Mo Gilligan: Beginning, Middle & End

She taught Dizzee Rascal science, became a doctor on EastEnders and once escaped a comedy gig through a toilet window. Shazia Mirza has some stories to tell 😂This week, Mo Gilligan sits down with Shazia for a hilarious, candid conversation about growing up in a strict Pakistani household in Birmingham and finding her voice as a Muslim woman in British comedy.Shazia shares why Dizzee still calls her “Miss”, how her parents finally got the doctor they’d always wanted, and what it took to keep going through brutal gigs, racism and the pressure of having every joke scrutinised.Plus: the Black comedy circuit that backed her, an unexpected post-show food stop in Singapore, and the joy of performing for Muslim women who finally get to hear their own experiences on stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From pirate radio to “21 Seconds”, So Solid Crew helped change the sound of British music. But what happened when their first lady had to find her own voice?Lisa Maffia joins Mo Gilligan on The Beginning, Middle and End for a funny, honest and emotional conversation about the moments everyone remembers — and the struggles they didn’t see.She takes us inside the iconic “21 Seconds” video, remembers So Solid’s unforgettable BRIT Awards win and opens up about the loneliness of going solo. Lisa also reveals why she refused to distance herself from the crew, the pressure of becoming a pop star before she felt ready, and what being on reality TV has taught her.Plus: Audi TTs, superstar encounters, starting new chapters in your 40s and the faith that helped ground her through her mum’s cancer diagnosis.For Mo, So Solid were superheroes. This is a chance to meet the woman behind the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Homeland changed his career. But David Harewood says it took 40 years to become a leading actor on British television. Why did he have to leave the UK to get his shot?David joins Mo Gilligan for a funny, frank and deeply personal conversation about the roles he was denied, the racism he faced playing Shakespeare, and the move to America that changed everything.He opens up about his mental health breakdown, recovery and why speaking publicly about psychosis became one of his proudest achievements. Plus, the meeting where Idris Elba announced he was heading to America, seeing Daniel Kaluuya go from schoolboy to Oscar winner, and David’s honest take on the debate over British actors playing American roles.Mo also shares the criticism that pushed him towards stand-up and why making his Netflix chicken documentary became the hardest thing he’s ever done. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Shango had given up on acting. His agent convinced him to do one more audition. Seventy-two hours later, the phone rang. The Trigger Point actor joins Mo Gilligan on Beginning, Middle & End to reveal the story behind his breakthrough, from grief and money worries to landing a role alongside Vicky McClure—and asking her name because he had no idea who she was. Eric shares the advice Vicky gave him that stayed with him, why he stopped waiting for auditions to arrive, and the reality of going from life on set to wondering when the next job will come. He also opens up about therapy, his Congolese roots, and a letter he wrote as a teenager asking for a chance to change his family’s future. There’s laughter, Arsenal debate, and an honest conversation about keeping faith when the dream feels out of reach. Watch or listen to the full episode, and subscribe to Beginning, Middle & End with Mo Gilligan for more stories behind the people you know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chase & Status join Mo Gilligan on Beginning, Middle & End to share the stories behind the music — from bedroom decks and Manchester raves to arena shows.They reveal how “Duppy Man” changed everything, why some of their biggest tracks didn’t land on the first play, and how they bring out the best in collaborators including IRAH, Little Simz and Stormzy. Plus: working with Rihanna, the inspiration behind Generic Everything, and their thoughts on AI, club culture and staying hungry for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a chance appearance on Blind Date to becoming a familiar face on British television, Ortis Deley joins Mo Gilligan to talk about the opportunities, setbacks and unforgettable moments behind his career.Ortis reveals how a pharmacy student ended up presenting on Trouble and Live & Kicking, revisits his memorable Rihanna interview, and shares what happened when his 2011 live athletics coverage went wrong — a setback he says stalled his career for two years.There are stories from The Gadget Show, high-speed chases on Police Interceptors, and plenty of laughs about why jungle life isn’t for him. Plus, Ortis reflects on Black representation on screen and why hearing “you were my childhood” means more to him than an award. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before influencers, daily vlogs and creators turning their lives into TV, Stevo The Madman was already doing it.Stevo joins Mo Gilligan for a hilarious and surprisingly revealing conversation about the journey from professional football and producing grime records to becoming one of the most recognisable personalities of the early UK social media era.Stevo takes us back to producing music around Skepta, Dexplicit and the grime scene, playing professional football, working as a van driver and accidentally finding an audience by simply filming the madness happening around him.He also tells the incredible story of filming a comedy sketch with a realistic BB gun that ended with ARMED POLICE surrounding him, spending eight hours in a cell and having to convince officers that he was actually making comedy.They get into the rise of Snapchat, Filthy Fellas, building an audience of more than a million followers, pulling huge viewing numbers before the platform was properly monetised, turning his family life into must-watch entertainment and why translating that raw energy to traditional TV proved much harder than expected.Stevo also opens up about watching his daughters grow up, his relationship with his audience, why he nearly tried stand-up, and his plans to reinvent the original Stevo format through live streaming and The Mad House.A proper look back at one of the pioneers of UK creator culture — and a reminder of just how far ahead of the game Stevo really was.👇 What was the FIRST Stevo The Madman video or Snapchat story you remember watching?LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE for more conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From being given away at just three months old in Jamaica to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television, Mr Motivator’s story is much bigger than Lycra and morning workouts.In this episode of Beginning Middle End, Mo Gilligan sits down with the legendary Mr Motivator — Derrick Evans — for an incredible conversation about resilience, fatherhood, ambition, health and the extraordinary journey that made him a household name.Mr Motivator opens up about arriving in Britain as a child, facing prejudice, becoming a single father, experiencing homelessness and taking whatever jobs he could to keep food on the table. He also reveals the entrepreneurial ventures that came before television, the business mistake that cost him everything, and the TEN-YEAR pursuit that eventually led to his breakthrough on GMTV.He shares the remarkable story of advertisers initially refusing to back a Black man doing fitness on breakfast television — before viewers jammed the phone lines demanding more.From selling 1.2 MILLION copies of his first fitness video and working out with some of the world’s biggest stars, to his incredible resurgence during lockdown, receiving an MBE and now tackling bed poverty through Mr Motivator’s Bed Bank, this is a story about refusing to stop moving — whatever life throws at you.At 73, Mr Motivator says he plans on making it to 114. After hearing this conversation, you might believe him.Watch to the end for some brilliant stories involving Tony Blair, Luther Vandross, Cindy Crawford and why Mo finally has to promise Mr Motivator he’ll get on a bike.👇 What’s YOUR earliest memory of Mr Motivator? Let us know in the comments.👍 Like the episode, subscribe and share it with someone who needs a little motivation today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From accidentally discovering stand-up through a pop-up ad to becoming a breakout star of Taskmaster, Fatiha El-Ghorri’s route into comedy has been anything but conventional.Fatiha joins Mo Gilligan for a hilarious, honest and surprisingly emotional conversation about the reality behind her rise — including starting comedy after her second divorce, being heckled as a Muslim woman, dealing with the pressure of representing a community and why giving her unsolicited comedy advice might be a very bad idea.She also opens up about what viewers never saw during Taskmaster: while she was making people laugh on screen, Fatiha was privately going through a painful breakup and crying between takes.Plus, Fatiha talks about her huge family, her debut tour Cockney Stacking Doll, Edinburgh nerves, her upcoming novel The Peaks of My Hijab and the moment her success allowed her to send her mum on a pilgrimage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chip has been doing this for TWO DECADES… and he’s STILL got bars. 🔥Mo Gilligan sits down with one of the UK’s most respected MCs to go all the way back — from selling CDs in the playground and tearing up pirate radio as a teenager, to MOBO wins, number one records, moving to Atlanta, working with T.I. and Chris Brown, and becoming one of the most fearless clash MCs Britain has produced.Chip opens up about the story behind Oopsy Daisy, making pop records when parts of the grime scene questioned him, recording diss tracks AND videos within hours, and why he believes today’s clash culture has moved away from the art of simply proving who’s the better MC.But after achieving most of his musical bucket list by 21, the conversation takes a more personal turn. Chip talks candidly about the years of normal life he missed, rebuilding his relationship with his mum, finding happiness away from music and why these days something as simple as going for a walk can mean more than performing two shows in Dubai.From 16-year-old grime prodigy to 20-year veteran, this is Chip looking back on the moments, decisions, clashes and sacrifices that made him.What era did YOU first discover Chip? 👇 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.