In this episode, Paolo and Paul sit down with the incredible Paris Bartholomew, a UK-based psychologist, lecturer, and care experience advocate whose story of survival, healing, and purpose will stay with you long after listening.

Paris shares her journey from a childhood marked by trauma and abuse to becoming a voice for change in the care system. She reflects on her early years, the fierce women writers who shaped her, and how storytelling and education became her refuge.

The conversation explores trauma, memory, forgiveness, and the power of therapy—especially for care-experienced people. Paris opens up about the painful process of reading her care files, confronting her mother’s mental illness, understanding the roots of her pain, and ultimately learning to forgive.

Toni Morrison’s words set the tone: “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order."

By the end, Paris shows us what it means to truly gather the pieces - and shine on.

Connect with Paris:
Website https://parisbartholomew.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parismotivates/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/survive_grow_inspire__/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paris-bartholomew-b01852a1/

Thank you to our sponsors Bibb Egan and Bet Enabling for supporting the show and helping us bring these important stories to light. https://bibbegan.co.uk/

Credits:
Produced by Simon Wady
Recorded at Podcast Room, Great Portland Street
Theme music by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like and subscribe...and tell a friend.

Keep up-to-date on guests, future episodes and other news on our website, including all our social platforms.

Watch episodes on our YouTube page.

May we all shine on.

Following last week’s episode with Sonya Nisa, Waterloo Road actress and Become ambassador, Paul and Paolo talk more with Catherine Sacks-Jones, outgoing CEO of Become.

Catherine reflects on her time at Become and the transformative power of giving care-experienced young people the support and respect they deserve, and unpacks the origins of the charity—from a kitchen table magazine to a national movement—and the systemic challenges that persist in the UK care system, from cliff-edge transitions at 18 to children being sent hundreds of miles from home.

Sonya talks using her experience of care as a voice of hope and advocacy as Become’s first celebrity ambassador. Her message to her younger self? “Love is given, not earned. You deserve to be happy.”

For more information:

📢 Sign the #GoneTooFar petition and learn more at Become's website https://becomecharity.org.uk/
X https://x.com/BecomeCharity
Instagram / becomecharity
Facebook / becomecharity

Follow Sonya: Instagram / sonyanisa5 or X https://x.com/sonyanisa5

Produced by Simon Wady
Theme music by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like and subscribe...and tell a friend.

Keep up-to-date on guests, future episodes and other news on our website, including all our social platforms.

Watch episodes on our YouTube page.

May we all shine on.

In this episode, Paolo and Paul visit Become, the charity supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers, for an inspiring conversation with actress Sonya Nisa—Waterloo Road, Casualty, Red Rose, Damsel—and the charity’s Chief Executive, Katharine Sacks-Jones.

As Become’s first celebrity ambassador, Sonya shares her story of growing up in care, having lived with five foster families and in a children’s home by the age of 14. She speaks about the challenges of instability, the importance of culture in fostering, and how finding unconditional love with her final foster parents, Linda and Alan, transformed her life.

Together with Katharine, the episode also explores the impact of long-distance placements, the gaps in the current care system, and how Sonya is using her voice to campaign for change.

For more information:
Become Charity https://becomecharity.org.uk/
X https://x.com/BecomeCharity
Instagram / becomecharity
Facebook / becomecharity

Follow Sonya: Instagram / sonyanisa5 or X https://x.com/sonyanisa5

Credits:
Produced by Simon Wady
Filmed by Adrian Tanner, Many Hands Productions
Theme music by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band

Thank you for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like and subscribe...and tell a friend.

Keep up-to-date on guests, future episodes and other news on our website, including all our social platforms.

Watch episodes on our YouTube page.

May we all shine on.