Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Businesswoman best known for transforming Ann Summers into a female-focused brand through women-only at-home sales parties.
On the island
Eight records
Well I've chosen Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper really because this was all about the Anne Summers party plan. It was empowering and just having all these amazing women going out there doing great things and feeling really confident. It just says everything about how fun that time was.
this is a classic record, but it does remind me of my teenage years, it reminds me of wearing these denim platform boots that I actually had to walk down the stairs on my bottom. They were so high. And actually my first boyfriend, so it's quite nostalgic for me.
I Was Made for Loving You, which was my soft rock phase. It was when I met my first husband, Tony. I was only twenty at the time.
It reminds me of my sister, Vanessa. We are best friends, joined at the hit, we do everything together. And I just remember her singing this and dancing in the clubs. But it was also at a time when business was just taking off and we flew all of these party plan girls out to Jersey in a chartered jet.
it reminds me of the one period in my life when I was single for three years. I'd split up from my husband, I'd met somebody else and had a long-term relationship there and then felt sorry for myself for a while and then my girlfriends, my girl tribe rallied around and I just had an awesome three years.
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor
this reminds me of when I met my second husband, my second and final husband, Dan, who I've been married to for eight years, but we've been together for eighteen years. And he's the most lovely husband I could have. I love him to bits, and this one reminds me of him.
Wishing on a StarFavourite
in memory of Alfie, I've chosen one of my favourite all timer songs. It was also the song we played at his funeral, which is Wishing on a Star by Rose Royce.
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
it reminds me of 2015 and actually I received it in 2016, my CBE in the New Year's Honours, which is the probably the most memorable time in my career. And it just reminds me of celebration.
In conversation
Presenter asks
2:06So you describe your company as a female institution. How does that manifest? What are you trying to do for women?
I mean, female sort of empowerment has always been at the heart of everything we do. When I joined Ann Summers, you know, it was a very male dominated business. I made a decision right at the beginning that there were going to be no men at the parties. And the parties in particular it was just fantastic to see women suddenly come out of their shells, talk to each other about their sex lives, you know, share their stories, try on underwear without feeling uncomfortable.
Presenter asks
2:39How different is the reality of the business from people's preconceptions about it?
I remember years and years ago getting in a taxi and saying, Oh, could you take me to Anne Summers' head office? And he said, as we drew up, he said, You're not going in there, are you? And I said, yes, I am. Why? Oh, you know what goes on in there. I said, no, tell me. And I think he had this vision of women walking around in thigh-high PVC boots. And, you know, it could be nothing further from the truth. Yes, it's fun. But, you know, this is a serious business and a business that I'm incredibly passionate about.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
Rhonda Byrne
Okay, well I'm going to take The Secret by Rhonda Byrne simply because I need lots of positive energy and I need to be able to see the vision that I'm off at the end.
The luxury
I'm very grumpy if I don't have a good night's sleep. So my luxury item would be a feather pillow.
Your parents divorced when you were twelve, and your teens were traumatic. You've described being sexually abused from the age of twelve. What sort of impact did that have on you?
it was a negative period in my life that lasted three years. It was very difficult. I try not to think about it too much because, you know, I'm such a positive person. But what I can say is that adversity has helped shape the person that I am today. I'm very resilient. I'm very strong. And I think that, you know, everybody deals with these things differently. For me, focusing on the positive, focusing on the future. And what I can do to feel empowered. You know, I had a lot of Saturday jobs, for example, when I was very young. I worked in hairdressers, I worked as a waitress, I worked for Royal Dalton, and I worked at the airfield. All of these things were great for me because it helped to start building my confidence and it helped to give me financial independence, which was really important to me. Because it wasn't just about that physical abuse. There was also what I explained to you about my mum. Although I loved her, she was that held me back.
Presenter asks
10:20Since the Me Too movement, what do you think needs to change to help survivors [of sexual abuse]?
Whilst this has shone a light on people's difficulties, it's important that that happens and I think the Me Too campaign will go on and on and on. And I think that it's understandable that women didn't speak out at the time. First of all, there's that huge fear that nobody's going to believe you. And then there's a fear. Did I contribute to this in some way? No, you didn't, But I think it's sometimes in our nature to sort of look inward and and sort of take blame and I think that's just the way we're brought up. And I feel very strongly about how we bring up our children. We need to empower women from the point they're little girls, you know. This is about treating boys and girls exactly the same, not just giving all of the household choice to the little girl. No wonder when the boys do well and reach the boardroom they expect the women to pour the tea. And obviously bringing our boys up to respect women and respect those boundaries.
Presenter asks
17:23What was it like taking that [party plan] concept to the board, who I presume back then were much older than you and all men?
It was really quite difficult. You know, there was about half a dozen, maybe more, grey suited middle aged men sitting round a table. And I remember talking through the idea. And one man stood up, He threw his pen down on the table. He said, This isn't going to work, is it? Women aren't even interested in sex. And I remember wanting to sort of choke at the time on my drink, thinking, oh my god, this says a lot more about your sex life than it does about my idea. But obviously I couldn't say that because I needed the investment. … I did manage to get the board to invest. I think they invested something like £40,000. And I used that money to advertise in the London Evening Standard.
Presenter asks
26:38[Your twins] Suwalfi and Scarlett were born in 2009, but Alfie was never well enough to come home. How did the two of you get through that?
I struggled, I really struggled on a number of le levels. First of all, I'd been told at about 12 weeks that one of my babies had a fatal abnormality and that he wouldn't survive the birth. So there was an assumption that he would pass naturally. But when you have two babies inside you, that's very hard to accept, understand, rationalise. And I sort of grieved for my baby while he was in the womb. … when my babies were born, Alfie did survive the birth, and he was crying when he was born, but not as babies do. He was crying because he was in pain. You know, that no mother should ever have to go through that and hear hear her child cry in pain.
“I was a sparrow of a child to look at. I was really tiny and looked so much younger than my years. And I was really timid, really shy. And one thing I've learnt in later life, you know, you're not born shy.”
“I remember talking through the idea. And one man stood up, He threw his pen down on the table. He said, This isn't going to work, is it? Women aren't even interested in sex. And I remember wanting to sort of choke at the time on my drink, thinking, oh my god, this says a lot more about your sex life than it does about my idea.”
“Alfie did survive the birth, and he was crying when he was born, but not as babies do. He was crying because he was in pain. You know, that no mother should ever have to go through that and hear hear her child cry in pain.”
“I desperately want my daughter to grow up believing she can be whatever she wants to be, and I want her to have bundles of confidence that I didn't have when I was her age and when I was growing up.”