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Controversy & Curiosity - Interview with Sarah Jane Honeywell
24 Plays2 years ago
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Amy on the Air interviews TV & radio presenter, stage performer and theatre school owner Sarah Jane Honeywell. Talking life on CBeeBies, Cats, Addiction, Radio & Theatre School Management.
Find out more about Sarah Jane @sjhoneywell & @curious_theatre
As always, ArtsPod is an @thelincolncompany production
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Transcript
A Humorous Incident with a Dog
00:00:00
Speaker
stood up opened the shower door and was going let's see how cold it is now and the dog jumped in the shower but was like scooby doing all over the shower you know like it's a Jack Roswell so she was sliding and rolling on her back and I was like no so grab the dog and pull the dog out of the shower shut the shower door oh no I didn't grab it I was like for about five seconds I was like the dog John's gonna kill me
00:01:08
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another episode with Aimee Eyre on the Air.
Meet Sarah Jane Honeywell
00:01:15
Speaker
And today's guest, if you are probably somewhere to my age or a little bit older, you might recognise if you were to bump into this person. They did kids TV, so if you were a big fan of
00:01:28
Speaker
Higgledy House or Tikabilla? Tikabilla, Tikabilla. You might know this guest because it is the brilliant and the wonderful Sarah Jane Honeywell. Hello Amy.
Journey to CBBs
00:01:42
Speaker
Yes, hello and welcome to our podcast. So let's start with CBBs actually then because that's probably where most of the audience actually probably know you from. So yeah, how did you actually get started in CBBs?
00:01:55
Speaker
Oh, my goodness. OK, so yes. So I was a dancer and a contortionist and I'd done like I didn't train professionally. So I'd done local classes for drama and dance and singing and just around Redford area, which is where I'm from and Doncaster as well. So I went to a really good dance school there. And basically, I'd been in the West End and one of the guys who used to be in the same show that I was in, I was in Cats,
00:02:24
Speaker
He was watching the show and he was choreographing for a BBC Two schools programme, which you guys probably might have watched as well, called Mega Maths. And he choreographed me in that. And so I did that job. And while I was working on it, this is why you should be nice to everybody, guys.
Challenges and Controversies at CBBs
00:02:44
Speaker
While I was working on that job, there was a runner called Tony, Tony Reed.
00:02:48
Speaker
and he was really shy and really awkward and really sweet and he just worked so hard and everyone else kind of ignored him he was like invisible and I'm a bit of an empath so I felt really sorry for him so I was not in a kind of horrible way but just like oh he's on his own that's not very good.
00:03:05
Speaker
So I would go and help him with the props, or I'd bring him lunch, or I just always spoke to him. And then I went back into cats, and then he, in the meantime, had become a producer. And he was going to produce a program on CBBs, which was going to be about fairies. And I've done lots of creature work. Like, well, yeah, just loads. Like, I'd done teddy bears, which people might remember was on ITV.
00:03:31
Speaker
and I was going to go on tour with the tweenies and I'd done all those things and so I was put up to be this fairy because also I'm only four foot eleven and then it was scrapped but because he was the producer for that he'd seen my picture and he remembered me and then he became the producer on to Kabila and he thought
00:03:48
Speaker
she probably can't present but I'd really like to see her because she was funny so I'll just put her in that pile and we'll get her in for an audition and that's basically how I got the audition and then at the audition of which I actually thought oh you know what I've got this closed for jobs that I really want to do and I keep not getting it I'm gonna give up and I'm gonna move home I didn't prepare at all and I went in and he was behind the camera and I just thought oh wow he's a cameraman now so I was like hello Tony oops sorry everybody sorry yes I'll behave now
00:04:14
Speaker
did the audition and then as I left the audition I was like Tony can I get your number because it was pre-facebook-y times it'd be really nice to meet up and see what you've been doing still thinking he was a cameraman and then he texted me that night saying I actually think you might get this job and I might be your producer director
00:04:30
Speaker
And that was that. I was like, oh, sorry, I was really weird to you and naughty and was like jumping up and down in your face asking you for your number. So that's really how I got it. Just by being nice to people. Yeah. I think. And just and also, you know, like just serendipity, just a series of events that meant that I met those people and that those people had moved into certain positions and yeah. Yeah. So always be nice.
00:04:56
Speaker
Yes, that is a very good tip there, a very good tip. So what was it like working for CBB's then?
00:05:03
Speaker
Oh, it was just so much fun. A lot of pressure and a lot of being told off. So when I got a back tattoo, they weren't very pleased with me. Of which I just couldn't understand because I was, you know, like nearly 30. Well, I was 33 when I got my back tattooed. So I couldn't understand it because I was a bit like, well, I'm an adult. What's the deal? But they were really not pleased about that. So a lot of pressure from that point of being perfect and being good and
00:05:32
Speaker
really not putting a toe out of line at all, but then really so much fun, like I laughed every single day, because you're just being silly, because I think, well you were kids then, I always thought that the more fun we have, the more you guys would enjoy it. I don't know if that was true, I don't know, but that's what I thought, so I was having the time of my life, living my best life being naughty for children.
00:05:58
Speaker
Which I still do. We can't have you on here and not talk about, obviously, how you ended up leaving TBBs. Yeah. So I want to hear it from your words, so for listeners at home who might not be aware, kind of what was the story going on down there? If I'm honest, I think they were already going, Matt, we don't want her anymore.
00:06:22
Speaker
I think what happens in a lot of productions, in soaps, in dramas, in all those things, or long-running things, if a new producer comes in, they want to make their mark. And if they come in and decide they don't like you, for whatever reason, and they're entitled not to, you can't really change their minds. And I did, you know, you try really hard to make them see that, no, look, I'm good for this. I'm, you know, I work really hard. I don't complain.
00:06:51
Speaker
do anything you want me to, you can treat me as badly as you like and I won't say anything. But I kind of could feel that this one woman in particular did not like me. And that manifested itself in, I think at the time Justin and I were both doing our own shows and he got two makeup ladies, a driver and a Winnie bagel. And I got no makeup ladies at all and had to drive myself around the country and like sit in the back of vans and stuff to put my makeup on.
00:07:19
Speaker
So I think, you know, you start to get, I was getting a vibe in it, do you know what I mean? I got myself a vibe about that. But I still tried to be good, but I just knew. And then I think after the first block, we'd been doing go-karting and it would been snowing.
00:07:36
Speaker
So I'm doing my own makeup and hair in the snow while also presenting freezing cold and it was in a go-karting place so I was just in like some rough old toilets doing my own makeup and after each block so a block is you do I don't know four episodes or something and then they'll go and recap everything and then you'll have like a week off and then you do another block
00:07:59
Speaker
And at the end of the vlog, my feedback was, you look old and ugly and your hair needs cut in. Oh my God. And I think at that time, I did cry. And I'm not a crier. You know I'm not a crier, Amy. I'm not a crier at all. And I did cry because I was like, I don't know what to do with that note. I'm not a makeup lady. And so they gave me 20 minutes lesson with a makeup lady to try and sort that out. And then I was just like, yeah, these are not good vibes. I'm getting from these guys. But then, stupidly,
00:08:27
Speaker
Don't get me wrong. I am a loose cannon in there. You know, I think there's nothing wrong with getting your boobs out. I'm not a naughty girl. I've hardly slept with any men, but they're my boobs. And if I want to get them out on holiday or whatever I want to do, I'll get them out. And a friend of mine was doing a photo shoot and he's really cool. He's called Mark DeGru, and now he's always in Ibiza. He's just such a cool photographer.
00:08:51
Speaker
And he said, we come and do some photos for me just so I could get some work, you know, and promote stuff. And I was like, yeah, of course. And we did one where I was in a vest top with no bra on, pouring diet coke over my head. And it was kind of like a Mickey take of those Evian, you know, when you've got like really beautiful girls being like,
00:09:07
Speaker
Oh it was so beautiful. It was a complete Mickey take of that but it was February and we were in a kind of old above an old car showroom with no heating because that's where he'd found a studio because he didn't have any money and it was freezing so my rabbit's noses were a bit prominent in the old vest top.
00:09:29
Speaker
And so, you know, I still didn't think anything of it. And then he said, can I put it in my on my Facebook? And I said, yeah, no one cares about me. Put it on your Facebook thinking, you know, he was looking at Facebook really.
00:09:42
Speaker
And that, no, the next day he phoned me in the morning and he was crying. And I was like, are you okay? What's happened? And he just said, I'm so sorry. He said the mail phoned me earlier and said, can we buy the photos? And I said, no. And then somebody texted me and said, it's in the sun. And it was in the sun newspaper with the headline, which I am quite proud of. See boobies.
00:10:06
Speaker
So that was the first picture. No one shouted at me or any, what all the BBC said was, we have no comment about this. And I didn't really get shouted at, but I didn't have any more filming booked in. But I was due to start doing Zingzillas because I was pansy in the Zingzillas. I was due to start doing Zingzillas in the February, I think.
00:10:26
Speaker
and then because I mean I'm a vegetarian now I should make that clear but I was a vegan until I had my kids and now it's just too hard not to eat chocolate please don't judge me judge me if you like and so I was vegan so for Peter they said will you do a campaign for us and I said yeah
00:10:42
Speaker
and we went down to Trafalgar Square and they said I'd be in a nude bra and pants which I had and I'd be lying on a plate and there'd be giant peas and giant chips and the slogan I think was relate to what's on your plate so it was kind of saying you know like that's a live animal there and just as I lay down the woman went to me he'd take your bra off and I was like
00:11:03
Speaker
whoo I don't know and she was like I was like what just like pull out rabbit's noses and she was like no no you can put your hands over them but it'll really help us we'll get more press and I just thought with my hands are over them who cares I don't care about you don't mean I wasn't going so I said yeah
00:11:20
Speaker
and my hands were over them at all times I don't think anybody saw a Nepali at all and again then that ended up in the papers and then I knew I knew after the after the coat thing I was like I've not heard anything so this is very dodgy and then after that they were literally lying that's it and I think in the paper the papers asked for comment and the comment was Sarah Jane no longer works for us so that's kind of how I found out
00:11:47
Speaker
That's how it goes. That's a bit awful really that you found out like that. I think it's the way now. Did it affect your career at that point as well?
00:12:01
Speaker
Yeah, so then what happened was, so after the diet coke pictures, I was still on air. So I was a bit like, oh, maybe after that picture, they took me off air straight away. So it was like I was removed from the history of the channel. And I suppose
Impact of Controversies on Career
00:12:18
Speaker
then people like Pantos were like, we can't implore you.
00:12:23
Speaker
And I did things for like Thompson holidays. I'd fly over there and do a little kids show over there for them every other week. And they were like, no, you can't do that. And so I went from being really quite busy to like absolutely nothing. And the worst thing was, I think, and this is a mistake that I urge all of you not to make, I made work my identity. And so with that all stripped away, I was like, I don't know who I am, then who am I? And that was the hardest thing, I think that was the,
00:12:52
Speaker
That was the hard-hitting fact. Yeah, and of course I got a mortgage, but I'm quite resourceful. I was like, I don't mind working. I'd sold gas before in credit cards and done promotion work. I knew that I was resourceful enough to keep myself going, but it was just that kind of suddenly I was a really bad person as well.
00:13:18
Speaker
It's hard to hear you talk about it a little bit because I know you and I know how lovely you are and to hear that you've got so much backlash for doing what most celebrities do nowadays. It's kind of hard to hear. I am intrigued as a musical theatre fan
Recovery and Return to Theatre
00:13:38
Speaker
of myself to talk a little bit more about Cats.
00:13:41
Speaker
Oh my god, well I had the best, I mean musical theatre people are so much fun, I mean they're just so much fun and I had the best time doing that. I did it in 93 to 95, I didn't train as I said so I kind of went to an open audition in Leeds, got the job, found myself in London and just found myself going
00:14:00
Speaker
whoa I didn't even know what the half hour call was which for those that don't because why would you and the half hour call is called 35 minutes before your show begins and it's 35 minutes because the beginners is five minutes before the show but I didn't know that and I think after about three months I said to one of the girls
00:14:17
Speaker
Why did they call the half hour call 35 minutes before the show? And she just really laughed at me. But I just didn't know all those things. But I just had the best time, the very best time. And then I left to try and get some acting experience. Because I kind of realized at four foot 11, I was never going to be a chorus member in many other shows. Like I wasn't going to do crazy for you or 42nd Street or probably could have got away with doing Starlight, but maybe not.
00:14:46
Speaker
And I'm not a diva singer, I can sing but I'm not a Christina. So I kind of realised I'm probably better off doing acting and I looked really young. But then I foolishly not only got into acting but I also got into drugs. So that was a disaster for about two years.
00:15:04
Speaker
And then, which you could ask me about after. And then I got clean and sober and then I went to the director at Cats and said, look, I am in trouble here. If I don't get a job, I don't think I'm going to get through this. And she said, OK, you have to audition, but I think there's a job for you. And I went and auditioned. So then I went back into Cats from
00:15:25
Speaker
1999 to 2001, I think. And that was with John Partridge. He was amazing. And Jason Gardner, who was like the bad John Dunstan eyes. It was the most fun I have ever had, ever. Yeah. Do you think it really helped you in that kind of condition that you were in, in that kind of atmosphere, that such negativity that was happening all at once?
00:15:48
Speaker
Yeah, I think I just, I just had lost my way again. Well, for the first time, I'd lost my way, I've talked so many times. But it was the first time that I kind of lost my way. And I just thought that partying was the answer. And I thought that, you know, I...
00:16:05
Speaker
I thought that it was my way of, as it says in the School of Rock, sticking it to the man. You know what I mean? I felt like, yeah, I'm outside of society now. And yeah, I'm an adult. I can do what I want. And then I very quickly realized that because it got me into debt and I was not having a good time that, you know, that's not really being an adult. That's throwing your life away.
00:16:29
Speaker
But had I not had that show to go back into, I think I would have just hung around with the same people that I was kind of hanging around with in London. And so I needed like a clean break where I was busy all the time. And don't get me wrong. I mean, there are people in the West End that note that very few people that are clean and sober in the West End, but it's different because I could do the show. I had that kind of outlet, which is like a drug being on stage it is. And then I could go home and be safe.
00:16:56
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So she definitely saved me that director. She did. That's amazing to hear that you had that support, especially from a creative system. Yeah. Because I think it is very important for some people because the arts are their life.
00:17:11
Speaker
Yeah. And I think creatives are prone to, I think I heard George Michael, if, do you all know who George Michael is? So I heard George Michael once say on an interview, it's not what you've got extra that makes you a star, it's what you've got missing. And I think a lot of creative people end up turning to drink and drugs because they just crave that something extra. But I will say that is not the answer. It's not the answer. The answer is, you know, doing your best and really working on yourself that you can be your absolute everything.
00:17:41
Speaker
Yeah. And you're speaking so openly about it as well. It's so refreshing to hear, but have you ever received backlash or anything like that from speaking openly about it? Well, I spoke openly in the papers about doing drugs because I realized when I got clean and sober that you guys, you guys that used to watch me would be about 15 and be at the age where you might be thinking that that's a cool way to go.
00:18:06
Speaker
and so I did speak about it in the Sun newspaper and that was an even bigger backlash again. I was just like oh my goodness because although the article was really positive and it was me saying what I'm saying here of going it's not the answer and even
00:18:22
Speaker
And even though it does give you that moment of, hehe, we're being rebellious, what fun, this is so much fun, the end result is never good. And that was the message in the article, but the headline was something like Sarah Jane Honeywell does five grams, no, five kilograms of cocaine a night.
00:18:40
Speaker
Which, let me tell you, I'm not Scarface, and if I'd done that much, I would be dead. But people remember the headline. They don't remember the story. They remember the headline. So it ended up being negative. I just was like, well, it's who I am, so I don't care.
00:18:56
Speaker
Let's talk a little bit about, because I think a lot of creatives they go through this as well and it is a big part of it is obviously press and you've had your first share of it. So how
New Beginnings in Lincoln
00:19:08
Speaker
do you combat it? How do you work your way through it?
00:19:13
Speaker
I think the first time was when the kind of diet coke picture came out and I do remember and this is really weird because I didn't think this would happen but my legs actually went from underneath me and you know like you hear people talking about that and you're like whatever that's a bit dramatic they did and they were like shaking because I knew that it was going to be because of what had happened before I knew it was going to be a nightmare
00:19:36
Speaker
So that was really tough but I think since then it's not, what can you do? Like you just have to brush it off. Same with like when I was on CvB's sometimes I think some mum set up her I Hate Sarah Jane Honeywell Facebook group and on the message board they'd be really mean about me on the CvB's message board.
00:19:56
Speaker
and at first that used to really get to me and then I think after a while I just I just realized you just can't let those things get to you it's just you know when people write mean things about you it's a bit like when I was young people wrote on toilet walls you know I mean it's that it's the same thing it really doesn't mean anything it did make me realize when I say mean things about actors that I don't know that they're real people
00:20:20
Speaker
Yeah. Because I think you forget that. And I think that, you know, to creatives, I think don't be surprised if people forget that you're you're a real person with feelings and try to then therefore not take it personally. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's great advice as well. Yeah, you're always full of great advice.
00:20:48
Speaker
The curious theatre school earlier this year was burgled and vandalised and since then the school has been trying to build up funds to replace all the damages that were caused. There is going to be a fundraiser for the curious theatre school in May. There is a line to be confirmed and there is also GoFundMe pages and all information on their social media which is the curious theatre school.
00:21:30
Speaker
let's talk a little bit about your current successes because you have a theatre school in Lincoln. I do. So basically I had a little boy, Phoenix, and realised and had not worked for a long time and had really struggled and realised that my identity was not my work and that actually I am my identity. And we moved to Lincoln because I kind of
00:21:57
Speaker
Well, A, I had an ex that like literally fleeced me for everything. But also I didn't really want to bring children up in London. And I kind of realized that, you know, I'd outgrown London really, which sounds weird because it sounds like you should outgrow Lincoln. But I think what happens is you go to London when you're young and then you outgrow it and you come back to somewhere lovely like Lincoln. And we moved here and I've got two little boys now. So I've got Indiana who's four and Phoenix who's six.
00:22:23
Speaker
And we moved here and it was a case of, oh, what should we do? What am I going to do? And I just thought, oh, why don't I open a third school and see how that goes? And I love it. I really enjoy it. It's going really well. We're now a community interest theater company, which means that we can get grants because we do give away a lot of free lessons, as you know Amy, a month so we can get a grant to help even more children. We've got a really great premises now that's got a secret
00:22:54
Speaker
Let's hear more about that. Let's hear more about the building. The building, it was a Chinese restaurant. It had been empty but it had been a Chinese restaurant for ages. But the landlord had said it used to be a ballroom and so it had already a ballroom floor, like a sprung floor.
00:23:10
Speaker
So I was like, amazing. And then he said it's got a hidden stage somewhere. So I was like, I want it. So we haven't got the money yet. We think we found the hidden stage. We think we know where it is. And we think we've even found a stage door, which is really exciting. It's not huge, but it's a stage.
00:23:26
Speaker
And there's a walkway above the ballroom and there's just, there's a lot of work to do and it's like a massive project but I think it'd be amazing to restore it back to its kind of original splendor. We've already, we're trying to make it like a community space so we've already got a local photographer who's got a room in there. I would really like to get some therapy rooms but for young people that are free.
00:23:52
Speaker
And then yeah, and then just have like dance school, kind of thinking about setting up like a higher education area as well, not uni students, but you know, like kind of like A level students and thinking about setting that up. But yeah, it's really exciting. And I just went to the Royal Academy of Music to choreograph and they've said that they'll be affiliated with us. So that means that we can do exchanges.
00:24:16
Speaker
and what's really nice about that is the Royal Academy of Music is so opulent I mean their stage is incredible and the whole building is incredible and actually some students from the theatre school came to see it and one of them Harry Brooke came and Harry's really sweet he's from Lincoln and what really made me laugh was he said to me who's the leader
00:24:37
Speaker
Like, I was like, Dan is the leader. He is the head of school. That is your leader. And but he was, I mean, all the students that came, their eyes were as big as sources as they looked around this very opulent, beautiful building. And it'll be really nice. When I set up the theatre school, I wanted to bring a bit of London to Lincoln. Yeah.
00:24:57
Speaker
And it'll be a nice start for doing that. We've also got an agency for the kids, which is my mate, Michelle Blair, and she's great. She's quite a big agent in London.
The Theatre School's Resilience and Growth
00:25:08
Speaker
And as you know, Harry's already got his second commercial. He's just filmed his second commercial. So yeah, that's doing really well. So yeah, I just want to be creative in Lincoln.
00:25:20
Speaker
No it's amazing because I've been and I've seen the kids and they love it so much. They really do and they get stuck in and the talent is amazing. But yeah let's talk about some of the successes that you guys have had because you've done your first show now and you obviously have all these talented kids especially Harry's like because obviously he's getting work so let's talk about that.
00:25:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, they're really good. Like we did the first show. So we opened in September 2019. And so then Covid came. But I just basically did all Zoom lessons. And I'm really lucky in that John Partridge is my good friend. So he did a workshop on Zoom. Bill Deamer, who's an Olivier Award winning choreographer, did a workshop on Zoom. And who else? John Conway, who's a really big producer, did a workshop on Zoom. Bruce Guthrie, who's an award winning director, did a workshop on Zoom.
00:26:16
Speaker
So I basically knew all these important people within the industry. And I was like, well, what are they doing? Everyone's like at home doing COVID. So I was literally like phoning them all going, can you do a workshop? Will you do a workshop? I need you to do a workshop. And even one of my friends who's a designer on dancing and strictly, she's a designer on Strictly Come Dancing. And she did a workshop as well. So that was great. And they
00:26:41
Speaker
In them doing that, I think they kept the school alive over lockdown, so I'm really grateful to all those people. And then, of course, we started back, and a lot of the kids couldn't really dance, so we started back and did some dance classes, then it was lockdown again, then we did dance classes over lockdown. And so I really wanted to put on a show, and the Elpac, the amazing Elpac, were really kind enough to let us do it here.
00:27:04
Speaker
of which I didn't want it to be stressful because I think whenever I've done like dance shows with kids well when I was a kid the dance teacher always got like well stressed out so I mean it made it a horrible experience and so I was like really didn't want it to be that it was really stressful because we had like a million mic changes
00:27:24
Speaker
But hopefully I think the kids said that they loved it and I didn't I didn't get inwardly I was so stressed but outwardly I was just really happy and was like you're gonna be amazing and tried to keep it positive and they were brilliant they were so good
00:27:39
Speaker
So obviously we talked about kind of how your background is in acting and dancing and how you've gone from being on the stage to now teaching and managing a theatre school which is a very very difficult thing to do but how have you transitioned into that? What like skills do you need? How do you go about doing it?
00:28:01
Speaker
Well, I don't know. I suppose, first of all, I like children. I like the fact that they're so honest and they're funny. And as you know, Amy, I'm not strict at all with them. But I think it's really important to encourage them to be who they are. Because I think so often as teenagers, you get shot down, you're told to grow up.
00:28:22
Speaker
And you're told that I mean I know I was told things like you know Why aren't you how you were when you were little you were nice then? But then you're told to grow up and nobody wants you to have an opinion But yet everybody wants you to have an opinion and so I think I know for me in my teenage years I went to a street dance school and it kind of diminished who I was and they didn't encourage me in finding out who I was and
00:28:45
Speaker
So first and foremost, that is the main thing that we do there is encourage them to be who they are and find the best of who they are. As you know, some of them, they're not in school anymore. They've been excluded from school and things like that. But they love coming. And I think they love coming because they don't feel judged. Yeah. And they know that they're not going to get treated like the bad girl or boy. They're just, hopefully, we treat them all equally. That's the first thing. The second thing is, I think,
00:29:14
Speaker
you have to have a safe environment to be an artist. So we try and make everybody be supportive of each other. I'm sure in their little WhatsApp groups and all of that, that they are sometimes mean to each other, but they all tell me everything anyway. So usually I can get to the bottom of it and just go, come on, this person is this person and you need to appreciate that they're like that just as they need to appreciate you. You don't have to love everybody, but you need to appreciate people as people.
00:29:41
Speaker
And so that's my main thing because I don't want to have a load of kids with mental health problems because they've been squashed and then after that I just I think it's it's nice for the kids because obviously both me and my husband have actually worked So I think we know
00:29:57
Speaker
all the kind of route to success in which I don't think a lot of schools do know if you've just kind of danced as a kid and then been a dance teacher or become a drama teacher. I think you know academically everything really well, but you don't know the kind of or the other bits, you know, the things like being in Spotlight, which is a directory for artists.
00:30:20
Speaker
and how to behave, things like the half, things like getting an agent. And they're kind of the career things, not the academic things, but the career things that are really important, actually, if you're going to be successful. So
Transforming into a Community Interest Company
00:30:33
Speaker
we kind of really look at that. And then dance wise, I just try and make it as fun as possible. I hate
00:30:39
Speaker
I love ballet but I hated it, so ballet we do to all sorts of music, don't we? It depends what comes out. If I say to the kids you can play something, the swear words are aplenty sometimes. But yeah, just trying to make it as fun as possible because I think that's what performing is. It has to be fun so you feel safe so you can do it. Yeah, so how did, so obviously you came back, you set up the theatre school, how did you go about doing that though?
00:31:09
Speaker
I'm not a bit, as you know, I'm not a business person at all, so I just did it.
00:31:16
Speaker
And that's basically what I do with everything. I just go, oh, do you know what? I'd like to do this. I think I'm going to do it. I work really hard, as you know. You do. I work really, really hard. But if I do it and it fails, then I'll find another way. There's nothing wrong with failure. And I think that's one thing with all these things that I've talked about today, like the drugs and the losing my job at CBBs and all those things.
00:31:43
Speaker
Yes, it's a shame, but as long as you adapt and keep moving forward and don't let it destroy you and you learn from it, which I have, then, you know, everybody's going to mess up at some time in their lives. They just are. That's otherwise you don't live.
00:31:59
Speaker
But it's kind of having a grasp on reality and being able to go, actually, this is not working for me. I need to try something else. And that's what, hopefully, I do with the school. Like I said, we want to make it like this community. And now it's a CIC, which is a community interest company. I do not know anything about community interest companies.
00:32:24
Speaker
But I spoke to somebody at the YMCA that said, I think it sounds like you need to do that. So I'm trying it. Wow. It's great that you kind of have that drive just to go, you know, let's do it. Like, I feel like I just create if we get we get bogged down with the OK, so we know I need to do this and then I need to do that in order to do this. And but it just sounds like with you. I mean, I've been told this by a lot of people. It's just if you can do it, just do it.
00:32:51
Speaker
Yeah, and if it goes wrong, it goes wrong. At least you tried and you'll learn something. I think it was like, everybody always says it to me, but, you know, Edison wasn't it 99 times he failed it with the light bulb and then he finally did it. But every failure was a success because he found out something else about how to do it. And yeah, it's really important to, you know, like working with you at radio,
00:33:15
Speaker
I was terrified on, well I was terrified, I think I worked with you on like the second week or something and you know that I was terrified. Yeah you were. Like I would literally lose three pounds doing radio and they gave me two hours training but if I'd have overthought it then I would never have done it. I just had to go yeah I'm terrified but let's see what happens and if I'm an absolute hot mess on radio well then I won't do it anymore.
00:33:39
Speaker
no but you are amazing on radio i love sometimes i'm a hot mess i'll make you look through the window going what did you just say i can't believe it you're gonna get sacked i love working your show though because it's always a fun and games so let's talk a little bit about that because obviously you've you're now working in radio and so you've got so many avenues so you've gone from
00:33:59
Speaker
children's TV, so working with younger audiences, and then you've gone from, so you started off on the stage, and then you went to CBBs, and then you came to link, then you went back on this? No. Oh my god, it's a whole rollercoaster. I did a few rubbish horror movies in between CBBs and coming here, like really rubbish. One of them actually I'm quite good, but the horror movie's rubbish. One scene I was like, huck at me being a star,
00:34:27
Speaker
but then the rest of it is rubbish. So I did a few of that and then I just thought, you know what, I'll just be a mum and have a lovely time and then ended up doing the Theatre School just out of necessity really, but finding that I love it. And then the radio thing.
00:34:45
Speaker
Well, that was weird because they phoned me and said, do you want to do a demo for radio? Well, they emailed me actually, not phoned, that's old fashioned, that's 1980s. They emailed me and I thought it was a joke.
00:35:04
Speaker
Really? Well, because obviously I'd worked for the BBC and got fired. So I just, I was a bit like, is this weird? Am I being set up for something?
00:35:16
Speaker
Yeah, and I know that BBC is like lots of different factions, but I was still a bit like, I thought, you know, I literally thought I have been blacklisted from the BBC. So then when I did the demo, I was thinking this is like literally somebody's going to come out with some sort of gacha or something.
00:35:35
Speaker
And then, yeah, but they haven't so far. And I've done a year, so... And it's been really good fun. That's been educational in itself. It's hard, isn't it? It is. It is hard. And seeing you do it is so much fun as well, because you're constantly... I remember one of my first shifts, because I think it was my first BA shift I was doing your show.
00:35:58
Speaker
And we both came in, we were like, we don't know what we're doing. And then just seeing you across the glass and you're just there, just dancing away. And it was just hilarious. I did. I used to stand up to him radio, but as Amy knows, I started sitting down now because the boss was a bit like, you're really lively.
00:36:18
Speaker
And maybe you need to calm it down a bit. So I was like, well, at least if I sit down and I'm not bouncing around, that will help. I think it's helped. But yeah, no, we were. And then they got us to lock up. That was insane.
00:36:30
Speaker
That was insane. Oh, I miss those days. So yeah, we've asked everyone a kind of embarrassing and or weird story that they've encountered. However, knowing you, I know that you have you could literally have a book filled with these. So I'm I'm intrigued. I'm not going to ask for one. I'm going to ask for many.
00:36:53
Speaker
Okay, so I'll tell you one that I just told you earlier, which was, so I just choreographed it at the Royal Academy of Music and the cast were doing a question and answer with some schoolchildren, but I've only ever done one question and answer with schoolchildren and it was, I did a play and it was The Suitcase Kid, which you've probably all heard of, the book by Jacqueline Wilson, got to meet her, she was lovely.
00:37:17
Speaker
She was at this question and answer as well. And I played Radish, the imaginary friend of the little girl. And the question that I got asked of the school children was, bearing in mind I was called Radish, are Radish's tits for real? That was the question that I got asked.
00:37:37
Speaker
and the teachers went crazy and I was like no no no no it's fine it's fine it's fine yes they are thank you for asking but yeah that was that was a weird story and then the other one which Amy knows as well is not so I
00:37:53
Speaker
I think it was the Golden Jubilee in 2002, in which I was just about to start doing Tikabilla, and Cameron McIntosh, who were the producers of Cats, asked me if I would come and be on a float as a cat. And yeah, it was for the Queens Jubilee, and they kind of drove us past the Queen. It was most bizarre. And our changing rooms were in the bit where they do the changing of colours.
00:38:22
Speaker
But when you're in the West End, and you might be like this everywhere else, but it's certainly like this in the theatre, you kind of get used to even doing a wee with the door open while you're chatting to somebody. It's like being at home with your family, really. And the boys, they were in the other bathroom, in the men's bathroom, getting changed.
00:38:46
Speaker
But I just didn't kind of comprehend that that was the men's bathroom. So I ran in there to go and talk to them. I'd done my wig and I'd done my makeup. And I ran in there to talk to them. And as I burst in, Ronnie Corbett was doing a wee. And I just went, oh, I'm sorry. I just saw your willy. And then I ran out.
00:39:07
Speaker
That was one of my most embarrassing moments. And then I had to go, I had to see him as well on the float. Later, I was like, I don't know. Thinking, like, God, I'm dressed. Well, just like, God, I'm dressed as a cat. And he doesn't know who I am, because that was so horrible. And of course, the two boys that were getting changed, they thought it was hilarious. They thought it was the funniest thing. So that's one of my most embarrassing moments. There are many, though. It has to be said.
00:39:30
Speaker
Yeah, the stories you come into work with sometimes. I mean, what was your recent one when you were staying at John Partridge? Oh, God. So I've been staying at John Partridge's house, which is immaculate. If you don't know John Partridge, he was Christian on EastEnders, and he was celebrity chef of the year, and he was also in the Big Brother house. And he's lovely, but there's an edge to him. But that's why I love him, because he's really honest. And if I annoy him, he'll tell me, and I'll just go, all right, fair enough, or what? Shut up.
00:39:59
Speaker
And that's the end of it. So I'm saying it's a house, and it's husband's house, and it is pristine, like you've never been, like my house is like a skip, because I've got two children, but his house is pristine. And he was out doing the Witches of Eastwick, of which he just played the main part, it was like the concert version. And I was in charge of the dog, Winnie, who, the two Johns, because both husbands are called Johns, they love their Winnie. And so I was like, oh, I'm in charge of this dog, this is really important.
00:40:28
Speaker
So I came in and we'd been out in the garden, we'd been playing ball and it was like the dog was loving me and she doesn't love everybody, this dog. So I was like, the dog loves me. We went upstairs and I turned on the shower and it was a bit cold and we'd been having problems with the hot water. I had like a week's worth of cold showers, a bit cold. And I thought, oh, see if it'll warm up. I'll just like shut the door. I think I did a wee or something. I was doing a wee.
00:40:50
Speaker
The dog was going crazy at the shower door and I was like, yes Winnie, I know, it's cold water. And like, literally talking to the dog like this, stood up, opened the shower door and was going, let's see how cold it is now. And the dog jumped in the shower. But it was like scooby doing all over the shower, you know. It's a Jack Roswell, so she was sliding and rolling on her back. And I was like, no. So grabbed the dog and pulled the dog out of the shower. Shut the shower door. Oh no, I didn't grab it. I was like, for about five seconds, I was like, ugh, the dog. John's gonna kill me.
00:41:20
Speaker
Then remembered I could turn the tap off. So turn the tap off. The dog jumps out of the shower and starts running around like this house where everything's like white bedding, white everything. So I'm running around after the dog trying off, but laughing at the same time. But also thinking, he's going to kill me. He is literally going to kill me. And then I tried to go and have a shower in the bathroom, you know, like in the bath over the shower and the dog jumped in the bath. I was like, oh my gosh.
00:41:45
Speaker
But apparently it's a thing with the dog, so I wasn't in trouble. And he's got these beautiful white towels. I was drying the dog off with these towels. But I didn't get told off. Oh that's good, that's good. I didn't get told off. I managed to not get told off for anything actually. Oh wow! Every seven weeks is quite something for me. Who is the most famous person you've ever met and what is the story?
00:42:09
Speaker
the most famous person I've ever met. I think it's Henry Winkler, who was the Fonz in Happy Days. For you guys that don't know, Happy Days is a bit like meeting Joey Tribbiani now. I think he's the most famous person I've ever met, and I did Panto with him. Okay, so, okay, last one. If you had one, and you've given so many tips to young Biddin artists out there, so thank you so much for sharing that wisdom, but if you had to give one big, big one, what would it be?
00:42:36
Speaker
it would be don't let your career be your identity. You're worth so much more than that. Yeah, I think I can take a role out of that book. But thank you for that. I think people will really find that useful. Quickly before we go, we like to allow artists to promote their social medias. So if you've got any social media handles, you would like people to follow.
00:42:58
Speaker
I do. I think they're all at SJ Honeywell or for the school they're at curious underscore theatre and we did start doing classes for students so if anyone's interested then we will be starting that again in September. That's amazing to hear.