Embracing Differences and Finding Power in Visibility with Nikki Lilly

On The Mend

High Performance

Healing, Resilience, Education, Relapse, Growth, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Redemption, Trauma, Vulnerability, Alcoholism, Mentalhealth, Hope, Addiction, Mental Health, Menshealth, Recovery, Identity, Sobriety, Personal Journals

4.9 • 566 Ratings

🗓️ 31 July 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Matt chats to the BAFTA Award-winning YouTube star, and campaigner, Nikki Lilly.

At the age of six, Nikki was diagnosed with a high flow craniofacial AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation). A rare condition which causes life-threatening nose bleeds and extreme swelling. Since then, Nikki’s had almost one hundred medical procedures, as well as therapy, to help process the trauma and pain.

When Nikki started vlogging two years later, she was spending a lot of time at home. She often felt disconnected from the world, from her peers, and she was looking for something to do. But her YouTube channel had an unexpected impact – helping her reach millions of people, while covering a range of topics, from online bullying, to chronic illness, mental health, and make-up (a big passion).

Nikki was only 19 at the time of recording this conversation but she has wisdom and strength beyond her years. And she’s determined to make a positive difference by sharing her story and films.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Want to know who's coming up next? Hit follow wherever you get your podcast and you'll be the first to find out.
0:09.0	Hello everybody and welcome to On the Mend. I am Matt Willis. Right, the first season of this podcast, Sean a light on addiction and recovery with my guests sharing their expertise, experiences and hard-earned wisdom.
0:21.8	This time round, I'm opening up the conversation to include broader stories of resilience
0:26.9	because we become kinder and wiser when we listen and hear perspectives that aren't necessarily
0:32.8	our own. This week's guest is Nikki Lilly. She is a star of social media. You probably know her from
0:39.2	YouTube and TikTok and whatever. She's a campaigner, an author, an award-winning TV presenter.
0:44.6	She first picked up the camera when she was eight years old. A decade later, Nikki now speaks
0:49.0	to millions on her YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, sharing her passions and her experience
0:53.5	of having a visible facial
0:54.7	difference. In the UK, nearly one in five people identify as having a visible difference.
1:00.0	You put one guess it that high, given the lack of representation in all forms of media.
1:04.0	But clearly, we need better representation. And a 2023 report for the charity changing faces
1:10.0	found an increase in people experiencing hostile
1:12.0	behaviours because of how they look.
1:14.4	Let's meet Nikki and find out more.
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