Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S8 Ep 9: Nicole Scherzinger

Episode Date: December 4, 2019

It's December and that means we can start eating Xmas dinners on the regular. Knowing full well this puddycat Anglophile loves a roast with all the trimmings, we offered up a full on festive feast for the stunning Nicole Scherzinger (nice one Waitrose and John Lewis) Not only did we teach her what a nut roast & bread sauce was, we served up the best Christmas turkey she’s ever had!We chat musical theatre, being a goth, her upbringing in Hawaii, and MOST IMPORTANTLY how the formidable, extraordinary Prince introduced her to my music (!) I also got her to sing Moana to my daughter…. What a doll, what a revelation and what a start to Christmas!We're going on tour! Table Manners will be live next Spring - for more information and tickets visit: http://gigst.rs/TableManners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. It is Christmas, nearly. It is the 4th of December. The tree is up. The tree decorations are up. What did you go for mum? Did you go for a snowscape? I went for the glitter ball. Oh yeah, strictly. Because strictly. I've got the most beautiful glass angel. Do you remember the angels that we used to do?

At playgroup. Yeah, playgroup, where they looked like the angriest paper angel ever. With big eyes and a big mouth. Yeah. Modelled on me. Yeah, bossy angel. Bossy angel. My daughter chose our decorations this year,

and she opted for a lot of animals. Hey, Miss Burrows, Miss Burrows, come here. Do you remember which tree decorations you chose? What was it? The unicorn. The you remember which tree decorations you chose? What was it? The unicorn. The unicorn? What else did you choose? Was there a doggie?

A doggie with a Santa hat on. Thank you very much. And Mum, probably the most exciting news that we've had for a while. I can't believe it, Jess. I can't believe it either. I can't believe it. Table Manners, with Jessie Ware and Lenny Ware. Are going live.

We're going on tour. I'm going on tour with my mother. Have we got a tour bus ready, darling? Mum, I don't think the budget is there just yet. We'll be in a splitter van if you're lucky. Darling. We are doing three live shows to celebrate our cookbook being out next year. Saturday the 28th of March

2020 we're doing Birmingham Town Hall which is part of the Birmingham Podcast Festival. My alma mater. Sunday the 29th of March we're doing Manchester Dance House. My hometown. Perfect. And then Tuesday the 31st of March we're doing London Shoreditch Town Hall.

My adopted home. I've got a connection with all these three places. You love East London, don't you, Mum? I adore it, darling. Tickets are on sale at gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk. You are now a gigging mum. I'm a gigging podcaster and we're having a live audience with Q&A. So you can join Mum and I and special guests for the first ever live UK tour of Table Manners, the podcast.

So we are extremely excited. Tickets are on sale now. So go and get your tickets from gigsandtours.com or ticketmaster.co.uk. We can't wait to see you there. Wow. So Mum, we're excited about today. Oh, so excited.

Well, because it's nearly Christmas, we thought why not do a Christmas dinner? I feel like we're getting away with kind of part celebrating Thanksgiving because it was just like last week. That's why I've done my sweet potato. You what? I've done sweet potato with marshmallows and cinnamon, which is a kind of Thanksgiving favourite. Well, it is in the Bahamas where my sister-in-law comes from. So what is on the menu? I want to thank Waitrose and Partners for providing the most beautiful array of food and ingredients. Yeah, I mean, you've given us all the grub

to be able to create a festive scene. We've got turkey. Yeah. We've got stuffing. Turkey with stuffing. You've done your own stuffing an extra one what is it my extra one is it's like a forced meat with cranberries what's forced meat well i use mince meat because i don't use sausage meat yeah and i've just put cranberries herbs and onions in to go inside the turkey so we're trying something out waitress has given us a slow cooked turkey breast with sage onion and brioche that's a good idea that's a really good

idea where is the brioche it's the stuffing okay it would be a sweet stuffing great with a spiced muscovado glaze we've also got you've done your sprouts with grapes. You are being a little ungenerous. They are going to potentially be the star of the show. They are Brussels sprouts with red grapes done in soy sauce and balsamic. We usually use this Moscatel sherry vinegar, but we didn't have it. And then with some fresh thyme and then you put hazelnuts, roasted hazelnuts, and they're delicious and you do them in the oven. So they kind of sex up a sprout what else the one dish that jesse cooks so we're getting the full ingredient yeah thank you i've done some roasted root vegetables yeah

i've done roast potatoes made red cabbage your red cabbage is the best. I know. And I think that's it. Like with every Christmas day, we've decided to go slightly overboard on the desserts. And we haven't just got one, we haven't got two. We've got about five. So I made trifle. Yeah. You've made Cointreau oranges.

Yep. And Waitrose have provided the most beautiful choux pastry wreath. Honestly, cream and choux pastry is like heaven. With a salty caramel sauce. And chocolate. And we've got a fig and port cheesecake. That's from the Haston collection.

My goodness, those Cointreau oranges look so beautiful in that new glass dish that John Lewis and Partners gave you. Yeah, it's gorgeous. It's kind of like can be a trifle dish. It's an absolutely perfect dish because it's got straight sides it's cut glass it's absolutely gorgeous. So we shall be enjoying a little bit more festivities on the table with placemats that are the most beautiful beaded sequin placemats. It's funny because I feel like you always make a real effort at Christmas time I'd have

those on my table every day we've got champagne in the fridge I always love a champagne lunch to be perfectly honest get you through I don't think we're gonna need to get through this one I'm so excited about this one today we have decided to put on a big festive feast for someone who is special. She's special. Yeah. She is an international superstar who not only we know as an X Factor judge,

but she was the lead singer. The lead singer of Pussycat Dolls. She's been in Cats musical. She has just come off Broadway doing a musical. A one woman show of all musical hits. Amazing.

So maybe we can sing again. Maybe she's going to do one over here. We could persuade her. She's also, probably the most important fact, is Moana's mum. The voice of. Do you think she's Moana's mum? We make our nest from the fire.

I think that's her part. Do you think? I want to. Okay. Basically my daughter has been... I said, guess what, darling? And Moana's mum's coming over and she went, is she bringing Moana?

I said, no, I'm sorry, but I wonder whether she'll sing for her and that'd be amazing. I think we're going to have a bit of singing in this one. I hope so. Mum. Yeah. You know some of Nicole's songs.

Do I? Yeah. Don't you? Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me. Is that her song? Yeah. I thought it was Jodie Marsh. Didn't she wear a thing that says,

don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Let's pour the port. Let's loosen the, I don't know, whatever. Let's get on with it. Nicole Scherzinger, coming up. Come in, come in, come in. Are you hungry? Yes.

Good job. Good, because you're getting a Christmas dinner, basically. Jessie George, please. Right, so I've poured you fizzy, but would you like still? You guys are so cute. I can't even take this right now. I feel like you need to just put your feet back and just relax. You've been working hard.

Simon Cowell's been working really fucking hard. I'm happy because I'm a very family person. And so for me to come to your home and you to have me here, and especially for you to have your mom, because my mom is my everything. So I'm already like, you got me in the most chill, relaxed mood. Speaking of your family, you are part Hawaiian orian or i am hawaiian ukrainian filipino the food in the philippines well i want to know about the hawaiian food yeah so i didn't grow up in the philippines i was born in hawaii and so my mom is hawaiian and ukrainian and then my bio yes my

biological father is filipino so my mother had me she got pregnant with me when she was 17 yeah and then um and so yeah I was born in Hawaii but um which island is that oh okay so I've where have I been to Kauai? I went to Hawaii. The one she went to a really expensive hotel. They're shut in Hawaii. Cheers, darling. Thank you for having me over. Merry Christmas. I love it.

Happy Thanksgiving. Wait, eyes. You've got to get a look at the eyes. So, yes, you have this really interesting melting pot of so many different heritages. Yeah, I do. But what's your favourite kind of cuisine out of all those heritage like who's cooking when you were younger well my mommy always cooked always cooked so I love um my mom's cooking I'm definitely I grew up eating rice with every meal because we're Asian right okay and um

our family has a lot of recipes of like uh one of my favorite dishes or dish that i could actually make is oyster chicken so it's not oyster but it's you know oyster sauce so it's like very like oh nice asian dish with lots of vegetables is it oyster mushrooms no it's just yeah yeah yeah yes like that okay got it yeah yes it's like not oysters but oysters it's the brown sauce i don't know it's so confusing it's like they they when they when you go to the sushi restaurant they call it eel sauce you're like is there eel in this you know what i'm talking about it's that brown sauce you're like is there eel or is it just the sauce that goes on eel so yeah so um yeah my mom has a lot of we have a lot

of family dishes that i grew up with her. And then I love Hawaiian food. What is it? I know a lot about pokey. Yeah. Is that Hawaiian? It's not just that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Spam.

They like spam. We love spam. Why do you like spam? Tell me how to cook it properly and to enjoy it. Fry it up. Really? Just fry it up. It's so good.

Do you have a tin of spam in your eye cupboard i grew up with it but i don't eat it anymore would it bring back like memories of kind of childhood and it smells so good have you ever eaten spam oh my gosh is it like corned beef yeah i used to do corned beef sandwiches and i did like that yeah no it, it's more, it's ham, isn't it? Spam. We don't know what it is. It's kind of like minced up ham, and then they compress it. Yeah, it's delicious.

We have this thing called Spam Musubi, where you take, it's like Spam sushi, so you take the Spam and you put it on rice and wrap it in seaweed. Oh, that sounds great. That sounds great. It's so good. Like seaweed, like how you have it with sushi you know that sounds like a little um a little what's it what they call the hand rolls yeah yeah yeah lovely so are you on the same island as president obama yes really did you know him no have you have you met him yes is. Is he fabulous? He's great. He's lovely.

Him and Michelle. I really like Michelle as well. They're lovely. Yeah, she's wonderful. Did you talk about Hawaii? I don't think we had time. I think it was during his Hope Change campaign. So I was there with my friends Will.i.am and other friends in the industry trying to help push that campaign and support him.

And I've met him him i've went to the white house because i work very special uh very closely with the special olympics so i got to see them again there in their own home um at the time so but yeah hawaii have you been there mom's been i haven't oh yes that's right you've been to kawaii no it wasn't like you're saying say hawaii again so say it people say hawaii but it's not right the actual correct pronunciation is hawaii hawaii all the devils are used to pronounce the v hawaii or you can say hawaii hawaii well i'm my daughter's gonna come back from the park soon and And I said, listen, Moana's mummy's coming. Sina.

I fought for those five lines, guys. I fought for them. Can you do them now? No, you're going to have to do them when she comes in. I don't even know my lines. You got to sing in it, right? You sang that one bit. Did you go, we make our best from the fire?

Is that you or not? Sweet inside. Yes. The wind Sweet inside. Yes. The sun is high. Yes. Yeah. Cook up the meat inside. The village believes in us.

That's right. The village believes. The harmony is good. Oh, I can't. Oh, my God. I love it. It's her favorite. Oh, I love it so much.

We have to watch it every day, really. Oh, my gosh. She's going to be so happy. I was so proud. I fought so hard for every day, really. Oh, my gosh. She's going to be so happy. I was so proud. I fought so hard for that role. They always kill off the moms. She was very silent in the mom act. They killed off the grandma this time.

But they kill off the mom. They're usually, Little Mermaid doesn't have a mom. Yes. Many of them, if you go back, they don't have a mom. Yeah, none of the Disney's have a mom. They had her written.

They killed her off. Why did she need to die? And then they brought her back and I begged for it. I was like, please, I want to be a part of this. I want to be a part of this I have to be a part of this so were you involved in like when did you see the script before it was kind of because it was like so top secret but we had been talking to them for for for years and years and I just was relentless because my family was relentless my family kept saying they're doing this you have

to be a part of it because everybody who's a part of it was Polynesian descent you know you have to be you have to stay true to your roots it's the story of our people where we come from so I was like you guys have to get me in this I don't care is it based on a true story or a myth a Hawaiian myth the myth and and do you know Lin-Manuel Miranda then I mean I met him actually no I met him in uh in in New York when he did uh Hamilton on Broadway so fantastic yeah it's that is like rearranged the DNA of musical theater so I feel like you could be one of the um the women in it i would you want to i love that i'm i'm such a massive fan actually andrew lord weber told me all about that musical before it was even out he was like you have to see this wrapped musical i was like you're into

a wrapped musical and then i saw it and i just fell in love with it I saw it several times and um yeah I I actually just did a I love musical theater we do too I grew up in theater so I just put on a show in um in New York City for the Broadway community a tiny little show invite only and then a couple fans came and I got to sing it was an intimate evening Broadway night with came and I got to sing. It was an intimate evening Broadway night with Nicole and I got to sing my favorite song. Okay, give us your favorite. You probably don't know that. We probably do.

Try us. We probably know that. We're a bloody couple, so yeah. So there's a song called Losing My Mind. Who's it from? Which musical is it? I forget. It's The Sun Comes Up, I Think About You. The Sun Comes Up. I think about you.

I know the song. I think about you. Oh, got this one. I want you so. It's like I'm losing my mind. Sounds like a Gershwin or something. All afternoon doing every little chore. It's Sondheim.

I thought of you these days. It's Sondheim. Which one is it? It's Gorgeous. It's Gorgeous. I think that a couple people covered it like maybe Liza covered it okay Pet Shop Boys probably covered it but I love that song it's very close to my heart um losing my mind because I I think mostly I'm losing my mind most of the time um and then there's another song called um oh gosh is it unusual way do you know unusual way for nine you you're right maybe i don't know any of these okay um i'm singing don't cry for me argentina okay i know that i'm singing memory

because you have been the pussycat haven't you well? The pussy cat. She was Macavity, right? She was the pussy cat. I was Grizabella. Grizabella, sorry. In Cats. Yes, here. You were the aging one, weren't you? Yes. Mum, that's rude.

She was. She was a grey pussy cat. I love her. Oh my God. It was aging and she went all grey and she's sad and she's old. Yeah. We do get to sing Memory. Yeah.

So I sing Memory. Because that's what old people do. They have memories, Jessie. Yeah. It was perfect for me. No, not for you. It fit me well. You were young.

Was it amazing being in the West End? It was. It was one of my proudest moments. It was. You know, the life we live, it's crazy. It's like a roller coaster. And I've gotten to do many things and see many things and perform many places and in front of and for many people. But I love the theater.

It's my sanctuary. And there's something very sacred about it for me. I really love the thought that it's not for show. No one's filming you. No one else would ever get to see that, experience that. For that moment. For that moment. And you completely can.

I always say I died of myself every night on that stage because I was actually going through a breakup of a seven-year relationship. And no one knew. And of course, because I always keep everything so private and I couldn't talk about it because the relationship was so public. So I was able to die of myself every night through my character, Grizabella, and she gets to be reborn again at the end. So it was like the most therapeutic, cathartic thing for me.

And so it really was quite a beautiful healing process for me as well. And I really loved it. I don't use the word proud very often because I'm very hard on myself. I've always been a perfectionist. But that I was very proud that Andrew asked me to be a part of that and the work that I did in it. But do you feel like needing that stage and that sanctuary and that escape was almost a reaction to kind of being such a household name um and you know I feel like you I mean you're an international like singer superstar but then also you became one of ours um being on x-factor and everyone kind of adoring you

and so was that like do you feel like it it was a perfect tonic to that where you know you're in the daily mail every day yeah everything's getting written about you so but like do you still enjoy doing x-factor and it does it or did it i kind of i don't know the chronological order wherever it was like there's just different we wear many hats yeah you know yeah i mean i look at you and i low-key freak out because i listen to music oh please shut up really oh my gosh i i i've played i'm sure everybody has but this song i i discovered it late but say you love me oh it's a good old it's an x factor audition number isn't it people do it but it's like it's

it's one of the most brilliantly written songs and if i must tell you the person who introduced me to your music was prince jesse shut up shut up no i'm gonna die what yeah I didn't know about you until he played you to know you I feel sick are you kidding me I'm serious oh he loved your music and he was very oh my god he's very selective and I would always say how do you how do you know this music how do you know these people and he says they find me oh sorry I wish I knew him man i mean that's just that is honestly you you're an hour late but i forgive you for everything i forgive you that is that is good thank you oh my god nicole i'm speechless i love prince so much i wanted to make sure. I have like such a crap memory and I wanted to make sure. And I'm so sorry for being late.

I was doing my work at X Factor. Oh no, at traffic, at X Factor. I blame Simon Cowell. It's fine. He could show up whenever he wants, but we have to be there bright and early and just wait around. But I love Simon though. He's been great help to me and my family this year. I love Simon, though.

He's been a great help to me and my family this year. And so, but yeah, I was in the car thinking, wow, I know this woman's work from Prince. So are you going to be here for Thanksgiving? Yes, I am. Do you celebrate it? Oh my gosh, I'm American. Are you kidding me?

so what are you going to do? I'm going to Simon, Simon and Lauren's oh of course because Lauren's American isn't she? yeah so she invited us but he's not vegan is he? that's what everyone says it's why he's so slim maybe he is yeah I think he looks great

so you're going to go there I'm not vegan are you bringing a dish? Are you one of the kind of people that likes to host? And do you, I mean, do you cook? I can cook. Will you bring a dish to Simon and Gav? If I have to.

I have an extremely busy week. I think we're going to do gift exchange, so I'm going to bring fun gifts. But normally, if I weren't, I'm coming straight from rehearsals and we'll go back to rehearsals. So what are you rehearsing for? The reunion of the Pizzagatos.

Woo! Don't you wish it. Major. Major, guys. It's major. It's my Australian accent. So are you all in London rehearsing? No, we haven't been together in 10 years.

So when are you meeting up? The girls arrive tomorrow. Are you a bit nervous? Wow. Absolutely. I'm shitting my pants. Why are you shitting your pants? I'm not nervous because I love being on stage more than

anything but we're performing on the finale and i have yeah so that's next saturday and i don't even know what we're doing and we haven't been together in 10 years so you're gonna have to do all your hair is it gonna be a medley it's gotta be a med. Is it going to be a medley? It's got to be a medley. It's got to be a medley. That's okay, isn't it? Yeah, and then I think that I want to tease one of our new songs. Who's been producing them? People, all different people. It's just great. It's whatever feels right, you know?

That's how it is. So will you be wearing the same sort of outfits that you wore originally? I think it'll be, we won't completely derail off that, but it's going to be PCD 2020, right? Right. So I'm still figuring this out right now as well. So I've got to go after this, create the compilation for it, the medley. So, I mean, are you nervous about being with the girls again

in the sense that kind of dynamics? Or is it just going to be so easy with them? No, we've not been together in forever, but those are my girls. And also what's so beautiful is that we've done a lot of growing up since then. So it's about like really, if there's no better time to actually lift each other up and be there for one another i mean especially this time of women empowerment i mean that's what it's all about right if you're gonna talk the talk then you better walk the walk

so i'm excited for us to come out and see you know what we're going to be doing in our our tours next year so is this the start of a big reunion this is amazing yeah so you're getting together for the x factor finale and then that's the beginning of two hours bloody hell um yeah so that will that will launch and kick off um the release that we're going to come back and do a reunion tour and how you got together you were kind of put together were you not you auditioned for the dolls you put um and was it jimmy ivy and you were on his radar as a solo artist almost or how did it how did it all work out truth be told i was in a group before called eden's crush yeah and that came from a show called pop stars which

i think you guys had here so before that i was was in a rock band, an acoustic rock band. We toured with Foo Fighters, Bush. I was like all black, goth. I sang like... What, rock and roll? Well, I'm a rock singer. Are you? Absolutely.

But I sang really like these Celtic chants. And I have this whistle tone. Evanescence? No of not really it was chanty I was really inspired by this artist named Lisa Gerard from this group called dead can dance have you ever seen gladiator yes yeah she did the soundtrack for that oh wow okay it's quite stirring okay yeah yeah so um so anyways pop stars I um so how'd you go from being in a goth band to then yeah so i was in a rock band and then i was looking for a solo deal and then my mom we lived in kentucky was like oh my gosh they're coming um they're they're looking for a girl group and you should audition and I was just like mom

I I used to wear all black and I was in theater but by the way she's now in like all snow colors looks kind of like an angel so yeah I was like mom I am not in a car okay and I sang like musical theater you in Kentucky um so I was born, musical theater. Where were you in Kentucky? So I was born in Hawaii, and then I ended up in Kentucky because my mom met my dad, who was in the Army. She met him, I think, when she was in Indiana, and then his family's from Kentucky, so we moved to Kentucky, and he adopted me, which is why I have the last name Scherzinger.

Okay. So he raised me. Okay, and are they still in Kentucky? No, so once my g-ma, my grandma passed away, Okay. So he raised me. Okay. And are they still in Kentucky? No. So once my g-ma, my grandma passed away, then I moved my family back to Hawaii. And are they happy there? It's Hawaii.

Yeah. It is the most beautiful place. But we do try to go back sometimes. My sister lives in Tennessee, which is only a couple hours from Kentucky. So I spend a lot of time still in the South. Wait, where was I? Because I go all over the place.

Kentucky. Pussycat Dolls, you say, no, mom, I'm not auditioning. Yeah, so then cut to. Pop stars. Cut to, I'm leaving work. My boyfriend at the time, we drive, you know, six hours to Chicago. Where were you working? I was working at the Lancome counter, putting makeup on people.

Did you like it? No. Okay. I always rather be singing. It wasn't horrible. It was nice. I like helping people. And so we drove in the middle of the night, I stood in line 5 a.m and I auditioned

and the reason I auditioned because they said whoever gets to be a part of this group that we're moving you to Los Angeles and putting you in a house and I come from very humble beginnings there would be no way in the world I would know how to get to LA I'd made I did I'd gotten everything myself I'd gotten my own car and everything, but that was like a big thing. I didn't know anyone from LA. So I was like, let me audition and see what this opportunity brings to me. And I went to them and I said, I'm shopping my solo deal. I already had my demos and everything waiting that I created in high school and in college. And I earned my spot in the group Eden's Crush. And that brought me to LA. And the one of the girls from Eden's

Crush was auditioning for Pussycats. So she came to stay at my house. And she was telling me, oh my god, these the biggest people Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, are putting together a girl group, and it's dance and singing. And I'm like, well, that's my background. I come from musical theater. This is what I do. And so I went, and I called my people, and I was like, how do you get me into that audition? And they're like, they've been auditioning for months,

and this is the very last week. And they've wendeled it down to, like, seven girls. And I was like, get me in the room. So I go into record plant recording studios in LA they had people you had to dress up like a have a snack cabaret clothes which I never dressed in count like clothes like like burlesque yeah like I didn't know like anything like that because I was quite reserved growing up I'd done like musical theater where you wear like certain outfits costumes but I went out to Victoria's Secrets I splurged I bought of like a top and then I went to

forever 21 I love you yeah show your best but yeah I put some pinstripe pants on and a white top and then I sang my song acapella what song did you sing it was an original song and it was like no nobody knows uh tell me why i used to cry it was just like a real beautiful just singer songwriter song right and they didn't even want to see me they're like stand right there That was your own song room. Um, someone else had, okay, fine.

It was a massive room. And, um, they didn't let me take two steps in and they were just like saying, and I sang, they were like, can you dance before I knew it? I took my top off.

I had my Victoria's Secret number. Yeah. I flew that. I think the CD of this music came from my armpit, flung it to the thing. I think it just flung straight into the CD of this music came from my armpit, flung it to the thing. I think it just flung straight into the CD player across. And I did a dance to Pink Panther. Pink Panther?

Yeah, like a Bob Fosse-inspired dance. Oh, my God. Have you watched Fosse-Verdon? No, I haven't. It's so good, Nicole. I love Fosse. It's so good. Michelle Williams is...

I don't think she has time to watch the TV. Oh, yeah, no. She's on good. Michelle Williams is... I don't think she has time to watch the TV. Oh, yeah, no. She's on flights. I don't watch television, but I watch anything documentary that I can. Anything. Like, I'm kind of obsessed. Well, this is like Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell, and it's a biopic. No, it's honestly, don't look sad.

It's so... Why is she up drinking a wine saying, yeah, I'll miss that? Oh, I thought it was like a documentary. Like, I thought it was like old school. It's really good Why is she up drinking a wine saying, yeah, I'll miss that? Oh, I thought it was like a documentary. Like I thought it was like old school. It's really good. Is it? It's really good. Is it?

Here's Prince coming in. Here is Prince. There he is. He knew you were here. Yeah, he was named after Prince because we went to see Prince. Oh. Just the Prince. Yeah, we loved him.

Should we eat something? Because I'm hungry and I think we should get into it. Yeah, let's get into it. Should we eat something? Because I'm hungry and I think we should get into it. Yeah, let's get into it. So whilst mum is just sorting out the Christmas dinner, which we hope isn't too dry, but we do have gravy, we know that you're pretty healthy

and this is a relatively healthy Christmas dinner. I'm not that healthy. Okay, I love it. Fine. Great. Perfect. you're pretty healthy and this is a relatively healthy christmas dinner i'm but you can have that health okay i love fine great i mean i my favorite thing is a sunday roast oh great brilliant and for me well i only eat chicken or y'all don't do turkey but for me it's just about a juicy chicken it's about perfectly cooked potatoes and like i put my swimming cap on oh you get the gravy and i put my whole bathing suit on and i just dive in and i'm swimming around in the gravy i'm serious okay great well then this could work quite well for you i love it makes me so happy does it oh it's soul food for me is that the reason you keep coming back then sunday roast yeah that's the reason. So what's the food like in Kentucky? So for Christmas, we always do the same fixings.

We do turkey. We'll sometimes do turkey and ham, honey baked ham. Oh, I could hear the Kentucky in you then. Ham. And ham. We do dumplings, chicken and dumplings. What are the dumplings like then? It's just like flour in like yummy, creamy chicken sauce broth.

Oh my God, this sounds like nothing I've ever had before. It's so good. Chicken and dumplings, broccoli and cheese casserole. It's just like broccoli swimming around in cheese. Cheesy broccoli, yeah. I don't know how to really serve this because there's so many dishes. Should we do a few dishes on the table and then just, you know... Okay.

Will you have turkey? Yeah, I'd love turkey. Okay, perfect. Fine. Great. And then if you want, there's a bit of nut roast that you can have if you want. What's a nut... A nut roast.

Well, you're probably going to have that at Simon's house. She doesn't want that. It's vegan. Nut roast. No, she doesn't want that. She's not a veggie. It's basically the option for a vegetarian or a vegan when they're out having a roast. Oh, I'll eat it all. Okay, great. I'll eat it all. It's almost like a stuffing. It's lots of nuts. a vegetarian or a vegan when they're out having a roast. Oh, I'll eat it all.

Okay, great. I'll eat it all. It's almost like a stuffing. It's lots of nuts. Oh, okay. Oh, wow. I've never heard of that. A nut roast.

That sounds fun. Mum, you've made a bit of an effort today. You've got your John Lewis beaded placemats. You've got your baubles out. I always like my baubles out, darling. Oh, my God. That's the cutest thing i've ever seen nicole loves my russell my roasted brussels sprouts mom oh my god so these are roasted

brussels sprouts with this is amazing oh i'm so happy right now you don't understand how happy food makes me oh good i can see that looks like heaven okay so we've you've got a bit of everything oh this is one of my favorite things about this country. We don't do this in America. Roasted root vegetables. We don't do like parsnips and turnips and stuff. We do like carrots and, you know, green beans and things like that. Yeah, well, you know, we've got...

This is full on. Yeah. It's everything. I apologize in advance for the food coma you're going to be in after. Bring it on. Okay. I love a good food coma. I feel like advance for the food coma you're going to be in after. Bring it on. Okay. I love a good food coma. I feel like you have got good table manners.

I feel like you are so appreciative of the food. What is good table manners exactly? Well, I mean, everyone has different opinions, but I don't know. Jessie, this is bread sauce. You've probably never had it. Have you had bread sauce before? No. Is that gravy?

No, that's just an extra condiment that mum makes. It's like bread sauce with cloves and milk and onion. Yum. And it's just kind of... I'm going for it. And bread, darling. And bread. I'm sitting over here with my swimsuit on, ready to dive in.

So, good table manners, I mean, everyone thinks that things are different. I don't know what good table... what does that constitute? I mean, that's the thing. Everyone has a different opinion. I will tell you this. I think I have good table manners. I didn't grow up in a fancy upbringing, okay? So, like, I did have a dinner last night

and there were so many utensils around the dang plate and I was like, well, which one do I go? Were you like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman where you were like well which one are you like julia roberts in um yes pretty woman where you were like which one do i use babe i was i was and i was like oh that's there's so many yeah but i don't know i don't think that constitutes as bad table manners that you what you don't know but then i they told me you got to work out in and then there's that one thing that's just sitting at the top that's the pudding yeah isn't it why would they do that it's like you got five you got 10 courses coming that's just sitting at the top. That's the pudding one, isn't it? Why would they do that? It's like you've got ten courses coming.

You know what, that's quite a good point, actually. So, by the way, help yourself to all the bits and bobs. This is so exciting. Okay, fine. Can I do something? No, you can just help yourself to whatever you want. That's what you need to do. I'm going to.

Don't get scared because I eat y'all. What are these things? These little purple things in the... They're grapes. Grapes? Grapes. Wow. This is so cool.

You know what you all have that we don't really have in America too that I love is mulled wine. We have mulled wine. From Waitrose. They've sorted us out with everything. Thank you so much. What's this? That is red cabbage. Have you ever had red cabbage? I'm going for it. It's very sweet, it's delicious. Oh it's sweet, okay. So we have turkey with sage and brioche stuffing from Waitrose and Partners. Mum has made her own forced meat stuffing then we have Brussels sprouts with grapes and hazelnuts and thyme roasted potatoes roasted root veg red cabbage a sweet potato what would you call it a casserole with marshmallows gravy bread homemade bread sauce and a nut roast somewhere so got to try the bread so can I put some on your plate I'll just put it and it's really good with the with the turkey oh

shit okay well then you're having it I love it Nicole's serving out right a paper serving up perfect well happy Christmas happy Thanksgiving oh happy Nicole shares about you oh right I'm so excited. Oh, you even have cranberry. My mom loves cranberries. Bon appetit, everyone. Bon appetit. Oh, God, you're like a princess. You need to be in more Disney films, I think.

Oh my gosh, this is so good. I like it. Wow. It's just simple. It's in my mouth is what it is. It is. It's exciting. My mouth is having a party over here, guys. It's in my mouth is what it is. It's exciting. My mouth is having a party over here, guys.

It's so good. This is bloody good, mom. Is it, darling? Yeah. I never doubted you, but it's great. Thank you, darling. It's really great. This is the best, some of the best turkey I've ever had.

Oh, good. Well, love it, darling. That's huge to say that because that's all we have is in my family. It's heaven. It is really bloody good. Isn't it? Mm. Oh my gosh.

We're asking everybody in this series, we used to ask everybody what their Uber rating was. Let's go for it then. Well do you take Uber? Babe, yes. Do you know what your rating is? Can I tell you? Guys, I'm really good, but then I wasn't good.

A couple times, she likes to have a little drink and go out dancing. But what happens after that, when she likes to have a little drink and go out dancing? She must have Taco Bell. So I will make my Uber driver drive for hours to find an open Taco Bell, and then I will eat all the Taco Bell and leave. And the Uber. Leave, like, a whole...

What are you ordering when you're going to Taco Bell at, like, three in the morning? A seven-layer burrito, chicken maximal, chicken gordita, chicken burrito supreme. I don't know anything about Taco Bell at all. Like I don't, I've just seen them. Is it your, so that's your kind of fast food of choice? Do you like Mexican food?

I love Mexican. It's the best, it's the best hangover food. We also, so we haven't found out your Uber rating yet. And actually you're the first of the series that I've decided to ask but we have been asking every guest on this series what their karaoke song is and i feel like you're going to be able to tell me immediately is it a musical song no what is it is it a rock song i will survive oh okay either that or what's up from 491 what's going on that one that's a tune so i want to hear you do this kind of music with with a roast potato in her mouth in my mouth still can blood

you've got such a great voice four nine blondes it's like a proper like 90s. Baby you love me. So did you love Alanis Morissette? Obsessed. Jagged Little Pill, one of the best albums. Track 13. Which one was that?

I went to your house, walked up the stairs. I noticed the letter that said, That was the note, that was the note! You said hello love, I love you so, love. Me, me and me and I. No. It wasn't my writing. My better girl soon.

What am I writing? So forgive me, love. I cry and shout. Just food in my mouth. I love you so much. You know that song, right? Yes. It was like, it was the fucking broken hearted one.

Obsessed. Because you're going to have a big sing to that. Oh, yeah. The love that you gave was a thing. To be open wide. Yeah, it's fucking great. Now, I kind of want you

to do a record. Why don't you do a record like that? After, post the success of the new Pussycat Dolls record. I've done tons of music.

I just never released it. I sing everything from like Phantom of the new Pussycat Dolls record. I've done tons of music. I just never released it. I sing everything from Phantom of the Opera. I've sang with Slash on his album, Alice Cooper. Oh, wow. I just love music. Okay, so let's go back to that audition process where you are going, you're whipping, you've got your pinstripes on,

you've got your Victoria's Secret spesh on. And they are at the end of their auditioning process. And then you become the lead singer. Like you become the person that writes songs. So then we had to do a final audition. And that's how I earned my role to do the album with Ron Verr. What was that like? Was it like a right sing-off with all the girls?

No, it was like just a performance at johnny depp's uh viper room sick why was it at the viper room just like old school that was like the where they started the dolls it's just really old like like the history there you know is that oh really okay so that's like so it was quite like grungy yeah real rock and roll. How old were you when you were in the Pussycats? My first group, I was 22. And then my second, I think at the Dolls, I was around... At my rock group, I was 19. Touring the country, 19. And then Popstars, I was 22.

And then the Dolls, I think I was around 25. You've been... You've done a lot now I'm 80 years old you've lived a lot Nicole I have but it still feels like I'm just as hungry and I'm young than ever like I'm hungry to I feel like I haven't even

started what I'm supposed to create and what I'm here for so where next? after the reunion because that won't sustain you forever will it? no

I'm really excited I've got my stuff that I'm working on my music but I'm wanting to release it a different way it's just more of a reflection of my life what I'm working on, my music, but I'm wanting to release it a different way that's just more of a reflection of my life, what I've been going through, more like art projects, right? More creative way of doing things.

So I'm working on that. My dream, I would love to do Broadway one day when the right thing comes along or if I could create my own musical. So are you going to bring this um this musical one woman show to to the UK yeah when have you come no because it's it's uh gonna be like a really intimate thing it'll be December 8th and 9th if you want to come wow yeah I'd love to absolutely I'm so excited is it just you and the piano piano? No, it's me and the piano and a band.

Great. Where is it going to be? I think, I'm not sure, but I think we're doing it at Boulevard Theatre, which is a new theatre. It's never been done before. Okay, but why are you doing it so small? Just to kind of test the waters? Or are you going to do it... No, because I'm doing it for me. I'm doing it for the people I want to invite.

I did it, if I'm honest with you, the reason why I did it is because I wanted to go out for a few roles that they wouldn't see me for. And it shattered me. And I was so pissed off. And I was like, you can turn me down after you've seen me. And they wouldn't see me. Do you think they had a they just

have people have preconceived notions that i want to give you a shot so i was like andrew lewis is a huge fan so i was like let me let me educate you let me educate you it's not your fault it's my fault i've not educated you yet so that's what i decided and I was like what I love more than anything is singing and communicating through song and telling these stories and really connecting with people it sounds so cliche but I love it so much to my core and so I was like what's keeping me from singing all the songs I've ever wanted to sing why do I have to wait years for auditions or anything? Why don't I just put together whatever I want to do and sing everything?

I sing opera in it. I sing all types of stuff. I do some batshit crazy stuff. And I just put it together on my own and found my beautiful musical director and have a band. And I didn't know what I was doing and got together some of my

closest mentors and was like help me not suck so much and we put it together so I think I guess I'm saying this is like if you really want to do something don't wait on anyone else do it yourself so I'm musical I'm so grateful that's what I've been wanting to do but I've been so I'm so grateful. That's what I've been wanting to do. But I've been so, I was so scared and I did it. I remember P always told me, whatever you're afraid of, then lean into that because that's what you're supposed to be doing.

And so I did it and I was like, dear God, I pray I didn't make a big mistake and I got really positive reviews and stuff. It was like Tony Award winning. So I was like, okay, so I'm going to bring it here and just invite a few of like, I don't want it to be too big

because I don't want it to be like Gaga has this amazing show where she does show tunes and stuff, but it's so, it's about, it starts to turn into something else. And I want to start it out. I also, if you start to get into big theatres, then I'm going to have to start bringing dancers and doing other things. And that's not what I want to do right now.

I want it to, I want people to feel like they're right there with me. Last supper. Do you want pudding? Yes, do you want pudding? We're going to offer pudding you can have it we've got it so jesse made oranges with quantro which are quite nice and fresh so just oranges in quantro with a bit of syrup and it's in this snazzy generous um it's like a liqueur wow and we've

we've got a john for derma this could be like a palette cleanser, shall we say. This is fancy. I have whipped cream in my home. The delicious Heston Blumenthal. Big and port. It looks like a cheese. But it's a cheesecake. Oh, my God.

This is heaven. I am taking a picture. We've got some options. You can have a bit of both. I want it all so I last supper starter, main, pudding or dessert and a drink of choice

hit me I love food so every course has to have courses with it my kind of woman I was in Australia doing a show and I told my team course has to have courses with it. My kind of woman. I was in Australia doing a show and I told my team I was eating dessert and it was done and I said,

dessert should always come in courses. Are you a sweet person? I just love food. Who gets one dessert? No, I like it when they offer a trio at some places or a medley, yeah, I like that. So, okay. Okay.

So, there's a particular oyster that I love, I think, from France. So, I would start out with oysters. Anywhere you've had them in particular? At a restaurant called Milos. Where's that? Regent Street. Okay. It's a Greek restaurant.

The best oysters I've ever had. Oysters. Never heard of it. Amazing. Go on. That's it. Not the vinaigrette? No, no vinaigrette. A good oyster doesn't need that. And do you push it up with your tongue? Like that? That's what I got told when I was doing catering when I was younger. No, that's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to massage the oyster up into the roof of your mouth with your tongue

and kind of go, mm, mm, mm. They were messing with you. They were full on. I've never heard that. Because it's actually really unpleasant, to be fair. That's disgusting.

It's disgusting. I would not like it then. Oh, no. A salty tongue or something else. Anyway. No, no, no. You would love this. So then, and some balik salmon.

I love balik salmon. I love balik salmon. What's balik salmon? It's this way, old Russian way of smoking a salmon, but it's in fillets. Where do you get this? At the caviar place. Oh, as you do. Yeah, cool. As you do.

Heaven. So we have that. And then we'll have, oh, white truffle pasta. Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay. I don't really know the difference of the taste with white and black ones. Oh, white isuffle pasta. Oh, yeah, okay. Okay, I don't really know the difference of the taste with white and black ones. Oh, white is way better.

Really? Yeah, white is like really fragrant. Would you like a little bit? I would like everything. Do you want to try this? Oh, my gosh, do you want me to do that? So, yeah, you're having like... You take it for yourself.

You're having preemies, you're having secondies, whatever. What's that, the crust? Yeah, it looks like a breadboard isn't it going for it that's cute um right okay i'm going to give you that as a little palette cleanser um right so um so we're on to white this is exciting i've never i've never had this well to be fair my mom said i did it wrong so i just go she was a bit angry with me it's just oranges just like really easy mum i didn't do your recipe right i like it i can't taste the booze i can't taste the booze maybe you should put more on i did put more on i mean it's like nice oranges whatever it's lovely the oranges are great thank you babe um so is that are we on to your main yet or not?

White truffle pasta and then a beautiful fish. I don't know if it's a tuna from Hawaii. I don't know if it's a Chilean sea bass or I don't know if it's like a nice Mediterranean sea bass. Salt baked. What about... Sides? What would you have with the sides? Oh, gosh.

Sides. A side of prosciutto and mozzarella with tomatoes. Yeah, fine. Good. Prosciutto is great. Good. This doesn't make sense. I love that.

And then, yeah, so then my dessert would come in courses. Cheese and bread. Oh, you'd have that first? And crackers. Mm-hmm. And then we'll have a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. Okay. From anywhere in particular?

This thing we have in LA called Doughboys. Even Oprah loves it. Okay. So good. Doughboys. Really moist heaven. Just like literally with your swim arms on. Just hanging out on the side of it.

literally with your swim arms on, just hanging out on the side of it. Then some chocolate truffles and then banoffee pie. I understand you. I like your palette. I think we're quite similar. What's wrong with it? We should have dessert in courses. And what's your drink? All different wines.

Okay, you're doing a wine tasting menu too. Yeah, so let's do the wine. Fine, love you. White. We're doing a wine tasting. Yeah, fine. Then the red, some sherry at the end, dessert wine. Yeah, so let's do the wine. Fine, love you. White. We're doing the white tasting. Yeah, fine. Then the red. Some sherry at the end, dessert wine.

Yeah. Thank you so much for coming. Thanks for coming. This has been so epic. Now, Nicole. Oh, that's beautiful. Everyone gets a tea towel. Oh, what is this?

So, everyone gets one. When you're a guest on Taperman, Oh my God, thank you. So, yeah. Get it. That can be your new Pussycat Oh my God. Thank you. So yeah. Get it. That can be your new pussycat dolls outfit. That can be the skirt. The whole dress.

The whole thing. Well, we've opened a bottle of bubbly. And as Gaga would say, I can throw my glasses away. I've seen it all. Prince talked to Nicole Scherzinger about me. I nearly cried. I didn't know what to say. I was proud.

My eye makeup was all over the place. And I think Nicole was doing this. You know how you do it when you're doing a favour to somebody when they try and, like, wipe their eyes? Because my mascara was all smudged because I had welling up eyes. And I think she was trying to gently say to me that my mascara was everywhere. Darling, do you think her makeup was professionally done? Well, she used to work on a makeup counter.

So maybe it was her own. No, of course it was professionally done. But to be fair, I don't think she needed much makeup. was she is beautiful she's just kind of gazelle like isn't she well she's got the best figure i was bloody best appetite too and she ate like a horse lover knew i'd love her just such good fun do you know what she was jesse what positive there was no negativity there no no negative and like a real can-do attitude and a bit of a kind of like and this is in the most positive sense of the world like real ambition and i love it i love that she's still trying to make it on broadway or you know she's going and doing it i think she's made it you know, she's going and doing it. I think she's made it. I know, but she's still...

She doesn't need to try them. I know, but then to her being like, right, how do I get to do a showcase? And then she just goes and does it. I love it. I love it. She was so lovely and she was so appreciative of the meal that we cooked.

I know. And, you know, it had been sitting there a while. Thank God it came out all right. Oh my God, thank God that they had like sous-vide the... The turkey. So it was honestly the most moist thing i completely would reckon i think i'm gonna get a sous vide mum for christmas thinking about that they're quite cumbersome though jesse not till you moved out but honestly that there's no space blew my mind it was so tasty yeah i thought she was an hour late and it was still moist that word's been said a lot

that bloody word thank you so much to Waitrose and Partners and John Lewis and Partners it really has been quite special and we felt like the hosts with the most so thank you so much

a great dry run for the old 25th absolutely So thank you so much. A great dry run for the old 25th. Absolutely.