Once Upon a Time is a weekly interview podcast where celebrated guests reveal their life stories through the stories that shaped them — in all their forms. Each episode, hosts Scott Brown, Jamie Love, and David Ames sit down with a fascinating guest and ask them to share three stories that changed their life.
New episodes every Wednesday.
Produced by Bermondsey Studios.
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Actor, writer and former Butlin’s Redcoat Sue Vincent joins us this week. Sue co-writes and stars in The Madame Blanc Mysteries with Sally Lindsay. She talks about finding her tribe among the Bluecoats at Pontins, getting thrown out of tap class at six and how a read-in for Pauline Collins turned into Mount Pleasant and eventually Madame Blanc.
Her three book picks are The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics, edited by Alan Aldridge, Let Them by Mel Robbins, and Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
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14 Oct 2026
Juno Dawson
This week the show heads to Brighton with author, journalist and screenwriter Juno Dawson. Juno talks about going from a Bradford childhood to the classroom to bestseller lists, almost making it onto Big Brother 4, and auditioning for Pop Idol even though she can’t sing.
Her three book picks are Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, the book that persuaded her to move to Brighton, Michelle Paver’s chilling ghost story Dark Matter, and Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman, which inspired her to start writing. She also tells the story behind Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
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7 Oct 2026
Fat Tony
Content warning: this episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse & addiction
Season Two opens with a bumper episode. Gok Wan joins Scott as guest co-host, and they're talking to DJ Fat Tony. This week we swap books for music. Tony picks three tracks from the recovery playlist in his new book, Recover Me: No More Drama by Mary J. Blige, Together Again by Janet Jackson, and Believe by Soldiers of Twilight.
Tony is honest about the abuse, the addiction and the people he lost to the AIDS crisis. He also shares wild stories, from blagging his way onto the decks at the Lyceum to partying with Andy Warhol in New York. He explains why music is the one thing that has never let him down. It's raw and funny, and Tony calls it one of his favourite podcasts ever.
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30 Sept 2026
Season 1 Rewind
David and Scott look back at Season One of Once Upon a Time. They revisit six standout book picks from our guests, including Juno Dawson's Yesteryear, Sally Lindsay's A Taste of Honey, Matt Cardle's Perfume and Gok Wan's Prick Up Your Ears. They also share Season One highlights, a bit of bickering, and their dream guests for the future.
Season Two is coming. Follow us here:
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5 Aug 2026
Episode 15 - Summer Reads
Something a bit different this week... our summer reads special before we take a break. We're joined by bestselling author Juno Dawson and Waterstones Brighton bookseller and podcaster Phil Adele, and asked everyone to recommend their summer reads for August.
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22 Jul 2026
Episode 14 - Erim
Erim Kaur — founder of haircare brand ByErim and influencer — joins Jamie & Scott to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning grief and grace, the hard work of confronting yourself, and the search for a cultural home you weren't quite handed.
Her choices: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry's What Happened to You?, and Thoughts to Heal. Together they trace a journey from a nine-year-old reading about a motherless princess who "remains regal, humble, respectful" through hardship, to the science of staying "regulated".
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8 Jul 2026
Episode 12 - Elise Dumontet
International photographer and creative director Elise Dumontet — self-taught and the woman behind the launch issue of Indian Vogue — joins Scott & Jamie for something a little different: a conversation about storytelling through images.
From being fifth assistant to Patrick Demarchelier to shooting her own Vogue pages alongside his cover, Elise traces a career built on looking — at Nick Knight's quiet reinventions, Annie Leibovitz's single-frame films, and Tim Walker's burning castles — and then turning the lens on the bodies the industry usually retouches away.
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1 Jul 2026
Episode 11 - Sally Lindsay
Actress, writer and producer Sally Lindsay MBE — star of Coronation Street and creator of The Madame Blanc Mysteries— sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning a grandad's bookshelf, a working-class childhood in the 1980s, and the 18-year-old from Salford who changed British theatre forever.
Her choices: Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾, and Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey. Together they trace a journey from a terraced house in Gorton to the bar of the Rovers Return to the stage of the Royal Exchange.
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24 Jun 2026
Episode 10 - José Pizarro
Chef, restaurateur and the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK, Jose Pizarro — the man behind Jose, Pizarro, Lolo and the Royal Academy's dining room — sits down with Once Upon a Time to share the three stories that shaped who he became, spanning ambition, quiet persistence, and the belief that food is how you tell people who you are.
His choices: Marco Pierre White's The Devil in the Kitchen, Ildefonso Falcones Cathedral of the Sea, and Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food. Together they trace a journey from a farm in Extremadura to Bermondsey Street — via kitchens that nearly broke him.
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17 Jun 2026
Episode 9 - Matt Cardle
Singer-songwriter and West End actor Matt Cardle — winner of The X Factor in 2010, Whatonstage Award winner for his debut role in Memphis, and a man who was tricked into his first audition by his girlfriend — joins Scott and David to share the three stories that shaped who he became.
His choices: George Orwell's 1984, Patrick Süskind's Perfume, and Steve Coogan's I, Partridge. Together they trace a journey from building bunkers in the Essex woods to winning in front of 20 million people, through rock bottom and out the other side — with Alan Partridge on audiobook the whole way.
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10 Jun 2026
Episode 8 - Harriet Thorpe
Actress Harriet Thorpe - star of The Brittas Empire, Absolutely Fabulous, Wicked and EastEnders - sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning the power of being read to, the courage to tell stories that matter, and the book that taught a dyslexic girl she could love reading after all.
Her choices: Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes, her mother Gillian Freeman's groundbreaking 1960s novel The Leather Boys, and Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White. Together they trace a life that runs from garden shows in North London to Beverly Hills backlots to the Queen Vic.
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3 Jun 2026
Episode 7 - Stephen Bailey
Comedian and actor Stephen Bailey — star of Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie To You?, and Russell T Davies's upcoming Tip Toe — sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who he became, discussing the hustle, mindset and what happens when nobody steps in to help.
His choices: Chelsea Handler's Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, and Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing. Together they trace a journey from a council estate in Manchester to Live at the Apollo.
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27 May 2026
Episode 6 - Naoko Mori
Actress Naoko Mori — star of Torchwood and Absolutely Fabulous, who landed the lead in Miss Saigon as a teenager before she'd even been to drama school — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning cultural identity, the joy of being lost in a story, and the quiet wisdom that stays with you long after the last page.
Her choices: Haruki Murakami, David Sedaris's Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and the poetry of Mitsuo Aida. Together they trace a life lived across three languages and three cultures — from Tokyo to New Jersey to London.
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20 May 2026
Episode 5 - Lee Peart
Comedian, presenter and warm-up extraordinaire Lee Peart — co-host of Bottoms Up! with Alan Carr and support act on Judi Love's UK tour — sits down with Jamie & David to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning early validation, the thrill of being pulled into a story, and the discovery of his own comedic voice.
His choices: Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and David Sedaris's Me Talk Pretty One Day.
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13 May 2026
Episode 4 - Gok Wan
Fashion stylist, broadcaster and national treasure Gok Wan — the man who taught a generation to love what they see in the mirror — joins Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became, spanning identity, belonging and the power of how we present ourselves to the world.
His Choices: Prick Up Your Ears by John Lahr, Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey, Bedtime Stories by Viktor & Rolf (Autumn/Winter 2005)
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6 May 2026
Episode 3 - Bunny Galore
Drag performer, horror host, and self-confessed sci-fi obsessive Bunny Galore — known for Movie Nightmares on Miami Fox Streaming and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist with Dame Nation — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning time travel, gothic horror, and falling down a very famous rabbit hole.
His choices: Terrance Dicks' Doctor Who: Robot, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.
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29 Apr 2026
Episode 2 - Kelli-Leigh
Singer, songwriter, and vocalist Kelli-Leigh — the voice behind over a billion streams, two Grammy nominations, and debut album Legacy — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who she became.
Her choices: Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Pam Grout's Thank and Grow Rich, and Jenna Zoe's Human Design. Together they trace a journey from a working-class childhood in South London to the uncredited vocals on some of dance music's biggest records — and the fight to step into the spotlight on her own terms.
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22 Apr 2026
Episode 1 - David Ames
Actor David Ames — known for Holby City, Hollyoaks & Changing Ends — is the very first guest on Once Upon a Time. David sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning ancient mythology, parallel universes, and a play he read at university before he was ready to understand what it really meant.
His choices: Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, and Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Together they trace a journey from his rural childhood in Hampshire to one of the BBC's flagship dramas — and the personal journey that rang quietly beside it.
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