Origins With Cush Jumbo

Looking for love or navigating the modern dating world? We've got just the thing! How to Date is your ultimate guide to the highs, lows, and everything in between of modern romance. Hosted by broadcaster and author Elizabeth Day and relationship expert Mel Schilling, this podcast masterclass dives deep into the complexities of finding connection in today’s world. Whether you're decoding dating app...

The final episode of Season 1 has landed, and who better to wrap up with, than the lead singer of Bloc Party?! Kele Okereke has led a fascinating life: his parents are Nigerian immigrants, and he only came out to them aged 26. Bloc Party played at Glastonbury last year, though Kele's life has changed massively since the band's early success of the noughties. His origin stories are about his heady...

Cush is joined by the author of the groundbreaking Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin. Armistead reminisces about the night before his first book was published, where Rock Hudson 'knocked his socks off', what it was like living in San Franscico in the 70s, and coming out in 1971. Amistead shares his secret to long lasting marriage: the importance of always going to bed with an 'I love you'...

Cush sits down with a singer and songwriter who's sold more than 11 million albums and won over 56 platinum awards. Cush sits down to discuss Katie Melua’s origin stories and what it was like reaching the top of the UK album charts aged just 19. In this episode, Katie talks about growing up in Soviet Union Georgia, often living without electricity, her move to Belfast when she was younger and then...

Cush is joined by the fourth most-followed man on TikTok, and global music sensation Jason Derulo. You might know him as the Wiggle, Talk Dirty, and Watcha Say singer, alongside collaborations with icons like Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Megan Trainor, and Jennifer Lopez. In this episode, Jason talks about his Haitian Creole roots and shares how he started out as the family's designated 'happy birthda...

Today's guest is a pro in the entertainment business: he's a boxer, has made a huge amount of money on YouTube, and is a musician, having recently released two new singles, Thick of It and Low. His origin story starts early at a private school in the UK, where he was one of two black students, flunked his exams but quickly started making his millions on YouTube, initially to the horror of his pare...

You'll know Himesh Patel as Jack Malik in Danny Boyle’s hit film Yesterday, or perhaps as the beloved Tamwar Masood in Eastenders. Himesh Patel talks to Cush about growing up in a tiny village in Cambridgeshire. He was part of the only Indian family in a predominantly white town, passionate about Bollywood cinema, Star Wars and Lord  of the Rings, and who worked as a paper boy until he was 21. Cus...

Cush chats with Lashana Lynch about her journey from West London to Hollywood. Lashana opens up about her childhood battle with eczema, the unconventional diet it led to, and personal moments like getting her first period,  WWE sessions with her brothers and loosing her nan when she was a teenager. Plus she discusses her role in the upcoming Sky/Peacock drama The Day of the Jackal, where she stars...

Cush and Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas' paths have been entwined since they were 16 years old, as they went to school together at BRIT. Ashley went on to play Cush's brother in The Good Fight, is a talented musician and He talks about the tea parties his mum put on for him when he was a kid, juggling MC-ing at raves with school when he was a teenager, and on finding his agent. A Sony Music Entertainment p...

Kate Nash rose to stardom with her smash hit Foundations and scene-stealing role in Glow... but there’s so much more to this artist than meets the eye. Cush dives into the challenges behind her success: her journey with OCD, a Catholic upbringing that shaped her, and her near death experience that needed a bit of "tinkering under the hood" to fix her dodgy ticker. A Sony Music Entertainment produc...

This episode welcomes Dr Who himself (the 12th one) to talk about his formative memories and life experiences growing up. Cush and Peter Capaldi co-star in the hit crime drama, Criminal Record, so this is a great opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at their off-screen relationship. Peter talks about how his life would look very different if he hadn't been available to audition for The Thi...

You'll know Archie Madekwe from hit films Saltburn, Gran Turismo and Midsommar... What you might not know about this talented young actor, is his story of drama school, and what he was made to go through and survive to get to where he is now. For the first time, Archie talks about his experience at LAMDA (The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) and the racist abuse he suffered at the hands o...

From adoption to Ru Paul’s drag race, via more than a few New York clubs, Michelle Visage has made herself a global queer icon. But Cush gets to know the woman behind the ‘Visage’ (a name she gave herself while voguing and party hopping in 80s NYC). Michelle really opens-up about her difficult childhood, beginning with adoption into a New Jersey family, an unusual relationship with her mother, sha...

His name is a brand that's a household name: Michael Kors, the global fashion phenomenon, joins Cush in New York for this episode of Origins. He talks to Cush about his upbringing in Long Island New York, surrounded by women, as an only child where his birthdays were celebrated like a national holiday. He speaks about his start in Paris the same season that Marc Jacobs started at Louis Vitton, and...

Star of The Good Wife, and Cush's on-screen best friend, award-winning actress Julianna Margulies joins Cush to talk about her upbringing. Cush and Julianna reflect on their time filming The Good Wife, and Cush's nerve-wracking first day - where she was told by the director 'it will get better'. Julianna gives unique insight into her challenging, chaotic childhood, about falling in love as a teena...

Harlan Coben has sold over 80 million books, and 12 of his novels have been adapted for film and TV. How on earth does someone gain such success? Cush talks to Harlan about his childhood - growing up in 'Soprano's land' (aka Livingston, New Jersey) in the shadow of gangsters and a nuclear missile base; his real life love story of meeting his wife as a sophomore; and finally the death of his parent...

David Schwimmer is an icon - a master of comedy, who we all feel we know insideout as Ross Geller. He appeared in 236 episodes of Friends, runs his own theatre company (for the last 36 years!), is a dad and also a great friend of Cush's. In this episode David talks about growing up, a Jewish boy in LA with a mum who people called The Pitbull, the jobs he did before Friends including being a roller...

If you look up Poppy Delevingne, she’s listed on the internet as being the ‘sister of Cara Delevingne’ and a ‘socialite’. In her conversation with Cush, Poppy explains why she finds this demeaning and belittling. Poppy is a successful actress and model (a former foot model which Cush goes into in great detail). She and Cush have been friends for years, and have more in common than you might think....

Golda Rosheuvel graces the screen as Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton. Golda's journey began in Guyana, South America, where, as a young child, she and her parents were forced to relocate to the UK during a harsh winter. Before rising to fame, Golda pursued a career as an athlete, excelling in various sports like athletics and swimming, and even training for the Olympic decathlon. However a sudden in...

Dame Anna Wintour is the biggest name in fashion. As Global Editorial Director of Vogue, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Chair of the Met Gala, she is an inspirational titan of the industry. Anna came from exalted beginnings, yet she went on to supersede all expectations. In this conversation with Cush, she describes herself as being ‘bad at everything’ when she was younger – and she was f...

The biggest names in entertainment tell actress Cush Jumbo the stories that made them who they are today.  The most influential figures in entertainment open up to Cush, sharing the pivotal moments that have shaped their lives.  Celebrity guests narrate their life story, revealing the experiences that have defined them - from the innocence of childhood, the drama of adolescence, to the challenges...