Proudly Said

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Nana Funk is a cabaret queen, burlesque bombshell, and musical mischief-maker; and she’s made it her mission to challenge ageism, celebrate bodies of all kinds, and bring joy wherever she goes. Nana joins John for a funny, warm and wildly honest conversation about creativity, clowning, and carving out space on her own terms. They chat about how the character of Nana c...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Hannah Riley is a full-on powerhouse - working behind the scenes in TV by day, and lighting up stages and arenas as a presenter and host by night. Hannah joins John to chat about her journey through the world of media, learning the ropes in costume departments and production teams, and how she’s carving out a path in front of the camera, and on stage too. They talk ab...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? To welcome in the new year, John reflects on the last 6 months since starting Proudly Said, with 30 episodes posted, and plenty more scheduled. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast since we started, and we really appreciate all the likes, shares, reviews, and wider support. 🗣️ Why Listen? If you’re seeking genuine conversations tha...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Tracy Wilder, better known to the dancefloors as  DJ Silk Tray , is a Liverpool legend, who’s been spinning tunes, turning looks, and shaping queer nightlife in the city for over 30 years. Tracy joins John to reflect on her incredible journey, from the heyday of Garlands , to being behind the decks the night  Superstar Boudoir  first opened its doors, t...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Robyn Renée is an AFAB drag queen based in Liverpool, part party animal, part comedy performer, and full-time advocate for giving it a go (even if you’re terrified). Robyn joins John to talk about what it’s like stepping into drag as a woman, navigating a scene that has so many different kinds of queen, and how she’s found her rhythm through DJing, performing, and jus...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Mahito Thee Cosplayer is best known for their jaw-dropping horror looks and viral cosplay content - but behind the masks is a story just as powerful. Mahito joins John to share their journey as a queer, Black, Nigerian creative navigating identity across continents. From growing up between cultures, to living in the US during the Trump era, to arriving in the UK and u...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Noel Hughes is a third-year Veterinary Science student and the president of the University of Liverpool’s Queer Vet Society, proudly flying the flag for queer visibility in a field that’s not always known for it. Noel joins John to talk about what it’s like moving to a big city as a young queer person, navigating uni life, and finding community in unexpected places (l...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Niall O’Callaghan is a content creator, entertainer, and all-round online personality who’s made a name for himself by making people laugh, and making it look effortless. Niall joins John to talk about the real story behind the reels, from first nights out at Liverpool’s iconic  Superstar Boudoir , to building a following on TikTok and Instagram by simply being h...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Alabama Whirley is a fat-positive burlesque dancer, cabaret producer, and walking middle finger to society’s obsession with shrinking. Alabama joins John to talk about performing with power, living visibly in a body-conscious world, and challenging stigma, both on stage and off. They explore the language we use around bodies, how it shapes our confidence (or chips awa...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Natasha Von Spirit is a drag artist, DJ, comedian, and all-round scene staple, known for her quick wit, bold looks, and ability to keep it chaotic  and  caring. Natasha joins John to talk about her route into drag, training in technical theatre in Wales, and how performance became both a creative outlet and a form of survival. She speaks candidly about her e...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Precious is a Liverpool-based storyteller, creative, and the founder of  Koko Kollective : an Afro-inclusive community platform centring BIPOC and queer joy through art, conversation and celebration. Precious joins John to talk about living out loud, building spaces that feel like home, and the intention behind everything she creates, from content to community ev...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Keri Stanistreet is the founder of  Sapphic Socials  - a Liverpool-based group creating space for women and femme-identifying people to connect, laugh, and just be themselves. Keri joins John to talk about building community from the ground up, and why queer women need spaces that aren’t centred around nightlife, dating apps, or needing to explain yourself....

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Lianne Terry is a Liverpool-based psychotherapist, writer, and wellbeing advocate whose practice is rooted in empathy, honesty, and the power of personal growth. Lianne joins John to talk about her work as a counsellor, her own journey through healing, and what it really means to support others in finding happiness. They explore the impact of childhood wounds, the com...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Darren Suarez is the founder of House of Suarez and the force behind Liverpool’s annual Vogue Ball - an icon and trailblazer who’s been shaping queer dance culture in the North for over two decades. Darren joins John to reflect on growing up gay in 80s and 90s Liverpool, discovering the world of dance, and falling in love with the art of vogue. They trace the journey...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Athena Barbital is a Liverpool-based alternative drag queen with a look that could kill — and a voice that just might heal you first. Athena joins John to talk about their journey from PhD researcher to spiked-out, sci-fi drag siren, and how creating their own looks became a form of self-expression and survival. They chat about the origin of the name ‘Athena Barbital’...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Anthony Proctor is the General Manager of Liverpool’s iconic Epstein Theatre - and a lifelong lover of all things theatrical. Anthony joins John to talk about his journey from student, wanting to be a vet, to panto regular, to running one of the city’s most beloved stages. They chat about the magic (and madness) of live theatre, his time working on  Farmaggedon &...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Eddie Fortune is a Scouse comedian, writer, and actor with a gift for making people laugh... often about the things we’re not supposed to. Eddie joins John for a conversation that’s full of sharp wit (kind of), big heart (er...), and a healthy amount of camp chaos (absolutely). They talk about being gay in Liverpool, finding humour in dark places (usually Basement Sau...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Carmen Sutra is a Liverpool drag queen known for her fierce stage presence, sharp aesthetic, and love of bringing people together through performance. Carmen sits down with John to talk about the evolution of her drag - from picking a name that turns heads to building a persona that gives her life. They talk about how drag brings her joy, the freedom it offers, and th...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? TylerdaClaire is a non-binary Scouse content creator, fashion icon, and online disruptor - known for bold looks, louder opinions, and a fierce commitment to showing up exactly as they are. Tyler joins John to talk about carving out space in a digital world that doesn’t always know what to do with unapologetic queerness - especially when it’s coming from a Scouse accen...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Genevieve Renée is a Liverpool drag queen, community organiser, and certified fundraising powerhouse - known not just for turning looks, but for turning the city’s drag scene into a force for good. Genevieve sits down with John to talk about using drag to do more than entertain - from the chaos of  Snatch Game  and  Eurovision AllStars  to the cutt...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Iwan Steffan is a Welsh content creator and storyteller best known for his spine-tingling paranormal videos - mixing folklore, personal experience, and a healthy dose of dry humour. Iwan joins John to talk about his experience with social media, his interest in all things spooky, and growing up in Wales where the line between myth and memory was always a bit blurry. T...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Ripley is nothing short of a powerhouse in recent times within Liverpol's queer community. They are a founding member of the now well over subscribed Board Gaymes group, which is now expanding to have monthly groups over on the Wirral; and has recently launched Queer Agenda Merseyside. Queer Agenda acts as a directory of what's going on within Liverpool's queer commun...

🎙️  What’s This Episode About? John Bridson, aka TheButchQween, is part queer meme lord, part cultural critic, and 100% done with your tired binary takes. Talking social media, looking out from behind the curtain, as well as their own mental health challenges, John brings a real sense of authenticity to this episode of Proudly Said - highlighting where his humour comes from, and how he uses t...

🎙️ What’s This Episode About? Adam Brown is a Liverpool-born dancer, choreographer, and founder of Adam Brown Dance Company - known for turning movement into storytelling, and making dance accessible, powerful, and unapologetically personal. Adam joins John to talk about growing up as someone who always wanted to dance, and what it means to build his own dance company that reflects the world as he...

🎙️  What’s This Episode About? Raf Dias - aka @musicbyrafaela — is a queer creative who brings heart, humour and a whole lot of honesty to this week’s episode. We chat about queer love and ends… well, all over the place (in the best way). From navigating the world as a lesbian to challenging the straight-coded expectations still clinging to relationships, labels and language - this one’s abou...