Ctrl Alt Delete

Charly Cox is a 22-year-old writer, producer, poet and author of She Must Be Mad.Her writing focuses on destigmatizing mental health and the coming-of-age of a young woman surviving the modern world. In January 2017, she published her first poem on Instagram, showing her internet followers her poetry for the first time; since then she’s been asked to be Virgin Radio’s poet in residence, she’s been published on Refinery29, hosted poetry nights to raise money and awareness for MQ Mental Health and been named by ELLE magazine as one of their 20 power players to watch out for in 2018. She Must Be Mad is Charly’s first book.She Must be Mad explores coming-of-age: the pain and beauty of love, the relief and the agony of turning from girl to woman, the isolation of an untethered mind and the power and subjugation of the body.We discuss writing, success, mental health, how as a poet, people might worry they are "fodder" for your work, the insanity of being alone for long periods of time when writing, crying for two weeks over book covers and the importance of the phrase "I have a mental illness but I have really good mental health".   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is the actress Gemma Arterton.We spoke about the new film she's in called The Escape, which she also executive produced. Her breakthrough role was in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008), playing Bond Girl Strawberry Fields, which won her an Empire Award for Best Newcomer. She played the lead role in the film Their Finest (2017). She was the title star of the film The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009). She is known for her roles in the fantasy films Clash of the Titans (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Byzantium (2013), and as the character Gretel in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013). She played Joan in Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at Donmar Warehouse, December 2016.The Escape is an intimate portrait of a married woman who seemingly has it all. Married young, shehas all the trappings of a successful life: a house, a husband, children and a nice lifestyle. But she is unhappy and yearns for more, something that she is unable to put her finger on.We discuss escapism, acting, social media, relationships, improvising on set and why the topics in this film are close to her heart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

​So excited to interview ​Rose, a writer & creative director and author of PURE.​This episode was recorded at the BFI Southbank for my live mini series there called ​From Book to Screen.I first came across Rose’s work in 2014 when I pledged for the book on Unbound called PURE – about Pure ‘O’ a type of OCD – in Rose’s case she would get intrusive sexual thoughts.Pure is the true story of her life with intrusive sexual thoughts – a rampant but little-known symptom of the disorder. It tracks her journey from when she was first seized by graphic mental images to her eventual recovery through therapy, acceptance and love.At its core, Pure is about uncertainty and insecurity- it’s about finding beauty in greyness, and embracing the unfathomable weirdness of the human mind.I wanted to ask her about the process of how her book PURE is being turned into a TV show as part of this mini series I'm doing called #FromBookToScreen. It is being adapted into Channel 4 adaptation of her memoir on the story of her life with intrusive sexual thoughts. It’s produced by Drama Republic (who have made Mad Fat Diary, The Honourable Woman, Doctor Foster) and adapted by the very talented Kirstie Swain) and airing on Channel 4 soon.​She has fingers in pies, currently ​writing a film for FKA Twigs. Past projects include the relaunch of Channel 4’s Random Acts; writing the world’s first OCD chatbot; and developing This Girl Can – Phenomenal Women. Rose used to publish under her mother’s maiden name, Bretécher. Hope you enjoy this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guests today are authors and best friends Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené​.​ They are the authors of SLAY IN YOUR LANE.SLAY IN YOUR LANE is the long-awaited, inspirational guide to life for a generation of black British women inspired to make lemonade out of lemons, and find success in every area of their lives.It was​ included in top Elle’s 12 addictive books of 2018, Metro’s best new books in 2018 and BBC’s hotly anticipated debut authors for 2018.Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené searched for a book that addressed the​ ​challenges​ ​for young black women and​ ​they realised none existed. So Slay in Your Lane – the lovechild of exasperation and optimism – was born. From education, to work, to dating, to representation, money and health,​ ​this is an ​ ​inspirational, honest and provocative Black Girl Bibl​e​ – the book​ ​offers advice and encouragement​ ​from the authors and​ ​interviews with dozens of the most successful black women in Britain – including Charlene White, Jamelia, Denise Lewis, Malorie Blackman and Dawn Butler MP.Yomi​ ​is an award-winning journalist and senior writer at The Pool. She writes about race, feminism, popular culture and how they intersect, as well as class and politics.Elizabeth is a​ ​former​ ​Marketing Manager​ ​and has a degree in​ ​Politics and International relations degree and specialises in creating marketing campaigns that are both culturally progressive and commercially relevant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amika George is an 18-year-old student from North London. She started the #FreePeriods campaign, which calls on the government to give free menstrual products to children from low-income families​.This episode was recorded at #SheInspiresMe Live, a feminist festival put on by Women For Women International. Sorry that it's a bit echoey, it was a really large room and the mics sadly weren't perfect for podcasting.Women for Women International are a charity passionate about empowering the world’s most marginalised women. For 25 years, we’ve worked with women in countries affected by conflict, equipping over 472,000 women with skills, confidence and connections to advocate for their rights and make their voices heard.The first #SheInspiresMe Live Feminist Festival aims to capitalise on recent momentum around women’s rights, and get more people involved and empowered to build a more equal future. Women for Women International is built on solidarity and sisterhood. They are committed to strengthening and connecting this global movement, and want every woman, everywhere, to know she can be a part of it.I hope you enjoy this episode, we talk digital activism, how to maintain a campaign online, how to use your voice and how to juggle multiple projects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Ctrl Alt Delete Podcast – this is a very special one! I got to record a very special episode at the Queen’s Young Leaders Ceremony from Buckingham Palace…(and I got meet the Queen!)I was there to celebrate the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. It’s a real honour to be there for the final ever Queen’s Young Leader Award ceremony and celebrate the amazing work these young people are doing all over the Commonwealth. Collectively, they’re tackling a huge range of issues, from climate change, to mental health stigma, to gender based violence. These guys really show just how important young people are to tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems.I chatted to Siposetu Sethu Mbuli from South Africa. Siposetu is developing new ways to end the stigma of albinism in South Africa. Growing up with albinism herself, and mindful of the misconceptions that still exist around it, Siposetu co-founded Love, This Skin. I also chatted to Harry Phinda, who promotes the rights of women and girls through education. He is the co-founder of Youth for Change (YFC), which is a global youth led organisation that works in partnership with organisations and governments to tackle gender-based violence and to create positive change. You will also be inspired by Alexia Hilbertidou, who is inspiring young women in New Zealand to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (also known as STEM), leadership and entrepreneurship.In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, I chatted with YouTuber Caspar Lee, Nicola Adams OBE and some more of the Queens Young Leaders themselves.The young people dedicated to changing the world received a Queen’s Young Leader Award from Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace. This year’s group of Award winners are from 38 Commonwealth countries and work across a wide range of issues and are finding solutions to global issues such as climate change, food scarcity, gender-based violence, mental health, and access to education.Now in its fourth and final year, the Programme has created a powerful network of 240 Award winners who have incredible leadership potential and passion to make the world a better place.The now complete Queen’s Young Leaders network is a lasting legacy to Her Majesty The Queen, as they connect, collaborate and continue to change lives for years to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Kay is a best-selling and award-winning author, script writer and performer.We recorded this episode as part of Independent Book Shop Week in Lutyens & Rubenstein in Notting Hill to a live audience, thanks to everyone who came along!He writes extensively for TV and film. He is author of the number one bestselling and multi-award-winning book "This is Going to Hurt", about his former career as a junior doctor, which was an instant Sunday Times number one bestseller, topping the charts for five months. It has been translated into 20 languages.Adam first achieved success as frontman of Amateur Transplants, with 20 million hits (including the iconic London Underground Song), and as a solo performer has had multiple sell-out Edinburgh Fringe and West End seasons as well as sell-out international tours.Hope you enjoy this episode!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Esther Perel, a psychotherapist of 35 years, and New York Times bestselling author.Esther Perel is recognised as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she has a therapy practice in New York City and is an consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 20 million views and her international bestseller Mating in Captivity which became a global phenomenon translated into 25 languages. Her newest book The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (HarperCollins) is also a New York Times bestseller . Esther is also an exec producer and host of the popular podcast Where Should We Begin? It is an incredible podcast where you can listen into live therapy sessions. Learn more at EstherPerel.com or by following @EstherPerelOfficial on Instagram. Favourite quotes from the episode:​"Today you don't choose between 2 people in the village, or 6 people at school, you choose between ​1,000 at your fingertips. That swiping culture gives you a dizzying level of options.""How do I know I've found ~the one~? You're going to delete your dating apps.""The burdens of the self have never been heavier. Today all the big decisions are on us.""Friendship is one of the most beautiful relationships. You cannot be friends with someone that isn't friends with you. You can love someone who doesn't love you back, but friendship is a reciprocal relationship.""We can't only use longevity in relationships as a marker of success."On her podcast Where Do We Begin: "It's so raw and intimidate, it's almost scary."On giving advice to friends: "What works for me, might not be what works for you." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special live episode recording live at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road as part of my Multi-Hyphen Method book tour.I spoke to the amazing Chidera Eggerue aka The Slumflower, author of WHAT A TIME TO BE ALONE, viral sensation and inspirational speaker who makes the Internet a better place. We were also joined by Louise Troen, VP of International marketing at Bumble (one of the sponsors of my UK book tour!) In this episode, I discuss topics from my book The Multi-Hyphen Method - we discuss confidence, self-promotion, new definitions of success, creativity in the workplace, flexi-hours and how to foster diverse thought at work. I absolutely loved recording this episode, and hope you enjoy listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's your side-hustle? I chat to my literary agent Abbie Bergstrom (head of Gleam Titles) about her side hustles. I ask Abbie her thoughts on each section of my new book The Multi-Hyphen Method (success, motivation, money, life) as a bonus episode of the podcast. Abbie worked at the publisher Simon & Schuster for 5 years before launching an exciting literary agency called Gleam Titles. Normal author/guest interviews resume next week! The Multi-Hyphen Method is available to buy now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.