Straight Up

As promised gang, we've got a third instalment of our chat covering what it's really like to be a celebrity journalist – there were, after all, just too many hilarious, ridiculous stories (and actual analysis!) left out of the first two parts. From liaising with celebs directly via text to today’s thorny issue of copy approval, we look at how celeb journalism has changed since we burst onto the scene in 2015 as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed interns, starting with our first ever interviews, and the time El harassed Emma Watson with a cat (yes you read that right), all the way to stans, cancel culture and why writers are so scared these days. Expect trademark absurdity covering what it’s like to direct Brooklyn Beckham’s attempt at reading cue cards, interviewing Burna Boy while he has a pina colada in one hand and an unidentified lady friend in the other, buying Sienna Miller a sea bass on behalf of Vogue, the worst day of our professional lives, being trolled by Nicki Minaj's entire fandom, spying the fear in One Directioners' eyes and being told you're intense by none other than Wiley (LOL), having turned up an interview after a rather disorientating introductory spliff experience. As always, time totally ran away with us while we were recording this episode, so keep your eyes peeled for the fourth and final part! You asked, and we shall deliver. Leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod. See you next Thursday!Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercyKathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnstonEllie’s IG: @elliehalls1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s another glorious sunny Thursday and we have singer songwriter extraordinaire James Bay in the house! He has a brand new album out, Leap, which is all about his journey overcoming imposter syndrome and mental health struggles – despite his eight billion streams.He opened up to us about how he was affected by the more toxic aspects of fame and social media, and *cuteness overload* how his partner Lucy, whom he has been with since they were both 16 and with whom he now has a baby daughter, has been his North star throughout. No, you’re crying.It wasn’t just the deep stuff though, as we also got all the goss on what it’s like to attend the Met Gala and speak to our Queen and Saviour Beyonce, the one thing James takes on tour (clue: he got the inspo from Mick Jagger), and his favourite restaurant in London. Plus, we ask James to set the record straight on one thing that’s been bugging him, and whether he has ever had therapy.He was such a charismatic guest, we hope you feel as charmed as we were! Leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod. We’ll see you same time same place next week!Thank you to our longtime sponsor Q Acoustics for supporting Straight Up for another season and for being the best in the business when it comes to quality, affordable audio. Q Acoustics’ new product, the M20 HD wireless music system, is the most powerful, immersive and convenient way to enjoy music, movies and gaming sound anywhere at home. We love ours and know you’ll love it too. Snap it up at www.qacoustics.co.ukStraight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercyKathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnstonEllie’s IG: @elliehalls1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello gorgeous listeners, this week we’re taking you to the Maldives! And, guys, it’s not just any private island hotel, it’s The Standard, our absolute fave for fun with friends, strong cocktails and enticing dancefloors (if you’ve not yet been to the Kings Cross outpost then consider this your PSA). Recently we took ourselves away for a best friend baecation and we feel it is our public duty to tell you all about it. For one, it’s really quite affordable, as far as the Maldives goes – this isn’t a trip to save for your honeymoon, nor is it one you need a lover for! We had the BEST time together and we’re going to share every juicy detail about this gorgeous, once-in-a-lifetime, Instagram-perfect trip, including how to save your £, the food, the fish and allllllll  the fun. Plus, our beach reads, Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason and At The Table by Claire Powell, not to mention our plane picks: these two gals spent the entire 24 hour journey watching House of Gucci and J Lo’s Marry Me. Heaven! Leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod. See you next Thursday!Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercyKathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnstonEllie’s IG: @elliehalls1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi huns! This week we caught up with one of the UK's best-loved rappers and one of our fave musicians Krept, half of duo Krept & Konan, to talk about his incredible journey from making chart-topping rap songs to launching his game-changing baby skincare range Nala's Baby, stocked across 400 Boots stores and valued at £15m. Yep, rappers do babycare!Named after his ADORABLE two-year-old daughter Nala, the business is in partnership with his co-parent, influencer Sasha Ellese Gilbert, who became concerned about how toxic so much of the babycare on the market was while she was pregnant. Amazingly it is now the first 0 rated clean baby skincare range on cosmetics ratings app @thinkdirty and the products are so good even adults are lathering themselves with them... (yes, those adults are us...)We interviewed Krept quite a few times while working at GQ together so it was so nice to look back on his success and chat all about how his life has changed over the years. He made us laugh so much with his hilarious stories about Nala playing dead and one memorable poo explosion, plus we were left speechless at some of his wildest showbiz moments.We also asked him for advice on how to go into business with a friend, and got him to spill the beans on everything from the weirdest thing he's read about himself on the internet to the biggest misconception about him and what it's like to date as a single parent.Catch our lifestyle recommendations at the start too, from the books we've been reading to fun nights out in London and Ibiza, and let us know what you think!Leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod. See you next Thursday!Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercyKathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnstonEllie’s IG: @elliehalls1Thank you to our longtime sponsor Q Acoustics for supporting Straight Up for another season and for being the best in the business when it comes to quality, affordable audio. Q Acoustics’ new product, the M20 HD wireless music system, is the most powerful, immersive and convenient way to enjoy music, movies and gaming sound anywhere at home. We love ours and know you’ll love it too. Snap it up at www.qacoustics.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back by popular demand, this week we embarrass ourselves once again by sharing more of our juiciest stories about the fame game, from the time we accidentally made a top Hollywood actor cry and how one wilts in Naomi Campbell's presence, to herding Richard Branson around Soho Farmhouse and how you navigate a phone call from Lady Gaga. There's also plenty of intel on how the celebrity machine actually works, including getting kicked out of Netflix press junkets (and what that even is), what publicists do and what glitzy press trips are like, wrangling ridiculous freebies, stalking stories, and just generally laughing until we cry. You’re going to love all this hilarious gossip hunnies, we ran out of time recording it all for you so promise to bring you a part three later this season! If you haven't head Part I, then just scroll on back a bit and take a listen too.Let us know what you think of the new episode and don’t be shy, leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod. See you next Thursday!Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercyKathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnstonEllie’s IG: @elliehalls1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honeys, we’re home!!! Did you miss us? We had not forgotten you – in fact over the last few months we’ve been working SO hard to bring you the biggest and best season of Straight Up yet, fuelled by our spiciest trademark margs, obv.And doing the launch honours for us today is none other than the ICON that is Sean Paul, one of the world’s most successful artists who has billions of streams to his name. I mean, if Temperature and Get Busy didn’t have a defining moment in your teens, then where TF were you??Over his fave drink, a Guinness Foreign Extra, Sean had us both in stitches with stories about getting arrested and accidentally getting his 90-year-old grandmother high, the weirdest gift from his most adoring fan, his most surreal showbiz moment and the $25,000 freebie he still can’t believe he got away with…Plus, we talk about everything from cooking and travel to love and friendship, with some, ahem, interesting life lessons from Sean along the way. Sean also reveals a whole new side to him by getting candid about the dark side of fame: how rumours circulated by the press have caused him angst, how the weight of always creating another hit can be so overwhelming, and why he’s needed marriage counselling. Enjoy gorgeous listeners! And for anyone new here… allow us to introduce ourselves. Hosted by best friends and noseyest pop culture journalists on the planet Kathleen and Ellie, Straight Up goes behind-the-scenes with some of the world’s biggest celebs to hear what being famous in 2022 is really like. Are showbiz parties really as wild as we think? Do famous people ever embarrass themselves in public? How big are the freebies and how crazy are the fans? Plus, how does fame affect everything from your romantic life to your mental health? And are celebrities…normal? We get our guests to answer all of this and SO much more, over their favourite drink (because the first rule of journalism school is to get your interviewee drunk….right?) Which basically means subscribing to Straight Up is like eavesdropping on the juiciest cocktail debrief with your favourite A-Listers. Let us know what you think of the new episode and don’t be shy, leave us a little review, or DM us on our brand new Insta @straightuppod . See you next Thursday!Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @MarlonPercy Thank you to our longtime sponsor Q Acoustics for supporting Straight Up for another season and for being the best in the business when it comes to quality, affordable audio. Q Acoustics’ new product, the M20 HD wireless music system, is the most powerful, immersive and convenient way to enjoy music, movies and gaming sound anywhere at home. We love ours and know you’ll love it too. Snap it up at www.qacoustics.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the song that soundtracked her first dance with a boy to her bad bitch breakup anthem, Maya Jama shares the music that means the most to her in this extremely cute episode. We also chatted about Maya's struggles with imposter syndrome and finding a work life balance after three years of no holidays, her ambitions to get more women behind the camera, her funniest radio fails and her top tips for success. This episode of Straight Up has three wonderful sponsors. First up Vivir Tequila, which we drank in our Paloma cocktails with Maya. It's also perfect in margaritas! Fans of Straight Up can get a 10 per cent discount with the code MAYAJAMA10 via vivirtequila.comThen we have Chick n Sours, who make the best fried chicken burgers and sour cocktails in London that are loved by everyone from Mike Skinner to Usher. They've just launched a range of DIY meal kits for delivery across London, which are utterly delicious. Order yours from chicknsours.co.ukAnd finally the independent jeweller Katie Mullally, whose gorgeous handmade collections are all hallmarked at either the London or Dublin Assay Office and are therefore an investment for life. Check out her designs at katiemullally.co.ukStraight Up's music and editing is by Marlon Percy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the last episode of S2 and, as sad as we are, we’re SO excited to be ending on a high with  this very special chat with one of our favourite artists, Mahalia. Fuelled by some gorgeous Whitley Neill gin and tonics, the 23-year-old, who was signed at 13, gets candid about everything from the myth of the overnight success story, to reframing the “crazy ex-girlfriend” trope and being friends with your first love. We also chat about her weekend rituals, what she likes to spend her money on (spoiler: globally successful artists aren’t as wealthy as you think) and the one thing she’d like to thank her therapist for.Follow Mahalia on all platforms @mahalia and find her epic merch store here: lnk.to/Mahalia-Store. Find Kathleen @kathleen.m.johnston and Eleanor @elliehalls1 and drop us a DM, or reach out via email hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you!Our music and editing is by Marlon Percy, who you can find on IG @marlonpercy.Culture recommendations discussed:Don ToliverThe Handmaid’s TaleLost in SpaceSelling SunsetDesperate HousewivesModern FamilyThank you so much to our amazing partners for this episode: The delicious gin and tonics Ellie, Kathleen and Mahalia enjoyed during this episode were provided by Whitley Neill, the UK’s no1 premium gin brand which offers an amazing 15 flavours of luxury, hand-crafted gin, including blood orange and raspberry. Get yours at all major supermarkets, good independents or at WhitleyNeill.comDame, the world’s first climate positive period brand, making products that are both healthier for you and the planet and which has already saved hundreds of millions of pieces of plastic from going into landfill. This female founded green brand is changing the game with its amazing products including the reusable tampon applicator, tampons and reusable pads – and we are never going back. Enjoy 25 per cent off Dame products with the exclusive code UP25 at wearedame.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No guest again this week, gang, but what we’ve got in store might just be even better! Instead, we chat all about the hottest cultural gossip of the year so far, from music, TV and film, to the biggest talking points that have had the internet in overdrive over the past week. Covering *that* Molly Mae interview on Steven Bartlett’s podcast, The Lost Daughter (Netflix’s most exciting new film) and why having children can be a huge, life-defining regret; we also get deep into The Weeknd’s excellent new album and one of our most mortifying, joint professional faux pas ever.Recommendations discussed:Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcastThe Lost Daughter (Netflix)Magpie by Elizabeth Day“This is what I tell friends who are torn about having children” by Hadley Freedman (Guardian)White Lotus (HBO)Euphoria S2 (HBO)Dawn FM by The WeekndMax Martin on Table Manners podcastFind Kathleen @kathleen.m.johnston and Eleanor @elliehalls1 and drop us a DM, or reach out via email hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you!Our music and editing is by Marlon Percy, who you can find on IG @marlonpercy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've got a real Christmas treat for you this week: a hilarious, insightful, thought-provoking interview from Dan Smith of Bastille. Eased along by some red wine, Dan spills the beans on what it's really like to be the frontman of one of the world's biggest bands – 11 million records sold and counting – while also having made the conscious choice to keep as far from the public eye as possible, ever since the four-piece broke through with "Pompeii" back in 2013. Highlights include the time he got spiked at the Brits and embarrassed himself in front Frank Ocean, a hilarious Guatemalan backpacking trip up a volcano, Dan's top culture picks (he's a big film fan) and where he likes to go out in London, plus how much he enjoys having songs that are far more famous than he is. Dan also opens up about his experiences with therapy, including his struggles with performance anxiety and imposter syndrome, as well as giving us a sneak-peek of the band's upcoming, sci-fi wonderland-set album Give Me The Future (out in Feb).Follow Dan on IG @bastilledan, Twitter @bastille and preorder the album here: https://bastille.lnk.to/BastilleGMTFThank you to this episode’s amazing sponsor, the books and beer subscription service Books Plus Beer, a thoughtful and unique gift for Christmas for the book lovers in your life who need some quality R&R. Choose a DIY box as either a one off purchase or a subscription, and fill it with two amazing new releases across nonfiction and fiction, two cans of craft beer and some tasty snacks. Can you think of a more luxurious way to unwind at home? Head to booksplusbeer.com to order!Find Kathleen @kathleen.m.johnston and Eleanor @elliehalls1 and drop us a DM, or reach out via email hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you!Our music and editing is by Marlon Percy, who you can find on IG @marlonpercy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.