It’s National Jilly Cooper Day™️ at the newsagents!
Where you’ll find Bazaar’s new issue, for which I had the treat of my life going behind the scenes of a new all-star telly adaptation of the maestro’s no.1 bonkbuster Rivals, meeting the cast and international heroine of what was known at school as ‘life, lads and laffs’, Dame Jilly. The show is out on Disney+ on the 18th October (my birthday but a gift to us all).
Proud to have brought ‘sex, strife and stilettos’ to the cover of Bazaar (pic 3) – grateful to my editors for broadening the cover line and general permitted-vocab brief @lydiasmag@hels_lee :)
Pour a lunchtime krug, have a read, then pick up today’s Saturday Times magazine to read co-fan Caitlin Moran’s fabulous story, too.
This one’s for you, Gran 👠
Bye to the October edition of Bazaar @bazaaruk 🍂 For the cover of which I loved interviewing one of my favourite actresses, Saoirse Ronan. Elsewhere, we’ve got something for almost everyone: Doja Cat, Paul Mescal, Marina Abramović being typically fantastic, Camille Cottin of Call My Agent, Rose Uniacke’s secrets to a serene home, Lily James talking about taking on Kristin Scott Thomas in the West End, and Twiggy the musical. Also Sylvia Plath’s relationship with her mum, plus… Joss Stone is back
Celebrated International Women’s Day by putting on a pink suit and interviewing Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn – whose election campaign was backed by Zadie Smith and Emma Thompson, and who spent six years fighting for her constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release from prison in Iran.
We chatted about being a woman in Westminster, delaying her son’s birth by C-section in order to vote against Brexit and the magnificent moment Tulip witnessed Nazanin – generally a gentle, smiling person – verbally spring at Boris Johnson in no.10 for the delay his factually wrong comments caused her release.
Also on stage was Margaret Atwood’s amazing protegée and the author of The Power @naomi_alderman talking to @franceshedges , and @aimeelouwood , star of Sex Education and currently appearing every night in Cabaret, in conversation with @hels_lee .
Thanks to @tulipsiddiq , @theconnaught , @cledepeaubeaute and @veuveclicquot for assisting @bazaaruk ring in #IWD2023 !
What a treat interviewing Little Simz for the December issue of Bazaar. Thank you @littlesimz for the generous conversation and @hels_lee for the commission! @bazaaruk
V is for Veronica, a top-tier mum who provided a glorious reason this summer to all go to Puglia and also have an evening attended by a vicar, a Valencian, Vino rosato, a Victorian, VIP, virus and Victor Ladorum 🇮🇹
Thank you so much to everyone who helped put together the February issue report on Bazaar’s Women of the Year awards — especially to Brooke @brooke__theis and MC @mcchappet for their epic speed-interviewing skills, my wonderful editors and the evening’s hosts @lydiasmag and @hels_lee , and Oliver @oliverholms and @rachellouisebrown1 for the sensational pictures (and what an honour to be summoned to take a turn as a quite poor emergency props practice model before things kicked off).
Thanks, too, to our artist of the year Lubaina @lubainapics for being such a sparkling neighbour and interviewee, to Elizabeth @elizabday for being the BEST possible sight for tired eyes after clocking off, and to Tracey Emin and Joan Collins for providing the funnest and finest example of inter-generational friendship of all time 🪐
Briiides of 2021! One of the best parts of another weird year: some of my oldest and most favourite friends getting hitched to their magnificent other halves
