Welcome to Sharp Talk, the regular podcast of E-Sharp Magazine. Go to e-sharp.E.sharp.E.U for free access to all our

podcast to date. This is Paul Adamson, and I'm in conversation with Michelle Thew. Michelle Thew is the chief

executive of Cruelty-free international. There's lots

to talk about Michelle, but I want to make sure that our listeners know exactly who you are, as the

campaign that you've become now throughout your career. You've been campaigning on many different

issues for quite some time, I may say so, but what made you switch your attention to animal welfare

and in particular laboratory testing

animals for cosmetics?

You're right in that I've always been a campaigner in a sense.

So I started campaigning around the issue of children and families, particularly families

with disabilities.

And then I just have always had a passion for animal protection.

So I think it's the kind of issue that comes at you when you're small.

So as a child, I was very committed to campaigning on these issues,

when vegetarian when I was very young,

and I've always had a passion for it.

And I decided that I would turn that passion into my full-time profession, if you like.

So around 20 years ago I transitioned to cross into campaigning full-time on

animal protection and particularly wanted to focus on the issue of animals in

laboratories because I think that's a hidden issue I think it's not something

that a lot of people are very aware of. Animals themselves

are hidden from public view in laboratories. The suffering that they endure is lifelong,

...