Talking To The Living

"I'm Very Spiritual": The Strictly Star, Her Journey And A Live Reading • Flavia Cacace

Flavia Cacace moved from Naples to Guildford at five, too shy to speak a word of English. She grew up to win the Strictly Glitterball twice, earn two Olivier nominations and dance beside Vincent Simone for 25 years. In this episode of Talking to the Living, Stuart Michael sits down with Flavia Cacace-Mistry to trace a life built almost entirely on instinct. They go back to the shy child in a Guildford dance hall, the tango film that pulled her and Vincent onto television, the 2012 final she won with gymnast Louis Smith and the trip to Paris where actor Jimi Mistry proposed with a poem. Then the conversation turns, and Stuart reads what he senses is coming for her, from a production company in her own name to a home abroad. He also unpicks a strange recurring dream about a Land Rover and what it says about how fast she wants her next chapter to arrive. If you have ever watched Strictly and wondered what the professionals are really like off camera, or you have ever asked whether the universe is quietly nudging you toward your next move, this one is for you. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Cold open: one of the OGs, and the choice that changed everything (00:01:53) Meet Flavia Cacace, born in Naples, youngest of six (00:03:27) The shy girl who learned English in six months (00:06:16) The mum who pushed her to dance, and Hurley's in Guildford (00:09:20) Medals first, then the competitive floor at 14 (00:11:55) Meeting Vincent Simone, two southern Italians who met in the UK (00:19:04) An Argentine tango film, Dance Fever and the road to Strictly (00:24:45) The crossroads: join the show or chase the world championships (00:31:37) Russell Grant, mama Rose, and dancing with the celebrities (00:33:41) Falling for Jimi Mistry, and the surprise proposal in Paris (00:44:25) Winning the 2012 Glitterball with Louis Smith (00:48:36) Leaving Strictly for Midnight Tango and life on tour (00:52:17) "I'm very spiritual": crystals, angel cards and a reading from Stuart (00:57:31) The future Stuart sees: a production company and a home abroad (01:09:07) The recurring dream, decoded (01:13:03) What's next: tap shoes, new skills and never standing still GUEST Flavia Cacace-Mistry, Strictly Champion and Olivier-Nominated Dancer Website: https://flaviacacace.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancewithflavia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flavia.cacacemistry LISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPH Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417 FOLLOW STUART MICHAEL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic

From A Glasgow Council Flat To Casualty: Kirsty Mitchell's Story

Kirsty Mitchell has played Faith in Casualty for nearly seven years. Before that she trained as a ballet dancer from the age of 15, acted opposite Robert Duvall and played the warrior queen Boudica, and then she lost her mum. In this episode of Talking to the Living, Stuart Michael sits down with Kirsty Mitchell to trace a life that runs from a one-room flat in Possilpark to ballet school in London, Hollywood and the cast of Casualty. Kirsty talks about the brutal years of dance training, the mystery illness that cost her three years when no doctor would believe her and the role she landed just two days after deciding to come home. Then the conversation turns to grief. Both she and Stuart lost their mums, and they talk about how that loss changed them and why Kirsty stopped being a skeptic. If you've ever followed Faith through Casualty and wondered about the woman who plays her, or lost someone and quietly hoped they were still close, this one is for you. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Cold open: ballet school, and meeting the actress behind Faith in Casualty (00:01:41) How Kirsty found Stuart: a lost dog and a message that landed (00:04:16) Growing up in Glasgow: a one-room flat, and a dad at the BBC (00:05:55) Ballet school at 15: brutal, lonely and far from home (00:13:03) From dancer to actress: quitting modelling and landing Small Faces (00:18:28) Robert Duvall, A Shot at Glory and a fearless audition (00:22:00) Hollywood, Attila and starting over in LA (00:26:34) Three years lost to a mystery illness no one would believe (00:29:20) Two days, one audition: how Faith and Casualty happened (00:32:53) Why life experience beat drama school (00:35:37) Her fierce streak, and standing up to a brutal industry (00:43:12) Playing Boudica: channelling a warrior queen's courage (00:50:08) What's next: writing, producing and a farm full of dogs (00:52:09) Grief, and why Stuart won't let his shows be only about loss (00:55:13) Losing her mum, and going from skeptic to believer (01:00:28) Quick-fire: thrillers, dogs and will they meet again GUEST Kirsty Mitchell, Actress (Faith Cadogan in Casualty) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstymitchell/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstyMitchellOfficial/ LISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPH Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417 FOLLOW STUART MICHAEL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic

"I Think I Had A Breakdown" The Reality Of Showbiz TRAUMA and Public Divorce • Lizzie Cundy

Lizzie Cundy spent two decades in the spotlight as a television presenter, radio host and red carpet regular. She raised two sons, nursed her ex-husband through two bouts of cancer and survived a public breakdown after their 20-year marriage ended. At the start of 2026, her world fractured when her mother found her brother Peter dead after a sudden illness. In this episode of Talking to the Living, Stuart Michael sits down with Lizzie Cundy to explore her childhood surrounded by famous actors, her career longevity and her profound spiritual faith. Lizzie reveals the messages she sends to her late brother, the strange signs showing up in her house and a major new business project unfolding in Los Angeles. Stuart also steps in to decode her recent recurring nightmares about saving her children from deep water. If you have ever carried doubts about the afterlife, struggled to perform through deep personal grief or wondered if a passed loved one is still looking out for you, this one is for you. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro: Meet the fabulous Lizzie Cundy (00:02:04) Childhood in Richmond with an art director and a Jaeger model (00:05:56) Hustling the nuns to go to Top of the Pops (00:09:00) Meeting Chelsea's Jason Cundy at a nightclub (00:13:16) Facing divorce, testicular cancer battles and a public breakdown (00:20:16) Celebrity inner circles with Rylan, Ruth Langsford and Bruno Tonioli (00:23:01) How an ITV movie host audition saved Lizzie from her lowest moment (00:30:44) The unforgettable moment Simon Cowell walked into a VIP toilet mid-flow (00:33:48) Falling to her knees: learning of her brother Peter's sudden passing (00:39:55) How a tragic loss brought a broken family back together (00:45:37) Guidance from the other side and a secret new project in Los Angeles (00:55:45) Stuart Michael interprets nightmares about canoes, water and missing planes GUEST Lizzie Cundy, TV Presenter, Columnist and Radio Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizziecundy/ X: https://x.com/lizziecundy?lang=en LISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPH Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417 FOLLOW STUART MICHAEL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic

"I'm Not Frightened Of Dying. I'm Frightened Of Never Having Lived" | West End Star Mazz Murray

Mazz Murray spent ten years as the Killer Queen in We Will Rock You and another ten as Donna in Mamma Mia. Her dad wrote songs for The Beatles. Her mum toured with the Rolling Stones. She lost her best friend Bex on tour in Russia, and her mum to cancer not long after.In this episode of Talking to the Living, Stuart Michael sits down with Mazz to trace her journey from theatre school at nine to performing for the Queen at Buckingham Palace. They cover the showbiz dynasty she was born into, the heartbreak that makes the performances land, the night Mazz asked her late best friend for a sign, and what came through the next day.If you've ever performed through grief, lost someone too soon, or wondered whether the people you've loved are still close by, this one is for you.CHAPTERS(00:00:00) Cold open: heartbreak, Killer Queen and ten years in Mamma Mia(00:01:28) Childhood in a showbiz family(00:03:25) Mitch Murray, The Beatles and the song they refused to sing(00:05:05) The mum who toured with the Rolling Stones(00:21:09) From a Goldilocks tour van to Buckingham Palace for the Queen(00:24:53) "I don't think you can portray heartbreak unless you've had it"(00:25:45) Losing Bex on tour, and Bjorn from ABBA on understanding the Winner Takes It All(00:30:11) Performing through grief, and seeing her own sadness on old recordings(00:37:15) "I Am What I Am" and the song that explains her life(00:39:09) "I'm not frightened of dying. I'm frightened of never having lived"(00:42:20) The night Bex came through, the day before Stuart messaged(00:45:00) What's next for MazzGUESTMazz Murray, West End Singer and ActressInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazzmurray/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mazzmurray7 LISTENYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychicSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPHApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417FOLLOW STUART MICHAELInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychicFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic

"I Knew It Before I'd Even Been There" | Strictly's Lauren Oakley On Recurring Dreams

Stuart sits down with Lauren to trace the journey from her mum teaching her to dance at age two to the Strictly main stage. They cover the Burn the Floor years, what really goes on backstage in the boys' dressing room, the dreams she can't quite shake, and the crossroads she's standing at right now. Throughout, Stuart reads the room from both sides, and Bett steps in with the message Lauren needs when she needs it. If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind the sequins, or felt a quiet pull toward the idea that someone you love is still close by, this one is for you. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Cold open: Tom Hanks, New Orleans and a haircut you can't miss (00:01:13) Intro: meet Lauren Oakley from Strictly Come Dancing (00:01:46) The Strictly tour and coming home to Birmingham (00:04:36) How dance started: mum, age two and the long road (00:13:00) Backstage at Strictly: pranks, dressing rooms and good vibes (00:16:50) The closest thing to a mistake on a 24-year-old show (00:21:00) Dreams about water and what they really mean (00:25:30) The pull toward New Orleans, and Bett's first visit (00:28:30) Stuart on losing his mum and finding hypnotherapy (00:31:00) Four cats, yoga and a husband met over a $1 corona (00:37:30) Bett comes forward: the crossroads, kids and what's next (00:51:00) Championships, titles and the longevity Stuart sees ahead GUEST Lauren Oakley, Strictly Come Dancing professional Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmayoakley/ [https://www.instagram.com/laurenmayoakley/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenmayoakley [https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenmayoakley] LISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychic [https://www.youtube.com/@StuartMichaelPsychic] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPH [https://open.spotify.com/show/033cMvcyuZIDuS6xRqhdPH] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-the-living/id1896608417] FOLLOW STUART MICHAEL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychic [https://www.instagram.com/stuartmichaelpsychic] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychic [https://www.tiktok.com/@stuartmichaelpsychic] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic [https://www.facebook.com/stuartmichaelpsychic]