00:00I'm Lauren Morris from The Independent, and I'm here with Rosie Jones,
00:04who will be playing Latitude Festival this year.
00:07Yeah, I cannot wait.
00:10Well, tell me a bit about what you're going to be doing, Rosie.
00:13A bit of comedy is what I do best.
00:19And I'm going to tell you a secret.
00:24Go on.
00:24I love performing comedy, but I hate performing comedy at festivals.
00:37Oh, really?
00:38Apart from Latitude, that is by far my favourite festival for comedy,
00:50because people seek out that comedy at Latitude.
01:00It's such a beautiful venue, amazing weekend.
01:08It's always sunny.
01:15That's right.
01:17I love Latitude, because comedy lovers go.
01:26Well, tell me a bit about what you'll be doing there,
01:29because you're performing stand-up,
01:31but then you're also going to be doing your children's book as well.
01:37Yes, yes, so I'm greedy.
01:40I wear many hats.
01:45So, at Latitude, I will be wearing my stand-up beret
01:54and my children's author top hat.
02:00So, yeah, I'll be performing stand-up at the big comedy arena,
02:10where I'll probably be telling jokes about gravy and boobs,
02:20my two favourite passions in life.
02:25And then I will go all PG, go to the children's tent,
02:34and I'll talk about my series of books,
02:40The Amazing Easy Cat,
02:44which is a series about a girl with cerebral palsy.
02:52I don't know where I got that idea from.
02:59So, yeah, that is always, again,
03:05such a lovely thing to do at a festival,
03:11to be able to chat to kids
03:15and to talk about the book
03:19that I am very proud to have written.
03:25And what's it like, like you just said,
03:28seeing kids, reading to them,
03:30and, you know, actually meeting fans of your books
03:34who feel represented?
03:35Oh, it's everything,
03:37because when I was little,
03:41I couldn't walk.
03:44I knew I was different to other kids,
03:49but one thing I could do was read.
03:55And I would read for three hours every night,
04:00and that was my escapism.
04:05But it broke my heart
04:08that I never read a book
04:11where the main character had a disability.
04:18I don't think I even had the language for it then,
04:25but not seeing that representation growing up
04:31made me feel very lonely and invalidated.
04:40So when I became a stand-up and a writer,
04:46I was determined to write a children's book,
04:53not only for disabled children
04:57to have that representation
05:01that is so needed,
05:05but also for non-disabled children
05:10to learn about disability
05:13and to see that just because a person
05:20has a disability,
05:23it doesn't make them vulnerable,
05:28inferior, disadvantaged.
05:33They're just like everybody.
05:38It's so important.
05:39It's so important.
05:40So I'm excited for you to be doing that,
05:42and a latitude that's going to be great.
05:45I guess speaking, moving on to TV,
05:47obviously, how was the BAFTAs on Sunday?
05:50Oh, what my God said,
05:53we are talking two days after the BAFTAs.
05:58I'm still getting over it.
06:02I don't think I've properly slept
06:07because my adrenaline was so high.
06:15I was so happy to walk the red carpet
06:21with my partner.
06:23I chose a daring outfit.
06:28I wore a latex...
06:32Amazing.
06:33...suit with a latex tie and collar,
06:40and that felt so great,
06:43so sexy.
06:45But my favourite part of the whole day
06:51was Stephen Graham,
06:55who's my favourite actor,
06:59and, like, everyone,
07:01I was blown away by the elections.
07:06He stopped me,
07:09and they went,
07:11I love you.
07:12Oh!
07:12And I was like,
07:14Oh!
07:15My God,
07:17how does Stephen Graham
07:20know who I am?
07:23So,
07:24if I die right here right now,
07:28that's okay with me
07:30because Stephen Graham
07:33knows who I am.
07:36I mean,
07:37I think you need to get him
07:38in series two of Pushers.
07:40Right!
07:41I think he will be
07:43an incredible drug dealer.
07:48Yes.
07:48Let me,
07:49let me have a talk.
07:53Because obviously Pushers,
07:55your sitcom,
07:56you were nominated for BAFTA,
07:59the best actress.
08:00You didn't win,
08:01unfortunately.
08:03But,
08:03how did it feel
08:04to get that recognition?
08:06I mean,
08:08I sound like a broken record,
08:12but we are back to representation.
08:17Like,
08:17for me,
08:18growing up,
08:19I did not.
08:21For one second,
08:23think that comedy,
08:27acting,
08:28TV
08:28was a career
08:31open to somebody
08:34who looked like
08:36and crucially sounded like me.
08:41And I think if I were young
08:44and I saw the practice
08:48and I saw somebody
08:54with a visible disability
08:58being nominated for a Bachelor,
09:03that would have changed my life.
09:07That would have made me feel like TV
09:12and film was a valuable career for me.
09:18So,
09:19just to be nominated
09:21and to hopefully give young disabled people
09:29that hope that this is a career open for them
09:36is everything.
09:38Would I like to now have a Bachelor Award
09:44sitting in my bathroom?
09:48Shut up.
09:50But you know what?
09:52That'll come.
09:54I'm only young.
09:56Bachelor,
09:58I'll be back.
09:59Yeah,
10:00you've got next year.
10:01They'll be next year.
10:03Exactly.
10:04Do you feel representation,
10:06because I know,
10:07like you said,
10:07when you were growing up
10:08you didn't really see anyone
10:09with a disability on TV.
10:12Do you feel
10:13the representation there
10:15has gotten better
10:15but we still have a way to go?
10:17Yeah,
10:18Yeah,
10:18100%.
10:19I am,
10:22I feel so lucky
10:24that I cannot be a person
10:28with a physical disability
10:32who's regularly on TV.
10:36That would not have happened
10:4020 years ago.
10:42So that is definitely an improvement.
10:48However,
10:50when you consider that
10:5324% of the UK
10:57have a disability
11:01that isn't nearly represented
11:06on TV,
11:08both on screen
11:11and behind the camera.
11:15So we absolutely
11:18need more
11:20great,
11:22talented,
11:23disabled people
11:25in the television industry.
11:30We need to get better
11:33at telling those
11:36crucially
11:38important stories.
11:41Mm.
11:42But not only
11:45that,
11:45we need to be better
11:47at representing
11:49disabled people
11:53in all different roles.
11:56Why isn't there
11:58more disabled news readers
12:02are more disabled
12:05market store owners
12:09in these standards?
12:12Disabled people
12:15don't always need
12:18to tell disabled stories.
12:22They should just be everywhere.
12:27Mm.
12:27Totally.
12:29And with TV,
12:30is there any other show,
12:31any show in the future
12:33or projects
12:34that you would love to do?
12:36In all,
12:38two things
12:39are being greedy.
12:42And after my
12:47backstone
12:48on for actress,
12:50I really want
12:52to act more.
12:55One thing
12:56thing I would do
12:58is I would
13:00love to be
13:02in a
13:02PVA drama.
13:05Because
13:08disabled people
13:11get forgotten
13:12in history.
13:15We have
13:16always been there.
13:19and I would
13:21love
13:22to play
13:24a disabled
13:25person
13:26in the
13:27Victorian era
13:30or the
13:31Regency era.
13:34Because
13:34we were
13:36absolutely
13:37there.
13:38And
13:39I think
13:40I would look
13:42great
13:42in the
13:43PVA address.
13:45and the
13:47second
13:47thing
13:48I'd
13:49like
13:49to do
13:50is
13:51I'd
13:52love to
13:53play a
13:54villain.
13:55Mm.
13:55A proper
13:56body.
13:58Because
13:59I think
14:00even now
14:01the majority
14:03of disabled
14:05characters
14:06we see
14:08on TV
14:09are
14:10victims
14:12of
14:12vulnerable
14:13people
14:14or
14:15asexual
14:17people
14:18or
14:18or
14:19asexual
14:19asexual
14:19they're
14:19great
14:20good
14:21angelic
14:23creatures.
14:25Why not?
14:27We can
14:28have a
14:29nasty
14:30streak.
14:32So
14:33yeah I'd
14:34absolutely
14:35love to
14:37play a
14:38horrible
14:40devious
14:41woman
14:43who just
14:44happens
14:46to have
14:48a disability.
14:50You're going to have to be the next
14:51baddie in Bridgerton.
14:53Right.
14:54Oh my god.
14:55And
14:56that
14:57will take
14:58both
14:59boxes.
15:00Exactly.
15:02body
15:04period
15:04and
15:05they
15:05would look
15:07incredible
15:08in the
15:09dresses.
15:10Yeah exactly.
15:11Exactly.
15:12You'll have to take one home will you?
15:13Right.
15:14Done.
15:15Amazing.
15:17You've spoken a bit about
15:18what your show at
15:19Latitude will be.
15:21What else can we expect?
15:22And is that also
15:23we're going to be seeing that
15:24on your tour as well?
15:25Sorry your
15:26Edinburgh
15:26first show
15:27Edinburgh
15:27Fringe show.
15:27Yeah
15:28yeah so
15:30yeah I'm going
15:31back to Edinburgh
15:34this year.
15:36It's my
15:36first
15:39forerunning
15:40seven
15:40years
15:41which I can't
15:43believe.
15:45And yet
15:45a lot
15:46of my show
15:47is about
15:49my life
15:50right now.
15:51what it's like
15:53today
15:54is when
15:55people
15:56already
15:58know me
15:59and they
16:00think they
16:01know
16:02who I am
16:03and
16:04so
16:05yeah
16:05a lot
16:06about
16:07me
16:08and
16:09life
16:09right now
16:10and
16:11a lot
16:12a lot
16:13of
16:14silly
16:15jokes.
16:16Amazing.
16:18Did you
16:19meet your
16:20partner
16:20after
16:21coming up
16:22with your
16:23show then?
16:23Yeah so
16:24I'm being
16:25very naughty
16:27because a lot
16:29of my
16:30show
16:30is
16:31about
16:32being
16:33single
16:34and
16:35this
16:35is
16:36a
16:36reveal
16:37but
16:38at the
16:39end
16:40I do
16:40say
16:41and
16:42now
16:43I've
16:43got
16:44a
16:44partner
16:45and
16:46yeah
16:47we've
16:48been
16:48together
16:49now
16:49for
16:50over
16:51a
16:51year
16:52and
16:52it's
16:54boring
16:54it's
16:55how
16:56boring
16:57how
16:57happy
16:58I am
16:59and
17:00it's
17:01no
17:02good
17:02for
17:03jokes
17:04so
17:05yeah
17:06no one
17:07likes
17:07saying
17:08that
17:09I'm
17:09just
17:10happy
17:11and
17:11I
17:12really
17:13love
17:14a
17:14relationship
17:16with
17:17the
17:17best
17:18woman
17:19in the
17:20world
17:21oh
17:22god
17:22that's
17:23awful
17:24well
17:26I'm
17:26very
17:26happy
17:26for
17:26you
17:27even
17:27if
17:27it's
17:27not
17:28great
17:28for
17:28your
17:28career
17:28is there
17:31anything
17:31that
17:32you
17:32had
17:32to
17:32cut
17:32from
17:33your
17:33Edinburgh
17:34show
17:34for
17:34time
17:35reasons
17:36or
17:36yes
17:37I'm
17:38currently
17:39cutting
17:40it
17:40now
17:41because
17:42when
17:43I
17:44went
17:45on
17:45tour
17:46I
17:46would
17:47do
17:47half
17:48an
17:49hour
17:49a
17:50break
17:51and
17:52then
17:52a
17:53ball
17:54hour
17:54so
17:56right
17:58now
17:58I'm
17:59in
17:59the
18:01very
18:03difficult
18:04stage
18:05of
18:06going
18:07right
18:08how
18:08do
18:09I
18:09cook
18:1040
18:12minutes
18:13out
18:14of
18:15it
18:15so
18:16it's
18:17a
18:17good
18:18position
18:19to
18:20be
18:20in
18:21and
18:21I
18:22think
18:22I
18:23might
18:24be
18:25cheeky
18:26and
18:26I
18:27might
18:27change
18:28it up
18:29day
18:29by
18:30day
18:30and
18:31I
18:31might
18:32pick and
18:33choose
18:34and go
18:35oh I'll do
18:36these
18:37stories
18:38today
18:40and
18:41play
18:42around
18:43with it
18:44so
18:45yeah
18:45I've written
18:46them too
18:47much
18:48but that
18:49is because
18:50I'm too
18:51talented
18:52and that
18:54is a
18:55burden
18:55I won't
18:57carry
18:58exactly
18:59why is it
19:01taking you so
19:01long to get
19:02back to the
19:02fringe
19:03time for
19:06different
19:06reasons
19:07COVID
19:09shut it
19:11up
19:11for a
19:12bit
19:12and then
19:13every
19:15summer
19:15I was
19:16filming
19:17something
19:19or
19:20going on
19:22holiday
19:23or
19:24August
19:26holiday
19:27but
19:28yeah
19:29I
19:30think
19:30I
19:31did
19:32just
19:33over
19:34a
19:35week
19:36at
19:36the
19:36fringe
19:37last year
19:38and
19:39I
19:39loved
19:40it
19:41so
19:41much
19:42I
19:43said
19:44to
19:44my
19:44agent
19:45can
19:47I
19:47do
19:48the
19:48full
19:49shebang
19:50next year
19:52so
19:53yeah
19:53I
19:54have
19:55fallen
19:56back
19:56in love
19:57with it
19:58so
19:59I
20:00can't
20:00wait
20:01oh
20:01amazing
20:02I mean
20:02what else
20:03have you
20:03got
20:03coming
20:03up
20:04a
20:06lot
20:06of
20:07things
20:07that
20:08I
20:08can
20:09annoyingly
20:10say
20:12can't
20:14talk
20:14about
20:15yet
20:15I'm
20:17filming
20:18a
20:19film
20:19in
20:20autumn
20:21oh
20:22exciting
20:22called
20:23Bad
20:24Major
20:26in
20:27Hungary
20:28and
20:29that
20:29is
20:30with
20:31Jason
20:32Isaacs
20:34David
20:35Jack
20:35and
20:36B
20:36Josh
20:37Gad
20:38and
20:38Ruth
20:39and
20:39they
20:40said
20:41wow
20:41I
20:42got
20:42no
20:43idea
20:44why
20:44they
20:45got
20:45this
20:46to
20:46guys
20:47I
20:48got
20:49another
20:51children's
20:52book
20:53coming
20:53out
20:54in
20:54the
20:55autumn
20:55and
20:57another
20:58one
20:59in
20:59next year
21:01sometime
21:03time
21:03I'm
21:05having
21:07a lot
21:08of
21:08fun
21:09with
21:11my
21:11charity
21:12foundation
21:14that
21:16helps
21:16people
21:17with
21:19terrible
21:19poverty
21:20with a
21:22focus
21:23on
21:23mental
21:24health
21:25and
21:26I'm
21:27mentioning
21:27to
21:28create
21:29a
21:30world
21:30in
21:31which
21:31no
21:32person
21:33with
21:33cerebral
21:34palsy
21:36feels
21:37alone
21:38or
21:39unheard
21:40so
21:41that
21:42keeps
21:43me
21:43busy
21:44yet
21:45like
21:46I
21:46said
21:46many
21:47hats
21:48so
21:49many
21:49and
21:50are we
21:50going to
21:51get
21:51another
21:51series
21:51of
21:52pushes
21:52who
21:54knows
21:55we
21:56don't
21:56know
21:57well
21:58I
21:58hope
21:58so
21:58anyway
21:59well
21:59thank
22:00you so
22:00much
22:00for
22:01chatting
22:01to
22:01me
22:02chatting
22:02to
22:02the
22:03independent
22:03in
22:03partnership
22:04with
22:04Latitude
22:05Festival
22:05and
22:05people
22:05and
22:07to
22:07them
22:07to
22:07to
22:07to
22:07them
22:10to
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