In this episode I catch up with Holly Matthews - former TV actress, best-selling author and founder of The Happy Me Project - for a rich and honest conversation about what it really means to find joy in the messiness of life.

Holly shares her inspiring journey from child actress to confidence coach and how losing her husband to brain cancer became a catalyst for helping others embrace their authentic selves. Together we explore the power of laughter, creativity and daily rituals as tools for healing and resilience.

Expect real talk about neurodiversity, overcoming “too-much-ness” and finding moments of joy even in grief. Whether you’re navigating loss or simply want to show up more fully as yourself, this episode is a reminder that embracing your weird is not just okay - it’s your superpower.

Holly Matthews is a former TV actress (Byker Grove, Waterloo Road, Casualty) and singer (Signed to Sony at 18, appeared on TOTP’S, MTV, Disney) who learnt how to use her ‘weird’ to stand out from the crowd.

After the death of her husband to brain cancer in 2017, when she was just 32, the Mum of 2 began her mission to help others to embrace their own ‘weird’, build their confidence and feel ‘more happy and less crappy’.

The Happy Me Project runs events across the UK, is an online coaching membership, podcast and has seen Holly asked to speak and create workshops for Aldi, SEND prison, Sainsburys and wellbeing festivals across the UK.

Her TED Talk has been watched by over half a million people and she is the go to ‘no-nonsense’, confidence expert at the BBC, where producers call her their ‘motivator in chief’.

Holly’s books The Happy Me Project & Find Your Confidence are best sellers and award winning (Find Your Confidence just won best wellbeing book of 2025 by Health & Wellbeing Magazine) with her bite size and actionable style appealing to our busy and distractible lives.

Holly recently opened up about being neurodivergent and has since been an advocate for this community, working alongside ADHD 360, appearing on ADHD Chatter, ADHD Beyond The Label (Bloomberg TV) and being nominated for a National Diversity Award.

Holly’s relatable and lighthearted approach to self development has seen her amass a large online following and become a regular contributor to UK publications such as Psychologies Magazine, Closer, Hello, Daily Mail, Metro, The Mirror and chatting on the sofa with Lorraine.

You can find out more about Holly - HERE

About your host Cat Googe AKA The Joy Queen:

🌻 Follow me over on instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠

🌻 Check out where to see me live this year - ⁠HERE⁠

🌻 Download my free guide 5 Quick & Juicy Joy Hacks ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠