I don’t like Steven Bartlett. In fact, I’ve said some pretty unkind things about him behind his back. In my defence, when I say I don’t like him, I mean it in the abstract sense. It’s not about Steven, the man himself, because it’s most definitely a ‘me’ problem. So, when I saw he was a panellist at a beauty event I was attending, I wanted to see the man in action with my own eyes.
You see, when I received an invitation from NIOD, the skincare brand whose focus is ‘skin optimisation’ I put it in the diary immediately. I’ve known the brand’s Founder and CEO Nicola Kilner for years and always love hearing her insights on product formulations and the innovations in beauty, but then I saw Steven was on the panel so the event immediately became a three-line-whip.
I know, you’re wondering why I’ve taken such a dislike to Steven and it’s embarrasingly predictable - jealousy.
I started my podcast in 2016, which in the UK podcasting space, makes me something of an OG/early adopter, but the truth is, I spent as much of the first 18 months of the podcast explaining to people what podcasts were as I did recording episodes but eventually podcasting became a viral medium and more and more people started to listen.
The beauty of podcasting, back in those early days, was how rough and ready they were and how imperfect they could be. Having come from a background of glossy best-selling magazines and high-production television, I found the informality of podcasts engaging and endearing. I’d turn up at people’s homes or offices, plug in my microphones as we cosied up on their sofa or around their kitchen table all while my little H6 Zoom captured our conversation. It gave those early podcasts a sense that you were an invited guest to something a little more intimate than just a straightforward interview. It’s why I loved my conversation with Jonathan Van Ness recently, which was a podcast recorded in an event space downstairs at Space NK in Chelsea and Jonathan helped me untangle the microphone leads that had become knotted in my tote bag. Jonathan is an OG podcaster too and agreed that the informality of the medium was what drew them to the space too.
Now, Steven’s not the only one who has done this but he is arguably the one doing it best because he entered the space with a level of production and sway that made him stand out above the rest. Filmed in his home so you can watch video as well as audio, numerous clips and edits that flood all the social media platforms to get as many eyes and ears on the show as possible. He gamified the space and he did it really, really well. It’s the reason his podcast is the most popular in Europe and why he is constantly in the No. 1 spot on the podcast charts.
Steven and I have also interviewed many of the same guests: Chris Voss, Evy Poumpouras, Dr Ramani Durvasula, Lisa Bilyeu, Johann Hari, Wim Hof, and Raphael Rowe to name a few. We’ve both come at those interviews from a similar angle; interrogating our guests about how best to navigate health, mental health, general well-being the challenges of life, so that our listeners can take away what they need.
But here’s the rub; it costs the listener the same - in this case nothing - to tune into Steven’s highly produced and professionally edited podcast as it does for them to tune into mine, which does not deliver the same level of production. Or, indeed, familiarity because Steven is a household name, a known face as a Dragon on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den and a best-selling author.
Podcasting also went through a transformation where the audio format became audio and video, which increases production value hugely. In 2023, I spent a five-figure sum on video production and professional editing and it didn’t move the needle for me in terms of attracting or engaging more listeners because you can have as much HD content as you like, but if you can’t play the algorithm, select, edit and post the clips you know will go viral on social media then there’s really no point. All that social media wizardry and algorithm-playing would have, at the very least, doubled the investment I’d already made.
So, if Steven is the 6-star hotel with amazing sea views and first-class amenities and I’m the 3-star family-run B&B down the road, which is beautifully kept but a bit rough around the edges and they cost you the same, which one are you going to choose?
It’s not fair to target Steven because in lockdown it seemed as though every celebrity and reality TV star started a highly-produced podcast and where the Top 10 charts used to be full of independent podcasts and broadly unknown podcasters, almost every single one in the Top 100 right now is produced by a studio or massive media organisation. But that’s just business and it’s a story as old as time.
Believe it or not, despite the tone of harrumphing in this column, I have made peace with the changing landscape of podcasting and even though I am jealous of Steven, I also admire what he and his team have been able to achieve. And, I don’t hate Steven, obviously I don’t. He’s an engaging speaker, was captivating as a panellist at the NIOD event and was extremely charming to everyone who wanted to speak to him or have a photograph (I am eagle-eyed and watched him carefully before I swooped in for my own snap) despite the fact he was on a tight schedule and his team were attempting to usher him out of the event.
I was close on his heels though as I hotfooted it from NIOD’s brand immersion over to Watchhouse in Liverpool St to see the latest launch from CeraVe, which just so happens to be America’s best-selling serum, the Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum.
Vitamin C is one of the gold-standard skincare ingredients because of its proven impact on the function of the skin. It brightens, smooths and can even out skin tone but Vitamin C is also a highly volatile ingredient and it can be tricky to formulate. However, this has become a hot favourite in the US because it is so easily tolerated and gets results because they’ve managed to create a formulation with 10% Vitamin C and a host of ceramides and hyaluronic acid so it’s quenching and gentle, making it suitable for sensitive skins.
Testament to quite how wonderful this product is, my friend, the consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite was on hand to talk through the formula, how best to use it and what results were reasonable to expect with continued used. Watch this space, as I’ll be testing and trialling this imminently.
After getting rained on in some of the most hideously wet weather I’ve ever seen in July, I ventured back into London for another day of meetings in full Millennial cosplay: a slicked-back bun, centre parting and a pair of New Balance 327s. It needed a flourish though and Lisa Eldridge’s Baume Embrace Melting Lip Colour in Red Curve (which I reviewed here) was perfect.
First stop was the Vuori press day at 1 Hotel in Mayfair. Activewear has come a long way from band tees and cycling shorts and this brand has managed to combine style and substance. I’ve had a couple of pieces for about a year, wear them frequently and they’ve yet to show any signs of wear and they somehow manage to be thin yet sturdy, comfortable yet supportive and genuinely the thing I reach for first when I go to work out. It’s premium activewear but if you go to their store on Long Acre, or wait until their flagship opens on Regent St later this year, and run your hands through the rails, you’ll understand exactly what I mean…
It’s been a while since I caught up with my friend Jodie Cariss who I met when we recorded an episode of my podcast together last year. She’s the co-founder of Self Space and has become a dear friend so we booked in a long overdue lunch at Polpo in Soho.
Over clam linguine (me), garlic prawns (her) we had a catch up to end all catch ups and she even cast her professional eye over a feature I’m writing for this very Substack on mental health. Jodie is a psychotherapist and Self Space is a brilliant on-demand mental health space on the high street, which she pioneered with her business partner Chance Marshall so her perspective on my piece titled, ‘Why I Won’t Leverage my Mental Health for Likes’ was one I was keen to hear. I also popped into the Self Space on Brewer St, right in the heart of Soho, and it’s a wonderfully calm escape from the bustle of Central London.
I shan’t bore you with the admin I’ve been trawling through but I did share another seven videos on my Instagram this week so if you want some honest product reviews or to see what I chose from the ‘gifting suite’ at the Vuori press day then head over to @emmaguns now and let me know whether you agree with my choice or need any more info on those beauty buys.
Until next week…
Id always pick 3 stars as it feels like a much more personal experience 😊 and some 5 stars can be a bit full of themselves 🤣 I've always loved your podcasts Emma and still listen to them as podcasts. YouTube to me is a completely separate platform. Xx