23.1 Cariad Lloyd, actress and comedian

How do you build the confidence to risk being more off-the-cuff in professional life?  Viv talks to Cariad Lloyd - the actress and comedian - about making things up on the spot whilst being both in control and really, really funny.     Cariad has acted in Peep Show and Inside No 9 and is a regular on shows like QI and Have I Got News For You.  One of the creative forces behind the hit Jane Austen improv show, Austentatious, she's also written several children's books as well as a brilliant book about grief, You Are Not Alone. She's known for Weirdos Bookclub - the podcast she presents with Sara Pascoe - and her own hit podcast Griefcast, a series of in-depth conversations about grief.   Cariad tells Viv about being a good listener; believing in positive feedback and learning to fail with joy!   The new edition of How To Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking is out now, featuring more in-depth analysis of everyone from Michelle Obama to Virginia Woolf — and extra-practical, actionable advice on honing your own speaker style.   @vivgroskop

Welcome back to How to Own the Room with Viv Groskop: the podcast where inspirational women reveal the secrets of brilliant speaking.  Yes! A new series of How to Own the Room is about to land. So make sure you're subscribed, clear your diary and get ready for a brand new set of tips and tricks from women who have been there, done that, and kept a spare T-shirt in the dressing room for spillages! The first guest is actress, improviser and comedian Cariad Lloyd: she cut her teeth on The Alan Partridge Show before launching her own hit podcast Griefcast. Viv will be sharing more ideas, revelations and insights in a series packed with excellent guests, who really know what they're talking about. This is the place to tune in for a confidence boost and some moral support. And don't forget to order your copy of the new paperback edition of How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking, featuring more in-depth analysis of everyone from Michelle Obama to Virginia Woolf — and extra-practical, actionable advice on honing your own speaker style. @vivgroskop

How do you swap a soul-crushing job for one that sustains you? Viv talks to the writer, Carrie Sun, whose new memoir, Private Equity, is about to be released in US and UK. The story draws on Carrie's own experience of being headhunted to be Executive Assistant to a billionaire. The competitive role was glamourous but 24/7, unrelenting and led to burnout in the face of a pitiless boss. Carrie critiques capitalism and systems of misogyny, giving extraordinary insight into extreme hustle culture within a closed world. Viv and Carrie unpick these complex threads and counsel keeping a sense of perspective and plotting a way out when you need to escape. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. Find out more about Private Equity. @vivgroskop

How do you find the confidence to pursue the work you want and ace an interview? Viv chats to Kate Stephens, the CEO of Smart Works, an amazing charity with celebrity backers whose mission is to help marginalised women break the cycle of rejection and deprivation that comes from long-term unemployment. Since 2013 they've helped over 30,000 women prepare for job interviews by giving them coaching, styling and an outfit to wear at their interview chosen from new clothes donated by fashion brands and retailers. Kate tells Viv how respect and kindness can unlock confidence. Being welcomed and nurtured is key to enabling women to shine in an interview situation. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. Find out more about Smart Works. @vivgroskop

How do you find the self-belief to pursue a brilliant idea, convince investors in your vision and pick yourself after setbacks? Viv chats to Joanna Jensen, the founder, former CEO and now brand ambassador of Child's Farm, a family skincare brand she developed from her kitchen table. It's an unabashed success story, built from the challenges of a recent divorce and two young children, and driven forward by Joanna's conviction and hard work. She tells Viv how necessity, belief in the product and utter determination was the rocket fuel that powered her along. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. @vivgroskop

How do you connect with audiences on a deeper, truer level? Viv talks to award-winning journalist and author, Angela Saini, about combatting pseudo-science and reaching people by peeling back the layers of thinking. Her celebrated books include: Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, Superior: The Return of Race Science and her latest The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule. Angela tells Viv how her grounding in news journalism in her 20s helped hone her skills to write succinctly, to deadline and to time in a way that helps her in every aspect of her work now – from writing to public speaking. There's a meticulousness to Angela's approach that combines keen organisation with keeping an open, ready to adapt and think differently. It's a winning formula that Viv delves into and pulls out some nuggets to take away. The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule by Angela Saini is out at the end of February 2024. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now.

How do you create the best panel experience? Viv talks to professional moderator, Alexandra Antwi-Boasiako, about managing nerves, getting the best out of interviewees on stage and handling feedback. Based in her home city of Hamburg, Germany, Alexandra hosts an array of sessions – from author interviews to tech start-up pitch events and festivals such as the African Book Festival in Berlin. It's about taking charge of a space in a way that makes everyone relax. And while it all seems to come naturally, Alexandra hasn't always been so confident in front of an audience. In fact at school she was known as the quiet kid. Find out what made the difference and set her on a different path, picking up some priceless tips along the way. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. @vivgroskop

How do you learn to say no and do what makes you happy? Viv talks to the actress, Patsy Palmer, best-known for her role as Bianca Jackson in EastEnders, who now lives in Malibu, California. Exuding chill vibes from the sofa, Patsy talks to Viv about how finding her happy places – including weekly DJ sets - came from following her own instincts for joy and not living up to anyone else's expectations. Patsy is unapologetically content in her sunny slice of heaven where she lives with her husband, children and dogs and which couldn't be further from Albert Square. She is owning her sun-filled room most radiantly. Listen in to catch some of her rays! Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. @vivgroskop    

How do you find your voice and your confidence when people expect you to be only one thing? How can you overcome thoughts that keep you small? Actress and writer Evanna Lynch joined the cast of the Harry Potter series as Luna Lovegood for the fifth film in 2006 at the age of 14. She went on to star in a number of independent films and in the TV crime series Silent Witness. In 2021 she published her debut memoir, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, a candid account about her life focusing on fragility, creativity and how she put herself back together after overcoming an eating disorder. In this conversation on happy high status, we get into the subject of self-sabotage, why boundaries matter, how to find your voice as you get older and how sometimes confidence comes from a quiet place, even a boring place. Is it OK to say no to a lot of things? How can you feel confident about doing that? Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now. @vivgroskop Evanna Lynch's The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting is out now.

How do you bounce back from a major knock to your confidence? How do you maintain focus and poise even when you're exhausted or overwhelmed? In this fourth in our series of Happy High Status takeover episodes, Viv talks to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, singer/songwriter and the powerhouse behind one of the best things to come out of the pandemic: Kitchen Disco. Sophie first became known in the late 1990s as a teenager, as the singer of the indie rock band The Audience. The band was unceremoniously dropped by their label in 1999 and Sophie almost dropped out of music completely. But after bouncing back with a debut album that sold 1.5 million copies, she found her voice as an international dance/pop artist with another six albums, including her latest, Hana. All whilst casually having five children along the way. How do you find the energy to be confident when you're depleted? How do you handle criticism and rejection and stay positive? There's no better role model for fun happy high status than Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Viv's book Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident is out now.Sophie Ellis-Bextor's album Hana is out now.