Hello there, I'm Clara Ampho and welcome back to this city, a podcast dedicated to the stories, the places and the people of our wonderful capital city, London.

Now, each episode, I'll be talking to some of the city's most recognisable names, whether they were born here or have made it their second home to hear

their very own love letter to London.

My guest this week is one of my all-time heroes and I'm absolutely delighted to have her on the

podcast. She is a singer, a DJ, a producer, a presenter. I'm going to say it right

now. She's an icon. She went from a job as a bouncer at the British Academy to going on to

perform there as the front woman of her band, Skunk and Nancy. I'm not ashamed to say, as if you

couldn't tell by now, that I am a massive fan girl of this woman.

Today's guest is The Wonderful Skin.

I am absolutely delighted, delighted for this episode of my podcast because I have on an absolute hero of mine, a Don, an icon.

I hope I'm not embarrassing her by all of these hyperbolic adjectives, a visionary,

a trailblazer, is skin.

Well, thank you for that lovely intro.

Lead singer of Skunkanasi, DJ producer. Look, you flippin do it all to be fair, don't you? Well, you know, you got to be diverse with your actions, isn't it? You know, it's funny, in the early days, right, I remember this one time. I'd been on tour in the early as, I've just been on tour all the time. And I got back to London. I had a

dinner party and everyone was in this conversation and I realized that all I could talk about was

music and I knew nothing about anything else. And after that I was like, okay, I've got to diversify

my brain and get interested in other things. I'm the world's worst dinner party guest. Other things like what? You know, it's like just, I mean, I've always been political, but in those days, back in yonder days before social media, it's actually quite difficult to kind of keep up with things that are going on in the world. Because, you know, you're on tour and you're lucky if you see a daily mirror, which is not much, not my choice in newspaper. So, yeah, you know, you're on tour and you're lucky if you see your daily mirror, which is not much, not my

choice of newspaper. So, yeah, you know, I just think it's just important to bring a bunch of

books and a bunch of movies and everything, you know, just be interested in the world. I learned

that the hard way. Well, look, speaking of books, you've got one out now. Yes. It takes blood

and guts, the skin story, a book that I know I've been really, really excited to read. Full disclosure. I haven't finished it yet, but have been thoroughly enjoying. I don't know when you would find time, love. Dave. Do you know what? When? The autobiographies, I'm bouncing between the moment. It's you and Mariah Carey. Those are the two.

Oh my gosh. You're in great company. But look, I'm so happy you've got this book out because, you know, you've got such a brilliant story. And the point of this podcast is about people's stories, you know, in line with London. But it's bigger than London. It's just life in general. but you have got such a, you know, you're a pure self girl through and through.

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