Denise Gough is a double Olivier Award winning actress having blown away critics in the plays People, Places and Things and Angels in America, but before seeing her name in lights, Denise was a homeless drug addict begging on Shaftesbury Avenue. This is her account of her remarkable story of change, from a small town in Ireland to being one of the most in demand actresses today. That success includes starring alongside Keira Knightly in Collette, giving a phenomenally powerful performance in a psychological crime drama Too Close on ITV with Emily Watson and this summer becoming an even bigger star in the new Star Wars series Andor. Denise’s story is one of tragic revelations from her childhood in Ireland, where she grew up with 10 brothers and sisters, coming to terms with the experiences that she lived through and ultimately now owning her past and using it to be able to touch people through her acting today.Content warning: references to child abuse, sexual abuse and drug addiction.Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big Zuu is changing the face of television. From growing up on the Mozart Estate in West London to winning two BAFTAs for Big Zuu's Big Eats, delivering a powerful acceptance speech, he is a shining example of what people can achieve given the chance. Big Zuu’s mum arrived in the UK from Sierra Leone when she was pregnant. Since then, together, they have navigated changing circumstances, with Big Zuu studying to be a youth worker before becoming a rapper/grime MC and now huge TV personality and chef, winning people over by being unapologetically himself - upbeat, fun, charismatic, warm. He’s a man people want around and luckily for us we will be seeing much more of him. In this conversation he walks us through the biggest changes in his life from his humble beginnings to now and importantly, the changes he’d like to see. WatchHungry For It, out now on BBC ThreeBig Zuu’s Big Eats Series 3, just returned to Dave on Mondays Sneakerhead, Zuu’s acting debut, out on Wednesday 13th July on Dave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the age of 20, Lady Unchained went to prison. She didn’t believe she was the type of person who would ever do that. She went to church, was about to launch her own business and had no former convictions, but one day everything changed. She spent eleven months behind bars and five months tagged. Inside, she faced systemic racism and had to adapt to survive. It changed her, and leaving prison, she realised she was facing an uphill battle in changing people’s perceptions. Here, she shares her gripping account of her story leading up to, during and after her prison sentence.  Since her release, Lady Unchained has made it her mission to become an advocate for life after prison - a poet, performer, award winning broadcaster and now author with her new book ‘Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release’. She is the Founder and Creative Director of Unchained Poetry, an artistic platform for artists with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and runs poetry workshops in prisons and in Women Centres.  This is an inspiring and moving conversation. It will make you think, perhaps even change you.Content warning: references to suicide and racist abuse.  Should you be affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, in the UK, The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Hotlines in other countries can be found here http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html You can buy Lady Unchained’s book Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release here:https://linktr.ee/lady_unchainedhttps://www.unchainedpoetry.com/Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a conversation about class, identity, ambition and grief. It's Grace Dent stripped back. Grace is a broadcaster, columnist, author, award winning food critic and now host of the brilliant podcast Comfort Eating. But she is also just a woman from humble working-class beginnings who grew up in Carlisle in the north of England and grafted and adapted to get to where she is today. Despite now living a glittering media life in London, appearing on MasterChef, dining in some of the best restaurants in the world and critiquing the food of Michelin star chefs, Grace has never forgotten where she is from or shied away from who she is - her accent, relationship to money, her perspective, all of which is covered here. She also lost her mum last year and dealt with her Dad having dementia before he died, experiences that changed her and which she doesn’t shy away from. In her own words, “why on earth did I choose those subjects, they’re so intimate and confessional”. But that is why this conversation is so illuminating, from Carlisle to London to facing mortality, it’s real, relatable and heartfelt. Grace's memoir Hungry: A memoir of wanting more can be bought here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hungry-Highly-Anticipated-Greatest-Writers/dp/0008333173You can also currently watch Grace hosting a new show with Ainsley Harriott called Best of British By The Sea for Channel 4https://www.channel4.com/programmes/best-of-britain-by-the-seaChanges is now a deaf friendly podcast please spread the word. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 It’s been 3 years but finally Glastonbury will be back in all its magnificent glory this week. The biggest festival in the world. A festival like no other. To get excited, co-organiser Emily Eavis made a visit to Annie’s rave shed to talk about all things change; personal change and changes at the festival which turned 50 in 2020! This year back on Worthy Farm in Somerset, the family and 200,000 revellers will finally be able to properly celebrate. Emily grew up on Worthy Farm so has witnessed it evolve since the 80s, taking on the role of co-organiser after her mum died when Emily was 19. Since then, she has had her own family and made her mark on Glastonbury, a festival with the most legendary line ups of all time. Annie and Emily talk through early memories, the festival's beginnings and roots, personal highlights and that defining moment of booking Jay Z to headline in 2008. All hail Emily Eavis.Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast. You can access transcripts here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, ahead of Glastonbury, we welcome to Changes the incredible powerhouse that is Irish singer Róisín Murphy! Former frontwoman of Moloko and a solo artist with five solo albums to her name, nominations for the Mercury Music Prize, the Brit Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards and an icon in the world of fashion, with incredibly extravagant stage outfits and wild performances to match. She’s the queen of electronic music. Bold, unafraid and uniquely herself. No one exists like Róisín Murphy. Born in Arklow in Ireland, she moved with her family when she was 12 to Manchester. It was here that her life got turned upside down experiencing huge changes at a young age and ultimately immersed herself in music. Fearless, unique and not to be missed, on stage or otherwise. Find out more here:https://www.roisinmurphyofficial.com/Róisín has two playlists she curates and updates regularly on Spotify you can listen to here:Mum's Old School:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GLct83KuPD9lfpPcSa7ON?si=54b69510fa3e448aRóisín Caviar:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ewxLnbONaLb2keK5fCTC9?si=b7c1420ccf07495eChanges is a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first ever live guest for Changes!! Ella Vaday is the drag persona of Nick Collier and self-proclaimed “drag beast from Dagenham East” who dominated the UK’s third series of Drag Race UK, almost winning. In this special episode recorded in front of a live audience at the London Podcast Show, Nick explains how despite appearances he hasn’t always been so confident in his identity. As a young boy Nick went through numerous challenging changes in quick succession and was always in denial about being gay unti much later in life. Here, he discusses how he came through these changes, came out to his family and starred in West End musicals like Wicked, Book of Mormon, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat and Cats. That is before the pandemic forced him to stop rehearsing for Hairspray and start stacking shelves in Morrisons. It was then that Nick honed his skills as drag queen Ella Vaday, on instagram, in lockdown before applying for Drag Race, the rest, as they say, is history! This is a conversation about identity, gender conditioning, starting things later in life, believing in yourself to overcome setbacks and how we can change the world if we can just allow ourselves to to live our truth!  Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long Covid is something which has changed many people’s lives, Kate Weinberg is one of them. According to the Office for National Statistics 1.3 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms as of 2 January 2022. Of those people more than four in 10 (so 42 per cent) were experiencing Long Covid symptoms more than a year after their first suspected infection. But what is it? How does it impact people? And most importantly, how do people get better? Kate Weinberg is an author who was at the height of her career having released her first novel ‘Traunts’ to great acclaim when she got Covid, which then developed into Long Covid. She is also a journalist and since suffering with Long Covid has written about her experience, being completely debilitated by it and coming through the other side 18 months later. In this episode, Kate shares the many symptoms she had, the countless things she has tried and tested and what she has learnt along the way and through her research. Long Covid has changed her. Much of what Kate has been through and felt could also apply to other long term conditions and will be relatable to many. Kate is incredibly articulate and we hope this will be a helpful insight for anyone suffering or supporting others.  You may find the following websites useful for further information, statistics, advice and tips on symptoms:https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covidhttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-long-covid/https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/what-is-covid-19/long-covid/We must note the first port of call for anyone with covid symptoms should be your GP. You can find more about Kate and buy her novel here: https://www.kateweinbergwriter.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roddy Doyle is a cultural beacon of Ireland and an absolute joy to listen to. In this episode the renowned novelist speaks to Annie about art, identity, growing older and a changing Ireland. Roddy won the Booker Prize in 1993 for his seminal novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, and is the author of eleven acclaimed novels including The Commitments, The Snapper,The Van and Smile. Roddy grew up in Dublin in the 60s and talks in this episode about his really uncomfortable experience of attending a Christian Brothers School in Ireland and how that shaped him, how he started out as a writer, bad reviews, his use of the Dublin dialect, and how becoming a Father didn’t just change when he wrote but how he wrote.  Content warning: references to sexual abuse of children and corporal punishment. You can find more about Roddy’s work and buy his books here:http://www.roddydoyle.ie/index.htmlBIG NEWS! Changes is going Live tomorrow on 24th May at the Podcast Show in London with drag queen Ella Vaday! Find out more and buy your tickets here:https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/homehttps://thepodcastshowlondon.seetickets.com/event/changes-with-annie-macmanus/business-design-centre/2338017Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Lycett is one of Britain's most loved comedians affecting change through his comedy in the most brilliant and beautiful ways. Not one to shy away from the bigger issues at play, Joe invites people to think, and actively questions about the systems we live in. After the death of his friend who died in lockdown, a change which has had a huge impact on Joe’s life, his mockery of the official inquiry into party gate by tweeting a fake Sue Grey report made headlines. Even the Government was concerned there was a serious leak! And, as you will hear, a chance meeting with Conservative MP Nadine Dorries at the BAFTAs went really well!Joe is also an artist, pansexual and openly addresses LGBTQ+ issues in his work.  His current UK tour More More More! How Do You Lycett? How Do You Lycett? does just that and has a big reveal which Joe has been working on for years, a show which confirms just how possible it is to change communities for the better. We love Joe. This episode will show you the changes that fuelled his life today, why he does what he does and the changes he still wants. You can find ticket details to Joe’s tour here:https://joelycett.com/ComedyYou can find Joe’s tweeted fake Sue Grey Report here:https://bit.ly/3PfCPQfBIG NEWS! Changes is going Live on 24th May at the Podcast Show in London with drag queen Ella Vaday! Find out more and buy your tickets here:https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/homehttps://thepodcastshowlondon.seetickets.com/event/changes-with-annie-macmanus/business-design-centre/2338017Changes is now a deaf friendly podcast and you can access transcripts here, spread the word! https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.