That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Victoria Smurfit

Episode Date: August 1, 2023

On this week's episode of 'Reasons To Be Joyful' we welcome the fabulously joyful actress, Victoria Smurfit, to the studio. You may know Victoria from 'Ballykissangel' or 'Cold Feet' or 'Bloodlands' OR from playing Cruella De Vil in 'Once Upon A Time'? Just some of her many many roles over her illustrious career. She's also about to star in the new Jilly Cooper adaptation, 'Rivals'. In this episode, Victoria talks about how much joy her friends and family bring her and how much laughter she has when she's around her children.She talks about her time in Los Angeles (the good and the bad) and why she's very happy to be back in the UK. Gaby and Vic also compare the cast of Rivals to a box of Quality Streets...standard. **spoiler** Danny Dyer is the strawberry cream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

and welcome to Reasons to Be Joyful. This week I am so thrilled to welcome a wonderful actress and all-round joyful person to the studio. She's best known for playing roles in Bally Kiss Angel and trial and retribution. I am, of course, talking about Victoria Smurfit.

Victoria radiates joy wherever she goes and is now my new best friend, quite frankly. I love her. I hope you enjoy our chat. Victoria Smurfit, this is a complete, not a joy because you are playing right now, you're playing with one of my friends. That sounds a really weird way to start a podcast.

But you are, you're in Jelly Cooper's rivals. Yeah. What? One, it's so fun. It's just an outrageous, every day is an outrageous experience because there's so many of us, a really good, juicy, big cast. And I think it was Dom actually who described as. This is the boy, the boy behind it all, the map behind it all.

The man-eyed it all. The genius behind it all who's bringing Jilly Cooper's novel The Rivals to Disney Plus to the screen. He said that the casting is sort of like a big tin of Quality Street. There's something in there for everyone. And there is because you've got Danny Dyer. So which sweet is Danny Dyer then? Oh, no.

I'd say, I feel like you'd have to be the strawberry cream. Really? The one where you're not sure if you like it, but you absolutely want it. power of them all. He's heaven. So what's David Tennant? David Tennant would have to be, I'd say, the toffee chocolate stick thing.

That's where I was going. Everybody wants it and everyone's going to fight over it. And everybody loves it. Everybody loves the chocolate toffee stick. What are you then as you sip your cappuccino? Okay. I'm... So your character?

I'm, yeah, my character. I'm probably the little bounty one with the coconut, the one that gets left behind, who doesn't have. Like being left behind. That's really sad. Yes, no, because she always, well, I mean, I'm talking from within the character because obviously I'm very pretentious. Is she, I play Maud, who is Maud O'Hara, who is Declan O'Hara's wife.

And it's the 80s, so it's all about the husbands and this, that and the other. But Maud was a massive star darling of the theatre. And even though it said in 1986, I'm sort of a little bit more boho 70s, because that's when I was a star, darling. It was all about me. And then my husband comes along and is successful. Suddenly he's the star. And she doesn't love it.

And she spends a lot of time acting out, trying desperately to get attention wherever she can, which, as it's the 80s, might involve touching people you're not supposed to when you're married. Flirting with people you're not supposed to when you're married. So is that the bounty then? Yes, it's sort of the fact. Because she feels like the bounty.

She's probably actually... She wishes that she was the one with the Nuss in the middle. Yes. The purple one. But she feels like she's the bounty ignored by everyone. Please go back and tell all of the cast. Please tell David Tennant that he's that. He's the toffee stick.

And that Danny Dias, the strawberry crete. I think he'd, yeah, he'd swear. Yeah. He would swear. Listen, Vic. Fuck sake. I'm the Toffee Penny mate. And he'd probably be right.

Oh, he would think that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that would be Danny Dyer. Love him. Not the character. Yeah.

Yeah. He's definitely be that. It's so fun. It's a ridiculously fun way to go to work. So when is it going to be on TV? Because we keep seeing a lot about it. And Julie Cooper's very excited about it. And that does sound...

This is a big clang, but I was sitting next to her recently at something. And she kept holding my hand and saying, isn't it exciting? Isn't it exciting? which I thought was lovely. Yes, she comes to set and she's having a ball. It's fantastic. Like, all these handsome men, darling,

I'm like, yeah, I know, this is great. She is a character in her book. 100%. And there is, she might be a little bit frailer on her feet, but the brain is 1,000% there. She's as smart as a whip still. So that's what you're doing at the moment and we're going to see it very soon,

hopefully on Disney. It's going to be massive around the world and there'll be more of that. He's God. But here you are filming in English countryside and the Cotswolds and all lovely, lovely. But there's that other side of you, which was you were America, you were L.A. You made that big change in your life. Are you pleased to be back here now?

Oh my God, so pleased. I mean, look, I loved it. And I'm kind of proud of the fact that I'm one of these nuk cases that just goes, yeah, let's change everything. Let's go. Because I always, I kind of don't want to end my days regretting. thinking about, oh, I wish I'd been brave enough to do X or Y or Z. We were in Ireland. I met my ex-hazim of the kid's dad in London.

I was living in London at the time doing, I think, Coffeyt and all sorts of different things here. And he said, I want to get back. I've always wanted to start a company in Ireland. So I thought, fair enough. Because you very rarely work from your front door as an actor. You're always, look, it's filming in Atlanta or Wicklow or wherever. So you go. So I thought, okay.

So funny that you chose those two places, but that's fine. I know, they're slightly random, but, you know, it's... So I thought, well, sure, so we went back to Dublin and had our three beautiful kids there. And at a certain point, we were there about 10, 11 years. And it was my turn, because I always wanted to live in LA since I was about... I think I went over there in a family holiday, oddly, when I was about seven, and just went, this place is magical. And it is.

And it's incredible. And I was really, really, really lucky to have been able to rear the kids there in Santa Monica where it was all everyone's so happy and positive and it's big sky thinking. And yes is the first thing that they say rather than, now you can't do that. No, you can't. It was really nice. So it really is like that. So the fantasy that people have, was the fantasy the reality then?

It was during the Obama years, which sounds very politico of me and I don't mean it to. But it was such a tangible change. when Trump came in, to your daily life in ostensibly wisteria lane where you're living, there was anger and there was conflict and there was, you know. It was that palpable. It was incredible. You know, friends you'd be meeting with because you'd get to know, you know, the schoolmoms or like you're so natural, which is what they mean by that is you're wearing no makeup and you should brush your hair.

Are they that judging? Well, in that low grade sort of, yeah, sure. But they wouldn't have been my friends. Right, okay. You know, eventually they got used to things like, so my daughter's going to come over to you, and I'm aware that you're Irish, are you going to only feed her butter and potatoes?

I'm like, no, no, no, but he actually really said that. You're all kidding me. I'm like, no. I love it. I love the engineer has just put his hands. Lovely Tom is in shock. Sorry, Tom, but yes. So there'd be funny little things like that that would happen.

You go, okay. But if your daughter drops her biscuit on the floor, I will get her to pick it up, blow it and carry on eating it. I'm like, oh my God, why would you do that? I'm like, it's my floor, it's clean, it's grand. So you were living in an American movie? To a degree, to a degree with some of the people you'd meet. And then you find your tribe and your tribe are very, you know,

they'd always think about when they came into my house, they were coming to Dublin. and so their rules that they have for themselves don't apply when you come into my house in Dublin which was in Santa Monica because there's thought I want to learn from the culture but I don't want to lose I wanted to bring the kids up in what I considered normalcy

even though we were living in this fluffy, mad, incredible world but when you'd meet some of the moms they'd be like I'm leaving my husband because he wants to vote for Trump And you're like, oh, okay. So it was, it was very divisive. Yeah, it was incredible. Or people say, well, fiscally, I'm for Trump, so I'm going to vote for him because I want to keep my money.

But obviously, I disagree with everything. So it was really fascinating time. And then. But you were working. I mean, you were. Yes, yeah, I was working. Big, doing huge shows. Well, I was very lucky I got to play Corolla deville for once upon a time.

And when I got that job, I went in towards. to play this lovely benevolent mother of a princess, just a delightful little puppet. And sort of three, four days later, I get a call saying the, you got it, the boys from once upon a time are going to call you. I'm like, wow, that's so cool. And they're chatting away. And I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on a second. That doesn't sound like the character I auditioned for it. And they were like, no, no, well, who am I playing? And they went, Corrella DeVille. I'm like, hang on, I auditioned for the benevolent princess. And you saw Corrella DeVille. Like, yeah. But what a role.

So fun. That must have been the best fun. So those housewives that said butter and potatoes and don't drop the biscuits, how would they about the fact that you were a star and that you were in such a huge show? No one cares. Oh, they didn't? Well, you're in the centre of it, right? So it's all around them?

Yeah, I mean, there'd be a couple. I remember there was a PTA mum who was very, she came up to me one day and she said, So my son tells me that you're going to go to, I don't know, like Budapest or something, don't know where that is, sounds very far away, to do some kind of TV show, and you're just going to leave your children for like five days. And I went, uh-huh. Yeah, and I just heard that, and I think that's really wrong, that you're just like going to leave your children. I'm like, so not that it's any of your business, but my kids are.

have grown up with me as a working mum and yes I am going to go to Budapest in Hungary to work for seven months to do a show called Dracula and I think what you mean is congratulations on being part of the 2% of actors that ever work at any given time

and she looked at me and I was like feel free the word is congratulations she went oh I mean yeah congratulations I said thank you very much and I just thought you are awesome Just no, just no, don't as one woman, don't belittle another woman for trying to put food on their kids' table. How dare you?

Oh, that type of, do you think? Just, I can't stand that type of person. I really, I don't like judgmental people. No. I really don't. The other one, which was really, I had to do an awful lot with judgy women, whether they were actors or PTA moms or whatever over there, is they come with their judgment and whatever slight or a lot. my favorite thing in the world to do is going, thank you. And they'd go, what? Thank you for spending obviously so much time thinking about me. I mean, I don't spend any time thinking about you,

but I really appreciate you spending that time. And they go, oh, because you must have done, because you're saying such things that are so damning and judgmental. So I'm figuring that you've just spent a lot of time thinking about me. And it was, and I taught it to the girls when they were going through, you know, the ugly evil young teen years where they come and get you. I said, just say thank you. Thank you for thinking about me. And it stops them dead because you're being very polite and being very kind. And you're saying thank you.

But you're also calling them out on their miserable blah, blah, blah. Everybody needs to be more Victoria. They really don't. They need to brush their hair for a start. Yeah, I love that. The first thing you said when you arrived here, oh, this place is cool. I haven't brushed my hair. Yeah, no.

I'm not cooling up for this place. I'm not an L.A. housewife, so I really don't mind. You can do what that hell. I can be as scruffy as a life. I'm not even tell you I never brushed my hair. You're naturally fantastic. No, it's always a mess. And who cares?

Just dancing the street with messy hair. But I can't get over that reaction. I want to, if I can't go back to Cruella, because is it true that your kids refuse to watch Emma Stone's Cruella? Yes. Because you, Cruella. They were like, on a loyalty point, Mum, we're just not going to do it. And I was like, oh, okay, fair enough.

Anyway, you should have been playing her mother. I'm like, rude, but yeah, fair. And I said, no, I want you to go watch it. They're like, no, no, no, no, you're our only. And it was just so funny because I'm sure she was absolutely really. But just the cuteness of that was lovely. So to be in a show that's that huge, and Dracula was enormous as well. And you've, I mean, I want to go back to Balikis Angel.

Oh, wow. I loved Balikis Angel. It was such positive, lovely entertainment. It was back in the days where, you know, the ratings mattered because everybody was sitting down. Together. Together watching the same thing. And it was kind and silly and the ridiculousness of life. And, yeah, it was a really, really, really nice show to be part of.

That's so nice to hear. Yeah. But going from Balikersenai. angel to the states, to these huge shows. So your life had changed so dramatically. And then, and I, you talk about this very openly and I applaud you for it, but you went through a very dark time with your, with your divorce. And I, I think you're the only person that I've ever interviewed or met who is so open about those horrible times. And I applaud you for that as well, because people keep so much in.

I mean, we've spoken to other people who are very open about, you know, David Harewood we've had on this podcast. Oh, what a heavenly man. Lovely, lovely guy, talking about his psychosis. And Tom Chaplin, who talks about really the awful time he had

with his addiction. But nobody talks about the breakdown that they had with the divorce. Nobody. So I applaud you for it because I think that I would have helped a lot of people. I mean, you were in a really bad way

that you said. Well, I think it was, I feel like it's important. Like the only thing that I rely on always are my very best friends. And we have a very open dialogue. We always say that what we spend on wine, we've saved on therapy, because there's just a very free, open sense of, I hurt, I'm scared, I'm confused, I don't know, help. And so I sort of feel like there's a sort of a responsibility as a, as a, as a

a human woman person who has lived for X amount of years, that there is no such thing as a perfect world and a perfect life and a perfect, you can have perfect moments and grave days and you can have all that kind of magic and you, I think it's really important to go, it's really, really, really good and acknowledge that because, you know, life is the ocean, it's up and down. It's right and left, you'd never know. And I sort of try and stay the leaf on the ocean so that I'm never buried by it. but there'd be moments where I've been buried by it. And I think it's okay to say it was bad.

It hurt. I didn't know how to. And I was 5,000 miles away from my closest people. I mean, the story that I've read and that has been shared so many times, and I know you've talked about a lot, so we're not going to talk about it again. But when you found yourself on a step and just cried all day and then went to pick up the kids again.

Now your kids are older, and they would have known that now, presume at the time. No, they don't. They don't. So they haven't read it? No, not at all. They've no interest. I'm joking me. No interest in my interest. Not. Which is great. They want to know where's dinner and I've lost my sports top. So, you know, it's, there's no interest.

But they were aware that mummy became very, very, very thin. Because you couldn't eat at the time because you were hurting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, your throat's locked so you don't. But, um, But no, they don't know any of that. And actually, I have to say, we've co-parented very well, and the kids are really... That's fantastic.

They're just magnificent creatures. They really are. They're hilarious fun. Evie's just done her last A-level yesterday. Oh, congratulations, Evie. Oh, she nailed it. I'm so proud. She came back in bouncing.

Like, yes. What, the exams are tough. My daughter's going through GCSEs. Well, I've got... My second daughter's going to GCSE. She's got a maths exam right now. Yes. Mine's just finished.

She just called me. Oh, God, gosh. Great. How to go for her? She said it was all right and she hates maths. Fantastic. It was okay. You know what? I think it's, I'm very anti-exams, but that's a whole other thing. Well, me too. It's got nothing to do with where they're going to go on, how they're going to find a little magic nugget that makes them them and career on, you know.

Where was your magic nugget? Ew. Oh, do you know what it was? I had, well, my mum used to always say, I'm, well, my mum used to always say, choose, you should be on the stage. But I would look at people who did the stage stuff at school and it was all, you know, tits and teeth and jazz hands. And I thought, oh, go. And it was quite shy as a kid and in public.

And then theatre studies came to the school I was at as an A level. And I thought, well, that's a kind of strategic business way to address something that could be quite emotionally terrifying. And the minute I went into that class... You thought like that at 16. Well, I did because I come from a very business family. So even though I was fascinated by it and I was drawn to it enormously, I didn't have the confidence. Right.

Because there was no, and then suddenly you go through this process of, I remember one day we had to pick up a set of keys and we had to throw it in anger. I was like, okay, and I picked it up and a fart against the wall and the huge part of the wall came off and fell down and went, oh, apparently I have some anger. All right, good times. So it was But you know It unlocked that sense of confidence And I think for all kids Everything is confidence

So if I ever run in with any of the school teachers Or anything that's going on It's about I don't care what your process is You're undermining my kids' confidence And it's the confidence that will get them Where they're going to go and find their path It's not going to be that they got Anay in GCSE maths

That's exactly how I feel Exactly I feel It's interesting you said that you were shy We talk a lot on the amount of, I'd say 95% of the people, because I'm very open about it because people never talk about it, weirdly, that I was painfully shy. And yet I can do TV in front of millions of people and do anything, stand on stage. But make me go to a house party, I can't cope.

I still can't, I go shy teenager. And it's so you saying shy as well. And yet every time I see you interviewed or meeting you today, I would never have done that. And it's interesting how as adults, shyness as a child, seems to be a superpower? I think so. I think I'm sort of fascinated by the idea that actually I spent a lot of my childhood watching

going, how does that dynamic work? How does that? How do you get to there? How does that, how do I work out what I want? How do I... Oh, that's interesting. You know, because I couldn't, I think I was lucky enough to grow up a very successful family, all of whom were business successes and still are, and they're

amazing. It's a particular mind set and mind track. And I didn't have that. I had the determination and the icy cold demeanor when necessary, which is actually giving me a career. Thank you, Karela, but is also, I had all this bubbling stuff that I didn't know what to do with, this stuff that sort of sat below my neckline. And it was very interesting that when, because I'd watch my mum and she'd be in the kitchen cooking and not going to the dues and not doing the stuff and not because it was 70s and 80s and not.

And I'd watch Dad and he'd pick up a briefcase and he'd go off and he'd come back with stories and things that he'd done. And just excitement. I thought, oh, I want that. but I also want to be able to cook. So how do I manage to do, I want to be able to nurture my family the way mum is,

but I also need to be able to pick up my briefcase, go out the door and come back with, this is what happened today. And that's what I'm kind of trying. That's what you do, though, isn't it? Yeah. That's what I'm trying to do. And it's such, I talk about this with my friends.

Like it's a really tricky one because you've, and mum said it to me actually when I was about 30 and I was having Eve and she said you know you're making a rod for your own back and I said what do you mean? She goes well you're a new generation of women I mean God you want to go to work

and you want to bring home the beacon and you want to make the bacon and you got to have the children and I'll tell you what the ones won't be doing anything about the children you know she said you're you're trying to be all things to all people when do you get to sit and read a book and I was like oh yeah no I don't get to do that

so it was and there's moments where I think Gosh, she was absolutely right. But it's very much how I want to show my girls all things are possible. Yes. Right? I'm cheering you. People can't see it, but it's through my arms in the air.

I completely agree with you. And I think a lot of women, the worst question I ever get asked and I will never ask it is how do you juggle things? Oh, don't. Oh, don't. Has ever a man been asked that question? Never. In the history of time. No.

Makes me so angry. Yeah, no, I know. You're a working mom. Oh, see, you're going back to those women again. Yeah, you're like, beg her off. Would you go back there? You know what I have? I've got some really lovely, gorgeous, gorgeous pals out there.

But I have, no, Zah. I'm like, done that. That's interesting. Right, okay, that's done. Move on. I'm much prefer. I'm not the type of person who likes to go on holiday the same place all the time. I'm like, seeing that, where's that?

So, no, done America, thanks very much. Onwards. And I'm so happy to back in the UK. I can't even tell you. And what's brilliant is the kids having grown up in 73 and Sunny are so happy. I'm like, oh my God, mom, it's so hot. Have they got a mountainous? Well, my eldest, Evie does.

My son's got a slightly mid-Atlantic. But my Ridley, who's 16, sounds like a North London road. roadman. It's hilarious. She's absolutely hilarious. So when we're going through the airport or anything, I've got a different surname to them. They've all got different accents. You've got a paddy and American, Northland. And they look at us like, what is this shara bang? I love that. But that's how that makes up families. That really does. Yeah. But also very exciting. Yes, you've gone through your really dark times and everything, but you're now engaged and you're getting married soon. I know. Oh, look at your first.

fate to the best man on my entire planet. He's just great. So a little bit of romance now. Tell me about him and how you met. I didn't want to meet him. I had no interest. You didn't want to meet him? Not at all. Oh, was it a set up? Yeah, it was a set up and he didn't want to meet either. And then our mutual friend, who's one of my best friends, she threatened to never speak to me again if I didn't meet him. I'm like, for the love of God, that's so dramatic. I'm just, I'm so happy. I don't, I'm no interest whatsoever. And he turned up and I remember going,

he looks very English. Okay. And within about we met for a 15 minute coffee and three hours later we're still like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

and he's heaven. He's just heaven in shoes. And the girl, and you're, three of your children, they all get on with him. They adore him. They absolutely adore him.

Yeah. That's so perfect. He's great. Your life is, I mean, Were your parents supportive? I know I'm very sorry because you lost your mom only recently, and I'm so sorry about that. Thanks.

But were your parents supportive of what you want to do? Because they do, as you say, they're very big, successful business. And that's another thing that annoys me when I was doing my research on you, the amount of times that people always, no, that's just where you were born into, that's made you, you know, oh, for goodness sake. So we're not going to go into that. But were they supportive of your choice because you weren't going into business? Yeah, my mum was very, very keen that myself and my brother Dermott worked out exactly what it was that we wanted to do, that we weren't, you know, dragged into the family track.

Yeah, she sounds a good woman. Ah, she was the best. She really was the best. So she was very clear, no, no, no, yes, that's what dad does. Yep, do, du, and there was, she gave me a very clear understanding that, yes, dad's successful and he's done very well, but you didn't do that. I'm like, you're absolutely right. And I'm very, you know, an awful lot of my drive comes from, I have to go my path.

And she was so clear. And same with my brother. He's taking his path. And, um, and dad was, dad was incredible. He just has turned around and he said, well, as long as you understand it's the business of rejection, then I support you. Which is, he's totally true. He goes, which is absolutely true.

And there was a lovely moment when halfway between my second and third year, drama school. Because I said, Dad, because you're just so fancy. I can't get a grant to go to drama school. Do you mind paying for it? And goes, okay, yeah, I'll pay for it. And then studies, once your studies are done, grant. So between my second and third year, I did a film called Run the Country with Albert Finney, which was

the most incredible learning. What's a thing to do? Yeah. It was amazing. But my fee for run of the country was to the penny what I owed dad for three years at drama school. And so I wrote the check before I finished tram school and gave it to him and dad said thanks very much and he put in his pocket and I thought I've done that great great onwards bless him he never cashed it but

he very much appreciated the fact that it was like because you know without because because you're successful I can't like do my studies myself and that's lovely it was just one of those cute little buttons that happens in life which was really nice so how will you be if your kids say right this is what we want to do they definitely Definitely do not. They don't. No. Really?

Evie is an artist and a history of art buff and incredible animator and illustration. And it's fascinating because Evie's, she's got a condition called Stargarts macular dystrophy. So her central vision is going. And so she's quite sort of tickled pink by the end. idea that, you know, her eyesight is wonky, dicky, little not ideal, but visually and creatively, she's just incredible.

So will that, but she will lose her sight eventually. That is the track and she's got, her eyesight's rubbish. But she still can see enough to... She'll always have her with Stargards, you'll always have your peripherals, please God, tap in the wood. Yeah, I'll do that.

But she's, she's still. sometimes when the teachers say paint what you see and she'd paint something they said no he said paint what you see because that's what I see oh wow so that was a learning curve for her to be able to stand up and

talk about that and she's she's done the she's stood up in front three 400 people in R&IB with Sophie Wessex oh no she's not Wessex anymore she Edinburgh

Edinburgh thank you and she's talked about it and she commands a room and she's got incredible presence She's very funny. And she's a real advocate for making sure that nobody else. She doesn't want another 12-year-old to wake up and go, well, what is this? Was she 12 when we've had it?

So did she literally just wake up and just say what's happened tomorrow? No, no, no, no. It was a slow gradual thing where at first the school thought it was one thing. And then I was getting cross with the optician because they were saying, no, she's got the right glass. And I said, obviously she doesn't have the right glasses because she can't see the board. and she'd always be going right up to the front of the board. And eventually they did another set of tests. And there was this moment where the optician called me on a Friday at 5 o'clock

and said, Ms. Smurfer, we suggest that your daughter goes to see this guy on Monday as soon as possible. I was like, why? And she goes, we do not want to discuss with you the possibility of a diagnosis because we haven't said. the waivers and you blah blah blah blah and i'm like hang on whoa you're not going to tell me what you think is wrong with my kids eyes because of paperwork well ma'am i said okay here's what's going to happen i know where you're working i live five minutes from there i will drive my car and i will follow you home and i will knock on your front door and every five minutes i go what has she got never miss what is she got what is she got what is she got and she just said i said i won't no don't and i said um i said

i am not going to sue anybody i'm not if you've got it wrong it's not a big deal And she said, okay, we think she's got Stargars, macular distray. And I said, thank you very much. She goes, don't Google it. And I'm like, straight on Google. And I think it was the words there was no cure that just were the most mind-boggling thing you can tell a parent. What do you mean? What do you mean is no cure?

And so it just, it's a gradual thing then? Yeah. Yes, it is. It's a, her retinal cells are exploding. and her retinal cells deterioration. We have her in a trial that's really interesting that seems to be you know, working at the moment

so we'll, you know, keeping the faith and, you know, as far as I'm concerned, like I said, it's all confidence, and positivity, and she's got that in spades. Oh, absolutely, but also to have a mother like you behind it who's like, okay, because you can imagine a lot of people, that fear gets in the way of so many things like that.

And I just feel like you go, nope. There's no messing with me. We're just going to sort this. And you're not a victim. You are not a victim to any of this. This is just the hand of cards you've been given. You know, that's just, this is your journey. Something incredible will come from this because you're not a cookie cutter.

Oh, completely. But also, the fact that at the age she is, she's standing up and talking to all these people. And she's doing her art and just, she sounds a really creative, fascinating girl. Yeah, she literally has a unique vision. And what do you want from an artist? A unique vision. Perfect. Yeah.

That couldn't be more perfect than the other two. Oh, wow. Well, Ridley is, she is so dry, so funny. Between you and the Four Walls, I reckon she is a film director. She is clear. She has, in her head at all times, she has videos for every song on the planet,

whether it's country or indie or pop or R&B. She's obsessed with the visuals. She's an incredible. makeup artist. She's a storyboarder. She's an animator. She's a communicator. Another creative. So, both incredibly creative. And then your baby? Oh, my six foot one baby. He is, he's computer. He's sports. He's so sweet and kind. And he's a skateboarder, a rugby player, a tennis player, a computer buff and he can, he builds computers from scratch. I don't know how.

talks in a language I do not understand in any way shape before. Showing your age. I know. That's exactly it. But I also think there has to be every generation. The kids talk about stuff that mom and dad go, I don't know. Are you talking about? And music as well.

My husband always says, why don't they like, he plays punk and reggae. I don't like it, I'm musical theatre and pop. Yeah. But I think, why don't they like? I said, because they've got their stuff. I don't like that. I go, well, there we go. Your parents didn't like what you listened to.

That's the point. Exactly. Exactly. You are a complete joy. So also on this podcast, before we do the little show and tell extra thing in a moment, we'll also ask what makes you properly laugh. I imagine you laugh a lot with your friends. I do. I get to laugh. The reason my voice sounds like I'm a docker is because I was laughing with my best friends out in Paris all weekend at Harry Starr's. Oh, you're so jealous.

And it was literally a bunch of middle-aged women howling abuse and compliments to this lovely young man who's a great performer. And the laughter, just, I mean, 48 hours of just laughing our heads off. And not a beat like nobody took. There was no, let's just sit down and relax. It was just bonp, bono, banter, banter. But one of the things that makes me laugh so much. My favorite thing to do is Sunday lunch with the kids. because everybody's lives are so busy

and they're running here, running there, running there. That's Sunday, I roast something and we have mum's potatoes and we have all the stuff and we sit down

and they all spill the tea. Look at me, I'm so cool, energy, I know they spill the tea. And they spill the tea and I get all, it's so funny

because they slag each other off and sort of mercilessly and they're all telling their stories of what went on that week and it's hilarious. Also, my Steve is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very funny. Do you know what? I think anybody that listens to this are going to feel exactly like I do,

that everybody is going to want to be your best friend. I mean, honestly. So Joe there and Tom behind you, they're joining the... They already are my best friends. You're coming to Harry with me next weekend. Victoria Smurfit, thank you, thank you. What a joy. Thank you.

I love Victoria Smurf. and as I said, she is my new best friend now. I'm going to follow her wherever she goes. I love her energy and outlook on life, and I hope you enjoyed our conversation too. Look out for our bonus show and tell episode with her this Friday, and remember to subscribe, please, and follow please, the podcast from wherever you listen.

I'll be back next week with another episode of Reasons to Be Joyful. I hope you can join me then.