Are You Michelle from Skins‪?‬ The Tape Agency

A little different format this week! Jamie and I answer your questions and let you know what's happening next. We actually had mega amounts of fun recording this is I hope you like it too! Thank you so, so much for listening to series 2, we can’t wait to have you back for series 3. All my love, April x
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This week my guest is the beautiful Molly Rainford! Molly was thrust into the spotlight at the age of 11 when she got to the final of Britains got Talent. I was so interested to speak to someone that experienced that overnight fame at such a young age, and how one grapples with the industry thereafter. Did she have a support network? Who was making the decisions for her? And how to you live you forge a career in the public eye when you’re still at school and have your education to finish? We speak about all this, and about how Molly is now turning her hand to acting in the brilliant CBBC series Nova Jones.
We also ask YOU for your contributions to the final episode…can’t wait!
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This week we welcome my on screen mummy; Arabella Weir! I’m not sure if Arabella had quite any idea how much of an impact she had on an impressionable young 17 year old trying to find her feet and place in the industry, but I hope by the end of this chat she did. I remember so clearly how much I was in awe of Arabella on set, sure of herself, asking for what she needed and also looking out for the younger women on set, I really learnt so much from her about how to advocate for myself. This episode also gets juicy.. we share some behind the scenes Skins stories from filming, and Arabella reveals just who turned up to set with a "Groucho cold” and halted filming. But this is also such an important listen for those advocating for female rights, and those who might want to learn little more about how to help. Safe to say I am still in awe of this wonderful woman. 
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John Owen-Jones is here… insiiiiiide your mind…! Little Phantom of the Opera reference there for you theatre heads who might already know that John Owen-Jones was the longest running Phantom on London's West End and has also played Jean Valjean in Les Misérables just shy of 2000 times! I therefore think he is the perfect guest to explore just what embodying a character for so many years feels like for the man behind the mask. We speak about the time we were both in Les Misérables together (when I was just 10!), John’s move into music and podcasting, and he also turns the tables and questions me about the time I was fired on the spot for not breaking a nudity clause in my contract. At the end of the day you’re another day older! 
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Nikki Blonsky are you Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray?! I couldn’t believe it when Nikki said yes to this interview; not only was she so iconic in this role, and played it so brilliantly, but the similarities to my experience are remarkable. We were both 17 when we got our first big role and were suddenly thrust into the spotlight and we talk about how we’ve found matching that role since. However we also spoke about the differences; Tracy Turnblad was so well received and held in such high esteem as an inspirational character, whereas Michelle saw at least 10 years of viewers despising the character. We discuss how this has affected the both of us, how Nikki sees herself now, and just how much John Travolta means to her. 
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My guest this week is classic Skins alumni from series 1 - Siwan Morris! Siwan played Angie the teacher who had an affair with one of the students. It was so interesting catching up with Siwan, not least because I hadn’t heard her lovely voice in over 15 years, but to hear her experiences of being a 32 year old woman filming the same risqué scenes we as 17 year olds had to. And in her case - full frontal nudity. Did she feel empowered? Did she a feel a little unsafe like we did? Or did she feel old enough and equipped to deal with with the filming process and what followed thereafter? It was fascinating chatting to Siwan being the same age as she was when she filmed Skins. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed the nostalgia factor of it! 
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