July 12, 2023 • 48 mins
DJ Clara Amfo shows Alex around her home city of London, sharing stories of her Ghanaian heritage, developing a love of music from family car journeys, solo cinema trips and how a visit to the Science Museum led her to radio.
We matched Clara with an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E for the drive to Brixton Market, Genesis Cinema, KOKO music venue and the BBC's Broadcasting House where she works at Radio 1.
You can see exclusive video footage of the drive on Auto Trader’s social channels, and see the Mustang Mach-E for yourself.
To find your perfect match, go to www.autotrader.co.uk
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Clara Amfo (00:00):
If it ever gets revealed that I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview
and be like, " Clara, you hypocrite and you idiot." Yeah,
that was a really, yeah, really special gig. Yeah, memory
unlocked with that one. I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay-
Z, Ariana Grande, whoever, and just Strictly and all of a
sudden my mom, " Oh wow."
Alex Legouix (00:19):
Now you've made it there.
Clara Amfo (00:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alex Legouix (00:21):
This is Show on the Road brought to you by
Autotrader. We are driving famous faces on a personalized road
trip, visiting the places that help shape them and hearing
how the locations turn them into who they are today.
We've matched each celebrity with a car chosen specifically for
them. So, join me, Alex Legouix as we get this
(00:43):
show on the road. Today I'm in South London, not
far from Brixton, meeting, BBC Radio DJ and TV presenter,
Clara Amfo. We've matched her with a Ford Mustang Mach-
E, which I'm hoping she will absolutely love, especially because
it has an incredible Bang & Olufsen sound system, which should
(01:04):
be right up her street. Let's see what she thinks. Hello?
Clara Amfo (01:08):
Hello. All right.
Alex Legouix (01:10):
Welcome.
Clara Amfo (01:10):
Fancy.
Alex Legouix (01:10):
It is the latest Ford and it's a Mustang Mach- E.
Clara Amfo (01:15):
It is very fab.
Alex Legouix (01:17):
It is a cool car and it has a ridiculous sound system. So
that's what we thought would be very Clara.
Clara Amfo (01:22):
I'm all about great sound quality all day. I literally
can't do anything in silence. I don't think I can,
whether it's on the way to work, in the shower, wherever, I always
need music on. So I'm glad that there is a great sound system.
Alex Legouix (01:38):
That's good. And it's also like it's got this acoustic glass so it cuts all of the
sound outside out. So if you do have your music
on in here, it is proper sweet.
Clara Amfo (01:47):
Fabulous.
Alex Legouix (01:48):
Happy?
Clara Amfo (01:49):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (01:50):
Good to go?
Clara Amfo (01:50):
Yeah, let's do it.
Alex Legouix (01:51):
Should we go and have a mooch around the world of
Clara Amfo?
Clara Amfo (01:55):
Let's roll.
Alex Legouix (01:56):
We're going to start at Brixton Market.
Clara Amfo (01:58):
Fab.
Alex Legouix (01:59):
Let's get this show on the road.
Clara Amfo (02:01):
Lovely.
Alex Legouix (02:06):
This is not obviously the car that you started your
youth in, but it is a Ford.
Clara Amfo (02:14):
It is a Ford.
Alex Legouix (02:14):
It was Ford-
Clara Amfo (02:14):
Sierra.
Alex Legouix (02:14):
... Sierra, right?
Clara Amfo (02:17):
And I still remember the license plate to this day,
which I probably won't repeat on here, but that red car,
that was just such a staple in our childhood. I remember
actually drawing a picture of it as a kid. Because
again, you don't think of, "This is how I live, this is the car that my daddy drives, my mommy
drives," whatever. But yeah, well no, we loved that car, but my
(02:37):
dad pretty much had it till it was falling to
pieces. Because I've got a memory of it having brown
tape on it, I think around the back... Yeah, the rear license plate.
Alex Legouix (02:47):
I think that's just a thing that you have to have on
those old school cars as well. You keep it until it's
dying. Did it have the old school tape deck as
well and stuff like that?
Clara Amfo (02:55):
I think so. For me, because that car, it definitely had
old school radio tuner thingy in it. Because I think,
yeah, my dad got... Because my dad passed away in 2015,
he was driving loads in the early 2010s, 2000s or
whatever, and the new car he got obviously had digital radio and
(03:16):
stuff like that. But the Ford that we drove around
in as kids, yeah, he'd tune it. He loved listening to classical
music stations, but then local radio or whatever was on
in the area that we'd be driving around in. But
yeah, no, I flipping loved that car, man.
Alex Legouix (03:31):
You have quite a few siblings, don't you?
Clara Amfo (03:32):
Yeah, I've got four brothers and one sister.
Alex Legouix (03:34):
And were you traveling quite a lot?
Clara Amfo (03:36):
Yeah. Oh yeah, loads and loads becasue we were brought up in
Kingston. But honestly, it's a really interesting one because I have
this... Even though I was raised there, I sort of
was and I wasn't in a weird sort of way
because pretty much every weekend we would drive to Brixton,
Balham, Peckham to (inaudible) . All the south and all
(03:57):
the south east, west London is essentially how I was
sort of raised by proxy in this car, going to
visit relatives because those are really heavily populated Ghanaian areas.
Alex Legouix (04:06):
Yeah, okay.
Clara Amfo (04:08):
And obviously, my mom loves cooking Ghanaian food and so
those are the markets that we go to as kids. Like
Brixton Market, I know like the back of my hand.
Brixton and Tooting Market were the two main ones we'd go
to as kids, so that we drive from Kingston every
weekend to go there. So I would get bits and bobs
for cooking family meals and we'd just go and see
relatives who were in those areas as well. So that
(04:31):
was a lot of my sort of formative journey time. I honestly
feel like I spent... We know how they say that you spend, what is it, 90%
of your life in bed or wherever?
Alex Legouix (04:41):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (04:41):
I think I spent 90% of my childhood life-
Alex Legouix (04:43):
In that car.
Clara Amfo (04:43):
... in that Ford Sierra. Yeah.
Alex Legouix (04:46):
That's brilliant.
Clara Amfo (04:47):
My parents came here in 1970 and my dad came
over here to study and mum came over here to work as
well. And they kind of found where their people... Obviously
they assimilated and mix and match and met loads of
new people, but of course you want that home from
home sort of thing. So going to those areas is really important
(05:10):
for us. And I think it was really fundamental, so
we never forgot where our parents came from, where we
came from. I always kind of dread to think how
I would be if we didn't do those trips and those journeys.
Alex Legouix (05:25):
Such formative years and formative times, isn't it? And I
think there's something really bizarre about being in the car,
sort of what we're doing now, but where people end
up talking about completely different things, don't they? And I
think that that's something. Car journeys bring out things in families
or in whoever's in the car. You end up doing some arguments, weird
(05:48):
games, stuff that you don't really sit down and do
in the lounge.
Clara Amfo (05:52):
No, that's true. Yeah, I think for me it was always, I used
to disassociate a lot as a kid really completely. And
doing that thing of thinking you're in a music video, especially
if the weather was rubbish, it was pouring down with
rain and there was drizzle. I always follow a particular
raindrop down the car window, just stare and sing songs
or whatever and just just zone out. What sorts
Alex Legouix (06:15):
Of music were you into at that sort of age? Gosh,
Clara Amfo (06:18):
Everything really. Because the thing is when you're a kid,
what your parents are going to listen to it almost
like you're just sort of dictated to, its when you're in
the car with your mum and dad, I think it was just always any
sort of power ballad station, easy listening, that's what my
dad was into and a lot of that classical music. But then we are
(06:38):
listening to a lot of high life, which Ghanaian pop
music because also the further you'd go in to South London,
you'd pick up local stations, like local pirate stations. I
don't know, one second, it would be like UK garage and
then it would be the local Ghanaian community station and then
it'd be Classic FM and then Smooth FM or KISS or
(07:00):
Radio 1, or like-
Alex Legouix (07:01):
Such an eclectic-
Clara Amfo (07:02):
... whatever. So I kind of absorbed it all to
be honest. But I think most of those stations at
that time, I'm seeing that all those sort of easy listening sections
that my dad would love. I think it must've been
some sort of Celine Dion moment.
Alex Legouix (07:16):
I was literally about to say.
Clara Amfo (07:17):
Or Whitney. It'd be like Celine, Whitney or Mariah. One
of the Holy Trinity or those sort of-
Alex Legouix (07:23):
Proper big characters.
Clara Amfo (07:24):
Yeah. And it just... Or Tony Braxton, Unbreak My Heart.
Alex Legouix (07:28):
She was a mega.
Clara Amfo (07:28):
Yeah, any of those sorts of tunes, I would just
be in my feelings not knowing any of those feelings
but being like...
Alex Legouix (07:37):
Yeah, it's doing something to me and I can't know
what's happening.
Clara Amfo (07:40):
Exactly.
Alex Legouix (07:41):
When you said that you would think about being in your
own pop video, would you be the starring role? Would
you be the singer?
Clara Amfo (07:48):
Yeah, I would be a hundred percent. Oh my gosh. But-
Alex Legouix (07:50):
Can you sing?
Clara Amfo (07:50):
Oh, no, no, no. I like to sing but I can't sing at all.
Absolutely not. But I think we've all got main character
syndrome. I think it's been made worse by social media.
Alex Legouix (08:00):
So true.
Clara Amfo (08:02):
We've all got main character syndrome, baby. You just got to
lean in, accept it.
Alex Legouix (08:05):
Yeah. And what was little Clara like? Were you mischievous? Were
you ambitious? Were you...
Clara Amfo (08:11):
I was a little bit mischievous. I think everyone thinks they're
a weird kid because I think kids are weird. I
think I liked that about being a kid. Well, looking
back now, I think I liked that about myself. I
was really chatty. But then I also, I quite liked
my own company as well and I just... Yeah, I was a proper
(08:33):
little... I was a little daydreamer and I was a
chatter box.
Alex Legouix (08:38):
Liking your own company is quite useful when you're a
radio DJ, I would imagine.
Clara Amfo (08:43):
It's quite a solitary job because I forget how many
millions of people I'm speaking to because essentially it's just
me in the studio. And yeah, I've got my production team but
even that was challenged because even the pandemic. Just when
we were in the proper thick of it, my job
was really solitary because I can have my producers in
(09:04):
my radio show in the room with me because usually there'd
be like... Could have anything up to six or seven
people in the room. But then with social distancing and
all of that, for the first, I think, year of the pandemic,
couldn't have my producers in the room, we'd always hug
and say hello, couldn't do none of that, couldn't have any
guests in. Everything was done online and it was a
(09:26):
very weird experience. Because I'm so used to walking into
a bustling office, everyone's there, walking into the studio and
just high five people, like whatever. But that's why the
listeners are so vital because at least you've someone to chat to.
Alex Legouix (09:43):
That's so true.
Clara Amfo (09:45):
You know?
Alex Legouix (09:50):
We are close, aren't we now to-
Clara Amfo (09:52):
Yeah, we're in Briton.
Alex Legouix (09:52):
... Brixton and Brixton Market, right?
Clara Amfo (09:55):
Because I'm seeing the Ritzy Cinema. And I was just here
the other week with one of my dear friends, Kieran. We went
to see that movie Rye Lane, set in Peckham, and
actually they filmed a lot of it in Peckham and
in Brixton, funnily enough. I love Brixton.
Alex Legouix (10:08):
And so this has been a very big part of your
life, hasn't it? Brixton, Brixton market?
Clara Amfo (10:12):
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Alex Legouix (10:12):
Like you said earlier about your mom coming or you
guys going to the market and getting your foods and
stuff like that.
Clara Amfo (10:18):
Yep. I love Brixton and I think it's just got
a character to it. It is like every borough and every town
has got such a distinctive personality. And I think there's
nowhere else like Brixton in London.
Alex Legouix (10:34):
No.
Clara Amfo (10:34):
I think the beautiful thing about Brixton is it is
the second- geners and the first-geners of the Windrush kids and people
that make it what it is. It's that thriving Afro-
Caribbean community that give it so much flavor and vibrancy. I
think it's really important for Brixton to hold onto that
(10:56):
because as we know, gentrification is a wild beast. And
of course you want areas, sites to develop and to
be invested in, but you don't want it to be at the detriment of the
people that built the community. Because that's the thing, anywhere
up and down the UK, anywhere that's got any sort
of, in my personal opinion, any coolness and just intrigue around
(11:19):
it and... Even that, see look coming up, you see
the Ritzy Cinema, " Happy 20th birthday, street classes. Thank you
Brixton for loving us." These are the people that make a community
what it is and they need to be cherished and protected.
Alex Legouix (11:32):
What would the market have been like?
Clara Amfo (11:35):
The market? I've got always super, super busy. Because I
think one thing about Brixton, Brixton market, for me that is
a very sensory thing, is the smell of fresh meat.
Alex Legouix (11:45):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Clara Amfo (11:45):
Yeah. That's where it always goes, straight to the butchers,
straight to the butchers around that Cold Harbor Lane, Electric
Avenue, all this area because my mum would just go
and get loads of lamb, chicken, goat to make traditional
Ghanaian meals. That was our thing. But then there'd also
be people with their sort of pop- ups selling already
(12:08):
made meals. And I'm seeing that more actually because obviously, that
sort of pop- up culture is definitely more prevalent now.
And now you are seeing people do like, " Oh, my
mom taught me how to make this dish. I'm from
this country." And now you can get a little box
of food takeaway away. And that wasn't as prevalent when I
was growing up. So that's really cool to see. Yeah,
(12:30):
that's definitely the thing driving around here, it is that
smell of just nicely cooked food, but also raw food.
Just feeling the busyness.
Alex Legouix (12:42):
Yeah, the vibrancy and...
Clara Amfo (12:44):
Feeling the busyness for sure. I don't think I've ever
seen Brixton quiet, because even when you're walking around at 02
or 3
or whatever. And obviously Brixton Academy is here, which is such
a formative part of my... I mean, it still is.
I can't even tell you how many gigs I've been
to then and every single artist I interview, especially the
(13:04):
ones who were brought up round here, that is their
mecca of, " I need to play there."
Alex Legouix (13:13):
Your very first gig memories, are they from round here?
Clara Amfo (13:16):
Oh gosh, yeah. I'm trying to think about who was
one of the first acts that I saw, because I keep
tickets stubs from pretty much every gig that I go to.
Alex Legouix (13:23):
Oh do you? That's nice.
Clara Amfo (13:23):
No, I've got shoe boxes full of ticket stubs. Even
though we can get things on our phone wherever possible, if
I can get a physical ticket stub, I'm keeping it
because I am quite sentimental.
Alex Legouix (13:39):
But you touched on the fact that your dad passed.
Clara Amfo (13:41):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (13:42):
That I imagine was obviously pretty tough and something that
I know has come up since and I wondered how
you cope with that, but having to still be the
upbeat Clara Amfo for the shows.
Clara Amfo (13:59):
I speak about my dad often and I did go
for a point and thinking, should I not speak about
it so much? Because I think the thing about doing
any sort of public facing job, but especially in broadcast,
once you say something or you put something out there,
people are always going to want to talk about it. And I get there
and I think, I don't ever want to shy away
(14:20):
from talking about death because one thing that I've learned
since my dad passed is that I think we're making
progress as a society in the UK, but I think
British people have still got a very conservative way of
dealing with death still. I don't think it's necessarily there's
(14:42):
shame around it, but I think there's just an awkwardness. People don't
really know what to do and it's like, " Listen, we're
all going to die whether we like it or not,
that's just life." And I think when it came to
my dealing with bereavement, it was an interesting one and it's something
that I'm still sort of trying to unpack now really.
Because I remember when my dad died, I was literally
(15:07):
back to work a week or 10 days later. And
the thing is, radio were amazing with me. The duty
of care was great. They said, " You take off all
the time you need." But I think I was in so much
shock. Because I remember I joined Radio 1 in 2015
and I remember I got the job offer and I remember I
(15:27):
was doing this photo shoot for a magazine that was
sort of announcing my new role and, " Here's Clara, she's
taken over from Fearne," and dah, dah dah, dah, dah.
And at that shoot, I had literally been talking to my
dad that day and then I was going to France
maybe a couple days later to run the Paris Half
Marathon. I found out my dad had passed away when I
(15:47):
was in Paris and he knew about me getting the
job at Radio 1 and then, yeah, then he died.
And then I was back on air a week or
two later, and there were times when I was doing
the show in the months after he passed where I'd be
fine doing a link. So I'd be like, " Okay, up next is
Little Mix and then I'd just be sobbing uncontrollably under
(16:12):
the desk or at the mic and then I'd have
to be like, suck it up and then carry on. And
again, looking back now, I'm like, " Bloody hell, Clara. You
should have allowed yourself more time and more sort of
patience with yourself." But it was such an new experience
to me. I've never experienced death like that. I had a
(16:32):
friend who passed away when I was a teenager, but
until that point, I hadn't experienced a close death like that. It
was a weird experience having to switch on the old
razzle dazzle when I felt like I was just crumbling.
But that is very symptomatic, I think of what British
(16:54):
people do. It's so embedded into our way of thinking.
Think about the slogan, " Cute, calm, and carry on." Obviously
that's used in wartime, but I think we apply that
to so many things.
Alex Legouix (17:07):
Yeah, we do.
Clara Amfo (17:07):
For anyone listening to this, if you are going through bereavement, my
advice would be you've really just got to let yourself
feel everything. You really have to, because I never pretended
not to be sad per se, but I do wish
(17:28):
I allowed myself just to sit with the pain and
just the news of it all for a little bit
longer rather than just chucking myself into activity. But then
at the same time, I think going back to work
(17:50):
and having that routine kind of saved me as well.
It's a double- edged sword, to be honest. And everyone's process of
dealing with death is so different. And the thing I
always tell people as well is that you don't have to
get over it. I don't believe in it. You learn
how to deal with it. And I think that is fine.
That's something that I do advocate for, learning how to
(18:11):
deal with it, but you never have to get over
it. I think it's such a bizarre ask of somebody
to get over somebody who lived a whole full, rich
life. You can't just click your fingers and it's like, "
Oh yeah, they were never there."
Alex Legouix (18:29):
They're there in everything still.
Clara Amfo (18:30):
But that's it.
Alex Legouix (18:31):
For most people, they're there forever more.
Clara Amfo (18:34):
That's it.
Alex Legouix (18:35):
And it's more for the other people around you, I
think, that you end up having to make out that
you've got over it because other people can't deal with that level of grief.
Clara Amfo (18:43):
Yeah, 100%. 100%.
Alex Legouix (18:52):
What's it like being interviewed rather than interviewing?
Clara Amfo (18:55):
It's nice to have a day off of just jamming the
car. But yeah, I don't mind it. I like talking to
people. I'm interested in people. I'm interested in the choice
of the questions people have for me because I know
what it's like to try and construct an interview. And
obviously, there's all different types of interviews you can do because I do... Obviously,
I do radio and some of the interviews I get, I'll
(19:18):
get four to five minutes with somebody, but then I might
do a film premiere and I'll get maybe 10 minutes
or I might do a long form interview with an actor
or whoever and then I might get half an hour
with them. It really depends. And you adapt your skillset for
different people and situations. Sometimes you're live, so you've only
(19:38):
got sometimes even a minute. Get this person, ask them
this, boom! You're done, and it's highly pressurized.
Alex Legouix (19:47):
And you have those moments where like, " Why did that
come out of my mouth?"
Clara Amfo (19:50):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Alex Legouix (19:51):
I have one question.
Clara Amfo (19:52):
Yeah, exactly.
Alex Legouix (19:55):
Why did I choose that one?
Clara Amfo (19:56):
Exactly. Oh my God. Yeah. The amount of times I've been like, "Clara, you absolute idiot." Or just, "Did I really say that out loud?"
Alex Legouix (20:00):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (20:00):
Yeah, because a mixture of adrenaline, natural nerves, you know-
Alex Legouix (20:09):
Exhaustion.
Clara Amfo (20:10):
Yeah, all of it can affect how you do your job. Because
you can go in with the best of intentions, " I'm going
to smash this interview," and then sometimes it doesn't go the way you plan. And
sometimes that can be really, really good because even though
I like to have a structure of how I work, I
also enjoy knowing that a conversation can go anywhere, which
I'm sure you know, you experience all the time doing this as
(20:32):
well. It's like, yeah, you have your plan, but you
never know where chats are going to go. And I think that's
the novelty of it for me.
Alex Legouix (20:39):
I completely agree. Do you think that you are... Is
it people that you're curious about as well as-
Clara Amfo (20:45):
Oh, definitely.
Alex Legouix (20:45):
... Obviously, I know we actually haven't spoken enough about
music and we will do, but is it people and
what makes them?
Clara Amfo (20:54):
Oh, a hundred percent. I think actually, I've got equal love
for... equal curiosity about people as much as I do
any arts and culture. It's like music, theater, film, whatever.
I'm just interested in people and why we do the
things we do, why we're into what we're into. I
(21:17):
love the word curious because essentially, it's more chiccer way
of saying I'm nosy.
Alex Legouix (21:22):
That is so true.
Clara Amfo (21:24):
It's just nosy, make it chic.
Alex Legouix (21:25):
I'm really nosy.
Clara Amfo (21:26):
Yeah, I'm nosy as fuck. Yeah, I am. I am. People are
interesting, man. Even driving around now, there's a man I'm
seeing there with his shopping trolley, whatever, and I'm thinking, " I wonder
who he is. I wonder where he grew up. I
wonder if he's got a partner. I wonder what he does
(21:49):
for a living. What's been his day today?"
Alex Legouix (21:52):
I do love a good people watch. Do you?
Clara Amfo (21:53):
Yeah. It's just like, we're fascinating creatures.
Alex Legouix (22:03):
You've touched on the fact that obviously when you're in
the car and your passion for music sort of started
there, but where did the thirst for making it, I
guess, more of a career come from?
Clara Amfo (22:15):
I think, I remember I went to a trip, I think it
was the Science Museum or the Design Museum, was one
of those two and there was a radio station and
they set up this whole, " Make your own demo" thing.
And I remember thinking, this is so fun. And you
basically just got to say your name, introduce a song,
(22:36):
and they'd give you the demo back on a CD
of the branded station and with your name on it. And I remember taking
that and thinking, " Oh my God, this is so cool.
This is it." I'm thinking, " Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This
is what I'm going to be doing. I need to
be doing this. Just chatting and playing tunes." Okay, you
(23:00):
can make a career, you can have a job doing
this. Absolutely. Because I loved so many things as a
little kid. I loved sport, but let's go back to what we were saying.
But when you are a little kid, you've just got
the most beautiful sense of ambition because you're just like, "No, anything
is possible." Do you know what I mean?
Alex Legouix (23:25):
Mm-hmm. Did your folks ever guide you?
Clara Amfo (23:25):
Do you know what? Not really, because my dad, he was a microbiologist,
so he was very, very intelligent man.
Alex Legouix (23:32):
Wow.
Clara Amfo (23:34):
For him, in a medical research joy way, COVID, he
would've been having a field day because that was literally
his vocation, studying viruses and tropical disease or all of that.
So we spent a lot of our times in hospital
as a kid. I remember some days I'd go and
hang out with him in his hospital. It'd be by
(23:56):
the fridges full of blood and samples and stuff because
he'd just be in his lab working. Like, " Sit still,
don't touch anything," look it or would play with his
stethoscope and things like that. But my dad was super
academic. And my mom isn't necessarily the most... She's not
an academic, but very much sort of like... My mom's
like, she's been a dinner lady. She was a cleaner
(24:18):
for, oh my god, 20 years. But yeah, they just
wanted us, all of my brothers and sisters sort of
ideally have maybe a medical profession or something in law
or pharmacy, all your traditional sort of prestige jobs. You
know when parents just like, " My God, my child's a doctor or my child's a this, " or like da da da da da
(24:41):
da. And none of us... We're all creative.
Alex Legouix (24:45):
Oh, really?
Clara Amfo (24:46):
Apart from my sister. My sister works in food tech,
but all of us just... Yeah, like my brother Andy,
he does voiceovers. You've probably heard his voice on things actually.
Alex Legouix (24:55):
Oh really?
Clara Amfo (24:56):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on bloody everything. I can't escape him.
Actually one really awkward moment, I was just like, " What?"
He did a voiceover for a very well known company
that sells sexy toys and sexy things to people.
Alex Legouix (25:11):
No.
Clara Amfo (25:12):
And my brother's on the voiceover and I was just like, "
Literally, I cannot. I literally can't deal. Go away. Go
away." But yeah, we all do kind of creative things. The
great thing about parents was that in an ideal world,
we all would've done those sort of prestige, like academic,
scientific or whatever jobs, but there was never a thing of, "
(25:33):
If you do something outside of that realm, you are
not welcome in my house." There was never that,
and I'm really, really appreciative of that. But my dad's
whole thing particularly was very much like, " Okay, if you are not
going to do one of these sorts of professions, then
you got to make sure that whatever you do, you
(25:53):
make sure that you are going to be the flipping
best or you don't do it by halves, commit and do
it properly. Otherwise what's the point?" So I think that
I definitely carried with me.
Alex Legouix (26:03):
That sort of competitive spirit?
Clara Amfo (26:05):
Yeah. But it was in a sense of not even
not trying to compete with anybody else to sort of like-
Alex Legouix (26:10):
Competing with yourself.
Clara Amfo (26:11):
Yeah, exactly. Exactly, exactly that. And it's funny, because I
was on KISS FM before and obviously KISS is... That's a very reputable station,
but it wasn't until I joined the BBC and my dad was like, "Oh,
okay, all right." And then I think I was a
guest on a Radio 4 show or something and he
was like, " I see." Because it's those sort of things.
(26:31):
For example, me doing Strictly and I'm someone who's like,
I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay- Z, Ariana Grande, whoever,
just Strictly and all of a sudden, my mom and all of my auntie
friends like, " Oh wow!"
Alex Legouix (26:44):
Now you've made it there.
Clara Amfo (26:45):
Yeah, yeah. It makes my own peer group. It is funny, isn't
it, what people perceive as the thing?
Alex Legouix (26:51):
Yeah. Was Strictly fun?
Clara Amfo (26:52):
Oh, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Alex Legouix (26:55):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (26:56):
It was wicked. Don't get me wrong, it was physically,
emotionally intense. It is just, you're in this bubble because you just eat,
breathe and sleep dance, dance training and performance ever. But it
is honestly, the most... Yeah, it is the most fun thing I've
ever done.
Alex Legouix (27:13):
Can you still remember the dances?
Clara Amfo (27:16):
Oh yeah. No, honestly, it's so funny. The way muscle memory works is
so interesting. Because I remember my first dance was to Dua Lipa,
Don't Start Now and I still remember that choreography like
that.
Alex Legouix (27:28):
That comes on the radio, you're up?
Clara Amfo (27:29):
Oh, no, no. I still remember it. Sometimes I have been
at things, I'll be like, " Go on then, go on." I'm just like, " Don't threaten
me with a good time because I might just do
it, hun. I might just do it." Oh, what a lovely day.
This is Tower Bridge. But I'm based in East London.
Sometimes I'll walk from home to here. So I've got
(27:51):
a few mates that live around these sides. It'll take
about an hour and a half, but it's such a lovely
walk. The sky is blue.
Alex Legouix (27:57):
Sky is blue. Does the weather affect you?
Clara Amfo (28:00):
Absolutely. Yeah. We are literally mammals energized by the sun. Do you know what I mean?
Sometimes all you just need is that... It's that vitamin D band,
but I'm such a summertime flight baby. I would rather
be too hot than too cold, which is why I'm
living for these heated seats in this car.
Alex Legouix (28:17):
Yeah, agreed.
Clara Amfo (28:19):
That's my joy. Or just frolicking in my local park.
Alex Legouix (28:23):
What is your mood lifter music?
Clara Amfo (28:27):
That is a great question. What is my mood lifter music
at the moment? I love Salon. I mean, do you
know what? I'm obsessed, I mean, everyone knows I'm one of Beyonce's
biggest fans and that Renaissance album, I've been rinsing it...
Because that came out in July of last year and
I've played that album every day since. And it just gets
me fired. I love it. It's excellent. All killer, no filler .
Alex Legouix (28:48):
This is a colorful area.
Clara Amfo (28:54):
Yeah, we're on Brick Lane now.
Alex Legouix (28:54):
Nice.
Clara Amfo (28:55):
Yes. Brick Lane, Brick Lane area or Whitechapel really, but it's all connected.
So there's a really big Bengali and Bangladeshi community round here.
You can get great South Asian food around this area.
But again, this is why I love London because you
(29:19):
just get a lesson in other people's cultures like borough
to borough.
Alex Legouix (29:24):
Do you feel the restrictions from your fame or are
you still able to go into the markets?
Clara Amfo (29:28):
Do you know what I live in... Because my whole thing is, I've always said that you're
only as famous as you act, I think. Obviously, there's
nuance to everything, but if you are walking around in
a cap and sunglasses on a day where you don't
need cap and sunglasses, if it's not sunny-
Alex Legouix (29:45):
You're highlighting yourself.
Clara Amfo (29:48):
If anything, I'm like, " Oh, why has that person got a cap and sunglasses on? Are
you quote, unquote somebody?" But usually people are just like, "Oh, it's Clara, you're all right? How's it going? Cool." Or, "
Do we go to school together?" Or, " Why do I know you?"
But it's never a thing of like, " Oh my God, I'm getting chased down
the street." But I think, yeah, again, you're only as
famous as you act. I think if you caught it
(30:10):
and you do the most to fan the flames, I
think that's when you get into a tricky situation. I
would sooner die than bloody call the paparazzi on myself
because please believe it baby. Sorry to like... I believe it's
really important to tell the truth and listen, I hate
to break it to anyone who's listening, but you'd be
surprised and you may or may not have to cut this bit out,
(30:31):
but I don't care. I don't care. I'll tell you
the truth. But there are people who call the paparazzi on themselves. My God.
Alex Legouix (30:36):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (30:37):
You would be shocked. And then people are like, " Oh my God,
I wish the paps would leave me alon ." Your publicist called them and
told them that you were going to be outside this cafe with
whoever and they act like you didn't know.
Alex Legouix (30:50):
So true.
Clara Amfo (30:50):
Oh my God, what are you doing it? You knew they were going to be here. You can't do that and then be like, "
Oh my God, the fame."
Alex Legouix (30:55):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (30:55):
Do you know what I mean? And if it ever gets revealed that
I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview and be like, "Clara,
you hypocrite and you idiot."
Alex Legouix (31:03):
You heard it here.
Clara Amfo (31:03):
And I say that with my chest. I will never
do that as long as I live. I'll say this,
Adele is probably one of the most famous women on
the planet. When that woman is not releasing music, do
you ever see or hear a peep from her?
Alex Legouix (31:15):
No.
Clara Amfo (31:15):
Exactly. It's a choice. It's a choice. But then there are some
people who are relentlessly pursued and they don't have a choice. Again,
there is nuance to everything, but there is a way
to control it. So I just think, don't... Yeah, you don't have
to lean in.
Alex Legouix (31:36):
So we're just by-
Clara Amfo (31:37):
Have a peaceful life. Yes.
Alex Legouix (31:38):
... the Genesis Cinema.
Clara Amfo (31:40):
Yay.
Alex Legouix (31:42):
This is where you come?
Clara Amfo (31:43):
Yeah, it's one of my favorite cinemas. I love a cinema that's just
got character to it. And if there's one thing, a
cinema trope I adore is old school-
Alex Legouix (31:52):
Yeah. It looks old school.
Clara Amfo (31:53):
... cinema lettering for the signage to let you know
what's on. Just how the Ritzy in Brixton has got
that style. I love that about Genesis. And they're really good
at doing good one- off nights and themed months and
things, which I think is really cool. But don't get me wrong,
I enjoy your sort of big chain cinemas and I am
(32:16):
not adverse to a reclining chair and being able to
eat and drink a cute meal in a cinema. But
there is something about just those really preserved spaces.
Alex Legouix (32:29):
Is it as old school inside as well as it looks outside?
Clara Amfo (32:32):
Yeah. And obviously they've adapted and stuff, but I just think,
yeah, just that lived in energy. I don't know, I imagine who
was there 50 years ago. One of my favorite things
is going to the cinema by myself. Funny enough, I'm planning
to go and see the latest Scream movie on my ones because
(32:52):
none of my friends will go with me to see
it. I really, really enjoy them now. My mates will
come to noir with me to a romcom or just a
com or an action movie or whatever. But I was like, "
What happened to all of you lot? Come on. Is everyone
like... " But yeah, everyone's a scaredy cat. But yeah, funnily
enough, when I wanted to go see Magic Mike, all
the girlies wanted to come. I went to see Magic
(33:15):
Mike's Last Dance at the cinema with a few mates.
Actually, no, just with one mate. And that was hilarious
and we laughed and sighed the whole way through.
Alex Legouix (33:26):
Do you have a lot of fond memories of going
to the cinema or watching films when you were younger
as well?
Clara Amfo (33:30):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always the thing. My mum always used
to fall asleep in cinema. Yeah, no, I loved going
to cinema as a kid. Loved trying to get into
films that I wasn't old enough to watch. I remember I went
to try and see... I can't remember what film was, but it was a film.
I think I was 14, it was 15. My mum had
that perfume. It was called Poison.
Alex Legouix (33:51):
Oh yes.
Clara Amfo (33:51):
My dad had bought it for her as a gift.
And she'd held onto the bottle for 20 years or whatever.
And I doused something because I was like, " Yeah, this is
what teenagers do. They wear fancy perfume and wear button-
up shirts or whatever." And I remember me and my friend,
I think it's... What's it? I can't remember who it was, but I think me and a couple
of school friends, we were like, " Yeah, we're old enough." And
(34:13):
they were just like, "No, you're not going home." I was like, "Okay, fine ." But, but again, those are formative things
because it's just about independence, isn't it?
Alex Legouix (34:21):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (34:21):
And I think there's something about going to cinema without your parents.
Alex Legouix (34:26):
Yes. That's so true.
Clara Amfo (34:26):
It makes you feel like a proper grownup. Or going to the local,
going swimming, all those, or getting a train by yourself
for the first time. They're rights a passage, aren't they?
Alex Legouix (34:36):
Yeah, they are really important.
Clara Amfo (34:38):
Yeah, proper.
Alex Legouix (34:40):
So we're being taken through Shoreditch.
Clara Amfo (34:44):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (34:44):
Do you know this sort of area?
Clara Amfo (34:46):
I know this area extremely well, like the back of my
hand. This area I cycle through a lot, pass through
a lot, got a lot of good gig memories here.
And yeah, just nights out really. And yeah, late night
food stops because there's so many kebab shops here that
(35:08):
I've definitely gotten a falafel wrap from and chips.
Alex Legouix (35:12):
Is that a go-to at the end of the night?
Clara Amfo (35:13):
In the middle of the night. Oh yeah, yeah. Definitely. Chomping down chips at 3:
00 AM.
Alex Legouix (35:19):
Yeah. Your journey to starting at KISS was quite unorthodox,
wasn't it?
Clara Amfo (35:25):
Yeah, because I always had an interest in broadcast, but
for a little bit I was like, " You know what?
I'm just going to work behind the scenes. I don't
need to put myself out there." And looking back now,
it was just a fear thing. Because again, going back
as the thing about, that almost reverse imposter syndrome. It wasn't
(35:49):
a thing of me not thinking I wasn't capable. I
think I was just afraid to put myself out there.
Even though I knew I was capable, I was a
bit like, " Oh no, I'm not going to do that." So I just didn't. I was like, " You know what?
I'm cool. I'll just help out marketing, intern." So I
was helping out doing everything. So I'd go to Ministry
of Sound Nightclub and scrape off the KISS branding stickers
(36:12):
that we'd put up there the night before for the
club nights, give out merchandise. I'd stand outside the big
top shop, RIP on Oxford Street, trying to stop people
to get voxbox to use for the station, in- house adverts, all
those types of things. But I always knew that, " Oh,
I'd love to be able to do the radio bit." And I was always
(36:36):
having these sort of sparring matches with my old boss, like, "
Why don't you play this song? That song's so out
now." I'm like, " Why are you doing that to this?
You should be doing this," and dah dah dah dah
dah. And so eventually that one Christmas he was off
for God's sake, and then he was just like, " This person's gone
away and this person's got a cold, so do you want to cover this
(36:57):
show on Christmas Eve?" And I was like, " Oh my God." I was like, "
Yes," sprinted to the studio as soon as I got
the chance to, to be honest. So Christmas came around and I covered
some shows and they were prerecorded. But the first time I
went live, it was Saturday morning, a 4
(37:20):
till 6
on adrenalines. I remember I set my alarm, probably for 02
00 because I think I was so paranoid I was
going to sleep through my alarm. And then, yeah, got
to the studio and then my old boss, Simon, who'd
really sort of mentored me, produced a show. I remember
(37:42):
thinking like, " Yeah, man, this is absolutely what I'm supposed
to be doing. I love doing this."
Alex Legouix (37:46):
Were you nervous?
Clara Amfo (37:47):
Oh yeah, I was shitting myself. I was so nervous. So nervous. But
I enjoyed it so much that I just wanted to
come back and do it and just learn to be
better. And it was such a great... Yeah, it was just such
a great feeling.
Alex Legouix (38:03):
And were you then like, " That's it?"
Clara Amfo (38:05):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (38:05):
" I'm in, this is what I'm doing?"
Clara Amfo (38:07):
Yeah, absolutely. I was like, no, I just remember thinking... Because bearing in mind at that
same time, I was still working in the office Monday
to Friday because I had been promoted from sort of
work experience intern to be... They gave me this job
lesson. They made up a job for me and it
was called station coordinator. But doing that, honestly, it was
(38:28):
invaluable because it really gave me a work ethic, which
I really cherish. Because when you understand how the sausage
is made, you see all the working parts of a radio
station or any sort of any workspace, but particularly radio,
TV, when you see it like that, it almost gives
(38:52):
you an armor from sort of being a brat because you
just know the moving parts.
Alex Legouix (38:57):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (39:02):
We're in Camden right now and the houses are beautiful round here.
Alex Legouix (39:06):
They really are.
Clara Amfo (39:08):
So, so, so, so, so lovely.
Alex Legouix (39:10):
Do you think that London is a pioneer for music
and new music?
Clara Amfo (39:15):
Oh, absolutely. A hundred percent. I don't think it's the sense with the universe
for it, but it's absolutely a hundred percent a leader.
We're in Camden, which is, I think... When I think
of Camden, I think of Amy Winehouse. There's a whole
statue of her here. But there are so many iconic leaders who have
(39:36):
come out of London for music. But yeah, zoning on
Amy, that's somebody that truly made it accessible, hip hop
influence, R& B influence, just so cool and so unique
and truly a one of one artist. And that's a
proud North London girl. Actually, I saw her at KOKO
(40:00):
actually, where we're going to. Yeah, I remember because I remember
being in the queue and seeing her walk by with
her security and her being... I remember her being like, " Wow," because
she couldn't believe all these people had come to see her. And that
was a really, really fun gig. And you look back
on moments like that and you just realize how privileged you were
to see somebody of that ilk, just being them. Ultimately,
(40:29):
who she was was just a really great artist. And you
could tell she had a lot of pride performing at
somewhere like KOKO, because that's somewhere that she would've no
doubt been going to as well. But yeah, that was
a really special gig. Yeah, memory unlocked with that one.
Alex Legouix (40:47):
So we're outside KOKO now.
Clara Amfo (40:48):
We are outside KOKO. And yeah, I just literally remember just
being in a queue and it curling around to get
into that print show. But then there's been times I've walked straight in
because I've had a gig early or whatever. But yeah, it's
such a fab venue. And they had that fire a
little while ago.
Alex Legouix (41:10):
Oh yes, of course.
Clara Amfo (41:10):
Obviously, so I'm feeling it's been renovated now. But yeah, it's just iconic.
Alex Legouix (41:16):
So we're on our way now to Broadcasting House.
Clara Amfo (41:19):
Yeah. Yes, we are.
Alex Legouix (41:20):
World of Radio 1.
Clara Amfo (41:23):
That's it. Portland Place.
Alex Legouix (41:25):
What was the feeling when you knew you were making
that step up or step over, I guess?
Clara Amfo (41:33):
Bit of fear, fear, excitement, overwhelmingness. Because I remember when I first
like demoing for Radio 1, when I was sitting at
KISS and they're around the corner from each other. And obviously it was
top secret, so I would sneak. I'd finish my work
day or during a lunch break, I would sneak around
the corner to Broadcasting House and try and go in
(41:55):
the Radio 1 and one extra building, incognito, hoping no
one would see me be quietly ushered in by a producer,
doing my demos and run back to work. And I remember I did
that on and off for 18 months on the sly.
Alex Legouix (42:09):
Oh really?
Clara Amfo (42:10):
Yeah, I think I did about, oh my God, eight
or nine demos. And then they finally offered me a contract
for Weekend Breakfast at 1Xtra. But yeah, but I remember
when you walk into the main concourse, there's that giant
BBC sign you can't miss, there's three huge letters. And
seeing that for the first time, it's a lot. Because
(42:32):
even now, every day when I'm going into work or
leaving work, there's always tourists out there with their selfie
sticks getting that BBC picture.
Alex Legouix (42:45):
So do you still appreciate that feeling?
Clara Amfo (42:47):
Yeah, I do because they're always decorating it with all the people
that work there. Because when you walk into the building,
there's a giant picture of Claudia and Tess for Strictly,
and there's a giant like... There's a TARDIS in there
from Doctor Who and giant Pudsey Bear for Children in Need.
And now there's a... Because the Broadcasting House is eight floors,
(43:12):
so on each floor, they've got blown up pictures of
different styles. There's a big picture of David Attenborough and
Harry Styles when he did Big Weekend for Radio One . And there's a big picture of me there, which
I didn't know they were putting up there. So I think I'm
in between Harry Styles and David Attenborough, which is great company,
I must say.
Alex Legouix (43:28):
That's an interesting sandwich.
Clara Amfo (43:28):
I mean, but I remember, I didn't know they were doing it. And then
one day I kept getting tagged in pictures on people's
Instagram. So it was like, Grimmy had tagged me in something, Greg, all my coworkers
basically, like, " What the hell? Look at you." And I
was like, " What?" Because I didn't know they were doing it. And it's like my big old
mug. But if you ever come to visit Broadcasting House, whether
you are a BBC employee listening right now, or you're
(43:50):
coming in for a tour, yeah, I'm there on the seventh
floor in full technicolor.
Alex Legouix (43:57):
How do you prepare for the live show?
Clara Amfo (44:01):
I do prepare, but I also like to shoot from
the hip. I have a basic knowledge of people, and
then obviously, we've got our research notes and stuff. But for
me, my favorite interview's about the human side of somebody,
because ultimately that actually tells you more about the music.
If it's a music artist anyway. You can find out about
(44:25):
the album, why they made it, how they made it,
sometimes by finding out about what's been going on in
their life like six months prior. But I love my
producers, because they are always mega prepared with a glossary
of bits and bolts. But for me, that's my... And
I always do my research as well, but that's my
(44:47):
preferred way of working for sure, for sure.
Alex Legouix (44:51):
Well...
Clara Amfo (44:52):
We're here.
Alex Legouix (44:53):
Here it is.
Clara Amfo (44:55):
Pulling up to the old Bib.
Alex Legouix (44:57):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (44:59):
Oh, there's Shane, who is a very well known radio
Plugger dude and looks after all of your faves. Hello.
Was just talking about you, saying long time, no bloody see.
Shane (45:11):
Lovely to see you. How are you?
Clara Amfo (45:12):
You've been missed. You all right?
Shane (45:12):
Yeah, yeah. Just going to do something in BBC in a bit.
Clara Amfo (45:17):
Oh, fabulous. Well, maybe I'll bump into you in a bit. Well,
nice to see you.
Shane (45:20):
You too.
Clara Amfo (45:20):
Bye my love. Yeah, because I think pandemic wise, you
see all the pluggers up all the time.
Alex Legouix (45:26):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (45:27):
They bring artists in, but then the pandemic just changed
the game. And we did so many things. Like remember, I did
a Miley Cyrus interview, we had to do it, record it 10:
00 PM our time so we were on her time in LA
to get the show done. Because yeah, just artists, it's
just, yeah. Corona changed the game, man. Wow. We are
(45:48):
home. We are here.
Alex Legouix (45:50):
Well, it's been really fun. How has it been taking
a nice stroll around your haunts?
Clara Amfo (45:58):
It's been really lovely and I want to thank you for your very insightful,
wonderful questions. It's been you know , because people ask me a lot,
the same thing a lot of the time.
Alex Legouix (46:05):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (46:05):
But you know what? Sometimes you ask the same thing, but it's about how you ask it.
And I really appreciate, I appreciate your choice of words, darling.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Well...
Clara Amfo (46:12):
I truly do.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
... It's been a real privilege to have you, and I hope you liked our match.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
No, I did. Listen, living for the heated seats, living for the chat, living for the general comfort and the snacks. Thanks for the snacks.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Thanks for the snacks.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
For the snacks. No, a good time.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
I hope you have a good show.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Do people call you Al?
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Okay. I was like, I was going to call you Al earlier. I was like, is that over familiar? Thanks Al.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
How do people call you?
Clara Amfo (46:12):
People call me-
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Do you got a nickname?
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Clars sometimes. But it is mostly Clara or C. Yeah, C, Clars or Class or Amfo.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Clars.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
People do love to surname me a lot.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Yeah, I get surname a lot.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
You know?
Alex Legouix (46:13):
Well, Amfo, it's been a pleasure.
Clara Amfo (46:28):
Thanks.
Alex Legouix (47:03):
Thanks so much to Clara Amfo for taking me on
a personalized tour around her favorite haunts in London. You
can see exclusive footage of the drive by heading to
the Autotrader socials. Look at the episode page for links.
You'll also be able to see the Mustang Mach- E
that Clara thought was very cool. Plus, if you didn't
know already, we are giving away a brand new electric
(47:27):
car for free every single month as part of the
Autotrader electric car giveaway. We've previously given away two Mustang Mach-
Es, just like this one, plus many others. So, if
you'd like to be in for a chance of winning,
head to autotrader. co. uk/ cars/ electric/ giveaway and find
(47:49):
out what we are giving away this month. And if
you're looking for a new vehicle, you can find your
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Like what you hear? Rate and review and make sure
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(48:09):
Show on the Road is a fresh air production for Autotrader.
If it ever gets revealed that I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview
and be like, " Clara, you hypocrite and you idiot." Yeah,
that was a really, yeah, really special gig. Yeah, memory
unlocked with that one. I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay-
Z, Ariana Grande, whoever, and just Strictly and all of a
sudden my mom, " Oh wow."
Alex Legouix (00:19):
Now you've made it there.
Clara Amfo (00:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alex Legouix (00:21):
This is Show on the Road brought to you by
Autotrader. We are driving famous faces on a personalized road
trip, visiting the places that help shape them and hearing
how the locations turn them into who they are today.
We've matched each celebrity with a car chosen specifically for
them. So, join me, Alex Legouix as we get this
(00:43):
show on the road. Today I'm in South London, not
far from Brixton, meeting, BBC Radio DJ and TV presenter,
Clara Amfo. We've matched her with a Ford Mustang Mach-
E, which I'm hoping she will absolutely love, especially because
it has an incredible Bang & Olufsen sound system, which should
(01:04):
be right up her street. Let's see what she thinks. Hello?
Clara Amfo (01:08):
Hello. All right.
Alex Legouix (01:10):
Welcome.
Clara Amfo (01:10):
Fancy.
Alex Legouix (01:10):
It is the latest Ford and it's a Mustang Mach- E.
Clara Amfo (01:15):
It is very fab.
Alex Legouix (01:17):
It is a cool car and it has a ridiculous sound system. So
that's what we thought would be very Clara.
Clara Amfo (01:22):
I'm all about great sound quality all day. I literally
can't do anything in silence. I don't think I can,
whether it's on the way to work, in the shower, wherever, I always
need music on. So I'm glad that there is a great sound system.
Alex Legouix (01:38):
That's good. And it's also like it's got this acoustic glass so it cuts all of the
sound outside out. So if you do have your music
on in here, it is proper sweet.
Clara Amfo (01:47):
Fabulous.
Alex Legouix (01:48):
Happy?
Clara Amfo (01:49):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (01:50):
Good to go?
Clara Amfo (01:50):
Yeah, let's do it.
Alex Legouix (01:51):
Should we go and have a mooch around the world of
Clara Amfo?
Clara Amfo (01:55):
Let's roll.
Alex Legouix (01:56):
We're going to start at Brixton Market.
Clara Amfo (01:58):
Fab.
Alex Legouix (01:59):
Let's get this show on the road.
Clara Amfo (02:01):
Lovely.
Alex Legouix (02:06):
This is not obviously the car that you started your
youth in, but it is a Ford.
Clara Amfo (02:14):
It is a Ford.
Alex Legouix (02:14):
It was Ford-
Clara Amfo (02:14):
Sierra.
Alex Legouix (02:14):
... Sierra, right?
Clara Amfo (02:17):
And I still remember the license plate to this day,
which I probably won't repeat on here, but that red car,
that was just such a staple in our childhood. I remember
actually drawing a picture of it as a kid. Because
again, you don't think of, "This is how I live, this is the car that my daddy drives, my mommy
drives," whatever. But yeah, well no, we loved that car, but my
(02:37):
dad pretty much had it till it was falling to
pieces. Because I've got a memory of it having brown
tape on it, I think around the back... Yeah, the rear license plate.
Alex Legouix (02:47):
I think that's just a thing that you have to have on
those old school cars as well. You keep it until it's
dying. Did it have the old school tape deck as
well and stuff like that?
Clara Amfo (02:55):
I think so. For me, because that car, it definitely had
old school radio tuner thingy in it. Because I think,
yeah, my dad got... Because my dad passed away in 2015,
he was driving loads in the early 2010s, 2000s or
whatever, and the new car he got obviously had digital radio and
(03:16):
stuff like that. But the Ford that we drove around
in as kids, yeah, he'd tune it. He loved listening to classical
music stations, but then local radio or whatever was on
in the area that we'd be driving around in. But
yeah, no, I flipping loved that car, man.
Alex Legouix (03:31):
You have quite a few siblings, don't you?
Clara Amfo (03:32):
Yeah, I've got four brothers and one sister.
Alex Legouix (03:34):
And were you traveling quite a lot?
Clara Amfo (03:36):
Yeah. Oh yeah, loads and loads becasue we were brought up in
Kingston. But honestly, it's a really interesting one because I have
this... Even though I was raised there, I sort of
was and I wasn't in a weird sort of way
because pretty much every weekend we would drive to Brixton,
Balham, Peckham to (inaudible) . All the south and all
(03:57):
the south east, west London is essentially how I was
sort of raised by proxy in this car, going to
visit relatives because those are really heavily populated Ghanaian areas.
Alex Legouix (04:06):
Yeah, okay.
Clara Amfo (04:08):
And obviously, my mom loves cooking Ghanaian food and so
those are the markets that we go to as kids. Like
Brixton Market, I know like the back of my hand.
Brixton and Tooting Market were the two main ones we'd go
to as kids, so that we drive from Kingston every
weekend to go there. So I would get bits and bobs
for cooking family meals and we'd just go and see
relatives who were in those areas as well. So that
(04:31):
was a lot of my sort of formative journey time. I honestly
feel like I spent... We know how they say that you spend, what is it, 90%
of your life in bed or wherever?
Alex Legouix (04:41):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (04:41):
I think I spent 90% of my childhood life-
Alex Legouix (04:43):
In that car.
Clara Amfo (04:43):
... in that Ford Sierra. Yeah.
Alex Legouix (04:46):
That's brilliant.
Clara Amfo (04:47):
My parents came here in 1970 and my dad came
over here to study and mum came over here to work as
well. And they kind of found where their people... Obviously
they assimilated and mix and match and met loads of
new people, but of course you want that home from
home sort of thing. So going to those areas is really important
(05:10):
for us. And I think it was really fundamental, so
we never forgot where our parents came from, where we
came from. I always kind of dread to think how
I would be if we didn't do those trips and those journeys.
Alex Legouix (05:25):
Such formative years and formative times, isn't it? And I
think there's something really bizarre about being in the car,
sort of what we're doing now, but where people end
up talking about completely different things, don't they? And I
think that that's something. Car journeys bring out things in families
or in whoever's in the car. You end up doing some arguments, weird
(05:48):
games, stuff that you don't really sit down and do
in the lounge.
Clara Amfo (05:52):
No, that's true. Yeah, I think for me it was always, I used
to disassociate a lot as a kid really completely. And
doing that thing of thinking you're in a music video, especially
if the weather was rubbish, it was pouring down with
rain and there was drizzle. I always follow a particular
raindrop down the car window, just stare and sing songs
or whatever and just just zone out. What sorts
Alex Legouix (06:15):
Of music were you into at that sort of age? Gosh,
Clara Amfo (06:18):
Everything really. Because the thing is when you're a kid,
what your parents are going to listen to it almost
like you're just sort of dictated to, its when you're in
the car with your mum and dad, I think it was just always any
sort of power ballad station, easy listening, that's what my
dad was into and a lot of that classical music. But then we are
(06:38):
listening to a lot of high life, which Ghanaian pop
music because also the further you'd go in to South London,
you'd pick up local stations, like local pirate stations. I
don't know, one second, it would be like UK garage and
then it would be the local Ghanaian community station and then
it'd be Classic FM and then Smooth FM or KISS or
(07:00):
Radio 1, or like-
Alex Legouix (07:01):
Such an eclectic-
Clara Amfo (07:02):
... whatever. So I kind of absorbed it all to
be honest. But I think most of those stations at
that time, I'm seeing that all those sort of easy listening sections
that my dad would love. I think it must've been
some sort of Celine Dion moment.
Alex Legouix (07:16):
I was literally about to say.
Clara Amfo (07:17):
Or Whitney. It'd be like Celine, Whitney or Mariah. One
of the Holy Trinity or those sort of-
Alex Legouix (07:23):
Proper big characters.
Clara Amfo (07:24):
Yeah. And it just... Or Tony Braxton, Unbreak My Heart.
Alex Legouix (07:28):
She was a mega.
Clara Amfo (07:28):
Yeah, any of those sorts of tunes, I would just
be in my feelings not knowing any of those feelings
but being like...
Alex Legouix (07:37):
Yeah, it's doing something to me and I can't know
what's happening.
Clara Amfo (07:40):
Exactly.
Alex Legouix (07:41):
When you said that you would think about being in your
own pop video, would you be the starring role? Would
you be the singer?
Clara Amfo (07:48):
Yeah, I would be a hundred percent. Oh my gosh. But-
Alex Legouix (07:50):
Can you sing?
Clara Amfo (07:50):
Oh, no, no, no. I like to sing but I can't sing at all.
Absolutely not. But I think we've all got main character
syndrome. I think it's been made worse by social media.
Alex Legouix (08:00):
So true.
Clara Amfo (08:02):
We've all got main character syndrome, baby. You just got to
lean in, accept it.
Alex Legouix (08:05):
Yeah. And what was little Clara like? Were you mischievous? Were
you ambitious? Were you...
Clara Amfo (08:11):
I was a little bit mischievous. I think everyone thinks they're
a weird kid because I think kids are weird. I
think I liked that about being a kid. Well, looking
back now, I think I liked that about myself. I
was really chatty. But then I also, I quite liked
my own company as well and I just... Yeah, I was a proper
(08:33):
little... I was a little daydreamer and I was a
chatter box.
Alex Legouix (08:38):
Liking your own company is quite useful when you're a
radio DJ, I would imagine.
Clara Amfo (08:43):
It's quite a solitary job because I forget how many
millions of people I'm speaking to because essentially it's just
me in the studio. And yeah, I've got my production team but
even that was challenged because even the pandemic. Just when
we were in the proper thick of it, my job
was really solitary because I can have my producers in
(09:04):
my radio show in the room with me because usually there'd
be like... Could have anything up to six or seven
people in the room. But then with social distancing and
all of that, for the first, I think, year of the pandemic,
couldn't have my producers in the room, we'd always hug
and say hello, couldn't do none of that, couldn't have any
guests in. Everything was done online and it was a
(09:26):
very weird experience. Because I'm so used to walking into
a bustling office, everyone's there, walking into the studio and
just high five people, like whatever. But that's why the
listeners are so vital because at least you've someone to chat to.
Alex Legouix (09:43):
That's so true.
Clara Amfo (09:45):
You know?
Alex Legouix (09:50):
We are close, aren't we now to-
Clara Amfo (09:52):
Yeah, we're in Briton.
Alex Legouix (09:52):
... Brixton and Brixton Market, right?
Clara Amfo (09:55):
Because I'm seeing the Ritzy Cinema. And I was just here
the other week with one of my dear friends, Kieran. We went
to see that movie Rye Lane, set in Peckham, and
actually they filmed a lot of it in Peckham and
in Brixton, funnily enough. I love Brixton.
Alex Legouix (10:08):
And so this has been a very big part of your
life, hasn't it? Brixton, Brixton market?
Clara Amfo (10:12):
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Alex Legouix (10:12):
Like you said earlier about your mom coming or you
guys going to the market and getting your foods and
stuff like that.
Clara Amfo (10:18):
Yep. I love Brixton and I think it's just got
a character to it. It is like every borough and every town
has got such a distinctive personality. And I think there's
nowhere else like Brixton in London.
Alex Legouix (10:34):
No.
Clara Amfo (10:34):
I think the beautiful thing about Brixton is it is
the second- geners and the first-geners of the Windrush kids and people
that make it what it is. It's that thriving Afro-
Caribbean community that give it so much flavor and vibrancy. I
think it's really important for Brixton to hold onto that
(10:56):
because as we know, gentrification is a wild beast. And
of course you want areas, sites to develop and to
be invested in, but you don't want it to be at the detriment of the
people that built the community. Because that's the thing, anywhere
up and down the UK, anywhere that's got any sort
of, in my personal opinion, any coolness and just intrigue around
(11:19):
it and... Even that, see look coming up, you see
the Ritzy Cinema, " Happy 20th birthday, street classes. Thank you
Brixton for loving us." These are the people that make a community
what it is and they need to be cherished and protected.
Alex Legouix (11:32):
What would the market have been like?
Clara Amfo (11:35):
The market? I've got always super, super busy. Because I
think one thing about Brixton, Brixton market, for me that is
a very sensory thing, is the smell of fresh meat.
Alex Legouix (11:45):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Clara Amfo (11:45):
Yeah. That's where it always goes, straight to the butchers,
straight to the butchers around that Cold Harbor Lane, Electric
Avenue, all this area because my mum would just go
and get loads of lamb, chicken, goat to make traditional
Ghanaian meals. That was our thing. But then there'd also
be people with their sort of pop- ups selling already
(12:08):
made meals. And I'm seeing that more actually because obviously, that
sort of pop- up culture is definitely more prevalent now.
And now you are seeing people do like, " Oh, my
mom taught me how to make this dish. I'm from
this country." And now you can get a little box
of food takeaway away. And that wasn't as prevalent when I
was growing up. So that's really cool to see. Yeah,
(12:30):
that's definitely the thing driving around here, it is that
smell of just nicely cooked food, but also raw food.
Just feeling the busyness.
Alex Legouix (12:42):
Yeah, the vibrancy and...
Clara Amfo (12:44):
Feeling the busyness for sure. I don't think I've ever
seen Brixton quiet, because even when you're walking around at 02
or 3
or whatever. And obviously Brixton Academy is here, which is such
a formative part of my... I mean, it still is.
I can't even tell you how many gigs I've been
to then and every single artist I interview, especially the
(13:04):
ones who were brought up round here, that is their
mecca of, " I need to play there."
Alex Legouix (13:13):
Your very first gig memories, are they from round here?
Clara Amfo (13:16):
Oh gosh, yeah. I'm trying to think about who was
one of the first acts that I saw, because I keep
tickets stubs from pretty much every gig that I go to.
Alex Legouix (13:23):
Oh do you? That's nice.
Clara Amfo (13:23):
No, I've got shoe boxes full of ticket stubs. Even
though we can get things on our phone wherever possible, if
I can get a physical ticket stub, I'm keeping it
because I am quite sentimental.
Alex Legouix (13:39):
But you touched on the fact that your dad passed.
Clara Amfo (13:41):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (13:42):
That I imagine was obviously pretty tough and something that
I know has come up since and I wondered how
you cope with that, but having to still be the
upbeat Clara Amfo for the shows.
Clara Amfo (13:59):
I speak about my dad often and I did go
for a point and thinking, should I not speak about
it so much? Because I think the thing about doing
any sort of public facing job, but especially in broadcast,
once you say something or you put something out there,
people are always going to want to talk about it. And I get there
and I think, I don't ever want to shy away
(14:20):
from talking about death because one thing that I've learned
since my dad passed is that I think we're making
progress as a society in the UK, but I think
British people have still got a very conservative way of
dealing with death still. I don't think it's necessarily there's
(14:42):
shame around it, but I think there's just an awkwardness. People don't
really know what to do and it's like, " Listen, we're
all going to die whether we like it or not,
that's just life." And I think when it came to
my dealing with bereavement, it was an interesting one and it's something
that I'm still sort of trying to unpack now really.
Because I remember when my dad died, I was literally
(15:07):
back to work a week or 10 days later. And
the thing is, radio were amazing with me. The duty
of care was great. They said, " You take off all
the time you need." But I think I was in so much
shock. Because I remember I joined Radio 1 in 2015
and I remember I got the job offer and I remember I
(15:27):
was doing this photo shoot for a magazine that was
sort of announcing my new role and, " Here's Clara, she's
taken over from Fearne," and dah, dah dah, dah, dah.
And at that shoot, I had literally been talking to my
dad that day and then I was going to France
maybe a couple days later to run the Paris Half
Marathon. I found out my dad had passed away when I
(15:47):
was in Paris and he knew about me getting the
job at Radio 1 and then, yeah, then he died.
And then I was back on air a week or
two later, and there were times when I was doing
the show in the months after he passed where I'd be
fine doing a link. So I'd be like, " Okay, up next is
Little Mix and then I'd just be sobbing uncontrollably under
(16:12):
the desk or at the mic and then I'd have
to be like, suck it up and then carry on. And
again, looking back now, I'm like, " Bloody hell, Clara. You
should have allowed yourself more time and more sort of
patience with yourself." But it was such an new experience
to me. I've never experienced death like that. I had a
(16:32):
friend who passed away when I was a teenager, but
until that point, I hadn't experienced a close death like that. It
was a weird experience having to switch on the old
razzle dazzle when I felt like I was just crumbling.
But that is very symptomatic, I think of what British
(16:54):
people do. It's so embedded into our way of thinking.
Think about the slogan, " Cute, calm, and carry on." Obviously
that's used in wartime, but I think we apply that
to so many things.
Alex Legouix (17:07):
Yeah, we do.
Clara Amfo (17:07):
For anyone listening to this, if you are going through bereavement, my
advice would be you've really just got to let yourself
feel everything. You really have to, because I never pretended
not to be sad per se, but I do wish
(17:28):
I allowed myself just to sit with the pain and
just the news of it all for a little bit
longer rather than just chucking myself into activity. But then
at the same time, I think going back to work
(17:50):
and having that routine kind of saved me as well.
It's a double- edged sword, to be honest. And everyone's process of
dealing with death is so different. And the thing I
always tell people as well is that you don't have to
get over it. I don't believe in it. You learn
how to deal with it. And I think that is fine.
That's something that I do advocate for, learning how to
(18:11):
deal with it, but you never have to get over
it. I think it's such a bizarre ask of somebody
to get over somebody who lived a whole full, rich
life. You can't just click your fingers and it's like, "
Oh yeah, they were never there."
Alex Legouix (18:29):
They're there in everything still.
Clara Amfo (18:30):
But that's it.
Alex Legouix (18:31):
For most people, they're there forever more.
Clara Amfo (18:34):
That's it.
Alex Legouix (18:35):
And it's more for the other people around you, I
think, that you end up having to make out that
you've got over it because other people can't deal with that level of grief.
Clara Amfo (18:43):
Yeah, 100%. 100%.
Alex Legouix (18:52):
What's it like being interviewed rather than interviewing?
Clara Amfo (18:55):
It's nice to have a day off of just jamming the
car. But yeah, I don't mind it. I like talking to
people. I'm interested in people. I'm interested in the choice
of the questions people have for me because I know
what it's like to try and construct an interview. And
obviously, there's all different types of interviews you can do because I do... Obviously,
I do radio and some of the interviews I get, I'll
(19:18):
get four to five minutes with somebody, but then I might
do a film premiere and I'll get maybe 10 minutes
or I might do a long form interview with an actor
or whoever and then I might get half an hour
with them. It really depends. And you adapt your skillset for
different people and situations. Sometimes you're live, so you've only
(19:38):
got sometimes even a minute. Get this person, ask them
this, boom! You're done, and it's highly pressurized.
Alex Legouix (19:47):
And you have those moments where like, " Why did that
come out of my mouth?"
Clara Amfo (19:50):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Alex Legouix (19:51):
I have one question.
Clara Amfo (19:52):
Yeah, exactly.
Alex Legouix (19:55):
Why did I choose that one?
Clara Amfo (19:56):
Exactly. Oh my God. Yeah. The amount of times I've been like, "Clara, you absolute idiot." Or just, "Did I really say that out loud?"
Alex Legouix (20:00):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (20:00):
Yeah, because a mixture of adrenaline, natural nerves, you know-
Alex Legouix (20:09):
Exhaustion.
Clara Amfo (20:10):
Yeah, all of it can affect how you do your job. Because
you can go in with the best of intentions, " I'm going
to smash this interview," and then sometimes it doesn't go the way you plan. And
sometimes that can be really, really good because even though
I like to have a structure of how I work, I
also enjoy knowing that a conversation can go anywhere, which
I'm sure you know, you experience all the time doing this as
(20:32):
well. It's like, yeah, you have your plan, but you
never know where chats are going to go. And I think that's
the novelty of it for me.
Alex Legouix (20:39):
I completely agree. Do you think that you are... Is
it people that you're curious about as well as-
Clara Amfo (20:45):
Oh, definitely.
Alex Legouix (20:45):
... Obviously, I know we actually haven't spoken enough about
music and we will do, but is it people and
what makes them?
Clara Amfo (20:54):
Oh, a hundred percent. I think actually, I've got equal love
for... equal curiosity about people as much as I do
any arts and culture. It's like music, theater, film, whatever.
I'm just interested in people and why we do the
things we do, why we're into what we're into. I
(21:17):
love the word curious because essentially, it's more chiccer way
of saying I'm nosy.
Alex Legouix (21:22):
That is so true.
Clara Amfo (21:24):
It's just nosy, make it chic.
Alex Legouix (21:25):
I'm really nosy.
Clara Amfo (21:26):
Yeah, I'm nosy as fuck. Yeah, I am. I am. People are
interesting, man. Even driving around now, there's a man I'm
seeing there with his shopping trolley, whatever, and I'm thinking, " I wonder
who he is. I wonder where he grew up. I
wonder if he's got a partner. I wonder what he does
(21:49):
for a living. What's been his day today?"
Alex Legouix (21:52):
I do love a good people watch. Do you?
Clara Amfo (21:53):
Yeah. It's just like, we're fascinating creatures.
Alex Legouix (22:03):
You've touched on the fact that obviously when you're in
the car and your passion for music sort of started
there, but where did the thirst for making it, I
guess, more of a career come from?
Clara Amfo (22:15):
I think, I remember I went to a trip, I think it
was the Science Museum or the Design Museum, was one
of those two and there was a radio station and
they set up this whole, " Make your own demo" thing.
And I remember thinking, this is so fun. And you
basically just got to say your name, introduce a song,
(22:36):
and they'd give you the demo back on a CD
of the branded station and with your name on it. And I remember taking
that and thinking, " Oh my God, this is so cool.
This is it." I'm thinking, " Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This
is what I'm going to be doing. I need to
be doing this. Just chatting and playing tunes." Okay, you
(23:00):
can make a career, you can have a job doing
this. Absolutely. Because I loved so many things as a
little kid. I loved sport, but let's go back to what we were saying.
But when you are a little kid, you've just got
the most beautiful sense of ambition because you're just like, "No, anything
is possible." Do you know what I mean?
Alex Legouix (23:25):
Mm-hmm. Did your folks ever guide you?
Clara Amfo (23:25):
Do you know what? Not really, because my dad, he was a microbiologist,
so he was very, very intelligent man.
Alex Legouix (23:32):
Wow.
Clara Amfo (23:34):
For him, in a medical research joy way, COVID, he
would've been having a field day because that was literally
his vocation, studying viruses and tropical disease or all of that.
So we spent a lot of our times in hospital
as a kid. I remember some days I'd go and
hang out with him in his hospital. It'd be by
(23:56):
the fridges full of blood and samples and stuff because
he'd just be in his lab working. Like, " Sit still,
don't touch anything," look it or would play with his
stethoscope and things like that. But my dad was super
academic. And my mom isn't necessarily the most... She's not
an academic, but very much sort of like... My mom's
like, she's been a dinner lady. She was a cleaner
(24:18):
for, oh my god, 20 years. But yeah, they just
wanted us, all of my brothers and sisters sort of
ideally have maybe a medical profession or something in law
or pharmacy, all your traditional sort of prestige jobs. You
know when parents just like, " My God, my child's a doctor or my child's a this, " or like da da da da da
(24:41):
da. And none of us... We're all creative.
Alex Legouix (24:45):
Oh, really?
Clara Amfo (24:46):
Apart from my sister. My sister works in food tech,
but all of us just... Yeah, like my brother Andy,
he does voiceovers. You've probably heard his voice on things actually.
Alex Legouix (24:55):
Oh really?
Clara Amfo (24:56):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on bloody everything. I can't escape him.
Actually one really awkward moment, I was just like, " What?"
He did a voiceover for a very well known company
that sells sexy toys and sexy things to people.
Alex Legouix (25:11):
No.
Clara Amfo (25:12):
And my brother's on the voiceover and I was just like, "
Literally, I cannot. I literally can't deal. Go away. Go
away." But yeah, we all do kind of creative things. The
great thing about parents was that in an ideal world,
we all would've done those sort of prestige, like academic,
scientific or whatever jobs, but there was never a thing of, "
(25:33):
If you do something outside of that realm, you are
not welcome in my house." There was never that,
and I'm really, really appreciative of that. But my dad's
whole thing particularly was very much like, " Okay, if you are not
going to do one of these sorts of professions, then
you got to make sure that whatever you do, you
(25:53):
make sure that you are going to be the flipping
best or you don't do it by halves, commit and do
it properly. Otherwise what's the point?" So I think that
I definitely carried with me.
Alex Legouix (26:03):
That sort of competitive spirit?
Clara Amfo (26:05):
Yeah. But it was in a sense of not even
not trying to compete with anybody else to sort of like-
Alex Legouix (26:10):
Competing with yourself.
Clara Amfo (26:11):
Yeah, exactly. Exactly, exactly that. And it's funny, because I
was on KISS FM before and obviously KISS is... That's a very reputable station,
but it wasn't until I joined the BBC and my dad was like, "Oh,
okay, all right." And then I think I was a
guest on a Radio 4 show or something and he
was like, " I see." Because it's those sort of things.
(26:31):
For example, me doing Strictly and I'm someone who's like,
I've sat across Kendrick Lamar, Jay- Z, Ariana Grande, whoever,
just Strictly and all of a sudden, my mom and all of my auntie
friends like, " Oh wow!"
Alex Legouix (26:44):
Now you've made it there.
Clara Amfo (26:45):
Yeah, yeah. It makes my own peer group. It is funny, isn't
it, what people perceive as the thing?
Alex Legouix (26:51):
Yeah. Was Strictly fun?
Clara Amfo (26:52):
Oh, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Alex Legouix (26:55):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (26:56):
It was wicked. Don't get me wrong, it was physically,
emotionally intense. It is just, you're in this bubble because you just eat,
breathe and sleep dance, dance training and performance ever. But it
is honestly, the most... Yeah, it is the most fun thing I've
ever done.
Alex Legouix (27:13):
Can you still remember the dances?
Clara Amfo (27:16):
Oh yeah. No, honestly, it's so funny. The way muscle memory works is
so interesting. Because I remember my first dance was to Dua Lipa,
Don't Start Now and I still remember that choreography like
that.
Alex Legouix (27:28):
That comes on the radio, you're up?
Clara Amfo (27:29):
Oh, no, no. I still remember it. Sometimes I have been
at things, I'll be like, " Go on then, go on." I'm just like, " Don't threaten
me with a good time because I might just do
it, hun. I might just do it." Oh, what a lovely day.
This is Tower Bridge. But I'm based in East London.
Sometimes I'll walk from home to here. So I've got
(27:51):
a few mates that live around these sides. It'll take
about an hour and a half, but it's such a lovely
walk. The sky is blue.
Alex Legouix (27:57):
Sky is blue. Does the weather affect you?
Clara Amfo (28:00):
Absolutely. Yeah. We are literally mammals energized by the sun. Do you know what I mean?
Sometimes all you just need is that... It's that vitamin D band,
but I'm such a summertime flight baby. I would rather
be too hot than too cold, which is why I'm
living for these heated seats in this car.
Alex Legouix (28:17):
Yeah, agreed.
Clara Amfo (28:19):
That's my joy. Or just frolicking in my local park.
Alex Legouix (28:23):
What is your mood lifter music?
Clara Amfo (28:27):
That is a great question. What is my mood lifter music
at the moment? I love Salon. I mean, do you
know what? I'm obsessed, I mean, everyone knows I'm one of Beyonce's
biggest fans and that Renaissance album, I've been rinsing it...
Because that came out in July of last year and
I've played that album every day since. And it just gets
me fired. I love it. It's excellent. All killer, no filler .
Alex Legouix (28:48):
This is a colorful area.
Clara Amfo (28:54):
Yeah, we're on Brick Lane now.
Alex Legouix (28:54):
Nice.
Clara Amfo (28:55):
Yes. Brick Lane, Brick Lane area or Whitechapel really, but it's all connected.
So there's a really big Bengali and Bangladeshi community round here.
You can get great South Asian food around this area.
But again, this is why I love London because you
(29:19):
just get a lesson in other people's cultures like borough
to borough.
Alex Legouix (29:24):
Do you feel the restrictions from your fame or are
you still able to go into the markets?
Clara Amfo (29:28):
Do you know what I live in... Because my whole thing is, I've always said that you're
only as famous as you act, I think. Obviously, there's
nuance to everything, but if you are walking around in
a cap and sunglasses on a day where you don't
need cap and sunglasses, if it's not sunny-
Alex Legouix (29:45):
You're highlighting yourself.
Clara Amfo (29:48):
If anything, I'm like, " Oh, why has that person got a cap and sunglasses on? Are
you quote, unquote somebody?" But usually people are just like, "Oh, it's Clara, you're all right? How's it going? Cool." Or, "
Do we go to school together?" Or, " Why do I know you?"
But it's never a thing of like, " Oh my God, I'm getting chased down
the street." But I think, yeah, again, you're only as
famous as you act. I think if you caught it
(30:10):
and you do the most to fan the flames, I
think that's when you get into a tricky situation. I
would sooner die than bloody call the paparazzi on myself
because please believe it baby. Sorry to like... I believe it's
really important to tell the truth and listen, I hate
to break it to anyone who's listening, but you'd be
surprised and you may or may not have to cut this bit out,
(30:31):
but I don't care. I don't care. I'll tell you
the truth. But there are people who call the paparazzi on themselves. My God.
Alex Legouix (30:36):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (30:37):
You would be shocked. And then people are like, " Oh my God,
I wish the paps would leave me alon ." Your publicist called them and
told them that you were going to be outside this cafe with
whoever and they act like you didn't know.
Alex Legouix (30:50):
So true.
Clara Amfo (30:50):
Oh my God, what are you doing it? You knew they were going to be here. You can't do that and then be like, "
Oh my God, the fame."
Alex Legouix (30:55):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (30:55):
Do you know what I mean? And if it ever gets revealed that
I called paparazzi on myself, please use this interview and be like, "Clara,
you hypocrite and you idiot."
Alex Legouix (31:03):
You heard it here.
Clara Amfo (31:03):
And I say that with my chest. I will never
do that as long as I live. I'll say this,
Adele is probably one of the most famous women on
the planet. When that woman is not releasing music, do
you ever see or hear a peep from her?
Alex Legouix (31:15):
No.
Clara Amfo (31:15):
Exactly. It's a choice. It's a choice. But then there are some
people who are relentlessly pursued and they don't have a choice. Again,
there is nuance to everything, but there is a way
to control it. So I just think, don't... Yeah, you don't have
to lean in.
Alex Legouix (31:36):
So we're just by-
Clara Amfo (31:37):
Have a peaceful life. Yes.
Alex Legouix (31:38):
... the Genesis Cinema.
Clara Amfo (31:40):
Yay.
Alex Legouix (31:42):
This is where you come?
Clara Amfo (31:43):
Yeah, it's one of my favorite cinemas. I love a cinema that's just
got character to it. And if there's one thing, a
cinema trope I adore is old school-
Alex Legouix (31:52):
Yeah. It looks old school.
Clara Amfo (31:53):
... cinema lettering for the signage to let you know
what's on. Just how the Ritzy in Brixton has got
that style. I love that about Genesis. And they're really good
at doing good one- off nights and themed months and
things, which I think is really cool. But don't get me wrong,
I enjoy your sort of big chain cinemas and I am
(32:16):
not adverse to a reclining chair and being able to
eat and drink a cute meal in a cinema. But
there is something about just those really preserved spaces.
Alex Legouix (32:29):
Is it as old school inside as well as it looks outside?
Clara Amfo (32:32):
Yeah. And obviously they've adapted and stuff, but I just think,
yeah, just that lived in energy. I don't know, I imagine who
was there 50 years ago. One of my favorite things
is going to the cinema by myself. Funny enough, I'm planning
to go and see the latest Scream movie on my ones because
(32:52):
none of my friends will go with me to see
it. I really, really enjoy them now. My mates will
come to noir with me to a romcom or just a
com or an action movie or whatever. But I was like, "
What happened to all of you lot? Come on. Is everyone
like... " But yeah, everyone's a scaredy cat. But yeah, funnily
enough, when I wanted to go see Magic Mike, all
the girlies wanted to come. I went to see Magic
(33:15):
Mike's Last Dance at the cinema with a few mates.
Actually, no, just with one mate. And that was hilarious
and we laughed and sighed the whole way through.
Alex Legouix (33:26):
Do you have a lot of fond memories of going
to the cinema or watching films when you were younger
as well?
Clara Amfo (33:30):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always the thing. My mum always used
to fall asleep in cinema. Yeah, no, I loved going
to cinema as a kid. Loved trying to get into
films that I wasn't old enough to watch. I remember I went
to try and see... I can't remember what film was, but it was a film.
I think I was 14, it was 15. My mum had
that perfume. It was called Poison.
Alex Legouix (33:51):
Oh yes.
Clara Amfo (33:51):
My dad had bought it for her as a gift.
And she'd held onto the bottle for 20 years or whatever.
And I doused something because I was like, " Yeah, this is
what teenagers do. They wear fancy perfume and wear button-
up shirts or whatever." And I remember me and my friend,
I think it's... What's it? I can't remember who it was, but I think me and a couple
of school friends, we were like, " Yeah, we're old enough." And
(34:13):
they were just like, "No, you're not going home." I was like, "Okay, fine ." But, but again, those are formative things
because it's just about independence, isn't it?
Alex Legouix (34:21):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (34:21):
And I think there's something about going to cinema without your parents.
Alex Legouix (34:26):
Yes. That's so true.
Clara Amfo (34:26):
It makes you feel like a proper grownup. Or going to the local,
going swimming, all those, or getting a train by yourself
for the first time. They're rights a passage, aren't they?
Alex Legouix (34:36):
Yeah, they are really important.
Clara Amfo (34:38):
Yeah, proper.
Alex Legouix (34:40):
So we're being taken through Shoreditch.
Clara Amfo (34:44):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (34:44):
Do you know this sort of area?
Clara Amfo (34:46):
I know this area extremely well, like the back of my
hand. This area I cycle through a lot, pass through
a lot, got a lot of good gig memories here.
And yeah, just nights out really. And yeah, late night
food stops because there's so many kebab shops here that
(35:08):
I've definitely gotten a falafel wrap from and chips.
Alex Legouix (35:12):
Is that a go-to at the end of the night?
Clara Amfo (35:13):
In the middle of the night. Oh yeah, yeah. Definitely. Chomping down chips at 3:
00 AM.
Alex Legouix (35:19):
Yeah. Your journey to starting at KISS was quite unorthodox,
wasn't it?
Clara Amfo (35:25):
Yeah, because I always had an interest in broadcast, but
for a little bit I was like, " You know what?
I'm just going to work behind the scenes. I don't
need to put myself out there." And looking back now,
it was just a fear thing. Because again, going back
as the thing about, that almost reverse imposter syndrome. It wasn't
(35:49):
a thing of me not thinking I wasn't capable. I
think I was just afraid to put myself out there.
Even though I knew I was capable, I was a
bit like, " Oh no, I'm not going to do that." So I just didn't. I was like, " You know what?
I'm cool. I'll just help out marketing, intern." So I
was helping out doing everything. So I'd go to Ministry
of Sound Nightclub and scrape off the KISS branding stickers
(36:12):
that we'd put up there the night before for the
club nights, give out merchandise. I'd stand outside the big
top shop, RIP on Oxford Street, trying to stop people
to get voxbox to use for the station, in- house adverts, all
those types of things. But I always knew that, " Oh,
I'd love to be able to do the radio bit." And I was always
(36:36):
having these sort of sparring matches with my old boss, like, "
Why don't you play this song? That song's so out
now." I'm like, " Why are you doing that to this?
You should be doing this," and dah dah dah dah
dah. And so eventually that one Christmas he was off
for God's sake, and then he was just like, " This person's gone
away and this person's got a cold, so do you want to cover this
(36:57):
show on Christmas Eve?" And I was like, " Oh my God." I was like, "
Yes," sprinted to the studio as soon as I got
the chance to, to be honest. So Christmas came around and I covered
some shows and they were prerecorded. But the first time I
went live, it was Saturday morning, a 4
(37:20):
till 6
on adrenalines. I remember I set my alarm, probably for 02
00 because I think I was so paranoid I was
going to sleep through my alarm. And then, yeah, got
to the studio and then my old boss, Simon, who'd
really sort of mentored me, produced a show. I remember
(37:42):
thinking like, " Yeah, man, this is absolutely what I'm supposed
to be doing. I love doing this."
Alex Legouix (37:46):
Were you nervous?
Clara Amfo (37:47):
Oh yeah, I was shitting myself. I was so nervous. So nervous. But
I enjoyed it so much that I just wanted to
come back and do it and just learn to be
better. And it was such a great... Yeah, it was just such
a great feeling.
Alex Legouix (38:03):
And were you then like, " That's it?"
Clara Amfo (38:05):
Yeah.
Alex Legouix (38:05):
" I'm in, this is what I'm doing?"
Clara Amfo (38:07):
Yeah, absolutely. I was like, no, I just remember thinking... Because bearing in mind at that
same time, I was still working in the office Monday
to Friday because I had been promoted from sort of
work experience intern to be... They gave me this job
lesson. They made up a job for me and it
was called station coordinator. But doing that, honestly, it was
(38:28):
invaluable because it really gave me a work ethic, which
I really cherish. Because when you understand how the sausage
is made, you see all the working parts of a radio
station or any sort of any workspace, but particularly radio,
TV, when you see it like that, it almost gives
(38:52):
you an armor from sort of being a brat because you
just know the moving parts.
Alex Legouix (38:57):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (39:02):
We're in Camden right now and the houses are beautiful round here.
Alex Legouix (39:06):
They really are.
Clara Amfo (39:08):
So, so, so, so, so lovely.
Alex Legouix (39:10):
Do you think that London is a pioneer for music
and new music?
Clara Amfo (39:15):
Oh, absolutely. A hundred percent. I don't think it's the sense with the universe
for it, but it's absolutely a hundred percent a leader.
We're in Camden, which is, I think... When I think
of Camden, I think of Amy Winehouse. There's a whole
statue of her here. But there are so many iconic leaders who have
(39:36):
come out of London for music. But yeah, zoning on
Amy, that's somebody that truly made it accessible, hip hop
influence, R& B influence, just so cool and so unique
and truly a one of one artist. And that's a
proud North London girl. Actually, I saw her at KOKO
(40:00):
actually, where we're going to. Yeah, I remember because I remember
being in the queue and seeing her walk by with
her security and her being... I remember her being like, " Wow," because
she couldn't believe all these people had come to see her. And that
was a really, really fun gig. And you look back
on moments like that and you just realize how privileged you were
to see somebody of that ilk, just being them. Ultimately,
(40:29):
who she was was just a really great artist. And you
could tell she had a lot of pride performing at
somewhere like KOKO, because that's somewhere that she would've no
doubt been going to as well. But yeah, that was
a really special gig. Yeah, memory unlocked with that one.
Alex Legouix (40:47):
So we're outside KOKO now.
Clara Amfo (40:48):
We are outside KOKO. And yeah, I just literally remember just
being in a queue and it curling around to get
into that print show. But then there's been times I've walked straight in
because I've had a gig early or whatever. But yeah, it's
such a fab venue. And they had that fire a
little while ago.
Alex Legouix (41:10):
Oh yes, of course.
Clara Amfo (41:10):
Obviously, so I'm feeling it's been renovated now. But yeah, it's just iconic.
Alex Legouix (41:16):
So we're on our way now to Broadcasting House.
Clara Amfo (41:19):
Yeah. Yes, we are.
Alex Legouix (41:20):
World of Radio 1.
Clara Amfo (41:23):
That's it. Portland Place.
Alex Legouix (41:25):
What was the feeling when you knew you were making
that step up or step over, I guess?
Clara Amfo (41:33):
Bit of fear, fear, excitement, overwhelmingness. Because I remember when I first
like demoing for Radio 1, when I was sitting at
KISS and they're around the corner from each other. And obviously it was
top secret, so I would sneak. I'd finish my work
day or during a lunch break, I would sneak around
the corner to Broadcasting House and try and go in
(41:55):
the Radio 1 and one extra building, incognito, hoping no
one would see me be quietly ushered in by a producer,
doing my demos and run back to work. And I remember I did
that on and off for 18 months on the sly.
Alex Legouix (42:09):
Oh really?
Clara Amfo (42:10):
Yeah, I think I did about, oh my God, eight
or nine demos. And then they finally offered me a contract
for Weekend Breakfast at 1Xtra. But yeah, but I remember
when you walk into the main concourse, there's that giant
BBC sign you can't miss, there's three huge letters. And
seeing that for the first time, it's a lot. Because
(42:32):
even now, every day when I'm going into work or
leaving work, there's always tourists out there with their selfie
sticks getting that BBC picture.
Alex Legouix (42:45):
So do you still appreciate that feeling?
Clara Amfo (42:47):
Yeah, I do because they're always decorating it with all the people
that work there. Because when you walk into the building,
there's a giant picture of Claudia and Tess for Strictly,
and there's a giant like... There's a TARDIS in there
from Doctor Who and giant Pudsey Bear for Children in Need.
And now there's a... Because the Broadcasting House is eight floors,
(43:12):
so on each floor, they've got blown up pictures of
different styles. There's a big picture of David Attenborough and
Harry Styles when he did Big Weekend for Radio One . And there's a big picture of me there, which
I didn't know they were putting up there. So I think I'm
in between Harry Styles and David Attenborough, which is great company,
I must say.
Alex Legouix (43:28):
That's an interesting sandwich.
Clara Amfo (43:28):
I mean, but I remember, I didn't know they were doing it. And then
one day I kept getting tagged in pictures on people's
Instagram. So it was like, Grimmy had tagged me in something, Greg, all my coworkers
basically, like, " What the hell? Look at you." And I
was like, " What?" Because I didn't know they were doing it. And it's like my big old
mug. But if you ever come to visit Broadcasting House, whether
you are a BBC employee listening right now, or you're
(43:50):
coming in for a tour, yeah, I'm there on the seventh
floor in full technicolor.
Alex Legouix (43:57):
How do you prepare for the live show?
Clara Amfo (44:01):
I do prepare, but I also like to shoot from
the hip. I have a basic knowledge of people, and
then obviously, we've got our research notes and stuff. But for
me, my favorite interview's about the human side of somebody,
because ultimately that actually tells you more about the music.
If it's a music artist anyway. You can find out about
(44:25):
the album, why they made it, how they made it,
sometimes by finding out about what's been going on in
their life like six months prior. But I love my
producers, because they are always mega prepared with a glossary
of bits and bolts. But for me, that's my... And
I always do my research as well, but that's my
(44:47):
preferred way of working for sure, for sure.
Alex Legouix (44:51):
Well...
Clara Amfo (44:52):
We're here.
Alex Legouix (44:53):
Here it is.
Clara Amfo (44:55):
Pulling up to the old Bib.
Alex Legouix (44:57):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (44:59):
Oh, there's Shane, who is a very well known radio
Plugger dude and looks after all of your faves. Hello.
Was just talking about you, saying long time, no bloody see.
Shane (45:11):
Lovely to see you. How are you?
Clara Amfo (45:12):
You've been missed. You all right?
Shane (45:12):
Yeah, yeah. Just going to do something in BBC in a bit.
Clara Amfo (45:17):
Oh, fabulous. Well, maybe I'll bump into you in a bit. Well,
nice to see you.
Shane (45:20):
You too.
Clara Amfo (45:20):
Bye my love. Yeah, because I think pandemic wise, you
see all the pluggers up all the time.
Alex Legouix (45:26):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (45:27):
They bring artists in, but then the pandemic just changed
the game. And we did so many things. Like remember, I did
a Miley Cyrus interview, we had to do it, record it 10:
00 PM our time so we were on her time in LA
to get the show done. Because yeah, just artists, it's
just, yeah. Corona changed the game, man. Wow. We are
(45:48):
home. We are here.
Alex Legouix (45:50):
Well, it's been really fun. How has it been taking
a nice stroll around your haunts?
Clara Amfo (45:58):
It's been really lovely and I want to thank you for your very insightful,
wonderful questions. It's been you know , because people ask me a lot,
the same thing a lot of the time.
Alex Legouix (46:05):
Yes.
Clara Amfo (46:05):
But you know what? Sometimes you ask the same thing, but it's about how you ask it.
And I really appreciate, I appreciate your choice of words, darling.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Well...
Clara Amfo (46:12):
I truly do.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
... It's been a real privilege to have you, and I hope you liked our match.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
No, I did. Listen, living for the heated seats, living for the chat, living for the general comfort and the snacks. Thanks for the snacks.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Thanks for the snacks.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
For the snacks. No, a good time.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
I hope you have a good show.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Do people call you Al?
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Yeah.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Okay. I was like, I was going to call you Al earlier. I was like, is that over familiar? Thanks Al.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
How do people call you?
Clara Amfo (46:12):
People call me-
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Do you got a nickname?
Clara Amfo (46:12):
Clars sometimes. But it is mostly Clara or C. Yeah, C, Clars or Class or Amfo.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Clars.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
People do love to surname me a lot.
Alex Legouix (46:12):
Yeah, I get surname a lot.
Clara Amfo (46:12):
You know?
Alex Legouix (46:13):
Well, Amfo, it's been a pleasure.
Clara Amfo (46:28):
Thanks.
Alex Legouix (47:03):
Thanks so much to Clara Amfo for taking me on
a personalized tour around her favorite haunts in London. You
can see exclusive footage of the drive by heading to
the Autotrader socials. Look at the episode page for links.
You'll also be able to see the Mustang Mach- E
that Clara thought was very cool. Plus, if you didn't
know already, we are giving away a brand new electric
(47:27):
car for free every single month as part of the
Autotrader electric car giveaway. We've previously given away two Mustang Mach-
Es, just like this one, plus many others. So, if
you'd like to be in for a chance of winning,
head to autotrader. co. uk/ cars/ electric/ giveaway and find
(47:49):
out what we are giving away this month. And if
you're looking for a new vehicle, you can find your
perfect match at autotrader. co. uk. This is a new show and
I'd love you to follow on your favorite podcast platform.
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(48:09):
Show on the Road is a fresh air production for Autotrader.
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