Reign with Josh Smith

I am beyond excited to be joined on this week’s episode by Joey King, not only because I have wanted her on the podcast for the longest time but she is now starring in one of the most on-brand Reign movies of all time… The Princess! The Princess, which is out on Disney+ and Hulu, follows a medieval princess who refuses to marry her evil suitor (played by Dominic Cooper), a hot but complex chap who is determined to take her father’s throne. But when she’s locked up in a tower they soon realize they have taken on the wrong royal - this princess can fight! She’s the badass princess we have always needed and kicks her enemies and sexim in the balls at the same time. The definition of YASSS QUEEN! You’ll probably remember Joey from her breakout role as Elle in the mega Netflix trilogy, The Kissing Booth opposite Jacob Elordi - who wasn’t obsessed with those movies? And you may also remember her from the true crime TV show, The Act where she played Gypsy, a girl trying to escape her overprotective mother (played by Patricia Arquette). The role made Joey an Emmy and Golden Globe nominee. As if we needed more proof that this girl has serious RANGE! Next up Joey will be starring alongside Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock in another high action blockbuster, Bullet Train, a role Joey landed on her 21st Birthday. There’ss a funny story about that coming up in this episode - prepare yourselves! Elsewhere in this episode Joey talks about her rollercoaster with confidence, reflects on her relationship with body image and calls out the sexist double standards between male and female actors, which she has experienced herself. I loved Joey’s honesty, she does not hold back! And I know you are going to take so much away from this chat. I also hope you keep on listening and finding the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who else was absolutely obsessed with Dolly Alterton’s memoir, Everything I Know About Love? And is equally obsessed with the BBC adaptation of the show? Well prepare yourselves because in today’s episode we are joined by the show’s star, Marli Siu. The story follows Maggie (Emma Appleton) and her three friends, Birdy (Bel Powley), Amara (Aliyah Odoffin) and Marli’s character Nell, who whilst living in a London house share go through the ‘grubby stage’ of their twenties together. From the breakups - both in relationships and friendships - and all the house parties and regrettable decisions in between. I loved Marli’s character Nell so much - she was so relatable, right? In case you haven’t seen it yet - spoiler alert, Nell is a young teacher and the blunt advice giver of the group who leaves her ‘stable seeming’ relationship for a new independent life which sees her sleep with her boss and make some decisions she might regret in later life.Today Marli shares some hilarious behind the scenes secrets from filming the show - from the sheer amount of eating they did, to downing grape juice moonlighting as wine - and some very relatable stories from her own house share experiences. She also talks about having to film a masturbation scene over Skype and why that is so important that is shown on TV. Marli also reflects on her Scottish-Chinese heritage, and how being mixed race affected the way she saw herself, and talks about how losing her father and experiencing grief was a coming of age moment for her. I loved talking to Marli so much - she’s so open and funny - and I hope you fall in love with her too! I also hope you keep on listening and finding the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is all about being true to yourself in a world that tells you to conform, as today we are joined by the star of the new dramatisation of the record breaking game, Halo, it’s Olive Gray!Olive started their career at the age of 10 in The Story of Tracy Beaker (which we were all obsessed with, right?!?) before starring in the BAFTA nominated TV drama, Save Me, playing a teenage victim of sex trafficking, opposite Suranne Jones and Lennie James.And now Olive is playing Commander Miranda Keyes in Halo, which lands on Paramount+ this week after selling more than 82 million copies worldwide, and grossing more than 6 billion dollars as a computer game. Get ready for Olive’s GCSE Bitesize breakdown about Halo in this episode, so if you aren’t familiar with the franchise already - we got you!Aside from talking about their breakout role in the franchise, Olive talks about identity: from their racial identity, to being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, to their pronouns, and having ADHD. We need more open and honest conversations about all aspects of our identity, and in particular neurodiversity, so I hope you either feel seen, understood or enlightened by this episode.I also hope you keep on listening and finding the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is for everyone who is struggling to love themselves, or has been on that journey as we are joined by the new Queen of Scots, Isis Hainsworth. You may have recently seen Isis in the Netflix movie, ‘Metal Lords’, which is brought to us by the creators of ‘Games of Thrones’, no less! If you haven’t seen it yet, think of it as School of Rock meets teen drama. Isis plays the cello-playing teen, Emily, who, whilst struggling with her mental health and feeling like the school outsider, befriends two other high schoolers (Jaeden Martell and Adrian Greensmith) who invite her to join their heavy metal band, in order to win the school Battle of the Bands competition. You will love it! Isis is the definition of booked and busy at the moment, as she will soon be seen in the BBC and Netflix thriller-horror, drama series ‘Red Rose’ which takes inspiration from movies like ‘Get Out’ and ‘Scream.’ Prepare to hide behind your sofa! And later this year she will also star alongside Billie Piper, Andrew Scott and Bella Ramsey in the Lena Dunham directed, medieval coming-of-age comedy, ‘Catherine Called Birdy.’ We love an historical foray on Reign so I can’t WAIT to see this! Today we get to know Isis as she takes us back to the very beginning, and talks to us about the journey she took to the big screen, from growing up in Scotland where she had dreams of becoming a dancer, to treading the boards on the West End. Isis also opens up about dealing with dyslexia, and using it as her superpower after feeling ‘othered’ at school, and shares some amazing advice about processing and dealing with mental health issues, which I think you will love! I love what Isis has to say about becoming your own ally, and I hope it will inspire you to be your own best friend too. I also hope you keep on listening and finding the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t seen Netflix's new movie Along for the Ride yet and are as obsessed with teen romantic movies as I am, prepare to fall in love with the movie and its star, Emma Pasarow who joins me today! Along for the Ride - based on the book by Sarah Dessen, the much loved author of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - follows Emma’s character, Auden, who in the summer before college meets the dreamy, yet mysterious Eli (played by the equally dreamy Belmont Cameli). Whilst Auden spends the summer away from her somewhat intense Mum (played by the legendary Andie MacDowell) with her Dad (played by another romcom legend Dermort Mulroney) and Stepmom (Kate Bosworth), in a sleepy seaside town, the two insomniacs bond during night time excursions and Auden ditches books to find a new carefree way of life. It’s beyond cute and so is Emma! Today Emma talks about the wild circumstances that led to her jetting off to film Along For The Ride, her first movie role (can you believe?!) and open up about her journey with social anxiety, something that is so rarely spoken about. Plus, she tells me about how journaling has helped her process her mental health, something which I was inspired to take up after this candid chat with Emma, who is a star of the future. We love to support the future queens on this podcast! It was so inspiring to hear Emma talk so openly and honestly about the struggles she has overcome with anxiety, so I hope this helps you in the tougher moments you might face. I also hope you keep on listening and finding the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heartstopper fans, if you loved Charlie as much as I did this episode is for YOU, as today we are joined by the man himself, Joe Locke. And he’s even greater in real life, if you can believe it!Joe beat 10,000 hopefuls to win his first ever on-screen role as Charlie in the hit Netflix show, which follows his character as he falls for the school jock, Nick, played by Kit Connor. If you haven’t seen it the show - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN - it’sbased on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman, so get onto Netflix right now because it will make you feel all the feelings, and its a joyful celebration of queer love that is beyond needed on our screens.In this episode Joe joins us from his family home on the Isle of Man where he is currently juggling overnight fame with revising for his A-Levels, and talks about his journey from island life to the set of a Netflix hit show and the lifetime friendships he built working on it.Joe also talks about feeling like an outsider - much like Charlie does in the show - and how we need to rethink viewing that as a negative thing, and I couldn’t agree more! He also chats about tearing up the rule book about what a leading man should be and look like, and he shares his thoughts on coming out.Like so many of you, this show means so much to me so I hope you love listening to this episode with Joe as much as I did talking to him. I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you sobbed, smiled and adored the Netflix hit show, Heartstopper as much as I did, prepare yourselves because today we are joined by one of the show’s stars, Kit Connor.After getting his break starring as the teenage Elton John in Rocketman, Kit hit the big time this year when he landed the role of Nick in Heartstopper.Based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman, the show follows a coming of age romance between two teenagers, Nick and Charlie, played by Joe Locke (who you will also be hearing from VERY SOON). And if you haven’t seen it and are wondering what all the fuss is about, race to Netflix right now because the show is a heartwarming and joyful portrayal of queer love and we literally LOVE TO SEE IT!Today, fresh from the show’s huge success - Kit takes us back to the very beginning of his Heartstopper journey from auditioning for the role, to stepping on set for the very first time, and the self doubt that came along for the ride.He also talks about his epic relationship with his co-star Joe, and how much that friendship helped him both inside and outside of the show, and why he refuses to adhere to the traditional expectations of what it means to be masculine.Kit also opens up about feeling proud of his sexuality and why he doesn’t feel compelled to label himself publicly because NO ONE has the right to know anyone else’s sexuality - is he right or is he right?!?I love what Kit has to say about feeling empowered by being surrounded by so many proud queer people and bringing these important storylines to life, so I hope you love hearing from Kit as much as I did. I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dust off your tiara and slip into your finery because this week we are joined by Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary herself, Michelle Dockery! As a ‘Downton Abbey’ obsessive (I mean those savage Maggie Smith one-liners give me life), I have wanted to talk to Michelle for the longest time, so I am so excited that we are talking to her this week. We take her journey to the big screen all the way back to the beginning… After growing up in Romford, Essex Michelle started her career in theatre - understudying 10 roles at one time (!!) - before she got the break of a lifetime, starring in Downton Abbey when she was 27. Ten years later, after six seasons, four personal Emmy award nominations and one box office smash of a movie, we are heading back to Grantham for the latest movie, Downton Abbey: A New Era. Whilehalf of the family skip off to France, Lady Mary oversees the filming of a silent movie in the family home. It is also a new era for Michelle who recently starred in Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal as bad babe barrister, Kate. The story follows Kate, a QC who represents Olivia (Naomi Scott) a woman whoaccuses her former boss and MP, James (Rupert Friend) of rape. Meanwhile, James’wife, played by Sienna Miller, not only has to watch the unfolding drama in court, but also has to reflect on her own role in proceedings. The plot twists are so juicy - so be warned there are some spoilers in this episode! Michelle has also starred in ‘Defending Jacob’ opposite Chris Evans as a mother whose teenage son is charged with murder (if you haven’t watched it yet, head to Apple TV+ RN), Guy Ritchie movie, ‘The Gentleman’ and Netflix’s Western TV drama, ‘Godless’ playing Alice, a widowed outcast who takes in a stray outlaw played by Jack O’Connell. Lucky Alice! Today we talk about Michelle’s incredible journey from living in a house share with her mates to the big screen, the no’s she faced along the way, and what her career has taught her about success and failure. We of course talk about returning to Downton, how working on Anatomy of a Scandal made Michelle reflect on how sets can be so male dominated, the coaching she did with a real barrister for the Netflix show, and how she felt truly in her own power when she turned 40. I loved hearing Michelle talk about the start of her career so I hope you find her story just as inspiring as I did. I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Drag Queen with the cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity and all the gumption, Tayce is here to start your engines in this week’s episode of Reign. This has to be one of the most chaotic, hilarious and joyful episodes to date so I hope your cheeks are aching from smiling and laughing, like mine were by the end of this episode. After finding his taste for performance putting on shows for his family - and basically anyone who would watch - in his hometown of Newport in Wales, Tayce shot to fame on season two of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK with their fierce looks and fiercer one liners. During the series they took their place in Drag Race HERstory when they appeared in the now iconic United Kingdolls ‘UK, Hun’ performance alongside Bimini, A’Whora and Lawrence Chaney. Since Tayce made the Drag Race Final they have gone on to tour the world from Clapham to Australia and take the fashion world by storm - after being initially rejected by modeling agencies - including sashaying down the runway at the British Fashion Awards alongside Naomi Campbell. Now they are making it WERK again by modeling and collaborating with celebrity fashion designer Chet Lo and digital duo, IoDF in their creation of Second Skin Couture, which is part of Absolut’s new creative platform Born To Mix! This collaboration symbolises everything Tayce is about as it is a vision for the future: a world where what you wear isn’t tied to the binds of gender, seasonal trends, religious expression, or function. YASSS & there are more deets on this in this episode so keep an ear out about how you can mix it up, too. There is no stopping this Queen and today they look back to their formative drag and performance moments - including playing a dead Pigeon (yes, really) - and share their epic words on finding self-love and how drag has helped them discover themselves and their power. I really hope you sashay away from this episode feeling just as empowered as Tayce because I know I did. I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx P.S You know I love to mix it up on this podcast, and that’s why I’m so excited to be working with Absolut on this very special episode of Reign.And Absolut are doing exactly that with their new project, #BornToMix which celebrates the power of mixing it up in drinks, in ideas and in life, all to create a better tomorrow in a series of creative collaborations. Absolut's first #BornToMix project brings together celebrity fashion designer Chet Lo, digital duo IoDF and our incredible guest this week, Tayce to create a translucent ‘second-skin’ garment, and let me tell you - it looks sensational! You can experience Second Skin Couture yourself virtually now - it’s so meta - and can even enter to be in with a chance to win this stunning one of a kind garment! Just head over to @absolutUK instagram to find out more! And if you are in the mood for some expert made cocktails, for the next two weeks Absolut will have a residency at Box Park in Shoreditch, so be sure to check it out. I’ll see you there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you have just listened to our epic episode with Callum Scott Howells and loved It’s A Sin as much as I did, this episode dives into the issues raised in both. Today we are joined by two incredible and inspirational people who have been directly impacted by HIV: Jill Nalder who It’s A Sin’s character, Jill, is based on and Eugene Lynch who was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and is now a Senior Positive Voices Coordinator at the Terrence Higgins Trust. In case you haven’t watched It’s A Sin yet - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN – the show which is nominated for 11 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards - explores the lives and loves of group of queer youngsters beginning a new life in 1980s London and soon find themselves struck by the HIV pandemic, ignored by most of the world at the time. Created by the iconic Russel T Davies, the show is now nominated for an incredible 11 awards at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards including a nomination for Colin’s diagnosis scene - played powerfully by Callum Scott Howells - for the Virgin Media Must See Moment Award. In this episode Jill Nalder who was not only the inspiration for Jill Baxter in the show, the character played by Lydia West (check out Lydia’s Reign episode - it’s episode four!) but also plays her onscreen mother, reflects on losing a number of close friends in the 1980s who were affected by the HIV pandemic. She also talks powerfully about allyship whilst looking back on her own experience of supporting her friends through this time, taking them tests and visiting them in hospital. Eugene Lynch joins us to talk about his own journey from his diagnosis with HIV to today, the reality of living with HIV today and looks back on the progress we have made with society’s approach to HIV and what we can do to eradicate the stigma that still persists. Plus Jill and Eugene talk about the incredible work of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity which offers support, information and advice services for those living with HIV and affected by HIV or poor sexual health. This year marks 40 years since the death of Terry Higgins - one of the first people in the UK to die from an AIDS-related illness - and the formation of the charity in his name. And for 40 years their vision is for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination, and good sexual health is a right and reality for all.Both Jill and Eugene share some truly inspirational stories and advice we all need to listen to so I hope their stories strike a chord with you, like they did with me. I hope you love listening to this episode and I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxxP.S. If you have been affected by any of the content raised in this episode, are living with HIV yourself or you know someone that is, please head to The Terrence Higgins Trust. And while It’s A Sin centers on a group of gay men in London, Terrence Higgins Trust continues to work with a whole host of different people as HIV can, and does, affect anyone of any age, sexuality, ethnicity or gender. Despite this, 77% of UK adults have never had a HIV test. Routine testing needs to be increased to find people living with undiagnosed HIV in the UK. For more information on testing, for support of for more information visit tht.org.ukP.P.S I can’t really believe that this and you will have heard all about it in the podcast but this very special episode of REIGN is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Media – proud sponsors of the British Academy Television Awards. Virgin Media brings together all your favourite entertainment under one roof. And, as the only award at the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards that’s voted for by us, the... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices