Marina Purkiss

Guest Marina Purkiss is a political commentator, writer and campaigner who is known for her super sharp and clear take on current issues . She’s a familiar face on Jeremy Vine, Channel 5’s daily panel show, and she has her own podcast The Trawl, – with Jemma Forte. On both she cuts through the political spin with a refreshing disregard for nonsense. Todays conversation may be rather different to her usual political and cultural debates, and it’s so interesting to get to know another side of her, how she got started and the foundations and home life, reflected in her Three Rooms,  that give her the confidence to speak up and challenge the establishment.

In this episode I speak to Sonali Shah – who you’ll know as a host of BBC1’s Escape to the Country, her two shows on Magic FM as well as her regular TV and radio appearances and her work as a King’s Ambassador and the British Asian Trust. She reveals the three most significant rooms from her life and we talk teenage bedrooms, black ceilings and those luminous stars I think lots of us had! We discuss 90s décor and the luxury it was to have wall-to-wall wardrobes; the importance of sanctuary and having your own space where you can be quiet -  and be yourself.  Sonali reveals so much about herself and her feelings towards family, home and heritage this conversation gives a greater understanding not just of her own experience but of the wider forces that shape how we live. See more from Sonali here

In this episode internationally renowned textile artist Alice Kettle shares her Three Rooms. Known for her extraordinary embroidered works, Alice has spent decades pushing the boundaries of what stitch can be. Her work combines drawing, painting and embroidery on a monumental scale, transforming thread into a way to tell powerful stories. As an artist, author and educator, she's inspired countless people to see embroidery not just as a craft, but as a contemporary art form capable of expressing complex ideas and emotions. Alice shares how her Three Rooms have shaped her creativity, how she views the world and what’s important to her. She talks about her mother, and what a huge influence she was… we almost get a modern history of how access to creativity can change lives. And how a room with its sounds and smells, its light and proportions, but moreover the people in it, can make space, as they have for Alice, to live in our full potential. See more from Alice here and on her Instagram  

Amber Butchart has spent her career uncovering the stories that are  hidden in the clothes we wear. She's a fashion historian, author, curator and broadcaster whose work explores the rich connections between fashion, history, politics and identity. You may know her as the history consultant from The Great British Sewing Bee and the documentary A Stitch in Time, her books, or the exhibitions she’s curated for The Design Museum, The Fashion and Textile Museum and the British Textile Biennial. What makes Amber's work so compelling is that she doesn't just tell us what people wore—she reveals what clothing and textiles can tell us about the lives of the people themselves and the societies they lived in. In this episode Amber reveals her Three Rooms, which reflect her love of vintage design, especially the British seaside aesthetic, but what really comes through is her joy and enthusiasm for colour, kitsch and fun, and how this playfulness is very much a part of her home, her rooms,  and her everyday life right now. See more from Amber here

Artist Cindy Konits joins Three Rooms to discuss memory, identity and the spaces that shape our lives. Working across photography, video and interactive media, Cindy's internationally acclaimed practice explores family history, personal archives and the ways we construct meaning from the past. We talk about her latest project This Room Will Survive Me, a hauntingly beautiful body of work and book created using an obsolete instant camera and expired film. The resulting images feel dreamlike and ephemeral, and explore the very nature of rooms and identity. Together, we explore how architecture helps us understand where we belong, and why certain spaces remain with us long after we've left them. Thoughtful, moving and surprisingly philosophical, this is a conversation about home, memory and what it means to leave a trace behind. See more from Cindy here

Rebecca Thornton is the bestselling author of a series of acclaimed psychological thrillers that delve into the complexities of friendship, power, ambition and deception, with her fourth novel, Faculty of Liars, out in August. She’s a former journalist who has reported from conflict zones and international news stories, and brings a sharp eye for human behaviour and hidden motivations to her fiction. As Rebecca shares her Three Rooms, she reveals how even thinking about them have uncovered aspects of her life and personality that she’d not considered, and how these spaces are significant markers in how her outlook on life has unfolded. During the conversation, Rebecca explains her former condition, aphantasia, and how moving through the world with this very rare way of interpreting it has affected her reaction to home and space. Faculty of Liars is out on 6 August

Sasha Lord is the founder of Lords Fragrance House, an independent British fragrance brand inspired by travel, memory and the powerful connection between scent, emotion and place. Before launching Lords, Sasha spent more than a decade working in the fragrance and cosmetics industry, helping brands develop scents, products and immersive fragrance experiences. Through her work with The Aroma Company, she gained a unique understanding of how scent can shape the way we feel, remember and connect with places. The idea for Lords Fragrance House grew from a desire to do things differently. Drawing on her extensive travels and a lifelong love of colour and creativity, Sasha has created a collection of home fragrances inspired by landscapes, places and moments that stay with us for a lifetime.

Nathaniel Parker is one of Britain’s most distinguished and versatile actors, with a career spanning stage, screen and radio. He's become known for bringing depth, intelligence and charisma to every role he inhabits — from Shakespeare and period drama to gripping detective stories and contemporary film. He was the original Inspector Lynley from The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and he's starred in acclaimed productions including The Crown, Merlin, Stardust and worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Nathaniel shares the Three Rooms that have shaped his life, and they all have one thing in common - creativity and imagination. See him perform T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland at Wilton's Music Hall 11-13 June Follow Three Rooms on Instagram , new episode every Thursday.

Interior designer, upholsterer, broadcaster and author Micaela Sharp candidly shares her story through the three most significant rooms in her life, revealing how her childhood living room, school dormitory, and holiday bedroom have shaped her. In her poignant reflections, she reveals how these safe and cosy spaces have influenced not just her interiors style, but her whole outlook on life. See Micaela's book Modern Upholstery: Discover the Joy of Transforming Your Furniture Follow her on Instagram New episode every Thursday, do subscriber to never miss an episode!

Architect, designer broadcaster and author Laura Jane Clark shares her personal journey through the three most significant rooms in her life, revealing how her childhood bedroom, first flat, and current bedroom reflect her evolving design philosophy and love for colour ( especially red) space, and self-expression. Laura Jane Clark's Book: The Handbook of Home Design See more from Laura on Instagram and on her website New episode every Thursday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!