The Convex Conversation

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor reveals how feeling paralysed by a lack of creativity & inspiration during lockdown, and "with no manual for how to do this", her musician husband Richard came up with the idea for her much-loved kitchen discos. 

Sophie tells Helen how her podcast series Spinning Plates featuring inspirational mums has been one of the best projects she's taken on; talks about writing her autobiography, and the pleasure of being back on stage performing at live gigs throughout the UK.

The Princess of Wales believed young people have the power to change the world. Alex Holmes talks about Diana’s legacy and how the only charity set up in her memory is continuing her work.

Alex suffered severe racial bullying as a young boy and, thanks to his award-winning efforts, there are now more than 35,000 Anti-Bullying Ambassadors in the UK & Europe. Alex sits on the board of the Gates Foundation & was the first person in the UK to receive a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award.

Jay Flynn shares with Helen how his idea to host a virtual pub quiz for his mates in lockdown took off overnight & led to more than 180,000 households across Britain uniting.

Jay has broken a world record for the number of participants; is a regular on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 breakfast show & has been joined on the quiz by Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross & other celebrities. He’s also raised more than a £1 million pounds for charities including Connections which helped him get his life back on track when he was homeless for two years in London. 

Karen Gibson MBE tells Helen how life for The Kingdom Choir changed after 2 billion people watched them perform at Harry & Meghan’s wedding.  

The unexpected call on the 87 bus & stunning performance at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, has led to tours of the US, Australia & UK; appearances at The Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, Invictus Games, a recording deal with Sony & to singing with legends like Barbra Streisand & Gladys Knight.

On August 20 2011, RAF Red Arrows pilot Flt Lt Jon Egging lost his life whilst completing a display at Bournemouth Air Festival. 

Dr Emma Egging shares the inspirational story of how she started the Jon Egging Trust ten years ago to realise her husband Jon’s dream of inspiring youngsters through his love of aviation, teamwork & leadership, empowering them to achieve without limits. 

JET has helped more than 30,000 young people to overcome adversity & reach their full potential and aims to help 1 million over the next decade.

Loraine Martins OBE has spent the last eight years gradually making positive change at Network Rail to ensure their 43,731 strong staff come from all walks of life & feel valued in their work.

Loraine - who played a key role in developing London’s Olympic Park - talks about growing up in London with her Jamaican parents; tells stories which reveal where her great sense of social justice comes from, and gives inspirational advice on how to make a difference in ED&I.

Wing Commander David Montenegro OBE - Officer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – chats to Helen about the Reds’ role on the world stage & the images he’ll never forget of the G7 leaders captivated by their display.

Monty talks about the innovative work going on with students & industry to develop a sustainable synthetic fuel mix for the iconic red, white & blue smoke; shares the thoughts that went through his mind as he made history leading the team into China & reveals the split-second decisions which saved his life when he & his synchro teammate clipped each other as they flew their Hawks towards each other at a closing speed of 800mph.

Back on Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Harris, Helen meets Apothecary Amanda Saurin & finds out how she creates her natural skincare range as well as botanicals for drinks companies using flowers, bark, blossom, roots, moss - everything “Mother Nature’s larder” has to offer.

Amanda - who founded the small batch distiller A.S Apothecary - is also a homeopath & distiller and drew on her knowledge of healing to play an unexpected & much appreciated role in the pandemic, helping nurses, frontline workers, care home staff & many more. 

Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell fell in love with the rare & elusive spirit of the beautiful, remote Isle of Harris & pondered how one could bottle the island & share it with the world.

Shona Macleod – one of the first members of staff at the Isle of Harris Distillery – reveals how the distillery came about with a focus on providing employment for the community & describes how that spirit is captured in Harris Gin & will be in The Hearach, their first legal dram, when it’s ready.

Inspired by his brother-in-law’s battle with dementia, Frank Rothwell explains why he took on the 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic race alone, aged 70, arriving early after 56 days at sea. 

Frank raised more than a million pounds for Alzheimer’s Research UK & hopes it will make a difference supporting the charity's scientists in their quest to find ground-breaking ways of treating the disease many years before symptoms show.