Miss Me? - When Life Gets Peak, Head to Them

Episode Date: July 23, 2026

Miquita Oliver and Jordan Stephens discuss why he's been wild camping this week, and the mixed emotions he felt walking in the heart of the British countryside. They also debate why football offers a different aspect to male friendships, and they pick apart the best and worst things the 2026 World Cup had to offer. Look away if you're in the Infantino fan club...Follow the show on instagram and TikTok @missme.4evaGet cultural recommendations from the weekly Miss Me? Library at patreon.com/missmeProducer: Natalie JamiesonTechnical Producer: Oliver Geraghty Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid & Katie-Louise BuxtonVideo Editor: Danny PapeProduction Coordinator: Tom JacksonExecutive Producers: Ellie Clifford & Dino SofosMiss Me? is a Persephonica show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sport is a really good way of reminding people that in the right setting or with the right motivation, men are more than capable of kissing each other, hugging each other, supporting each other. This idea of the way men are with each other. This World Cup has told a very different story. The president of Spain right now is one of the only real Gs out here standing up to Trump. And I know that would have killed him. And Infantino, you're a douchebag. And I hope that somebody takes your position because you're an embarrassment of football.

I have been banging on about ropes for my family and friends five years. A long time. You had me skipping in lockdown. Okay, I'll be clear, right? Firstly, I needed nature. I feel that the woods are good for you, my love, right now. Yeah, I really did just get in a car and drive. Can't know.

Oh, welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Miss Me. I feel that that's a very appropriate way to bring everyone into the worlds together today. because I have no fucking clue where you are. Oh yeah, sorry. No, but what I see so far, I love. It's almost like Mr. Tomliss's lair. I knew you would love it. I actually put these little lights on

because I was like, Keith's going to fucking love that. I'm dying here. I know. I'm sorry I've not cleaned the table, but yeah, it's very, it's quintessential cottage vibes right now. Right, but I thought you were camping. Yes, yes, I was, Keater,

but I've had to find Wi-Fi and place to. to record the podcast. Although I will have you know, I really did. I was very, very close to finding a way of actually doing the podcast from the woods. But in the spirit of my previous mishaps with Miss Me, I chose not to send everyone into panic mode because even if I did it right, I mean, right now, the sky is great. This is the first time it's been cloudy in like a week. So, so sod's law, it would have started pissing it down when I was like literally. So, but yeah, I'm in a cottage just by the peak district. And there, and there is.

some themes that if you're a long-term listener of Miss Me, since Jordan has entered, this is a theme. Sometimes we don't know where the fuck he is. It really is. And he makes it work. He makes it work. But if you are new to miss me, don't be scared. It's part of the jeopardy.

Where is Jordan this week? And then if you have been watching and looking at all the stuff that we've been making and all the conversations we've been having since leaving the BBC a few weeks ago, you would know that we also have a new. new Patreon world of Miss Me. Yes. Kicking off with the Miss Me Library. Which incidentally, just, I don't know if I'd just keep it in, but I think Ollie would love it. Ollie being the, uh, the, uh, what would do the official thing?

He's, set. Editors, Soundy. Tech sound. Tech sound. Sorry, Ollie. Let, like South London, OG, Sound, uh, Dub, Dub garage MC. Anyway, sorry. Yeah. Spare time. I actually, I actually was in the woods. I was already in the woods when he, I was supposed to do an upload for last week, Patreon. So for those who have joined the Patreon, if something was a tiny bit late,

it's literally because I was in the forest. In the forest. And I didn't have sufficient signal. And I didn't have the laptop either. I literally, yeah, it was a bit nuts. But anyway, please join the Patreon. That's me because the community, we want to grow up the community

and we also want to be able to, like, you know, facilitate great conversations and not have to be bound by all types of malarkey that we were previously bound to. So, yeah. Yeah, and absolutely. And I think also like, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, we're building a library of dreams. Yeah, McKee is really serious about this library. If the more people who subscribe, the more likely that she'll actually build the library. No, no, no. The more likely my real dream will come true, which is we do a Miss Me talk or live in a beautiful library and then subsequently lots of beautiful libraries around the country.

Right. That's my real dream. Of course. But in the library right now, I mean, it's just so great. Like it's got like Dr. Zeus because it's books, art, culture, things of beauty that feed our souls. And we have, let's just say a few over the last few weeks that we've been putting. We've shoving in the library.

No, don't, don't. They've got to pay to see it. Even, I can't pay to even tell them what's there. Yeah, they've got to pay for the cultural insight, bro. Listen, we've given them enough. What are we chatting about? Yeah, right, Jordan, authoritative Jordan just turned up. I've been in the woods, mate.

I ain't got time for this. Right, okay. Sorry, sorry. I thought Patreon was the place we had to make time for. But okay. I'd first like to call you, Mr. Loverman. Shaba.

Shaba. I have had three messages. What? From people saying that they actually got a bit hot and heavy listening to our four play episode. Oh, shit. No, I'm not joking. Ellie, who is married, heavily married,

today was like, I can't look at Jordan in the same way. I was like, what's... And I think I did end the episode with, I have to go masturbate, right? Did you? I didn't have... I didn't have the time. I would have, but I had a meeting.

I so would off. It's very natural part of life. Absolutely. Gets you through the day. Gets you through the day, life force, baby. I've got a company. to launch, which I am doing. Yeah, I did it.

I did it. Wait, for real, for real. Well, I did it yesterday. Okay, okay. Are we talking about ropes? Ropes. Ropes to the world. Yeah, we're talking about fucking ropes.

And I have been talking, I've been banging on about ropes for my family and friends five years. And then I'll miss me for two and a half years. You had me skipping in lockdown. I actually... I was actually six years ago, sorry. Jesus! That was such a poignant day for me and rope.

So that was when it started, so basically I started this in lockdown. And the reason I'm going to tell the story about what this is is because we've been on the BBC and there's only so much I could bloody say because it is a business. Can't promote, can't promote. Some money making enterprise.

So I had to keep it schum, I had to keep it on the dealo and dance around that. I love that word stum. Yeah. I don't even know what the fucking mean. Oh, I don't know what it means. But like, where is that? What is that? German.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sounded. Stom! Stom! I've had to keep, Stom! I love when we say things that are totally German, we say them English, she.

We don't even think about it. Yeah. So, I started in lockdown, but I've always loved skipping. I loved sports when I was a kid. We were like really young Jordan, like tennis, badminton squash. But we just, we couldn't afford things like rackets. And I think sport just feels like a money game when you're younger.

That's why everyone just kicks a ball. You can either play football. If you're interested in other sports, come on. It costs money. But we had a rope. We had a rope in our two bed flat. And I would skip furiously as a kid in Power Square. And I loved it.

And I was very good at it. Skipping furiously is just a funny image, though. You'd think I wouldn't associate skipping with anger. But actually, with a skipping rope, you really can be quite angry. I was angry. Well, I wasn't then. It can be like, fuck you, fuck you, fuck. But it's cathartic.

It's like moving. Furious movement. Breathe, breathe, skip, skip, skip, yes. But the interesting thing about skipping, right, is it's ancient. This idea of jumping over a piece of rope is ancient in 1600 BC. Obviously, Keith has come in with the history.

Obviously, we're talking about. Chaka! Because this is what I was so interested in about skipping. In 1600 BC, there is imagery of ancient Egyptians skipping over vine. Obviously. And this is, so this is actually... They did everything. Well, yeah.

This is one of the oldest ways to move our bodies to jump. And we used to jump. When we're young, we jump. You know that thing that babies can do when they sit on their feet and their bum touches their heels, that incredible kind of flexibility? Okay, yeah. You know what I mean?

I think you can still do that now. No? You can train yourself, but it's like, it's like that real, like when your body is learning to move. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then what we next start to do is jump. And then I believe we stop. And it's actually the worst thing for us to stop jumping.

Also, I was interested in the fact that skipping is historically, runs through culture and always has. Like, you can read a 17th century Victorian French children's book and there'll be a girl with a skipping rope. But then you go to the VNA and there'll be a statue of a girl with a skipping rope. But then also there's like 70s and 80s black cop. culture, double Dutch, America. Like, it's kind of pervaded culture forever. And I love that about it. But the tools have never been right.

The tools have never been right. And in lockdown, when I got you and J to skip in your flat, fucking in the middle of the night, that's when I was building something called ropes, but at the time was called skip school. I basically had an idea to reinvent the rope for the modern age and make something sexy and sexy. desirable and beautiful and that's what we've been doing for the last few years.

And we just launched our first pre-sale campaign. Boom. It's out to the world now. You need to order one. I will. I think that sounds great. Have you? Could you also share?

Well, listen, let me make a point. I could say, I could say, Keith's, we do a podcast together. Where's my freebie? But guess what? I'm not going to. Do you know why? I support people I love. I support them.

I buy it. It would mean a lot to me because you were there when I was not, not. know what I was building and I was just asking you to skip for me and now I actually over stimulate like the skipping sorry yeah and I agree we can I will do a video with the ropes but I also it's funny because I can do the rhythm but sometimes I just get like I overthink it and then I trip like it's quite hard for me to keep it for a long time so I got set myself a challenge that's interesting because what we say in ropes is find your rhythm because this isn't about like this rope, like it's retractable, it's ergonomic, it looks beautiful, comes in a nice case.

Can you do Chris cross? Can you do a double trip, flip, double, skip, skip, double skip. The thing is, Jordan, I can, but it's, I don't want skipping to be about tricks. It's not about that. It's not about winning. It's not about winning. It's about mentality. It's about mental health and about fitness. It's about taking care of yourself. And it's also about like I wanted to make a lifestyle product I wanted to make something that people wanted to show off skipping ropes are tangled and they're in the bottom of your drawer and no one ever knows where they're from

when I go up to people who are skipping I say where did you get a skipping rope from they go oh just some shit off Amazon I'm like not anymore ropes ropes to the world do you know what I love about this Macquita passion you've got to be passionate I love that there's passion and may that never die passion is the greatest like

that's all you need You care about it. Oh, I love that. Jordan, thank you for saying that because have you ever built a business? No. No, unless me, I'm my business. It's true. No, but that's true.

Yeah, it's gone through various ups and downs. Yeah, yeah. How's your latest quarter doing? I mean, stock's up at a moment. I'll be real. But, you know, with my mentality, I'm one sentence away from stocks being down. For complete devastation. Yeah, just one appearance on a podcast.

I'll probably do it. Well, I have to say just quickly, because I know you get a bit bored for me talking about building a business, but it has been hard, and that is what keeps you going. Passion, giving a fuck. You're like, why am I doing this?

I've got a passion. You can help me. I've got one. I'm not saying it'll miss me. No, no, I'm not saying it'll miss me. But I've got something. Now with your experience, you can tell me whether or not I'm losing my mind.

But there's something that for years I've been passionate about, and it's actually in complete alignment with stuff we've been talking about. So I think you'll be happy. But like the idea of having to do what you've done makes me want a headbuttal wall. You see, I love it. I love a deck. I love a meeting.

You're telling me I've got to have like a business partner and then I've got like shared decks. You're like, listen, you're obsessed of decks. I'm not obsessed with decks. I couldn't be less obsessed of decks. This might not be the game for you because it's very decky. But you know what I'm really proud of? I got on the phone with one of the one of our business partners. And I, my mum and Phoebe were in the front of them.

car. I've already zoned out. And listen, Mom and Phoebe brings you back in. Okay. Yeah. So, I'm joking. And they were like, Makita, you just spoke about your company and numbers and spreadsheets and sweets and suites and EIS, confidently like you knew what you were talking about. And I didn't even notice because of what I've learned in the last

particularly year and a half. Like, I'm very proud of myself. I can go in rooms down and talk. and talk about this business. You're on smoke. Fucking here. Let's go. So, yeah, how do I ask people through the podcast to go and get ropes without sounding beggy?

Nah, you've got a beg, suss. No, no beggy. You got a bit, no, it's not even a beg, you just ask, like, it's what it is. You're passionate, you care about it. I don't, I'm, I think, I'm not sure if I'm aligned with you on this. I think, like, I think there's something kind of beautiful. I just don't want to be Stephen Bartlett, children. Oh, he asked people to drink Huell all the time.

When he was selling Hule, people were like, how dare he do that on his podcast? And I was like, isn't that what people fucking do? I can't explain it. This feels different. Like, you're passionate about it. This is your podcast. You've actually invented it. It's not like you're investing in it.

I believe the jury, to some people, is out about Huel. You know what I mean? Hul's not like 100% going to change your life. So also, when he's making all these clickbait videos about like nutrition and stuff, people are like, are you just bringing on people to make me buy your, like, fitness milkshake or, you know what I mean? Like it's, it's, so I don't think it's that. I think there's a beauty, actually,

in an authentic ask. I've seen it before. I remember, like, I remember seeing it with, like, musicians, you know, like, if someone's, like, three in the album charts, they'll come on on their Instagram and be like, look, man, I really want to get number one. I really want to get number one. Please buy the album. That's it. And I think that's kind of cool. Like, it's like, it's true. Like, you don't have to pretend to be cool.

And also, ultimately, you're just fucking yourself over it because like, I'm too cool to ask someone to buy my shit and then no one will buy it. No, in it? And this isn't about cool. So this is about actual real honesty. Skipping changed my life. It changed my mind and my body and my soul. And the idea that I can make a better skipping rope than one that ever has existed,

and I know that that's what we've built now. And give that to millions and millions of hands. Like I always have these weird visions of seeing lots of different hands hold the rope. And that to me feels very powerful that I can give what happened to me to as many people as possible. I want people to understand what it can do. and also be like, shit, this is fly. And that's what we're really doing. We're defining a new sports category

because skipping doesn't have a home or a face and it never has, but it's been with us forever. So it's about time it did. Yeah, great. So yeah, we only launched yesterday and ropespro.com is where you can reserve your skipping rope right now. Fantastic. Beginning of all great business.

Beginning of all great business is what? Just that, like you feel something's missing and then you go and put something there. It reminds me actually, I don't mean to do, I'm worrying this is discredited but it does remind me of watching that what? Do you remember Carl Pilkinton did that show where he was like going around the world? They were just putting

Carl Pilkinton in mad places in the world. He just said like, I don't understand why people don't invent certain things like why is they not a see-through toaster? That's what he said, right? And to be fair, I remember a time being like, why isn't there a see-free toaster? That's actually fucking mad. There is now. But like that was, that was like, that's actually fucking... I was just going to say, that is it.

Like, I just, I must really say that, like, the reason I had an idea is because I was walking scout, not even Zeddy, with a retractable dog lead. And I was like, why the fuck can't you put whatever this is into a skipping rope? And it turns out you can, but it will take about five years. So I did have my eureka moment, I suppose. And the funny thing with an idea is that's not, that's just the beginning. To actually make an idea into a tangible real thing is a very different story. It's very different. Patents and that.

I like feel like I've got a bunch of them, but I just, yeah, don't have the willpower. But you know what I do have the willpower to do? Go ahead. Sleep in the forest. I can't believe you can do that. I'm so impressed. Oh yeah, because this is funny actually

because you didn't even understand the concept of camping like just in its immediacy, like on a campsite. I've got, there's a whole new level of camping, by the way. I feel like you're alone in the woods. Wild camping is a new level. level of, it's not new, sorry, I can't be asked to get. I don't want this whole surfer thing again where like all these professional wild campers come after me because I've just learned it and they're like, you don't know how to take care of the words, you fucking cook. Well, tell me what

what you have bought into? Like what did you know, what were you headed to? Okay, I'll be clear, right? Firstly, I needed nature. For various reasons, I needed nature and I got to the peak district and climbed a hill slash, well, it wouldn't it be a mountain, would it? A very, very steep hill. Very, yeah, big peaks and walked along. And it is fucking breathtaking. Like, can I just be clear, right?

The reason why this last week has been so special to me is one, I fully was off my phone, which everyone in the Missingue production crew will know. Yeah, it's great for us. But it was like, didn't even watch the World Cup final? I was like, great. I did.

No, no, I did. I did watch it in, I did get my phone out for that. Like, I did actually watch some of the games from my little phone in, but I was in the woods. Like, I didn't make me clear. I just happened to have signal. But like, there were some places where I really didn't have signal. But it's, it's like, nature is so healing, man.

I can't explain it. And also, I know you're a proper city girl, city woman. But I, and I, too, was born in London. and then Brighton and then London. I don't know, man. I just like, this for me... Do you think you're meant to live in the woods? No, I want to live on an island still.

Like, I still... I still... That is for me, the climate, the ocean, scooters. Like, that's my vibe. Like, that's where I need to go at some point. But what I loved about this is, obviously, the weather's been amazing. But also Britain, England, as a country, like, for me, where I've been walking and what I've been experiencing is a much deeper signifier of this country

than the other shit we get caught up in in city specifically. Like I don't feel that same shit. Again, I've only been in a week. You know what I mean? Obviously, I've travelled around England anyway. But I'm saying, you know, there's some energies you pick up just from just being in a place. You know what I'm saying?

I was just going to say, this is what I said to you, because when you were all like on your second trip back to Sri Lanka in a month or something, and I was like, I feel like there's so much of England to see that I can't even get my head around the rest of the world. Yeah, fair, fair, right. Right. So that's what I've been doing. And like, it's full of incredible forest and woodland and peaks. And like, it's, there's a whole culture of hikers up here and they have

like little hiking groups and there's people who have vans. And obviously now, I'm just obsessed with the idea of doing up a van and just like driving everywhere. But it's like, yes, but it's, being around trees is healing. The energy of the people's dope. Also, for the record, I don't know if I'm being problematic by saying this, but like way more like multicultural than I thought it would be in the actual peaks. Like I don't know, just because, you know, my assumption often is that, you know,

a lot of the, let's say, blackness in England is in London. And it fucking warmed my heart, man. I saw like, I saw gangs of all types of colours and for creeds, like walking in the, in their... Yeah, like, and some of them we could see they were there for the day. You can tell by how much luggage they've got, you know. And then wild camping is something that is technically not legal. However, it isn't like, it's, it's all about respect. So like, obviously you can't legalise it

because I don't know how many people just start camping everywhere. But also, you know, you have to kind of get initiated into the wild camping thing. You have to leave no trace. You obviously don't burn the ground up. You don't start a fire and like burn shit. Right. I didn't know it was illegal. Well, no, no. It's legal in some places. It's, it's technically illegal in others. But it's like having that moment to breathe, telling myself I don't have to do anything. Just read when I want, just breathe how I want. Like, yeah, it's been really powerful and... It's amazing, isn't it?

I just, yeah, and also I just think, like, you know, these villages are so cute. I think a lot of people who live in these villages, like, you know, obviously it's normal to them. And there is like a kind of funny, like, village life thing. Like, I was looking for a clipper because I didn't, my, I broke my, like, mustache razor. And I was asking people for, like, clippers in, there's no electronic shop in this village. Where is the nearest place to get clippers to where you are?

from probably not doing that either. Huddersfield. Oh yeah, Huddersfield. Yeah, Huddersfield is a nearest place. Like, Huddersfield or like Halifax maybe. Like, I'm just, I'm... Oh, my God. Okay, you're around there? I'm northern.

I'm Northshire. I'm up here when they're talking about going to train station and that. They're talking like that. Clippers, well, I'm not sure I get clippers around here. I'm not sure about that. Maybe if you go to Little or Aldi, down the road. Very good. Yorkshire.

Very good. Yeah, but many of many people out here like, oh, Jordan. Why don't you answer your phone, Jordan? That's nice. You're off your phone. You're in the woods. Why are you in the woods for? Why don't you just come back here

and have some city life with us go out clubbing? Why God, stop it. This is like who you'd be if you were northern Jordan. I'm taking other boys out now. I've got to. I've already sent the texts. What for the peaks? Yeah, man.

It's just like, we just need to be in nature. We need to be here. I was in Somerset at the weekend for my friend's 40th, Jesse's 40th. And his sister has moved to Sheffield so that she can climb the peaks Yes. Two to three times a week.

Yes. And I completely understand. Wow. I completely understand. There are beautiful parts of London. Obviously we have this conversation all the time. I don't not love London. Like I love the 35 African uncles that sit on the wall outside, you know, like the little shop centre near my spot or like I love, I love going to Peckham.

I love going to Camden. I do love the little pockets, you know, you've got like the Brazilian quarter in Halsden. We are a series of villages in London. Yes, yes. I do like that. I do like that. And obviously you can get all the food you want. You know, that's beautiful. But it's just nice to remember. And also, I will say, and I'm not sure I've said this on the podcast before, but my, maybe this is a hot take. Maybe this is a hot take. But when all the flags went up, right? Obviously there was hostility about what people were intending with the

flags. And I think it was legitimate critique. People felt that the flags were being raised in a hostile manner. However, me personally, what do you mean, St. George's? Yeah, like just around the time I don't know what it was there's various things going on politically maybe like some certain news stories I don't know maybe Tommy Robinson was knocking about I don't know whatever

but people were just raising flags right and it felt hostile I can understand that because there is a obviously ongoing battle and I totally get why people would think that it's like not it's not like they're raising it that they would be now for the World Cup or whatever right

but one thing that does make me sad about England is that I feel like I don't know what it is maybe the Roman Catholic Church or whoever came over back in the day. Like, whenever I'm near the woodlands, I feel closer to like actual British heritage and ancestry than I would do if I was out of the nature of this country. There is like a deep pagan, druid, like Celtic, God, God, which, witch, witch, wizard, warlock history that has been, I think, completely, we've been completely disconnected from. Yes, pagan is now used as an insult.

That's how deep the kind of religious brainwashing has gone. That's why Phoebe made the Pagan T-shirts to fucking reclaim that shit. Pagans were doing some dope shit. Like, sat in a little or whatever the festival was before they changed the Christmas, it's fucking amazing. But my point is, you can feel the history. And I feel like everyone has a right in Britain

to be in sync with the history of their land because that is what our, that's the point, I think. Like, again, to shout at Monty Don, we're nature in it. We've got to be part of the land that we're in. So if we don't know the history of our land, then obviously we're going to be fucking mad disconnected. That's why when I hear these guys talk about England

and then talk about it being a Christian country, I'm like, boss, firstly, Jesus lives in the Middle East or whatever. So you're diverting all of the rich history of your land, outsourcing it to a culture or a belief that didn't even stem anywhere near your country and claiming that it's like an authority. I don't know, man, it just, anyway, I think it underlies a lot of shit.

But this is really the complicated relationship that we have with being maybe brown people in Britain, and being British brown people. And I think that, again, that's why I'm so... I feel like we're finally on the same page here, by the way, about England. Like, this is the shit. Why do you think I have a counties map in my sitting room? I am endlessly fascinated with the history of this country.

And I think there is so much to learn around all that pagan, druid-y, fucking mystical. Did you watch that show? What's he called? Daisy May Cooper's brother, Charlie Cooper. He did a show on his own. Three episodes. It was on like around Christmas a few years ago. I think it's called Myth Country.

Okay. But it's all this shit. The old chapters and wizard. Yeah. And it's all our old like folk tales and all our like, you know, sort of Celtic. You would love it. And I think we should watch that.

And then I think you and I need to do a TV show about this. Because this is the shit. Well, this is going to come up anyway on Listen, Bitch, because we're talking about magic, bro. is where the wizards were out. Absolutely. The one caveat I'll add when you say that we go back and forth is I want and love to engage with the ancestry of the land.

Where I draw the line is, I think where we miss each other is, there are some things like, let's say, the royal family or rich British, like kind of, I'd want to say like maybe like upper class or like I don't even know what, like ruling class tradition that I just don't fuck with. And also the other thing that's really, complex about Britain specifically is that our ancestors were invited over here after the colonies were not on the land which I really felt in Brazil. When I was in Rio

everyone was telling me about Salvador. Salvador holds the history of where the slaves used to be. The fucked up thing about us black Brits is that our ancestors were never slaves in this country or there might have been but a very small proportion. Most of the plantations were outsourced. So this is very confusing thing where England will act as if their hands are clean. Like, like, you know, there was never, you know, we, you know, this, this land, we invite you over. This is, this is lovely. We're not, we're not racist or whatever, but it's complicated because it's like, I feel like actually there's weirdly some kind of comfort in the idea that, let's say, in the southern part of the States or, or in Rio or in Brazil, sorry, wherever, you can

actually walk the same land that you're, where your ancestors had been. previously, yeah. There's like a, whereas for me, if I do my family treat, it ends in Guyana with some random Dutch bloke. You know what I mean? Like that's the, my name is a descendants of, I don't know, someone Dutch or Scottish or something. So, so yeah, so that's why I think it's just like an extra confusion

because it's like our colony was outsourced. And we were specific, and by the way, we were British citizens, but in different countries, obviously. And no one seems to get that. Yeah, but of course our ancestors were enslaved by the British. Yeah, yeah. But I'm just saying like, if it was. actually on the land.

No, it's true. And that shit makes a difference. That shit makes a difference. And that really ties into this idea of, you know, when I went to Scotland to do some filming with mum, and I went on this walk and we filmed it. Luckily, just these thoughts that were coming out my head. And I was like, it's actually very complicated being from being mixed race,

Caribbean and British, because you're essentially part of, you know, one side of you is your approach. presses. Yeah, mixed races, mixed race is wild. Totally. But also, there is some sort of pride to be found in the fact that you are a representation of two of those opposing things coming together to create race. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's something quite powerful in that. I don't know about Jude Bellingham's mix, actually, but I have to say, this is making me think of the World Cup and like the fact that, he's got to be Jamaican. He's totally Jamaican.

Let's have a look. children yeah Jamaican he's Jamaican isn't it yeah okay

and also but also I have to I have to talk about Saka um love Saka these are two

beautiful young black men who were born in this country and are fucking heroes they are the heroes of this country right now

at this very moment yeah Jude especially yeah the Sackas called the Hatchery which was which was phenomenal and people

would wonder why he's not playing more. But you gave him that moment to do that. They like, oh, it was beautiful, looked after each other. I mean, the relationships between men on the pitch right now has been, I don't think there's anything more defiantly, powerfully standing up to this particular last few years of this idea of the way men are with each other. This has told, this World Cup has told a very different story, very real, tangible, public different story.

I would argue football has actually told that story for a long time. But I think it's especially prevalent now in lesser Argentinian, but that's a... That's a whole other team. But like, I wonder what it is about, you know, sport is a really good way of reminding people that in the right setting or with the right motivation, men are more than capable of kissing each other, hugging each other, supporting each other, you know, and they're like, what I mean is, listen, there's always going to be, like, like foul players, like players who are really representing everything that can be, can be wrong

with a human. And to the same extent, there can be moments of like true, like companionship, true solidarity, like players that play for opposing teams, opposing nations. There was one really cool shot actually earlier on in a World Cup where it was Colombia, I think it was Colombia or Ecuador versus Germany. And one of the Ecuadorian players collided with a, a German player, Kai Havertz, but it was the Ecuadorian left back or right back who plays for Arsenal, comforted Kai instead of his own nation,

because they play for the same club. Right. He's closer to that guy than he is to the dude from his country. And it was interesting that he was making sure he's all right because he's going to be playing with him next season, you know. And that came up in the, you know,

England, Norway game where, you know, Harlan had to sort of step back and let his best friend have this beautiful moment and, you know, I think it must have been, it took a lot of grace because he's playing for his country, but that's his fucking... Yeah, haven't you seen their love story? I actually don't know.

I've kind of been in the forest, sorry. Jordan, it's so beautiful. Nana sent it to me. Nana sent it to mum and then mum sent it to me. And it's beautiful. They're just constantly hugging each other, kissing each other, laughing with each other,

standing up for each other. Yeah. And I'm sure Harlan's, I've got a lot of pride for what Jews. just done. God, he's so fit. Like, how is he so handsome? Who? Who? Okay, chill, chill, chill, chill, Keith, chill. No, no, no, never fancy him. He's 22. It might be the glory. I don't want him. I'm just saying, what a beautiful adonis of a man. He looks like a sort of Greek god. Can I be honest? Yeah. Can I just ask, would you, would you be okay

with me saying the same? About 23 year old woman? If I said that like, she, like, she's so beautiful she reminds me of a Greek goddess. Yes. I just think we've got to be careful with you to not overmature him. I'm not. He's a baby. It's just, it is, I agree with you in saying that it is quite hard to, it's quite hard for the process, even for me, to see somebody who obviously looks like he

could be a 29 year old captain of whatever and he's played like that. He's played with authority and he played with maturity and he's made of matured. maturity. So it's very easy to forget that he's literally been able to drink in America for like a year. Like that's actually wild. Yeah. What I mean is he's a beautiful

handsome young man. And I hope I have all the age appropriate girls around him really appreciate him. Yeah. But that fucking France England game, I cannot. We were in Somerset at the pig, me and God

because we all went for Jesse's birthday. And We were driving, I was driving back from the party and then I got back and Garfield was just like, you're not even ready for this game. And I really wasn't. Yeah. I didn't see it. I watched the highlights. That's the one you didn't see. I watched the highlights. I couldn't believe it though. I've loaded up the thing the next morning.

I was like, why did I look up the score? I should just watch the highlights. Yeah, man. And when I saw Saka Hattrick, I did a cartwheel in the forest. But that World Cup, I have to say, like I'm kind of happy it's over. But let's talk about the World Cup come down, okay? Because it's really we've had a month of unbelievable heat, Wimbledon and the World Cup. So everyone's been a bit nuts. Who won Wimbledon?

Noscovert won the Wimbledon singles and Cinnah won the men's. I'm happy that Cine won. Because the game I saw he played beautifully. And so I just feel like we just all need to just fucking calm down for a minute. I think we're all very happy Spain won. Oh, thank fuck! But can I say why? Because even though Spain itself has a very complex relationship historically with football,

it's been a very racist place for football. But, you know, one of the standout, if not the standout player in the final was actually Nico Williams. And Laminia Ma, of course, arguably the best young player in the world. Both black, right? So Spain are doing up madness. Also shout at Michael Marino, Mikkel Marino, Arsenal. Marino. So I'm very glad Spain won.

Obviously, Argentina, there's some controversy about some of the decisions in their game. Yeah. Should we say some of the history of Argentina? No, not yet. Just want to say the reason why for me it hit different and arguably, I'd say, even more than perhaps if England had won, is because the president of Spain right now is one of the only real Gs out here standing up to Trump. And I know, I know that would have killed.

killed him. I know that would have killed that floppy orange man. What's it dude? What did he do? Or do, do he do? He, didn't you see when he was giving everyone their medals? Like some people wouldn't even look him in the fucking eye. I was like, oh shit, this is real. I love it. Spain, Spain as a country, I can't speak on, obviously I know, but Spanish people, like every country in a world vary and what they do and say and how they are and whatever, right? But firstly, they played incredible football, like genuinely incredible football. Secondly, their president's a gangster. Like, whatever it is, or like, their president, sorry, gangster,

I'm using it in a way of like, it was just, it's so encouraging. They've stood on the right side of history in the last year or two years, and that should be respected. And I love that they've gone to the country that is doing their best to fuck with history, fuck with this planet, and won on their soil. Like, I love that. And one, one after, let's be honest, let's be honest, a backbone of corruption. Did you see how many goals they disallow?

Like it was getting silly. Would you mean, do you mean in the whole competition? Just that game was one, no. There was one goal. No, there were two. Oh, there were there? I don't know. And one of them was so suspect. No, one was ridiculous because it said that Mikkel-Marino fouled the defender.

He didn't even touch him. That was it. That was it. I was like, okay, cool. No, cool. No, you know what? Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.

And we'll still fucking win. We, like I'm just spain. I know, we're not Spanish. Infantino, the guy head of FIFA, he went on record after the World Cup and said, this is the greatest historic, this is the greatest, like, global historic event in history. He literally sounds like he is,

like he has emerged as like a growth from Trump's fucking shoulder that can somehow verbalise. I don't even know what. He sounds like Trump. He is, I've never seen such an embarrassing, pathetic showcase of like zero. like backbone.

Zero, like he is just the lap dog of this guy. He, he, he, he were. Is this the FIFA guy? Yes, he literally changed one of the oldest rules in football history being if you get sent off, you miss a game. It's that simple. Right. He went back on it because Trump pressured him.

That is embarrassing. Like, it's embarrassing. And Trump said it. Trump said, Trump said, it doesn't, it's not fair if you do something in one game to miss a next game. He doesn't even understand the rules of football. Oh my God, no, but that's what's been, that's what's been extremely trying and testing in this. America's Americanization of the World Cup and the game of football has actually felt quite like cutting. Like the World Cup, I was like, this is pageantry. It was, it was suddenly this like

farcical, capitalistic nightmare. And let's not be on, and let's be honest, obviously there capitalism running through football usually. But suddenly it felt like there never has been because I've never seen it in this, under this light before. He said it. He said it on the law. Like there's not, I can't remember a World Cup where the president, one has even been this involved. Like no one cares about your opinion.

And secondly, I think he even said, we've sold more tickets than any other. Shut up. Like, shut up. Like, who are you talking to? Is, he's been doing this for so long. He's been in the public eye for so long. And there's so many people, I don't even know how. It's, we're accidentally, I think, normalising how absolutely and utterly insane

some of the things that are being said and done. And that have occurred. And Infantino, I just like, fuck that guy. Jordan Steven says, fuck Infantino. You're a douchebag. And I hope that somebody takes your position because you're an embarrassment of football. That's what I say. Wow.

Well, if you were listening to the commentary on ITV from, I think it was Lee Dixon and what's he called Ali? McCoyce, my favourite, my favourite commentator. They were keeping it real because we watch BBC coverage and ITV coverage and of course BBC lives

under different guidelines of impartiality. ITV seems not to because they were just keeping it real. I really enjoyed that commentary ITV, I just wanted to say, thank you very much. Can I say about Ali McCoyce?

Can I say what I love about Alan McQuist, right? Yes, please. And actually, anyway, it ended up weirdly, me to call them about Ali McCoy's, ended up in my friend's stand-up routine recently.

But like, no, no, can I just say it reminds me of why we started in this conversation. The reason why Alan McCoy is for me is the best co-commentator in the game is because he is passionate. If you watch him talk, he loves football. He makes sounds. He goes like, oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what, we needed that? He loves it.

In the face of these, in the face of these fascicle hydration breaks, etc., that kind of love of football over the commentary of ITV was really. necessary. This is some of the, he's a poet. This is some of the things that they were saying. They said it's been a war of attrition. They said all the dark arts are coming out now. Come on, that in the commentary. Oh, dark arts will be Argentina. Yeah. They've been doing, they've been doing some mad shit. But what they said was at the end, which I think is a really nice way to win this, is that football one. Football one. I want to put my flag in the earth and say, I want to speak to Ali McQuist or miss me. That's my dream. If any of you listening

and you know, Ali, tell him I love him. Tell him if he wants to come on and chat footy in the Miss Me library or whatever, the patron, whatever the fuck. Like, do it because I love him. I want to speak to him. Okay, that's nice. I didn't know we were allowed to do that. There's a commentator called Peter Drury, right?

And he has had, I need to find you, this guy is a poet. Like, I can't explain to you. The things he says, basically, long and short, Peter Drury is genuinely like an incredibly well-read football-love. loving poet. Oh, so he like quotes poetry. No, he doesn't quote. He is the poet. He's poetic.

It's an example of some Peter Drury commentary. Okay. When Argentina won the last World Cup, he said, Lionel Messi has shaken hands of paradise. That was one of the things he said. Okay. He was beautiful. He was the point of difference unparalleled.

And maybe today will of course always be those who argue, always be those who debate, but as he falls in love with the object in the world that his heart most desired, it's hard to escape the supposition that he has rendered himself today, the greatest of all time. Wow, that is fucking beautiful.

He's a joke. And then he said, in terms of Premier League domination, he said the title contenders have been separated from the title pretenders. Cool. Sure. Romas come back. He said, Roma have risen from their ruins

that unthinkable unfold before our eyes. This was not meant to happen. This could not happen. happen, this is happening. This is happening. That's very good. Unreal. But I think that's actually really appropriate.

And I think that's a really good way to sort of finish this heady first half of summer, 2026, a summer that none of us will ever forget. It's been 35 degrees plus for weeks on end. It's been the World Cup. It's been, you know, the most dramatic jeopardy inducing. Like, what's the right way to describe this? It's theatre, right? This World Cup has been the greatest theatre.

and I suppose what I didn't like about what happened in the final with all the pageantry and the sort of appalling performances and Madonna and the Muppets and like Tom Cruise doing poetry. What? I didn't see it. I didn't see any of that. By the time that happened, I was like, okay, you've lost me. Tom Cruise, the fuck is Tom Cruise doing a football match. And I don't think football needs that.

Football is in and of itself, theatre full of drama and politics and love and hate and passion and pain and joy. And it doesn't need the glitter. So that's why I'm, that's the why I'm... Okay, Peter Drury. You know what I'm saying? I'll see you on Listen, bitch. Yeah, man.

For more of that magic. Well, it's lovely to talk to you today about all the things that are most important in life. And I feel that the woods are good for you, my love, right now. They fucking are, mate. I'm telling you that for free. And you know what it really is in life? The courage to know what is good for you at what moment in your life,

no matter what that looks like. Yeah, I really did just get in a car and drive. Can't know. Get nuanced with this shit. Get weird with it, like Prince. Keep climbing the peaks, baby. Bye. I love you.

When life gets peak, head to them. That's it! That's good. That's good. That's good. Life gets peak, head to them. Yeah. Thanks for listening to Miss Me.

This is a Persephonica show.