If you are as obsessed with Netflix's new smash hit TV show, Shadow and Bone as I am you are going to LOVE this episode of Reign with it's star, Jessie Mei Li. But if you haven't watched it already (where have you been?!?) Shadow and Bone is basically Netflix’s answer to Game of Thrones. It follows Jessie’s character - Alina; a young woman with unique powers who has overcome her fair share of monsters, hot boys and the fold. Think of it as just another day socialising at the park, then! Before she found the power within her on screen, Jessie had dropped out of university and was working as a special-education teaching assistant. She enrolled in some acting lessons, and went on to land an agent and a role in the West End production of All About Eve before Netflix came calling! In this episode Jessie opens up about how the rise in anti-asian hate has affected her, her and her family's experiences of racism and how she navigated feeling like an 'outsider' growing up. There are so many amazing words about defining your identity on your own terms and refusing to adhere to the labels society can place on you, so I hope you love listening to Jessie just as much as I did chatting to her! Love, Josh xxP.S. You can follow me at @joshsmithhosts across social media and please get in touch as I love to hear from the queendom! Thank you to our sponsors Aurelia London who are, not only, THE experts in Probiotic Skincare but using their Probiotic Concentrate with my Aurelia London Day Moisturiser has bought back my glow, just in time for me to re-enter civilisation! Yay!FYI Aurelia London's probiotic skincare is effective for skin conditions from dullness to ageing to rosacea and pigmentation to acne. And as a treat for you Queens, you can get 20% off the entire range by heading to aurelialondon.com and using the code JOSH20 at the check out! Hope you love it as much as I do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come on Barbie, let’s go party! Radio 1 host, Strictly Come Dancing star, podcast host of This City and *official* Barbie doll, Clara Amfo joins me for this episode of Reign.Since joining Radio 1 in 2015, Clara went on to host the iconic Live Lounge and has done everything from interviewing Jay-Z, to playing basketball with Justin Bieber at his house.After the death of George Floyd in June 2020, Clara showed just how powerful her voice is when she delivered an anti-racism speech in her radio show, concluding that “You cannot enjoy the rhythm and ignore the blues. And I say that with my chest.” It went viral, and she was included in British Vogue's activism issue, and was made a 'Barbie Role Model’ by Barbie who created a doll version of her!Since we chatted, it’s been announced that Clara will step into Annie Mac's headphones to present the Future Sounds show from September. Go on, Queen!In this episode Clara opens up about finding, and staying true to her voice, the grief she continues to experience after the death of her father and why it is MORE than ok to be single. All the women, who independent, throw your hands up at me, because I couldn't agree more!I hope you love listening to Queen Clara just as much as I did chatting to her! Love, Josh xxP.S. You can follow me at @joshsmithhosts across social media and please get in touch as I love to hear from the queendom!Thank you to our sponsors Aurelia London who are, not only, THE experts in Probiotic Skincare but using their Probiotic Concentrate with my Aurelia London Day Moisturiser has bought back my glow, just in time for me to re-enter civilisation! Yay!FYI Aurelia London's probiotic skincare is effective for skin conditions from dullness to ageing to rosacea and pigmentation to acne.And as a treat for you Queens, you can get 20% off the entire range by heading to aurelialondon.com and using the code JOSH20 at the check out! Hope you love it as much as I do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are activists and then there is Munroe Bergdorf, who joins me for the second episode of season two! With over half a million followers on Instagram alone, Munroe has become one of today's most powerful voices, continuously standing up for marginalised people, diversity, feminism, the queer community and transgender visibility.So it’s no wonder that she's a UN Women UK Changemaker, that Time Magazine called her a Next Generation Leader on their cover last year, and British Vogue named her as one of the 25 most powerful women in Britain.Munroe is one of my favourite people to talk to, as she’s beyond open and always promotes new ways of thinking, and this conversation shows just that. We talk about how we both came out at 14 years old, and how lockdown reminded us both of the isolation we experienced as a teenager. We talk about filters and photoshopping, the price of being a prominent Black Transgender activist on social media, labels, and our mutual appreciation for the icon that is Martine McCutcheon! This episode truly has it all so I hope you take away just as much from this chat as I did. And if you are feeling alone or isolated (I’ve been there!) reach out and talk, I promise it will help. Love, Josh xxP.S. You can follow me at @joshsmithhosts across social media and please get in touch as I love to hear from the queendom! Thank you to our sponsors Aurelia London who are, not only, THE experts in Probiotic Skincare but using their Probiotic Concentrate with my Aurelia London Day Moisturiser has brought back my glow, just in time for me to re-enter civilisation! Yay!FYI - Aurelia London's probiotic skincare is effective for skin conditions from dullness to ageing to rosacea and pigmentation to acne. And as a treat for you Queens, you can get 20% off the entire range by heading to aurelialondon.com and using the code JOSH20 at the check out! Hope you love it as much as I do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Kirby, a genuine Oscar nominee who played Princess Margaret on 'The Crown,' joins Josh Smith to discuss managing anxiety, the portrayal of grief and loss in 'Pieces of A Woman,' and the power of friendships and reflections. They also explore sexism in the media and the importance of LGBTQ+ rights and allyship.

Hey Queens, we're back for Season 2! New episodes coming at you from next week, so I'll see you there! Love, Josh x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special episode of Reign, Josh talks to L'Oreal Paris ambassador, model, entrepreneur and body image activist Iskra Lawrence Iskra was dropped by her modelling agency at just 15 years old for being in quotation marks, "TOO BIG," which led to body image issues and disordered eating. Since her recovery Iskra has been determined to change the perception of women across society. Here Iskra opens up about her journey towards feeling worth it including the toxic relationships, mental health and body image issues she's had to overcome along the way and how becoming a mother gave her a new respect for her body. She also candidly opens up about the street harassment she has experienced in her life and how we need to encourage men to have conversations about their behaiour. Open and honest conversations are key to making it reign and as Iskra powerfully shows talking about her insecurities ultimately saved her, so we hope this episode encourages you to embrace your worth and let your voice be heard. You can follow Josh on social media across @joshsmithhosts and don't forget to subscribe, follow, rate and comment if you loved the episode as we love to hear from you, queens! Josh will be back to Make it Reign with another Queen next time!This special episode is sponsored by L'Oreal Paris who are celebrating 50 years of the iconic phrase BECAUSE YOU'RE WORTH IT. Since then L’Oreal Paris has continuously encouraged women to stand up, be heard and be the change they want to see in society, showing that we’re ALL worth it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Reign, Josh talks to Outerbanks star, Madelyn Cline. Madelyn - who stars as Sarah in the Netflix teen drama, Outerbanks - talks candidly for the first time about how she felt 'silenced' and on an 'island' during, and after, an abusive relationship when she first moved to LA to pursue her dreams. But as Madelyn powerfully shows opening up about her experiences and feelings allowed her to not only rebuild friendships she thought she lost, but also herself. Madelyn also talks about how meeting her Outerbanks cast mates allowed her to truly be herself, the lessons she has learnt from therapy and how she has learnt to live with her anxiety. Open and honest conversations are key to making it reign and Madelyn’s chat is a powerful account of how we are never truly alone and how speaking up is the most important thing we can do for ourselves and others. And let's face it we are all feeling a little more isolated than normal right now so I hope you feel less alone after listening. You can follow Josh on social media across @joshsmithhosts and don't forget to subscribe, follow, rate and comment if you loved the episode as we love to hear from you, queens! Josh will be back to Make it Reign with another Queen next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Reign, Josh talks to Olympic athlete and World Champion, Katarina Johnson-Thompson.Katarina - or KJT as she is known to her fans - talks candidly about how she was, “very close” to quitting athletics after what was deemed a “public failure” at the Rio 2016 Olympics where she finished sixth, whilst others tipped her for a gold medal. Having struggled with self-confidence, public pressure and injuries Katarina completely changed her life - including working with a psychologist - in order to change her mindset and put her into winning form.Now the reigning World Champion in the Heptathlon - making her the world’s best all round female athletics athlete - Katarina opens up about the Tokyo Olympics, how body image affected her early career and the racist microaggressions she has faced throughout her life.Open and honest conversations are key to making it reign and Katarina’s chat is a powerful account of how we need to define success and failure on our own terms and how we all have the power to switch up our mindset and achieve our dreams - whatever they may be. If you are lacking motivation right now - let’s face it, we all are - then this is the conversation you NEED to listen to.You can follow Josh on social media across @joshsmithhosts and don't forget to subscribe, follow, rate and comment if you loved the episode as we love to hear from you, queens! Josh will be back to Make it Reign with another Queen next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Josh talks to It's A Sin star Lydia West AKA the Pink Palace ally, Jill. Lydia talks candily about the mental health impacts of playing Jill in the powerful new Channel 4 and HBO Max drama which follows a group of queer youngsters dealing with the impact of the HIV and AIDs epidemic in 1980s London. Lydia opens up to Josh about the most heartbreaking scenes to film (including one where she had to call her Mum mid take), the backlash against the show's sex scenes and how discrimination has affected her own life. Standing up for others and using your platform - however small or big - is key to making it reign and Lydia's chat is a powerful example of how allyship and true friendship can help others whilst reducing shame and stigma. As Lydia and Jill both show kindness is the greatest currency of all. You can follow Josh on social media across @joshsmithhosts and don't forget to subscribe, follow, rate and comment if you loved the episode as we love to hear from you, queens. Josh will be back to Make it Reign with another Queen next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Josh talks to Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood. Aimee talks frankly about her experiences with eating disorders and how her relationship with her body image changed after filming the sex scenes in Sex Education, playing Aimee Gibbs. Opening up about filming THAT solo sex scene, Aimee discusses how it initially left her with “vulnerability hangover,” but looking back now she is so proud the scenes portrayed female pleasure in a realistic, non-airbrushed way. Just. Yes! Talking, sharing and listening is key to making it reign - and Aimee’s chat is like therapy in itself. As the queen herself says, letting go of our problems, and refusing to no longer compare ourselves to others, is just like having a really great poo. Now, who can’t relate to that! Please subscribe or follow if you haven’t already, because Josh will be back to Make it Reign with another Queen next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices