Phillip Russell grew up on the same estate as me and came to my drama classes as a teen. Years later, we reconnected by chance in a local park—and what followed was an honest, emotional conversation about his journey through struggle, personal accountability, and transformation.

In this episode, Phillip shares how he rebuilt his life, reconnected with his family, and now uses his story to help others. A powerful reminder that no matter how far gone things may feel, there’s always a way back.

When life throws a curveball, you pivot. Our scheduled guests couldn't make it in this unique episode of OLWZ , so the spotlight turned on me. My good friend Lucy Beddall graciously stepped in to host, turning the episode into a spontaneous Ask Me Anything session.

Lucy asked all the big questions—about my professional journey, personal challenges, and favourite moments, From stories about how I got started in things like writing and dance to the lessons I’ve learned along the way, we went deep into what makes me tick, what I’m passionate about, and how I balance it all.

A special thanks to Lucy Beddall for jumping in as my guest host. Her curiosity and warmth made this impromptu episode one of the most enjoyable conversations I’ve ever had on the podcast.

For this podcast episode, I chatted to Dr. Gemma June Howell, a multi-talented writer, poet, activist, academic and editor. She is the author of 'The Crazy Truth,' desk editor at Honno and founder of Women Publishing Wales, an organisation set up to celebrate women in publishing and to promote positive connections.

Gemma and I discussed the 'working-class' label and navigation of that, how she began writing and social equality within the arts. It was enlightening and powerful.

Thank you to Urban Foundry and Ten:15 Marketing for their ongoing support!