Patchwork at Glastonbury: is it Pulp or Robbie Williams?
Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain speaks out after BBC cookery show is axed: 'It made me reassess where I want to be'
Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain speaks out after BBC cookery show is axed
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
'I wrote a book and published it online. When I woke up next morning it was number one in the charts'
Author and podcaster, Sophie Gravia. | John Devlin Sophie Gravia swapped nursing for writing and now the author of bestselling The Glasgow Kiss book series and The Dicktionary Club has a BBC podcast Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sophie Gravia, the author of bestselling The Glasgow Kiss book series and The Dicktionary Club is on the set of her brand new 18+ podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine, for BBC Sounds, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer. She can't wait for people to get in touch and tell them all about their dating dramas, life dilemmas, have a laugh and spill the tea. Raised just outside Glasgow, Gravia, 33, has swapped nursing to concentrate on writing and podcasting after becoming an overnight sensation in her twenties with her first book about the realities of modern dating, based on her popular blog Sex in the Glasgow City. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Written during COVID to entertain her friends, she self-published A Glasgow Kiss one night and woke up to find herself with a bestseller in the erotic fiction charts. Now five books and a quarter of a million book sales on, she is amazed to witness her first book being optioned for a BBC series as her new book, The Dicktionary Club looks poised to repeat the success of A Glasgow Kiss, What Happens in Dubai, Meet Me In Milan and Hot Girl Summer. 'It's a dream come true because I wrote A Glasgow Kiss for my friends. I never in a million years would have expected it to take off. It's insane,' she says. Gravia tells it like it is on the dating scene and her 'nothing's off limits and no judgement here' philosophy extends to the series of eight Situationships podcasts which explore 'the comedy, chaos and cringe of modern relationships', with author, model and Celebs Go Dating star, Christine McGuinness. 'Situationships is the phase when you're dating and not quite in a relationship, so it's that grey area where you don't really know what you're getting yourself into,' says Gravia, 'but the podcast is not just about dating and relationships, it's about friendship and work situationships as well, so we're free to talk about really everything. It's basically talking about our dilemmas, breaking them down and giving each other advice, having a group chat. It's anonymous as well, so we want viewers to come in and tell us all about it. I'm really excited.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Author and podcaster, Sophie Gravia is an NHS nurse who began writing about her dating experiences. With five novels published and a new book out now, Gravia has joined forces with Christine McGuinness talk relationships and love in their brand-new BBC podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine. | John Devlin With Gravia and McGuinness both active on their socials, they're looking for podcast viewers to contact them via Whatsapp and Instagram as well as email, with their dilemmas. The pair initially met at events through sharing the same management and bonded over their writing and are now taking their friendship into co-hosting the podcast. 'It's nice to work on something with a friend rather than someone random,' says Gravia and the first podcast saw them discussing everything from ghosting and dating after divorce to Jojo Siwa and Chris Hughes' relationship. There's one person Gravia hopes won't be listening to her podcast however, as her mother is banned from reading her books. 'She's not allowed. But at the same time she introduced us to Sex And The City when I was about eight, so I feel you're to blame, mother.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When it comes to the TV series, Gravia will relent. 'Yes, she will need to watch the TV series. Hmmm. I don't know what's worse, watching or reading,' she says and laughs. With anonymity guaranteed for podcast contributors, Gravia is relaxed about taking the limelight herself and happy to be open and honest, although she takes care to change details that might identify any of the men who appear in The Dicktionary Club and her other books. 'I feel when I write, nothing's off-limits, I'll chat about anything, the nitty-gritty, and the badder the better. I was asked to be the host on the podcast, so I'm happy with chatting about what I want. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'A guy did come forward and messaged me in my DMs, saying 'is this me?', even though I totally changed the story, what he looked like, where it was and everything about it. But he quite enjoyed getting a mention, and no-one would know it was him.' Sophie Gravia's blog about dating led to five adult romcom novels and a BBC podcast. | John Devlin It was while working as a renal high-dependency nurse in Glasgow that Gravia first began writing about her dating experiences, leading to her blog, 'Sex in the Glasgow City', becoming a hit. When lockdown began, working in the NHS, Gravia was at the frontline of the fight against Covid so when staff attended mandatory 'wellness' sessions, the idea of writing about her dating experiences took hold. 'We were sitting in a circle and each person had to say something they were doing for themselves during COVID, something they always wanted to do, and people were saying they're learning a language or playing instruments and it came to me and I said 'I'm actually just watching Netflix!'. I was totally ashamed and thought, I've always wanted to write a book so why don't I?' 'So I wrote all the worst dates that have happened to my friends or myself and thought how can I write a story around this, with the idea of giving it to my friends for their Christmas presents. I finished A Glasgow Kiss and watched a You Tube video on how to self-publish so I would have it in book form, published it, put it in a Facebook post saying ' I've written a book, mum please don't read it', went to bed then the next morning when I turned my phone on it was number one in the Amazon charts. I thought maybe everyone goes to number one when you upload it, but then I saw the sales figures and oh my god…' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Press and social media interest followed and soon Gravia had a four-book contract with Orion, moving to Bonnier for her latest book, which was released the same day as the podcast. Now that Gravia's life is 'a bit crazy' as she puts it - although no longer being single saves time she used to spend dating - she's taking a six-month career break from nursing but intends to continue in her NHS career. 'I very much want to stay in nursing. I feel it is really important to give back, and my mum and my dad are both nurses as well. I've been there for ten years, in the same ward and love all the patients and people that I work with. It's like another family.' 'I definitely will miss it, but I can't physically manage the time just now. Your shifts are so long, 13 hours, and I cut down the last year or two, but even that was becoming harder to manage.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Even so, with two children Sophie has a full workload to get her writing done at home, just outside of Glasgow. 'I just cry most days about deadlines,' she jokes. 'I write at night and basically live off very little sleep. I wait until everyone's asleep in the house and then think 'you need to write so many thousand words tonight', so I make sure I do it. It's not the healthiest habit.' Sophie Gravia with her latest book, The Dicktionary Club. | John Devlin With her just published fifth book, The Dicktionary Club, did Gravia find that writing had become easier or faster? 'Yes, it's the first one where I didn't feel 'I don't know if I can do this again'. By the time you've got four number one bestsellers, you know you can do this. And also I absolutely loved the concept of The Dicktionary Club. It was what we chatted about in the tea room so I smashed through it and enjoyed it.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Without giving it away, can she give us a hint of what it's about? 'It's basically a group of three women who live in Glasgow - they all work at a PR firm - and are totally different. One is desperate for a boyfriend, one is not interested in men and another one is in a loveless relationship. They decided to make a website called the Dicktionary Club where you can go on and rate all the men you've been seeing. They date as many men as possible, write up a review so that women can subscribe to a website and check their name and get a full review on what to expect. But it all goes absolutely wrong and there are a few disastrous dates in there and one ends up falling in love with someone she shouldn't and it just gets a bit messy… it's good fun.' More reality than romance, Gravia's books have broken the rom-com mould and don't follow a traditional girl meets boy trajectory. 'I don't think the books are typical romcoms where she gets the guy in the end and they live happily ever after. That's not the real world,' she says. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'All the books are about dating, but it's dating in this current situation we're all facing in the land of apps and online websites. 'We've got all these websites now, so are we dating the same people? It's an absolute minefield out there. So I think The Dicktionary Club is really relevant. 'Although there are loads of dilemmas and sauciness in my books, there's always the background of a female friendship which I think is important to real life. They're saucy and they're empowering. 'That's similar to what we want the podcast to be. We want people to feel empowered after it, to come up and spill all their secrets but not be ashamed. It's totally non-judgemental.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the most common issues people are sharing on the podcast? How do people feel about dating apps now? 'The biggest thing people are saying about dating apps is there's so much access to other people so quickly. For example if you're chatting to a guy and have a really good connection, then are off your phone, by this point he has gone on and chatted to another ten people. 'There is so much access to other people that you can go on and chat and there are no barriers. You're sitting on your phone and you can say whatever you want. Sometimes if you suggest to meet up, it's weird for them to want to go for coffee because they think it's appropriate just to skip to the next stage of a relationship. I think there are no barriers anymore, it's just going straight in and within a few messages they want to start talking about sex and what you like in the bedroom and it's just like, woah, wait a minute, come and chat to me about what I do for a living. My mum and dad met when they were 15 at the dancing and it's completely changed now. It's absolutely crazy.' Does she think there's nostalgia for the days when people met at the dancing and got to know each other face to face? Or is it better these days, to do it online? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think it's a bit of a mix. It's good that you've got more access in terms of you might actually find someone more suited. You can chat to different people with different life experiences, more things that you're interested in. And there are loads of niche dating apps, so if you're vegan you can meet someone who is vegan, if you're into certain clubs you can do all that. There's loads of access, which is good. 'But I think, personally, dating apps will die down in the next couple of years. I think that there's got to be another alternative because everyone is so fed up with them, people that I speak to. 'It depends what you're looking for. If you're looking for a bit of fun, then absolutely go on the dating apps, but I think it's really hard to find someone and have a meaningful relationship on them now.' Is that what people are looking for, meaningful relationships? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sophie Gravia and Christine McGuinness talk relationships and love in their brand-new BBC podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine. | John Devlin 'I think people are looking for companionship, someone to share similar interests. And loyalty is a big one, especially in today's world of dating apps. I think it's even harder to trust someone, especially on social media. You've got so much access into people's lives and they're portraying a perfect lifestyle on instagram, editing pictures, they don't look the same. It's really easy to click and get carried along with this ideal version of someone. I think the internet has really broken relationships in a way.' Never mind, Situationships is here to fix things… 'I don't know if we're here to fix it,' she laughs. 'But we're here to vent and chat about it. A lot of people are embarrassed to talk about dating online or dating in general, and I think that stigma is dying down, and it's totally acceptable to go on dating apps. 'We're here to chat about it. No judgement, and to have a laugh with it as well.' The Dicktionary Club by Sophie Gravia is out now in paperback (£9.99, Zaffre) and available in eBook and Audio. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Situationships with Sophie and Christine, Episodes 1 and 2 now and new episodes every Thursday on BBC Sounds at 6am, BBC iPlayer at 6pm. Watch on iPlayer - Listen on Sounds -
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders star shares heartbreak after death of his beloved brother
Sean Maguire, who is best known for his role on the BBC soap EastEnders, says he broke down in tears in his car and was forced to pull over he was cryng so much An EastEnders actor and pop star has shared his heartbreak after losing his beloved brother. Sean Maguire who first rose to fame in Grange Hill and went on to star as Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders in 1993 before launching a successful pop career, revealed he was going through a 'tough time' recently. The 49-year-old, who now lives in LA, shared his profound sorrow over the loss of his dear brother as he responded to a recent Instagram post from Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi. He shared how he had broken into tears when hearing one of Lewis' songs. Sean expressed: "Lewis been a fan for a while. Don't like talking about this s****. But having a tough time just now. Lost my brother six months ago. Holding it together. But dropped my kids off this morning and played 'someone you loved' and hit differently. Then burst into tears. "I didn't know I needed it. Maybe I did. Had to pull the car over and keep singing and crying. Thank you for the therapy. Really thank you. You helped me get back up. X". Sean's brother died back on January 11 and just a few days later he shared the sad news on his own social media on January 15. He shared a video with the caption: "I've struggled to find the words or even choose the pictures for this. Because it means that it's real but for those who don't already know our beloved brother Darren Maguire passed away on Saturday, 11th January. "He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. He was a truly remarkable man, friend, son, brother, and was so loved by everyone that knew him. I'm still in so much shock. "I can barely form a sentence, but I know the world has lost one of its most beloved people and I have lost my best friend. We love you Darren and we'll never stop loving you. Now go make them laugh and dance heaven." During Sean's year on Albert Square he played troubled teen Aidan the soap as a 17-year-old in 1993, Sean's character was involved in tough storylines focused on homelessness and drug abuse which culminated in a near suicide attempt. While he was stopped from taking his own life by girlfriend Mandy, he blamed her for ruining his life and fled to Ireland. Sean became a pop star after leaving EastEnders, scoring eight top 30 hits including Good Day which peaked at number 12 in the UK. But while he has had a successful career both on and off the screen behind closed doors Sean is a proud dad of three with his former wife Tanya Flynn.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Glastonbury fans complain over Rizzle Kicks snub after Jordan Stephens' message
Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule, known as the duo Rizzle Kicks, performed on the Other Stage at Glastonbury today with Jade Thirlwall among those in the crowd Fans of duo Rizzle Kicks shared their disappointment with the BBC earlier over their set at Glastonbury Festival. The reaction came after bandmate Jordan Stephens had himself issued a message about filming at the festival. Jordan and his bandmate Harley Alexander-Sule, both 33, performed together as Rizzle Kicks on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset this afternoon. It marked the duo's return to the festival after making their Glastonbury debut on the BBC Introducing Stage back in 2013. Prior to their latest set, Jordan announced yesterday that the BBC, the "exclusive broadcast partner" of Glastonbury, would not be filming it. He shared the news in a statement issued to fans on Instagram ahead of their return today. Jordan wrote: "The BBC are not filming our Glastonbury set. If you're not there you will not be able to watch it back. It might well be once in a lifetime. Who knows." He added at the time: "The set is [fire emoji] and we're buzzin for it." His partner Jade Thirlwall, 32, later expressed disappointment over the situation. The Little Mix member, who is set to play the Woodsies Stage tomorrow, referenced the news on her Instagram Story whilst sharing her excitement over getting to see him perform at Glastonbury. Alongside a selfie, she wrote this afternoon: "What du mean I'm about to watch my bf at glasto when we were dreaming about it this time last year. Rizzle Kicks set isn't televised (booo) so get into it and get here to the other stage lol." Jade isn't alone in her disappointment, with a number of fans having expressed frustration over Rizzle Kicks' set not being available on BBC iPlayer. Several other acts who performed on the Other Stage today, like Franz Ferdinand and Gracie Abrams, were livestreamed. The livestream for that stage however began at 2.15pm, which was after Rizzle Kicks' set. One fan wrote on X: "Rizzle Kicks not being broadcast at Glastonbury is a travesty, especially compared to some of the s**t that they are showing." Another wrote: "@BBCiPlayer why can't I found Rizzle Kicks. I'm really disappointed." A third person, who had previously requested a livestream be available for the set, later posted: "Thanks guys missed Rizzle Kicks great job." Another said shortly after the duo's set began: "No Rizzle Kicks on iPlayer, sort it out lads." Approached for comment, a spokesperson for the BBC told the Mirror tonight that the broadcaster will be providing more than 90 hours of performances. They said: "The BBC, Glastonbury's exclusive broadcast partner, brings audiences a two-month celebration of the festival this June and July. "Our BBC iPlayer coverage provides over 90 hours of performances, with live streams of the five main stages, in addition to The Glastonbury Channel and over 90 sets to watch on demand throughout July. There is also extensive coverage on TV, radio and BBC Sounds - including over 30 performances and DJ sets that will be available to hear on demand on BBC Sounds throughout July."
