Shaun King is a civil rights activist for the 21st Century. Previously named in Time magazine's top 25 most influential people on the internet, Shaun uses his vast social media following to advocate for justice and fundraise for the families of victims' of police brutality and discrimination. He posts videos and information about racially motivated crimes to help find the perpetrators. He’s headed social media campaigns which led to the identification and arrest of the men responsible for the assault of DeAndre Harris as well as exposing information in seeking justice for the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Michael Brown. He heads a number of organisations focussed on changing criminal justice - Real Justice helping to elect prosecutors who support criminal justice reform in the United States and the North Star, a crowd funded independent, media platform for liberation-journalism. A quick google search will throw up an array of opinions and criticisms around Shaun King. He has had to repeatedly defend himself against accusations such as mishandling of funds, disinformation and a lack of accountability and retaliating harshly to naysayers. He has also had to defend his racial identity. In this conversation Annie finds out about the man behind the name. His views on the controversies, the double edged sword of social media, which can be used for good but also backfire. Shaun’s passion for activism stems from a traumatic experience in his childhood which changed the course of his life forever. In this episode you will get a sense of the man behind the news stories - his beginnings, his motivation, his regrets and his hope for change.Content Warning: this episode references suicide and includes explicit references to racism and racially motivated crimes.You can order Shaun’s book here called “Make Change: How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Future”https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Change-Injustice-Dismantle-Oppression/dp/0358048001You can follow Shaun on instagram and twitter @shaunkinghttps://www.shaunking.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billie Piper has changed from teen pop star to award winning actress starring in Doctor Who, Secret Diary of A Call Girl, Collateral, I Hate Suzie and now releasing her debut self written and directed film Rare Beasts. She has been BAFTA nominated and won six Best Actress awards including an Olivier Award for her performance in the play Yerma. It’s safe to say Billie is drawn to portraying very real female characters not shying away from the complications of being a woman today but instead embracing its many facets.  Billie has been married and divorced twice including to DJ Chris Evans, something which was talked about a lot in the press at the time, in part due to their age gap (she was 18, he was 35), with some probing interviews that are really uncomfortable to watch now - Annie and Billie talk about this and the pressures of young fame. Billie now has 3 children. Here, she talks to Annie about how she has navigated the many changes in her life both professionally and personally from career moves to relationships, motherhood and therapy. You can follow Billie on Twitter and instagram @billiepiper Content Warning: this episode references eating disorders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On International Women’s Day meet Ariel Bruce, a phenomenal woman who profoundly changes people’s lives by tracing missing family. Described as the Agatha Christie of the adoption world, Ariel works on ITV’s Long Lost Family and specialises in finding people affected by adoption, using her unique skills as a social worker and her background in care to reunite families all over the world. Born in London, Ariel’s parents were Jewish refugees and at the age of 12, she was placed into care and went on to have 6 different foster parents. Here she tells Annie about her childhood, her work spanning almost 40 years and shares her experience of why people do and don’t search for family, when she feels people shouldn’t be traced and what she would like to see change in the future (her answer may surprise you). Ariel is one of a kind, a real character - witty, cheeky and incredibly endearing.  You can find out more about Ariel and her work here:https://arielbruce.com/And you can watch Long Lost Family here - have tissues ready!https://www.itv.com/hub/long-lost-family/1a8904 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Carty-Williams is a writer and author of the award winning Sunday Times bestselling novel Queenie, which changed the game in publishing! Candice has transitioned from first working in publishing to becoming both the first black person and first black woman to win "Book of the Year" at the British Book Awards in 2020. In this raw, open and fascinating conversation you will hear just how strong Candice is and the numerous changes she has navigated - an unsettled childhood, experiencing loss in her twenties and learning to accept praise as a bestselling author. Candice is so personable - you will be left wanting to go to the pub with her (once we’re allowed)!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we want to let you know about a new show that we’re loving. It’s called Ian Wright’s Everyday People, where each week Wrighty meets someone with an incredible story of bravery, resilience or transformation. He gets to the heart of how they’ve changed the world for the better and why they do the things they do.There's Major Chris Brannigan, a doting father-of-three who took on an impossible 700 mile barefoot walk, raising funds to create a pioneering treatment for his daughter, diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, and millions of other children suffering with rare diseases. Ian also meets Munira Mahmoud, a survivor of Grenfell Tower who has been preparing home cooked meals for families struggling to put food on the table during the pandemic. Ian then invites Andy Hider on the podcast, a mum of three from Bristol who fostered over 150 children over three decades to hear about the story that saw her recognised with an MBE for her services to children. If you like what you heard, search ‘Ian Wright’s Everyday People’ to listen to the full episode. Available every Tuesday on all major podcast platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis Alabanza is a performer, writer and theatre maker who identifies as black, trans feminine and gender non-conforming. They are the youngest person to be awarded a residency at The Tate, the first black trans person to sell out a show at Southbank Centre and have had work featured at the V&A, Roundhouse and, most recently, the Bush Theatre with their play ‘Overflow’. As one of the most prominent emerging trans voices in the arts and beyond, Travis talks to Annie about their journey with change - from wearing a dress on stage for the first time stepping into the role of a Lady Gaga witch at school, to selling out venues with their award winning play Burgerz which sees Travis confronting the audience about their attitude to trans people, after they were called a “tranny” and had a burger thrown at them in broad daylight on waterloo bridge. With their usual charm and warmth, Travis openly discusses attending a summer camp in the US and learning about pronouns for the first time, putting on act, starting and dropping out of University to be an artist, their relationship with their mum and brother and becoming a trans voice in the art world. Want to find out more? Head to:http://travisalabanza.co.uk/ You can follow Travis on Twitter and instagram: @travisalabanzaThe TED talk mentioned in the podcast is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wAwcTTOq4k&feature=youtu.be Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 27th January, in the heart of London, nine activists, who call themselves HS2 Rebellion, have been trying to affect change by occupying a network of tunnels which they dug under Euston station. Larch Maxey is one of them. They are protesting against HS2, the High speed rail project planning to connect London to Birmingham up to Manchester and Leeds, a project which will lead to faster travel and better links between the north and south. It is estimated to cost over £100 billion. The activists are protesting due to the environmental and ecological impact of the scheme. The Government has said that the cost of tackling climate activists at HS2 sites has hit nearly £50 million - here Larch addresses the critics and explains why he believes this is the only way to affect change.   Despite losing their high court case for a right to protest, the HS2 rebellion are still underground and resisting eviction by bailiffs. Annie spoke to Larch on Saturday 13th February after 18 days in the tunnels. As they spoke he received calls about new digs taking place to get them out. In this rare insight, Larch tells us about life underground, why they refuse to leave and the journey he has taken to be there, from fighting off bullies at school to being a single parent and the turning point that made him leave his job and dedicate his life to fighting climate change. It’s an emotional, informative and important listen.  To find out more about HS2 Rebellion and their campaign head to:HS2Rebellion.earthTwitter: @Hs2Rebellion  To support the tunnelers https://www.gofundme.com/f/25c4b0w040?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill https://www.ceebill.uk/ Want to help further?If you want to help HS2 rebellion you can lobby your MP and ask them to:1. support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, https://www.ceebill.uk/2. cancel HS2 and 3. call off the Eviction.   Larch also talks about this organisation - Balanced View https://www.openintelligenceandlove.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bez is a legendary figure of the Manchester music scene - the wild maraca playing dance man of Happy Mondays and a member of Black Grape, he has since traded the party days to lead a healthy lifestyle and become an unlikely fitness instructor with his You Tube classes "Get Buzzin’ with Bez”. A multi faceted man, Bez won Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, previously stood as a candidate in the UK General Election running on a platform of "free energy, free food and free anything" and has explored community living. Here Bez talks to Annie about the many changes in his life - the highs and the lows, his new approach to healthy living, why males in his age group might be more reluctant to embrace change and a sustainable lifestyle, and his love of beekeeping!This episode is sponsored by Oatly. Oatly has launched a campaign called – ‘Help Dad – a guide to help dads quit dairy’ which is designed to encourage open-minded conversations between different generations about dairy consumption, plant based diets, and how what we eat and drink can affect the environment. For more information, stats, tools and tips just head to Oatly’s campaign website - oatly.com/helpdad. You can follow Bez on instagram @bezmondaysYou can watch and join in with Get Buzzin With Bez here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGJyQCUuEsspqeg4XD8eE7g Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning! This episode will make you want to buy a farm in the middle of nowhere! Kelis is a queen of change - a multi-platinum, Grammy nominated artist, born in NYC, she signed to her first record deal when she was 17 years old. Her remarkable voice and groundbreaking songs like Caught Out There, Milkshake, Millionaire catapulted her to fame, which peaked in 2005 when she married the rapper Nas. They divorced five years later soon after the birth of her son Knight. Midway through her career Kelis enrolled in culinary school and is now a Cordon Bleu chef. After moving from NYC to LA she recently bought a remote farm in California and has moved there with her partner, 3 children and a plethora of animals! She has leaned into change all her life and speaks about it so brilliantly in this conversation with Annie. It’s a riot! Enjoy listening to the gospel of Kelis. And you can follow Kelis on instagram and twitter @kelisAnd check out Kelis’ website Bounty and Full, music and everything else here:https://linktr.ee/kelisofficial/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Strictly sensation and Radio 1 buddy Clara Amfo is hijacking the feed to give you a sneak peek at her new series of This City, which explores the best city in the world (London) through some very special guests...Discover past episodes and get new ones as they drop when you subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.