019). I spoke to her just after she competed in the Tokyo Marathon aged 51, her first marathon since retiring aged 40.Paula recently co-hosted a lighthearted training podcast Paula's Marathon Run Club for the 16 weeks leading up to the London Marathon. She had a parental interest in this year's race as her own daughter Isla ran in aid of Children with Cancer UK. Paula talked to me about how her daughter went through a cancer diagnosis at the age of 13 and a half. She has happily since been given the all clear. Paula also described her family life in Monaco and I admit I looked up the weather forecast there and felt pretty envious!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daria Khrystenko fled her home in Kyiv on the day that Russia invaded Ukraine 3 years ago. She, her then 10 year old son, her mum and her 3 cats travelled to Poland where Daria now works with CARE Poland, as a translator and advocate, helping other refugee women rebuild their lives.Daria told me about the day the war broke out, and how she packed and left home in 20 minutes. She explained how she tries to create a new stability for her family in Poland and how she longs for fair peace in Ukraine.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susie Crow runs a small business called Let Us Pretend, in which she ‘makes sparkly things'. I have bought wonderful brightly coloured, fringed capes from her which say ‘Happy New Year!' and ‘Happy Christmas!' She also makes personalised banners. Originally from Newcastle, Susie now lives in Sussex and has three children and a creative job that she loves. And she is the only person I can think of who has more sequins in her life than I do!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actress Tuppence Middleton is perhaps best known for playing Lucy Branson in Downton Abbey.She has a little girl with her Swedish husband and divides her time between England and Sweden.I spoke to Tuppence the week before her memoir Scorpions was published. It's a highly personal book about living with OCD and it really helped me understand the day to day complexities of dealing with OCD and with emetophobia - the fear of being sick.We also talked about how OCD has given her a greater empathy for other people, and how it means she is always prepared for the worst case scenario.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arlene Phillips is a choregrapher who has been at the top of her game for most of her 81 years. She has worked on the choreography for numerous adverts, musicals, film and videos.She has two daughters: Alana who she had early in her career when she was just about to go to Hollywood to make a film with the Village People called 'Can't stop the Music', and then she had her second daughter Abi when she was 47, when she actually thought her symptoms meant she was entering the menopause.We spoke at Arlene's house, and she told me how she lost her mum at the age of 15, and that her career path feels like a series of Alice in Wonderland moments that were magically presented to her.She also described how back in the 1979, the Hollywood film producer Allan Carr (iconic producer of Grease) greeted the news of her - his choreographer - becoming unexpectedly pregnant, with the offer of a nanny, a PA, a Winnebago on the film set, and a birthing guru called JIm! To say I'm envious is an understatement!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Princess Superstar is an American rapper and DJ. She and I are ‘Saltburn sisters' as we both had our songs featured in the film, which gave them their exciting resurgence of popularity last year.Princess Superstar has a 13 year old daughter, who she homeschooled till the age of 11, believing that mainstream school doesn't nurture a child's unique creativity. She also shared with me how, after 10 successful years, she suffered with crippling writer's block in 2010. But she started writing again after she had her daughter and is just about to bring out a new mix tape called The Serve, with the first single Goddess coming out at the end of February. We agreed it should be included in my fantasy project Perimenopop!She talked to me about how she embarasses her daughter with her stage outfits sometimes. That's definitely another thing we Saltburn sisters have in common!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abbie Ward is a professional rugby union player who plays at international level for England and at club level for Bristol Bears.Abbie grew up in Cumbria in a very active family and tried out many sports before discovering rugby which she describes as a love affair she didn't see coming!She is married to former Harlequins hooker Dave Ward, who is also her head coach, and together they have a daughter Hallie who was born in the summer of 2023.Abbie trained up till 3 days before she had Hallie by C-section and was back at Bristol Bears 2 weeks after the birth. She remains in regular talks with England about how to make her career work alongside bringing up Hallie, who is no stranger to the dressing room or to being carried onto the pitch by her mum before a match. Hallie shows no fear of a huge, loud rugby crowd - and is living up to her name, which Abbie and Dave have found out means 'Ruler of the House'! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Megginson (@sarahmegginsonmoney) is an editor and personal finance expert from Australia, who has co-written a book called The Power of Two. She has three children (Lila 14, Noa 11 and Jesse 9) and she was a surrogate mother for her friend Lisa's baby in 2023.Baby Hugo is now 18 months old and Sarah explained to me how he feels like a nephew to her, although she carried and gave birth to him for her friend.We talked about her surrogacy journey and how it has been a positive and ‘expansive' journey for herself and her family.On top of all of that she shared some very wise tips with me, about how to talk to your children about money!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano classical singer from Neath. She won Welsh Choirgirl of the Year aged 10, and became more widely known when she sang at Westminster Cathedral in 2003 to mark the Pope's silver jubilee. Since then she has released numerous classical and classical crossover albums.When we met last week Katherine was heading to the studio to work on a new album. She continues to write, record and perform concerts all over the world.She has two children: Aaliyah aged 9 and Xander aged 6. She told me how she tries to keep them grounded, and enjoys Friday night dance parties with them. Now that sounds familiar!Katherine spoke movingly about losing her Dad aged 15 and how she still has a word with him to this day, just before any performance.We also spoke, singer to singer, about how we look after our voices. Katherine has 24 hour voice rest before any performance. I definitely need to up my game. Although, I'm not actually sure I could stop talking for 24 minutes, let alone 24 hours! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cat Sims @notsosmugnow is a content creator, author and influencer, and mum to two daughters aged 8 and 11. On Instagram she takes an honest look (often with a big dose of humour) at motherhood, the mental load, relationships and more recently, sobriety, as Cat has just celebrated 3 years of being sober.We talked about how doing reels and tiktok is like doing therapy for Cat. She shared how she suffered with post natal depression and has more recently had a late diagnosis of ADHD at the age of 40. We also touched on rhe difficulty of saying sorry, having a home birth, and Chris Jenner, amongst many other things, in this very open, wide-ranging and honest conversation.Cat and I also have something big and personal in common: we both fell in love with redheaded bass players! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singer Pixie Lott has had a 'crazy, happy time' this past year: having a baby, bringing out a new album ‘Encino', and moving into a family home near her mum, dad and siblings. We talked about how we both started in the music industry when we were teenagers and realised we share the same work ethic of ‘just keep turning up'. We also discussed the joy and the worry that comes when we say no to a gig, and how we look after our singing voices. Let's just say, Pixie does it a lot better than me! Pixie's new album, the first for 10 years, touches on the themes of love, family, mental health, nostalgia and also meditation. Meditation is something Pixie discovered when going through a tough time, and found very helpful. To this day she still practises it whenever she can.When Pixie came to my house to record this chat, her mum Beverley came too, to look after her gorgeous little one year old Bertie. And while we talked, two of my (rather bigger) sons demonstrated their wrestling techniques for him… ha ha! …sorry about that Pixie! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Williamson is a presenter, podcaster, author, psychotherapist, relationship counsellor and life coach. She told me how she suffered with poor mental health in her 20s and after the birth of her first child. These experiences really shaped her and helped form one of the best marriages in her professional life: being a psychotherapist on Celebs Go Dating ( which happens to be one of my favourite shows). Anna has an eight-year-old son Enzo and a four-year-old daughter Eleonora. We talked about her very traumatic birth and postnatal period with her son and how she prepared to protect her mental health after she had her daughter, including banning family visits in the two weeks after her second birth. Even if it did upset her Aunty Sheila! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lliana Bird is a writer, broadcaster and co-founder of the charity Choose Love. She describes herself as a butterfly flitting from flower to flower. She was also the longest employed female DJ - for 16 years - at Xfm and then Radio X as it is now called.Lliana and her partner Noel Fielding have two girls, Dali and Iggy, aged 2 and 4, and Lliana told me how their house might be described as over-stimulating by some, with constant music, curated mostly by Noel but increasingly by the children, and with art being created on giant canvases in the kitchen, with paint splats everywhere.Lliana's first children's book ‘Baboo the unusual Bee' has just come out in paperback. She revealed that she actually wrote it while breastfeeding and she's now working on the stage show version of it.As my mum would say: "She's no slouch"!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara Pascoe is a stand up comedian who I particularly love. She now has two little boys after a long period of trying for a baby, including IVF. She spoke honestly to me about how she can remember being in a liminal head space for a long time while trying for a baby, and acknowledges she was 'horribly spiky' about parenthood before she had her boys, realising now that it was self-protection and a coping mechanism. She shared that she recently had a phone call from Robbie Williams who she idolised as a teenager, and how that made her feel like god, manifesting her teenage desires in her 40s!She also told me that if she was Prime Minister she would limit everyone to 2 hours screen time per day and that she reckoned we'd all secretly like her for it!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hollie McNish is a poet who tours the country performing her poems. She says the whole of the UK is full of amazing theatres and bookshops.I love Hollie's writing, the way she looks at motherhood, and how she always stand up for her small person, which I feel is empowering for them both. I was delighted when she offered to read one of my favourite poems of hers during our chat.Hollie told me how she books her own gigs, which impresses me a lot. She said that she loves travelling around Britain performing her poetry, and how her 12 year old daughter often comes along to her gigs. Most of the time this has worked well, but of course we had to compare notes on a couple of the times when taking our children to live gigs has gone spectacularly wrong...! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steph Douglas is a mum of three who founded the gift company Don't Buy Her Flowers ten years ago. I'm a repeat customer of the website when I want to send a friend some TLC if they don't live round the corner. Steph explained how the idea for her company came about when she received 8 well-meant bouquets following the birth of her first child - and felt she now had something else she had to look after, as well as her newborn!Steph told me how she and her husband also had something unusually tough to contend with during her first pregnancy, as her husband Doug was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was just 14 weeks pregnant.I loved hearing about Steph's own childhood, growing up in a busy household of 6 children. She told me how one of her favourite periods was when most of the now grown up children had returned home after first relationships had failed, and they were all back, living and eating at home, having loads of banter, and would all go out to a club together after their parents had gone to sleep. Something she said I can maybe look forward to after my 5 have initially left home!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ashley James is a presenter and DJ who first made her name appearing briefly in Made in Chelsea. On instagram @ashleylouisejames has a huge following amongst 25-35 year old women and she frequently posts about being a mum of two little ones, and about other women's issues. Originally from the North East, you would never know that from Ashley's accent. She told me about her extraordinary school days, and very tough adolescence, after she won a scholarship to an all boys boarding school.Ashley is mum to 1 year old Ada and 3 year old Alfie and although she wasn't focused on becoming a mum, she shared with me that it's surprised her that it's something she feels really good at. We also talked about Ashley's difficult first birth and her subsequent prolapse and vaginismus. She continues to use her media presence to talk about such difficult issues as she knows it helps many other women going through similar problems.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ayalah Bentovim - known as Sister Bliss - is the woman behind Faithless, which she created in 1995 with Rollo Armstrong, Jamie Catto, and the legendary Buddhist rapper Maxi Jazz.Maxi died in 2022 and Ayalah talked to me about how she's managing to keep him as part of the show, as they prepare to go on tour for the first time in 8 years.We also talked about how she took her son Nate on tour as a baby and how he adapted so brilliantly to life on the road, with Faithless. Nate has just turned 18 and Ayalah shared with me how he still keeps her grounded even if she's about to go on stage in front of thousands of people. This is definitely something I can relate to!!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reshmin Chowdhury is a sports broadcaster who's had a love of football since she was a little girl. Growing up in a large and close Bengali community, she told me her childhood memories are of being the only girl, surrounded by boys, watching football on TV. Reshmin's drive to break into the world of sports presenting was very strong - much to the surprise of her teacher Mum and accountant Dad - and she is proud to have made it, although she feels it shouldn't have been that hard. Her parents were very supportive of her dreams and we talked about how difficult it was losing her Dad 3 years ago, and that he was always the person she would pick up the phone to speak to after a big match. Reshmin shared how her children hold a mirror up to all her faults, including losing her temper. She says she's working on this and I've asked her, when she's solved that one, please share the answer with me too! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nina Tame is a counsellor and a content creator. I started following her on Instagram because I love the way she educates non-disabled people in a light-hearted way. Nina was born with spinal bifida, and has four children. Her third child was also born with spina bifida. His arrival helped Nina accept her own disability much more, and also helped her own mum come to terms with her complex feelings, including guilt of having a disabled child. Incidentally, I spoke to Nina when she had recently lost her mum and we talked about her difficult journey of grief and the huge support of her other half, Jase.Nina is a great storyteller and made me laugh while telling me how awkward platform lifts at theatre venues feel. But the message beneath the story was that what disables her all over again in life, is not the disability but it is inaccessibility or other people's attitudes.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I first came to follow Joanne Hardcastle (@hardcastletowers) when she was a contestant on the fourth series of Interior Design Masters, which is one of my favourite TV shows. Joanne's husband Tim encouraged her to apply for the show and she says it was the first time she had ever put herself first, and she loves her new found 'me-time'.Joanne lost her mum at the age of 17 and had a strong urge to become a mum herself, and she has been open about having 6 miscarriages during her motherhood journey. She now has 3 grown up daughters, the youngest being her foster child. She spoke to me about the journey of building up trust with her foster daughter and how she has taught her children not to be frightened of conflict and to know that adults aren't always right.Like me, Joanne loves colour and vintage interior design, including collecting childhood treasures such as Sindy dolls. She has documented on Instagram, the intricate furnishing of an amazing dolls house which she claims not to play with... but she clearly does!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kirsten Lane is a freelance music supervisor who negotiates the deals that make it possible to put music into films, TV and adverts. She was the music supervisor for Saltburn and so that is how we met. She is now part of Murder on the Dancefloor's journey and helped make its inclusion in the film's soundtrack possible, naked dance and all! We talked about the importance of music in changing the atmosphere, and she sees it almost as another character on screen.Kirsten told me how she had made her career work, alongside bringing up two children, often as a single parent. Sometimes she had to fit her freelance work into the little pockets of 20 minutes that you have when your children are babies, and then late into the night when they were asleep. We realised we have shared the same experience over the past months when Murder has become unexpectedly popular again - both Kirsten's teenage children and mine have been momentarily impressed by their mothers, when they've heard Murder being played on Tik Tok and by their friends. What a wild ride! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anne Twist is a first time writer and a long-term philanthropist who has two very succesful grown up children. Her eldest is podcaster and writer Gemma Styles, and her youngest is the singer, Harry Styles. I spoke to Anne, not long after she'd become a grandmother for the first time, which sounds like a very special feeling indeed. She'd also just published her first children's book ‘Betty and the Mysterious Visitor'.We talked about Anne's lifelong battle with shyness, the pride that she feels about the adults that both her children have become, and how she gets so much pleasure from looking around at people while they are watching Harry perform on stage. We also talked about how Anne has wing-walked to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's. And I tried to persuade her to do a double wing walk and a loop the loop with me in the future! I'm genuinely up for it. Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Jackson is a jewellery designer whose work I particularly love. We even collaborated with on a necklace design once. She discovered her passion for her career while solo travelling in South America where she made a good friend Ali in Brazil and then spent 2 months living with his mum Cinderela (yes that really was her name!) who taught her how to make jewellery. 6 weeks after she returned to the UK Ali was killed in a plane accident which made Rachel feel how fleeting life is. She then gave up a well-paid job in TV to pursue her dream of designing and selling her own jewellery. She started with a stall in Spitalfields market, earning very little, and worked up to selling to Liberty and Selfiridges. She often collaborates with charities which gives a meaning and a story to each piece of jewellery.Rachel has two children, Herbie aged 6 and River aged 10. Her husband took a year out of his job to do the lion's share of the child care when they had their 2nd baby, enabling Rachel to grow the company at a crucial time. Like me, Rachel doesn't really feel she's a baby person but particulalry loves the feeling of being increasingly needed now, as they are getting older. Unlike me, she's an excellent planner and always has plenty of activities sorted out for the weekend. When we spoke, I had a Bank Holiday of nothingness ahead, so I rather envied her good planner trait!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalie Cassidy is familiar to us all from EastEnders where she's been playing Sonia since the age of 10!When we met she told me about her love of growing up on a TV set, where age meant nothing and her best friend was June Brown, who was 50 years older than her!Natalie is a mum of two daughters, Eliza and Joanie. My heart melted when she described how she and her husband Marc met when Eliza was just three, and he said he'd fallen in love first with Natalie and then when he met Eliza, he fell in love again.Natalie's about to turn 41 this week. She already has one podcast 'Off the Telly' which she co-hosts with actress Joanna Page and she's just launched a solo podcast 'Life With Nat' which immediately went to number one in the podcast charts!We talked about how grateful we are that we didn't have social media as teenagers and we revisited our teen love of culottes! Also I tried to invite myself on her podcast to talk about teenagers and phones. I have no shame!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bat For Lashes aka Natasha Khan is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and a mum to a three year old. She has just brought out her 6th album and this one is inspired by the birth of her daughter and is called The Dream of Delphi. She was pregnant in LA during Covid and the album recalls how she reconnected with nature during that time, reflecting the landscape of the city, mountains and the desert. She's now separated from Delphi's Dad but explained they are still best friends and happily co-parent together.We spoke about how she felt about becoming a mum later in life and we talked about that special liminal moment when you have just given birth and it dawns on you that you are moving from who you were into who you are going to be - a transformational moment.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vicky Gill is the Wardrobe Lead for Strictly Come Dancing, amongst many other things! We first met when I appeared on the show in 2013. She is passionate about merging fashion and performance. I can vouch for the fact that she is supremely talented at making costumes that people can dance in - and her sparkly leotards are still part of my onstage essentials today. But as a mum of three she was also great at sharing glimpses of normal family life with me, which you very much appreciate when you are on the Strictly juggernaut!When we spoke, Vicky had just finished Dancing on Ice and was about to start work on the Girls Aloud tour. She is a very busy woman.Vicky and her husband are from Newcastle originally but live in London, and as their family support network is far away, she descibes their stiuation as 'us against the world'. She is hoping her children - now in their teens and beyond - don't choose the creative careers which she and her husband have (between you and me, I don't think that's working so far!) but she says she just wants them to feel happy in their skin. Vicky prides herself on being a problem-solver - both in her working life and in her parenting. And sometimes the worlds have collided - as when she was working with Girls Aloud just after her daughter was born, when she found that nappy cream comes in handy for getting boob tape off!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Ogundehin is best known as the head judge of Interior Designs Masterclass on BBC 1. It's a programme I am utterly addicted to, and I was therefore delighted to have been asked to join as a guest judge for semi finals week, this week (TX 23/4/24). I have been a fan of Michelle's expert eye when it comes to interiors for a long time, having devoured every issue of Elle Decoration published during her time as editor in chief from 2004 to 2017. I love her approach to homes and how they make you feel, always taking into account the link between our environment and how it affects our mental health. Off-screen, Michelle is a devoted single mum to her 10 year old son. She became a mum later in life, after years of trying, and her journey included IVF and four miscarriages. She says her son is the best thing that has ever happened to her. We talked about her worries about becoming a mum due to her own mother not being maternal or loving to her. She told me how she has recently been ‘album-ing' her life and also that she believes that what surrounds us at home affects us. I finally tested her boundaries when I mischievously suggested she should let her little boy draw on his bedroom walls, just as my mum let me!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heather James is best known to us all as the mum of Deborah James, the beautiful bowelbabe, who I interviewed for Spinning Plates 3 years ago. That was the year before her premature death at the age of 40, from bowel cancer.Heather explained how she is grieving but working. Not only working in her day job as a gymnastics teacher, but also doing everything that Deborah would have continued with - including campaigning to highlight April as Bowel Cancer Awareness month.Deborah spent the last weeks of her life at her mum and dad's house in the summer of 2022 surrounded by her family. Heather and her husband Alistair found themselves looking after Deborah and, to everyone's surprise, hosting Prince William when he came to their garden to make Deborah a Dame. Heather talked about caring for Deborah when she came home to die, but said Deborah's zest for life - and campaigning - meant that far from going quiet, it was a busy time of fun, outings, a book, a rose and of course, a Damehood.It struck me that Heather is everything you would hope to be, as a mum in such a dreadful circumstance. She is planning to life life to the full, as Deborah wanted her to. And we spoke, just before her son's wedding where the entire family were planning to party and celebrate just as Deborah would have done if she were still here. And speaking as someone who witnessed her 40th birthday party in full swing, boy, did Deborah know how to party!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natasha Bedingfield is a New Zealand-UK singer and songwriter who started out in the business at a similar time to me. Another shared link is that we are both currently on a new adventure with songs we brought out originally in our early 20s! How's that for a coincidence? We've each been on an unexpected and exciting journey with our old songs... both because of recent films. The film 'Anyone but You' featured Natasha's 'Unwritten' which originally charted nearly 20 years ago. And my adventure has been because of 'Murder on the Dancefloor' being used to great effect in 'Saltburn'. Natasha talked about her place in her own family's politics, where her brother Daniel was the first to get into the music industry. Natasha had to fight to pursue her music career; in her family's eyes, that 'place' had already been taken by her sibling! (Sidenote: Daniel's debut single 'Gotta Get Thru This' kept Murder off the top spot in the charts 22 years ago - not that I'm holding a grudge or anything, Daniel!)Natasha has a little boy who is now 6. When he was 2, he was taken seriously ill with a spontaneous brain abscess He had to have two surgeries and was in hospital for 5 weeks. Thankfully there was a cure and he is fully recovered, but the time he was in hospital was obviously an extremely difficult period for Natasha and her husband. Natasha remembers having to perform a gig while her son was still in hospital. She shared how terribly difficult that was, and how in a room full of small talk she would suddenly blurt out 'My son's in hospital!'.On a lighter note (pun intended) Natasha and I talked about how having a baby changed our singing range - for the better! And we agreed that we are both really enjoying the new ride with our old songs from the early 2000s.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trinny Woodall is the CEO of the beauty brand Trinny London - she's an entrepreneur, businesswoman and author. She became a household name in the late 90s when she teamed up with Susannah Constantine to present the TV makeover show What Not to Wear. Last year she published her book Fearless about how to find your style and boost your confidence. She has a 20 year old daughter Lyla, who she describes as joyful, and she told me how, without her own roadmap to motherhood, she found a way to bring Lyla up, with the help of a wonderful woman called Jenny,We had an honest and fascinating talk in the attic room of her home in West London, which doubles as an office and a dressing room, full of colourful clothes. Trinny has just celebrated her 60th birthday and is as vibrant and fun as you could hope for. We sat there together, in our pyjamas, just after she'd shown me her microneedling tool, and I really understand why people open up to her and tell her their innermost secrets! Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Kennedy is a tech entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is CEO of Peanut App, and mum to two young children, Finlay and Nuala.Michelle started her working life as a corporate lawyer and became interested in tech when she worked for Badoo and then Bumble. She set up Peanut after she gave birth to her first child and felt lonely and isolated. Peanut is an online community for women, as Michelle says, at 'seismic stages' of their life including fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and menopause. It's a place where women can come and speak honestly with other women going through the same stage of life as them, and she feels it acts as a social barometer of which issues are important to women.I certainly wish it had been around when I had my first baby. And I look forward to watching Michelle's plans unfold for creating a space for young girls to talk about their challenges in their teen years... Little me could have done with that too!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kelly Hoppen is an interior designer who is renowned for working with big celebrity names and is known for her signature neutral palette.Kelly started her business aged 16 and a half, just afer her father died unexpectedly, and she told me that the feeling she wants to create for her clients is the one she had from her grandmother's home where she remembers learning to crochet and having tea.Kelly has spoken openly about being dyslexic. When we met at her office, just before Christmas, she described how music is a massive component in her design process, and that she will often ask a client which song would sum up the look of the room they want her to create for them.Kelly had her daughter Natasha when she was 23, and became stepmother to Sienna and Savannah Miller when they were teenagers, and the three girls ended up going to boarding school together. She says being a stepmum to Sienna and Savannah is one of the greatest achievements of her life.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Darlington is a wildlife cinematographer for shows such as David Attenborough's 'Planet Earth'. She regularly gets up way before dawn in places such as Sri Lanka or East Africa, and sits for over 12 hours a day watching the animal she's filming, often for weeks at a time. She says it's the best job in the world but you come back 'rinsed'. When her son Louis came along 23 years ago, Sophie had to take a break from her cinematography work for several years, but she returned when Louis was 4 and a half and even took him to live with her in the Serengeti for a year, while she worked. She also has an 11 year old step daughter now, who she says is 'so cool'.She is passionate about nature, and she is worried about the effect of climate change on the natural world, having observed worrying trends over the past decades during her cinematography projects.Sophie says it takes a certain mindset to want to sit for 10 hours in 36 degree heat in a metre by metre hide, or 30 metres up a tree. She also says that when she comes back from filming she can't cross a road for a while as she's so unused to city life. Sophie says her purpose is to 'make people give a damn'. And it's definitely worked on me.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Hart is a social media influencer, former reality TV star and podcast presenter. She appeared in Love Island in 2019 (Richard and I are avid viewers!) and she now has an adorable little baby called Stanley.Amy is the only Love Island contestant to have appeared on Question Time and she is a big food bank supporter.Amy worked as cabin crew before she joined Love Island, which I imagined would prepare her for sleep-deprived motherhood...except Stanley is a very good baby and sleeps through the night!We talked about how supportive her parents are as grandparents to Stanley. We also discussed how Amy had frozen her eggs prior to meeting her partner, and how she plans to donate those eggs to people stuggling to conceive.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabby Logan is best known as a BBC sports presenter but has also turned her hand to stand up comedy for Sports Relief (2012), to writing her memoir called The First Half, and to ice baths on Freeze Your Fear (2022). She hosts an excellent podcast called Mid-Life in which she, a guest and an expert explore how to navigate the mysterious territory of middle age.She has 18 year old twins and is married to retired Scottish rugby union player Kenny Logan. I spoke to Gabby a few months after her son Reuben had left the nest, with her daughter Lois following suit in a year, and she told me how the house is starting to feel too big.We talked about her brother Daniel's sudden death in 1992 when he was 15, and Gabby was 19 - and how she and her family were - and still are - impacted by this tragedy. But Gabby has a core of positivity and stressed that people can go on to have a good life even when something so terrible happens.Gabby represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 as a rhythmic gymnast, which Gabby so perfectly described as: where sport meets showbiz. The brightly-coloured leotards she wore were not a million miles from what I wear on stage now - but she wasn't too impressed by my opening bid to buy them as a job lot. I'll keep working on her!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Head is the founder of Social Pantry which runs food events with the wow factor, as well as a restaruant, and a cafe. I first met Alex this Summer where she was rustling up a banquet twice a day, in a tent at Latitude Festval. Two of the banquets featured food from 'Love, Food, Family' and Richard and I had the much easier job of meeting and greeting everybody there.Alex got into catering aged 16 when she was expelled from school in Saudi, just before her GCSEs. As she says, she was quite naughty. But she ended up setting up a sandwich-making business to keep herself busy.Fast forward a few decades and Alex now runs Social Pantry which she describes as a non-shouty and nurturing catering environment where she often employs ex-offenders, to help them create a new life for themselves outside of prison.Alex and her husband George had a daughter Roxy, aged 3, who was born just before the pandemic, and they now have a one year old son Eddie.Alex spoke to me about Eddie's diagnosis of Down's Syndrome while she was pregnant, and how she and George made the decision to continue with the pregnancy, and what a gorgeous, smiley boy Eddie is. This I can vouch for, as I love to see Alex's happy Instagram posts showing Eddie beaming, at the centre of his family. Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sandra Igwe decided to turn a painful experience into purpose. When we spoke recently she told me about some of her difficult experiences both during childbirth and afterwards.These led her to become the founder of The Motherhood Group which supports the Black maternal experience. Sandra has also written My Black Motherhood which demands that Black women are listened to, believed and understood by healthcare professionals.We spoke about Sandra's two daughters Zoe and Chloe, and the legacy Sandra hopes her work will leave, for when they come to have children. We also talked about her forthcoming third child. I got a bit over-excited about Sandra's search for a name for that will rhyme with theirs, as I realised ‘Sophie' is a near rhyme. Sandra kindly said she'll let me know!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Bradbury is a TV presenter and an author with a passion for the outdoors. She has a 12 year old son, and 8 year old twin daughters who she had through IVF. Her motto to them is: 'Be good, be strong, be kind'.We met at Julia's London West London home and talked about how in 2021, she and her husband had the nightmare task of breaking the news of her breast cancer diagnosis to their children. She also mentioned how 'Fruitfly Collective' and 'Maggie's Centres' can support all sorts of people at these difficult times. She is thankfully now in remission: working back in TV and writing, but making sure she puts her health first.Julia talked to me about how she feels we're all suffering an indoor epidemic at the moment and how she is doing all she can to live in a healthy way. She shares a lot of those thoughts in the book she has just published called 'Walk Yourself Happy', which reflects her belief in health through nature. Even in London, she manages to have her nature fix first thing every morning by sitting on her (very safe) windowsill and getting the morning light as soon as she wakes up. She then takes further 'nature snacks' through the day.I left Julia feeling full of positivity and good intentions, vowing never to eat sugary cereal ever again! It remains to be seen whether I manage to change my ways...Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presenter Helen Skelton has been a familiar and much-loved presence on our TV screens since she presented Blue Peter (2008-2013) and then Countryfile.Famous for her can-do attitude to life she still has several Guinness World Records under her belt, she's run a Namibian ultra-marathon (which is 3 marathons back to back), kayaked the entire length of the Amazon, and made it to the finals of Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins... and Strictly! Helen and her three children now live in Cumbria, near where Helen grew up herself, and they all love the outdoors. I caught up with Helen at her publisher's office in London on the day her autobiography ‘In My Stride' was published. It's a brilliant read and I love how Helen is someone pretty extraordinary but she has such a generous spirit she makes me feel like I might be able to do some of those things, too. Not sure I'm going to test the theory though..!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an extra special bonus episode in partnership with the lovely team at Clarks. Thanks to Clarks, I have brought my mum, Janet Ellis, back for this special shoecentric chat! We talked about the excitement of buying your child's first pair of shoes, and we happily admit that we very much share the sentimental gene, as we have kept all our children's ‘firsts'. My mum even has them on display as you go down the stairs to her kitchen. My Ma also shares her memory of a Clark's badge that she got as a child - I think they should bring those back - they are very sweet!!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dilly Carter is an expert in decluttering who presents the TV show 'Sort Your LIfe Out' alongside Stacey Solomon. Born in Sri Lanka, she was adopted and then brought up in the UK, and is very positive about the cards she was dealt. However, her childhood home was chaotic, with her parents at work all hours, and when Dilly was 11 her mum was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During her childhood Dilly found peace when she frequently spent time at a neighbour's more ordered home. It was also at this point that she discovered her love of tidying and organising people's houses.Dilly has a 9 year old daughter who also sounds incredibly tidy and organised and she and Dilly operate on a one thing in, one thing out policy in her bedroom, so it never becomes cluttered.Following her recent cancer diagnosis, and a subsequent hysterectomy, Dilly is keen to encourage people with busy working lives like her, to prioritise their health. She is also an ambassador for Adoption UK.As you will hear, Dilly is a very positive person. I was worried she'd be traumatised by visiting my house which is brimming with objects and knick-knacks, but she was very kind about it. She clearly suspects I have too many clothes - but I haven't let her look in my wardrobe yet!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlotte Hawkins presents Good Morning Britain where she proudly helps set the news agenda for the day and quizzes the people in power on the TV viewer's behalf. She also has a lifelong love of music and presents a show on Classic FM.Charlotte talked about how she and her husband tried without success to have a baby and were just about to set off down the IVF route when Charlotte unexpectedly became pregnant. She also spoke about how she lost her beloved Dad to motor neurone disease, just a month before her daughter was born, but that her daughter still has a bond with Grandad Frank, who gives her a Christmas present each year, as Charlotte knows exactly what he would have chosen.Charlotte's daughter Ella Rose is now 8 and she also tried out the TV presenter role this summer when she interviewed her idol George Ezra. She did it so well that it made me want to see lots more children putting adults in the hot seat - especially politicians.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Alice Roberts is a TV presenter and biological anthropologist - in her own words, she looks at old bones and tries to construct the person's history from their skeleton, and she loves the link betwwen the living and the dead.Her pink hair hints at her less traditional and more playful side, also illustrated by the amazing story that as a junior doctor she did some of her paediatric ward rounds on rollerblades, much to the children's joy! Alice was offered her first solo TV series just before she had her first baby. She presumed it was bad timing but to her surprise the executive producer suggested she take her her newborn baby with her on the filming, which she did successfully with the help of her husband who came along too.Alice has two children, now aged 10 and 13. She is vice president of Humanists UK. And she speaks out against faith schools, saying how children have a right not to have religion forced on them.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Lee Dockrill is an author of both adult and children's books. She went to Brit School, she's married to the love of her life, musician Hugo White, and her best friend is Adele.After giving birth to her son Jet, Laura suffered severe postpartum depression which saw her waking up alone in a psychiatric ward on her first Mother's Day. One of her books based on her experience is called What Have I Done?She also has a new children's picture book out next year called Gray. It's about depression and illustrated by Lauren Child.Laura is positive and funny and lovable and it is such a joy to see her recovered and happy while still able to share her experiences, which I know will go on to help the 1 in 1,000 new mothers who also suffer from postpartum psychosis. Trigger warning for references to suicidal thoughtsSpinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Pankhurst is a writer and a scholar who works for women's rights. Her grandmother Sylvia and her great grandmother Emmeline were both suffragette leaders, and Helen carries her family name with pride. We talked about how Helen kept her family name of Pankhurst when she married, and about how she and her husband shared both their surnames with their children, in a clever way theat I've not heard before.I first met Helen when we were involved in a podcast for Care International, where we were lucky enough to talk with women from all around the world, many in crisis, but still finding joy in each other's stories, and sharing many of the same worries and issues, despite living in vastly different circumstances from each other.We also discussed the parallels being drawn between the direct action of the suffragettes, and the current Just Stop Oil protestors.We agreed how important it is for every one of us to use our vote 'to keep your piece in the jigsaw' as Helen beautifully put it. She also talked about the current campaign to bring the voting age down in this country, to include 16-18 year olds.I absolutely love how Helen has brought her children up with her personal motto of 'fun and purpose', and I can really see how that has helped her achieve her goal of leading a decent, fun life with her family around her.And by the way, all accidentally recorded on Emmeline's birthday!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzi Ruffell is a writer and stand up at the top of her game, playing to packed audiences at her comedy gigs and with numerous TV appearances on panel shows. She also has two podcasts - 'Like Minded Friends' with Tom Allen and 'Out' showcasing gay success stories. She uses her personal experiences of being ADHD, of having anxiety and of being the parent of a toddler, in her act. It's important for her to share the joys of family life, she says, because as a gay teenager she thought she might not get to be a mum, as she just didn't see other gay women with children, either in the media or in real life.Suzy told me about how she's changed the way she works since becoming a mum. We also agreed toddler tantrums are quite funny. And Suzi confessed her daughter often tells her she's not funny. I beg to differ!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.