Normal Not Normal

This episode is part one of our conversation with the brilliant Evanna Lynch, who you might know better as Luna Lovegood. 

Growing up in rural Ireland, Evanna was a quiet, shy child who found comfort in the pages of Harry Potter. When she was chosen to play the role of Luna Lovegood, she felt like her dreams had come true, but the reality wasn’t always pygmy puffs and rainbows.

In this episode Evanna, a self-confessed Potter super-fan, opens up about finding it difficult to relax on set surrounded by her heroes, tells us how she offered to donate her salary to pay for a certain character’s funeral, and shares what it was like having a bodyguard at school.

Evanna supports many charities including Lumos and Veganuary. She also co-founded the cruelty-free beauty box Kinder Beauty.

Listen to Evanna’s podcast The Chickpeeps to learn about her journey into veganism. 

Listen to our next episode for part two!

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch. We’ll choose a few messages and include them in the audio version of every podcast. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Remember, if you’re sending us a voice note or jingle and you’re under eighteen, please get permission from a parent or guardian.

Follow us:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

@msevylynch

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

YouTube version edited by Oliver and James Phelps.

Music: 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund and 'Bobby Swing' by The Bladwerk Band 

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In this special Super Bowl episode we talk to the NFL Pro Bowl star Cameron Jordan.

Cameron followed in his father’s footsteps when he became one of America’s greatest football players. Since joining the New Orleans Saints he’s used his influence to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. 

Find out why Cameron hates watching the Super Bowl, how he’s helping to rebuild New Orleans, and, of course, which position he would play on the Quidditch pitch.

We also share your Super Bowl traditions - from weird superstitions to feasts that would put the Hogwarts’ Great Hall to shame.

Find out more about Cameron’s charity work and foundation God Iz Love here. 

Cameron’s ‘3am Questions’:

Favourite books - The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey and the Harry Potter series

Favourite songs - Push It by O.T. Genasis, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown and Avenge Sevenfold

Favourite films - The Lion King, Hitch, Anchorman and Talladega Nights

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch. We’ll choose a few messages and include them in the audio version of every podcast. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Remember, if you’re sending us a voice note or jingle and you’re under eighteen, please get permission from a parent or guardian.

Follow us on Twitter:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

@camjordan94

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

YouTube version edited by Oliver and James Phelps.

Music: 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund

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

In this episode we talk to ‘the girl who silenced the world for five minutes’, Severn Cullis-Suzuki. 

At just twelve years old Severn stunned the 1992 UN Earth Summit with a passionate speech about the growing environmental crisis. 

Known as ‘yesterday’s Greta Thunberg’, Severn didn’t pull any punches in her criticism of the world leaders present.

Now that more than thirty years have passed we ask Severn how her life has been shaped by those five minutes.

We discuss how our childhood choices can influence our whole lives (hey Harry Potter!), how ‘warrior’ Greta is picking up the eco baton despite the trolls, and how Severn almost gave birth in front of a film crew, all thanks to her dad!

You can find out more about Severn’s advocacy work and activism here. 

Clips of Severn’s speech were taken from the ‘We Canada’ YouTube page with thanks. Watch the whole thing here 

Severn’s ‘3am Questions’:

Favourite song - The Haida Gwaii 'Greeting the Day Song’. Learn more about Haida Gwaii culture and music here.

Favourite film - Dances with Wolves

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch. We’ll choose a few messages and include them in the audio version of every podcast. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Remember, if you’re sending us a voice note or jingle and you’re under eighteen, please get permission from a parent or guardian.

Follow us on Twitter:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

@SevernSuzuki

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

YouTube version edited by Oliver and James Phelps.

Music: 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund, 'At Last' by Martin Landh and 'Bobby Swing' by The Bladwerk Band 

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

In this episode we talk to Umbrella Academy actor Tom Hopper.

Tom has appeared in all our favourite shows, from Game of Thrones to Merlin and Black Sails. He’s known for being 6 foot 5, ripped, and the nicest man in show business.

We find out how Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired Tom to rebel against his drama teachers, how his son’s autism diagnosis changed his definition of ‘normal’ and just how much of his huge Umbrella Academy character is prosthetic.

Tom and his wife Laura have shared their experiences of adjusting to life with their son Freddie’s autism diagnosis on their YouTube channel The Hopper Family:

He also co-hosts the brilliant Earth Locker podcast with Umbrella Academy co-star Robert Sheehan and TV producer Byron Knight. Have a listen here.

Tom’s ‘3am Questions’:

Favourite book - Genius Foods by Max Lugevere

Favourite song - Love in an Elevator by Aerosmith 

Favourite film - Back to the Future II

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch. We’ll choose a few messages and include them in the audio version of the podcast every episode. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Remember, if you’re sending us a voice note or jingle and you’re under eighteen, please get permission from a parent or guardian.

Follow us on Twitter:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

@Tomhopperhops

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

Music: 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund, 'Bobby Swing' by The Bladwerk Band and ‘Someday You’ll Understand’ by Marc Toboel.

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

In this episode we talk to WWE pro-wrestler Mercedes Varnado, aka Sasha Banks. 

Mercedes was named Sports Illustrated’'s top Superstar of 2020, and she’s just as impressive outside the ring. Check out the hit Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney Plus to see Mercedes making her acting debut as Koska Reeves.

As a child, Mercedes was ‘extremely shy’ with ‘no friends’. We find out what it took for her to harness her fear and become one of WWE’s most confident wrestlers. 

We ask what her mum thinks about her life in the ring, hear how she almost missed the phone call of her career and learn why growing up with an autistic brother taught her to see the world differently.

Whether you’re already into wrestling or not, Mercedes can teach us all a thing or two about following our dreams.

Mercedes' ‘3am Questions’:

Favourite book - The Alchemist by Paul Coelho 

Favourite song - Alright by Kendrick Lamar

Favourite film - Oldboy

Mercedes and her husband, WWE costume designer Sarath Ton, support the Soles 4 Souls charity, which aims to provide every homeless child in the USA with a new pair of shoes. You can donate or find out more at:

https://soles4souls.org/

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch! We’ll choose a few messages and include them in the audio version of the podcast every episode. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Remember, if you’re sending us a voice note or jingle and you’re under eighteen, please get permission from your parents or guardian.

Follow us on Twitter:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

@SashaBanksWWE

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

Music 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund and 'Bobby Swing' by The Bladwerk Band

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

In this episode we talk to our old friend Katie Leung. At the age of seventeen Katie joined the Harry Potter cast for the fourth film, The Goblet of Fire, as Harry’s love interest, Cho Chang.

We ask her what it was like to have the nation’s attention as she gave Harry his first kiss, how she dealt with the paparazzi on her doorstep and we reminisce about some memorable nights out at a black metal bar in Switzerland.

Since Harry Potter, Katie has appeared in a series of brilliant films and TV dramas alongside legends like Jackie Chan, Hugh Laurie and Pierce Brosnan. She is also a phenomenal photographer and a passionate trans and womxn’s rights activist.

Katie is an ambassador for the My Body Back Project, which supports victims in the aftermath of rape and sexual assault. You can donate or find out more at:

http://www.mybodybackproject.com/

We want to hear from you. If you have a brilliant 'Did You Know?' fact, a question for us, a jingle you’ve written or a voice note you want to share, get in touch! We’ll choose one or two messages and include them in the audio version of the podcast every episode. You can tweet us your message using the hashtag #normalnotnormal or email us at [email protected] 

Follow us on Twitter:

@OliverPhelps     

@James_Phelps

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

Music 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund and 'Bobby Swing' by The Bladwerk Band

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

Few people know more about growing up in the limelight than our first guest, Mara Wilson. 

Mara starred in the ‘90s blockbusters Mrs Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Matilda... all before the age of ten. 

But when you’ve grown up meeting the Queen and going to parties at Danny DeVito’s house, is it possible to have a ‘normal’ adult life?

Find out how Mara’s parents kept her grounded, how she coped with OCD after the loss of her mother and which Harry Potter actor Mara swears is her double.

In this episode we discuss mental health struggles. There’s no shame in asking for help. 

Mara supports these charities:

The International OCD Foundation https://iocdf.org/

Okay to Say https://www.okaytosay.org/ 

Project UROK https://projecturok.org/ 

Girls Write Now https://www.girlswritenow.org 

Normal Not Normal is a Stabl production.

Produced by Alice Homewood.

Music 'Not Normal' by Sebastian Forslund.

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

In todays last episode of the season we pick out some highlights from all of our guests. Johanna Konta, Haley Joel Osment, Bonnie Wright, Luke Youngblood, James Taylor, Tom Felton, Ben Nealon, Keri-anne Payne and Mark Foster.

A HUGE thank you for supporting our second season. x

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This week we are chatting with 2 time open world swimming champion Keri-Anne Payne.

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This week we are chatting with one of Britians greatest ever swimmers Mark Foster. In his carrer Mark broke 8 world records as well as winning British, Commonwealth and World Championships. A five time olympian who got to carry the Union Jack into the 2008 Beijing Olympics we had a great time talking. Enjoy!

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