First look: Jill Halfpenny on the war we make of work

From The Monastery To The Mic With Alfie Joey | Before the Work Begins Podcast

This week, Jo chats to broadcaster, comedian, illustrator and all-round North East favourite Alfie Joey about a life that’s taken him from a County Durham pit village to a monastery, onto the stand-up stand and behind the mic on BBC Radio Newcastle. They talk about the very ordinary shape of his mornings now – kettles on, school runs, and calls from the kitchen table – and why an online body-doubling site called Focusmate has become his antidote to procrastination when he’s working from home. Alfie also reflects on 15 years in a religious order, the shock of swapping early prayers for late-night comedy clubs, giving up booze and even chocolate completely, and how drawing children’s books at 3am became the quiet ritual that kept him sane during daily radio. He and Jo also revisit the day he and his double-act partner took their A–Z of impressions onto Britain’s Got Talent and walked away with four yeses, and why he now loves helping businesses and charities find the human story in what they do. Plus: parkruns, buffet disasters, and the real answer to how “healthy” a former monk actually is at breakfast. Follow Jo on Instagram: @johuttonyoga [https://www.instagram.com/johuttonyoga/] Follow Alfie’s art account on Instagram: @alfiejoey.art [http://alfiejoey.art] Read Jo's Substack: https://www.yogafortiredpeople.com/ [https://www.yogafortiredpeople.com/] Check out Alfie’s website: https://alfiejoey.com/ [https://alfiejoey.com/] New episodes every Wednesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. To hear more, visit: https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com/ [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beforetheworkbegins.substack.com [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Writing What Scares You With Clover Stroud | Before the Work Begins Podcast

What do creative people really do before their work begins? Jo Hutton, author of best-selling Substack Yoga for Tired People, sits down with the movers and shakers of the creative industry to find out what their mornings actually look like. This week Jo is joined by Clover Stroud, writer and author, to talk about confessional writing, grief, and what keeps drawing her back to the page. They cover the losses that have shaped her life and work, the cultural shift in how personal storytelling is received, and why Substack has changed things for writers like Clover. Plus what her relationship with horses has taught her, and how writing the hardest things down can end up being the most generous thing you offer a reader. Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-the-work-begins/id1893617752 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-the-work-begins/id1893617752] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J3V6u8aySnRETRDt0UqUQ?si=94c887fc9a544827 [https://open.spotify.com/show/3J3V6u8aySnRETRDt0UqUQ?si=94c887fc9a544827]Follow Clover Stroud: Website: https://www.cloverstroud.com/ [https://www.cloverstroud.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clover.stroud/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/clover.stroud/?hl=en] Substack: https://cloverstroud.substack.com/ [https://cloverstroud.substack.com/] Follow Jo Hutton: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johuttonyoga/ [https://www.instagram.com/johuttonyoga/] Substack: https://substack.com/@johuttonyoga [https://substack.com/@johuttonyoga] Yoga For Tired People YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC0o72ykjQgSAP0RPTeISbvA [https://www.youtube.com/@UC0o72ykjQgSAP0RPTeISbvA] Produced by  @moja_social  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC47qU05gJNrXz1zcVYrDVhg] New episodes every Wednesday. 🎙️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beforetheworkbegins.substack.com [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Lights, Camera, Meditation! With Jill Halfpenny | Before the Work Begins Podcast

What do creative people really do before their work begins? Jo Hutton, author of best-selling Substack Yoga for Tired People, sits down with the movers and shakers of the creative industry to find out what their mornings actually look like. This week, Jo sits down with actress and North East icon Jill Halfpenny for a warm, wide-ranging chat about what life really looks like when the cameras aren't rolling. From Waterloo Road and Byker Grove to The Feud and her newest show Number One Fan, they cover the mental toll of playing characters in constant distress, why Jill spent years thinking structure was the enemy of creativity, and how moving back to the Northeast mid-pandemic turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made. Oh, and the correct strategy for a hotel breakfast buffet. Follow Jill on Instagram: @jillhalfpenny [https://www.instagram.com/jillhalfpenny/] Follow Jo on Instagram:  @johuttonyoga [https://www.instagram.com/johuttonyoga/] Read Jo's Substack: Yoga for Tired People [https://happyyoga.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips] New episodes every Wednesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎙️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beforetheworkbegins.substack.com [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Before the Work Begins | Podcast Trailer

What do creative people do before their work begins? Author of best-selling Substack Yoga for Tired People, Jo Hutton interviews the movers and shakers of the creative industry to discover what their mornings actually look like. Breakfast included. New episodes every Wednesday.🎙️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beforetheworkbegins.substack.com [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

First look: Jill Halfpenny on the war we make of work

Jill Halfpenny has graced our screens for over 20 years, walking some of Britain's most famous streets in Byker Grove, EastEnders and Waterloo Road, getting her dancing shoes on as a Strictly Come Dancing winner, and most recently starring in The Jetty. If you've ever watched her work, you'll know she brings everything she has to it every single time. Jill is one of Britain's most beloved actors and she is one of the most honest, grounded, generous people I've had the pleasure of sitting down with. The full episode drops on 13th May. This is just the trailer. Trust me, you'll want to set a reminder. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beforetheworkbegins.substack.com [https://beforetheworkbegins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]