Chef, broadcaster, and national treasure Andi Oliver sits down for an intimate, deeply moving conversation about life, love, and liberation. Reflecting on her first act – a turbulent chapter marked by the sudden loss of her brother, growing up as the only Black girl in her school, and surviving a struggle with compulsive eating – Andi opens up about the pivotal moment at age 30 that saved her life, and the lessons she's taking into her 60s.
To find out more about Andi's work with WaterAid in Malawi, head to wateraid.org/champions
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction & Fan Memories
00:01:15 - Summarizing Life's "First Act" in 3 Words
00:03:40 - Early Struggles: Racism, Hypervigilance & Sibling Loss
00:05:18 - My Nervous Breakdown Was My Breakthrough
00:07:20 - Compulsive Eating & Healing My Relationship with Food
00:11:00 - Numbing the Pain: Understanding Emotional Vocabularies
00:14:00 - Stepping Into the Second Act: Overcoming Fear & Chaos
00:15:30 - Breaking the Habit of Being Chronically Late
00:18:25 - Boundaries, Rejection, and Radical Honesty
00:20:25 - How Music and Cooking Saved My Soul
00:25:00 - Becoming a Young Mum at 20: How Motherhood Saved Me
00:31:40 - Watching Your Grown Children Make Mistakes
00:37:30 - Surviving the Teenage Years: Advice for Parents
00:39:50 - Sisterhood & Growing Up with Neneh Cherry
00:43:50 - Embracing "Auntie Energy" & Midlife Grace
00:45:30 - Why I Haven't Married My Partner of 30 Years
00:47:35 - Supporting Loved Ones Through Heartbreak and Betrayal
00:49:50 - The Toughest 10 Years: Processing Sudden Grief
00:52:45 - Life-Changing Lessons on Water & Hope in Malawi
01:00:50 - Using Your Platform for Purpose as You Age
01:02:35 - High-End Travel, Aging, and Self-Care
01:06:00 - Escaping Depression Through Colour, Jewels & Dressing Big
01:10:30 - Glowing at 63: Skin Secrets & Celebrating Birthdays
01:11:55 - What I Would Tell My Younger Self
01:13:00 - Listener Dilemma: Protecting Your Child from Toxic Partners
Second Act is the podcast and community for women in midlife who refuse to fade into the background. Join host, midlifer, mum-of-two and divorcee Ateh Jewel as she navigates her own second act by speaking to celebrity guests about what age means to them, and how they're approaching this new phase of life.
If you've got a question or dilemma you'd like Ateh, her celebrity guests and experts to answer, drop her a line at secondactpod@hellomagazine.com and make sure to tune in to hear the answer.
From HELLO! magazine
Producer: Millie Jackson
Editor: Liam Davis
Executive producer: Danielle Lawler
Follow @hellomag on Instagram and watch all new episodes on HELLO! magazine's YouTube channel.
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