Episode 155: Jill Halfpenny
Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Kat Rulach
4.8 • 527 Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2025
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jill Halfpenny has been an actor since the age of 10, first coming to our screens in Byker Grove in 1989, and most recently appearing in the Channel 5 drama The Feud. She has also appeared in Coronation Street, Eastenders, numerous TV dramas, on the West End stage and in Strictly Come Dancing.
We shared our thoughts on dealing with downtime as performers, which has its challenges even in a busy career.
Jill has a son Harvey who is nearly 17, and they clearly have a close relationship, based on honesty and openness, including during difficult times such as when her partner Matt died suddenly 8 years ago, in circumtances similar to how she lost her Dad aged 4. Sadly they both had unexpected heart attacks. Jill has recently written a beautiful memoir 'A Life Reimagined', which touches on both these deaths.
Finally, I tried out Jill's Agony Aunt skills as she has a podcast 'Dear Jill' where she answers listeners' questions, from her Newcastle studio. I can now tell you that I am either on the right tracks as a mum or Jill was being extremely kind to me!
Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Sophia Lysbexter and welcome to Spinning Plates, the podcast where I speak to |
| 0:09.6 | to busy working women who also happen to be mothers about how they make it work. |
| 0:14.4 | I'm a singer and I've released seven albums in between having my five sons aged 16 months to 16 years, |
| 0:20.4 | so I spin a few plates myself. |
| 0:21.6 | Being a mother can be the most amazing thing. It can also be hard to find time for yourself and your own ambitions. |
| 0:27.6 | I want to be a bit nosy and see how other people balance everything. |
| 0:31.6 | Welcome to spinning plates. |
| 0:35.6 | Greetings from the road, figuratively and literally, figuratively because I'm in Glasgow, on tour. |
| 0:43.3 | And yeah, we're about to do the third show of the run tonight. |
| 0:47.3 | First two went one in Dublin, literally because I'm on a road. |
| 0:53.3 | Walking back from, I walked all across a loto actually I went to |
| 0:58.4 | the east side today very near Barra Land and some vintage shops yes I know I always do that but it gives me |
| 1:06.4 | a good little like directive for a good walk so I'm walking for a good couple of hours actually and also I meet some nice people |
| 1:15.9 | hello to Kirsty from Ripper Up Vintage she wasn't in when I went to a shop |
| 1:20.5 | but her partner tells me she listens to the podcast so good stuff in there |
| 1:25.3 | Kirsty thank you and happy to be in Glasgow. I love Glasgow. |
| 1:31.3 | And there was no chance I wasn't going to go vintage shopping. |
| 1:34.3 | It's somewhere always find pieces. |
| 1:36.3 | So don't lecture me about it. It's okay. |
| 1:41.3 | I know. I know I have a problem. |
| 1:43.3 | But I've got some good things. Anyway, I'm feeling |
| 1:48.5 | pretty good. I just wanted to get a couple of shows under my belt, and they've gone really |
... |
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