Great Company with Jamie Laing

Mary Portas is a retail expert who has built her career on instinct, creativity and a drive to do things differently.

She redefined Britain’s shopping culture in the 1990s, transforming Harvey Nichols from a tired department store into the ultimate shopping destination and later, became a household name through her hit TV series, Mary, Queen of Shops.

I first met Mary a few months ago and she completely blew me away. What I didn’t know then were the circumstances that pushed her into retail in the first place. By 19, Mary had lost both her parents and found herself homeless, suddenly responsible for supporting herself and her younger brother. What began as a search for a ‘proper’ job turned into the beginning of an extraordinary career.

We cover:

• Losing both her parents by the age of 19
• Becoming homeless and finding her unexpected start in retail
• Her game-changing years at Harvey Nichols and the magic behind her iconic shop windows
• How her brother, Lawrence, became the biological father of her son
• The significant loves of Mary’s life

In this conversation, Mary reminded me that identity isn’t inherited, it’s created. And sometimes it’s only after losing everything that you learn how to build a life that feels like home.

Mary Portas is Great Company.

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Kate Garraway is a woman who has lived several lifetimes. There’s the broadcaster we all know: bright, curious, endlessly warm. And then there’s the Kate who has weathered unimaginable change, held a family together through crisis, and somehow emerged with her hope and positivity intact.

This episode isn’t a retelling of headlines - it’s the Kate we rarely hear: a woman learning how to breathe again after six years of being on high alert and re-discovering her joy.

We cover:

• Losing her husband and life after grief
• Kate's wild years in her 30s
• How she met her late husband Derek
• Growing up with low confidence
• Starting out in the TV industry
• Celebrity Traitors

Kate showed me that strength isn’t about being unbroken, it’s about allowing yourself to be broken and choosing to rebuild.

Kate Garraway is Great Company.

Joanne McNally is a hilarious woman. Her comedy has resonated with people all over the world, with her tours selling out wherever she goes, making history as the first Irish female comic to headline Dublin’s 3Arena. And with her podcast, ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’, Joanne has become one of the most compelling, unfiltered voices in comedy right now.

What I love about Joanne is that she didn’t follow the “perfect plan”. She built her comedy career in her thirties after realising she wasn’t living the life she actually wanted. Feeling unfulfilled and eager to tap into her creative side, she took the most vulnerable parts of her past - being adopted and recovering from an eating disorder - and turned them into comedy that’s honest, fearless and completely her.

And that’s why people can’t get enough of her. She’s witty, she’s brutally truthful and genuinely hilarious.

We cover:

• What is was like being adopted in Ireland in the 1980s
• How Joanne used humour to get through tough times
• Her journey recovering from an eating disorder
• Her career shift from publicist to an international comedian
• Searching for love on dating apps
• Why her therapist actually ghosted her

My conversation with Joanne reminded me the story we’re born into isn’t the one we’re meant to stay in and that embracing your true voice can change everything.

Joanne McNally is Great Company.

Few presenters feel as instantly familiar as Alex Jones. For over 15 years, she has been the heart of The One Show and her warmth, wit and natural connection with people shines through. In real life, she’s an even brighter star, lighting up every room she enters.

What stands out about Alex is her disarming honesty. Despite decades in the spotlight, she speaks so openly about self-doubt and what it truly takes to stay grounded in an industry that’s always moving.

In our conversation, she shares some of the parts of her life rarely seen on camera. From growing up in West Wales with a ‘small town big dreams’ mentality to building a long-lasting career and supporting her husband through his mental health struggles.

We cover:

• The importance of making mistakes to succeed
• Sitting her university finals on the set of a reality TV show
• How she broke into the TV industry
• How Alex’s view on mental health changed after supporting her husband through his mental health battles
• Her thoughts on Jermaine Jenas getting axed from The One Show

Alex reminded me that success isn’t just about talent it’s about consistency, empathy and courage.

Alex Jones is Great Company.

With an average of more than 1 billion hours of content watched every single day on YouTube, the platform vastly outperforms traditional television and signifies a huge change in the media landscape.

Vikkstar is a part of British YouTube royalty, the Sidemen. I have always been fascinated with the group and how they've managed to build a YouTube empire from constant content creation, crazy ideas and a strategy that works unbelievably well. I was so excited to sit down with Vikkstar and find out more about who he is and his incredible success.

We cover:

•⁠ ⁠How the Sidemen were formed

•⁠ ⁠Why Vikkstar felt like an outcast at the start of his YouTube career and how he overcome it

•⁠ ⁠The secrets behind the sidemen's success

•⁠ ⁠The importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to gain success

•⁠ ⁠Making tough decisions in order to change for the better

•⁠ ⁠What happened when fans crashed his wedding

He is truly one of the hardest working people I have ever met. His dedication to success, passion for content and the talents that he brings to the Sidemen, is so impressive.

Vikkstar is Great Company