The HelenaSips Podcast

Tom Gilbey has spent over 30 years in the wine trade, but you’ll probably know him best as that guy on social media who is brutally and hilariously honest about every wine he tastes, rating them CLASS, PASS or absolute ARSE. He’s tasted a different bottle at every mile of the London Marathon, demonstrated wine temperature by sitting in an ice bath at 3 degrees, he has a book, a new wine club and i...

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is an interior designer turned TV icon who’s now reclaiming his roots as a fine artist. Classically trained at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, he spent years adorning everything from oligarchs’ boudoirs to West End theatre ceilings before the cameras showed up. He then spent the best part of a decade transforming other people’s living rooms on national television with...

Michael Perry, also known as Mr Plant Geek, has spent his career making the plant world genuinely exciting thanks to his infectious enthusiasm for the subject. He is an author, a TV presenter, podcaster, content creator and self-described hortpreneur who spent many years at Thompson & Morgan introducing hundreds of new plants into the UK before going freelance. He has been named in the Sunday Time...

I was absolutely delighted to have the chance to meet Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill recently AND taste the very first bottle of her brand new ‘mid’ wine, Seven Summers. Jess Ennis-Hill is one of Britain’s most iconic athletes. She captured the nation’s heart at the London 2012 Olympics as our gold medal-winning, heptathlon champion before returning after motherhood to win gold at the world championships...

In this episode, I speak to Sarah McCartney, a self-taught, British artisan perfumer and founder of cult perfume house 4160 Tuesdays. Sarah is known for creating scents inspired by memories, places and everyday pleasures, from marmalade on toast and tea and biscuits to seaside holidays. After 14 years working as head writer for Lush Cosmetics’s magazine, during which time she devoured over 200 boo...

This episode is a little different in format, as I managed to grab some time with Sam Neill while on a recent wine press trip to New Zealand before I knew The HelenaSips Podcast would exist! In this intimate chat, we hear about Sam’s philosophy on wine and the character of each of the Central Otago subregions where he grows his grapes for Two Paddocks. We hear what he drinks when it’s not Pinot, g...

In episode 4 of The HelenaSips Podcast, Helena meets Alex Watson, co-founder of Renais Gin with his actor sister, Emma Watson. This is a conversation about creating a unique spirit made from ‘upcycled’ Chablis grapes that looks as good as it tastes. We hear about what growing up in France has taught him about the French concept of the Art of Living and what makes for a good life. Along the way we...

Welcome to the HelenaSips podcast! I am your host: Helena Nicklin, a drinks and lifestyle writer and broadcaster with a love of all things sensory. This podcast is all about intimate conversations with creative people I admire to find out what makes them tick, their rituals for joy and their favourite sensory memories. I also want to know what they like to eat and drink, how they host what they do...

In this episode, I meet celebrated author Joanne Harris. Joanne is known globally as a master storyteller, yet her artistry doesn't stop at the page. Whether performing with her storytime band, advocating for creativity and fair play in the arts and now dabbling in perfumery, Joanne brings an extraordinary sensory quality and richness to everything she touches. I this conversation, we hear about h...

In this episode, Helena Nicklin talks to Vassos Alexander, a much-loved broadcaster and endurance athlete, about his journey from an ordinary, self-described “regular bloke” to someone who thrives on pushing the limits of human capability. The conversation explores how running, swimming and extreme physical challenges have reshaped his relationship with his body, alcohol and daily rituals, replaci...

In this episode, Helena Nicklin chats to Cath Kidston, a much-loved creative founder based in the UK. Known for her eponymous, global lifestyle brand, we discuss her new venture, C. Atherley, which was inspired by nature and scented geraniums. Hear about her journey from the early 90s vintage market to building a brand rooted in nostalgia and everyday pleasure as well as her transition from homewa...