Underestimated with Jess Davies

My guest this week is Lucy Dawson- Influencer, Disabled model and Encephalitis survivor who uses her social media platform to raise awareness and visibility for people living with a disability. Lucy’s life was turned upside down when in October 2016 a month before her 21st birthday she was taken in to hospital with a serious illness which lead to her being wrongfully sectioned at a mental hospital and a case of neglect which left Lucy permanently disabled. Lucy and I discuss the reality of using dating apps as a disabled woman, her fight for survival and her incredible rehabilitation from her body slowly killing itself to booking jobs with her favourite brands . Lucy is so inspiring and it was a joy to sit down with her and hear her remarkable story. I hope you like this episode, this is underestimated.

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Welcome to Series 2 of ‘Underestimated! 

I’m kicking off this new series with an inspiring and thought provoking chat with Matthew MacNabb, content creator, entrepreneur and Love Island UK star. Matt and I get stuck into the good stuff with some deep and meaningful conversations around the purpose of life, finding gratitude in the small things, thriving in failure and his dream podcast guest. Sitting down with Matt was like breathing in a self-help book full of warming quotes and assurance that you’re doing okay. His positivity around life is infectious and I can’t wait to head on over to soak up his own podcast episodes in ‘Chat With Matt’.

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My guest this week is lifestyle and body confidence content creator Megan Carole. Megan opens up about her experience of being judged at auditions for the shape of her body, her  journey towards self-love and her dreams of being on the West End. Megan radiates positivity and you can’t help but smile when talking to her, her happiness is infectious and her social media channels are a beautiful safe space away from all of the pressure we can feel online. From going viral on TikTok to getting trolled on Instagram, Megan has experienced a lot over the last twelve months but there’s no sign of her slowing down anytime soon. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for her. I hope you enjoy this podcast and the final episode of the first Series of Underestimated!

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My guest this week is the legendary drag race UK superstar and seasoned entertainer Divina De Campo. A runner-up on one of the biggest tv shows in the World, Divina is a hugely successful performer with a lot of heart. Divina and I dive into her experience of being Underestimated by the other contestants during her time on Drag Race U.K, the social responsibility that comes with being a member of the LGBTQI+ community in the public eye, the hypocrisy of cancel culture and the importance of finding happiness within yourself. Divina is one of the most intellectual people I have had the pleasure of sitting down and shooting the breeze with, full of knowledge on political topics and passion for their long-standing career in the entertainment industry. It is clear to anyone who sits down with Divina for five minutes that this amazing individual is a lot more than a red wig and a silver dress! Divina is touring with Chicago the Musical and tickets are available to purchase now.

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My guest this episode is body confidence influencer and mental health advocate Olivia Callaghan, aka ‘Self-Love Liv’. We dive into mental health and discrimination in the work place, choosing to love our bodies-flaws n’ all, the joys of going sober and her on-going journey towards the ultimate goal: Self-love. Liv is a huge breath of fresh air on social media, sharing her personal experiences with mental health, body image, dealing with an eating disorder as a teenager and confronting suicidal thoughts. There is no topic off bounds on her Instagram page and her vulnerability is an inspiration to others. It hasn’t been an easy journey for Liv but from her lowest point struggling with her mental health to recently being nominated as ‘Influencer of the year’ at the Blogosphere awards, Liv is a shining example of how choosing to be kind to ourselves can go a long way towards finding a happy life balance that works for us. I hope you enjoy this episode and be sure to head on over to Liv’a Instagram page to show her some love.

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My guest this episode is political reporter, activist and writer Femi Oluwole. Femi was a leading voice for the Remain campaign in the 2016 Brexit election, building a huge platform across social media in the hopes of making politics more accessible to us everyday folk through his easy-to-understand video content and political breakdowns. Since then, Femi has appeared on panel shows, wrote for leading newspapers and debated some of the most controversial figures in U.K politics including ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage and ex-GMB presenter Piers Morgan. His goal is clear- to hold our Government to account, and in the face of horrendous racial abuse and backlash online Femi continues to rise. One huge take-away from this episode? Never underestimate the guy in the t-shirt.

My guest this episode is political reporter, activist and writer Femi Oluwole. Femi was a leading voice for the Remain campaign in the 2016 Brexit election, building a huge platform across social media in the hopes of making politics more accessible to us everyday folk through his easy-to-understand video content and political breakdowns. Since then, Femi has appeared on panel shows, wrote for leading newspapers and debated some of the most controversial figures in U.K politics including ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage and ex-GMB presenter Piers Morgan. His goal is clear- to hold our Government to account, and in the face of horrendous racial abuse and backlash online Femi continues to rise. One huge take-away from this episode? Never underestimate the guy in the t-shirt.

My guest this episode is voice actor, impressionist and content creator Scheiffer Bates. With a huge following and millions of views under his belt Scheiffer was one of the first stars to launch their career on YouTube. A fellow Welshie like myself, Scheiffer and I have cheers’d many jäger bombs on a sticky Cardiff dance floor over the years but this time around we sat down to share some home truths on the reality of being a content creator, how imposter syndrome never really goes away and swapping DM’s with Gordon Ramsay. A born-entertainer Scheiffer is naturally hilarious but in this episode he shows us his vulnerable side with an open and honest conversation about feeling underestimated, how classism plays a huge role in the entertainment industry and how he uses his celebrity impressions as an escape from his reality- and ultimately himself. I loved this chat with Scheiffer, his energy is infectious and he’s someone you want to sit down in a dark corner of a pub with and get lost in his stories.

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In this episode of ‘Underestimated’ I sat down with best-selling author, activist and body confidence campaigner Stephanie Yeboah as we dived into her feelings of being underestimated because of the body she lives in. I absolutely loved this chat with Steph; When I was putting together a list of potential guests for the podcast Steph was on my “wish list” and I was so excited when she agreed to join me on the podcast. Ever since I found Steph’s Instagram page a couple years ago I’ve fallen in love with not only her ridiculously gorgeous photos and aesthetic online but her willingness to hold the important conversations which need to be said. I have learnt so much from Steph, she is a trail blazer and I am just dying to see her in her own ASOS campaign sometime soon (manifesting it into existence for her!). Steph’s debut non-fiction book ‘Fattily Ever After: A black fat girls guide to living life unapologetically’ is an absolute must read for everyone and it’s available to purchase now at all good bookstores. 

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. X

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Scarlett Howard is a successful model, radio presenter, OnlyFans creator and business woman. In this episode of ‘Underestimated’ I sat down with Scarlett to discuss the secret to her success, the unfair judgement that comes with being ‘just an OnlyFans girl’ and the reasoning behind wanting to launch her new business venture the ‘Glo Project’. As an ex-model myself I hugely admire Scarlett for choosing to turn a negative stigma into a success and follow her own path in life. When it comes to women leaning into our power, whether that be our sexuality or our knowledge, there is always a kick back from a society that is not used to women being in the driving seat. Unlike men who may choose to take the lead, confidently back themselves and make use of their assets, women are often met with negativity when they step outside the box that society has put them in. Of course there are plenty of male creators on OnlyFans, many selling sexual content, but they hardly receive any pushback or heckling from those who choose to target the female creators on the platform. This negativity and judgement nearly prevented Scarlett from signing up altogether, but instead of let others dictate her journey she took the wheel and pushed full speed ahead with her vision.

An early adopter of the platform, Scarlett is now a hugely successful creator and has since launched the ‘Glo Project’, a talent network dedicated to supporting and protecting subscription platforms creators. Scarlett wants to create a safe space and community that can help others reach their full potential and be paid for their content online, whilst also helping to educate and protect the creators from being exploited or creating content they may not be comfortable with. I wish I had someone like Scarlett around to mentor me when I was eighteen years old and new to the modelling industry; I signed contracts that I had no idea what they meant, had images taken of me that I didn’t understand the copyright laws around and partook in photoshoots that I didn’t want to do because I felt pressured into them. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for Scarlett and the ‘Glo Project’, there is a huge space in the industry for a female-led talent support network and I’m sure the demand will continue to grow as subscription sites such as OnlyFans and Patreon expand in popularity.

I hope you love the episode and it helps not only to educate you on subscription sites but open your mind to women owning their own bodies and their content. I should note that this episode was recorded before the recent OnlyFans news announcement around a change in their terms and conditions. If you enjoy the podcast and want to hear more, perhaps Scarlett and I can jump on a Twitter live to chat further about the changes to the site and what she sees as the future.

Until next time, don’t let anyone underestimate you x

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