This week we are celebrating all things love and we are joined by an artist I, and so many of you love, Joy Crookes.

The BRIT Award nominee shot to fame with her top five debut album, Skin which gave us the absolute belters ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ and ‘When You Were Mine.’

Now as Joy prepares for release album two in September this year - which has already given us ‘I Know You’d Kill’ and ‘Carmen’ - we take a look back at Joy’s journey from growing up in South London doing Irish Dancing for a McDonald’s Happy Meal (that’s our gal!) to picking up an Argos guitar and finding her way to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. 

As we look back we also talk about how Joy isn’t interested in being an artist who doesn’t use her voice and platform, the politics of shame and the power of strangers. 

There is so much to take away from this chat but what I found so refreshing about this episode is how honest Joy is about how finding love made her really reflect on herself and started a mental health crisis. This really spoke to me because it isn’t always a honeymoon period when you are truly seen by someone for the first time but it’s so worth it in the end.  

If you loved this conversation with Joy as much as I did, please do get in touch as I love talking to you. You can get me on @joshsmithhosts and come back on Thursday because we will be serving you a bonus episode of the podcast with the audience questions from the show! It’s an absolute hoot so you don’t want to miss it! Love, Josh x

P.S. I am so happy that today’s episode is brought to you with the support of Pandora. Reign and Pandora both stand for the power of telling your own story in your way, and that’s where Pandora’s charm bracelets come in. Each charm can tell a different story about who we are - from the memory of an incredible trip that we loved, to the birthstone of someone special in our lives, or a charm to celebrate an achievement, however big or small! Start telling your story with Pandora by heading to pandora.net

P.P.S If all this self-love chat has left you wanting to improve your relationships and build new ones, check out my self help book, ‘Great Chat: Talk To Anyone. Make New Connections. Improve Your Relationships’ is out now in paperback and audiobook! Whether you are socially anxious or a confident communicator already, the book gives you so much advice on how to have incredible conversations with everyone in any situation, and how you can turn everyday conversations into a self development practice so you can improve your relationships and mental health in the process. You can get your copy here https://geni.us/GreatChat and I really hope you love it!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices