We are starting 2025 on Reign with a guest you have been desperate to hear from on the podcast and today it finally happens, say hello to THE Florence Pugh. 

Over the last decade Florence has been the definition of booked, busy and blessed with roles in ‘Dune’, ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Black Widow’, ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, and her Oscar nominated performance in ‘Little Women’. 

Now she’s breaking our hearts into a million pieces opposite Andrew Garfield in ‘We Live In Time’, which tells the story of a couple, Almut aka Alma and Tobias. who are brought together by a chance encounter and find time is running out after a devastating diagnosis. It’s ‘P.S I Love You’ levels of tears, so take your tissues. 

We recorded this episode just after Florence came to a premiere I hosted and she gave me THE best pep talk beforehand, so expect plenty of inspiration and deep moments from her as we tackle the under- discussed topics of death and grief, plus we talk about Andrew Garfield shaving her head, and the pressures of being a young woman in the entertainment industry. 

The moment I love most though? Florence talking about a random act of kindness she received when she most needed it. So I hope this episode inspires you to take life by the horns and go out there and spread kindness. If it does please get in touch, as always please get in touch as I love hearing from you. You can get me at @joshsmithhosts across socials. Love, Josh x

P.S. It's a new year, new me central at the moment and if you are in the market for a self help book… In this episode you will have heard me talk about my book, ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now! You can get your copy here https://geni.us/GreatChat and I really hope it inspires you to start using conversation as a self help practice, empowers you to be a better communicator and helps you build the connections you are deserving of. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is empowerment for the soul as we are joined by THE Kerry Washington.  

Kerry hit the big time playing the political fixer Olivia Pope in ‘Scandal’ (IfF you haven’t watched it yet it is truly one of the greatest TV shows ever) alongside roles in the movie, ‘Django Unchained’ where she starred alongside Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCcaprio, and the epic TV show 'Little Fires Everywhere’ with Reese Witherspoon. 

Now Kerry has us standing to attention in the Netflix movie, ‘The Six Triple Eight’ which brings the real life story of World War Two’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of colour, who were given the seemingly impossible task of sorting through a three-year backlog of mail that hadn’t been delivered to American soldiers. In the face of discrimination, Kerry’s real life character Major Charity Adams ensured they delivered hope when no one else could and the movie serves YOU the hope we all need right now. 

Today Kerry talks about the gender double standards in leadership and the transformative power of inclusive leadership after being told by a male co-star, “you aren’t here to think,” earlier in her career. Plus aside from serving us so many life lessons she shares the moment she felt so satisfied by proving people wrong. 

Listening to Kerry is like being an incubator of empowerment so I hope she inspires you to see the hurdles in front of you, and jump right over them, just like she has done! If you love this episode, as always please get in touch as I love hearing from you. You can get me at @joshsmithhosts across socials. Love, Josh x

P.S. In this episode you will have heard me talk about my book, ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now! You can get your copy here https://geni.us/GreatChat and I really hope it inspires you to start using conversation as a self help practice, empowers you to be a better communicator and helps you build the connections you are deserving of.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are sharing a VERY special live recording of the podcast with none other than a true national treasure, Richard E. Grant. And trust me when I say this episode is packed full of incredible stories! 

You will of course know Richard from his extensive TV and Movie career, from the iconic 1980s movie, ‘Withnail and I’ to the bathwater slurping smash, ‘Saltburn.’ If you are a big ‘Saltburn’ fan, you have to listen to our episode with the movie’s creator and director, Emerald Fennell, after this episode. 

But it’s not just this Oscar Nominee’s on screen performances that have made him an icon, it's also his joyful Instagram content of frolicking in fields and his beautiful book, ‘A Pocketful of Happiness’ which details his life story and his one true love story with his wife, Joan Washington. 

Today Richard talks very movingly about losing his wife to cancer, grief and why we need to speak about it more, his foray into fragrance with his own perfume brand, Jack and shares some hilarious stories from his career INCLUDING FROM SPICE WORLD THE MOVIE. SCREAMS!!! 

What I really took away from this conversation was just how powerful talking about our struggles can be, so I hope this encourages you to open up about your life, your experiences, your pains and losses because we are all the better for doing so. 

If you loved listening to our great chat as much as I did, please get in touch, I always love hearing from you. You can find me across social media @joshsmithhosts and I can’t wait to share next week’s episode with you too. See you then, Josh xx

P.S. In this episode you will have heard me talk about my book, ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now! You can get your copy here https://geni.us/GreatChat and I really hope it inspires you to start using conversation as a self help practice, empowers you to be a better communicator and helps you build the connections you are deserving of. 

P.P.S. This episode is sponsored by Bicester Village which I am so excited about as it’s one of my favourite go-to day trips for great chats and great bonding time with my loved ones - especially during the holiday season! If you need a little retail therapy with a pal, Bicester Village is home to more than 150 fashion and lifestyle boutiques, renowned restaurants and five star service - and we all deserve a bit of five star service don’t we - AND it’s so festive there at the moment!! Luxury also doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag, as Bicester Village offers up to 40% off the original retail prices ALL YEAR ROUND. Race you there? It’s only an hour from London Marylebone station if you are based in London! 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am so excited for you to listen to this week’s incredible guests, Will Ferrell and Harper Steele. 

You will of course know Will for his movies, ‘Anchorman’, ‘Elf’, ‘Zoolander’, ‘Blades of Glory’, ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘Barbie’ - to name just a few! But this might be the first time you have heard of Will’s long-term comedy writing partner, Harper Steele.

Will and Harper met on the set at ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1995, when Will got his big break and Harper was in the writers room. Fast forward 30 years and after collaborating on so many comedy sketches and movies including ‘Eurovision’, their friendship entered a new chapter when Harper sent Will an email saying she was coming out as transgender. 

After years of being each other’s allies - including joint early failures at SNL - Will came up with the idea of filming ‘Will and Harper’, a Netflix documentary movie which follows them going on a road trip across the USA to talk about Harper’s experiences, and see how Harper now navigates the former bro-heavy environments she used to love, as transgender woman. The movie is incredibly funny, moving, and essential viewing for everyone, so please watch it during the holidays with your family for some much needed education on the trans lived experience. 

Today their road trip rolls into London, and we talk about the power of vocal allyship (and finally we have found a male ally willing to speak up!), how Harper became very aware of her safety for the first time, the universal nature of body image concerns, and the alarming anti-trans policies Donald Trump promises to impose in his second term as President. 

This episode is a real testament to the power of friendship, and the true joy that can come from being your authentic self so I hope this chat encourages you, no matter how you identify, to live your life the way you want to and find the people who encourage you to live that life proudly! If anything in this episode resonates with you, as always I would love to hear from you, you can get in touch across social media @joshsmithhosts - I always love talking to you. Love, Josh x

P.S. In this episode you will have heard me chatting about my book book ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now and you can get your hardback/ digital or audio book here: https://geni.us/GreatChat Whether you are already confident at chatting or are socially anxious this book really is for everyone and I hope it inspires you to turn even everyday conversation into a self development practice for your wellbeing and the good of those around you, too. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Reign’ Season 10 really is serving you ICONS, and today we are joined by the Spanish superstar Úrsula Corberó.

Úrsula has been working in Spain since she was six years old in shows like the huge teen drama ‘Física o Química’, but in lockdown she shot to international fame when she played Tokyo in the Netflix drama, ‘Money Heist’. It blew up, becoming one of their biggest Netflix shows ever, and saw Úrsula gain 20 million Instagram followers overnight. 

Now, Úrsula is ramping up the intensity again starring in Day of The Jackal which follows the Jackal, an elite sniper and assasin played by Eddie Redmayne and his wife Nuria, played by Úrsula, who slowly starts to discover his secret life. It’s SO GOOD and you can watch it on Sky TV and NOW. 

I LOVED talking to Úrsula as she really says it as it is. We bonded over the exhaustion of being in our mid thirties, how over ‘growth’ we are, setting boundaries and she drops some game changing life advice I immediately started using, so hope it will be for you too! 

Úrsula also tells me about how overwhelming overnight fame was, how being told to behave as a child actor kept her quiet into adulthood and how she now is done with behaving. YES BABE! 

There are also some amazing words on why we need to stop saying we are lucky and lean into how deserving we are for our success and I really hope this episode inspires you to step into your power. If you do love the episode, get in touch and tell me all about it. You can find me across socials @joshsmithhhosts and don’t forget to come back for next week's episode where I will be chatting to the incredible Richard E. Grant! Love Josh xxx

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WITCH, PLEASE! Get ready for a bumper episode of the podcast! So make yourself comfortable on your broom, as we are joined in the Reign studio by one of my favourite guests ever and one of the greatest performers of all time, Cynthia Erivo. 

In case you've been M.I.A. in OZ visiting the Wizard or something and missed it, Cynthia stars as Elphaba in the movie adaptation of the mega musical hit, ‘Wicked’, alongside Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, and Jonathan Bailey, who aptly plays Prince Charming himself, Fiyero. 

This isn’t Cynthia’s first dalliance with musicals. After starting out on the West End Cynthia went on to win a Tony, Emmy and Grammy award for her performance in ‘The Colour Purple’ and was nominated twice at the Oscars for her performance in ‘Harriet’ playing the racial freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman, and for the original song ‘Stand Up’. There is a reason Cynthia is only an O away from being an EGOT, but she’s not just an incredible performer, she is an incredible conversationalist, too. 

We cover SO much in this episode! We talk about Cynthia’s ‘Wicked’ journey - from auditioning to singing ‘Defying Gravity’ for the first time on set, the life lessons she’s learnt from Oprah and Ariana Grande, feeling like an outsider, how she *almost* became a spinal surgeon, and how her next role in life might take her off to Havard to study. Is there ANYTHING Cynthia can’t do? 

I loved sharing this incredible conversation with Cynthia, but it’s the bits about embracing queer identity and the power of dreaming big that really made me tear up. 

I hope this episode inspires you to defy gravity and dream big, and if you love it please get in touch, as I would love to talk to you about all the themes and just how incredible ‘Wicked’ is, too. You can find me across socials @joshsmithhhosts and don’t forget to come back next week for another great chat! Love Josh xxx

P.S. In this episode you will have heard me chatting about my book book ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now and you can get your hardback/ digital or audio book here: https://geni.us/GreatChat Whether you are already confident at chatting or are socially anxious this book really is for everyone and I hope it inspires you to turn even everyday conversation into a self development practice for your wellbeing and the good of those around you, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back babes and we are joined by someone who is having a YEAR, Ella Purnell.

Ella has been acting since she was 12 but this year has been her best yet! Ella starred as Lucy in one of the biggest TV shows of the year, the adaptation of the game, ‘Fallout’ on Prime Video - I was obsessed - have you seen it yet? And now Ella is starring and producing, ‘Sweetpea’ on Sky and the streaming service, NOW in the UK and Starz in the USA! 

‘Sweetpea’ is one of my favourite shows of the year and it follows Ella’s character Rhiannon, a wallflower who is pushed over the edge and goes on a killing spree. It’s dark but SO GOOD, and stars previous ‘Reign’ guest and all round mega human, Nicôle Lecky, too. ‘Killing Eve’ fans, you will love this show, I promise! 

Today Ella and I cover some serious ground, from everyday sexism to conkers (they are making a comeback apparently! Ella also tells me about the wild rumours she was dating Brad Pitt when they hadn’t even met, as well as how she truly found her voice. 

Anyone who has a ‘go to karaoke’ list in their phone is a bit of us so I really hope you love this episode. If you do or you just want to talk about how amazing ‘Sweetpea’ is get in touch with me via social media @joshsmithhosts - I always love talking to you. Love, Josh x

P.S. In this episode you will have heard me chatting about my book book ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now and you can get your hardback/ digital or audio book here: https://geni.us/GreatChat Whether you are already confident at chatting or are socially anxious this book really is for everyone and I hope it inspires you to turn even everyday conversation into a self development practice for your wellbeing and the good of those around you, too. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am SO excited about this episode because it has literally been years in the making! Today we are joined by the supermodel, business mogul and all round mega-babe, Rosie Huntington- Whiteley. 

Rosie has been working as a model since she was 16 years old and 20 years later, she’s gone from pounding the pavements with her trusty A-Z map trying to book jobs to gracing every major magazine cover, runway and brand campaign. 

Today Rosie looks back on her incredible career, and all the rejections and successes that have shaped her. One huge success of Rosie’s has been her collaboration with Marks and Spencer - from lingerie to now contourwear - and hearing how she turned an idea into a decade long success will inspire you to take your ideas and run with them! 

There are so many great nuggets of wisdom in this episode including one of my faves, that we should see failure as happening for us, not at us.I hope you love this episode and if you do please get in touch with me via social media @joshsmithhosts - it is always great chatting with you. Love, Josh x

P.S Thank you to our sponsor Marks and Spencer! This episode marks the release of Rosie’s latest collection, Rosie ContourWear. The latest chapter in her 12 year collaboration with M&S is a 40 piece collection of contemporary, luxury lingerie and light control shapewear - ranging from bodysuits to waist-cinching knickers - that creates a sleek, flawless foundation. You can wear the pieces beneath clothing or style them to be seen and it is available right now in selected M&S stores, or at marksandspencer.com. 

P.P.S. In this episode you will have heard me chatting about my book book ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now and you can get your hardback/ digital or audio book here: https://geni.us/GreatChat I hope it inspires you to turn even everyday conversation into a self development practice for your wellbeing and the good of those around you, too. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan joins us in the studio. 

Sadiq has just won a historic third term as London Mayor but his road to political success has been an unlikely one. When he emerged in politics it was dominated by white public school boys but being one of eight who was raised in a council flat in Tooting by his parents who worked as a seamstress and a bus driver became his USP. 

Sadiq’s career has seen him become a human rights lawyer, being elected MP for his community in Tooting and becoming a Labour Cabinet Minister. But his greatest impact has come as London’s longest serving mayor. 

Today Sadiq talks about the recent race riots in the UK, how they personally affected him and his family and how the recent events show in our now divisive society we need to truly listen to one another and hold social media companies to account. 

He also calls out those in power who have used hateful language for their own gain and after Donald Trump's war of words during his presidency led to him having increased security, how anxious Sadiq is about the prospect of the former president retaking power. 

Whatever your view on politics or politicians (Sadiq knows how we all feel about politicians!) I hope you find Sadiq’s journey inspiring. What I love most though is Sadiq’s words about allyship so I hope this episode inspires you to speak up and show up for the groups in our society that need us most. If his words or story resonate with you, as always I would love to hear from you - get in touch with me via social media @joshsmithhosts - it is always great hearing from you. Love, Josh x

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonjour babes! I am so excited about this episode because it has been YEARS in the making! Today, ahead of Emily In Paris season four we are joined by Mindy herself, Ashley Park. 

Before Ashley made her TV debut in the hit Netflix show, she started her career in Broadway Musicals starring in Mamma Mia, The King and I and earning a Tony Award nomination for the Mean Girls Musical. But Emily in Paris has taken her career to new levels and she has since starred in Only Murder in The Building alongside Selena Gomez AND MERYL STREEP, the Emmy winning Beef and the hilarious girls trip comedy movie, Joyride (if you have missed it, watch it immediately it's SO funny!). 

It’s no secret I love a ‘Great Chat’ and so does Ashley so in this episode we laugh, we get deep and there’s some tears as we talk about everything from self love to representation and her incredible friendship with Lily Collins (our OG Reign Queen - head back to episode one to listen to Lily on the podcast!). Ashley also talks about recovering from septic shock earlier this year and how filming the latest season of Emily in Paris whilst still recovering showed her the true meaning of ‘it takes a village.’

What this episode really shows is how amazing life is when YOU become the protagonist of your own life and if Ashley’s words inspire you as much as they did me, please get in touch via social media @joshsmithhosts - I always love talking to you. Love, Josh x

P.S. I am so happy that today’s episode is brought to you with the support of Pandora. Both Pandora and Reign are all about celebrating love in all its forms - be that romantic love, love for our friends and family or the practice of self love. This episode, like every episode of Reign, hopes to sprinkle some sparkle and positivity in your life and empower you to BE LOVE. Especially in difficult times, just a little bit of love can truly help you and others. So, radiate it. Initiate it. Accept it. Expect and BE LOVE - you never know how much it could change your life or someone else’s. Head to pandora.net to discover the latest jewellery collections and more.

P.P.S. In this epsidoe you will have heard Ashley and I talk about my book, ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ which is out now! You can get your copy here https://geni.us/GreatChat and I really hope it inspires you to start using conversation as a self help practice, empowers you to be a better communicator and helps you build the connections you are deserving of.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices