Ep 44: Callum Scott Howells

05/03/22 • 48 min

Hold on to your tissues because you might shed happy and sad tears because in today's episode we are joined by the star of It’s A Sin, Callum Scott Howells!
***And before we go any further, if you haven’t watched It’s A Sin yet, be warned there are serious plot spoilers in this episode***
It’s A Sin - which is nominated for a whopping 11 awards at this year’s Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards - is the definition of a game changing show. Created by the iconic, Russel T Davies (the man behind the likes of Queer as Folk, Years & Years and Doctor Who) the show explores the lives and loves of group of queer youngsters beginning a new life in 1980s London and soon find themselves struck by the HIV pandemic, ignored by most of the world at the time.
In his Virgin Media BAFTA TV Best Supporting Actor nominated performance, Callum plays the much loved Colin, a young Welsh lad who moves to London to become a tailor and experience queer life for the first time but is eventually devastated by the virus. Colin’s diagnosis scene (it makes me cry just thinking about it ANYONE ELSE?!?) which shows him flanked by allies and his mother is also nominated for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment Award at this year’s Virgin Media BAFTA TV awards, too. The award celebrates the diversity of British TV, and the moments that got our nation talking, tweeting, laughing, crying and so much more in 2021 and Callum’s first ever on screen performance defines exactly that.
As we get ready for the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards - which you can also tune in and watch on BBC One on 8th May - in today’s episode we talk about the mental and emotional impact filming Colin’s diagnosis scene had on Callum, the resulting positive impact that It’s A Sin had on the way our society views HIV and Callum reflects on growing up in Wales and reveals how High School Musical helped find himself! WE LOVE TO HEAR IT, plus so much more!
Callum is just as loveable in real life as he is on screen so I hope you love listening to this episode and I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx
P.S. I can’t really believe that this and you will have heard all about it in the podcast but this very special episode of REIGN is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Media – proud sponsors of the British Academy Television Awards.
Virgin Media brings together all your favourite entertainment under one roof. And, as the only award at the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards that’s voted for by us, the public, Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment represents real TV fans and the moments we love!
It’s down to six unmissable TV moments, including Colin’s devastating AIDs diagnosis in It’s A Sin, which we’ve discussed in this episode. But there can be only one winner.
So who’ll be crowned Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment of 2021? You’ll have to tune in for this year’s Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards on 8th May at 6pm to find out! I’ll be joining you on the sofa in my evening wear finest! SEE YA THERE! X
P.P.S. I AM SO EXCITED THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SKINCARE BRANDS, KIEHL’S, FOR THIS SERIES OF REIGN!
I created Reign to celebrate women and start important conversations about equality and I am proud to partner with Kiehl’s who have done the same for over 170 years by supporting local communities through multiple charity partnerships.
In the spirit of feeling like our best selves, Kiehl’s have introduced a new cream formulation of their best selling Midnight Recovery Oil! Say hello to the Midnight Recovery Omega Rich Cloud Cream, which will not only help your skin look plumped, nourished and radiant, it will empower you to feel FABULOUS and take on anything!
It’s rich in Omegas 3 and 6 which help replenish...

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Ep 43: Kiernan Shipka

‘Sabrina’ fans, ‘Mad Men’ fans, and fans of a great convo, prepare yourselves because in this week’s episode we are joined by Kiernan Shipka.
To say Kiernan Shipka started acting early would be an understatement. She made her acting debut as a baby on ‘ER’ before going on to win the role of the sassy Sally Draper at just eight years old in the iconic show about the 1960s world of advertising, ‘Mad Men’. (If you missed it the first time around, it's on Netflix now!). Kiernan starred opposite her on-sceen parents January Jones and John Hamm and the likes of Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks for all seven seasons of the show, and even picked up a SAG award for Best Ensemble in a Drama series, TWICE!
Kiernan went on to be the darker version of Sabrina in ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ on Netflix for four seasons, which I was OBSESSED WITH... anyone else? And now at 22 years old, Kiernan is starring opposite former Reign guest Diane Kruger (check out her episode, it’s number 35 and dripping in tea!) and Donald Sutherland in ‘Swimming with Sharks’ which is available now on the ROKU channel.
The show follows Kiernan’s character, Lou, who starts an internship at Fountain Pictures in Hollywood, and whilst she may seem a little naive and awestruck by the studio’s notorious CEO, Joyce - played by Diane (who has the sassiest power bitch wardrobe known to mankind) - landing the internship was no happy accident. The drama is intense, and it even sees Kiernan’s first foray into intimate scenes on screen - powerfully led by the female characters (and it’s about time too!) - which not only sees her kissing Diane, but also had a strong impact on Kiernan as she tells us in this every episode!
Kiernan also talks about dealing with ‘nos’ for the first time after eight years on ‘Mad Men’, and she opens up about finding herself and her defining her idenity away from work after ‘Sabrina’ finished last year. Plus she reflects on her journey with mental health and what therapy has helped her to process.
I love what Kiernan has to say about not waiting for a moment to define your happiness and ensuring you have ‘a person to come home to within yourself,’ (what an epic quote about self love that is!) so I hope you find some inspiration for your own self love journey in this episode. If it’s your first time here, WELCOME TO THE QUEENDOM BABES, and I hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you loved this episode, too, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx
P.S. I AM SO EXCITED THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SKINCARE BRANDS, KIEHL’S, FOR THIS SERIES OF REIGN!
I created Reign to celebrate women and start important conversations about equality and I am proud to partner with Kiehl’s who have done the same for over 170 years by supporting local communities through multiple charity partnerships.
In the spirit of feeling like our best selves, Kiehl’s have introduced a new cream formulation of their best selling Midnight Recovery Oil! Say hello to the Midnight Recovery Omega Rich Cloud Cream, which will not only help your skin look plumped, nourished and radiant, it will empower you to feel FABULOUS and take on anything!
It’s rich in Omegas 3 and 6 which help replenish and rejuvenate skin, and with it only taking 7 nights to younger looking skin - I’ll race you to the nearest Kiehl’s store! Or you can shop on kiehls.co.uk

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Next Episode

Ep 45: It's A Sin: Real Life Stories

If you have just listened to our epic episode with Callum Scott Howells and loved It’s A Sin as much as I did, this episode dives into the issues raised in both. Today we are joined by two incredible and inspirational people who have been directly impacted by HIV: Jill Nalder who It’s A Sin’s character, Jill, is based on and Eugene Lynch who was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and is now a Senior Positive Voices Coordinator at the Terrence Higgins Trust.
In case you haven’t watched It’s A Sin yet - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN – the show which is nominated for 11 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards - explores the lives and loves of group of queer youngsters beginning a new life in 1980s London and soon find themselves struck by the HIV pandemic, ignored by most of the world at the time. Created by the iconic Russel T Davies, the show is now nominated for an incredible 11 awards at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards including a nomination for Colin’s diagnosis scene - played powerfully by Callum Scott Howells - for the Virgin Media Must See Moment Award.
In this episode Jill Nalder who was not only the inspiration for Jill Baxter in the show, the character played by Lydia West (check out Lydia’s Reign episode - it’s episode four!) but also plays her onscreen mother, reflects on losing a number of close friends in the 1980s who were affected by the HIV pandemic. She also talks powerfully about allyship whilst looking back on her own experience of supporting her friends through this time, taking them tests and visiting them in hospital.
Eugene Lynch joins us to talk about his own journey from his diagnosis with HIV to today, the reality of living with HIV today and looks back on the progress we have made with society’s approach to HIV and what we can do to eradicate the stigma that still persists.
Plus Jill and Eugene talk about the incredible work of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity which offers support, information and advice services for those living with HIV and affected by HIV or poor sexual health. This year marks 40 years since the death of Terry Higgins - one of the first people in the UK to die from an AIDS-related illness - and the formation of the charity in his name. And for 40 years their vision is for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination, and good sexual health is a right and reality for all.
Both Jill and Eugene share some truly inspirational stories and advice we all need to listen to so I hope their stories strike a chord with you, like they did with me. I hope you love listening to this episode and I also hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives. If you love this episode, please get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxx
P.S. If you have been affected by any of the content raised in this episode, are living with HIV yourself or you know someone that is, please head to The Terrence Higgins Trust.
And while It’s A Sin centers on a group of gay men in London, Terrence Higgins Trust continues to work with a whole host of different people as HIV can, and does, affect anyone of any age, sexuality, ethnicity or gender. Despite this, 77% of UK adults have never had a HIV test. Routine testing needs to be increased to find people living with undiagnosed HIV in the UK.
For more information on testing, for support of for more information visit tht.org.uk
P.P.S I can’t really believe that this and you will have heard all about it in the podcast but this very special episode of REIGN is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Media – proud sponsors of the British Academy Television Awards.
Virgin Media brings together all your favourite entertainment under one roof. And, as the only award at the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards that’s voted for by us, the...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices