Music to my Ears: Comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist Deborah Frances-White
Comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast Deborah Frances-White joins our editorial assistant Freya Parr at her home in central London. She tells stories about sneaking into the opera when she first arrived in London from Australia, her experiences of music as part of the Jehovah’s Witness religion and the breadth of music she’s discovered through hosting The Guilty Feminist podcast
BBC Music Magazine speaks to comedian, author, screenwriter and host of the award-winning Guilty Feminist podcast Deborah Frances-White about the music that's shaped who she is today.
Started in 2015, the comedy podcast has now gained over 70 million downloads and explores topics related to 21st-century feminism and the insecurities and hypocrises that sometimes exist within them.
As well as creating The Guilty Feminist, Deborah has also hosted the Radio 4 series Deborah Frances-White Rolls the Dice, in which she told stories about her adoption in Australia and the quest to find her biological family. She’s also written a book titled The Guilty Feminist as a spin-off from the podcast, and in 2019 released her first feature film, Say My Name.
A longtime opera lover, Deborah has featured many musicians on The Guilty Feminist podcast over the years, such as sopranos Danielle De Niese and Nadine Benjamin, mezzo Jamie Barton and composer Errollyn Wallen.
Our editorial assistant Freya Parr spoke to Deborah after the first lockdown was eased at her home in central London.
Recordings featured:
Kyrie (from the soundtrack to Fleabag)
Isobel Waller Bridge
Mozart: Cosi fan tutte: ‘Soave sia il vento’
Cecilia Bartoli, John Tomlinson, Berlin Philharmonic/Daniel Barenboim
Erato 2292454752
Handel: Messiah: Hallelujah!
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
Harmonia Mundi HAX890897274
Errollyn Wallen: Jerusalem
Recorded at the 2020 BBC Proms
Amrit Kaur: Bloodline
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