Mad, Sad and Bad with Paloma Faith

Trixie Mattel is a drag queen who rose to fame in Season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and later won Season 3 of the All-Stars, but more importantly, she took my song, Bad Woman, and turned it into a banging gay anthem! Together we chat about heartbreak and the madness it can drive us to, but the solace of boredom and simple things. We laugh about how full glam can be embarrassing when parenting and al...

Jen Brister is someone who I admire not only for her fearless approach to comedy and life in general, but for her vocal stance on what’s happening in Palestine. She runs a non-profit to help families over there, All Our Relations and we met at a Palestine Solidarity event. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to have her on the pod... We chatted about the crossover with comedy, politics and questionin...

Jamie Laing is the first posh person I’ve ever liked - before I first met him, I was convinced we wouldn’t get on, but within about 10seconds of our first meet, I was a fan. We’ve since become great friends and he’s the reason I have this podcast in the first place, so it felt right to have him over.   Jamie is juggling A LOT: a multiple podcasts, a production company, Radio1 presenting, runn...

The price of living is rising and life is getting increasingly more difficult for many. Gary Stevenson was a trader who predicted and profited from the financial crash in 2008; suddenly he was richer than his wildest dreams, and the most depressed he’d ever been too. Quitting Citibank, he now devotes his time to educating millions via his YouTube channel and book, about the reality of why everythi...

TW: This episode contains discussion of suicide Romesh Ranganathan is known for his BAFTA Award winning show, Rob & Romesh, presenting across TV and radio and his hallmark cynical comedy - but really, what shines through is his generosity, openness and vulnerability, particularly around the subject of mental health.  We talk about how hard it is to tell when someone’s really struggling wi...

Amy Jackson is Bollywood royalty - she's also a Scouser, so when she said she'd pop by, jut a few weeks after giving birth to her second child, I was delighted! Anyone who's ever had a baby knows the utter madness and hormonal chaos in the weeks following the birth; however Amy turned up looking like a movie star - apparently it just takes a blow-dry and some Spanx! We chatted about bullies who sa...

People always tell me that Jordan Stephens is the kind of man we need more of in the world—and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. You might know Jordan as one half of the iconic hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, but he’s since grown into a powerful voice across multiple platforms. He’s a podcaster, actor, and now a  Sunday Times  bestselling author with his raw and brilliant memoir  Avoidance...

I have always admired Munroe Bergdorf and love putting the world to rights with her when everything feels like it’s going up in flames around us. I wish there were more people like her in the world! Munroe opens up about the dangers of apathy, how she’s staying hopeful, the impact that current world politics are having on the trans community and the importance of both speaking up AND speaking out....

People have always likened me to Ruby Wax - I suppose because she says it like it is and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. For those exact reasons I couldn’t wait to have her over, and let her loose in my house… Ruby is a world-class interviewer, from smashing up a hotel room with Jim Carey, being attacked with a banana by OJ Simpson, to getting kicked off Donald Trump’s private jet - she’s done it...

Vogue Williams is a queen of podcasts; she's a mother with a great sense of humour and is incredibly beautiful. She's also recently released her first book - honestly, the comparisons between us are too numerous to mention. Vogue opened up about her fear of death and how losing her dad sent her into a spiral of being wild and reckless. She shared the story of the worst thing she's ever done - it i...

Samuel L Jackson is one of the most well-regarded and iconic actors of his generation. From catching the attention of Hollywood in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever to playing Nick Fury in the the Marvel franchise and of course his continued career collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, Sam has become one of the most loved actors in Hollywood, and a friend no one ever believes I have! Sam very kin...

I absolutely love making this podcast so I thought I'd make another season... Join me round mine every Tuesday for some truly amazing guests - they'll be chatting to me all about being mad, sad and bad - oh and glad! COMING TUESDAY 3RD JUNE 2025 #PALOMAFAITH #MADSADBAD — Find us on: Instagram  /  TikTok  /  YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we come to the end of the first series of Mad, Sad & Bad, I've been lucky enough to chat to some amazing people - from discussing madness with Mel B, to chatting about great sadnesses for Elizabeth Day and laughing with Eve about being naughty and - I think - a bit of a badass, I feel like I've learnt a lot, so thought it would be nice to sit down and reflect on all these fantastic conversa...

AJ Tracey is rapper and producer notably from Ladbroke Grove; he's also an incredible voice for younger generations and social justice so obviously, I couldn't wait to have him over to chat...   AJ and I discuss being cheeky kids, how having ADHD would get us into trouble and how our mums have supported our careers - from giving us an example what it is to work hard, to buying our music and t...

Aisling Bea is a comedian, actress, and the BATFA winning writer of This Way Up; she's witty, honest, and extremely talented, so of course, I was very excited to have her pop by for a chat... Aisling and I discuss identity post-motherhood, Catholic guilt and the wild politics of leaving a WhatsApp group. Aisling also shares the story of the unlikely friendship she struck up with a neighbour during...

TW: This episode contains discussion of pregnancy loss. Not only is Katherine Ryan an esteemed comedian, actress, writer, podcaster, and one of the most glamorous women on television, she’s a fiercely outspoken powerhouse of a woman. In this conversation we discuss motherhood, raising girls to have high standards, and how there’s no such thing as being too confident. Katherine also opens up about...

Afua Hirsch is an activist, writer, broadcaster, and an incredible storyteller who exudes inspiration. Her ability to express herself with diplomacy while never compromising on her convictions is seriously impressive, so I was thrilled to invite her round for a chat! In this conversation, Afua opens up about making sense of her dual-heritage identity, and how challenging western beauty standards h...

Rupert Everett has had an expansive career, from Prince Charming in Shrek, to Oscar Wilde in The Happy Prince; more recently the fabulous Giorgio in Emily in Paris, and less recently, my old Headmistress at St Trinian’s. In this conversation, Rupert reminisces about his early years, from his melancholic birth, to his magical experiences of the gay London party scene in the 1970s. Rupert also share...

Not only is Eve a multi-talented actress, singer, rapper and songwriter, she’s also a trailblazing entrepreneur and a gorgeous Mum. I’ve been a fan of Eve since the Ruff Ryders days, and even begged my Mum to let me get Eve’s iconic paw-print tattoo, so it was a bit of a pinch me moment having her in my home... In this conversation, Eve shares childhood memories of being a class-clown who thrived...

Paapa Essiedu is not only an incredible actor, lighting up our screens and London’s stages, he’s also a great friend and probably the most emotionally intelligent man I know. In this conversation, Paapa opens up about losing both his parents by the age of 20, and what it taught him about love, grief, and how sadness creates the imperfections of our character which allow us to be authentic and uniq...

TW: This episode contains discussion of assault Elizabeth Day is the person who first introduced me to podcasts, and if it weren’t for her this podcast probably wouldn’t exist, so it was an absolute dream to invite her round to mine for a chat! In this conversation, we discuss the sexist double standards that make Elizabeth mad, and I was thrilled to discover that beneath Elizabeth’s effortlessly...

From speaking to opinionated callers on his radio show, to taking down Nigel Farage live on air, James O’Brien has dealt with his fair share of mad, sad and bad. Me and my Mum are also huge fans of his, so I was super excited to invite him over for a chat. In this episode, we delve deep into James’ early life; from being born to a young single mother and his subsequent adoption, to his experiences...

Whether it’s calling out ridiculous (and frankly dangerous) beauty standards or holding people to account on social media, Jameela Jamil is a force to be reckoned with. She’s also an old friend who I could chat to forever, so  of course  she had to come join me on the pod! From the lessons she’s learnt from one of the saddest years of her life, to the madness of what we’re sold as accept...

Mel B is an icon - she was always my favourite Spice Girl because I felt similar to her in some ways, so I was over the moon to invite her over to my house to chat... Mel's energy and zest for life exudes off her but there was a time in her life, in an abusive relationship, where she was a shadow of her former strong and powerful self. However, beyond that sadness, we talk about the madness of Spi...

Alan Carr has been a great friend of mine for years so I was delighted when he said he'd be my first ever guest on Mad, Sad and Bad! Anyone who's ever seen or met Alan will know he has a magnetic presence and is a true entertainer. He's one of the funniest people I know, but I was excited to speak to him and go beyond the funny man and delve into a more serious side of Alan... We speak about the g...