Podcast appearances and mentions of Claire Jones

The countdown is on: Chancellor Rachel Reeves has just six weeks to finalise her Autumn Budget before the November 26 deadline. This week, she was in Washington DC for the annual meeting of the IMF, where she hinted at tax rises for the rich, while pinning some blame for Britain's economic problems on her predecessors. The British public are not likely to love the chancellor's efforts to fill the projected £22bn hole, but who will they hold responsible? Host George Parker is joined by deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, associate editor and columnist Stephen Bush, and the FT's economics commentator Chris Giles for a deep dive into the UK's public finances, and to explain why the China spy case roiling Westminster is all about economics.Follow George on: @georgewparker.bsky.social or @GeorgeWParker; Chris on @chrisgiles.ft.com or @ChrisGiles_; Stephen on @stephenkb and Miranda on @greenmirandahere.bsky.social or @greenmirandaWant more? Clear visions for tax reform exist — Reeves just needs to back oneHow Brexit drained the Tories' talent poolNo need for a moral panic about the welfare systemLetter: Only a strong economy can address Britain's worklessness crisisRachel Reeves suggests spending cuts and tax rises on wayJoin Chris Giles and FT colleagues Katie Martin and Claire Jones in conversation with former Fed vice-chair Lael Brainard and Fidelity's Salman Ahmed on October 23 1200 GMT for an exclusive subscriber webinar Markets on edge: central banks, bonds and the risks ahead. Register now and put your questions directly to the panel at ft.com/edgeAnd click here to sign up for Chris Giles' newsletter on Central Banks.Plus sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Our email address is politicalfix@ft.comPolitical Fix was presented by George Parker and produced by Ethan Plotkin. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT's acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.Clip from Sky News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and a voter on the Fed's interest rate-setting committee, speaks to the FT's economics commentator Chris Giles about the outlook for the US economy amid a boom in AI investment, sluggish hiring, President Donald Trump's tariffs and continued attacks by the White House on central bank independence.Chris Giles is the FT's economics commentator. You can sign up to his newsletter here. Chris' FT interview with Austan Goolsbee is here: ‘Top Federal Reserve Official warns against a quick series of rate cuts' Join top FT journalists Chris Giles, Katie Martin, Claire Jones and special guest Lael Brainard on October 23, 1200 GMT for an exclusive subscriber webinar, Markets on edge: central banks, bonds and the risks ahead. Register now and put your questions directly to our panel. Visit ft.com/edgeSubscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen. This episode was produced by Lulu Smyth and Persis Love with original music from Breen Turner. Sound design and mix by Jean-Marc Eck. Andrew Giorgiadis is our broadcast engineer. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to women controlling their own economic destinies, perhaps nothing has had a more profound impact than the contraceptive pill. But the US may be on the cusp of change. Earlier this year, the Trump administration froze some federal funding for subsidised access to contraceptive services and more changes are on the horizon. That has made understanding the economic impact of contraception all the more pressing. In this week's episode, the FT's Sarah O'Connor speaks to Martha Bailey, economics professor and the director of the California Center for Population Research at UCLA.Sarah O'Connor is employment columnist at the FT. You can read her articles here.Join top FT journalists Chris Giles, Katie Martin, Claire Jones and special guest Lael Brainard on October 23 1200 GMT for an exclusive subscriber webinar, Markets on edge: central banks, bonds and the risks ahead. Register now and put your questions directly to our panel. Visit ft.com/edgeSubscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Presented by Sarah O'Connor. Produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon and Lulu Smyth. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janette Manrara is a dancer and choreographer who we first got to know as one of the professional dancers in the UK on Strictly Come Dancing, and who now presents its sister show ‘It Takes Two'. Janette is married to fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec and together they have a 2 year old Lyra.Janette and I talked about her start in life as daughter of a young Cuban immigrant couple in Miami, and about her first job in a bank before she took a risk to pursue her dreams as a dancer. Janette told me that the enforced career break that Covid brought, made her realise she did want to be a mum. She also shared that she believes her time performing on stage and TV makes her a better mum to Lyra because she is fulfilled, and in a 'complete flow state' when she's performing. I know that feeling well myself!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.

Many argue immigration is key to America's economic success. So as President Trump clamps down on it, what might he be getting wrong and what does the optimal skilled immigration landscape look like for the US and elsewhere? John Burn-Murdoch, the FT's chief data columnist, speaks to Dr Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the Economic Innovation Group, who co-authored a recent paper on high-skilled immigration, Exceptional By Design. Find details of the EIG report here. John's article, co-authored by Stephen Bush: ‘The truth about immigration'. Plus his column on the dangers posed to liberal democracy by failing to address imperfections in immigration policy. John Burn-Murdoch is the FT's chief data columnist and writer. You can read his column Data Points here. Join top FT journalists Chris Giles, Katie Martin, Claire Jones and special guest Lael Brainard on October 23, 1200 GMT for an exclusive subscriber webinar, Markets on edge: central banks, bonds and the risks ahead. Register now and put your questions directly to our panel. Visit ft.com/edgeSubscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen. This episode was produced by Lulu Smyth with original music from Breen Turner. Sound design and mix by Simon Panayi. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Andrew Giorgiadis is our broadcast engineer.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anya Lautenbach is a gardener who I discovered on Instagram as anya_thegarden_fairy. From Poland originally, Anya moved to to the UK 17 years ago and has two boys aged 12 and 14. We talked about the grief which Anya has experienced because of her sister having two sons with a rare genetic condition which turned out to be terminal. Anya explained how every time she had bad news from home, she turned that into another garden border and has ended up creating a beautiful garden out of her ocean of grief. We also talked about her ADHD diagnosis which came soon after her son's diagnosis, and how gardening helps her to escape the overwhelming busyness of her mind. 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.

Jo-Ann D'Costa-Manuel is a charity pioneer. She received an OBE for her years of voluntary work raising the profile of hidden disabilities. She persuaded airlines to recognise green lanyards with sunflowers, as a symbol of a family member flying with a hidden disability. She was also behind the ‘quiet hour' in supermarkets to help children like her own son, who is autistic, and needs a quiet environment to be able to do a food shop.Jo-Ann now works for philanthropist John Caudwell to help raise money for children and youth projects, and she has just started her own podcast speaking to women over 40, called ‘It's Your Time.'Jo-Ann's son is now 16, and her daughter is 19. And to Jo-Ann's delight - and her daughter's horror - they are often mistaken for sisters!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.

Customs duties on imported goods used to be a crucial part of US government funding – in fact, the customs service was among the first federal agencies set up after the constitution. Now, Trump is hoping that – among other things – tariffs could transform the US budget. But do the revenues they raise for government coffers help outweigh their negative economic impacts? Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale and former adviser at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, speaks to Claire Jones, the FT's US economics editor.Claire Jones is US economics editor. You can read her articles here. Subscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Presented by Claire Jones. Produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound design by Samantha Giovinco and Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francesca Amber is a successful entrepreneur, podcaster and author who turned her life around using manifesting after everything went wrong for her in 2020.She has 3 daughters. Her eldest is 8 years old, and she has 4 year old twins who are starting school this September. In lockdown she lost her beauty business and her income and then had her twins as a single mother. She says she had a savage 5 years. But now her new book 'Manifesting Like a Mother' is published the day her twins start school and we mulled over how the timing is on this is so dramatic. We discussed the terminology of 'manifesting' and how Francesca thought I might have manifested the success of Murder on the Dancefloor!We agreed being a martyr as a mum is not a good thing, and Francesca described how she likes to schedule in quality time for herself, and buy herself lovely presents for her birthday and Mother's Day - and I've decided she should definitely treat herself to one of the tassley outfits I wear on stage!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.

Binyamin Applebaum of The New York Times, Larry Edelman of The Boston Globe, Scott Horsley of NPR, and Claire Jones, the US Economics Editor The Financial Times join EconoFact Chats for a wide ranging discussion on the U.S. economy, focusing on the weaker than expected jobs reports, high inflation, the importance of reliable government statistics, the independence of the Federal Reserve, immigration enforcement, demographic shifts, and continued tariff uncertainty.

This week we're sharing an episode from, Unhedged, another podcast from the FT network.The annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is supposed to be an intellectual retreat. Instead, it was overshadowed by personal and political attacks on US Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. Today on the show, Katie Martin talks to US economics editor Claire Jones about her reporting from Jackson Hole and what might happen if the central bank falls under the president's control. Also, we attempt to go long and short but are interrupted by a fire alarm. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer.You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at unhedged@ft.com.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is supposed to be an intellectual retreat. Instead, it was overshadowed by personal and political attacks on US Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. Today on the show, Katie Martin talks to US economics editor Claire Jones about her reporting from Jackson Hole and what might happen if the central bank falls under the president's control. Also, we attempt to go long and short but are interrupted by a fire alarm. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer.You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at unhedged@ft.com.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode with Sista Creatives Rising, we sit down with guest Chi (they/them), a talented artist, graphic designer, and mental healthcare worker from New York. Chi shares their journey of creating powerful infographics on the impacts of COVID and climate change, specifically as they relate to Indigenous and Palestinian displacement, illness, and disability.Discover how their art serves as a healing experience for marginalized communities. This interview highlights the mission of Sista Creatives Rising—a virtual project founded by a Black, invisibly disabled mother-daughter duo. We champion homebound disabled, queer, and BIPOC creatives, offering free virtual events like our disability-accessible "Art & Mind" series. Tune in for a powerful discussion on community building and liberation through artChE / ChillusionsRole: Graphics Assistant, Creating Infographics on COVID, Climate Issues and Climate Change in relation to Indigenous & Palestinian displacement, Illness & Disability. COVID-Conscious Chi, who uses they/them pronouns, is a 31 year old artist, graphic designer, and mental healthcare worker based in New York State. They have contributed illustrative works to local organizations, mutual aid projects, and virtual advocacy spaces since 2018. For the past 4 years Chi has lived with chronic illnesses and disabilities that impact their ability to create, so through their work they hope to create a healing experience for all by focusing on projects that deal with disability, community building, liberation, and justice for marginalized groups.Links: Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/chillusions?igsh=MXM2b3VlZXZ2Y3ljcA==Sista Creatives Rising (SCR) is a 100% virtual project (not a non-profit or LLC!) and concept founded by Black, invisibly disabled mother-daughter duo Claire Jones (age 62) and Amaranthia Sepia (age 25). ​SCR seeks to strengthen our community through virtual engagements, including our disability-accessible event, "Art & Mind." Through documentaries, short films, 3D virtual galleries, speaking engagements, and free resources led by therapists and disability activists, "Art & Mind" highlights these artists while fundraising at each event for our microgrant program, The Sistas Uprising Fund. Our first show occurred in 2021, leading to the creation of SCR in 2023. We pride ourselves on working with primarily homebound, disabled, queer, BIPOC creatives & activists. All our "Art & Mind" events are free to ensure that anyone can watch & participate, and people can donate to The Sistas Uprising Fund if they choose. We offer the perspective that virtual content has value and can provide audiences with innovative solutions for the often-overlooked disabled community.She/HerSista Creatives RisingBridging Gaps From the Past to the Present and to the Future___Our Website: SistaCreativesRising.comFiscal Sponsor Donation Page - Directly Support Our Projects!Wanna Tip us? Paypal Donation Page & Ko-Fi (Store Incoming!)Instagram: @SistaCreativesRisingSubstack: Musings of a Black Disabled ElderLinkedIn: Sista Creatives Rising

Welcome to this bonus episode of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! Season 3, Episode 6 features Claire Jones and Amaranthia Sepia, the mother/daughter duo behind Sista Creatives Rising. The mission of Sista Creatives Rising is "To help creative marginalized women and marginalized genders gain accessibility and visibility in the arts to facilitate personal healing." In this episode, we discuss:Our experiences with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and their impacts on our personal growthHow Claire navigated a cancer diagnosis during the height of a Covid surgeAmaranthia's experiences growing up in Japan and moving back to the United States, highlighting a stark difference between the two culturesHow past experiences shape parenting styles and the value of creating a supportive environment where children feel safe to make mistakesGenerational trauma, patterns, and how they drive us to changeThe origins of Sista Creatives Rising and Art and Mind, A FREE virtual charitable film & art event for marginalized women and gendersArt and Mind 2025: Covid, Climate, and Our Future, which "will focus on these themes and their ongoing effects on BIPOC creatives who are homebound, disabled, and immunocompromised and how it's affected their art & cultural practices while highlighting Indigenous perspectives such as Native North American & Palestinian experiences with displacement & climate disaster. "The challenges of running a virtual organization, including grant rejections and funding issuesCollaboration, community, and accessibilityThe Sistas Uprising Fund, a charity project to help marginalized women & marginalized genders gain financial support through microgrants, created in memory of Claire's motherI am very grateful for this conversation and the opportunity to get to know Claire and Amaranthia! I want to again thank both of them for taking the time to chat with me. Tickets for Art and Mind 2025 will be available on August 21st, and the event will take place on September 25th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm Eastern time. You can find Sista Creatives RisingOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@artmindseries9207 and Substack: https://substack.com/@sistacreativesrising You can also support them via: https://givebutter.com/sistacreativesrising If you'd like to support this one-disabled-woman-produced podcast, check out my Bonfire apparel shop. Items bought in the shop support the renewal of my Zoom license for recording. Many items co-support other chronically ill friends. I also have an Amazon storefront and I'll get a few pennies if you purchase your everyday items through the links in my storefront. I also have an Amazon Wishlist of fun treats and practical needs for our family this autumn.Don't forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! And if you're feeling extra generous, leave a review. Your support helps get this in front of more earballs and helps me bring more episodes. You can listen to the A Friend for the Long Haul Long Covid Theme Songs playlist on Spotify. Thank you!—A Long COVID Podcast! Season 3, Episode 6 features Claire Jones and Amaranthia Sepia, the mother-daughter duo behind ⁠Sista Creatives Rising⁠. Sista Creatives Rising's mission is " to

Today, we're sharing an episode from our fellow FT podcast, Swamp Notes.The US president is angry with the chair of the Federal Reserve over interest rates. He's applying a lot of pressure on Jay Powell to lower them or leave his job. The FT's Claire Jones and Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, break down what will happen if Trump succeeds in either of those goals.This episode originally aired on July 26.Subscribe to Swamp Notes on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend, we're sharing an episode from our fellow FT podcast, Swamp Notes. The US president is angry with the chair of the Federal Reserve over interest rates. He's applying a lot of pressure on Jay Powell to lower them or leave his job. The FT's Claire Jones and Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, break down what will happen if Trump succeeds in either of those goals.Subscribe to Swamp Notes on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing out 5 years on series, we come to the third oldest of the publications, and the stomping grounds of one of our hosts, West England Bylines.Our hosts interview the 3 Editors-in-Chief, Peter Burke, Claire Jones, and Michelle Cook, as well as Jon Hill, the former Editor, to ask how the last 5 years has gone, what goes into running a publication with such a varied area, andwhere they'd like to see it go in the next 5 years.If you wish to contribute to our cause, we have a crowdfunding page to help the Network expand. Donate only if you can and whatever you can, every little really helps. ⁠https://chuffed.org/project/ng7b7xwqwlze⁠The Bylines Network has also relaunched the Bylines shop, where you can get anything from hoodies to mugs, and featuring all merch from all 10 of our publications. ⁠https://bylines-network.teemill.com/⁠
Our online Gazette is now free if you sign up to any of our 10 newsletters, Join the mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bylinesnetwork.co.uk/sign-up/⁠Voxel Revolution Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's been exactly 90 days since US President Donald Trump paused most of his ‘reciprocal' tariffs. With just a 10 per cent blanket tariff on all imports and a higher tariff on China, economists predicted the American economy would feel the heat pretty quickly. But the sky hasn't fallen yet – the world's largest economy is holding strong. The FT's US economics editor Claire Jones explains why that is and when markets may start to feel the effects of Trump's tariffs. Clips from CBS News, CNBC, TODAY- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Donald Trump renews threat to hit trading partners with steep tariffsTariffs on household goods bring home costs of Trump's trade warsUS tariff receipts surge in Donald Trump's trade warUS narrows trade focus to secure deals before Donald Trump's tariff deadline- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Claire Jones on X (@senoj_erialc) and Saffeya Ahmed on X (@saffeya_ahmed), or follow Saffeya on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genevieve Turley is a make up artist who posts funny content online, making light of makeup tutorials and not taking her self seriously at all.We talked about how wearing makeup makes us both happy. She told me about her career in the RAF, her IVF journey and her life now, doing bridal makeup and creating comedy content online.Genevieve has two children aged 6 and 7, and after a 3 year renovation project with her husband Richard, they are at last close to moving into their family home.We also discovered a mutual love of an Urban Decay eye colour called Acid Rain, still in my makeup drawer, decades after I first bought 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.

Ro Fielden-Cook is a woman with a heck of a life story. She has 3 sons: twins Alfie and Charlie (aged 15) and Freddie (aged 7).She is the founder of a wellbeing and fitness community ‘The SHE Collective' which has a holistic approach to giving busy women more life, more confidence and more energy. She had her twins as a single mother as she left University. One of the twins, Alfie, was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition called SMA when he was still a baby. Her story of fighting for her son's health and then falling in love is jaw-dropper.Ro talks about her wonderful rock of a mum, and also about losing her incredible-sounding dad when she was a teenager. Ro's positive spirit is inspiring and I guarantee you'll be using her dad's motto ‘Onwards and upwards' when you've finished listening. 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.

Ranvir Singh is a TV news presenter on Good Morning Britain, who I met on the set of ‘Lorraine' about a year ago - and I've been wanting to talk to her in more depth ever since.Ranvir is a single parent to her 13 year old son Tushaan.She grew up in a very religious Sikh household, having lost her Dad when she was only 9. She was the first girl in her family to go to University, and despite pressure to get married as soon as she left Uni, her laser beam focus on her career path remained.Ranvir and I shed some tears as she described the few minutes she would need to take on the driveway after work, before putting her key in the door. And towards the end of our chat, she shared some very emotional advice for any listener who feels themselves overwhelmed, and in that same position now.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.

Another bumper episode! So we kick off with Jon and Fintan talking about stuff and things [0:00 – 16:48], followed by the last of the interviews from Jon's recent trip to EveryMatrix towers and a chat with Friend of the Podcast Mark Schmidt [16:49 – 37:35]. And that thing about the Eye of Sauron? Obviously it's a joke…Our headline act though is (are?) Lorraine Perrons and Claire Jones, co-founders of Gambling Recovery Therapy and Gambling Recovery for All CIC. They discuss their personal journeys that led them to create a unique approach to gambling recovery, emphasising holistic healing and individualised support. We explore the challenges faced in the gambling recovery landscape, the importance of funding and accessibility, and the need for collaboration within the community to effectively support those affected by gambling addiction. Lorraine and Claire discuss the challenges and strategies in the field of gambling recovery therapy, the importance of making their voices heard, the need for better funding, and the systemic issues surrounding gambling addiction. The conversation also touches on the necessity for transparency in financial systems and the importance of education in mental health awareness [37:36 – 1:21:57]. Choice quotes: "I was married to a gambling addict""We want people to uncover who they are""How do you make your voices heard?""The messaging is fucked up.""It's the transparency that matters."Gambling Recovery Therapy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamblingrecoverytherapy/Mark Schmidt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-schmidt-aa27398b/As ever, we thank all of our sponsors for their support. In no particular order they are: Optimove, who turn customer data into something special, with tools that make businesses work better. Optimove, your support helps us make things that take away the pain. Or create it, I forget which. Oh, and tell them you came via us and you get your first month free!Then of course there is the mighty OddsMatrix Sports Betting Software Solutions – the industry go-to for sportsbook platforms and data feeds. EveryMatrix's coverage is so damn good, they're gaining tier-1 operators all the time. The proof really is in the pudding, and OddsMatrix is sweet. Clarion Gaming are last but certainly not least, providers of the magnificent ICE expo and the upcoming iGB Live! in London this July. We love you guys, all of you! The Gambling Files podcast delves into the business side of the betting world. Each week, join Jon Bruford and Fintan Costello as they discuss current hot topics with world-leading gambling experts.Website: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3A57jkRSubscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4cs6ReF Subscribe on YouTube:

Laura Hamilton is a TV presenter best known for presenting A Place in the Sun. She's been renovating properties since the age of 19 and has just taken on her first overseas project in Majorca, which she's filming, to create a guide to buying and renovating abroad.Laura has two children, 11 year old Rocco and 10 year old Tahlia, who she co parents 50/50 with her ex.Laura went back to work 3 weeks after having each of her children. She explained that was because she was scared someone else would jump into her shoes if she was away for longer. Laura's career to date is so jam-packed including being gunged on CITV, appearing in pantos, running the marathon, Dancing on Ice, and The Jump. She credits her Dad and his difficult start in life before finding music and happiness, saying life is just your story, and you've got to enjoy writing it. Cheers to that, Laura! 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.

Cathy Dennis is a singer and a songwriter. I have been a huge fan of hers for years both through her solo music career and I've been lucky enough to write with her and get to know over the years. She is a true talent and a champion for music and creativity. She had a successful solo career in the early 90s, and then changed to songwriting in the 2000s, including writing Kylie's ‘Can't Get You Out of My Head', Britney's ‘Toxic' and Katy Perry's ‘I Kissed a Girl'.Cathy told me how she was bullied at school, from the age of 7-12, and how that may have equipped her to be strong and tenacious enough to be a woman in the music industry.She became a mum in 2004 (the same year I became a mum!) and found it a challenge to carry on with her career at that point but here she is, still writing and involved in music. Cathy credits her son Seb with being her solace when she's found her self on the 'nothing will ever be perfect' train. It was so gorgeous to talk to a friend who I admire and whose career is constantly evolving. A lovely conversation! XSpinning 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.

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.

Microsoft posted better than expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday, Spain is trying to figure out what caused a massive power outage, and the Conservatives are bracing for heavy losses in local England elections. Plus, the FT's Claire Jones explains what we can take away from the latest US GDP reading. Mentioned in this podcast:US and Ukraine sign natural resources dealMicrosoft shares jump after software giant's earnings top forecastsUS economy contracts at 0.3% rate as Trump tariffs prompt import surgeLocal elections: Tories braced for losses as England votes in five-party raceHow did Spain's electricity grid collapse?The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Michela Tindera, Katie McMurran, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT's executive producer. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com 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.

US President Donald Trump's global trade war has made a mess for the Federal Reserve. Despite an encouraging US consumer price index report this week, there are major concerns about the inflationary nature of Trump's tariffs. Meanwhile, the Fed has cut growth forecasts. And if all that wasn't enough, Trump is breathing down chair Jay Powell's neck to cut interest rates. The FT's US economics editor Claire Jones and economics commentator Chris Giles explain why the central bank is caught in a difficult position.Mentioned in this podcast:Jay Powell's tariff dilemma: defend the economy or contain inflationAlphaville: An emergency rate cut from the Fed?US inflation falls more than expected to 2.4% in MarchFederal Reserve ‘absolutely' ready to help stabilise market if needed, top official saysSign up for the FT's newsletter Chris Giles on Central BanksSign up for the FT's Swamp Notes newsletter hereSwamp Notes is produced by Katya Kumkova. Topher Forhecz is the FT's executive producer. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com 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.

The report, ‘Casting Long Shadows: The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on babies, their families and the services that support them.' published in 2022 revealed worrying statistics about babies born during the COVID pandemic, highlighting how many had delayed social skills. But two years on, as those children now start school, how are they doing? We speak to Dr Alison Prowle, a senior lecturer at the department for Children and Families, University of Worcester; Hannah Tuck, a children's worker with a national UK charity and a kids team leader at New Life Elim Church in Barry; from Hengoed Primary School we meet teachers Natalie McPherson, Claire Jones, and Janet Watkins; and we also speak to Dr. Matthew Williamson-Dicken, and Mrs ELin Johnson, from Panteg Primary School. Finally, we visit the Little Lounge community project based in Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd, to see what place faith has had in helping the pandemic babies.