We Are Chelsea - Media Day Special!

Episode Date: August 6, 2026

This is We are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Skoda, the official car partner of Chelsea Women and proud supporters of women's sport. https://www.skoda.co.uk/The We Are Chelsea Podcast returns for another season! Step inside a Chelsea Women media day and hear from a host of special guests as they look ahead to an exciting new season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to We Are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with SCODA, the official car partner for Chelsea women and proud supporters of women's sport. I'm N Warbank and today I've taken a visit to the very hot CFCW Media Day. I'll be chatting to some of the players and catching up with them about their summer and how they're feeling about the upcoming season and getting an insight into what a media day is really like. This is We Are Chelsea Media Day edition. So we're going to do things a little bit differently on the next.

the podcast today. We're going to get everyone in the hot seat, quite literally, because it's 5,000 million degrees in here. We're going to have a couple of quick fire questions. We're going to catch up with what people have been doing over the summer. We're going to ask people about how excited they are to be playing all the home games at Stanford Bridge. And we're going to chat new kit because it looks very, very snazzy. I'm excited to get everybody in. And yeah, first media day, let's go. We've got Ellie Carpenter. How are you, Ellie? I'm great. You're headed off on tour soon. You're heading back to us. Are you excited to be home? Yeah, I'm actually so excited to go to Australia.

I don't know if everyone else is as excited because of a long flight, but I'm excited. Yeah, are you going to get a chance to see your friends and family whilst you're out there? Yeah, they're all going to come to Sydney to the game, so it'll be really cool. I think weird for them to see me playing in a Chelsea jersey in Australia, but I'm really looking forward to it. And a new Chelsea jersey in that, let's talk about this uniform. I know.

It's fantastic. Are you a fan of the new uniform? I am, I really like it. I think it's a bit different. Yeah, I really like it. I also like the away as well. Yeah, the awake is really nice. Talk to us about this season.

Are you excited? What are you most looking forward to? Yeah, I'm really excited for this season. I think, you know, a fresh start, new season, some new signings. It's excited to get the group back together here in preseason and hopefully a really nice trip to Australia together and really build for this season. But I'm really excited, yeah. How are you feeling today?

Very good. We're here for Media Day. Are you excited to be back with the team really kick off this next season? Yeah, I'm really excited. I was really happy to see everyone back after summer. I think everyone had a lot of energy, positivity in the room, so it was really nice to see everyone. Yeah, because it's a huge season.

You've got loads of new signings. You've got a fab new kit. You're at Stanford Bridge the whole season. What's that like walking into it this time round? Yeah, it's really exciting. A big season is coming up. I mean last season wasn't that good for us, so we have a lot of plans for the season, so hopefully we were... What did you get up to in your summer break this time?

I went like around Germany a little bit, staying with my family, being away in Tenerife. This was actually really nice. I went to Mallorca, Netherlands, so I traveled a little bit, but... We like it, lots of traveling. Yeah, but it was really nice. Yeah, how important is it to have that time to rest and recharge over the summer? It's so important, honestly. I mean, the long summer is, I think, every four years or something.

So it was really nice to have such a long summer. Much needed, to be honest. So it was really good. Is there anything that you're really looking forward to this season? Yeah, just being back on pitch, I would say. Just being around the teammates, having fun on the pitch. Yeah, how excited you to play alongside some of the new signings? anyone that you were like, oh this is exciting, I'm going to get to play with them now?

Yeah, I would say everyone, I think. It's really nice to have Katie now in our team, of course. It's always tough to play against her. So it's nice to have her now in our team. It's not going to be bad anymore. And Melvin, I'm really happy that she's in our team now. She's doing well, so it would be nice to see them. Now, talk to the fans, because we've not been able to give them a snake peek into a media day before.

What is a media day as a play? It's very stressful. I need to say it first. But now you have a lot of stations, you walk around, you do a lot of pictures, interviews, video stuff, everything for the new season, so it's fine. Yeah, I can imagine you like to spend more of your time on the pitch than you do in front of a camera, but I'm sure the fans will be really grateful that you've taken this time to chat with us. Thank you so much. How's your media day been so far? Sweaty. It's really, really hot, isn't it? We've got a new season. We're going to Stanford Bridge the whole season. How are you feeling? Very excited, very happy. And I can't wait to get started.

What did you get up to over your summer break? I got engaged. Congratulations. Oh my gosh, look at that. It's amazing. Talk to us about that. How are you? Yeah, I feel like a grown-up now. I feel like, okay, this is the next step of life.

And, no, she proposed on a boat in Croatia, which was beautiful. like she did so well she did so well so now wedding planning alongside an intense football season how are you looking to balance that I think it would be fine yeah I will find my ways I will find my ways what are you thinking wedding wise are we doing destination wedding so she's Italian it's an Italian wedding oh my goodness this sounds fantastic I know I know we already sounds great we just need to find location and venue and plan it a little bit and then set the date but yeah two years I think that's so excited the girls must have been so excited for you yeah everyone's so nice I'm like your fiancee I said yeah they were and to come

back and to be able to celebrate with them all and with some new faces too how's the vibe of the team right now it's really good I think I think everyone is really excited to be back it's good vibes Goods energy and yeah people are excited to get started if you could sum up how you feel about this next season in one word what word would you choose oh the season ahead excited is so boring I really am excited I'm really grateful to be back okay I would say excited we like it really really warm in here I don't know how you're all coping it's very warm like I thought we were going to be with the program like they're fans these days. You know the ones where you like holding your hand? Yeah. You should all

got one. Do you know what's really embarrassing? I've got two and I left mine at home. See I didn't think it was going to be this hot. No I didn't. Okay. Had I have known they'd have been straight in the back. And I would have took one of them. Other than that, how's your Media Day going? It just started. Just started. Just arrived. Well, thank you for taking the time to sit down with us. We really appreciate it. No problem. Talk us through Media Day. What is it like as a player doing that? I think sometimes it's like up and down because if he had a hard training session,

I feel like it's hard to get that energy back. But when training is light, then it's easy to like keep an upbeat rhythm and like get into it, smile, do fun things. So it really depends on the day and what you've done so far before getting to Media Day. Yeah. And are you feeling good? Are you feeling the energy today?

It's hot. So I think everyone's trying to reserve their energy until they get to their station. But I think so far it's, I mean, it's really well organized. So I think it's going to go smoothly today. Yeah. And what a great way to kick off the start of the season. Are you excited for the next season with Chelsea? Yeah. So I am very excited. I think every season, you just get really excited about new players, just new atmosphere, but always the same goal. Yeah, and there's a lot of new people, a lot of new faces joining the team, a lot of new energy in the team. How is that in training at the moment? I think it's really good. Some players you played against, some players you played with, and some new players.

So I think new to the WSL. So I think it's really fun for the players and all of us to get together and start forming bonds and like partnerships. So I think that's been really fun last week. going into this week so I think we're just slowly jelling as a as a team yeah we've just come back from a summer break what did you get up to I mean I was in Toronto so I got to go to a couple of the World Cup games so which was really exciting and I launched my foundation as well so I think it was really fun that's amazing and how's that going for you it's going really well it's going really well the girls are excited I'm excited and I'm excited and I

I think they're going to be in a preseason soon as well, so I think it'll be something to catch up with the girls about. Yeah, definitely. What's it like to take a new set of girls through the preseason? It's almost like a mentor figure. Yeah, I think it's mental. And with this preseason, I think it just bonds us closer, because we're all going through it.

And we're all showing our toughness, our mentality. And to do that together, I think it forms partnerships and a good bond within the group. What advice would you give to younger players that are entering their preseason for the first time? I would say just giving you all. I think pre-season is about just showing resilience, showing your personality, getting to know players on and off the field,

and really just trying to gel, try to learn obviously the tactics and whatnot, but it's really just off the field and that connection and that bond will bring you throughout the season. So I think those connections form in preseason and then it just goes to. through the season. Well, thank you for joining us on. I think what is the hottest I've ever been in my entire life? Yeah. I don't want this to come across like I'm now like crumbling under the pressure of a podcast interview. It is actually a billion degrees in her. If you were at home, no, it's like being sat on the inside of a furnace. Honestly. Hello. Nice to you. Hello. Let me meet you. What are you doing her media day? Tell the phones. Oh, we've been

camera bombed. Hi. Yeah. I think people are getting confused. They think I'm a player because I've got this lovely t-shirt on it, all the players. Agy, everyone. Thank you. Can you just say that into the microphone? Ed's a great guy. How are you doing on this media day? I'm hot.

Yeah. How are you? Yeah. Whoa. She's back. I'm back. Agfaba. She's back.

Thank you. I'll take two microphones. You've got to do an alphabet quick. Got to know what? It's a podcast tradition. Is that what you just did? You have to do the Alphabet, battle cry.

Whoa, wow. Fantastic. this is yeah okay you're not going to be able to put down your phone the west end are going to be calling if it if it means I can go somewhere cooler then I'll take the call to be honest is the theatre bit at wicked air conditions we'll find out honestly but talk us through your media day what you're here doing today what you've been up to um yeah so I work within the marketing team for Chelsea FCFSI women so we have lots and lots going on it's one of the rare opportunities we get to spend so much dedicated time with the players and I just know how much they enjoy it.

So we try to make the most of it. So yeah, anything that we need to support kind of anything that we want to do from a marketing perspective, whether it's trying to sell tickets. Obviously, everyone get your tickets. Buy some tickets. We're at Stanford Bridge now. Absolutely. All our games at Stanford Bridge now. How exciting. Yeah, huge moment for us as a women's team all the way to a lovely little merch range that we've got going live, all the stuff that you guys will see on match day on the big screen on our social channels all that kind of stuff we're capturing today trying to make it as fun as possible for the players and obviously as engaging as possible for the people watching it at home so yeah lots going on probably the most organized chaos you'll

ever come across in your life but really really enjoyable now you're a very busy man so we won't keep it for too long but you mentioned the new merch range have you got a particular favourite that you'd like to shout out um yeah there's a couple of pieces that are really nice i i love my boxy fit teas exhibit a um so So we've got a lovely white boxy fit tea with the lovely CFCW embroidery. People think that I'm just designing stuff myself. I'd like to clarify, I've not designed this merch. He's just got thanks.

And then we've got a lovely zip-up track jacket as well. I'm a bit of a sucker for a track jacket. So we've got a lovely one of those coming out. I'm sorry to go over and have a look. Yeah, please do. Because I think some's going to have to make a feature on the podcast. But thank you so much for taking time to chat to us. Wonderful. What a lovely opportunity.

Yeah, I hope you don't cook for the rest of the afternoon. I'm going to go and find the coldest water I can possibly find it. Yeah, just pour it on yourself, flash dance style. 100%. That's social content that everyone wants to see. This podcast is brought to you by Scudor, the official car partner of Chelsea women and proud supporter of women's sport.

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seven-seater Kodiak there's something in the range to suit teams of all ships and sizes but don't just take my word for it though search the scorer range today to jump in and see for yourself well thank you so much for joining us today how's your media get the day going good so far yeah good yeah really enjoying it now nellie you've signed new this season how exciting is it to be in the Chelsea blue so exciting no words can describe it it's a really good feeling yeah and Lola obviously you're back how are you feeling to be back again this season.

Yeah, I can't wait. So excited. Like, yeah, just buzzing to be back with the girls. Yeah. Talk us through. What is a media day if the fans at home

don't know what it is? We're here in the dome. There's loads of stations and everyone has a list of where they need to go and then they smile, do some poses, get your makeup done and yeah. And cook to death today, apparently.

Yeah, yeah. It's really hot in here, isn't it? What are you most looking forward to this season, obviously, Nelly being your first season and Lola being back? I think just like having fun with the girls, but also like winning trophies and like competing. And also like coming up the preseason tour like in Australia, I'm really looking forward to that. Yeah, because you guys are in Australia. Have you been to Australia before? Never know. But it's a dream. It's on my bucket list.

Oh my gosh. And to get to do it with Chelsea, that must be so. Are you excited to do anything in particular? No, just everything. because we've obviously got a couple of Aussie girls on the team are you looking forward to being shown around and shown the sites and all the best food and things like that yeah see the best places through there yeah we'll be going to Ellie

if you could sum up how you feel for the next season in one word what would the word be one word's hard I'd say excited excited and proud like proud to be a part of it and then excited to like get going and like compete yeah i would say proud it's such a big year for it's going to be such a big season you guys are at stanford bridge full time now snazzy new kit a lot of new faces what does it mean to be starting playing at stanford bridge

i think it just shows how much women's football is growing and i think it's a great step in the wins game so yeah it's great to be here and also to play at such an amazing stadium is crazy for us. So yeah. Yeah. I think it's so exciting. Like I've also always been a Chelsea fan. So I've gone, like, watched so many games at Stamford Bridge.

So now to be like having all of our home games there, like it's just so exciting. It's such a full circle moment for you guys as fast, isn't it? Talk us through, Nellie, obviously you're new to the team. The fans want to get to know you a bit more. Talk us through your journey to get into Chelsea. My journey started when I was like five years. old in a boys team with my twin brother and then I carried on with the boys team till I was about 14 in between I went to Leicester academy for a season but we well my mum was like no you need to play

boys football you need to be strong physical so we went back there and then ever since under 14s I was at Leicester I made my debut at 16 and scored my first professional goal so Yeah, and then now I'm here. 16? Yeah. I was sat in a park at 16. What do you mean you were making your professional debut at 16? Yeah.

That's crazy. Yeah, it was crazy. This must be such an exciting moment for you now then after you're going from that too. Yeah, it's crazy. Like, it's a dream come true. Now, thank you so much for chatting to us. Is there anything you want to say to the fans at home to kick off this preseason? See you at Stamper Bridge. Yeah.

Yeah, it's going to be an exciting season. We're ready. Thank you for sitting down with us on this very hot and sweaty media day. Are you excited to be here? Mm-hmm. I'm really excited. Are you excited to be back doing another season in the blue? Yeah, I'm really excited. Yeah. And it's a great new kit this season as well. Yeah, it's really nice with a little bit of yellow.

Little bit of yellow, little poppy yellow. Have you got a favorite bit of the new kit? Because the away kit is really good as well. Yeah, the away is really good. I don't know what the third kit is going to look like, but I'm really excited for the third kit as well. I really liked it from last season, so maybe. If you could design your own kit, talk me through it.

I wouldn't say it here because I will do it orange. Orange? From the national team. I really like orange. No, but I will say a little bit blue. I like really like blue, but like dark blue. Yeah. I really like that.

Maybe like a yellow or like a bright color. I don't know what I said? Like in it. Yeah. like really dark blue with some colors in it. That would look really cool. Yeah. Are you excited for the upcoming season?

Yeah, I'm really excited. Yeah, I'm really looking forward. Yeah. What are you looking forward to most? I think just the games playing with the girls, like the teammates, like new teammates, like being as a team there, like winning games, learning from a lot of games, like training again, what we're doing now. So yeah, I'm really looking forward.

Yeah, because you've had a lot of new signings this season. Does that change the team dynamic much or is it just, New energy? I think new energy, yeah. They have a really good energy all four. So that's yeah, really nice to have them here. And what great new energy to have now you're at Stanford Bridge full-time as well for the games playing in such a prestigious stadium. What is that like as a player? Yeah, that's crazy like when you're a little dream to play big stadiums. No, no, it's really really great and I'm looking for all the fans that are there. What did you get up to? during the summer break, talked to us about that?

I went to France with my friends, some time at home, so that was really nice. And also Spain with my family, went to Spain, with my mom and dad, and then my brothers came as well. So lots of time to rest and recharge

and catch up with everyone. Are they looking forward to another season for you? Yeah, and they're looking forward coming to London and seeing some games. When they come to London, do they like to do all the tourist stuff as well? Yeah, they did, like the bus thing, like all the bus sitting there and like listening to like with a little

headphone listening to the guy no that's really nice they always go to London and seeing some stuff but London is big so yeah it's huge is there I didn't even see all are you getting used to life in London yeah it's really nice I like the new kit I like it too it's very funky yeah it's really nice it's special like it has a lot of colours I know we like it it's exciting new season new kit yes How are you feeling? Good, good. I feel good. Like, preseason I started.

I feel good to be back. Summer was great. Yeah. What did you get up to this summer? I went to Morocco and to Albania and Montenegro. So much traveling. Yeah, so much traveling. But, yeah, it was amazing.

And then, yeah, of course, Switzerland. Switzerland was the best, to be honest. What were you doing there? Is it a holiday? Were you visiting people? Yeah. like just holiday and in Switzerland it was just by my family and yeah a little bit of mountains little bit of lakes it was really nice so it sounds like a really relaxing summer break then here

there and everywhere yeah talk to me about this new season we've got a lot of new signings we're at stanford bridge as a younger player this must be so exciting to be a part of it feels quite historical almost it is it is yeah i remember first time playing at stanford bridge and now we can play there every weekend and it's amazing. Like, it's a childhood dream, and it's just so nice. And now the new people who came and the new, yeah, players as well, they are really cool. And, yeah, it's just amazing.

And, yeah, I can't wait to start. How's your preseason training going on so far? Well, it's hard. It's tough, to be honest. But, no, I like it. Like, yeah, after so many weeks without really football training, It's good to be back on the pitch and just like, yeah, do things with the ball. And I think, yeah, it's really important as well.

Have you got any goals or targets for this new season? Yeah, of course, win trophies. Yeah, be here for the team, play minutes, play games, and just have fun. That's the most important. Fantastic. And we won't keep you too long because you've had a very hot, very intense media day. But is there one thing that you'd like to tell the fans at home before this season starts? Yeah, your fans are amazing.

It's just, yeah, amazing you support every week, every game. And keep going like this, we need you. And yeah, see you soon in Stamford Bridge. How's your media day gone? It was nice. Everyone was helpful, so it was quite good. Did it nice to be back in the swing of things? Yeah, it's really nice to be back with my, yeah, great.

Really nice to be back with my teammates again. and yeah just training and how is training going you've got a lot of new signings a lot new faces no really good to be honest the how do you say like everything is really comfortable with each other as a team and the training are really high intensity so yeah really good yeah and this season we've talked about it a lot today you're at stanford bridge yeah for all the games that must be so exciting yeah that's Very nice, yeah, no, it's good to have, like, our own stadium where, like, a lot of people can come. So we hope that a lot of fans are coming this year. So, yeah, it's really nice.

Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans on the podcast today? Well, yeah, please come to our games. Get that stadium for? Yes, please. That would be very nice. Yeah, we need everyone. Yeah, did you get up to much over your summer break? Yeah, it was lovely. I went with my friends to Kurosau for two weeks

and then with my brothers to Malaga and Greece so it was really nice. Everybody's been doing loads of travelling this summer. Yeah, we had five weeks, we had no tournament so it was so nice. Your O'Gill Summer for the Chelsea, you know, do? Yeah, it was really good. It must have been really nice to come back

and be able to talk about everything that you've all been up to, though. Yeah, for sure. No, it was good. I think everyone needed that break, so I think that was really good, but we were really happy to see each other again and, yeah, talked about everything.

Yeah, because you'll all be ready, set for a super exciting season. Is there anything that you're really looking forward to? Just being with my teammates and hopefully have a really good season with a lot of good football. Well, thank you so much for taking a minute to sit down with us.

We really appreciate it. Be the best podcast ever. How was your summer break? What did you go up to? Yeah, it was good. I had a lot of England camps, so it was quite a busy break. But yeah, still managed to get a bit of time

off, just chilling, relaxing at home. playing a bit of games catching up with friends yeah it was nice what games have you been playing um fortnight roadblocks rocket league all the essentials yeah i like it are you excited to be back for another season at chelsea yeah yeah honestly couldn't wait yeah so excited to be back yeah because we're at sanford bridge all season long this time i know i know massive it's massive i mean um a lot more fans turning up to games now consistently which is going to be great um We love the fans and I think they really help us when we're going on the pitch and just playing. Yeah, their support just doesn't go unrecognised.

What's it like as a player knowing that you're going to be at Stanford Bridge all season? It's crazy. I mean, just to even play there for the smallest bit last season was incredible, let alone playing for the whole season. Yeah, that's amazing, surreal. Have you set yourself any goals or targets for this season? Oh. Not yet.

It's quite literally the hot seat in here today. Yeah, literally. We turned up the heat. I haven't got any. Not yet. I'll think about some. We have got a first for the We Are Chelsea podcast. We've got Rio from the social team.

I can't believe it. Thank you for having me. Debuting on the podcast. Debut. In front of the camera this time. I know. You're behind the camera. Usually behind.

Sometimes on Match day I'm in front of it. So never on the podcast before. First time. First time. First time. A long time. Talk us through what does it look like to make content for the Chelsea women's team? Well, a lot of stuff goes into it.

We do so many different things on a day-to-day basis. Usually on match day, I'm behind the goal, got the best seat in the house. That's such a great place to see. Have you ever been hit by the board? Yeah, I was going to say that a few times, nearly been here. But yeah, today is Media Day. So this is our probably favourite day of the year for content. That's so exciting.

What have you got planned for Media Day today? Okay, a couple of pranks, because we do, love pranking. If you saw it last year, we did a ruler challenge when pretty rival. I think all the fans loved it. So we're going to do some similar things today. That's really great. What have we got planned today? Can we have a snake? So we've got a mini mic. So new. This is actually exclusive. Yeah, a little mini mic. It might be the smallest mic I've ever seen. I know. And this is going to be Ask CFCW. So we're going to get the fans to vote in their questions and then we're going to ask it to to the players. So yeah, it's going to be really exciting. And how long have you been with Chelsea?

I've been here for two years now, so this is my third season. So, yeah, it's been a blast, to be honest, third year. Were you a Chelsea fan before you started at Chelsea Women's? I was, Chelsea women's fan. Have you got a particular highlight from your content career at Chelsea? Oh, that is hard. I think my highlight was probably the FA Cup final, where we beat Manchester United. I think content-wise, all the dancers in the dressing room, so, so good.

So, yeah, I think that's my highlight so far. one thing that people wouldn't necessarily expect about making content with the players. Oh, I think you have to have a lot of confidence because you do need to put yourself in quite awkward situations a lot of the time. I also think that the time that we all spend behind the scenes, like so much goes into a normal arrivals clip, like so much planning. Yeah, because it's not just grabbing a trend. Yeah, it's social media is 24-7. So that is our role. It's always online. Yeah, constantly switched on. Yeah.

Is there a particular player moment that comes to mind? Oh, play a moment. I did love it when we announced Naomi Germa before the, it was an Arsenal game. Yeah, that was like, so much playing went into that to announce it the way we did. And I think it really, I think everyone loved on social. So, yeah, what a way to announce Naomi to the CFCW world.

Yeah. We've had some really exciting announcements this season, well. Yeah, I know. Have you enjoyed creating those videos to go on? Yeah, it's been amazing. I think Katie McKay was a big shock to a lot of fans. We love that content. Um, shoot. Her being in blue is a very good site. Um, but yeah, it's been so, oh, actually sorry, I've spotted Lissa. She's on the room. Yeah, I need to prank. She's a woman on the run. We've gone. Mike drop. Thank you for listening to We are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women brought to you in association with Skoda, the official car partner for Chelsea women,

and proud supporters of women's sport. I hope you've enjoyed our Media Day special. We'll see you again next time.