Changes with Annie Macmanus

Michelle De Swarte on the currency of beauty, money and the void from ageing

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Episode notes

Model turned comedian Michelle de Swarte’s life story has more twists and turns than most novels. A born and bred South Londoner, Michelle was scouted aged 19 and moved to New York to begin her modelling career working for the likes of Dolce and Gabbana and Versace. After two decades on the runway Michelle started doing stand up comedy and eventually moved back to London. Now making it as a successful writer and actor, Michelle is constantly evolving and redefining what it means to live life on your own terms. Her critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ‘Spent’, came out in July. Both written by and starring Michelle, it’s a hilarious, loosely autobiographical story of a bankrupt, ex model navigating the realities of her new life.

In this funny yet reflective episode, Michelle brings her deadpan humour to dive into the extreme amount of change that she has gone through, discussing her upbringing being raised by her single mother, her queer grandmother, her time as a model and what working in the industry was actually like. Annie and Michelle also talk about Michelle’s transition into comedy, money, the currency of beauty and how modelling young taught her the dangers of everyone curating their life on social media today.

Watch Spent now on BBC Iplayer.

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Changes is a deaf friendly podcast, transcripts can be accessed here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changes

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