 |
Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-BextorHello Im Sophie Ellis-Bextor and this is my new series Spinning Plates where I speak to busy working women, who also happen to be mothers, about how they make it work. I am a singer and have released 7 albums in-between having my 5 sons who are aged b... Author: Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Hello Im Sophie Ellis-Bextor and this is my new series Spinning Plates where I speak to busy working women, who also happen to be mothers, about how they make it work. I am a singer and have released 7 albums in-between having my 5 sons who are aged between 1 and 16 so I spin a few plates myself. Being a mother can be the most amazing thing.. but it can also be hard to find time for yourself and your own ambitions. I want to be a bit nosy and see how other people balance everything. Join me while I speak to a host of interesting and inspirational women whove really made me think - and laugh, and sometimes cry. Welcome to Spinning Plates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Kids & Family, Parenting Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
Listen Now...
Episode 171: Rachel Reeves
Episode 171
Sunday, 11 January, 2026
Welcome to a new series of Spinning Plates! My podcast where I speak to working women who happen to be mothers. We are up to episode 171 now, and fast approaching 6 years since I started the podcast with Fearne Cotton in 2020. My first guest of the new series is Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer. She has made history as the first woman in 800 years to hold that title. I spoke to her in December, just after the budget, and she explained the long process that leads up to a budget, and the immediate aftermath. I must confess I was initially hesitant about taking up the invitation from Downing Street’s press office about having Rachel on the podcast. She has had a lot of public scrutiny and I know from experience that when I’ve had political guests, the comments can get fiery. That being said, I was too curious and intrigued to know what it feels like to be in that role.. the public gaze, the Westminster culture, the power of holding the UK purse strings and the reality of raising a young family alongside it all. We’re pretty much the same age and we discussed how there were only 19 women in parliament out of 650 when we were born, compared to now when there are about 250 female MPs. I know Rachel cares about encouraging women into politics and shared her belief that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’. She hopes that young girls will feel a job at the top of politics is possible after seeing her as chancellor.We spoke about what a shock it was for her children, now aged 10 and 12, to have to move house two weeks after the election, how their home life in No 11 Downing Street differs from ‘normal’ families, and how Rachel and her husband try to shield them from the news, tuning into Capital Radio rather than the Today programme when they're all together at breakfast time. I found our chat fascinating and I appreciate how open Rachel was, letting us get a little insight into how she navigates the pressures of work and power and motherhood.Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
