Layton Williams’ life in the limelight began aged eight, when he took on the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical on the West End, before becoming a regular on the stage and screen – including roles in the BBC’s Beautiful People and Bad Education. This year, he takes on his biggest challenge yet as the lead in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the award-winning musical inspired by the true story of a 16-year-old boy chasing his drag-queen dreams Hi Layton! You opened Everybody's Talking About

After much anticipation, ITV’s 'Victoria' is returning to our screens for a third season. Shining in the role of Nancy Skerrett, Nell Hudson’s character marks the start of a revolutionary moment for social mobility as we watch her rise through the pompery and drama of the royal household to become the Queen’s dresser. But after the clapperboard calls cut, Nell is whipping up a revolution of her own; speaking out about body positivity, and challenging the ‘invisible forces’ that hold all of us ba

It may be her first ever on-screen role, but Charly Clive proves herself to be one to watch as she takes the lead in Channel 4’s new drama, ‘Pure’. Inspired by the memoir by Rose Bretécher, Charly’s character Marnie navigates friendship, love and life in a new city, all while struggling with intense intrusive sexual thoughts – a common, but relatively unknown, symptom of OCD. As ‘Pure’ enters its fourth week on our screens, we chat with Charly about the challenges, lessons and duty of care that

At the age of six, Hollywood became a constant in Mara Wilson’s life. From starring in Mrs Doubtfire to her iconic role in Matilda, the former child star’s body of work went from strength to strength. That was until she abruptly broke-up with Hollywood at the age of 13, and never looked back. Today, Mara is an astute writer and passionate activist who uses her voice to speak up about life with OCD, and the realities of childhood fame. When we meet, Mara is in London with the Texas-based charity Okay to Say to tackle mental health stigma with talks and events. So that’s where we start...

Latin Dance specialist, World Mambo Champion, and Strictly Come Dancing star, Karen Clifton is no stranger to high-stakes environments. But even under the spotlight, Karen’s sunny outlook continues to shine. As she embarks on a new chapter in her life – and her seventh year on Britain’s best-loved Saturday night show – she shares the unique pressures of the series, the key to sustaining a supportive relationship after a split, and the practical mental health lesson passed on by her mum

When midwife and mother to two daughters, Clemmie Hooper first started blogging about her maternity leave in 2010, she could never have predicted that it would pave the road to them becoming one of the country’s most well-loved families. Eight years, twin daughters and two book deals later, 1.3 million people are now following the family of six on Clemmie and her husband Simon’s respective Instagram accounts: ‘mother_of_daughters’ and ‘father_of_daughters’.

On screen, actor Bronagh Waugh doesn’t shy away from complex characters. As Sally-Ann Spector, wife of a serial killer in The Fall, and Jessica Reid, whose twin sister had gone missing in Unforgotten, Bronagh celebrates the unique opportunity that these dramas give us to examine the shared experience of grief, pain and anger. Off-screen and onto the streets, she is a fierce campaigner for LGBT+ and human rights. Here we talk about the catharsis found in gritty dramas, and how each and every one of us can help bang the drum for equality

From a role in The Lion King to the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent, and over the pond to play Effie in Dreamgirls on the West End, Moya Angela’s power-vocals speak for themselves. But walking on stage to perform what is commonly known as the “biggest sing in theatre” night after night doesn’t come without its unique challenges. Here we talk mental health support for actors, getting through the bad days, and learning to leave a role behind as the curtain falls

TV presenter, radio host, DJ, creative content producer, TEDxTeen Global Livestream Host, and voice-over artist, Pips Taylor is an unstoppable figure of broadcasting gusto. But when she’s not in the studio, Pips devotes herself to the causes close to her heart. While studying Spanish in Mexico, Pips narrowly avoided sexual assault after a cab driver attempted to abduct her. Now she’s helping women through the courts of law with charity Rights of Women, and working with global partnership Vital Voices, to nurture the next generation of world-changers

With her CapitalXTRA radio show and an inspiring TedxTalk under her belt, Yinka Bokinni is a force to be reckoned with. And what’s better? She knows it. But the journey to be where she is today hasn’t been easy. Here we chat bereavement, displacement, and the power of the #MeToo movement

Off the screen and onto the red carpet, Hannah is a vehement supporter of the Time's Up movement, an advocate for fighting workplace harassment in all industries. Here, we catch up with Hannah to chat about why Time's Up still matters, her upcoming role in Safe, the mental health pressures faced by actors, and the incredible ways that she manages “hurricane head”.

It was a privilege. As someone who is proudly waving a rainbow flag for the LGBT+ community, this is a very personal achievement for me. I want to ensure that our staff feel safe and comfortable, and as someone who is also out and proud (and has been for a long time) it was a real honour, and I feel truly humbled to be recognised. I’m a gay parent, and exceptionally proud of my two children. Yes. For 30 years, I’ve supported other gay parents working in the NHS and the public sector. I’ve bee

At 5ft 8in tall, and a UK size 6, Charli Howard was deemed ‘too big’ by her modelling agency, and was dropped in 2015. Having gone to extreme measures to keep her weight low, this was the last straw for Charli, and she published a powerful social media post, calling out problems in the industry, that went viral. Now, two years later, she’s an advocate for body positivity, and in February released her first book, Misfit, documenting her journey through anorexia, bulimia, and anxiety

Named in InStyle magazine’s annual Rising Star talent portfolio, Simona Brown is making waves in the British acting scene. Her upcoming role in Kiss Me First sees her playing Tess, a woman with bipolar disorder. We caught up with Simona to chat about the challenges of portraying mental illness on-screen, and the importance of shining a light on ‘under-represented perspectives’

On International Women's Day 2018, we speak to Felicity Hayward, founder of #SelfLoveBringsBeauty and outspoken advocate of body positivity and diversity, to get her thoughts on nurturing the next generation and forging a healthy relationship with yourself

Each year we produce nearly 300 million tons of plastic, and most of that is for single-use products. Here, we speak to Tom Pell, the man behind Birmingham's first ‘zero-waste’ supermarket

While working the New York City stand-up circuit under the double-act name Sorry About Last Night, Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson gained notoriety for their risqué, yet relatable comedy. But it was in 2013, following a difficult break-up, that Corinne approached Krystyna with a new venture: a podcast where they interview the men they’d slept with. What began as a jokey concept soon developed into something extraordinary. Among the butt-plug gags and the stories of one-night stands gone

When dodie’s EP You came out in August this year, she took the music industry by surprise. Despite being an unsigned artist, her EP reached number six on the official UK album chart. But for the near two million people who follow dodie across her two YouTube channels – doddleoddle and doddlevloggle – the music she makes touches a more personal note. The 22-year-old’s own struggles with mental illness are well-documented in her lyrics and YouTube videos. And it’s her unique ability to be totally

From an early age, writer Isabel Losada was interested in everything that could nourish her mentally, physically, and spiritually. After publishing several books exploring spirituality and the pursuit of happiness, she received a challenge from a friend: “If you’ve always been interested in happiness, how is it you’ve never written about sex?” Struck by the poignancy of this question, Isabel dedicated an entire year to studying the relationship between sexuality and happiness. From exploring couples retreats to examining the relationship between sex and religion, here’s what she learnt, in her own words

Since launching her YouTube channel in 2012, Emma Blackery has seen some dramatic changes in her life. Initially known for her no-nonsense videos that tackled both hard and humorous topics head-on, she quickly built up a loyal following of fans, not least because she was also a talented musician. Now, five years on, and still only 25, Emma has collected over 1.4 million subscribers and released five EPs. But there’s more. Based on a YouTube advice series she first created in 2013, Emma is relea