Made With Love

The first series of Made With Love may be over, but we simply couldn’t wait to share this very special episode with you! Regardless of your politics, you can’t deny that Hillary Rodham Clinton has been one of the most prominent women in global politics, and she is a history maker: Secretary Clinton is the only woman to date who has run as a major party nominee to be President of the United States of America.

With a career spanning six decades, she has worked through a very interesting time in history when it comes to women’s rights and has had to constantly adapt to shifting perceptions. But, as she discusses with Tom, one thing has remained constant: her desire to help others. Hillary also speaks about how she’s stayed resilient through the ups and downs of public life, why compromise and change are not mutually exclusive, and the events that inspired her to work to improve the lives of others in the first place. 

From living at The White House as First Lady to traveling to over 100 countries as America’s Secretary of State, from blazing a trail as a working mother to helping a city heal from the harrowing terrorist attacks of 9/11; Hillary Rodham Clinton has plenty of wisdom to share in this podcast.  

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In this special bonus episode we have partnered with The National Lottery to discuss the question we have all pondered in our lives; What would you do if you won the National Lottery?

I am joined by British diver, olympic medalist, and a very close friend of mine - Matty Lee!

We discuss what new olympic sport we would bring back, our extravagant purchases and what kind of sports car Matty wants!

Hope you enjoy it!

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Today’s guest has changed the game when it comes to the thing she loves; Dina Asher-Smith is officially the fastest woman in British history! When you look at the sprint records Dina has smashed, it’s easy to think that it all comes easy to her, but in this episode, you’ll hear about the hard work, dedication and steely determination required to turn the thing you love into something you are one of the very best in the world at.

Dina’s passions are not all sport related though - she’s modeled on the Paris catwalk, appeared in one of Dave’s music videos, and she has a top degree in History - and she chats to Tom about how expanding your horizons helps you gain perspective and maintain love for what you do. Dina is a world beater for a reason and she has so much wisdom to share - this episode is packed full of it! 

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As a model, a writer, and a broadcaster, Munroe Bergdorf has already achieved so much!

But it’s herwork as an activist that she feels most passionately about. As a black trans woman, Munroe says her greatest achievement is continuing to live a happy life as her authentic self, and in the process, she’s proving to others that they can too.

Munroe speaks about the impact that Section 28 had on her as young person, what and who has made her the activist she is today, and why she feels compelled to leave behind a better world than the one she inherited. Tom and Munroe also talk openly about their experiences growing up queer, and the moments they realised there was true happiness waiting for them on the other side of the shame being projected onto them.

This is a powerful and poignant chat, but it’s also a very positive one! Munroe is ever hopeful, and more committed than ever to making real change for all trans people. She also speaks about getting her fun back, and why now feels like the right time for her book Transitional: In One Way or Another, We All Transition to be out in the world.

Below are some links to charities, events and people which Munroe mentioned in this podcast:

Mermaids

Good Law Project

London Trans+ Pride

UK Black Pride

Chase Strangio on Instagram

Lady Phyll on Instagram

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This time, it’s all about food glorious food!

Cook and TV personality, Antoni Porowski, joins Tom to chat about how his childhood love of food led to his breakthrough role in the hugely successful reality show, Queer Eye. 

Antoni also lifts the lid on what it’s like when the Fab Five all get together, how he grew up thinking everyone’s family was as obsessed with food as his was, and the challenges he’s overcome accepting his place as the food and wine expert on the show, despite not having any formal chef training. 

Antoni’s story is a perfect example of how people can flourish when they take the thing they love and make it what they do. 

We also learn that food is about so much more than just taste for Antoni, and that it’s been a way of communicating love throughout his life – although, heaven forbid you should forget to salt a meal in his presence! 

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Tom knows all too well that athletes who make it to an Olympic Games must face trials and tribulations along the way, but few have had to overcome what Yusra Mardini did to make their sporting dreams come true.

As the war in Yusra’s home country intensified, she left to seek safety for her and her family in Europe. In this episode, she speaks about the traumatic journey to Germany that followed, and what it was like to literally swim for her life when the small boat she was traveling in began to take on water. Not one to dwell on the negative, Yusra speaks passionately about the power of love and kindness in the face of adversity, and how finding hope and positivity in difficult situations is the key, not just to success, but also survival.

Yusra also shares what her life was like in Syria, including growing up with her father as her coach! Why a break from doing what she loved reignited her passion, and how representing her parents at the Olympics was the start of a beautiful journey to accepting her status as a refugee and embracing all that she is.

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Below are some of the charities and organisations Yusra mentions in this episode:

- The Swimmers

- Free Humanitarians

- #DropTheCharges Petition

- There is a documentary about Sara Mardini’s story – The Long Distance Swimmer: Sara Mardini – and you can find out more about Sara’s story here

- Yusra Mardini Foundation

- Give Your Best UK

- Choose Love

- Epimonia

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When it comes to professional sport, Formula 1 is about as competitive as it gets! Very few racing drivers ever get to race in a F1 car, and our guest this week was the youngest Brit ever to do it…

Lando Norris has never had a plan B; after becoming Karting world champion at 14, he quit school early to pursue his love of racing. It was hard work making it to Formula 1, but Lando opens up about how he worked even harder to tackle self-doubt in his rookie F1 season.

We learn about the people who made Lando with love and why it means so much to him to represent his family in a positive way, why he hates driving on the road, and that the key to his success might actually be a chicken and pineapple wrap!

Buckle up...

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Activists really are at the forefront of turning passion into purpose, and this week we are joined by one of the most well-known climate justice activists on planet earth - Greta Thunberg!

Greta brought climate change into mainstream consciousness in a way nobody else has and captured the hearts and minds of a generation anxious about the future of our planet, but it all started with just one girl with a hand-painted sign sat on the ground outside the Swedish Parliament.

Greta talks about her life before activism, what led her initially to take action, and how realising that she was not alone in her desire to protect the planet has made her who she is today.  

Greta is definitely someone who has made the thing she’s most passionate about an intrinsic part of her identity, but understandably climate activism weighs heavy sometimes, and so we also learn how she unwinds – spoiler alert, it involves knitting needles and the macarena – and her approach to hope and despair.

Greta’s latest book The Climate Book is out now!

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When it comes to turning the thing you love into the thing you do, who better to speak about that than Francis Bourgeois aka the Trainspotting phenomenon!

Francis brings joy to millions of people across the world through his trainspotting exploits, via Tik Tok of course. He is pretty much responsible for making locomotives cool, but Francis wasn’t always so confident declaring his love of trains publicly, and in this episode he opens up to Tom about his path to acceptance and how his life has changed for the better since embracing his childhood passion for trains.

Fear not, you don’t need to know anything about trainspotting to enjoy this podcast, just listen to Francis describe the euphoria it brings him and you’ll know all you need to know! Francis also tells us about his future plans to combine trains and electronic music – and how the two things go hand in hand, for him! - how he deals with those who question his authenticity, and what it’s been like trainspotting with some of the most famous people on the planet.

Oh, and listen out for his impression of the train which sounds like Chewbacca!

All aboard, please mind the gap…

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It’s the very first episode of Made With Love, and we’re starting as we mean to go on with global icon, Shania Twain!

Shania’s love of songwriting is at the heart of everything she’s achieved in the last four decades, and it’s why she holds the record for the world's biggest-selling studio album by a solo female! I mean, imagine a world without the iconic line, “Man, I feel like a woman!”

But the road to musical immortality has not been a smooth one, and Shania tells Tom about how she has had to overcome major fears to do what she loves and share her songs with the world, how performing saved her family but songwriting made her who she is, and how hitting rock bottom has given her a fresh perspective on performing now she’s about to hit the road again to tour her new album Queen of Me.

Shania has so much wisdom to share when it comes to following your passion and making the thing you love the thing you do, as well as how to bounce back from major setbacks and own your own story. 

So, let’s go girls! 

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