Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Episode 125: Vicky Gill

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

Vicky Gill is the Wardrobe Lead for Strictly Come Dancing, amongst many other things! We first met when I appeared on the show in 2013. She is passionate about merging fashion and performance. I can vouch for the fact that she is supremely talented at making costumes that people can dance in - and her sparkly leotards are still part of my onstage essentials today. But as a mum of three she was also great at sharing glimpses of normal family life with me, which you very much appreciate when you are on the Strictly juggernaut!When we spoke, Vicky had just finished Dancing on Ice and was about to start work on the Girls Aloud tour. She is a very busy woman.Vicky and her husband are from Newcastle originally but live in London, and as their family support network is far away, she descibes their stiuation as 'us against the world'. She is hoping her children - now in their teens and beyond - don't choose the creative careers which she and her husband have (between you and me, I don't think that's working so far!) but she says she just wants them to feel happy in their skin.  Vicky prides herself on being a problem-solver - both in her working life and in her parenting. And sometimes the worlds have collided - as when she was working with Girls Aloud just after her daughter was born, when she found that nappy cream comes in handy for getting boob tape off!Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Funds and ETFs are not guaranteed. Their values change and past performance may not be repeated. Hello, I'm Sophia Lispector, and welcome to Spinning Plates, the podcast where I speak to busy working women who also happen to be mothers about how they make it work I'm a singer and I've released seven albums in between having my five sons aged 16 months to 16 years so I spin a few plates myself being a mother can be the most amazing thing it can also be hard to find time for yourself and your own ambitions I want to be a bit nosy and see how other people balance everything. Welcome to Spinning Plates. Hello, how are you? I am talking to you from my bathroom. It is Saturday morning and I started to send the opening some shampoo and it has been a busy old time in the Alice Bakes the Jones house since we last spoke.

A couple of things. Well, actually, I've had a really good week. It's been very busy, but it's been really good. I've been songwriting, and I think I've written some really good stuff this week, guys. I know. It sounds a little heady, but basically when you write songs, sometimes you get this fizzy feeling of like, oh, that was a good one. And I've had it with three songs this week, so I'm like, that's great. And it's a bit like having a cocktail or something.

It gives you a bit of a head rush. And it's like something where you think, well, I want to do more of that. And I've been working with some lovely people. I did some writing with an amazing Norwegian singer who I love called Sigrid. And yeah, I've just been having a really nice week. I've been enjoying myself. And let's see what comes out of it. Let's see, let's see.

But it's good because when you're writing, you just need a bit of good momentum. You need to keep feeling positive and upbeat. So even if nothing comes from what I did, you need that motion to kind of keep you moving forward. So it's good for morale, basically. And we've also had two birthdays since last week. So on Tuesday, my firstborn turned 20.

And then on Thursday, my third turned 12. So, wow, that's all the Ts. 20 on Tuesday, third, 12, Thursday. So, yeah, there's been lots of fun with that, a lot of cake in the house. I just, well, we love a birthday round here, and April's always mental, and it's good to have nice family time

and be home and not travelling, so I could be home for all of that. And it all went well, and tonight we're having a sleepover. Sorry, I'm brushing my hair. So I've got, like, eight kids coming over for a 12th birthday. Wish me luck. And I've actually used a 12th birthday. Wish me luck.

And I've actually used a company this week. They are called Sleepy Teepy. This is not a plug. It's just a fact. And they've done a brilliant job. I was going to do it myself. I looked up how to do those, like, sleep over tent things, and I just know it would have looked really bad.

So I bit the bullet, and it's a bit of a treat, but it does look magnificent. And I'm like, yeah, this time that was the right decision. It's much better than anything I could have done. They've done a really beautiful job and it looks really exciting. So this week, well, I've been wanting to speak to Vicky for a while actually. And I was really chuffed she said yes. Because I thought there was a small chance she might have said, she likes me washing my hands now,

you're really getting the bathroom experience with me. I thought that she might say no. Because Vicky's one of those people where she's incredibly talented and just seems to have no ego about her talents. And she really is so talented. So I met Vicky when I did Strictly Come Dancing back in 2013, some kind of veteran stage of that, I guess. And I was really drawn to her

because she's a very warm, nurturing, grounded, lovely person. And every week on the show, it was always so nerve-wracking that I just found myself seeking out those kinds of people where it wasn't all about the programme and it wasn't all about what dance I'd done. It was just a kind of like, how are you checking in proper, you know, making me feel less nervous sort of thing. So that's how I met Vicky.

And I was so impressed with her because every week making outfits for what starts off as 15 nervous people about to do their first dance of the show and obviously as it progresses there's extra dancers, there's obviously all the main cast of dancers, there's lots going on all the time and Vicky and her team just work so hard to create such beauty and it's so often right up to the wire we would have a dress rehearsal on the Friday and then the live show on Saturday and sometimes I'd be wearing something completely different from one day to the next just because you know maybe it didn't work as well on camera or something needed to be shorter or actually it was the wrong shape or whatever it might be so there's lots of things that they're having to

manage and problem solve very very quickly but in a way that's not flappy that's not stressful that's just like yep you can do that and they were just amazing so yes I wanted to hear more from Vicky about her background how she got into what she does, where she finds her way of managing that headspace, along with the fact that she's also a mother to three children. So it was an absolute pleasure to have her over and to see her again and to hang out and to get answers to all of my questions. So I leave you with Vicky and I while I sort my hair out

and I will see you on the other side. All right, see you today. Mickey, it's so nice to see you. And like you just said before we start recording, I've basically asked you to come on the podcast as an excuse to say hello. I haven't seen you properly in a while. I know, it's so exciting. That's why I came, just to kind of catch up.

And I was like, yeah, sure, this will be great fun. Well, I've probably said it on my podcast before, but I feel like it's a good hack having a podcast because it gives you an excuse to see people. So I would recommend anyone, if you want a completely uninterrupted conversation with nice people, start a podcast and invite them on. This is the way to do it. So what are you up to at the moment?

What are you doing with work? Because I think of you so much as living in Strictlyville that it's nice to know you exist outside the months of August to December doing other things. So what are you up to at the moment? At the moment, we're actually doing a private gig. And sometimes people have parties or they have various things and we're doing a nice little job um with that we've been doing um we've been doing dance on ice which is

another kind of telly related um yeah big thing yeah um girls allowed to go on tour um so so you're back working with them as well yeah so that's that's been nice because I think from my um my middle child Izzy being born um I think she came to the the Brits with me um all that time ago when them when they were on and um and so now I'm going on tour again she's older and it's it's a point in time for me you know and I can think about the fun times I'm not so sure you would take a baby backstage now so how old was she back then then oh probably about between four to six weeks old oh teeny tiny teeny tiny between four to six weeks yeah it was um how are you feeling back then doing the Brits with a well I think that with

your second child you kind of go into it don't you you think that you can you can do everything I probably couldn't and I probably didn't do anything you know really well but you just crack on with life don't you? I think as well sometimes with the second one I felt like I was well you know this is your second you're supposed to know what you're doing so you don't I didn't give myself as much slack I don't think. Yeah. Because I gave yourself a second baby, come on. Yeah, so there was a lot of that.

But it's a nice story for her. She did have ear defenders on. And I do remember my nappy cream coming in handy, getting boob tape and various things off. So there's just lots of funny kind of memories of that time. So, yeah, you know, learn we'll be watching the concert together and it's just a quite a nice synergy that's lovely so she's 15 is that right that's right yeah yeah yeah so I guess you've got quite a good marker for how long ago that that was and and also so was working with girls, your first proper experience of working with performance?

And in the industry. Yes, strangely, lovely lady, Victoria Adcock, who is a stylist. I was introduced to her through my husband's work colleague. And so these chance meetings that occur in our lives and then, yeah, you just, you know, that's pretty much how my life's gone. Worked very hard. I love what I do. But it's just really moved. And then I think I've had my children in between. So I've never become too obsessive with my career because I've always had my family, which is priority.

And the time has just flown by but along the way if I look back you know I feel very fortunate did a little stint where we were doing quite a bit of stuff for Kylie Girls Aloud we did a thing when Britney was on tour you know I'm not really at the forefront but I've kind of bobbed along nicely and done some really fun things. But my memory of it is always having my family around me and thinking, I've got to be back to do the nursery. I've got to be, you know. So it's, I don't know if I enjoyed it maybe quite as much as I should have done, but then I wouldn't be without my family life.

So yeah, it's quite a strange journey. Yeah, it is. Actually, I relate to a lot of what you've said. And I think you can't always, especially with creative work, you can't really make big, bold plans that easily. And a lot of it is about these chance meetings and being inspired by something

or getting motivated to do something or just finding yourself with looking at the options that are in front of you and going okay which of these works best for now and I don't have necessarily needing to be back for nursery pickups and things like that does negate your ability to enjoy it it's just that you're busy doing lots of things yeah your head's in two different places yeah it two different places sometimes. So there's little satellites of thought. And I just feel incredibly lucky, really, that I've managed to do what I set out to do in a way. Yeah.

But not have been too intense about it. Well, I think that's a massive thing, actually, to not be too intense about it and not be obsessive about it. And I think that's probably something that I really picked up on about the way you are when you're working even when I met you in the madhouse that is strictly because that world is so there's so much going on and there's a lot of swirl and noise and the show is incredible but there's also sometimes when you're in the middle of it you're kind of looking for these little oases where you can talk about things outside of it a

little bit and just just find a little rock yes in the water because even though it's wonderful to be swept up in it it's like giddy yeah so you don't always want to be feeling giddy especially when you're nervous as well it's true and it And it's a real commitment, as you know. So, you know, you're entering in the sunshine and, you know, because you want to enjoy the ride and everything else. But it's a real commitment for you guys if you're a part of the show. Like you say, probably a little bit bittersweet for us all because it's such a great thing and there's a fabulous energy. But it's such a great thing and there's a fabulous energy, but it's exhausting.

And for me, I am a little bit of a workaholic. I am a bit intense in terms of not about who I work with, what I'm doing, whatever I've committed to do, I'm quite intense about delivering on what I've said I do yeah um I don't do that for myself you know like nails never get done but if I've said to you I'll do that for you then I need to to fulfill that you know so it can be quite an intense um period of time so you set yourself quite quite a high standard to keep as well don't you with wanting to be consistent and keep everybody feeling good yeah and keeping the all the

lovely people that work with me because they have families they have lives and you know we can't just ignore everyone's lives for six months now in fact it's pretty important that you keep a bit of yourself outside of it isn't it yeah and so if they've got children or maybe they've just got something on maybe they're going to go to a concert or something and it's like yeah sure you know because it's important that they come back feeling a little bit refreshed I don't know they probably think oh back in with Vicky so when you say we when you say like we are working on these projects at the, is it the same team you're with all year round? I try to.

I don't think that they can cope with me all year. And what's nice is that we're all getting older. So a few of the girls who joined me maybe when they were in their early 20s and now got children of their own, own they're young women and they've maybe gone off and and done a couple of jobs which are their jobs and then we all come back together on various gigs um the dancing on ice is coming to an end and we're doing a nice little job um over the next couple of weeks so the girls sometimes pass the baton because it works for them with their families um when they've gone off on maternity leave you know they'll they'll cover for each other so we'll mix roles yeah so that it enables things like that to happen so um yeah i'm

probably quite a tough boss in the sense that um i can say i can be a little bit intense but um i hope that we've created an environment that um we're very female heavy and that's not because i don't like to have any men on the team it's just the way it's gone um and we don't want to get shot of anyone yeah yeah so and again until that kind of naturally moves yeah you know um we do tend to stay together, but it's nice. It does sound nice, and I think it's okay to be, basically, when you've got a life outside of work, then being intense at work actually feels like the right balance

because you think, well, if I'm going to be away from these other things that also matter to me, then this is where I need to put the work in. Otherwise, what's the point of being away from it? You might as well. That's exactly it, you know um i think that's exactly it if if um for me to do what i do i'm very lucky in the fact that my husband mark is um i always say he's 10 of me in his um just everything i think he's much better at me at everything that's a very lovely thing to say but without him and sort of me and him being the glue yeah then I couldn't do what I do and I think um so again because I'm allowed to you know have this great support when I'm there I feel that I have to do a really good job because otherwise what's the you know

what's the point everybody supported me and so therefore you know we must do our best but um we do we do um probably paint myself uh in a very kind of serious picture but we do laugh a lot along the way no i don't think it's serious i just think it's a nice acknowledgement actually of of like like a proper partnership really i do think that what, like a proper loving relationship should be like that actually. People who want to lift you up and give you space to really like do what you do. We try to carve time out to kind of, you know, do stuff. But it's hard, isn't it?

Yeah, he sounds quite like Richard to me actually. Yeah. Very supportive and then finding the fun in things. So when did, have you two been together like forever? Forever. I met Mark in Newcastle. I kind of, Mark had naturally curly hair when he was young. So he always used to put his head up

because he didn't want it to be curly, he wanted it to be straight. I didn't know this. And I just, he was just this young lad who used to follow me up the hill to college with his head up. And I just thought just a bit weird do you know what I mean and then I'd kind of find him in there picking your step a

bit yeah the hooded man following me all the time yeah then if I was in the library you know he wasn't like there but you know I just I felt like I could see him a lot you know what I mean around and um is this what when you were like students yeah I I was only 18. Ah, okay. And what was quite sweet was he said, would you like to go for a coffee? And I thought that was like, yeah, go on then. And so I met him for a cup of coffee in a coffee shop in Newcastle called Mark Antonio's. Is it still there?

It's still there, yeah. That's cute. Or a version of, you know, things change but um and then and yeah so then you know I came to London he went back to Yorkshire got a job so we weren't joined at the hip for always but he's kind of for a for a long long time he's always always been there really and it's like he's creative as well right yeah yeah where um I try to try to push my children away from our our line of work but they'll fall where they where they want to fall you know has it worked what's your your eldest is the same age as my eldest yes he's he's in

Sheffield and he is um it's kind of medium multi-course of kind of photography film, sound, they'll do a little bit of everything so he has gone into that line but we'll see I want my children to feel happy in their skin and

of course we're going to have worries but if they're happy in their skin then they will naturally move towards things that are going to enrich them in life and not feel like they have to you know a certain thing because i want them to um i was trying to nudge them in in certain ways they're going to do what they want to do you know definitely as long as they get all the GCSEs there. Yeah, yeah. Keep the options open. Yeah. And we'll see where they go.

But, yeah, we're quite a creative house. Yeah, I would say so. And it sounds like maybe the whole idea of nodding them away from creativity hasn't massively worked. If your audience is studying things to do with, like, film and cameras, maybe it hasn't worked. Not really done a good job there but you have shown them that actually you know if you haven't got a job that's got a very um predictable trajectory

then that's completely okay and the flexibility that goes along with it yeah so when you met victoria what were you doing before that how did you start with your relationship with making clothes? So I studied fashion, loved fashion. But as a kid, I danced. And again, it was another passion. But many moons ago, I'm old now, if you were auditioning for jobs, it was kind of five foot eight was the minimum height. This was for dancing? Yeah.

So were you actually studying dance at the time then? five foot eight was the minimum height. This was for dancing? Yeah. Okay. So were you actually studying dance at the time then? Well, it was either I was going to go to Epsom and I was either going to possibly go to Lane's Theatre Arts or I was going to go to Epsom Art School and I went to the art school. I did have a place at Newcastle Poly, but I felt if I didn't leave Newcastle at that point possibly I would never I would never leave you know I think I would become too cozy and

um being at home because I love my family I love the northeast and um I felt that it would be a harder wrench to to kind of you know pull myself away so I I went for the lesser course and I did BTEC HND, which again, people were kind of like looking at me like, why have you been accepted on the degree course? Why haven't you taken that? But my instinct was that I needed to, I needed to leave home so that I could stand on my own two feet. So dance and fashion have merged because I knew a lot of people who were performers um and um and yeah that's kind of how it how it went my um lecture at college got me my first job um I was working in high street fashion and I was so grateful and and I did enjoy it what were you doing in high street fashion it was mens actually. I quite enjoyed menswear because I enjoyed the detail. So you were making things?

It was mainly being a design assistant and mainly doing a lot of flat drawings at that time. Yeah. And they offered me a full-time job, which, again, I don't know what I ever thought I was doing, but I just felt that it wasn't the right thing for me yeah um but did you always have the chops because I know there's different levels of how fashion works with the different skill sets yes because you can be a designer who doesn't know how to actually

work the fabric and you can be someone that works the fabric that wouldn't necessarily do the design yes so were you always working simultaneously yeah Always, yeah. Always both. And that from childhood as well? Were you all interested in making things then? Yeah, my mum was a sample machinist, so she was always making things. She was always making clothes for me. We were always doing something. Oh, nice.

Yeah, so it's always been with me. Or did she make you quite funny things to wear as well? Sometimes, yeah. I look back and I think, Emily, come on. Did you have siblings? Were there, like, matching outfits going on? I've got, I had two brothers. My brothers are no longer in this world.

Oh, I'm sorry, Vicky. But, no, it's good. I always think that they're, you know, they're still up there, kind of, probably having a nice time and then pushing and pulling me around, like, you know, go and do that, you you know make sure that's done

um and they were a little bit older 10 years and and nearly seven years older than me so they were real um they were very protective but I was never allowed to get away with anything you know they were quite tough at the same time so if I had a nice frilly dress on they'd be more inclined to um take the mick out of me rather than tell me how beautiful I was right got it that's typical sibling dynamic to be fair but like I'm picturing you guys in like little like sound and music matching outfits made from the curtain fabric kind of thing yeah I should have got them back in in kind of you know the later years I should have a family party or something like that

where it's like, there's a dress code. Yeah, make your own. This is now. Actually, that'd be a great party. Make your own outfits. Like, literally, you have to sew something. I can see the light bulb going on with you. Some people would do really well, other people would be like, okay.

I mean, I could probably make a caftan, to be fair. It's a massive square fabric. I've got a lot of confidence in you. I think, I could probably make a caftan, to be fair. It's a massive square fabric. I've got a lot of confidence in you. I think yours would be good. Let's see. Watch this face. April's my birthday. That's it.

I'm going to send a pack through the post. What can you do with this? Genuinely, I think that would be an amazing birthday party. We've got a new business. It be an amazing birthday party with your guests at the same same fabric it's a great birthday party this is your outfit, what are you going to do with it how does it suit you well that actually, honestly I'm thinking

okay I'll stop now with my birthday plans but I'm into that so serious notes so you've got your I'm into that so serious note so you get you've got your skill set

as as doing that so you go to work in men's fashion but you're doing flat design and you're thinking I'm not sure

this is quite making my heart beat fast yeah so what's the gap between the men's wear and then girls allowed

yeah there was so I needed to pay my rent um so I worked for a dancewear company um and um then you were involved with more dancers and then I decided that I could you know do that for myself um then I was introduced to Victoria Victoria and then made a few bits for, if you like, the music industry. But I've always tried to remain grounded in the sense that my skill is, I think, is merging performance and fashion. So I'm thinking about the function, thinking about how you move so even if you're singing um you're not absolutely um restricted with you know a

corset that you can't breathe in or you can't move in or you just can't you know do your thing so I'm always thinking about how you could move freely not just as a dancer as a performer could be an actor so that it just functions to allow you to do your thing. Yeah. And that's what's always interested me. For London Fashion Week, quite a number of years ago now, but there was a question, is it performance or is it fashion? And when we're on the runway, it's very much performance-led, really.

But then when we get down to the nitty-gritty of sales, it's paired back and the garments that we see in store or now online or or whatever yeah are a paired back version of so there's this um this theatrical there's an entertainment value yeah in both in both areas so true and um so that's kind of where i come in but to sustain my income I've always tried to remain really grounded um so I can make or be involved in things that are for amateurs or they might be professional dancers or performers or it may be quite high flying and we're involved in something which is yeah you know a bit more elevated um but I like to do all things because I think it keeps balance

definitely and again that stops me from feeling that intensity of um oh my god you know I've got to be doing it for this person or that person or the other person I can hopefully enjoy doing whatever jobs come my way for whatever person and enjoy the process rather than you know making sure that you know I'm only speaking to the right people or you know yeah I like the freeness of of being able to not choose because I will work for you and not work for you just choose um how my week rolls yeah Because sometimes my family might need to do something. Yeah. And I think, well, that's okay because we'll do X, Y, and Z this week

because it allows, you know, me to engage with whatever needs to be doing for my family. Yeah. Or there's weeks where maybe it is quite a big job and I've committed and I'm like, okay. And we all understand that for the next two weeks mum's going to be a bit intense with this particular job yeah um and yeah it just creates the it's a bit of a roller coaster but hopefully hopefully it's not too damaging for them and they enjoy the fact that they have me um a lot in some aspects but then they're you know they know that I have to work hard um at other times yeah no and I think it it helps them respect your job but also

it's like it's not a boring life it's a fun life there's what's happening and it's got um it's got energy around it all the time and I think energy around that what you do yes it's helps people get a sort of they get a bit of that from you and when you bring it home do you know what I mean so for your kids they can feel like the sort of buzz yes of momentum which I think is a nice it's a nice thing to grow up around actually um and I think the balance between working across all areas hopefully teaches them that it's very nice you know I'm very lucky you know the the general public you know people know about strictly but you know it's not the be all and end all just because maybe someone's um famous or someone's yeah you know that doesn't

there's it's not a better job in a in a weaker job as such do you know what I mean um I was thinking maybe that's partly where your instinct to be grounded and to I mean you said you know a little while back oh yeah oh I'm not at the forefront but I would argue that you cannot get a more high profile aspect of working in the in the area that you work in than Strictly Come Dancing. That's like... Yes. Surely that's... But because you've worked your way up and you're aware of all the people that have,

you know, the trade of, you know, being the tailors and the seamstresses and all the people, you probably feel quite connected to that world of all these people that have... That are working hard and just... Yeah, exactly. So it kind of keeps you feeling like... Yeah. that world of yes all these people that have you know working hard and just yeah exactly yeah kind of keeps you feeling a bit like yeah and I like reassured by that yes yeah it's reassuring isn't

it yeah I feel comfortable there funnily enough when I'm doing things that are whenever I feel a bit of pressure I always go and take myself outside of what I'm doing and that makes me feel a lot better so when I'm on tour I go and walk around the city that I'm in all day just wondering about often visiting vintage clothing shops but I've realized it's not just about that first of all getting out and about gives me like a purpose of a purposeful walk so if I've got okay I'm going to go and visit that shop it's one and a half miles away it's like a place I can walk to in a place I don't know yeah but also I've realized it means you spend your day walking around the city and you see all the other things that are happening there that day and it makes you think right the perspective is that my show is a teeny tiny

thing happening in one tiny place and when I was doing Strictly I'd never done a show like that and suddenly it's like it turned London into a village and everybody I'd be walking about people were like what dance are you doing tonight and you but I'd always feel like look i didn't used to watch this program there's lots of people who don't watch this yes it feels like it's the middle of everything but it's not true no that would make me feel better yes that would make otherwise it's just to my head would explode it's almost too much the pressure that's why i don't disconnect from it because obviously i've invested a lot of my time and my children have grown up strictly, you know. But maybe that's why I enjoy being where I am

or where I place myself within because it is fantastic. But I underestimate sometimes, you know, how much chat there is about it or, you know, because again, you're trying to keep balance so that it helps you feel resourceful as well I think about being able to flip and do something else if that's what happens yeah I think I need always like that feeling as well yeah okay well I've I've I'll keep a keep myself a little a little like backpack of resource yeah head off somewhere else head off

in that direction yeah I think so yeah but that being said I didn't realize so I did strictly in 2013 and I didn't realize you only joined it the year before so you were still relatively new to it then yes so when you took it on did you did you know how much it was going to bring with it in terms of... Because to me, I walked into that, I was like, oh, my God, this is a juggernaut. It's like more than the sum of its parts. Yes.

But also everybody that works on the show gives it so much when it's happening. Yes. So did you have any idea of what you were taking on? Well, what it was, there used to be a lovely lady called Sue Judd who she started the show as such. So it was quite um I don't think she would mind me saying so it was a very much a styling exercise where she was looking at the competitive dance world and then she was orchestrating that and um putting it on tv basically got it she did

a fabulous job like the old come dancing yes right and and um she did a fabulous job at doing that and researching and um yeah just you know she was completely on point um so I used to advise her really on um you know how to cut something if you do it like this if you do it like that but she worked with other people as well. There was other people from other companies. So it wasn't like the Vicky show at this point. But I used to do quite a lot kind of in the background, but not necessarily running the actual TV show.

So you've been involved with it for a little while. So I understood a lot about the construction and what needed to happen. And so I felt very confident with that. But when I got what I call is a top job, yes, it was a transition. And within that year, I kind of went into the first year and I was pregnant with Evelyn. So I didn't, I not only took this mammoth job on, I had a baby on the way. And yeah, it was just kind of, this is a lot. But you have to push through, don't you?

And again, it comes with memories of. So for my children, it's not like strictly dictates, you know, all my memories. But I do have memories. I have memories of rails of clothes being in my dining room at one point because we couldn't go to storage for whatever reason. And, you know, there's like Evie popping her head through lots of clothes. So, yeah, it was a lot. And TV, it's fast-paced.

The demands are quite heavy. Yeah. Sometimes everyone's looking at the glitz and the glamour, but budgets are very real. So do you get given your budget and then you can dictate how it works? I'm very lucky. Our line producers over the time

have been really good with me. They trust you with how you do it. Yeah. But there's still only that amount of money yeah you know so sometimes um are we using it more on crew or are we using it more on buying or are we using it more on making but it depends what the creative demand is so it's a juggle it's lots of going on and also I imagine that things chop and change last minute a lot. Yeah, they do.

Because when I was, so that's why I was thinking like, wow, what you deliver is extraordinary because you will be starting work on things and it needs to, so sometimes you might only know what's happening on say like a Wednesday and it's got to be show ready by Saturday night. But you do a dress run on Friday and then things might need to be tweaked yeah so how is that in real time for you like what is what pace do you feel like you're working at during that time I feel I do absorb I try to absorb as much of the stress as I can from the team because I feel if everybody's stressed then that's we can't operate no that doesn't that's not a good

environment yeah so I try to kind of quietly think about what's being asked of us and then have um little game plans of well if we don't like it like that we might chop that into a crop or if we make that as a trouser we can always make that into a play suit or I could make it into a skort or if we cut the base in black I can always then add an additional colour to it so it's a bit like a jigsaw yeah okay puzzle seeing this yes and we will have what we call block shapes so yeah we've got a sweetheart neckline we've got a halter neck we've got a you know um an asymmetrical neckline and so i'll cut things in different shapes yeah um and you love your sparkly um leotard base yes but you will drop a dress over the top of it

yeah so this can happen maybe like i did in my rumba week for example yeah so it's kind of like i'm thinking you know when you were little um i don't know if you used to do it and i can't even remember what they're called where you used to cut dresses out and then you used to um wrap them around um like the paper doll yeah yeah so it's a bit like that okay in my head but how do you keep it because not only do you do that, but also, I can see you've got a very quick and good understanding of what people's shapes, like what they work well with. Yes. Is that just a skill set you've honed, do you think, from having to be quick about it? Maybe, maybe. Because people, I feel like people have almost like a sort of, like a character that stays fairly, like a little thread.

Yes, that goes through it does and maybe that helps you a little bit too because there's almost like a little framework each because if everything's a possibility it's almost too much isn't it a hundred percent we just wouldn't be able to cope yeah and sometimes i do find it a little bit restricting because maybe um we can't be as creative as we want to be or if i if i had that creative document for one person um i'm sure i would do everything differently yeah because time money yeah everything but what's great is that you don't have that time yeah so it's kind of come on then vic what you're going to do about that then? Problem solving all the time.

And I suppose it moves into my personal life as well because my friend Amy, that's how she refers to me as the problem solver. Great. You know, because you kind of want to find a solution and move on. Not because you're being dismissive, it's just because we don't want that to be a problem. So what can we do?

And do you feel like you do that with parenting as well? Because I think a lot of parenting is... Is that, yeah. Right, okay, well, we're here. What are our options? Yeah, what should we do? Yeah. Probably to the annoyance of my children

because they probably think, I want you to dwell over this. I'm very upset. I want you to dwell over this. I'm very upset. I want you to, you know. So I sometimes have to have a little word with myself and, you know, just slow it down and be a little bit more, yeah, just have a minute. They're like, Mum, I didn't need my uniform to be a squirt by morning.

Oh, they get none of that done. You can imagine. It's like, I've had a bun missing for three weeks now. Put those rosky crystals down.

Oh, blimey. I'm a terrible mum in that respect. No, you're not, but I think also the problem solving

sometimes, because I'm, I'm not, without any of the talent of the seamstress and the creation, just in terms of like that thing of like trying to solve things all the time, sometimes I think it's almost like it gives me something to do while things are actually resolving by themselves. Yes.

It's like it just keeps me running around in circles doing, try this, try this, and then I exhaust myself. If I'd done nothing, I would have been at the same point and remember certainly on on stricters or any of the big um shows there's a lot of people working very hard on my behalf as well you know I I'm how many is in the team in it varies yeah it varies depending on what the demands are upon us. But if we were to go for, there's probably eight of us on a weekly as the core team, and then we move to about 16 when we add seamstresses, dressers. Okay. But it's not huge.

No, that's not huge, especially when there's so many things to get done. And one outfit could take so many man hours if you would just break it down to how long. And then we'll have makers and um you know so but across the board you know there's just lots of people whether one lady is touching it or maybe only for one week of the series or somebody's involved you know every day for the whole six months like everyone's important you you know. Yeah. Everyone's got their skill. And we try very much to work with people's skill sets. Yeah. You know, if, I'm trying to think of an example,

but if someone's like really quick at levelling a skirt. Yeah. And they're not afraid of it, because it means that you're putting the mannequin on an elevated position and you're going to literally cut through the bottom of the skirt and a lot of it of course you're measuring but a lot of it is eye as well because we need it in one hour got it so you know you'll think okay um misha's good at that t's good at that or yeah

hala's good at that or you know whoever's in so you're you're trying to also think about the jobs that we've got to do, but who would be feeling comfortable in doing that task? Because it's really hard when we get new people joining the team. We just, you know, you can imagine fear of God has been injected into them. But they've got to hit the ground running, haven't they? Just like, okay. So, but we try to... Pick up the scissors and cut. Yeah. Just cut it. Try not to worry. And I always say okay it's wonky yeah that's not your skill set and I always say to them please just go for it because I will I'll fix it for you

whereas if you don't go for it it means it's another job that we're giving you know that someone else has got to do so just be brave yeah no I get it and and you know try and then and once they get into that swing they're they're fabulous but it is nerve-wracking and with your love of fashion and your fashion background yeah are you still giving do you still have time and an inclination to look around at what is on runways and out there I really try try. And soak it in as well. Yeah, I really try because I don't really speak of it a lot, but that awareness and also that joy.

Yes. I was going to say, do you still feel as excited about all of that stuff? Because, you know, and also, you know, I'm getting old. And so when various things kind of come back around or if there's a flavour of somebody who was maybe in the 90s, when I was really, you know, that was when I was kind of, you know, just looking at everything and absorbing everything. It's just great, isn't it? Yeah. It's just like, you know.

It's like endlessly fun. If you love it, then it just, yeah, always gets the juices the juices like yeah there's just so much to see definitely yeah and but do you ever get to the point with all of it we're like oh i just don't want to see a sparkly outfit for a minute strange thing is i am not sparkly in any way shape or form i don't know i don't know what's under that shirt i know i love the way you've got a safety pin on yourself. Spot the tailor. So I... Is that safety pin this there just in case something happens? I feel like I've always got one because I never know.

I've actually got one in the back of my trousers. They need taking in, but that's definitely not going to happen. Yes, I think I've always got a safety pin somewhere. Cool. They... I do love sparkle in terms of watching a performance or again just seeing how it can elevate a situation oh it sure does do you know what I mean it's answers for you it's like that kind of magic that happens um and I'm not saying I would never you know wear

anything sparkly but it's not really my my thing but i guess you're thinking about it in terms of its function yes coming back to that again aren't you yeah so on in a performance oh it works it's just it can't not be there yeah it's so good you know when we do the tv show it's um of course there's embellishment but there's not that much really but as soon as you step into an arena the the transformation um could be the sparkle ambulance the transformation um is extraordinary yeah yeah and straight away we're kind of you know everyone will say it needs a bit of sparkle but a bit of sparkle in an arena could mean 10 packets you know which um which are they all done by hand they must be they are i mean when you look um in the high street and kind of on the runways there's

a lot of there's a lot of um sparkle around this season actually it's kind of you know there's a lot out there and a lot of it is hot fix and their heat pressed sheets which look fantastic it just limits because that's been manufactured that can be orchestrated um but with with what we do um because they're one-off pieces um it's it's not as easy I can't be as creative yeah yeah so it's quite restricting but it's not to say we won't ever use it. It's just, yeah, I feel like it limits us. And I'm sure most people you meet doing the show are lovely, but some people probably not so much. How do you handle people coming into your fittings

and having a say of their own about things? Because people show insecurities in all different ways. Yeah. Strict strictly as an environment where I remember one week when I did a samba and I looked at myself in the mirror and I was like I feel like I've come as like I don't know samba barbie or something I don't really and I can't remember what you had at that I had big curly hair I had jewels stuck all over my face and then my outfit was like

it probably did genuinely remind me of like an outfit my Cindy and my Barbie had it was all kind of primary color patches yeah um like red blues yellows I think rhinestones I mean it was kind of amazing but I was like just the combination of all things. Who's she? Yeah. I feel like, and I'm sure that I was probably feeling similar to you in those moments because on Strictly, if we're talking about Strictly, there's certain dances like samba, salsa. Paso doble, maybe? Paso's not too bad because you can still keep it quite stylish if the music's right or if the, because there's a strength there okay got it but

um and depending on what the choreographers want or the um the professional dancer wants you're kind of listening certainly with samba and salsa you've got so many things to think about they're my pet hates if i'm honest because normally people want a bright colour. And only this year, Katya was doing, I think it was salsa, and she was all in black. And it was like, for me, I was like, oh, thank the Lord. Because everything else around her could be colourful. Yes. And she was just black.

Yeah. And for me, it just made me kind of relax because I was like, this is okay. And she was just black. Yeah. And for me, it just made me kind of relax. Because I was like, this is okay. Yeah. And it's very hard for the other teams as well, because they're all given direction from many different people. Golly, yeah, because you've got to think about the whole picture as well. Yeah.

Oh, my God, you have to deal with so many strands. Different people's, you know, decision makers are at different levels and again you know none of us make the right decision all the time and on something like strictly it's such a beast it is that I kind of um even if I get burnt in the process I kind of forgive everybody very quickly or we don't know everything so I can be looking at something going, oh, I really don't know that at all. Or, you know, but there's so much that you can't beat yourself up because it is light entertainment.

I think that we do, we do, we do, we're never too far away, but it's just the, it's just massive, you know, and timeframes and everything else. So I think that, I suppose that's my frustration when I'm saying just massive you know um and time frames and everything else so I think um that I suppose that's my frustration when I'm saying that you know always want to do better be looking but it's just such a it's such a lot it is such a lot yeah and I imagine as well that you your calm nature means that people come to you and when they're feeling a bit wobbly,

they might open up to you in a way they're not with other people. I do try to say to people that often, sometimes I'll know that something isn't ultimately right. This isn't perfect, but how can we improve it, for one? Yeah. And for two, when I first meet people, I don't know if you remember, because sometimes people can remember things

and sometimes it's like a blur because people are so nervous. You know, everybody's different. But to try to speak as early as possible in the process, you know, from a Friday to a Saturday so that we can do something about it. And also just don't be afraid to speak because you know we'll try and work something out we'll try and um find a way you know yeah to create something else or

um even though we're in a there's a you know there's a lot of people around us that we're listening to yeah um most times we find our way I want to try and put people at ease because um it's just stressful yeah you're tired at times or you might be really really excited at times there's lots of different emotions definitely that affect your judgment within the bubble massively and how how do you deal with that stress when you're going home because that's that can be I know you said you absorb a lot of stress yeah but sometimes that's quite difficult because then it's just like there and your shoulders and yeah I don't know maybe my family um I'm sure that they you know they probably have a better um story to tell on that front because if you're going to be grumpy

with anyone, it's your family so true so poor things over the years, they're probably like when's this going to end she might not have a go I think there's always something isn't there

I know that my kids can sometimes get a bit grumpy with me going away a lot and being intense with my work. Yes. So how have you... How do you give yourself permission to give yourself over to it that way, even if it means sometimes missing, I don't know, assemblies? No, it's tough, isn't it?

It's very tough. And I think that when Oliver was born um technology wasn't as it is now so believe it or not we couldn't face time and stuff like that or you know it's everything's changed and I used to observe some of my friends who had children before me, that they would ring home and then their children would become very upset. And so if I was to go away, I used to try to protect Ollie so that I wasn't ringing for my benefit and then disturbing him and his nice little situation with his dad um so it was very hard those early years certainly with first baby um and then the difference between boys and girls

like the girls are very different to ollie like ollie's very laid back um so it was probably easier with ollie um girls have been fabulous you know they're they're they're all so understanding I think it's because we live away from my family where they're from the northeast we're in the south so it's kind of like us against the world so to speak and um so we do just get on with it you know um and obviously as long as one of us is there right doing various assemblies or or whatever but it is tough for me i do feel a working mum does you do miss out but we can't have it all because also we're providing for our families and we're trying to create a nice life and I don't mean material things but just opportunity or experience or even seeing mum

and dad working hard you know for them as they go through life there's lots of learnings isn't there um but yes I do feel um I don't know if I, you know, if this should be said on the podcast, but I'll say it. My youngest child is very, very, very, you know, kind of aware of what makes me tick. I'm not necessarily a star sign person that would kind of read my, you know, what is going to happen to me in the week. But I do think there's similarities within star signs and people's personalities. And me and my youngest sit in the same star sign. And she said to me, swinging her legs,

she must have only been maybe about six or something like that. And it may have just been an observation. I don't think she went out to, you know, to hurt me. But she was swinging her legs and she said, when I grow up, mummy, I'm just going to be a mummy. And I was like... You know, she just absolutely got me in that moment. Yeah.

And, yeah. She might not have actually meant anything at all, but I might have thought, because you're a mummy, and she might think you're just a mummy too. But you see those. But how you were feeling, you heard it as not a mum that's doing all the other bits and bobs. Just, you know.

And so, yeah, we beat ourselves up a lot. But they're getting older now. They still obviously need me, and will need me all through their lives. But we're moving into different territory now with the teenage years and things like that. So we're all adjusting. I'm adjusting to what that means. Yes.

You know, and at what point they need me and at what point they're thinking, can you just back off? Because, you know. Yeah. So, yeah, it's interesting it is I know before we start recording we're both talking about that sort of what I call it like the wheel turning that's how I think of it because it's like you sort of clunk into like a new chapter and I think when your kids get into that bit where they're the teens and and 20s and yeah it does definitely shift and you start reflecting on what you've done yeah their childhood their babyhood all of that stuff yeah in a way that you know most you're when you're in

it you think you're always going to be in it and then suddenly it's like oh it's that's done that that was that was those moments i'm not going to do that again no and you look at photos and things and you think that was me in that moment yes but it's no longer here and it's like it's sort of like like yeah it really is it's funny we've got them at least we've got the memories though at least we've got that you know it's it's all very positive it's just an that awareness yeah I don't mind it yeah I'm not one of those people where I think oh I want to you know preserve them or why do you have to grow up or anything like that in fact I'm rooting for them come on like what's that what's ahead of us but I think it's more for yourself like just have a moment of like oh okay okay I've done that bit and you realize you're in that next part of your

life my auntie once said um well it was it she was reading at Ollie's um prison actually it wasn't religious but she said that we are the archer and it's our job to send them as far and as straight, but they're not ours to keep. And it's always stayed with me. Wow, yeah. So when you feel, when I'm feeling like, you know, I don't want this time to go or whatever, I think, no, no, that's my job.

I'm the archer. I like that. Sending them forward, straight, you know, and it helps me to allow them to do whatever it is. Yeah. You know, that doesn't mean just, you know, going out with their mates till ridiculous hour, but just, you know, pushing them forward into their lives, not mine.

Yeah, I know. I think it's that thing as well, a bit like when you were saying about not phoning home to say good night to Ollie because you know it would upset him and it'd be harder for whoever's looking after him like your husband or whoever's with and um so you for yourself pack away your things and I think I've done I do that as well where I think I call it heavy boots where I'm like I sort of have my boots like heavy boots but really like you sort of pack it away for yourself like well they don't they I'm going to protect them from from that I'm missing out and what I feel sad and yeah that kind of stuff it's hard sometimes when

you're away and I go oh I miss the kids and someone will go oh they're fine I go well I know they're fine it's me I'm feeling this is about me actually yes good I'm glad they're fine. I don't want them to be pining, but it's tricky. I think you're right about, like, as a working mum, you just have to accept that there's going to be moments that don't work the way you want them to. Yeah. There isn't really a version of events where you can do it, where, as you say, you have it all and it's all working all the time.

Yeah. We can't, I think, in in life we can't have everything can we no you know we try yeah but I think also having a a life that's not dull and an exciting one and one where you're doing things you love is really special yeah and I can see that you adore what you do and get being able to immerse yourself in that. And even that stressful environment, it sounds like a weird thing to say, but when I was doing Strictly, there was a bit where I was like,

experiencing nerves of such a sort of weird dimension, like nerves I've never had for anything before or since because it's, you know, how to explain the nerves of dancing a foxtrot live on telly when you've never danced one before that week. Like, it's just out of body and I said to my manager I was a bit like oh I'm doing this you're the one who said I should do it you're not even doing it with me you know and I said it's so nerve-wracking he said well

it's kind of a privilege actually to feel that nervous and I thought maybe there's something in that I mean it was a slightly annoying comment but at the time you wanted a punch yeah i was like maybe there's something in that like the privilege of actually feeling that focus because not everybody is lucky enough to do something where you're safe like nothing you know but yeah but the stakes are kind of high and yeah and it's intense and it's such a lovely group of people involved. Yes. I was really blown away by the talent. And I know you work in other environments, but I keep coming back to Strictly because that's the bit where I was really watching

what you were doing in that room. And I used to love coming into their fittings and all the industry and the hubbub. But I was also thinking, whoa, there's a lot to deal with here. We like people coming into our room because, yeah, it's like your home isn't it definitely you've been you know very lovely today like I'm coming in to meet you and I I like people to come

into my home because um it happens less actually um where I live in the south but certainly in the northeast it's a bit it's very much what people do yeah come in you know come in have a cup of tea or whatever and um so I feel like the room um whether beyond Strictly we talk about Strictly a lot because it is it's it's ran for a long time and you've experienced it so it's it's you know it it's also so loved by people yeah I adore that show so much it's sometimes it's because we do have a fridge that may have some alcohol in but i like to think that that's not the sole reason why people would come into our room but um but yeah that's it it's kind of like an open door and play and hopefully somewhere where people can have a laugh you know amongst all of the this it's not even silliness but just like those nerves and tiredness or or whatever yeah you know so I'm glad you felt that definitely oh very much so

loved it very much so it's great um what's the number one thing people ask you about what you do when they're good then they find out people often ask me what's your favorite dress what's the favorite thing that you've um you've designed and things like that and I always find that very hard because I'm never I'm never totally satisfied with whatever it is that we're doing because really yes like you're never you're always looking at something and thinking oh if we only had another hour or if we only had a you know but what I do love is when um when a plan comes together so when lighting props people garments you know whole thing when the whole thing um the music like you know because we've got all of this fabulousness if we're talking about strictlyrictly, or within the TV industry, there's just lots and lots of very talented people.

And it's when all of those moments just work. Because everybody gets a concept document, but they're all working independently. And then we all come together for either a few hours or a day. And it's at that point, if we can kind of make it fit, and then you watch it and you go no that was good yeah I live for for those feelings you know um and of course there's been there's been lots of moments um like that but yeah it's it's that feeling yeah the feeling you're right when it all marries and it's like...

And all the drama just does exactly what it's supposed to do. Or you look around and you just see people enjoying it, you know, or whatever it is. But it's kind of like, you're like, ah, this is nice, you know. This is my salacious question, and I think you can give like a yes-no answer. You know. This is my salacious question,

and I think you can give like a yes-no answer. Do you, I would imagine you get privy to a lot of gossip from your vantage point. You could just have a yes-no for that if you want. I do, I do, I do. I think I'm a trusted one, though. So I hear a lot, I see a lot, but I hope I don't say a lot. Yeah, that's perfect.

And so the microphone's off. That's right. That's good. Do you still dance? No. I mean, I could do with moving my jacksie in one form or other I I enjoy exercise and um until about a year ago um I for a couple of years religiously sort of went to the gym and wasn't super fit but just felt you know stronger better all of that past year has been a bit tricky

um because my dear dad uh suffers with dementia and it's been quite a challenging year and um i'm sorry that this must be really challenging it is but it's it's not to kind of talk about for kind of like oh you know sorry but just as a fact you know um our lives you know don't they? There's always many layers as well. And I'm at that point where I think I must do something again. And I used to teach kids to dance many, many moons ago. And when I had Izzy, it was only a hobby. It wasn't something that I did full time. And I thought, I can't be doing what I'm doing,

designing, trying to bring up children and everything else. I just, I can't do everything. Something's got to give. So dance went. And from the day that I stopped teaching kids to dance was the day that I then, I pretty much never danced anymore because it is something that I, probably not now, you know, I'm too old, but, um, but I knew that if I, if I just did one class or that I'd get the bug and I'd kind of want to do more and then before you know it, I'd be doing, I don't know, 10 classes a week.

I'd say to people that we could do or whatever. I'd be all in. So I don't dance, but I do need to get myself in gear and do something. Spin, quite like spin yeah quite like swimming yeah yeah nice things you know i mean i do think when i was doing the show like dance a bod like you get into great shape but you have to be i mean i'm dancing like six days a week it's just completely

unsustainable but but for that brief moment it was like this is good it's insane isn't it they're athletes as well the actual pros and everything yeah just how their bodies um respond and yeah and i like to see you guys um we look okay when we meet you in the summer because we may have um you know sunshine we may have a little bit of color even though it's just rosy cheeks yeah um we're feeling quite refreshed and as we go through the series i think we maybe put a bit of weight on because we're feeling quite refreshed and as we go through the series I think we maybe put a bit of weight on because we're not maybe eating quite as well blah blah blah and um and that but you guys it you know you really flourish because you may be exhausted but you know the training that you're doing oh yeah you will look incredible and I feel like we we

sometimes are there eating a sausage roll, kind of head tilted, while all you real specimens walk through the door. I think I should really put this sausage roll down. That's something around people who are working out a lot. It makes you feel like you're kind of R&E waving a bit more. And then you do strip dancing on ice, which is like that, but on ice. That is insanely hard, isn't it?

Actually, a lovely lady called Clodagh, she was the person ultimately, then you do strip dancing on ice which is like that but on ice that is insanely hard actually um a lovely lady called cloda she was the person ultimately and moira who um gave me the job on on strictly and um cloda went on to do dancing on ice when it came back and she invited me to do it so it's a little bit mad really because people think well why did you go from one to the other but it was mainly because Clodagh gave me this opportunity yeah and then she went on to other things and when you're bringing a show back it's quite a lot of work and I just felt that you know I needed to to support her and and but it was a bit mental because you were moving from one very tough show to another very tough show. But we've got into the swing. Okay.

So we're all right. The team kind of crosses over. So while we're finishing strictly, Sid tends to do, start with dancing on ice and then we then kind of follow. And yeah, it all works out. So, but the ice is, it's a completely different ball game people compare the two it nothing like one another they may think it looks similar but it's it's just completely different i am so scared of the ice oh me too i think it's just got dancing both got dancing and the title and sparkly outfits so but um safety elements so you can't have certain yeah lengths of things and

yeah or if anything drops off if rhinestones drop oh wow yeah because of the blades oh blimey yeah that could really there's all sorts of stuff so it was a it was a very very steep learning curve when we went from one to the other so you got to use totally different fabrics and everything in a way yeah it's better to use something that's more metallic or a lurex or something that's going to give value. But although we do use crystals, it's not so much. Okay. But we do still put a lot on when I think about it.

And if one comes off on the ice, it's just what happened because it needs to look good. So, yeah, yeah, fun. Well, it sounds like I caught you at a good time, not only because your work is busy, but maybe not so like, ugh, busy, but also you're about to have this Girls Aloud tour, which will kind of bring things a little full circle,

which is really nice. Yeah, yeah. So how does it feel to be working back with that project? And I think that tour's going to be great, actually. Yeah, I mean, obviously it's Victoria's creative. Yeah. And so it's her vision. I'm kind of the problem solver, you know, the person who's coming.

And I think because of the fashion background, although I don't work in fashion any longer, very much in in costume um I do understand both worlds so um so I get really excited about um you know sticking those two things together for them um great again you know for them that this point in time has come and they've all done lots of wonderful things and I think everybody's um in good spirits you know it's it's like time hasn't passed hasn't it when you yeah you know a lot of time has but all of a sudden it's just like yeah yeah this is great you know

it's nice to reflect as well on like all the things you've done in the interim as well from back at the Brits with your tiny baby to now kind of thing it's a nice it's a you know it's nice to reflect as well on like all the things you've done in the interim yeah from back at the brits with your tiny baby to now kind of thing it's a nice it's a you know yes it is but um but yeah so yeah i really look forward to it um and um yeah i'm sure again there'll be there'll be moments along the way but um i like it when they all set off on tour if you know what i mean yeah because it's quite a stressful few weeks, tech and everything. But then they get the first couple of shows out the way, as you will know. And then once they fly... Yeah, finds its feet.

Then they have fun then. Definitely. So you find joy in watching other people. You know, once they've connected and then it then it feels great so yeah really excited that's exciting I'm so glad we got to catch up Vicky thank you so much thank you it's such a joy and that for what it's what I absolutely loved I mean you your outfits that I wore when I was doing Strictly kind of changed my entire approach to my tour wardrobe and um the leotard I wore underneath my rumba dress because i had this

beautiful crystallized leotard and then this sheer dress over the top a navy sheer like chiffon dress with the belt and i was like i love the way you got the twinkle yes but it was also a dress so it had both elements yeah and i basically just thought that's that's incredible so i've been wearing things on that that variation and it's just like I don't think I I never really used to wear sparkly things ever yeah and now I'm like give me more there's so many benefits they dance for you they look amazing you can roll them up and they never need to be pressed or anything tan luggage only no trouble just the benefits are endless yeah you probably think about what journey you're going on and like will this travel well okay let's have a sparkly base yeah you can just go like

out of the bag it's ideal you should get into it stop wearing black get some twinkle on come on you don't know what's underneath underneath oh lovely Vicky such a lovely woman and what an interesting career she's had what an interesting journey through

costume and clothes and working in that pressure cooker of Strictly and delivering week after week that is incroyable

I'm very impressed and obviously as you heard me mention Vicky kind of has changed my life a bit really through a sparkly leotard now on the surface of it that doesn't sound like much okay another bit of wardrobe but I think came to symbolize a sort of hmm I feel like I dress differently since strictly and as I've got older and it's actually more of a celebration of like disco and dance and movement and just not being so critical of myself and I think that sparkly leotard sums up my relationship with that side of my stage wear because it gave me this feeling of like fun and actually just not being so critical really so thank you vicky for finding that side of me and and helping me with some of my inhibitions and actually i'm

sure my children are not quite so thankful but i like it i love going on stage in a little sparkly i turned a bit of chiffon and i think when i was in my 20s or 30s I probably wouldn't have done that so hurrah to that and um hurrah to her third time and I'm now speaking to you from Sunday so if I sound a little bit tired it's because I haven't had time to sleep we had the sleepover last night for Ray's 12th birthday a lovely little bunch of 11 and 12 year olds but wow they were well actually no what they were really great it was only one bit where I'd fallen asleep and then I got woken up by some shouting because we basically left them downstairs big sleepover base camp thing in the sitting room where we'd moved all the sofas out of the way and then they found their way to the kitchen which is underneath my bedroom and

I could really hear them so I went down at one point like guys volume down but then they did it was all fine and then when I got up early this morning with Mickey I went downstairs and was trying to piece together what they've been up to I could tell they'd used my foot massager that Richard had got me for Christmas and they'd also had a hot sauce challenge at some point because they were like crisps and hot sauces all over the table so good time hard by all I think and then when I came down they were all fast asleep and then woke them up and had pancakes. And now they've all gone home. And the teepees have been taken away. And Sunday stretches out ahead of us.

We're going to go and get a burger, aren't we, Jess? Where are we going to get it from? A place down the road that Daddy's found. I've never been, but apparently there's really good burgers. And then can you remember what we're doing this afternoon? We're going to the Zippo Circus. That's right, we're going to go to the circus because it's really near our house. Yeah.

And it looks like fun. So that's quite a nice Sunday, isn't it? Burgers and circus. I'm into it. I'm digging it, Jess. And then hopefully an early night. And where do they also have chips and like sausage? What, the burger place?

Yeah. Yeah, they can't not have chips. And then tonight, well i'm gonna make the promise that i always break every day an early night i never get an early night i don't like going to sleep before midnight but i'm gonna give it a whirl anyway because it sounds like a good idea i feel like i haven't slept particularly well but it's okay because tonight i'm gonna be fast asleep by eight o'clock right no probably not anyway thank you to um vicky gill for coming over to talk to me it's always such a pleasure to hang out with her i'm very glad she's in my life and

thank you to claire jones someone else i'm glad is in my life because she does such a brilliant job of producing the podcast but also she's a friend thank you to uh richard my brilliant husband for doing all the editing and ella may who does such a beautiful job with the artwork I love it but obviously biggest thanks of all is to you and your ears because otherwise this is just a woman talking into the void so thank you so much whatever you're up to have a lovely lovely week and I'll be back again next week with another wonderful guest how's about that all right lots of love. See you soon. Take care. On each step with Peloton, from their pop runs to walk and talks, you define what it means to be a runner.

Whatever your level, embrace it. Journey starts when you say so. If you've got five minutes or 50, Peloton Tread has workouts you can work in. Or bring your classes with you for outdoor runs, walks, and hikes led by expert instructors on the Peloton app. Call yourself a runner. Peloton all-access membership separate. Learn more at onepeloton.ca slash running.