September 3, 2025 • 50 mins
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The boys are back in town! After an extended hiatus that accidentally stretched from "a little break" into several months, your favourite London-based gay podcasters return with cocktails in hand and stories to tell.
Find out what happened to Benji after a day-long flirtation with a friend-of-a-friend that went spectacularly wrong in front of Mariah Carey.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Hello and welcome to my Big Gay Podcast with me.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
And me, Brad, giving you the life, the loves and the
lols of living in London.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Two gays, one city.
What could possibly?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
go wrong.
Oh my goodness, I'm so gladthat we are back.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We are back.
It's been a little while.
It's been a hot minute it hasbeen a hot minute.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
yeah, this little break that we were taking turned
into a vacation for months yeah, and spoiler alert we eloped
and got married yikes, I wouldnever marry you.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
She could never, because she wouldn't sign the
prenup and you're not gettinganything I got honey, that's
true.
Yeah, I would not want a prenup, yeah we want prenup seriously
a prenup yeah, we want prenup,seriously me, me outside the
church, oh my goodness.
But anyway, yeah, so sorry wehave been away but we are back,
so we're gonna get straight intothe podcast.
But, mate, how have you been?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
oh, my goodness, this has been such a weird year for
me, um because you know thatI've been not enjoying my job
this year and that's one of thereasons why we took a break,
because I was figuring out whatI'm gonna do career-wise and,
yeah, it just seems to be likeone hurdle after another.
But I quit my job and started anew job and it's amazing and I
love it and it's the energy thatI needed in my life well, I'm
(01:34):
glad that finished on a positive, because I was like I didn't
pack my tiny little violin andthat's not usually me.
I usually love my life, I lovemy job.
But yeah, this year basically,the job that I worked at was
meant to be temporary anyway endup staying there longer than
planned we had new management.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
It's been 84 years, literally has been 84 years and
we had new management.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, I didn't really like decisions they're making
and I just wasn't enjoying myjob and my job is meant to be
creative and they were limitingmy creativity and there's a lot
of creativity in this brain thatjust needs to be unleashed.
Unleash the beast.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Bit of money.
There is a lot in that brain.
I don't know if it's creativity.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's a lot.
There is a lot of creativity itneeds to come out, and so,
being in an environment where Ican't bring that out, just
wasn't good for I found a newjob and handed my notice, and it
was the best feeling ever.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Did you walk in and just like slap it down on the
desk?
Like read this, mary.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Literally that, yeah, I was like I'm done.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
They send you, like your new timings in to come in
your bag.
Actually, no, I'm not comingback, oh it's such a good
feeling.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So if anyone is also feeling a bit stuck in their job
, honestly look elsewhere.
Get out of that rut.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
No, no, because I've generally felt like oh yeah, the
cost of living crisis.
Let's tell everyone to quittheir jobs.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Great idea, mate.
Excuse me, Beyonce told us todo that a couple of years ago
and I should have listened toBeyonce back then.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I think it's okay for Beyonce to say things like that
it's all right for you, isn'tit girl?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh, I no, we'll come back to that in a minute, okay,
okay, oh, my goodness, all thischit-chat.
We haven't even opened ourcocktails.
We need to.
I'm thirsty, I'm gagging, yeah,I know you're thirsty.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So, podcasters, as always, we do our.
What Are we Drinking?
And this week I'm a little bitnervous for this because it's a
very, very strong drink.
I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Now I first heard of them about six months ago we
were out and we were off to avenue and we popped into a
little corner shop Like let'sget a little drink for the road,
and we clocked these.
I was like what are those?
They look amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And the rest of the night we don't remember.
Seriously though.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, that was a big, big night that one.
Yeah, yeah, so on the way.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And also not that we're trying to be ahead of the
trend, but I think these areabout to go off.
I think this is going to be atthe next, because genuinely not
that we want to promote alcohol.
Make sure you drink.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Responsibly, responsibly, reasonably.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Make sure you drink reasonable amounts.
I don't know what that means.
Make sure you drink responsibly.
However, these buzz bowls Notgoing to lie.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
I mean, it's a little tiny cocktail bowl and it's
13.5% in this little bowl.
That is what you get in a wholebottle of wine.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, but that's volume.
That's not the same as drinkinga whole bottle of wine.
You dumbass.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I thought it was the same If it's 13.5%.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
That's how much alcohol is in that drink.
No, no, oh my goodness, this isreally embarrassing.
No of alcohol within that drink.
So a certain fraction of thatdrink is that much alcohol.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
You know, maths is not my thing.
I'm good with everythingcreative, but not maths.
Is that what you said in yourjob interview.
Yeah, great, I could do oneplus one, and that's what you
get in.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
That's about as far as we're getting.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Honestly, my tax man every year when he gets my tax
must be like what the hell Tax ayear when he gets my tax must
be like what the hell tax?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
what's that?
No, joking, joking.
You're gonna pay your taxes,people.
No, but seriously, buzz balls.
You get them in different sizes.
You can get little ones about.
They've now brought out twomore sizes.
There's like a sharing one isthere, yeah, which I think is
500 mil, quite big.
And then we just found outactually, you're at the same
event that I found out they nowdo like fishbowl size.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yes, yes, so that'd be great if there's like a group
of you on a night out at a club, get yourself a big fishbowl
buzz bowl.
Get yourself a fishbowl buzzbowl.
You should really work inmarketing.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
mate, you are on it.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Thank you so much.
Anyway, should we get them open.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Hang on, what am I having first?
Also, it says oh, it just saysready to drink, spirit drink.
That's some like Timu wording,slightly concerned, but anyway,
it's female founded, womenfounded.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Good for them.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, I love that those women, they know how to
get lit.
They know how to get light,they get lit Right, so I went
for a green one, which istequila rita.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, I clocked that and I was like you're for them,
not gold, gold.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That's it.
Game over, literally game.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I'll be in bed and I don't know whose bed, but I will
be in a bed, in someone's bedsomewhere possibly even a
hospital bed.
We don't know I've gone for thestrawberry rita but it's got an
apostrophe before rita.
So what would the apostrophemean?
Are you serious?
Would you know what it means?
Margarita, there it is, therewe go, so yours is tequila.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Oh god, oh yes oh my goodness Podcast is.
I try to get Brad on tequilaall the time because tequila
Brad is a good I mean, you're agreat person anyway, but tequila
Brad, tequila Brad is fun.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh my gosh, that's getting messy, I won't.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Was it a house party?
We went out when the onlyalcohol we could find was
tequila.
Oh it my fave, but wild.
Anyway, let's open them upright.
Shake it, shake it.
Shake that nasty drink.
Sorry, it's not nasty, it'sdelicious.
Oh okay, that went absolutelyeverywhere right.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Cheers, mate cheers.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Happy return of ice ice ice podcast I know, I know,
I know, here we go, zippity, zip, christ alive now that is
strong, but it's very sweet,which I love of course it's
strong.
That's a whole bottle of winein that bottle that's generally
what I thought that meant I'mnever gonna let you live that
down.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It's delicious, it feels nice yeah, that is really
really nice good good, well,here we go, lit and ready to go
so, going back to our, ourlittle catch-up, so I left.
My job felt amazing.
So, as I said, if anyone'sfeeling the same, get yourself a
new job and handing that noticeit's so good.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
It's no other better feeling in the world yeah, I
mean, I haven't really beengiven that many opportunities to
hand in notices, because I'mnormally fired oh yes, we did
hand in a notice a couple ofyears ago.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Do you remember?
We had that podcast alreadytrashed.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Buckle up, boys, you're in for a good one today
um, yes, but I feel like thatthat meeting I was about to get
dismissed.
At the same time, I feel like Igot in there early mutual
things well, I mean, no, I'dmade it very clear that was
gonna leave.
I think they wanted to jump infirst, but yeah, I got in there
with my pink suit, very legallyblonde, and um quit.
Yeah, it is a good feeling, infact.
Listeners, if you've got somegood quitting stories, tell us.
(07:41):
We'll happily read them out.
That I mean that is kind of fun.
Yeah, take control.
Yeah, I do think I know listen,I work for myself, so I kind of
it's.
Maybe I don't take um forgranted that I can feel this way
, but if you're working forsomeone who doesn't actually
respect your value or you don'tfeel valued, life's too short
that is exactly what I wasfeeling.
100 yeah, and I understand thatjob is important, especially if
(08:02):
you're tied into like mortgagesand bills and you've got
significant others maybe yourkids, I don't know.
It's very difficult, it's scaryand you kind of have to put up
with it.
But just, there's no harm inlooking elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I agree.
And also, just really quickly,whilst on the job thing, there
was a woman that also worked atthis for this company and and
she left a few months ago.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And all she got was a bunch of flowers and a card.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
How long has she?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
been there for She'd been there for like 20 odd years
.
No, and I thought A I wasn'tmeant to be staying there for
that long anyway, so I was therelonger than I ever intended to
be.
But B imagine if I stayed therefor another 20 or so years and
all I got was a bunch of flowersand a card after the hours of
service that I've given to thatcompany.
What?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
do you think you'll get when you quit this time?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Oh, my goodness, a mansion, a holiday.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now I've found a new company that values my worth, so
it's all going to be uphillfrom here.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It's not my company.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I did apply for Jersey Skin didn't hear back.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Yeah, we'll get back to you when we're desperate.
Anyway, listen, that's actuallyquite nasty.
I'm sorry you'll be.
I love you, but you know Ivalue you hugely thank you so
much when you're drunk right,anyway, we're gonna go with this
podcast.
We've got some.
We've got so much to catch upon, so let's take a little break
.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
If you've not got your drink yet, go and get it,
and we'll be back after thislittle jingle okay, so I've
rambled on about what I've beendoing this year and why my life
has been sort of all over theplace, but you've also had a bit
of a topsy-turvy life this year.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yes, well, I think on the last episode we did talk
about it.
I recently purchased a property.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You did.
That's so grown up.
I can't even believe you'resaying this right now.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Very grown up and it's technically two properties
in one.
I think I mentioned there's a,there's a flat above and then
there's a, a second shot,another shop below so it's kind
of like two renovation projectsas one, and they both have to
have very different thingsinstalled in them and
regulations and whatnot.
So it has been an absolutewhirlwind, and sorry to any
listeners that are builders, butright now I'm just going to do
(10:02):
a full public announcement thatbuilders are the bane of my life
well, wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
the bills kept coming in and you're like where is all
this budget coming from?
Right?
Speaker 1 (10:11):
listen, I expect the bills to come in.
We need to do some seriousstructure restructuring the
front of the building.
We had to get the whole beambasically I think it's rsj uh
replace it was the old timberbeam and they had to prop up
basically the entire buildingand put in a steel one.
So it's a really big job and Iit was budgeted for blah, blah,
blah.
But, yeah, all I was gettingwas like emails like hey, this
is the bill for the moment, andthen, like two and a half weeks
(10:32):
later, I'll get, oh, this is thenext bill.
It's like it wasn't like end ofthe month bills and there was
also there's no breakdowns, soit just says it just didn't
order them like restructuring,blah.
There was blah blah.
There was no like this is manhours, this is, you know,
equipment that we needed, thisis materials, whatever.
And I, yeah, I did push andpush and push for it, so I paid
(10:52):
half of it and I was like I'mnot paying the last half until
you've told me what I'm actuallypaying for.
Yeah, and then they threatenedto take me to Petty Debt's Corp.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Well, the thing is, the money that you're doing with
them is big money, right?
It's not like a tenner here, or20 quid for a bit of paint.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
No.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's hundreds and thousands of pounds right For
wood and things.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
No, it was not hundreds and thousands of pounds
.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I mean, that's me thinking you've got a mansion.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I mean, listen, the final bills come in at about 55k
.
Yeah, no-transcript.
And like, at no point was Ilike no, I'm not paying you,
you've done a rubbish job.
I mean they had done some.
(11:39):
They'd botched.
You had to be very skilled todo it and they did it well.
Well, I mean the building'sstill standing, so absolutely
happy to pay for it.
I just want to see what I'mpaying for, because I didn't
know if I then paid all thismoney and then they were going
to send me another bill like oh,and now here's the bill for all
this other work that we've done.
Like I don't know what itcovers yeah, that's so true, and
on top of that, they had to.
(12:00):
they had no communication withme, so my decorator was
finishing painting the flat,which is above the shop and was
no word of a lie, was stillwashing his brushes in the sink,
and the builders came up thestairs into the flat with
sledgehammers and justcompletely took out a wall that
was still wet with paint.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oh my God, that's such bad communication.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Just didn't tell me.
What a waste of money, becauseyou'd have paid that decorator
to paint that wall right yeah,and luckily my decorator is
actually like one of mybrother's best mates and he just
texted me and he was like hey,did you know?
The builders are coming intoday and I was like yeah, yeah,
they're in the shop.
He's like nope, they're in yourliving room.
And sent me a picture and theywere literally like mid-swing,
smashing into the wall.
Yeah, and then these beautifuloriginal 1820s floors that I
(12:37):
found underneath the old carpets.
They just cut them all up andreplace them with, like cheap
MDF.
That's a shame and completelyunnecessary.
So, yeah, I mean, builders area bane.
I want to find the excitementin it, but it has been so
stressful.
Alongside then, obviously,running my other businesses
working full time, trying todeal with that in a different
(12:57):
geographical location, obviously, because I've brought back home
in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's, yeah, it's a lot, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's why our littlepodcast break then extended into
a long break, because you'vebeen so busy I love that you try
and blame this on me every timeI have been in london.
Just you then happen to not beavailable I know, but then my
work was all over the place aswell.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We just were like not in the right headspace at the
time and we and our diariesweren't aligning it wasn't
aligning and actually the fewmoments that we did actually get
to see each other, I don't knowhow much personality we had to
actually be on a podcast.
No, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, you were going through a stressful moment, I
was going through a stressfulmoment.
Those few times we did meetwere like let's just go out and
have a good time.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Literally let's just forget our troubles, Come on,
get happy.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
But now look at us and and here we are ready to
chat shit.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
But no, the renovations are pretty much done
.
They're now out, it's justfinal paintings and paintings
and hopefully get tenants in,because I'm actually going to
rent out the shop for a fewyears, mainly because I have not
got the mental capacity to nowtry and put my current business
well, expand the business intothe new shop.
I just haven't got the brainpower.
I just haven't got the brainpower, so I'm going to rent out
(14:04):
for a few years and then?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So are you going to rent out the flat to tenants and
then the shop to somebody else,or do you want the whole
package, like someone, who Imean at the moment they can have
the whole package and we havean interest for people that want
to live in.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Basically, right, but I think, because I do, I
produce like drag shows andthings like that it would be
easier for me to rent out theshop to one person and then keep
the flat for myself as like aalmost like an Airbnb, airbnb,
yeah, and have one of the,because it's a two bedroom.
Keep one of the rooms for mewhich I can lock.
It could also be an office.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
And then have the second room for, like, when I
bring performers over or friendscome visit and just do that for
the rest of this year need tothink about what shop I might
want to run.
Then I can apply for uh, yourshop well, jokes aside, I've
actually got a whole newbusiness ready like that I want
to do, but we'll come back tothat, oh my god, have I got
another job coming my way?
Absolutely not althoughactually I do feel like it's
(14:54):
something that you might beinterested in.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So, oh, hold on to your hats, girls yeah, it
involves putting things in yourmouth quite good at that.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I wouldn't good, but I know that you enjoy trying.
But yeah, anyway, thanks forchecking in with that.
It's stressful.
I'm sure people at home if youhave, I don't know, renovating
your property bought a place.
It is a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
It is and how's the mortgage situation?
Because aren't the interestsreally high or something at the
moment?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So I was in a very lucky position that I didn't
need to get a mortgage.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
It turns out you pay for all cash in hand tax-free,
from all the money you've beenhiding from the accountants.
Okay, first of all, use youvery carefully, say because
someone will come for me.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
It wasn't, no, yeah, yeah, we paid cash, yeah you pay
cash.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I wasn't actually able to do that, but we got the.
We managed to get the pricedown enough that I could then do
it, cash and listen.
I'm not taking for granted.
I know that I'm in a very itwas a right place, right time
for me.
I'm very grateful that I wasable to do it, because I think
if I'd had the mortgage on topof this with the builders also,
it's taking like three monthslonger than it was meant to, oh
(15:58):
God yes, you would have beenpaying all that mortgage
interest.
Yeah, because no money would becoming in if it was rented.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So yeah, it's managed it more well, well, well done.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
We'll have a little cheers to that, because I think
it deserves a cheers.
Thanks, mate, that's very kindof you On the property ladder
slaying.
Life got your own business,honestly amazing.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Watch, I'm going to fly back and it's going to like
fall on down.
Yeah, oh, but yes, all done,now it's down to the final bits
the carpets.
I've done, fixtures andfittings.
By the way, if you, if you aretrying to diy cheap, listen I,
you're gonna clock me for this.
I don't think I'm a cheap humanbeing.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
I don't that's the funniest thing you've said all
season.
Why do you think I'm cheap?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
no, not at all no, I don't think I'm cheap, but I do
love a bargain and I do lovesaving money.
I like, literally, I get like athrill of it.
So I have um, I have found somereally good DIY hacks on how to
make what you've got work andmake it look like it's brand new
, and I'll give you an example.
So when we, when we did buy theplace, we had to get it valued,
(16:58):
split, like what the flat wasworth and what the shop
underneath was worth, and, um,those people came around the
house, probably did that.
They came back about four weeksago, just that.
They wanted to have anotherlook and they were going to give
me another valuation.
And they walked past thekitchen and the lady was like,
oh, my goodness, you've had anew kitchen put in really
quickly.
I was like, pardon, she's likewell, this is a brand new
kitchen, isn't it?
How have you done that in liketwo months?
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I was like I'm so I just changed the handles.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
They were horrible, silver, stainless steel.
Took them off and I put matteblack like metal bars on all of
them and I changed the sink tomatch the handles and it looks
like a brand new kitchen.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I took all the lights off in the flat and I sprayed
all of them with metal paintblack matte metal paint.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
So they all match.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
They thought they were like brand new.
I was like no.
So I literally spent like maybe12 quid on the spray paint and
I've done all the like fittings.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
But you are good with arts and crafts.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Maybe, but that's just you know.
And then she was like I wouldnever even think to do that.
So I think it's just yourmindset you know, yeah, yeah,
well done.
Yeah, so I've got loads more.
Save some money, drop into ourDMs and listen.
Are you going to come visit?
I will yes because one of therooms we could have as a little
studio at some point two podcaststudios.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Oh my god, we're taking over the world, guys no,
but you have to come visit once.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
I've, you know, got mattress protectors because I
know you wet the bed.
Come visit, we'll have a lovelygay weekend in Jersey.
It wasn be gay.
When you leave, how's that buzzball going down?
Speaker 2 (18:34):
It's going down a treat.
Honestly, it's slipping down mythroat smooth.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Slipping through my fingers.
I wonder how many peopleactually get all our musical
theatre references.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Oh, I'm sure there's a lot of gays out there that
also love the musical theatreand the pop songs and the little
culture moments we have.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Also, that is Mamma Mia, which A is Meryl Streep and
B has loads of fit guys in it,so I'm sure they'll get that
yeah it's a gay icon film, isn'tit Sure?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Anyway, we are in September and another Pride
season has finished.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Has come.
It's come and come again andcome it's come and come again.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I feel like they come around so quick yeah, yeah,
it's great I mean, I love itevery summer.
I look forward to it.
Summer season for me is allabout the prides and the
festivals it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Did you see?
I saw someone on on tiktok didlike um a schedule of all the
prides happening.
Yeah, and it's literally fromthe moment.
I think it's the, I think it'sactually the end of may.
Yeah, I feel like it's thenthere is, like like one, every
Friday, saturday, sunday, allthe way through to like, just
after the end of August, no endof September.
Yeah, if you include Malta,pride, hoopla, malta, if you
include that.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah, that's kind of Pride-ish, I guess.
Yeah, because what I've noticedover the last like five or six
years or so, because it used tobe back in the day, back in our
day, when we were in our 20s, along time ago your day, you're
older than me it was just likethe main cities, right, that
would have their prides.
But now everywhere does it.
I'm here for it, I'm not goingto lie.
(19:56):
I think it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I agree, and actually , as you know, I'm quite
involved with Jersey Pride andactually we've had.
This does sound negative tostart with.
Go on.
Sorry, that's a very oddsentence.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
It doesn't really make sense I'll have a sip of my
cocktail.
You tell me what's going on.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
So there has been a slight backlash.
They're very, very and I meanvery small part of the community
back at home Because they'resaying, like if it's a local
pride, money shouldn't be spenton big UK acts.
If you're doing a small pride,a small pride, it should be
(20:32):
people from that area, okay,kind of can.
So I'll give you examples.
So the pride just gone, which,I must say, I thought was
amazing, I thought it wasfantastic.
I thought the organized did areally good job.
I very much enjoyed being partof it.
The girls that I brought overreally enjoyed it.
Um, I thought they smashed itand we had a really good
feedback, apart from these veryfew people, but, um, we
alexandra burke headlined it oh,wow, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah and
(20:53):
so obviously she's not gonna becheap, you know.
And then I brought over some ukgirls, so I brought over um page
three.
Yes, mercedes-benz lovemercedes-benz.
She is hilarious she is alwaysa good time um, and sofia
starred us for the first time.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Oh my goodness, great lineup.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah, cracking right.
And then we did have a localgirl who now lives in London,
who's called Vianna, whoperformed.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Love Vianna as well, so she came on as well, so it
was actually really good.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
But then people were saying, like why are we getting
UK performers when we've gotlocal drag queens?
Not all of them, and I don'tknow if that's similar elsewhere
.
I'm going to give you anexample.
So the page three, who we allknow who is, she's on this
current season of ripples dragrace.
Um, she is from surrey, right,so does that mean that she
(21:39):
should only be working at surreypride?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
right, I see what you're saying.
Yeah, you see what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, yeah does that mean she shouldn't be going to
do manchester like manchester.
Pride should just be mancunianqueens, because it's not no, no,
it's a celebration ofeverything, right so it needs to
celebrate the local communityand therefore, I'm sure the
local community is well.
It's queer people who enjoydrag queens, so why not give
them?
Bearing in mind, the JerseyPride is completely free.
You don't have to pay a pennyto go to watch it uh then, no
(22:04):
more complaining, no morenegativity you get a free event.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You can go or you can choose not to go.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
No complaints and you're very welcome to go
experience other prides aroundthe uk if you want to.
It doesn't mean that jerseypride should just be jersey, or
I should say channel island,because they share it with
guernsey, shouldn't just bechannel island performers,
because you are trying to reachthe masses right.
And also when I understand thatit is for the queer community,
but I feel very passionately andI know this is a divide in the
but I feel very passionately andI know this is a divide in the
(22:30):
community I feel verypassionately about educating the
straight community as well andactually by having that big
pride and having Alexandra Burke, it gives more of an incentive
for straight people to comealong and experience queer
culture and ask questions,familiarize herself with it, and
I don't know it's better tobring us all together.
(22:51):
I'm not saying it's for them atall, but it was so lovely to
see so many people turn up andthere's no way that everyone
that turned up to Jersey Pridewas gay.
A lot of those people werestraight.
The Huns were there.
They brought their boyfriendsand actually there was people in
football shirts proper blokeylads there having a great time
like people in football shirts,like proper, like blokey lads
there having a great time.
(23:11):
And for me, for me, that iswhat I like to see at Pride.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I could not agree more with you.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I really do.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, the commercial acts.
Let's call them that becausethey're a bit more obviously
well-known.
For example, you have AlexandraBurks.
They're going to bring inpeople that aren't just LGBTQ+
and that, and that is amazingbecause they can see what it's
like an insight to our world andhow we like to be and how I
like to dress, and know thatwe're not a threat, and then
they can pass that on toeverybody else because, as we
(23:37):
know not that we're going to getinto politics, but it's been
quite heavy, hasn't it this year?
loads of backlash, especiallytowards the trans community as
well, and so what better way tolike bring lots of people
together with a bit of acommercial mainstream act
headliner who is pro ourcommunity and is going to give
us a lovely little hopefully alovely little speech about gay
(23:57):
rights, etc yeah and everyonecan just see that and be like,
yeah, this is great it's alsoimportant for me that we don't
include saying like oh, straightpeople, that's not the same as
saying homophobic people, youknow yeah, a lot of time they're
like
Speaker 1 (24:09):
it's not for the straights.
What they actually mean is weshouldn't be giving it to those
people that don't like gaypeople.
Well, we're not.
Yeah, we're absolutely not.
We're giving it to the straightpeople who support us.
They are our allies.
Let's not forget what thatactually means.
Um, and want to just I don'tknow come celebrate us for us if
I have a birthday party.
And you were like, oh, could Ibring my friend who's visiting?
(24:30):
I'm not going to be like no,because I don't know them and
it's my birthday.
But yeah, come along andexperience it, come see my
birthday, come get to know me.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Right, right.
Yeah, I think I think thetequila's gone to the head a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
No, I think that makes sense.
I'm having a birthday.
Come and celebrate me.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
B-I-F.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Burf.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
That's how you spell it.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Anyway.
But yeah, that was a bit offtangent.
We're talking about BrightonPride, which had Mariah Carey,
and what I was just saying kindof leads quite well into this.
I don't know how you felt aboutBrighton Pride.
First of all, thank you verymuch, Brighton Pride, for
inviting us.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
We were very lucky to be gifted two tickets and we
had the most marvellous time.
But I did notice a differencethis year with Brighton Pride.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
It was very busy, busier than I've ever
experienced.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Hordes of people.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, mariah, she brings in the crowds, doesn't
she?
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Well, there we go, so headliner was Miss Mariah Carey
.
Yeah, and that brought thecrowds.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
And obviously Mariah is an icon, but I didn't know
that she would bring in thatmany people.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
For me.
I wanted to go and watch her,because I don't mean this
morbidly, but I don't know howmuch longer she'll be around
doing live performances likethis.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Like because her voice is phenomenal, but her
voice is acrobatics within thevoce.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yes, and.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I don't know how long she'll be singing in there for
Singing, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
And she's got a family and she's got kids and
she's.
She also doesn't need to do itdoes she.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
She doesn't need to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
When Christmas rolls around, she makes her check,
then right.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Correct, she doesn't need to be.
Yeah, yeah, she doesn't need tobe doing she's got a new album
coming out, which I think is whyshe was there.
But I can't help think that,with the lineup on the Saturday
like last year, who headlinedlast year on the Saturday?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Girls, aloud Girls.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Aloud, but there was like three, if not four really
strong acts in the lead up toGirls Aloud right this year.
There were some fantastic actsbut I thought they were small,
not as well known.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
And then Mariah carey .
Speaker 2 (26:31):
So I did feel like a lot of the budget was put
towards mariah carey.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Oh for sure, yeah however, if I was bright and
pride, what I was would probablybe doing is thinking well,
let's do, mariah, let's sell aton of tickets, get all that
money, save money, and then wecan do, like the next year, the
year after that, maybe withsmaller acts, with, and more of
them, and more I don't know, putmore money into the smaller
(26:53):
stages because they put theydon't just have the main stage,
they have loads of stages goingon with local community acts,
with a bit of everything, really, yeah there's a dj tent.
There's like a daddy's leathertent.
There's.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
It's a bit for everyone, right and we went to
that legends tent, which isamazing and is a bar in Brighton
which is such a great bar We'vebeen there Bar and hotel.
Bar and hotel.
It's so good.
And they had their own tentwith all their local queens
performing.
It was so good.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Who did we see there?
Carla Bear.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yes, very good.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Bangin'.
We love Carla Bear.
You know I really enjoyed theday.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I didn make it to the sunday, sadly me neither.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
No, um, but I heard the sunday was amazing as well.
Yeah, sugar babes on the sunday, sugar babes.
Yeah.
So brian pride, odd one for me,that's all.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
That's all I'll sell it I enjoyed one because it was
super busy.
Yeah, okay, and you know whatI'm like with crowds.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Anyway, like sometimes when there's too many
people also.
I I know what you're doing.
You're tiptoeing around a storywhich you don't.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
you don't know if I want to tell or not.
Tee hee, but I did lose you.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
And your phones if you've never been before.
Your phones don't work.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
No reception.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
No reception, for some reason, the moment you step
in that park, that's it.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
If you lose your friends, you have lost them.
Basically, there's no way tofind them.
And I did lose my friends and Idid lose them and I could not
call them yeah, because, well,we actually did the street party
as well.
For anyone who's not donebrighton pride before, it's like
two separate sections, isn'tthere?
Yeah there's the park.
Well, three actually.
Sorry, carry on, but there's athird one.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Well, there's the main park, yes, where you.
It's like the.
That's the way you buy yourticket online.
You go see mariah, etc there'sthe street, which is free, and
you're going around all thelocal queer bars and just
experiencing that.
And then there's the streetparty, which is a different type
of ticket, which is along thefront oh yes, that's the place
that we couldn't get into.
Do you remember?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
yes, yes, because we was in one section and then it
was closed off and we didn'trealize it had a ticket for the
other one correct.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So next year let's see who the lineup is.
I would quite like to do thestreet.
So the free, the free bit, withall the bars for the
lower-priced ticket to go andexperience the street party.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
And we can see who the headliners are in the main
park.
But I would like to do that.
I think Like the local side.
Yeah, because it was crowds,but they weren't overwhelming.
It was just a very different.
It felt like a very differentscene.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
And also, I'll be honest, I love Brighton.
I do, I love Brighton.
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
You love it so much that you didn't want to get a
hotel and you were going toparty all the way through to the
first train back.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Now there's a thought behind the madness here, right.
So the last few times I've doneBrighton Pride, I have paid for
Airbnb with some gays, youincluded, and the prices are so
expensive Because those Airbnbowners they know what they're
doing and the hotels as well.
They rack up those prices.
They're so expensive.
And the thing is, what weusually do is we'll do all day,
you know, celebrating pride, goto the festival, then we'll go
(29:35):
out partying all night and wewon't get home to like 5, 6am
into our Airbnb that we paidhundreds of pounds for we'll be
there for like a few hours for aquick nap, shower, shower, and
then we're up again for the nextday.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
I begrudge paying that much money for
accommodation which I'm hardlyin I do hear you, although this
year we went down and we didn'tstay with them, but our friends
got the airbnb and we went tojoin them for some pre-drinks.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Oh god, it was beautiful but also I.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
That really set up bright and pride for me.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
I liked that yeah, because there's drink on the
train, but it's.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
You're standing the whole way, but if you're lucky
enough to get a seat and thenjust go straight into it, I
think it's like wow, yeah,that's true so it's quite nice
to settle, have drinks, chat,see what everyone wants to do,
and just having a base is niceit is nice to have a base for
sure.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
That is so gross the way you phrased that, and that
is so not true.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
But so accurate you sip that ball.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
You put that ball in your mouth.
So, yeah, I decided I'm notgoing to pay hundreds of pounds
on a hotel or Airbnb this year.
I'm going to party all nightand get the first train home
back to London.
Crazy, and I was very close todoing that.
But we ended up getting an Uberinstead.
It got to like half three inthe morning.
The.
We ended up getting an Uberinstead.
It got to like half three inthe morning.
The first train is like halffour yeah.
And we were a little bitshattered Like let's just check
(30:51):
out the Uber prices.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
It's like a two hour train.
It's the slow one.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, but you're asleep on it and anyway, this
Uber was £100.
Split between four people, £25.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, that is good, so good.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
That was really good.
Happens that often.
I think if we'd got the uber at, say, midnight, when it was,
full steam ahead party.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
I don't think it would be that price.
I think you were lucky andfound an uber guy who was based
in london who had just droppedto brighton and was like, oh,
I'm driving back anyway, I mayas well wait for a good feed to
come through yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So it cost us all, as I say, 25 quid each between
four people, and obviously tookme straight home, which is
amazing.
So, if so, if anyone is fromLondon that does Brighton Pride
and is thinking, oh, I don'twant to pay those prices for the
accommodation if you're goingto party for a bit, anyway, get
the Uber.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Or do what I did and get the last train back all by
myself, but that's the end ofthat story.
We don't need to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I think we should take a little break, because you
do actually have a good story.
It's a good story.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
I'm going to get my producer on the phone.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Podcasters, we're taking a break.
We're hearing the story.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Hello, it's Benji.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Help.
It is story time with Benji.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Strap in boys and girls, because we are ready for
this.
How about you start the?
Speaker 2 (32:09):
story and I can fill in the gaps.
Let me set the scene.
So we've just arrived inBrighton Big group of gays.
We've been on the train,there's friends, there's friends
of friends.
We're all together and it'slovely.
On the train you are clockingeyes with a friend of a friend,
part of this big group, andalready I'm like there's a
little thing going on there.
That's cute.
That's cute, that's cute.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
There was, there was a little, there was a tiny spark
and I wasn't really aware of ituntil you know.
If you're in a bar and someoneasks you a question you don't
really know, like, oh, hey, likeI know such and such.
Oh cool, yeah, me too.
Oh, I like your t-shirt, I like, I like yours too.
End of conversation.
And then they start another oneand that comes to an end and
they start another.
That's what was happening, andnormally I can be quite flirty
(32:48):
and I know that I can also becompletely oblivious to what's
going on, but I was even likehuh, this person keeps making
small talk.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
And then, as we said, we went to our friend's Airbnb.
They were checking in.
We all went together, we gotsome drinks for the Airbnb, had
some pre-drinks there and, ofcourse, everyone's chatting away
.
We got the music on and I lookover and you're sat on the sofa
with Miss Thing and you aregetting very close yeah, but
again, I was sat on the sofabecause I was.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
I was by the power socket and I was just charging
my phone.
Uh huh, I was not at BrightonPride for any sort of flirty
pickups.
I just wasn't.
I just wanted to have a goodtime with you boys.
I've been away for so long.
It's the first time I'd seeneveryone all together in months.
Yeah, I just want to be me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
And also we were there for the podcast we had
like a podcast brain on a littlebit and we were doing a bit of
social media stuff.
So we had our own agenda.
We definitely weren't lookingfor the boys, right?
Speaker 1 (33:39):
No.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
And so a clock.
Over there, you are on the sofa, but he comes to you which is
the kind of key part of thestory.
The kind of key part of thestory it's, I feel, like very
much you were kind of going withthe flow, but this person was
definitely all eyes on benji,all eyes on benji.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
All eyes on benji.
Love that for me?
Um yeah, and then I went togive his mate a back massage,
remember?
Yes and then he was very muchlike is it my turn next?
And I was like, no, I wasgiving nothing.
I was trying, I was beingpolite and flirty, but I was
also giving nothing mainlybecause I know what I'm like.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
I know what you're like.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
I know what I'm like wait hang on, you're a big flirt
.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
You are a big flirt, we can be oh that's not where I
was going with this.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
But fine, fair enough , I know I can be a big flirt,
but with this I was like, no,I'm not going because I don't.
It's a pride he.
I don't know this guy.
He may well be flirting with menow and then as soon as we
leave the apartment he'll be allover somebody else.
And if I've been flirting back,that'll make me feel shit.
So I don't want to get involved.
So I was giving very surfacelevel flirts.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
But nothing else, and I was being I think I was being
very well behaved, plus he, thefriend of someone else who I
care very dearly about and Ididn't want that messy.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
I didn't want mess.
Well, there was like differentgroups collided so if it wasn't
going to work out, just didn'twant it to be awkward for the
future, right yeah, becausewe're most likely going to cross
paths again 100, right anyway.
So then we go down, we're doingsome podcast bits.
The rest of the group go up tothe park.
We're still doing our littlething around in the, the local
bars, yeah, and so we joinedeveryone a bit later yeah, we
had to go through a differentdoor.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That's why so there was no point us going with them
to key.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, all of that and we meet up in the
park.
Purely by fluke my ads becausethe phones were not no, no, we
literally like walked into them,yeah, yeah because we had no
idea the reception was going tobe that bad and that was pure,
pure luck that we met them, themand we were in a tent having a
good time.
We got some drinks, then we saton the grass for a bit and a
(35:33):
little chit chat, and then thisguy comes bounding over and
basically sits in your lap onthe grass.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
I was lying on the grass of like slightly on one
side and yeah, he came and satbasically yeah on me, swaddled
me pretty much, and by thebottle of kyliecco in my hand.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah, okay, then and obviously by that point everyone
was clocking like, oh, this isa thing you know, and it's
absolutely fine, obviously, butvery much led by him.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Yeah, not me and I remember looking at you and you
were giving me the eye like, ohwell, benji's happy now yeah and
I I still at this point didn'treally want.
It was nice to see him, whodoesn't like being flirted with
right right, so I liked it was alovely compliment and don't get
me wrong, mama, I look good andit was nice to have that
validation sure great, I haven'teaten for 12 months snatched
(36:22):
and I was wearing my little, mylittle crop and my little baggy
jeans I'm a masked dom top.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I swear um and then we're all like going to the loos
and he's trying to make outwith you outside the toilet.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Oh no I have to.
No, I have to tell this story,sorry.
We were sat and flirty, flirtyhand and leg, hand and arm tap
tap all of that but then someoneprobably you was like right,
let's go toilets, then we'll gowatch some music.
Oh no, we're gonna go to.
I think that was when we wentto the Legends tent and I was
like, okay, cool, stood up andhe was like, oh, so where are we
(36:55):
going?
I don't think he was that verydrunk by this point.
I think he was like on a wave,but not yeah he was like so
where are we going?
and I was like, oh, we're gonnago toilets, then go to a bar.
And I remember him getting hisface really close to mine and I
said you're not gonna kiss me,are you?
And he was like oh, and I waslike listen, not right now, like
come on, let's just we're allgoing to the toilets.
Like hardly romantic.
Went to the queue queuing inthe toilets, was holding my hand
(37:18):
, went to kiss me again, me.
No, I'm not going to kiss youby the portaloos.
That's disgusting.
Not going to do it.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Queue, queue, queue, queue, queue, queue, like if
you're going to make out withsomeone at Pride, all for it.
Love it.
Not in the queue for thetoilets, no no, then we queue.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
The next portaloos becomes available, he opens the
door and and looks at me andbeckons me to come with him.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Into the cubicle, into the cubicle oh scandal.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I didn't know that Well this is when I knew
something else was going on andI said no, I was like I'm not
going to do it.
Stop me right there, because ifI were there it's not going to
happen.
So he went in then.
I went in then to go watchsomebody.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I think at that point , like doing all the rounds,
we're going to different becausethere's so many tents and areas
in there at Brighton.
Price yeah, yeah, we were justlike having a little one day on
the explore.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Right and he was holding my hand the whole way.
All of that, and so we'reholding hands cute, cute, cute,
cute, cute.
And then he went bit um.
You can have the story back now, because I'll finish in a sec
so kind of that was happening.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Cut to, it's like half hour.
Mariah's gonna come on.
Let's get a good position formariah, but obviously the crowds
are forming at this point.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
It was really busy um it was end of the reen we're
going to catch that was it yes,so we're starting to like weave
through.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I was like, right, it's really busy.
So, boys, let's all like kindof hold hands slash be in each
other's eye contact.
We're going to snake throughthe crowds, right, and our
friend, who's really good atthat, was like I've got this,
I'm leading the way, et cetera.
So he was leading and it was abit of like squeeze through, but
if anyone kind of lost out thechain, we were probably going to
lose you in the crowds.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, no signal, all of that, and we're snaking
through, snaking behind.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
you were no longer there no, I stupidly put him,
who remained nameless, in frontof the chain and he lost the
chain and but carried on walkingand I hadn't realized that he'd
lost the chain so you were justfollowing so I was following
him, thinking that he wasfollowing all of you and did he
stop at one point and be likecan't find yeah then he was like
I don't know where they've goneand I looked and literally
nowhere to be seen yeah, becausesea of people we were trying to
(39:17):
call you.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Obviously no, nothing was going through.
I was like, okay, it'll be fine, they're having a lovely gay
time anyway, I'm sure they'renot they're not even going to be
watching Mariah, they're goingto be making out and that's
totally fine.
So I was like I'm going toleave Benji, we'll watch Mariah.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
We will then regroup afterwards right, so cut to, he
was like we've lost them allround, tried to phone, couldn't
and he was very much like ohwell, we can just watch it, me
and you, and was like holdingboth my hands almost nose to
nose, and so at that point I hadhad, it's true love I had had a
bit to drink the hat is readyfor the wedding.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (39:50):
what mariah's gonna come on.
This guy clearly has showninterest the entire day.
Yes, maybe watching mariah withthis cute guy saying we belong
together could actually be quitecute, right, could be quite
cute.
So then we were kissing forquite a while and I said to him
look, this is Brighton Pride.
I fully get it.
We're just always having a goodtime.
However, if afterwards, wouldyou be keen to go for some
(40:11):
drinks next week maybe I've gota bit of free time before I fly
away and he looked so takenaback, like genuinely he gave me
genuine vibes looked so takenaback and was like oh wow, oh,
my goodness.
I was like what's wrong?
He's like well, no one everasks me to go on a date, they
just like use me.
I was like oh well.
I was like well, you seemreally sweet.
We've obviously had a nice day.
(40:31):
I'm really keen to go fordrinks if you want to like chat
and like okay.
He was like I really like that.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Kiss, kiss, kiss all over this is so cute and in my
mind that is what was going onbut that it was what was going
on to begin with so I was likebenji's fine, we don't need
benji right now.
He's preoccupied and having agay old time then mariah comes
on lovely, she's done singing.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Why you're so obsessed with me?
Um, and the rest of the storyis where I'm afraid it does take
a turn.
So we found this other group ofpeople and oh, also, I forgot
to tell you all the way from,basically, from the Portaloos,
all the way until this moment,no word of a lie, no
exaggeration about six differentrandom people had said to me
(41:11):
and him you two are the mostgorgeous couple.
And all of a sudden we werelike, oh, we just met today.
Like ha ha ha, joking it off,they're like you two are so cute
together, you're gorgeous.
And I was like this is a feverdream anyway.
So it happened again when wewere watching mariah.
This guy was like you two arereally cute together.
Um, I was like, oh, we're notreally together, we're kind of
met today.
And he was like oh, okay, soyou're not together.
(41:32):
I was like, no, like I justsaid, we just could have met
today.
Then we were like watchingmariah, this guy then picks.
So this random guy that we justmet picks up the boy that I'm
with so he can see mariah likepicks him up.
Okay, yeah, yeah like armsaround the waist and picks him
up right, and I'm like, huh,that's slightly bold, but but
(41:52):
fine.
Then this guy's like, put medown, put me down, put me, put
him down.
Bit more of the song and thenhe miss thing, just turns around
and just starts kissing him,literally arm to arm next to me
that is mad, that's so mad andI'm watching morale like right,
this is literally from the fmbwhat I thought would happen and
(42:13):
what I did not want yeah, so I'mwatching morale like great.
So I've now lost all my friendsand I've got this little fuck
boy next me.
So I pretend not to watch and Ithoughtji don't, don't rip into
him.
I could have done.
Don't rip into him.
He's a friend of a friend.
He's a friend of a friend,you're like his friend, you're
like his friend.
So I just left it.
They stopped.
He went back to holding my handand I turned to him like listen
(42:45):
also, I'm not one to mug off,like I'm just, I'm not gonna let
you make me be that person.
You're not gonna do it.
I thought you were someonedifferent.
Clearly you're not totally fine, don't know you that well, I'm
not the one to fuck with.
So have a good like, enjoy,mariah, enjoy it with this guy.
I'm gonna to go.
He's like no, no, sorry, sorry.
What have I done?
What have I done?
What have I done?
And I was like listen, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
What have I done?
And I was like I don't havetime to explain this to you, I'm
going to go find the others, doyou want?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
if you want to come with me, you can.
And he said to me no, I want tostay with you.
And I was just watching Mariah.
So I was like fine, watchMariah.
Then behind me another twogirls were like oh, you two are
(43:26):
so cute, are you enjoying theshow?
And we're like, yeah, it'sreally good.
Their male friend was like areyou together?
No, then he this random.
So are you two like serious orwhatever?
I heard him Right.
Because you can't reallywhisper.
It's fucking Mariah.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
And he was like no, no, no, not at all.
And then they started flirting.
They didn't start kissing, butthey were like heavily flirting.
And I just turned to him and Iwas like I'm done, I'm going
home.
And he was like no, don, twominutes ago and I was leaving,
(44:01):
which is fine, you're verywelcome to do it and you said no
, you want to stay with me.
And now you're doing it again.
We're done.
He was like oh, can I come withyou?
Speaker 2 (44:09):
and I said no and I walked off and I went home sweet
, sweet fantasy baby, as I'mlike battling against the crowd
oh yeah, oh my goodness, betthat was really hard to get out
of in fact, the whole thing waspretty hard, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
It was actually horrible.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Made me feel really shit it's such a weird one,
isn't it because?
Speaker 1 (44:29):
he ruined my day, if you're listening.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You ruined my pride yeah, I mean, look, if you're
gonna heavy flirt with someoneall day and say, yeah, let's do
a date, etc.
You then don't make out withrandom people in front of that
person.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
No, and if you're flirting with someone, trying to
get a bit of, like flirtyaction for that pride, and that
person is not giving it to youbecause their, their walls are
up, my walls were up.
I've been really hurt in thepast.
Uh-huh, be nice and acceptable.
Okay, that's not the one tojust to be with yeah I'll go
find some complete randomstranger yeah kiss them for an
hour or two and then just losethem.
Yeah, that's not me.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
We have mutual friends well, this is the other
thing as well.
It's because the mutual friendsituation, like why are you
creating like a potential drama,slash rift in a group that were
then meant to be like allhanging out with afterwards?
Speaker 1 (45:15):
yeah, so that's the tea that's the tea.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I feel like we need to have a good Brighton
experience because rememberthere was that time when it was
raining loads and we fell out.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
I don't know, have you ever at the?
Speaker 2 (45:25):
time before didn't someone like piss on you?
Speaker 1 (45:27):
yes, they wet the bed and then pissed all over the
wall, cut themselves shaving,got blood all over my clothes
yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Think we've ever had a positive, oh, apart from that
time where I got so drunk I wasoh my goodness, drunk on the
floor, yeah, yeah, I've neverseen you that drunk before next
to subway, as you had my bankcard and hundreds of pounds of
notifications were pinging up onmy phone whilst I was so
intoxicated.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
there's nothing I could do about it, yeah good
times, love, brighton, yeah goodtimes, good memes.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
No, we do actually love Brighton and again, thank
you so much for having us.
We had a great time Check outthe old TikTok.
Oh my goodness, we have TikToknow.
We're trying to do videos.
Well, I'm trying to do videos,so wish me luck on that one.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Of in action whilst you're listening to these
stories?
Absolutely, but it just a quickone throwing it out there.
I know we've done this alreadyon the on this episode, like
with a home renovation, etc.
But if you were in thatsituation with me or with him,
tell us your part of the story.
How would you feel?
Is it okay?
Is it not okay?
Would you have done it?
Would you not have done it?
Have you done it?
Have you had it done to you?
Just tell us, because I dothink too often, maybe in
straight culture as well butlike culture.
This happens and it's not reallyspoken about and to some people
(46:43):
it does affect them, it doesupset them, which I'm not going
to lie.
I'll be very vulnerable for asecond.
It did upset me, it did hurt me.
I've very much chosen to besingle for quite a while because
I don't want to have thesesorts of interactions with
people.
And yeah happened again.
I remember texting you likeI've left.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
I know I'm pretty sure I was like I've left, I'm
crying, I'm pissed off and alsothis was all coming out as we
were leaving mariah, leaving thepark then the signal started to
come through, so obviously allthese like pingy messages were
coming through.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
I was like, oh my god , and you're like you were like
come find us, and I was like, no, because I, but again, because
of the crossover, I know if Icome find you he will probably
at some point appear again forsure.
That's exactly what happenedyeah, and I was like I just
would rather remove my situationmyself in the situation,
everyone else still having agood time took one for the team,
yeah, and left oh my god, theseflirty boys.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
I got myself a meal deal for one from Marks and
Spencer'scers.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Sat on that train and cried, Sat on the floor
actually, oh because it was sobusy, so busy.
But I was in bed by like halfone, so that's good.
Anyway, yes, sorry, sorry, yes,picking up, tell us if you've
had a situation ever so similaror ever so different to that and
how you feel, and send me somemessages of support and tell me
that I was the right and, justyou know, boost my ego.
Did I do the right thing?
I think I did.
Speaker 2 (48:00):
I agree, I would have probably done the same.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Yeah, bastard yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
But anyway, there we go, the end of our first episode
.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Tune into next week's episode where I drop his name
and his Instagram handle and youcan send him some troll hate.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Are you okay now though?
Speaker 1 (48:19):
Oh, so fine, Good.
Yeah, I've had like 12 shagssince then.
I'm fine.
No, joking, joking, joking,joking, joking.
No, I'm absolutely fine.
Thank you for asking.
I appreciate you.
I do appreciate you very much,that's good.
Speaker 2 (48:34):
Well, we have come to the end of our first episode.
Back after such a long you backand thank you for the messages
that you've been sending us onour little break and checking in
.
We honestly really reallyappreciate you and we're back.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
We're back to stay.
We're back and, don't worry, anepisode will be dropping next
week, as usual, back into theweekly routine, so don't forget
to check it out.
But, like we said, that is allthe time from this week's
episode Wednesday Can youimagine if I just had like a
full on bust up in the middle ofMariah?
Why you so Not that I ever getphysical?
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I was going to say you're all about the loving, not
the fighting.
Speaker 1 (49:10):
Oh, I fight, but I fight with my mouth.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
And you love with your mouth as well.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
That's true.
My mouth has multiple talents.
No, but you know, I do Like Iget.
I get wordy.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
You do.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
You get, I do like I get.
I get wordy.
You do you get a bit sassy.
Sassy, some might say bratty,some might not.
Um, no, I just get.
Yeah, I do get sharp-tongued.
I just say it is.
I don't.
I'm too old, too ugly, too manywrinkles to let people get away
with that bullshit.
What?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
happens when you're in your late 50s.
Thank you.
Hello and welcome to my Big Gay Podcast with me.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
And me, Brad, giving you the life, the loves and the
lols of living in London.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Two gays, one city.
What could possibly?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
go wrong.
Oh my goodness, I'm so gladthat we are back.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We are back.
It's been a little while.
It's been a hot minute it hasbeen a hot minute.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
yeah, this little break that we were taking turned
into a vacation for months yeah, and spoiler alert we eloped
and got married yikes, I wouldnever marry you.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
She could never, because she wouldn't sign the
prenup and you're not gettinganything I got honey, that's
true.
Yeah, I would not want a prenup, yeah we want prenup seriously
a prenup yeah, we want prenup,seriously me, me outside the
church, oh my goodness.
But anyway, yeah, so sorry wehave been away but we are back,
so we're gonna get straight intothe podcast.
But, mate, how have you been?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
oh, my goodness, this has been such a weird year for
me, um because you know thatI've been not enjoying my job
this year and that's one of thereasons why we took a break,
because I was figuring out whatI'm gonna do career-wise and,
yeah, it just seems to be likeone hurdle after another.
But I quit my job and started anew job and it's amazing and I
love it and it's the energy thatI needed in my life well, I'm
(01:34):
glad that finished on a positive, because I was like I didn't
pack my tiny little violin andthat's not usually me.
I usually love my life, I lovemy job.
But yeah, this year basically,the job that I worked at was
meant to be temporary anyway endup staying there longer than
planned we had new management.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
It's been 84 years, literally has been 84 years and
we had new management.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, I didn't really like decisions they're making
and I just wasn't enjoying myjob and my job is meant to be
creative and they were limitingmy creativity and there's a lot
of creativity in this brain thatjust needs to be unleashed.
Unleash the beast.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Bit of money.
There is a lot in that brain.
I don't know if it's creativity.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's a lot.
There is a lot of creativity itneeds to come out, and so,
being in an environment where Ican't bring that out, just
wasn't good for I found a newjob and handed my notice, and it
was the best feeling ever.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Did you walk in and just like slap it down on the
desk?
Like read this, mary.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Literally that, yeah, I was like I'm done.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
They send you, like your new timings in to come in
your bag.
Actually, no, I'm not comingback, oh it's such a good
feeling.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So if anyone is also feeling a bit stuck in their job
, honestly look elsewhere.
Get out of that rut.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
No, no, because I've generally felt like oh yeah, the
cost of living crisis.
Let's tell everyone to quittheir jobs.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Great idea, mate.
Excuse me, Beyonce told us todo that a couple of years ago
and I should have listened toBeyonce back then.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I think it's okay for Beyonce to say things like that
it's all right for you, isn'tit girl?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh, I no, we'll come back to that in a minute, okay,
okay, oh, my goodness, all thischit-chat.
We haven't even opened ourcocktails.
We need to.
I'm thirsty, I'm gagging, yeah,I know you're thirsty.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So, podcasters, as always, we do our.
What Are we Drinking?
And this week I'm a little bitnervous for this because it's a
very, very strong drink.
I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Now I first heard of them about six months ago we
were out and we were off to avenue and we popped into a
little corner shop Like let'sget a little drink for the road,
and we clocked these.
I was like what are those?
They look amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And the rest of the night we don't remember.
Seriously though.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, that was a big, big night that one.
Yeah, yeah, so on the way.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And also not that we're trying to be ahead of the
trend, but I think these areabout to go off.
I think this is going to be atthe next, because genuinely not
that we want to promote alcohol.
Make sure you drink.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Responsibly, responsibly, reasonably.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Make sure you drink reasonable amounts.
I don't know what that means.
Make sure you drink responsibly.
However, these buzz bowls Notgoing to lie.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
I mean, it's a little tiny cocktail bowl and it's
13.5% in this little bowl.
That is what you get in a wholebottle of wine.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, but that's volume.
That's not the same as drinkinga whole bottle of wine.
You dumbass.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I thought it was the same If it's 13.5%.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
That's how much alcohol is in that drink.
No, no, oh my goodness, this isreally embarrassing.
No of alcohol within that drink.
So a certain fraction of thatdrink is that much alcohol.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
You know, maths is not my thing.
I'm good with everythingcreative, but not maths.
Is that what you said in yourjob interview.
Yeah, great, I could do oneplus one, and that's what you
get in.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
That's about as far as we're getting.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Honestly, my tax man every year when he gets my tax
must be like what the hell Tax ayear when he gets my tax must
be like what the hell tax?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
what's that?
No, joking, joking.
You're gonna pay your taxes,people.
No, but seriously, buzz balls.
You get them in different sizes.
You can get little ones about.
They've now brought out twomore sizes.
There's like a sharing one isthere, yeah, which I think is
500 mil, quite big.
And then we just found outactually, you're at the same
event that I found out they nowdo like fishbowl size.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yes, yes, so that'd be great if there's like a group
of you on a night out at a club, get yourself a big fishbowl
buzz bowl.
Get yourself a fishbowl buzzbowl.
You should really work inmarketing.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
mate, you are on it.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Thank you so much.
Anyway, should we get them open.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Hang on, what am I having first?
Also, it says oh, it just saysready to drink, spirit drink.
That's some like Timu wording,slightly concerned, but anyway,
it's female founded, womenfounded.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Good for them.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, I love that those women, they know how to
get lit.
They know how to get light,they get lit Right, so I went
for a green one, which istequila rita.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, I clocked that and I was like you're for them,
not gold, gold.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That's it.
Game over, literally game.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I'll be in bed and I don't know whose bed, but I will
be in a bed, in someone's bedsomewhere possibly even a
hospital bed.
We don't know I've gone for thestrawberry rita but it's got an
apostrophe before rita.
So what would the apostrophemean?
Are you serious?
Would you know what it means?
Margarita, there it is, therewe go, so yours is tequila.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Oh god, oh yes oh my goodness Podcast is.
I try to get Brad on tequilaall the time because tequila
Brad is a good I mean, you're agreat person anyway, but tequila
Brad, tequila Brad is fun.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh my gosh, that's getting messy, I won't.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Was it a house party?
We went out when the onlyalcohol we could find was
tequila.
Oh it my fave, but wild.
Anyway, let's open them upright.
Shake it, shake it.
Shake that nasty drink.
Sorry, it's not nasty, it'sdelicious.
Oh okay, that went absolutelyeverywhere right.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Cheers, mate cheers.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Happy return of ice ice ice podcast I know, I know,
I know, here we go, zippity, zip, christ alive now that is
strong, but it's very sweet,which I love of course it's
strong.
That's a whole bottle of winein that bottle that's generally
what I thought that meant I'mnever gonna let you live that
down.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It's delicious, it feels nice yeah, that is really
really nice good good, well,here we go, lit and ready to go
so, going back to our, ourlittle catch-up, so I left.
My job felt amazing.
So, as I said, if anyone'sfeeling the same, get yourself a
new job and handing that noticeit's so good.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
It's no other better feeling in the world yeah, I
mean, I haven't really beengiven that many opportunities to
hand in notices, because I'mnormally fired oh yes, we did
hand in a notice a couple ofyears ago.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Do you remember?
We had that podcast alreadytrashed.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Buckle up, boys, you're in for a good one today
um, yes, but I feel like thatthat meeting I was about to get
dismissed.
At the same time, I feel like Igot in there early mutual
things well, I mean, no, I'dmade it very clear that was
gonna leave.
I think they wanted to jump infirst, but yeah, I got in there
with my pink suit, very legallyblonde, and um quit.
Yeah, it is a good feeling, infact.
Listeners, if you've got somegood quitting stories, tell us.
(07:41):
We'll happily read them out.
That I mean that is kind of fun.
Yeah, take control.
Yeah, I do think I know listen,I work for myself, so I kind of
it's.
Maybe I don't take um forgranted that I can feel this way
, but if you're working forsomeone who doesn't actually
respect your value or you don'tfeel valued, life's too short
that is exactly what I wasfeeling.
100 yeah, and I understand thatjob is important, especially if
(08:02):
you're tied into like mortgagesand bills and you've got
significant others maybe yourkids, I don't know.
It's very difficult, it's scaryand you kind of have to put up
with it.
But just, there's no harm inlooking elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I agree.
And also, just really quickly,whilst on the job thing, there
was a woman that also worked atthis for this company and and
she left a few months ago.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And all she got was a bunch of flowers and a card.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
How long has she?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
been there for She'd been there for like 20 odd years
.
No, and I thought A I wasn'tmeant to be staying there for
that long anyway, so I was therelonger than I ever intended to
be.
But B imagine if I stayed therefor another 20 or so years and
all I got was a bunch of flowersand a card after the hours of
service that I've given to thatcompany.
What?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
do you think you'll get when you quit this time?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Oh, my goodness, a mansion, a holiday.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now I've found a new company that values my worth, so
it's all going to be uphillfrom here.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It's not my company.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I did apply for Jersey Skin didn't hear back.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Yeah, we'll get back to you when we're desperate.
Anyway, listen, that's actuallyquite nasty.
I'm sorry you'll be.
I love you, but you know Ivalue you hugely thank you so
much when you're drunk right,anyway, we're gonna go with this
podcast.
We've got some.
We've got so much to catch upon, so let's take a little break
.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
If you've not got your drink yet, go and get it,
and we'll be back after thislittle jingle okay, so I've
rambled on about what I've beendoing this year and why my life
has been sort of all over theplace, but you've also had a bit
of a topsy-turvy life this year.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yes, well, I think on the last episode we did talk
about it.
I recently purchased a property.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You did.
That's so grown up.
I can't even believe you'resaying this right now.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Very grown up and it's technically two properties
in one.
I think I mentioned there's a,there's a flat above and then
there's a, a second shot,another shop below so it's kind
of like two renovation projectsas one, and they both have to
have very different thingsinstalled in them and
regulations and whatnot.
So it has been an absolutewhirlwind, and sorry to any
listeners that are builders, butright now I'm just going to do
(10:02):
a full public announcement thatbuilders are the bane of my life
well, wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
the bills kept coming in and you're like where is all
this budget coming from?
Right?
Speaker 1 (10:11):
listen, I expect the bills to come in.
We need to do some seriousstructure restructuring the
front of the building.
We had to get the whole beambasically I think it's rsj uh
replace it was the old timberbeam and they had to prop up
basically the entire buildingand put in a steel one.
So it's a really big job and Iit was budgeted for blah, blah,
blah.
But, yeah, all I was gettingwas like emails like hey, this
is the bill for the moment, andthen, like two and a half weeks
(10:32):
later, I'll get, oh, this is thenext bill.
It's like it wasn't like end ofthe month bills and there was
also there's no breakdowns, soit just says it just didn't
order them like restructuring,blah.
There was blah blah.
There was no like this is manhours, this is, you know,
equipment that we needed, thisis materials, whatever.
And I, yeah, I did push andpush and push for it, so I paid
(10:52):
half of it and I was like I'mnot paying the last half until
you've told me what I'm actuallypaying for.
Yeah, and then they threatenedto take me to Petty Debt's Corp.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Well, the thing is, the money that you're doing with
them is big money, right?
It's not like a tenner here, or20 quid for a bit of paint.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
No.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's hundreds and thousands of pounds right For
wood and things.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
No, it was not hundreds and thousands of pounds
.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I mean, that's me thinking you've got a mansion.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I mean, listen, the final bills come in at about 55k
.
Yeah, no-transcript.
And like, at no point was Ilike no, I'm not paying you,
you've done a rubbish job.
I mean they had done some.
(11:39):
They'd botched.
You had to be very skilled todo it and they did it well.
Well, I mean the building'sstill standing, so absolutely
happy to pay for it.
I just want to see what I'mpaying for, because I didn't
know if I then paid all thismoney and then they were going
to send me another bill like oh,and now here's the bill for all
this other work that we've done.
Like I don't know what itcovers yeah, that's so true, and
on top of that, they had to.
(12:00):
they had no communication withme, so my decorator was
finishing painting the flat,which is above the shop and was
no word of a lie, was stillwashing his brushes in the sink,
and the builders came up thestairs into the flat with
sledgehammers and justcompletely took out a wall that
was still wet with paint.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oh my God, that's such bad communication.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Just didn't tell me.
What a waste of money, becauseyou'd have paid that decorator
to paint that wall right yeah,and luckily my decorator is
actually like one of mybrother's best mates and he just
texted me and he was like hey,did you know?
The builders are coming intoday and I was like yeah, yeah,
they're in the shop.
He's like nope, they're in yourliving room.
And sent me a picture and theywere literally like mid-swing,
smashing into the wall.
Yeah, and then these beautifuloriginal 1820s floors that I
(12:37):
found underneath the old carpets.
They just cut them all up andreplace them with, like cheap
MDF.
That's a shame and completelyunnecessary.
So, yeah, I mean, builders area bane.
I want to find the excitementin it, but it has been so
stressful.
Alongside then, obviously,running my other businesses
working full time, trying todeal with that in a different
(12:57):
geographical location, obviously, because I've brought back home
in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's, yeah, it's a lot, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's why our littlepodcast break then extended into
a long break, because you'vebeen so busy I love that you try
and blame this on me every timeI have been in london.
Just you then happen to not beavailable I know, but then my
work was all over the place aswell.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We just were like not in the right headspace at the
time and we and our diariesweren't aligning it wasn't
aligning and actually the fewmoments that we did actually get
to see each other, I don't knowhow much personality we had to
actually be on a podcast.
No, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, you were going through a stressful moment, I
was going through a stressfulmoment.
Those few times we did meetwere like let's just go out and
have a good time.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Literally let's just forget our troubles, Come on,
get happy.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
But now look at us and and here we are ready to
chat shit.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
But no, the renovations are pretty much done
.
They're now out, it's justfinal paintings and paintings
and hopefully get tenants in,because I'm actually going to
rent out the shop for a fewyears, mainly because I have not
got the mental capacity to nowtry and put my current business
well, expand the business intothe new shop.
I just haven't got the brainpower.
I just haven't got the brainpower, so I'm going to rent out
(14:04):
for a few years and then?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So are you going to rent out the flat to tenants and
then the shop to somebody else,or do you want the whole
package, like someone, who Imean at the moment they can have
the whole package and we havean interest for people that want
to live in.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Basically, right, but I think, because I do, I
produce like drag shows andthings like that it would be
easier for me to rent out theshop to one person and then keep
the flat for myself as like aalmost like an Airbnb, airbnb,
yeah, and have one of the,because it's a two bedroom.
Keep one of the rooms for mewhich I can lock.
It could also be an office.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
And then have the second room for, like, when I
bring performers over or friendscome visit and just do that for
the rest of this year need tothink about what shop I might
want to run.
Then I can apply for uh, yourshop well, jokes aside, I've
actually got a whole newbusiness ready like that I want
to do, but we'll come back tothat, oh my god, have I got
another job coming my way?
Absolutely not althoughactually I do feel like it's
(14:54):
something that you might beinterested in.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So, oh, hold on to your hats, girls yeah, it
involves putting things in yourmouth quite good at that.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I wouldn't good, but I know that you enjoy trying.
But yeah, anyway, thanks forchecking in with that.
It's stressful.
I'm sure people at home if youhave, I don't know, renovating
your property bought a place.
It is a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
It is and how's the mortgage situation?
Because aren't the interestsreally high or something at the
moment?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So I was in a very lucky position that I didn't
need to get a mortgage.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
It turns out you pay for all cash in hand tax-free,
from all the money you've beenhiding from the accountants.
Okay, first of all, use youvery carefully, say because
someone will come for me.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
It wasn't, no, yeah, yeah, we paid cash, yeah you pay
cash.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I wasn't actually able to do that, but we got the.
We managed to get the pricedown enough that I could then do
it, cash and listen.
I'm not taking for granted.
I know that I'm in a very itwas a right place, right time
for me.
I'm very grateful that I wasable to do it, because I think
if I'd had the mortgage on topof this with the builders also,
it's taking like three monthslonger than it was meant to, oh
(15:58):
God yes, you would have beenpaying all that mortgage
interest.
Yeah, because no money would becoming in if it was rented.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So yeah, it's managed it more well, well, well done.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
We'll have a little cheers to that, because I think
it deserves a cheers.
Thanks, mate, that's very kindof you On the property ladder
slaying.
Life got your own business,honestly amazing.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Watch, I'm going to fly back and it's going to like
fall on down.
Yeah, oh, but yes, all done,now it's down to the final bits
the carpets.
I've done, fixtures andfittings.
By the way, if you, if you aretrying to diy cheap, listen I,
you're gonna clock me for this.
I don't think I'm a cheap humanbeing.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
I don't that's the funniest thing you've said all
season.
Why do you think I'm cheap?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
no, not at all no, I don't think I'm cheap, but I do
love a bargain and I do lovesaving money.
I like, literally, I get like athrill of it.
So I have um, I have found somereally good DIY hacks on how to
make what you've got work andmake it look like it's brand new
, and I'll give you an example.
So when we, when we did buy theplace, we had to get it valued,
(16:58):
split, like what the flat wasworth and what the shop
underneath was worth, and, um,those people came around the
house, probably did that.
They came back about four weeksago, just that.
They wanted to have anotherlook and they were going to give
me another valuation.
And they walked past thekitchen and the lady was like,
oh, my goodness, you've had anew kitchen put in really
quickly.
I was like, pardon, she's likewell, this is a brand new
kitchen, isn't it?
How have you done that in liketwo months?
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I was like I'm so I just changed the handles.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
They were horrible, silver, stainless steel.
Took them off and I put matteblack like metal bars on all of
them and I changed the sink tomatch the handles and it looks
like a brand new kitchen.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I took all the lights off in the flat and I sprayed
all of them with metal paintblack matte metal paint.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
So they all match.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
They thought they were like brand new.
I was like no.
So I literally spent like maybe12 quid on the spray paint and
I've done all the like fittings.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
But you are good with arts and crafts.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Maybe, but that's just you know.
And then she was like I wouldnever even think to do that.
So I think it's just yourmindset you know, yeah, yeah,
well done.
Yeah, so I've got loads more.
Save some money, drop into ourDMs and listen.
Are you going to come visit?
I will yes because one of therooms we could have as a little
studio at some point two podcaststudios.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Oh my god, we're taking over the world, guys no,
but you have to come visit once.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
I've, you know, got mattress protectors because I
know you wet the bed.
Come visit, we'll have a lovelygay weekend in Jersey.
It wasn be gay.
When you leave, how's that buzzball going down?
Speaker 2 (18:34):
It's going down a treat.
Honestly, it's slipping down mythroat smooth.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Slipping through my fingers.
I wonder how many peopleactually get all our musical
theatre references.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Oh, I'm sure there's a lot of gays out there that
also love the musical theatreand the pop songs and the little
culture moments we have.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Also, that is Mamma Mia, which A is Meryl Streep and
B has loads of fit guys in it,so I'm sure they'll get that
yeah it's a gay icon film, isn'tit Sure?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Anyway, we are in September and another Pride
season has finished.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Has come.
It's come and come again andcome it's come and come again.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I feel like they come around so quick yeah, yeah,
it's great I mean, I love itevery summer.
I look forward to it.
Summer season for me is allabout the prides and the
festivals it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Did you see?
I saw someone on on tiktok didlike um a schedule of all the
prides happening.
Yeah, and it's literally fromthe moment.
I think it's the, I think it'sactually the end of may.
Yeah, I feel like it's thenthere is, like like one, every
Friday, saturday, sunday, allthe way through to like, just
after the end of August, no endof September.
Yeah, if you include Malta,pride, hoopla, malta, if you
include that.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah, that's kind of Pride-ish, I guess.
Yeah, because what I've noticedover the last like five or six
years or so, because it used tobe back in the day, back in our
day, when we were in our 20s, along time ago your day, you're
older than me it was just likethe main cities, right, that
would have their prides.
But now everywhere does it.
I'm here for it, I'm not goingto lie.
(19:56):
I think it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I agree, and actually , as you know, I'm quite
involved with Jersey Pride andactually we've had.
This does sound negative tostart with.
Go on.
Sorry, that's a very oddsentence.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
It doesn't really make sense I'll have a sip of my
cocktail.
You tell me what's going on.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
So there has been a slight backlash.
They're very, very and I meanvery small part of the community
back at home Because they'resaying, like if it's a local
pride, money shouldn't be spenton big UK acts.
If you're doing a small pride,a small pride, it should be
(20:32):
people from that area, okay,kind of can.
So I'll give you examples.
So the pride just gone, which,I must say, I thought was
amazing, I thought it wasfantastic.
I thought the organized did areally good job.
I very much enjoyed being partof it.
The girls that I brought overreally enjoyed it.
Um, I thought they smashed itand we had a really good
feedback, apart from these veryfew people, but, um, we
alexandra burke headlined it oh,wow, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah and
(20:53):
so obviously she's not gonna becheap, you know.
And then I brought over some ukgirls, so I brought over um page
three.
Yes, mercedes-benz lovemercedes-benz.
She is hilarious she is alwaysa good time um, and sofia
starred us for the first time.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Oh my goodness, great lineup.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah, cracking right.
And then we did have a localgirl who now lives in London,
who's called Vianna, whoperformed.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Love Vianna as well, so she came on as well, so it
was actually really good.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
But then people were saying, like why are we getting
UK performers when we've gotlocal drag queens?
Not all of them, and I don'tknow if that's similar elsewhere
.
I'm going to give you anexample.
So the page three, who we allknow who is, she's on this
current season of ripples dragrace.
Um, she is from surrey, right,so does that mean that she
(21:39):
should only be working at surreypride?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
right, I see what you're saying.
Yeah, you see what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, yeah does that mean she shouldn't be going to
do manchester like manchester.
Pride should just be mancunianqueens, because it's not no, no,
it's a celebration ofeverything, right so it needs to
celebrate the local communityand therefore, I'm sure the
local community is well.
It's queer people who enjoydrag queens, so why not give
them?
Bearing in mind, the JerseyPride is completely free.
You don't have to pay a pennyto go to watch it uh then, no
(22:04):
more complaining, no morenegativity you get a free event.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You can go or you can choose not to go.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
No complaints and you're very welcome to go
experience other prides aroundthe uk if you want to.
It doesn't mean that jerseypride should just be jersey, or
I should say channel island,because they share it with
guernsey, shouldn't just bechannel island performers,
because you are trying to reachthe masses right.
And also when I understand thatit is for the queer community,
but I feel very passionately andI know this is a divide in the
but I feel very passionately andI know this is a divide in the
(22:30):
community I feel verypassionately about educating the
straight community as well andactually by having that big
pride and having Alexandra Burke, it gives more of an incentive
for straight people to comealong and experience queer
culture and ask questions,familiarize herself with it, and
I don't know it's better tobring us all together.
(22:51):
I'm not saying it's for them atall, but it was so lovely to
see so many people turn up andthere's no way that everyone
that turned up to Jersey Pridewas gay.
A lot of those people werestraight.
The Huns were there.
They brought their boyfriendsand actually there was people in
football shirts proper blokeylads there having a great time
like people in football shirts,like proper, like blokey lads
there having a great time.
(23:11):
And for me, for me, that iswhat I like to see at Pride.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I could not agree more with you.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I really do.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, the commercial acts.
Let's call them that becausethey're a bit more obviously
well-known.
For example, you have AlexandraBurks.
They're going to bring inpeople that aren't just LGBTQ+
and that, and that is amazingbecause they can see what it's
like an insight to our world andhow we like to be and how I
like to dress, and know thatwe're not a threat, and then
they can pass that on toeverybody else because, as we
(23:37):
know not that we're going to getinto politics, but it's been
quite heavy, hasn't it this year?
loads of backlash, especiallytowards the trans community as
well, and so what better way tolike bring lots of people
together with a bit of acommercial mainstream act
headliner who is pro ourcommunity and is going to give
us a lovely little hopefully alovely little speech about gay
(23:57):
rights, etc yeah and everyonecan just see that and be like,
yeah, this is great it's alsoimportant for me that we don't
include saying like oh, straightpeople, that's not the same as
saying homophobic people, youknow yeah, a lot of time they're
like
Speaker 1 (24:09):
it's not for the straights.
What they actually mean is weshouldn't be giving it to those
people that don't like gaypeople.
Well, we're not.
Yeah, we're absolutely not.
We're giving it to the straightpeople who support us.
They are our allies.
Let's not forget what thatactually means.
Um, and want to just I don'tknow come celebrate us for us if
I have a birthday party.
And you were like, oh, could Ibring my friend who's visiting?
(24:30):
I'm not going to be like no,because I don't know them and
it's my birthday.
But yeah, come along andexperience it, come see my
birthday, come get to know me.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Right, right.
Yeah, I think I think thetequila's gone to the head a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
No, I think that makes sense.
I'm having a birthday.
Come and celebrate me.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
B-I-F.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Burf.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
That's how you spell it.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Anyway.
But yeah, that was a bit offtangent.
We're talking about BrightonPride, which had Mariah Carey,
and what I was just saying kindof leads quite well into this.
I don't know how you felt aboutBrighton Pride.
First of all, thank you verymuch, Brighton Pride, for
inviting us.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
We were very lucky to be gifted two tickets and we
had the most marvellous time.
But I did notice a differencethis year with Brighton Pride.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
It was very busy, busier than I've ever
experienced.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Hordes of people.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, mariah, she brings in the crowds, doesn't
she?
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Well, there we go, so headliner was Miss Mariah Carey
.
Yeah, and that brought thecrowds.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
And obviously Mariah is an icon, but I didn't know
that she would bring in thatmany people.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
For me.
I wanted to go and watch her,because I don't mean this
morbidly, but I don't know howmuch longer she'll be around
doing live performances likethis.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Like because her voice is phenomenal, but her
voice is acrobatics within thevoce.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yes, and.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I don't know how long she'll be singing in there for
Singing, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
And she's got a family and she's got kids and
she's.
She also doesn't need to do itdoes she.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
She doesn't need to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
When Christmas rolls around, she makes her check,
then right.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Correct, she doesn't need to be.
Yeah, yeah, she doesn't need tobe doing she's got a new album
coming out, which I think is whyshe was there.
But I can't help think that,with the lineup on the Saturday
like last year, who headlinedlast year on the Saturday?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Girls, aloud Girls.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Aloud, but there was like three, if not four really
strong acts in the lead up toGirls Aloud right this year.
There were some fantastic actsbut I thought they were small,
not as well known.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
And then Mariah carey .
Speaker 2 (26:31):
So I did feel like a lot of the budget was put
towards mariah carey.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Oh for sure, yeah however, if I was bright and
pride, what I was would probablybe doing is thinking well,
let's do, mariah, let's sell aton of tickets, get all that
money, save money, and then wecan do, like the next year, the
year after that, maybe withsmaller acts, with, and more of
them, and more I don't know, putmore money into the smaller
(26:53):
stages because they put theydon't just have the main stage,
they have loads of stages goingon with local community acts,
with a bit of everything, really, yeah there's a dj tent.
There's like a daddy's leathertent.
There's.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
It's a bit for everyone, right and we went to
that legends tent, which isamazing and is a bar in Brighton
which is such a great bar We'vebeen there Bar and hotel.
Bar and hotel.
It's so good.
And they had their own tentwith all their local queens
performing.
It was so good.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Who did we see there?
Carla Bear.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yes, very good.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Bangin'.
We love Carla Bear.
You know I really enjoyed theday.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I didn make it to the sunday, sadly me neither.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
No, um, but I heard the sunday was amazing as well.
Yeah, sugar babes on the sunday, sugar babes.
Yeah.
So brian pride, odd one for me,that's all.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
That's all I'll sell it I enjoyed one because it was
super busy.
Yeah, okay, and you know whatI'm like with crowds.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Anyway, like sometimes when there's too many
people also.
I I know what you're doing.
You're tiptoeing around a storywhich you don't.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
you don't know if I want to tell or not.
Tee hee, but I did lose you.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
And your phones if you've never been before.
Your phones don't work.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
No reception.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
No reception, for some reason, the moment you step
in that park, that's it.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
If you lose your friends, you have lost them.
Basically, there's no way tofind them.
And I did lose my friends and Idid lose them and I could not
call them yeah, because, well,we actually did the street party
as well.
For anyone who's not donebrighton pride before, it's like
two separate sections, isn'tthere?
Yeah there's the park.
Well, three actually.
Sorry, carry on, but there's athird one.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Well, there's the main park, yes, where you.
It's like the.
That's the way you buy yourticket online.
You go see mariah, etc there'sthe street, which is free, and
you're going around all thelocal queer bars and just
experiencing that.
And then there's the streetparty, which is a different type
of ticket, which is along thefront oh yes, that's the place
that we couldn't get into.
Do you remember?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
yes, yes, because we was in one section and then it
was closed off and we didn'trealize it had a ticket for the
other one correct.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So next year let's see who the lineup is.
I would quite like to do thestreet.
So the free, the free bit, withall the bars for the
lower-priced ticket to go andexperience the street party.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
And we can see who the headliners are in the main
park.
But I would like to do that.
I think Like the local side.
Yeah, because it was crowds,but they weren't overwhelming.
It was just a very different.
It felt like a very differentscene.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
And also, I'll be honest, I love Brighton.
I do, I love Brighton.
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
You love it so much that you didn't want to get a
hotel and you were going toparty all the way through to the
first train back.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Now there's a thought behind the madness here, right.
So the last few times I've doneBrighton Pride, I have paid for
Airbnb with some gays, youincluded, and the prices are so
expensive Because those Airbnbowners they know what they're
doing and the hotels as well.
They rack up those prices.
They're so expensive.
And the thing is, what weusually do is we'll do all day,
you know, celebrating pride, goto the festival, then we'll go
(29:35):
out partying all night and wewon't get home to like 5, 6am
into our Airbnb that we paidhundreds of pounds for we'll be
there for like a few hours for aquick nap, shower, shower, and
then we're up again for the nextday.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
I begrudge paying that much money for
accommodation which I'm hardlyin I do hear you, although this
year we went down and we didn'tstay with them, but our friends
got the airbnb and we went tojoin them for some pre-drinks.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Oh god, it was beautiful but also I.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
That really set up bright and pride for me.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
I liked that yeah, because there's drink on the
train, but it's.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
You're standing the whole way, but if you're lucky
enough to get a seat and thenjust go straight into it, I
think it's like wow, yeah,that's true so it's quite nice
to settle, have drinks, chat,see what everyone wants to do,
and just having a base is niceit is nice to have a base for
sure.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
That is so gross the way you phrased that, and that
is so not true.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
But so accurate you sip that ball.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
You put that ball in your mouth.
So, yeah, I decided I'm notgoing to pay hundreds of pounds
on a hotel or Airbnb this year.
I'm going to party all nightand get the first train home
back to London.
Crazy, and I was very close todoing that.
But we ended up getting an Uberinstead.
It got to like half three inthe morning.
The.
We ended up getting an Uberinstead.
It got to like half three inthe morning.
The first train is like halffour yeah.
And we were a little bitshattered Like let's just check
(30:51):
out the Uber prices.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
It's like a two hour train.
It's the slow one.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, but you're asleep on it and anyway, this
Uber was £100.
Split between four people, £25.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, that is good, so good.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
That was really good.
Happens that often.
I think if we'd got the uber at, say, midnight, when it was,
full steam ahead party.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
I don't think it would be that price.
I think you were lucky andfound an uber guy who was based
in london who had just droppedto brighton and was like, oh,
I'm driving back anyway, I mayas well wait for a good feed to
come through yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So it cost us all, as I say, 25 quid each between
four people, and obviously tookme straight home, which is
amazing.
So, if so, if anyone is fromLondon that does Brighton Pride
and is thinking, oh, I don'twant to pay those prices for the
accommodation if you're goingto party for a bit, anyway, get
the Uber.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Or do what I did and get the last train back all by
myself, but that's the end ofthat story.
We don't need to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I think we should take a little break, because you
do actually have a good story.
It's a good story.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
I'm going to get my producer on the phone.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Podcasters, we're taking a break.
We're hearing the story.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Hello, it's Benji.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Help.
It is story time with Benji.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Strap in boys and girls, because we are ready for
this.
How about you start the?
Speaker 2 (32:09):
story and I can fill in the gaps.
Let me set the scene.
So we've just arrived inBrighton Big group of gays.
We've been on the train,there's friends, there's friends
of friends.
We're all together and it'slovely.
On the train you are clockingeyes with a friend of a friend,
part of this big group, andalready I'm like there's a
little thing going on there.
That's cute.
That's cute, that's cute.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
There was, there was a little, there was a tiny spark
and I wasn't really aware of ituntil you know.
If you're in a bar and someoneasks you a question you don't
really know, like, oh, hey, likeI know such and such.
Oh cool, yeah, me too.
Oh, I like your t-shirt, I like, I like yours too.
End of conversation.
And then they start another oneand that comes to an end and
they start another.
That's what was happening, andnormally I can be quite flirty
(32:48):
and I know that I can also becompletely oblivious to what's
going on, but I was even likehuh, this person keeps making
small talk.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
And then, as we said, we went to our friend's Airbnb.
They were checking in.
We all went together, we gotsome drinks for the Airbnb, had
some pre-drinks there and, ofcourse, everyone's chatting away
.
We got the music on and I lookover and you're sat on the sofa
with Miss Thing and you aregetting very close yeah, but
again, I was sat on the sofabecause I was.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
I was by the power socket and I was just charging
my phone.
Uh huh, I was not at BrightonPride for any sort of flirty
pickups.
I just wasn't.
I just wanted to have a goodtime with you boys.
I've been away for so long.
It's the first time I'd seeneveryone all together in months.
Yeah, I just want to be me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
And also we were there for the podcast we had
like a podcast brain on a littlebit and we were doing a bit of
social media stuff.
So we had our own agenda.
We definitely weren't lookingfor the boys, right?
Speaker 1 (33:39):
No.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
And so a clock.
Over there, you are on the sofa, but he comes to you which is
the kind of key part of thestory.
The kind of key part of thestory it's, I feel, like very
much you were kind of going withthe flow, but this person was
definitely all eyes on benji,all eyes on benji.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
All eyes on benji.
Love that for me?
Um yeah, and then I went togive his mate a back massage,
remember?
Yes and then he was very muchlike is it my turn next?
And I was like, no, I wasgiving nothing.
I was trying, I was beingpolite and flirty, but I was
also giving nothing mainlybecause I know what I'm like.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
I know what you're like.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
I know what I'm like wait hang on, you're a big flirt
.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
You are a big flirt, we can be oh that's not where I
was going with this.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
But fine, fair enough , I know I can be a big flirt,
but with this I was like, no,I'm not going because I don't.
It's a pride he.
I don't know this guy.
He may well be flirting with menow and then as soon as we
leave the apartment he'll be allover somebody else.
And if I've been flirting back,that'll make me feel shit.
So I don't want to get involved.
So I was giving very surfacelevel flirts.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
But nothing else, and I was being I think I was being
very well behaved, plus he, thefriend of someone else who I
care very dearly about and Ididn't want that messy.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
I didn't want mess.
Well, there was like differentgroups collided so if it wasn't
going to work out, just didn'twant it to be awkward for the
future, right yeah, becausewe're most likely going to cross
paths again 100, right anyway.
So then we go down, we're doingsome podcast bits.
The rest of the group go up tothe park.
We're still doing our littlething around in the, the local
bars, yeah, and so we joinedeveryone a bit later yeah, we
had to go through a differentdoor.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That's why so there was no point us going with them
to key.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, all of that and we meet up in the
park.
Purely by fluke my ads becausethe phones were not no, no, we
literally like walked into them,yeah, yeah because we had no
idea the reception was going tobe that bad and that was pure,
pure luck that we met them, themand we were in a tent having a
good time.
We got some drinks, then we saton the grass for a bit and a
(35:33):
little chit chat, and then thisguy comes bounding over and
basically sits in your lap onthe grass.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
I was lying on the grass of like slightly on one
side and yeah, he came and satbasically yeah on me, swaddled
me pretty much, and by thebottle of kyliecco in my hand.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah, okay, then and obviously by that point everyone
was clocking like, oh, this isa thing you know, and it's
absolutely fine, obviously, butvery much led by him.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Yeah, not me and I remember looking at you and you
were giving me the eye like, ohwell, benji's happy now yeah and
I I still at this point didn'treally want.
It was nice to see him, whodoesn't like being flirted with
right right, so I liked it was alovely compliment and don't get
me wrong, mama, I look good andit was nice to have that
validation sure great, I haven'teaten for 12 months snatched
(36:22):
and I was wearing my little, mylittle crop and my little baggy
jeans I'm a masked dom top.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I swear um and then we're all like going to the loos
and he's trying to make outwith you outside the toilet.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Oh no I have to.
No, I have to tell this story,sorry.
We were sat and flirty, flirtyhand and leg, hand and arm tap
tap all of that but then someoneprobably you was like right,
let's go toilets, then we'll gowatch some music.
Oh no, we're gonna go to.
I think that was when we wentto the Legends tent and I was
like, okay, cool, stood up andhe was like, oh, so where are we
(36:55):
going?
I don't think he was that verydrunk by this point.
I think he was like on a wave,but not yeah he was like so
where are we going?
and I was like, oh, we're gonnago toilets, then go to a bar.
And I remember him getting hisface really close to mine and I
said you're not gonna kiss me,are you?
And he was like oh, and I waslike listen, not right now, like
come on, let's just we're allgoing to the toilets.
Like hardly romantic.
Went to the queue queuing inthe toilets, was holding my hand
(37:18):
, went to kiss me again, me.
No, I'm not going to kiss youby the portaloos.
That's disgusting.
Not going to do it.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Queue, queue, queue, queue, queue, queue, like if
you're going to make out withsomeone at Pride, all for it.
Love it.
Not in the queue for thetoilets, no no, then we queue.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
The next portaloos becomes available, he opens the
door and and looks at me andbeckons me to come with him.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Into the cubicle, into the cubicle oh scandal.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I didn't know that Well this is when I knew
something else was going on andI said no, I was like I'm not
going to do it.
Stop me right there, because ifI were there it's not going to
happen.
So he went in then.
I went in then to go watchsomebody.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I think at that point , like doing all the rounds,
we're going to different becausethere's so many tents and areas
in there at Brighton.
Price yeah, yeah, we were justlike having a little one day on
the explore.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Right and he was holding my hand the whole way.
All of that, and so we'reholding hands cute, cute, cute,
cute, cute.
And then he went bit um.
You can have the story back now, because I'll finish in a sec
so kind of that was happening.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Cut to, it's like half hour.
Mariah's gonna come on.
Let's get a good position formariah, but obviously the crowds
are forming at this point.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
It was really busy um it was end of the reen we're
going to catch that was it yes,so we're starting to like weave
through.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I was like, right, it's really busy.
So, boys, let's all like kindof hold hands slash be in each
other's eye contact.
We're going to snake throughthe crowds, right, and our
friend, who's really good atthat, was like I've got this,
I'm leading the way, et cetera.
So he was leading and it was abit of like squeeze through, but
if anyone kind of lost out thechain, we were probably going to
lose you in the crowds.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, no signal, all of that, and we're snaking
through, snaking behind.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
you were no longer there no, I stupidly put him,
who remained nameless, in frontof the chain and he lost the
chain and but carried on walkingand I hadn't realized that he'd
lost the chain so you were justfollowing so I was following
him, thinking that he wasfollowing all of you and did he
stop at one point and be likecan't find yeah then he was like
I don't know where they've goneand I looked and literally
nowhere to be seen yeah, becausesea of people we were trying to
(39:17):
call you.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Obviously no, nothing was going through.
I was like, okay, it'll be fine, they're having a lovely gay
time anyway, I'm sure they'renot they're not even going to be
watching Mariah, they're goingto be making out and that's
totally fine.
So I was like I'm going toleave Benji, we'll watch Mariah.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
We will then regroup afterwards right, so cut to, he
was like we've lost them allround, tried to phone, couldn't
and he was very much like ohwell, we can just watch it, me
and you, and was like holdingboth my hands almost nose to
nose, and so at that point I hadhad, it's true love I had had a
bit to drink the hat is readyfor the wedding.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (39:50):
what mariah's gonna come on.
This guy clearly has showninterest the entire day.
Yes, maybe watching mariah withthis cute guy saying we belong
together could actually be quitecute, right, could be quite
cute.
So then we were kissing forquite a while and I said to him
look, this is Brighton Pride.
I fully get it.
We're just always having a goodtime.
However, if afterwards, wouldyou be keen to go for some
(40:11):
drinks next week maybe I've gota bit of free time before I fly
away and he looked so takenaback, like genuinely he gave me
genuine vibes looked so takenaback and was like oh wow, oh,
my goodness.
I was like what's wrong?
He's like well, no one everasks me to go on a date, they
just like use me.
I was like oh well.
I was like well, you seemreally sweet.
We've obviously had a nice day.
(40:31):
I'm really keen to go fordrinks if you want to like chat
and like okay.
He was like I really like that.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Kiss, kiss, kiss all over this is so cute and in my
mind that is what was going onbut that it was what was going
on to begin with so I was likebenji's fine, we don't need
benji right now.
He's preoccupied and having agay old time then mariah comes
on lovely, she's done singing.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Why you're so obsessed with me?
Um, and the rest of the storyis where I'm afraid it does take
a turn.
So we found this other group ofpeople and oh, also, I forgot
to tell you all the way from,basically, from the Portaloos,
all the way until this moment,no word of a lie, no
exaggeration about six differentrandom people had said to me
(41:11):
and him you two are the mostgorgeous couple.
And all of a sudden we werelike, oh, we just met today.
Like ha ha ha, joking it off,they're like you two are so cute
together, you're gorgeous.
And I was like this is a feverdream anyway.
So it happened again when wewere watching mariah.
This guy was like you two arereally cute together.
Um, I was like, oh, we're notreally together, we're kind of
met today.
And he was like oh, okay, soyou're not together.
(41:32):
I was like, no, like I justsaid, we just could have met
today.
Then we were like watchingmariah, this guy then picks.
So this random guy that we justmet picks up the boy that I'm
with so he can see mariah likepicks him up.
Okay, yeah, yeah like armsaround the waist and picks him
up right, and I'm like, huh,that's slightly bold, but but
(41:52):
fine.
Then this guy's like, put medown, put me down, put me, put
him down.
Bit more of the song and thenhe miss thing, just turns around
and just starts kissing him,literally arm to arm next to me
that is mad, that's so mad andI'm watching morale like right,
this is literally from the fmbwhat I thought would happen and
(42:13):
what I did not want yeah, so I'mwatching morale like great.
So I've now lost all my friendsand I've got this little fuck
boy next me.
So I pretend not to watch and Ithoughtji don't, don't rip into
him.
I could have done.
Don't rip into him.
He's a friend of a friend.
He's a friend of a friend,you're like his friend, you're
like his friend.
So I just left it.
They stopped.
He went back to holding my handand I turned to him like listen
(42:45):
also, I'm not one to mug off,like I'm just, I'm not gonna let
you make me be that person.
You're not gonna do it.
I thought you were someonedifferent.
Clearly you're not totally fine, don't know you that well, I'm
not the one to fuck with.
So have a good like, enjoy,mariah, enjoy it with this guy.
I'm gonna to go.
He's like no, no, sorry, sorry.
What have I done?
What have I done?
What have I done?
And I was like listen, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
What have I done?
And I was like I don't havetime to explain this to you, I'm
going to go find the others, doyou want?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
if you want to come with me, you can.
And he said to me no, I want tostay with you.
And I was just watching Mariah.
So I was like fine, watchMariah.
Then behind me another twogirls were like oh, you two are
(43:26):
so cute, are you enjoying theshow?
And we're like, yeah, it'sreally good.
Their male friend was like areyou together?
No, then he this random.
So are you two like serious orwhatever?
I heard him Right.
Because you can't reallywhisper.
It's fucking Mariah.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
And he was like no, no, no, not at all.
And then they started flirting.
They didn't start kissing, butthey were like heavily flirting.
And I just turned to him and Iwas like I'm done, I'm going
home.
And he was like no, don, twominutes ago and I was leaving,
(44:01):
which is fine, you're verywelcome to do it and you said no
, you want to stay with me.
And now you're doing it again.
We're done.
He was like oh, can I come withyou?
Speaker 2 (44:09):
and I said no and I walked off and I went home sweet
, sweet fantasy baby, as I'mlike battling against the crowd
oh yeah, oh my goodness, betthat was really hard to get out
of in fact, the whole thing waspretty hard, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
It was actually horrible.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Made me feel really shit it's such a weird one,
isn't it because?
Speaker 1 (44:29):
he ruined my day, if you're listening.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You ruined my pride yeah, I mean, look, if you're
gonna heavy flirt with someoneall day and say, yeah, let's do
a date, etc.
You then don't make out withrandom people in front of that
person.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
No, and if you're flirting with someone, trying to
get a bit of, like flirtyaction for that pride, and that
person is not giving it to youbecause their, their walls are
up, my walls were up.
I've been really hurt in thepast.
Uh-huh, be nice and acceptable.
Okay, that's not the one tojust to be with yeah I'll go
find some complete randomstranger yeah kiss them for an
hour or two and then just losethem.
Yeah, that's not me.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
We have mutual friends well, this is the other
thing as well.
It's because the mutual friendsituation, like why are you
creating like a potential drama,slash rift in a group that were
then meant to be like allhanging out with afterwards?
Speaker 1 (45:15):
yeah, so that's the tea that's the tea.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I feel like we need to have a good Brighton
experience because rememberthere was that time when it was
raining loads and we fell out.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
I don't know, have you ever at the?
Speaker 2 (45:25):
time before didn't someone like piss on you?
Speaker 1 (45:27):
yes, they wet the bed and then pissed all over the
wall, cut themselves shaving,got blood all over my clothes
yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Think we've ever had a positive, oh, apart from that
time where I got so drunk I wasoh my goodness, drunk on the
floor, yeah, yeah, I've neverseen you that drunk before next
to subway, as you had my bankcard and hundreds of pounds of
notifications were pinging up onmy phone whilst I was so
intoxicated.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
there's nothing I could do about it, yeah good
times, love, brighton, yeah goodtimes, good memes.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
No, we do actually love Brighton and again, thank
you so much for having us.
We had a great time Check outthe old TikTok.
Oh my goodness, we have TikToknow.
We're trying to do videos.
Well, I'm trying to do videos,so wish me luck on that one.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Of in action whilst you're listening to these
stories?
Absolutely, but it just a quickone throwing it out there.
I know we've done this alreadyon the on this episode, like
with a home renovation, etc.
But if you were in thatsituation with me or with him,
tell us your part of the story.
How would you feel?
Is it okay?
Is it not okay?
Would you have done it?
Would you not have done it?
Have you done it?
Have you had it done to you?
Just tell us, because I dothink too often, maybe in
straight culture as well butlike culture.
This happens and it's not reallyspoken about and to some people
(46:43):
it does affect them, it doesupset them, which I'm not going
to lie.
I'll be very vulnerable for asecond.
It did upset me, it did hurt me.
I've very much chosen to besingle for quite a while because
I don't want to have thesesorts of interactions with
people.
And yeah happened again.
I remember texting you likeI've left.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
I know I'm pretty sure I was like I've left, I'm
crying, I'm pissed off and alsothis was all coming out as we
were leaving mariah, leaving thepark then the signal started to
come through, so obviously allthese like pingy messages were
coming through.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
I was like, oh my god , and you're like you were like
come find us, and I was like, no, because I, but again, because
of the crossover, I know if Icome find you he will probably
at some point appear again forsure.
That's exactly what happenedyeah, and I was like I just
would rather remove my situationmyself in the situation,
everyone else still having agood time took one for the team,
yeah, and left oh my god, theseflirty boys.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
I got myself a meal deal for one from Marks and
Spencer'scers.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Sat on that train and cried, Sat on the floor
actually, oh because it was sobusy, so busy.
But I was in bed by like halfone, so that's good.
Anyway, yes, sorry, sorry, yes,picking up, tell us if you've
had a situation ever so similaror ever so different to that and
how you feel, and send me somemessages of support and tell me
that I was the right and, justyou know, boost my ego.
Did I do the right thing?
I think I did.
Speaker 2 (48:00):
I agree, I would have probably done the same.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Yeah, bastard yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
But anyway, there we go, the end of our first episode
.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Tune into next week's episode where I drop his name
and his Instagram handle and youcan send him some troll hate.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Are you okay now though?
Speaker 1 (48:19):
Oh, so fine, Good.
Yeah, I've had like 12 shagssince then.
I'm fine.
No, joking, joking, joking,joking, joking.
No, I'm absolutely fine.
Thank you for asking.
I appreciate you.
I do appreciate you very much,that's good.
Speaker 2 (48:34):
Well, we have come to the end of our first episode.
Back after such a long you backand thank you for the messages
that you've been sending us onour little break and checking in
.
We honestly really reallyappreciate you and we're back.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
We're back to stay.
We're back and, don't worry, anepisode will be dropping next
week, as usual, back into theweekly routine, so don't forget
to check it out.
But, like we said, that is allthe time from this week's
episode Wednesday Can youimagine if I just had like a
full on bust up in the middle ofMariah?
Why you so Not that I ever getphysical?
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I was going to say you're all about the loving, not
the fighting.
Speaker 1 (49:10):
Oh, I fight, but I fight with my mouth.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
And you love with your mouth as well.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
That's true.
My mouth has multiple talents.
No, but you know, I do Like Iget.
I get wordy.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
You do.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
You get, I do like I get.
I get wordy.
You do you get a bit sassy.
Sassy, some might say bratty,some might not.
Um, no, I just get.
Yeah, I do get sharp-tongued.
I just say it is.
I don't.
I'm too old, too ugly, too manywrinkles to let people get away
with that bullshit.
What?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
happens when you're in your late 50s.
Thank you.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!