“It’s all just a happy accident.”

I love the above sentiment from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…” when talking about their career. I also bloody love them - and it’s a hard relate too!

George Lester, or That Girl, is an author & drag queen. I first met them in early 2023 during the protests against drag queen storytime that were taking place at the Honor Oak pub in Southeast London. The local community came out in force to protect both the drag performers & the pub and stand-up against the bigots. That Girl became the ‘very pretty’ face & voice of the counter protests. We reflect on our experiences of this which led to their incredible one person show ‘That Girl vs The World’ which tells the story of their drag career & the protests.

To reiterate the opening line, this was accidental - That Girl was simply filling in for a friend yet this boosted their profile. They’re now one of London’s firm favourite drag queens. Booked & blessed as they say. Not just because of this… they’re also insanely talented!

Little George describes himself as a ‘creative little monster’ always putting on shows for adults. Though when not performing, don’t perceive him! It’s a contradiction & balancing act he thrives in. His creativity extends to writing and George is now a published author with two books out in the world - ‘Boy Queen’ & ‘Don’t Die Alone Lucas Cook’ - both of which are a dream come true. He recalls reaching out to publishers when he was just 12 years old & still has physical rejection letters.

“So many rejections. So many near misses. So many ‘no’s’.” George strives to find the good in these instances. Taking philosophy from Rachel Green from Friends of all places, he jokes, he believes things work out because ‘they have to’.

We talk about George’s publishing career & writing experience, the phone call telling him he’d been accepted into drama school and his journey into drag - which he describes as one of the greatest joys of his life. When talking about performing, he shares “I'm like looking out at a sea of faces who are all smiling & screaming this song back at me, and it's like, Oh, this feels like Wembley Stadium. But it's not. It's a little bar in Soho, and I feel like I'm on a cloud like it's just pure joy.”

Listen in for a truly gorgeous chat. Grab yourself a copy of George’s books. And get yourself to a bar to see That Girl perform. You’re in for a treat!

“I thought at that time it definitely will get better. You'll be able to escape the situation, and I had a feeling within myself even at the time. I said, you will be able to escape it.”

This was one of many deep reflections from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ when thinking about their younger self at just 12 years old.

Tolu Osinubi (she/her) is a Director at Deloitte, passionate public speaker & an incredible advocate & ally for the inclusion, intersectionality & the LGBTQ+ community.

Little Tolu moved from Lagos to Greater Manchester and whilst she was initially wowed by this huge change, it wasn’t long before experiences of racism & feelings of otherness. Growing up was further compounded by a challenging home life & strict expectations. Her strained relationship with her parents went through additional friction especially after coming out.

Not feeling like she fit in has massively shaped Tolu’s journey in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Upon the topics of discrimination & exclusion, she straight up says “not on my watch.”

We discuss our mutual experiences of burnout & this coupled with a serious health complication has informed Tolu’s insistence on self-care, boundaries & empathy for others. It has also led to a firm commitment to appreciate all of life’s moments, including the hard parts. Tolu loves travelling & beams when talking about her recent trip to South Africa, including an appreciation for South African soap dramas!

There’s a beautiful moment in this chat where Tolu reflects on the fact she’s grown into someone that would have protected her as a child - something she feels truly proud of. And with it being Pride month, this feels very poignant.

PLEASE NOTE | We cover some potentially triggering moments during this conversation related to Tolu’s upbringing, growing up queer & estrangement. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.

“Don't forget luck. I think everyone feels like they're in control, and they can do it all. And if you just slog it out hard enough it will come to you. Sometimes, it’s just luck. Let go and see what comes.”

Calling your company ‘The Unmistakables’ is a bold move but when it’s grounded in science & rigour plus a touch of cheekiness with a truly innovative leader in charge, it just makes sense. It was founded by this week’s guest Asad Dhunna (he/him) back in 2018 and as consultancy specialising in DEI, it boasts an incredibly committed & skilled team doing transformational work when it comes to creativity, culture & positive change.

I’m a fan of both Asad & his work so I was so thrilled when Asad said yes to appearing on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’. We chat a lot about the story behind The Unmistakables and what makes it just that. We explore his mischievous side & how he’s learned to harness that over the years which really is evident in what he puts out there.

Coming out was a challenge and his first time in a gay venue - the iconic Ghetto which I used to go to weekly - was a conflicting experience of ‘I’m going to hell’ vs ‘This is fun’ running through his mind.

Asad shares he is still finding his destination in inclusion and his work has evolved as the DEI industry has shifted. His insistence on ‘trading off lived expertise vs lived experience’ and being able to back that up are all part of his deep insights, leadership & skills.

We dive into the difference between secrecy & privacy and how as queer people we often play a role that can undermine our seriousness - a point in the conversation that really stuck with me.

I loved getting to know Asad more & I am sure you will too. Plus there’s exciting stuff coming up from The Unmistakables so stay tuned!

“I have the community that I never ever in a million years would I have dreamed of when I was a kid.”

Season 3 of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ gets off to a CRACKING start with this conversation! I’m chatting to Jua O’Kane (they/he). Jua is the Marketing Manager for We Create Space and Communications Director for Trans Pride Plymouth as well as being an illustrator, creator, creative researcher & author of their recently published graphic novella, Road to Chimera. It’s a virtually stunning piece of work that explores a life navigating transness as a spiritual journey.

Jua is also my colleague & I relish our chats - this one especially! From chatting about & reconnecting with ‘Little Jua’ to challenging mental health issues as a teenager through to what’s been a crazy last few years, Jua shares their story in such a powerful & punchy way.

Self-care, community & creativity are core to how Jua shows up in the world as they state “I made the things that I needed happen.” That’s just one of the mic drop moments & realisations you can expect to hear along with Jua’s love for Plymouth & its thriving Trans+ community, the influence of their girlfriend’s ability to channel hope & optimism and their top surgery adventure being “a hero’s journey moment”.

Isolation. Creation. Transcendence. These are the three words Jua uses to describe themselves & their origin story & deliberately in that order.

Jua truly sets the tempo. On the dance floor. Through the work they do & the world they’ve created. In life. You’re going to love this episode as much as I did.

We cover some challenging topics so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

Visit Jua's website, check out their work & buy a copy of 'Road to Chimera' here.

Trans Pride Plymouth takes place on Saturday 14 June 2025. Follow them here.

This episode was A MOMENT for ‘Pause. And Rewind..’. It was my first time recording live with a live audience! And a celebration of three things…

• A whole year since I launched the podcast
• Lesbian Visibility Week
• My guest - the one & only Char Bailey

“Once I know what my truth is, can’t nobody tell me shit about shit. Because I know exactly who I am”.

Char (she/her) wears many hats. Director of People & Culture for Birmingham Pride. Education & Inclusion Office for UK Black Pride. She’s on the Board for Neurodiversity in Business. Features Editor & Roving presenter for Diva Magazine. NLP Practitioner, Coach & Facilitator. And Tree Hugger. Yes, that’s a lot. Char shows up for people. With a lot of heart, energy & skill. Plus the best hugs!

We chat about community, forgiveness, legacy, relationships, spirituality & more. I’m not gonna overload this description - I’ll let the podcast speak for itself but it’s packed with anecdotes, insights & realisations that say so much about Char’s origin story & the absolute change maker we know & love today. It’s also bloody hilarious too. ENJOY!

BIG thanks to The Common Press for hosting. Buy your book from there peeps & support this super special space!

Please take care of yourself whilst listening as we do cover some challenging topics around racism, health & life generally.

“You'll be surprised how often your friends, acquaintances & family will go ‘You were right about that thing”. If you have a bit more faith in yourself, you're like, I'm just waiting for the world to catch up.”

I’m chatting to this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ about the three words they’d use to describe themselves & their origin story when they bust out the word ‘Little Bit Much’ and how they’ve embraced that - and why you should too!

Natasha Devon (she/her) is a mental health activist & campaigner, broadcaster, journalist & writer. She hosts her own show on LBC on Saturdays from 6pm - 9pm which is often referred to as ‘The Woke Hour’ by some disgruntled listeners to which she hilariously retorts “It’s actually three hours.” And it’s a place where Natasha educates people on society’s important issues, armed with stats, research & insights. She isn’t afraid to challenge harmful rhetoric, outdated views & misleading headlines… and very much sees this as her responsibility with such a huge platform.

Known for covering mental health, gender identity & body image, Natasha talks about her work in schools being her main focus and her passion for working in depth with young people shines through. And with her love for learning & openness to new opportunities, she’s branched out in many other avenues. We dive into Natasha’s many outlets, from her debut fictional novel to hosting podcasts being something she really enjoys. She recently started hosting a podcast called ‘New Beginnings’ which focuses on the largely unknown issue of gambling & women, an area she didn’t know much about - I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

As a person of mixed-heritage & being bisexual along with her own experiences around mental health, Natasha opens up about feeling like ‘a bridge connecting worlds’. And whilst she has felt tribeless in the past, this sentiment - which stemmed from a casual conversation with a colleague - was a moment of realisation for her. It’s something she also brings into her professional approach to help people join the dots.

We chat about Natasha’s love of school & finding interest in everything, manifestation & striking the balance between letting things happen vs making things happen, being political and marriage. Oh & dealing with ballbags on air!

I loved this conversation & was so grateful when Natasha said yes to being a guest - enjoy!

Catch Natasha on LBC on Saturday evenings & follow her on socials for sharp AF educational & informative content & facts.

“Don’t think if you haven’t got to where you want to be in your twenties it’s game over. Because it’s really not. You can achieve great things at any point in your life."

Solid advice from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ especially in a society obsessed with youth & achieving things whilst young.

Roxy Bourdillon (she/her) spent a decade bouncing between jobs, dealing with rejection & not knowing if she’d ever land her dream job of being a writer. Fast forward to today, Roxy is the Editor-in-Chief of DIVA, the world’s leading magazine for LGBTQIA+ women & non-binary people. And though she jokes during this conversation about people not taking advice from her given how long it took her to get where she wanted to be, Roxy Bourdillon is a shining example of why it’s so important to not give up on your dreams or write yourself off.

RIGHT NOW is also a super exciting time for Roxy as she’s written her debut book & it’s available to buy TOMORROW! ‘What a Girl Wants: A (True) Story of Sexuality and Self-Discovery’ is a funny feminist soul bearing memoir about what it was really like for Roxy growing up & navigating the world as a woman who happens to really really love women in a world that can sometimes make you feel terrible about both of those things. I had the privilege of reading it ahead of this conversation and trust me, it’s bloody funny AF but so so touching too. My review is below…

We chat all about the book & Roxy’s creative processes as well as her role at Diva magazine & the moment she landed her first writing job for it! We also explore Roxy’s passion for the LGBTQ+ community, life by the sea in Hasting with her partner Naomi, her love of Dolly Parton & her beautiful relationship with her Nan which you’ll truly feel when reading the book. This was such a gorgeous conversation - enjoy & go buy the book ASAP. It’s a must-read.

GO BUY WHAT A GIRL WANTS!! Ideally from your local queer book shop please.

My review of Roxy’s FANTASTIC debut book…

‘What a Girl Wants’ is packed full of heartwarming, heartbreaking & HILARIOUS moments & escapades from Roxy's life. It's a queer time-machine ride back to special places & spaces from a beloved time on the scene along with the most gayest, nostalgic cultural references you could wish for. It's a history lesson & a crucial call to action for allyship & solidarity. And finally, it's a deep, unapologetic & beautiful display of pure love & affection for women & the LGBTQ+ community".

“I wish I’d grew up in a household… in a world... that would have allowed me to live a softer life and be kinder to myself. To be more open. More trusting. But unfortunately, that’s just not how it was for me. And for many people.”

This is just part of my conversation with my guest for this week’s episode of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ as they reflect on their experience of growing up in an environment that didn’t allow much room for autonomy, freedom or individuality. Yes in their home life but as we also cover, more widely with societal expectations.

Benjy Kusi (he/him) is a wellbeing & inclusion consultant who is well-known for producing social media content that promotes kindness, justice & critical thinking. He’s also an author, public speaker & all round grafter who loves a side quest/ hustle/ mission. As a regular consumer of what Benjy puts out there, I was delighted he said yes to being a guest on the podcast. As shared above, we explore what life was like for ‘Little Benjy’ and how he learned to embrace his loudness & confidence as a form of protection, & later defiance, as a Black, queer kid.

He excitedly talks about finding freedom at university and explains how his early career in sales resulted in him being fired but that a detour into marketing & setting up an ERG, which he admits he didn’t quite appreciate the significance of to start with, has led to the Benjy we know & love now.

Benjy is all about creating the content, representation & visibility he needed. And still needs for himself & others. Especially as an out & proud Ghanaian. His drive & passion shine through and he likes to think that somehow, he’s creating an alternate universe where things could have been different without need to consider barriers around identity & race.

We also chat about our shared love of being active, the crucial difference between kindness & being nice, those who have shaped him along the way, his journey of self actualisation and lots more. Enjoy!

Find Benjy on Substack, Instagram, Tiktok & LinkedIn for regular, brilliant content!

Hope This Helps - How To Be Kinder To Yourself & Others is a must read. Grab it from an independent & queer book retailer if you can!