S4 Ep5: Luke Ensor

Luke is 25 and a huge Manchester United fan. He is in paid employment, goes to college, and loves watching the soaps on TV. Last year, he fell head over heels in love with his girlfriend Emily, and tells Richard about his hopes for wedding bells in the future.   

Siblings Steph and Chris live in Northern Ireland and describe each other as best friends. They talk to Richard about growing up, living together during the Coronavirus pandemic, and how Steph has helped Chris get through some dark times. They also discuss Steph’s hobby of tag rugby, child minding job, and her love of posh dinners, hotel stays and cocktails. 

Tommy Jessop is acting royalty. He stole the show at the National Television Awards show in September by dancing live on stage, and gave a star performance as Terry Boyle in the BBC's hugely popular series 'Line of Duty'. In this episode, Tommy talks to Richard about his amazing career to date, his thoughts on diversity in the arts, and his personal ambition to become the next James Bond.

Tash and Clare live together in a supported living setting and have been best friends for more than 20 years. In this episode, they speak to Richard about their jobs, busy fitness schedules, friendship, and their shared love of foot spas, cake and Champagne. It’s a laugh a minute with these two… 

Ann Cleeves is an award-winning crime writer whose books have been brought to life on the television. Her novels were dramatised as the TV detective series Vera, in which actor Daniel Laurie, who has Down's syndrome, played character Adam Beecher. The BBC also adapted her Shetland series into a popular drama, and now her book The Long Call, has just been aired on ITV. In it, actor Sarah Gordy plays one of the main characters. So in this special podcast, we’ve handed the mic over to Sarah to interview Ann herself. They chat about Ann’s career, inspiration, and some very interesting jobs she’s done in the past. 

James Ducarreaux lives life to the full. He’s an avid Bournemouth FC supporter and loves nothing more than a beer and a laugh with the lads. He works at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and appeared on TV’s ‘The Undateables’ back in 2018. He didn’t find love then, but he has some very exciting news on the romance front now.  

Claire Harris and Abigail Clay are sisters who both love acting. They previously made a film together called possABILITY about finding employment for people who have Down’s syndrome. Claire is also a keen swimmer and football player, and Abigail has recently started a drama group called Shakespeare 21 for adults who have Down's syndrome. The siblings discuss what they’ve been up to during lockdown and their plans for the future. Watch possABILITY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2GTHbmKlBU  Read more about Shakespeare 21: http://www.abigailclay.com/shakespeare-21.html

Christopher Davies is an exceptional man and absolute gentleman. He talks openly about the loss of a close friend, the death of his beloved father, and his recent experience of Covid-19. The 45-year-old lives independently and loves swimming, snooker and script writing.

Caitlin Trevor is an incredibly busy young woman. The 17-year-old has been studying for her GCSEs and a BTEC, and loves art, landscape photography and drama. She has collected more than 120 medals for swimming and wants to be a swimming coach and classroom assistant in the future. She speaks alongside her father Mark and the pair tell us how they’ve taken up running together over the pandemic. Check out Caitlin's cards here: https://www.thealliumcollection.com/

Alex Rawle is the Project Manager for DSActive, the programme run by the Down’s Syndrome Association to provide opportunities for people who have Down’s syndrome to lead active and healthy lives. He talks nutrition, sleep, mental health, and how to keep fit and motivated during the coronavirus pandemic. NB: This podcast was recorded in early December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advice was in accordance with public health guidelines at the time of recording.