Great Company with Jamie Laing

Gareth Gates became a household name overnight. When the first series of Pop Idol aired in 2002, it was the first show of its kind and Gareth instantly captured the nation's hearts as the boy who defied his stammer to sing.

Growing up in Bradford Gareth was severely bullied at school for his stammer, so convinced he was defective that he almost didn't audition for Pop Idol at all.

In our conversation, Gareth opens up about the whirlwind of Pop Idol fame, and how he's spent the years since learning to accept the very thing he once felt ashamed of.

In this episode, Gareth shares:
Being bullied at school and how joining a choir became his escape
Why he almost didn't audition for Pop Idol
The reality of being thrown into the whirlwind of fame
How his relationship with Katie Price changed the way he approaches love
How he's finally learned to accept his stammer as part of who he is

Gareth Gates is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He reminded me that being different isn't something to hide - it's the thing that makes you, you.

Gareth Gates is Great Company.

Check out Gareth’s tour HERE

Gareth’s Instagram - @gareth_gates

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast
Jamie - @jamielaing

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Josh Bennett
Senior Social Media Manager: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you're going through a tough time, it can feel like there's no way out. But it's often in those moments that we find the strength we didn't know we had.

Ekin-Su knows that feeling all too well. Since winning Love Island in 2022, she's gone on to become the Queen of Reality TV, from Love Island All Stars to Celebrity Big Brother and now Vanderpump Villa.

But behind her confidence is a young girl who lacked self-belief, was severely bullied at school, and developed disordered eating in an attempt to change herself to fit in.

In this Great Moment, Ekin-Su opens up about meeting her bully later in life, and the powerful process of unlearning the idea that other people's opinions get to define you. She shares why the things that once held her down ultimately made her the woman she is today.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

This episode contains sensitive topic discussions including disordered eating and bullying. If you or someone you know is affected by anything in this episode and need support, please see the suggested helpline and website links below.

BEAT - 0808 801 0677 - beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Samaritans - 116 123 - samaritans.org

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Exec Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Barnett is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster, with more than two thousand interviews under her belt and a seat on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Emma was encouraged to ask questions from a young age and she’s built her entire career around them. Whether she's holding a politician to a 12-second silence on live radio or interviewing the Prime Minister, she’s known for running towards difficult conversations, not away from them.

She’s also become a powerful voice for women. In our conversation, Emma opens up about her IVF journey and the miscarriage that left her so defeated she nearly didn’t go through another round of treatment - the one that led to her daughter.

In this episode, Emma shares:
What it's like interviewing the UK's biggest politicians
Her IVF journey and why she chose to speak openly about treatment when it failed
Remembering the people who wanted children and can’t have them
How she shut down a troll and their surprising response
What intimidates her most in the world…

Emma is proof that the best interviewers aren't the ones with all the answers, they're the ones brave enough to keep asking the questions of others and of themselves.

Emma Barnett is Great Company.

You can follow Emma on Instagram HERE

Listen to Emma’s podcast, Ready To Talk, HERE

Discover Colour Your Streets - Emma’s family colouring book company HERE

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast
Jamie - @jamielaing

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Producer: Helen Burke & Faye Lawrence
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Josh Bennett
Senior Social Media Manager: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Faith is a deeply personal thing and, for many of us, our relationship with it changes over time. Some people drift away from it, some come back to it, and others are still figuring out what it means to them. It’s a journey that’s rarely a straight line.

Big Zuu knows that better than most. Over the years, he has struggled to work out what being a Muslim means to him.

In this Great Moment, the BAFTA-winning TV chef and Grime artist opens up about reconnecting with his faith, how the process has shaped him and how he's found a way to balance two loves of his life: his music and his religion.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Exec Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Appleton has built a reputation as one of the world’s most trusted celebrity hair stylists. From Kim Kardashian and JLo to Ariana Grande and Christina Aguilera, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

It’s a world away from his upbringing in Leicester. As a teenager, Chris was bullied at school for working in a local hairdressers and was labelled before he had even begun to understand his own sexuality.

In our conversation, Chris opens up about the abuse he faced from bullies, coming out in his twenties and the difficult period that followed. He tells me about the moment he realised he'd built a career helping other people feel confident - but had never done the same for himself - and how he’s finally learned to accept and love who he is.

In this episode, Chris shares:
Why he cried after styling JLO’s hair for the Super Bowl
Being spat on and bullied at school for being different
How he’s learned to accept himself and love who he is
Why his marriage to Euphoria star Lukas Gage didn’t work
The celebrity he wants to style next

Chris is a powerful reminder that the people who seem to have it all figured out are often the ones who've had to fight the hardest to get there.

Chris Appleton is Great Company.

You can get Chris' book, Your Roots Don't Define You here!

This episode contains sensitive topic discussions including suicide. If you or someone you know is affected by anything in this episode and need support, please see the suggested helpline and website links below.

Samaritans - 116 123 - samaritans.org

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast
Jamie - @jamielaing

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Josh Bennett
Senior Social Media Manager: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.