That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Suranne Jones

Episode Date: January 3, 2022

Welcome back and a happy hew year!This week Gaby chats to the award winning actress Suranne Jones. They discuss the news that her most recent show “Vigil” on BBC One was one of the biggest dramas of 2021. She gives us an insight to the new season of Gentleman Jack (out later this year) and they talk about her other huge TV shows from Dr. Foster & Coronation Street to Scott & Bailey and her extraordinary performance in the west end's play, Frozen (not the musical). Suranne talks openly about her personal struggles with anxiety, what she does to help herself and how it’s so important for us all to take care of our mental health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to that Gabby Rosin podcast, part of the Acast Creator Network. Happy New Year, everybody. Now, my guest this week is the award-winning actress Saran Jones. We sat down just before Christmas to have our Natter. She talks with such honesty, passion and enjoyment. We discussed the news that her most recent show, Vigil on BBC One was one of the biggest dramas of 2021. She gives us an insight to the new season of Gentleman Jack, out later this year, and we talk about her other huge TV shows from Dr Foster and Coronation Street

to Scott and Bailey, and her extraordinary performance in the West End's play, Frozen, Not the Musical. She talks so openly about her personal struggles with anxiety and what she does to help herself, including meditation. She discusses how she feels that it's so important for us all to take care of our mental health. We also have a huge gift. about farting. She speaks so beautifully about her life, her family and her job, and I could have spoken to her for hours and hours. I do hope you enjoy this. Please can I ask you a favour? Would you mind following and subscribing, please, by clicking the follow or subscribe button. This is completely and utterly free, by the way, and you can also rate and review on Apple Podcasts, which is

the purple app on your iPhone or iPad. Simply scroll down to the bottom of all of the episodes. I know there have been quite a few now. And you'll see the stars where you can tap and rate and also please write a review. Thank you so much. The two of us trying to do tech. Your lovely husband, Lawrence, was setting this up.

And honestly, and then the producer said, press a button. And I just thought, yeah, I'll just say, yeah. I wasn't short and I pressed the right one. No, you were like, between me and Lawrence, and I'm sat upstairs in my wardrobe. Yes, so much. by Christmas presents that I'm like, oh, God, this is all too much. And then Lawrence is going, look, I'll sort it for you because you're going to be an absolute mess.

And then when Conor asked you to do stuff, you just went, yeah, got it, yeah, fine. I was like, oh, she knows everything. But you did radio, you know every button everywhere. Well, yeah, but the thing in radio is it's so easy these days. So 100 years ago when they did it, you used to have to do this and press this and press this. At the BBC, you put some faders up and down and you press a few. At Virgin, you just press next. Really? What that's like that? So you do that now? You just do next and then you speak and then next.

Yeah, yeah. It's hysterical. I mean, at Virgin it couldn't be easier. The BBC is slightly more complicated. But still, it's not that difficult. But I do love tech. Do you? Oh, I see. I'm just a total technophobe. I love words and I love obviously, you know, the creative side of me. But when it comes to anybody wanting me to get online or even, with scripts, Gabby, I'm like, you know, everybody now is on iPads. And it makes me nervous when people, when actors come onto set and they've got their iPads or they've got it on the phone. I'm like, oh, I need paper. I need to be able to write something. I completely agree. So I have, for my, for anything, I have a running order on TV or radio. I have a running order in paper.

Yes. And I have a pen. And sometimes, and it's going to make me sound old, but I don't care. sometimes the younger people look at me and go, what are you doing? I'm making notes with a pen. With an actual pen so that I can see I've done it. I think it's about, and I'm sure if we both stop being grannies and just move to complete tech,

it would be the same. But there's something about writing something down. And it's about, you know, the same with journaling as well. If you put like, you know, your positive affirmations, there's something about writing something down, using your hand to write something down. it that kind of commits something for me.

So when it scripts or, yeah, itineries or changing times or, you know, if you're in rehearsals and you now don't come in from stage left, you have to come in from upstage right. I think it helps my brain to see that I've written it myself. And I don't know how that would be, I'm sure there's apps that, you know, you can kind of. Yeah, but interestingly though, as an actor, you'll take, you're, when you're in rehearsals, you're constantly taking notes, I imagine. So to find those, you won't find them on the page, I suppose, you know, like you say, there are ways to do it. But there's something about you hearing it from the director, you then walking it through, working it through, and then you writing it down.

Sort of gives you those three layers that it's going in. Yeah. And I, you know, maybe I'll stick to that until I'm ancient 90-year-old, hopefully still acting, doing little bits and pieces. Oh, you've got to. You've got to. that ageism has got to leave your crazy industry. I was actually reading a post this morning, acting your age campaign,

and just reading about there was somebody who was cast, who was only six years older as the woman because they weren't casting a woman who was really in her 60s or something. And I just thought, that's madness. I know, I know. But it's always been the same, isn't it? And I think, you know, there's a lot,

God, this conversation could go very deep, but I think there's a lot of things that we are paying lip service to change. And, you know, there are lots of movements and there are lots of moments, but actually, you know, for things to really change, we have to look at, you know, how ingrained they are historically in us

and in the systems. And I think we just have to keep fighting for those changes and not think that they've been done because they really haven't, you know. No, they haven't. They really haven't. Gosh, I won't say on here, But when I see you in real life, I will tell you about some of the ages recently that I have witnessed and seen and heard.

It's just shocking. Anyway, on to nice things. Weirdly, so I get broadcast magazine. It's not weird, but the weirdness is about to happen. So I get broadcast magazine. And so I get my updates every day and they send out emails and the whole thing. And literally two minutes before I logged on to record this with you from broadcast magazine. It came up that vigil alongside line of duty were the two biggest things this year.

And I don't know if you've seen that, but they've just announced it. So congratulations. Thank you. Oh, that's nice. Oh, we're having a vigil success dinner. And I can't make it because something came up. And I said to them, I mean, I don't really drink, but I was so planning on raising a glass of bailey's or a little Nana Sherry or something. Because it's so special when something breaks through.

because it, especially with vigil, I think everyone needed that kind of weekly excitement, you know, and part of the storyline was a bit ludicrous, but who cares because it's drama and it's what people needed and the water cooler moments that we very rarely get because everything is available on, you know, as soon as one's released, then they're available. I mean, right now I'm watching Succession, which you can only watch one a week. Oh, my God. Oh, it's so good, isn't it? Love it. Yeah, and the morning show. I, that, one of the morning. a week. That as well. They're so good and I think that I love being a part of something that where you have to wait because the binge watching I think it sometimes spoils the community part

of watching telly. You know when you get to talk about it during the week or you say oh I can't wait or have you seen or you get that build up and and I think there's something really special and I hope people continue to hold off because otherwise we're just binging everything, aren't we? Oh, yeah, I completely agree with you. We had the same conversation because, so my 14-year-old loved Vigil, my 20-year-old who's at university,

she was watching Vigil. My husband, he doesn't watch the same things as me. He really doesn't like the same things. Vigil and succession, fun enough, for the two things. And it was the fact that my daughter was away at uni, we would speak before. I know you can't speak now. Mom, go away.

Come on with vigil. But that was so lovely to have an appointment of you. Yeah. Oh, thanks. Yeah, I really feel, and I, Gentleman Jack,

which is out next year, is going to be the same. That's a weekly thing. Of course, yes. Yeah, I love it. And I think TV, you know, sometimes I actually, well, I saw you at the theatre,

didn't I, the other day. Yes. And, you know, wasn't it nice to all stand round, albeit with masks, but, and like, just be appreciative of something we've all seen. And at the same time, we were all part of it. Yes. And I think that's what the weekly TV thing does. And I spoke to one of your friends afterwards. And I, and I'd seen her before. And I, I always say, when I'm at these big dues, like I was at the Woman of the Year awards. And, oh, God, some of these women were just mind-blum.

and I sometimes feel like acting. I don't know whether you feel like this at all with what you do and I just feel like, oh, am I like, I just feel a bit like, am I doing enough? But I think the entertainment part of our job and the telling stories part of our job, you know, whether we're acting it or reporting it, it's really important. And I have to remember that, you know, I know we're not saving lives, but there is something really special about giving people representation of themselves and an entertainment. And yeah, your friend really reminded me of that. And I thought, yeah, because it was the normal heart that we went to see.

And it was just so special, wasn't it? What a show. What a show. What a show. But you know what's so incredible? And I feel the same because when people say, you know, they'll mention what I do. And they'll say, oh, you've been a presenter for 35 years ago. Yeah, sorry.

And I don't know why I say sorry. It's like, it's silly. And I hear so many actors, you know, like you who have, you actually, thank you, because you have transported us to a different world. I mean, I've met you a few times in real life. And I think you are an adorable person. We've talked about shyness because I'm deeply shy. So the idea of going off to some awards things always makes me very sort of shut up.

It's sort of shudder, I get shy, and we talked about that, and we will later. But also, thank you for all the things that you guys do, because in the pandemic, when everyone was having a tough time, and I know you were having a really awful time, but you helped us to escape what was going on. And yes, if it meant that we were all out of breath because you were stuck in a submarine and we all were screaming at the television. But that was, that it's what we needed. It's a bit of fun. Yes, we needed you to, you and other actors to take us away from the reality. And we do need that. So what you do, and I will stand by shouting from the rooftops about how important the entertainment industry is before and after what we've been through the past two years.

But it is. And the job you do is actually really vital. Yeah. And I think we all felt that, especially. with the theatre closes because, you know, suddenly, well, and, you know, the restaurant closes as well. Suddenly we weren't able to meet in groups,

which is what human beings need to do. We need that social connection and we need, you know, to experience each other. And, you know, like with a show like The Normal Heart, you know, it tells us a story about other people's human experiences that we wouldn't necessarily necessarily get to know about unless they were told to us. And, you know, and the same with you,

you know, the shows you've done or the people's lives you've reported over the years. We really need it because otherwise you're only getting your own experience. And like you said, God, you know, we've all had such a crazy two years that I'm really pleased that I'm starting to see some friends and I'm starting to go to the theatre because I was a bit nervous about it, to be honest. Yes, so was I. So was I. I suffered with anxiety anyway,

and I didn't know what the right thing to do was. Because I've been working for two years because of COVID. When you're on a set, and this still applies, the restrictions are still really in place. So I'd been, even when people were coming out of the restrictions, and I was still in this little bubble where everyone was still wearing masks and we were being very cautious and, you know, people were still giving each other space and we were on a strict three-day-a-week COVID-testing regime.

And so I wasn't, when I stepped out into the real world, only a few weeks ago I'd finished filming Gentleman Jack, I was like, oh, gosh, it made me quite anxious to see everybody wondering around without masks on and stuff. And I didn't quite know how to fit in. And I think, I mean, again, it's a bigger conversation for what actors who take on large roles, like with Vigil and I am Victoria and Gentleman Jack, which is what I've been filming during the pandemic. You're so absent from your life. And it's quite scary because all my jobs got kind of concertinaed into one because of COVID and my dad passing and, you know, lots of things that had gone on.

And so I was just away. I was in Scotland and then I was in Yorkshire and even kind of coming back and taking my son to school or or driving my car or, you know, getting everybody ready to get out of the house this morning. You know, those kind of things made me really anxious because I was suddenly back in the real world. It's really funny, isn't it? Like, this job is wonderful and I'm very privileged to do it, but you are really absent from your life when you take on big roles like I do. So, you know, it's interesting hearing that because I think a lot of people, I remember going to see a friend on set. And when I got there, they said, oh, look, I can't see you until, do you mind waiting four hours?

And it was fine, I completely understood. And then afterwards they said, nobody seems to think, they seem to think that what you watch on television just it happens. Yeah. They don't realize that there's actually work involved. you have to be separate from your family, as you were just saying. You can't do the school run. You can't do all of those things. You also have to be up at the crack of dawn every day.

You have to learn. You're like all of that. But there are a lot of people who just sit down and go, okay, it started. Lovely. Okay, there we go. That's your job. Oh, well, you take that takes a couple of minutes. I don't think people realize, and you use the word anxious and anxiety.

And there's a lot of it in your industry as well, because you have to take yourself away. from reality and create another reality for all of us to believe. Yeah, and I think the parts that, you know, we play, some of them can be, you know, quite emotional and like you said, the lines that you learn or the guilt that comes with it. I mean, you know, if we've talked about this before, about the mum guilt, we exchanged some messages last year about feeling like, you know, you're not doing enough and, you know, the, oh God, the FaceTime conversations, thank God for FaceTime.

time. Yes. You know, where I could, at the end of every day, I could speak to my little boy when he was in the bath and I had that appointment with him and I knew that that's, you know, when we were going to chat because that's when I just finished work and he was in the bath and or at breakfast when I was having my hair and makeup done because my makeup girls kind of got to know him and that was all part of my morning routine at quarter to seven just before he went to school. But you really have to make these moments count because, you know, it eats you up. And I'm taking a great break now. And I am just loving the things that people take for granted. Like, I love taking him to school and I love picking him up and taking him to his drama class or his swimming or whatever. And yeah,

it's just, it really makes you appreciate the beautiful small things in life because I like my life to be small and contained and thank you for all your joy, particularly on Instagram. I'm not really on many other things, but you're really good at this at just pointing out the joy in life. And it's really lovely to see because we need more people to do that, I think. Like joy of what you've already got is important. I think we all take a lot for granted.

I know for years I took a lot for granted, but I do think, I think that the past two years has reminded everybody about what's out there. And you said, you know, you lost your dad almost a year ago. I'm so sorry. Thank you. And it's horrific time you went through. We know far too many people who died of COVID. And I love to everybody who's gone through all of that.

But it does remind us of those special things. And whatever those special things are, nobody's judging you on what your special thing is. It's right, you know, I love the beauty of colour and somebody else will say, oh, do you know what I found? I loved birdsong. Yeah. And lots of people might poo-poo it years ago and saying, okay, now you do. And it's those moments of stillness, those moments like you say, talking to your your baby boy when he's in the bath every night, those were your moments and they were precious and they were joyful and they were chatty and I'm sure you laughed and I'm sure you had those moments of, oh, look, there's a bubble on your nose or whatever it is. But those things are

so pure and precious. And I do get that you really appreciate. And I said, gosh, I don't, I don't suppose we use that word enough, but you really appreciate what you have. I mean, you and Lawrence, now I know Lawrence from a hundred years ago, but you and Lawrence and your baby boy and the jobs you have, I get the feeling that you are unbelievably appreciative of what you have and very, very grateful. Yeah, it takes work, I think. I think, you know, I spoke about this before, but I, in the morning I will meditate and when I don't meditate, I really miss it because I think taking, as soon as you, you know, open your eyes and I put on like a meditation, meditation and it will either have some positive affirmations or it will ask me to visualize

my day and with clarity usually all I ask for is a little bit of joy and to to get through the day, you know, being present and it really helps Gabby. I think that those 10 minutes are just mine and, you know, then I'll have a cup of coffee and I'll, you know, read whatever I need to read and maybe I'll do a little stretch. And it really sets me up to, oh, and I do a journal. It's called a gratitude journal. And all it is, it's three lines in the morning and three lines at night. So you say how you're feeling in the morning and then a reflection at night. And it's so, when I look back on them, because there are times when I've had a lot of darker times in my life. And I have my old journals from those darker times before I saw doctors and realized, you know, that I needed a little bit of help.

And now the simplicity is the thing that I go, wow, I just needed to strip it all back. And to, you know, I'm making it sound very simple because we all know that life isn't like that. And like you said, we've been through a lot personally. And we're coming up to the anniversary of my dad. and my mum's death, actually. They both happen around kind of Christmas time. So I'm not saying that time will be easy, but it does help to be grateful for what you have.

I think it's as simple as that, really. And if you start there, then the harder things are slightly easier to deal with, I think. Do you know, some of the things, though, that you've put yourself to do, I remember going to see you in Frozen on stage, and it's not the musical. Not the musical.

No, but I want to do a musical. that'll be next that'll be next but gentleman Jack the musical I just think the character just be amazing

write it because you're a writer as well but when you did Frozen on stage and you and Jason were so incredible and I was I couldn't handle it as a piece of theatre

and I mean that in a good way because if anybody you saw it they'll know exactly and it was it was it was tough watch it was incredible and it was powerful but you were going through stuff in your own life as well and and i only knew about that afterwards when i interviewed you but but goodness me you your your gratitude and your simple things and yet you take on this you do take on

heavy i mean dr foster as well that it's the heavy i mean very heavy things to to being you know Gentleman Jack, which isn't as heavy, but it's a very huge role. But you do take on a lot. Yeah. No, I do. And I think after both Dr. Foster's and they're the Frozen. And then Gentleman Jack, I think I learn a few things about myself that actually I'm quite a joyful person. I, you know, I love a giggle and I love comedy and I love.

And sometimes, you know, the perceived or the persona you create within your work sometimes can take over. And you are then drawn to those things just as much as you are offered those things. And if you don't take a step back and go, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This isn't what I signed up to do. You know, I started with Karen McDonald, who was hilarious. You know, she was always throwing a pint of Steve or, you know, doing crazy shit. And I, you know, that was fun. And I did some comedy and I started off in musicals.

And I'm like, oh, where's the joy? So when I went back to Gentleman Jack this time round, it was hard and there was, you know, a lot of things against us, but the character is joyful. So I really tried to hone into that. And also, it means so much to so many people that I honed into that side of it. Because I knew I was creating something that was really important to the eight, LGBTQIA community and our fans and they, you know, were there all the way supporting us as we went through it because obviously so I've had a baby during that time as well as what happened to my dad.

And, you know, it was a real joyous moment to finish that job and, you know, go, wow, we did it. And I think moving forward, you know, Lawrence and I have got about, you know, five or six things on the slate that we are just waiting to hear now, whether they're going to be. go to Greenlight and they are all things that we really want to do and we've really invested in. And I said to my agent, I want to do a family show. Like I want to do something that I can take my boy to. I want to do a silly Christmas film. So I really looking for those moments where, and I think as well, when you become a mom, something changes within you. And I think it's taken a bit of time for me to catch up with who I am. So the mum part of me, because I've been away and because

I lost my parents, I've had to do a little bit of rearranging with who I am and find myself again. And the caretaker within me wants to now make sure that I am doing work that is going to look after me in lots of different ways. So, you know, I think you're right. And I think I think as an audience, we like to watch those big emotional things, a big emotional dramas. And I'll still do them, but I just have to make sure that there's a joy in doing it because that's so important, isn't it? I mean, I love the idea of you doing family stuff. So I've seen you away from, you know, the acting, yes, you do. The roles that we've just mentioned are really heavy. I mean, obviously not Karen in Corey. And that has over 20 years ago that you... I know. I'm so old. Stop

bit. Shush, shush, shush. Shush. Shush. You're not. But also, that wonderful, because yesterday when I was sitting down and doing all my research and looking at stuff, that I was properly in hysterics, and I called my youngest downstairs, and I said, just come and watch, come watch Suran as a velocin actor. I was laughing so much. And she said, oh my God, that's the actress from vigil because she was, like I said, 14 years, she was obsessed with vigils. They, all the kids at school were mad about it. It was so lovely

that they were mad about that and not just an American thing about high school. But honestly, she was laughing so much and I just looked at my God, I mean I thought it, I thought it was very funny. I was watching her. She kept playing it, I'm playing it last night. She thought it

was amazing. I'm essentially very stupid. I mean, that is really what I am. Like, you know, Lawrence has put up with me for seven years. He'll kill me. I always forget how long we'd be married, but I think it's seven years. And, you know, I am, I'm stupid.

I like silly things. I don't, like Lawrence always says, that what makes me properly laugh are people falling over and being stupid. Oh, me too. It just, like, that is my sense of humour. I'm daft. And I, you know, the intelligent stuff doesn't seem to get me.

I think it's very clever, but it doesn't have me belly laughing, you know? No, that's so funny because we always ask in the podcast what makes you belly laugh, so let's go with that bit now. Yeah. So falling over is my, we always talk about it in the podcast because either people say farting or falling over. Yeah.

And those two together, there's a double whammy for me. Oh my God. Yes. If you fall over and it makes you fart. That's amazing. And I've also, I live with a five-year-old. So that is, would keep us going for me for me. the whole weekend.

Yeah. Or a sneeze and a fart. That's brilliant. Yes. A fart that catches you out, yeah, is always perfect. But somebody, we, one of the very first ones of the podcast we did, gosh, nearly two years ago now, was with Robbie Williams, which is still one of my favourite things, because he completely lost it when he talks about the fact that he was running and he fell into a manhole.

Oh, God. Oh, God. My friend fell down a manhole when I was witnessing it. And still, those things are just joyful. The Vicar of Dibley, you know, Dawn falling down that, it will always make me laugh. Del Boy, leaning on the thing, it will always, yeah, always make me laugh. And, you know, whenever I've fallen over, Laurence, actually, he really remembers this. I was, I don't know, I think it was icy, so it must have been maybe the Christmas before last.

and I was on, I was looking up, last minute Christmas presents, I'm sure. I have a very big family on both sides. And Lawrence had gone to put the money in the car, you know, the pay machine. And he came back and he was completely white and all wet down one side. And he said, did you not see that? And I went, no. And he was running back to the car, but slid on the ice. And he must have just gone by the window and just like skidded right across the car.

park as I'm just like noncholately looking on my thing and then he the oh god when he came back to the car or I remember this other time when he went to buy me some oat milk and we'd gone around about five different places um to get oat milk and um he found it and he was so excited to show me that he found the oatmeal he knocked on the window of the car and he opened the door into his own face and smashed his glasses on his face and dropped the oat milk and it was just hilarious And then he got a mark on his eye from doing it that he'd think he's still got a bit of an oat milk scar. But Jesus, those are the things. He'll kill me for saying that I'm just laughing at him.

Oh, no, I know. I went on somebody else's podcast where my eldest daughter said, Mom, I listened. All you did was laugh at me. But you've fallen downstairs. You've fallen over when we've been ice skating. And it gives me great choice. Yes. Thanks, Mom.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, like I said, I live with a five-year-old who is obsessed with his bum and Willie. So, you know, there's always, there's always a bum or always a Willie that's running past a door. Yeah, so much fun. You've got to do a comedy. I know. You've got to do full-on physical comedy. Well, I did, so I did this series, a Charlie Brooker series called Touch of Cloth. And I think you can still get it on Sky. And it's so stupid. It's like, um, uh, it's like, um, uh, it's. You know, the airplane type humor? Brilliant. And it's so silly. And when we were filming, it's me and John Hanna are the leads in it.

And it's basically a complete piss take of any police procedurals. And when we were filming it, Jim, the director, wasn't really directing. He was just keeping control of these stupid actors who were laughing all day. and I would say Oh, Jim, do you think as I walk into the pub I could just do like a star skiing and I'd roll over the car

and he'd go, yes! And he all stayed in because it was just ridiculous. Oh, fantastic. So if you haven't seen that, do look that up. And then I did a Brian Pern episode where I play

his wife, Astrid, which again is stupid. It's about a rock star that's like a mockumentary And so I've done them I just tend to be known for the trauma But yeah but now

But you said you and Lawrence have got lots of Plans and Ideas and you're wasting for the green light You've got to One of them has got to be like a comedy Musical Oh yeah Write that now Yeah

Because you write you write as well And you have ideas Was it Scott and Bailey That was your idea wasn't it Mine and Sally's yeah And yeah And then We talk about

took it to Red and then the brilliant Sally Wainwright was interested and then she ended up taking it and then Sally was supposed to be in it with me and then she had her boys and got off of Matt Pleasant so but then she became my sister in it and we got the brilliant Leslie Sharp and that was actually you know Scott and Bailey it's rerunning now and people keep texting me about it and that was fun you know it was it was I loved it yeah because of the friendship. It was really warm. Yeah. And there's not ever really been anything like that on TV where there's a strong female friendship at the core of it. And I think it'd be, it'd be great to do something like that where, you know, we saw two strong women who just loved each other. Because

I love women's company and I love seeing, you know, women get on. And because, God, there was a time, you know, we're talking 90s, where lots of things happened. And, you know, you would often see women at each of the throats or the bitchiness. And I really love seeing, you know, a girl man's. What do you call it? I know you call it a bromance, but let's call it a girl man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I love seeing that.

It really warms my heart because I have that with my friends. And I actually think with social media, we've got better at promoting each other, haven't we? you know, I think for the group side. I think, yes, women supporting women. I think everybody should be kind of, quite frankly. Yeah, of course. Because I think there's a side of social media and the side of the press as well. And good God, you went through that and it was just crap.

And just your private life is, I mean, I say this all the time. On this podcast, I do not want to know about people's private. It's not anybody's business. When you close your front door, unless you choose to let the camera. is in and share and do a reality show. And if somebody chooses to do that, good for them. I'm not judging anybody that. But your private life is your private life.

And I do find it extraordinary how the press and social media now, obviously because people do let people in, that it's just, it seems to be open market. And what you've done is so brilliant, you've just said, right, I'm stepping back. I have a baby boy, there's no secret. I am married to Lawrence. And thank you very much.

When I close my front door, that's what I do. And I have so much love and respect for you for doing that. I think it's brilliant. I think we needed to because when you do your promotions and stuff, there's an element of, you know, I want to share some of my life with the people that watch my shows because I do feel a real connection. And I think social media can give you that. And, you know, how we've watched television, how we've,

promote our shows and how we connect with our audiences change vastly. I mean, actually mind-blowing in the last, what, five years, I'd say, it's really come on. Like, you know, like you, you know, you said me being in Corrie 20 years ago, that feels like yesterday to me when there was only, you know, a few channels that people got excited about and really the only interesting things that happen in Manchester or Corrie and Man United. But, you know, the world has changed so much. And now everyone's in everyone's business and everyone's kind of, you know, promoting each other. And there's so much love to be found in any community. But yeah, I think I had to just keep a little bit back for myself. And for Lawrence and

for my boy, just so that we had a separation between what I do and then what goes on in the house. Yes. Yes. I think it's brilliant. Yeah. And it feels really good. But it's, but, you know, I'm 43. It's taken me a long time to do that. What I do feel is me. missing from our industry is some kind of mentor system at the beginning of people's careers. I mean, I'm mentoring with BAFTA at the moment on a one-to-one basis. But I'm talking like, you know, when someone joins a show or, you know, when someone gets a new job and they don't know about the industry, it would be great to have people looked after a duty of care that I think might be missing.

Because I'm sure over a cup of tea We can talk about lots of stories From when you were younger And from when I was younger That actually I wouldn't talk about on here Because exactly what you've said It gets blown out of all proportion And then ends up a headline

But there will be And it's nobody's business But the mentoring thing I mean I've actually You say you're doing it I've just started doing it as well For young presenters And I just think

Because these days it's very different I mean, I started 35 years ago in January. And when I started out, there were four channels. Yeah. And also there wasn't this obsession with fame. I never thought, there was no, there was nobody said, do you want to be famous? There was no reality television like it is now.

There was no somebody going on in a bikini. And if you want to go on Love Island, good for you. Yeah. You're honest about it. That's fabulous. But there was none of that around to say, right, what I want to do is I want to create my own brand. I want to be famous. It was very, very different then.

I think if I was starting out now, I'd find it, even though that's all I ever wanted to do, I'd find it quite alarming. It's huge. It's sort of unstoppable machine now. I think the problem is the world has changed so much so quickly with technology and we haven't caught up with the duty of care. So I think that, you know, the mentoring, which is great. And I just think that life can be so fast and people want so much from us all the time that we actually need to implement something that looks after us while we're doing it. And it isn't frivolous and it isn't, you know, something that's like, oh, God, you know,

we're talking about well-being and mental health again. You know, I think we need to lose all of those reactions to it. Because, you know, it's as important as your diet. And, you know, most people now would say that, you know, a great diet is important. And we all know the exercise is important. I just think looking after people's minds, I think we're getting there. But there is still this thing of, again, it's the nod to it where it's like, oh, yes, of course, we'll give you some literature. And, you know, there's a number to ring or whatever if you're feeling a bit.

Well, that's not enough. You know, we really have to look after these people. And, you know, you mentioned the young people who are going on Love Island. And of course, it's a great opportunity for them. It's wonderful if that's what you want to do as long as you're supported. Because it can't be, you know, this fast, you know, the fast TV. And then people have forgotten about. It's not fair and it's not right.

and it's not healthy. No, it's really not. And also, it's very interesting you say people pay lip service to the whole mental health thing. I remember interviewing somebody recently, and they were talking about how they, every single day, they like to, at lunchtime, they sit down and they meditate and they chant.

And it was great, lovely, and how much it helped them. And I read somebody coming back on Twitter saying, I can't believe that Bleep said that they chant, what is this world coming to? And I thought, instead of getting angry with this person, I know it's about them because it was such a negative thing to say. But it did upset the person that I was chatting to. So we chatted it all through.

And she said, but now I feel stupid for chanting. And I said, no, what it should do is it should empower you to feel actually for you, chanting for 10 minutes in the middle of the day, making sounds, and it grounds you and it makes you feel good. That person doesn't know about it. So instead of it making you feel bad, think about that person, think about hopefully they might,

even though they're laughing or they think it's silly, they might just one day try it and it might make them feel better. Yeah, I look it up, yeah. Taking the negativity and letting that drown out the positive things you're doing, realize it's not about you, it's about them. Yeah, and I think anything that is alien to anybody, it frightens people.

You know, so, you know, an initial reaction to poo-poo whatever someone else is doing is sadly quite normal, you know. And I think there's a lot of talk about being your authentic self and how we get there. but I think it's really important and I think that there will always be negativity found everywhere and it's it's about tuning into what makes you feel good and really I feel that that for me the simplicity has worked because there's too much life is too overwhelming and it's too noisy and it can really bombard us with all the information that we've got so I think just stepping back and you can step back when you're super busy

you know you can do the two things it's just about finding time and so I applaud you whoever your friend is for well yes it's quite a well-man person so they were on the show so I'm not you know they were fabulous and they still do the chant I'm a great believer in smiling every day

I think the first thing you should do is smile because my God it makes you feel better yeah and and can we just go to Gentleman Jack because I know do you know when this is going out when Gentleman Jack is going out. Do you know when they're releasing it? Mid next year, I would imagine.

Okay. There's quite a lot of work to do on it with it being a big period piece. But yeah, I would imagine mid next year. So, and it was interesting, you said that you feel it's really important to make that authentic for the community that are watching it and for everybody.

Yeah. So you've got, I love that you look at it like that as well, that it's not just, I'm going in, I'm doing a job, I'll do the best, and I'll leave. It's very important, all of the rest to you as well, isn't it?

Yeah, I think that all the shows that I've made this year in these strange times have been, you know, I'm Victoria was really personal and I needed to express that in, you know,

join it with my creativity and with Dominic, we expressed and then I spoke to Fern about what it meant to me. So it wasn't just a show, it was something, There was something behind it.

And, you know, as much fun as Vigil was, we did work with Isabelle, who directed the second half, and obviously me and Rose. We did work on what, you know, the characters alive and what that relationship is of someone formally identifying a straight, finding themselves in a relationship with a woman. You know, we didn't just kind of go, oh, yeah, you know, these are these characters.

This is where it's written. Yeah. because it was great that they put two female characters in quite a boyish, boysy show and gave them a love story. And Isabel directed that part, the flashbacks wonderfully. And I, you know, I'll be proud of that. I'm proud of the BBC and, you know, for representing properly.

And with Gentleman Jack, Sally takes the diaries and she finds the intricacies of this. relationship. And as you say, it isn't just the community. It's for everybody because anyone that has been different, anyone that's had to fight for themselves, anyone that's had to be adversity in any kind of way where they have, you know, had to constantly every morning pick themselves up and power on with pride and courage, which is what Anlister does. And Sally captures those moments beautifully. in this next season is about what a marriage, I mean, it's crazy to think, but, you know, in 1834,

what a same-sex marriage, albeit secret, was like what the challenges of society, how they managed to navigate that is mind-blowing, because it's a true story, and that she was a businesswoman. And, you know, and also Sally doesn't shy away from the fact that she was a big old Tory as well, which is very interesting because of the times, you know.

So it's really multi-layered and multifaceted, and we really love those moments where you can stay with the character and not shy away from it because it's a character-based piece. And Sally's writing is just like, oh, beyond. You know, it's so brilliant. For me, it's a little challenging because Annalister is so intelligent. So I have to really be on my... game. So are you.

Don't put yourself down. No, but she's like, there's an intelligence and then there's, you know, then there's Annalista. And I think when you're tired, you know, because you've been filming like 14 hours, and then she's got speeches, you know, she says 20 million words when

someone else would say one, but those 20 million words that she says are so interesting and every single one is like a musical note because of the way Sally's written it. So it's more about me go, take a deep breath every day and going, oh, okay, I'm going to go and be fabulous and intelligent and just basically a rock star, even when, you know, it's a Friday. And I'm like, oh, my God,

can I have a coffee and some chocolates at 9 o'clock in the morning? But it's brilliant. And, you know, like I said, to come out of the other end and know that I've created that and people are really looking forward to it. And it's so sweet, you know, like all the fans doing the cosplay or, you know, doing their, for anyone who doesn't know, cosplay, sounds a bit rude, actually, it's not. It's just people like recreating the looks of the characters by making the costumes themselves, which is great to see. And then all of the fan art, it's, that's what a community is, because everyone gets involved and I love it. Do you know what's so lovely talking to you is that I can hear the passion and the enjoyment.

for what you do, but also for life. And like I said earlier on, that I really get that you appreciate what you do. You appreciate life. You appreciate what's around you. And when you talk about things, I mean, I really could listen to you talking about all the things you do because there's, there's, actually, that's the other word,

excitement about it all. Yeah, I do get excited, yeah. But that's wonderful. Yeah. Well, you know, you're the same. It's, I mean, sometimes when you're in it, you know, and because I've done three jobs back to back, it's hard to stay with the excitement. But then when I come out of it and I've got my life back, I can see that it's really good work.

And then I get so excited about, you know, going to the supermarket equally because I haven't done it for a while and I'm like, right, what we're all having for tea? Lovely. So are you going to take, are you actually, you said you're having a proper time out, are you? I'm having a proper time out. I've got no. At the moment, I'm doing a no thank you policy, which feels great. So any offers that have come in, I'm just saying no thanks. I'm being with my family and I'll think about stuff in 2022. But for now, I'm just like, no. Good for you. Yeah. It feels great. You are wonderful. Suran, thank you. I really love chatting to you. And you, darling.

That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly produced by Cameo Productions. music by Beth Macari. Could you please tap the follow or subscribe button and thanks so much for your amazing reviews. We honestly read every single one and they mean the world to us. Thank you so much.