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Once Upon a Time

The stories that made us


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  • 10. Episode 10 - José Pizarro

    33:07||Season 1, Ep. 10
    Chef, restaurateur and the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK, Jose Pizarro — the man behind Jose, Pizarro, Lolo and the Royal Academy's dining room — sits down with Once Upon a Time to share the three stories that shaped who he became, spanning ambition, quiet persistence, and the belief that food is how you tell people who you are.His choices: Marco Pierre White's The Devil in the Kitchen, Ildefonso Falcones Cathedral of the Sea, and Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food. Together they trace a journey from a farm in Extremadura to Bermondsey Street — via kitchens that nearly broke him.

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  • 9. Episode 9 - Matt Cardle

    35:31||Season 1, Ep. 9
    Singer-songwriter and West End actor Matt Cardle — winner of The X Factor in 2010, Whatonstage Award winner for his debut role in Memphis, and a man who was tricked into his first audition by his girlfriend — joins Scott and David to share the three stories that shaped who he became.His choices: George Orwell's 1984, Patrick Süskind's Perfume, and Steve Coogan's I, Partridge. Together they trace a journey from building bunkers in the Essex woods to winning in front of 20 million people, through rock bottom and out the other side — with Alan Partridge on audiobook the whole way.
  • 8. Episode 8 - Harriet Thorpe

    39:36||Season 1, Ep. 8
    Actress Harriet Thorpe - star of The Brittas Empire, Absolutely Fabulous, Wicked and EastEnders - sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning the power of being read to, the courage to tell stories that matter, and the book that taught a dyslexic girl she could love reading after all.Her choices: Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes, her mother Gillian Freeman's groundbreaking 1960s novel The Leather Boys, and Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White. Together they trace a life that runs from garden shows in North London to Beverly Hills backlots to the Queen Vic.
  • 7. Episode 7 - Stephen Bailey

    33:45||Season 1, Ep. 7
    Comedian and actor Stephen Bailey — star of Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie To You?, and Russell T Davies's upcoming Tip Toe — sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who he became, discussing the hustle, mindset and what happens when nobody steps in to help.His choices: Chelsea Handler's Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, and Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing. Together they trace a journey from a council estate in Manchester to Live at the Apollo.
  • 6. Episode 6 - Naoko Mori

    35:50||Season 1, Ep. 6
    Actress Naoko Mori — star of Torchwood and Absolutely Fabulous, who landed the lead in Miss Saigon as a teenager before she'd even been to drama school — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning cultural identity, the joy of being lost in a story, and the quiet wisdom that stays with you long after the last page.Her choices: Haruki Murakami, David Sedaris's Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and the poetry of Mitsuo Aida. Together they trace a life lived across three languages and three cultures — from Tokyo to New Jersey to London.
  • 5. Episode 5 - Lee Peart

    34:43||Season 1, Ep. 5
    Comedian, presenter and warm-up extraordinaire Lee Peart — co-host of Bottoms Up! with Alan Carr and support act on Judi Love's UK tour — sits down with Jamie & David to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning early validation, the thrill of being pulled into a story, and the discovery of his own comedic voice.His choices: Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and David Sedaris's Me Talk Pretty One Day.
  • 4. Episode 4 - Gok Wan

    43:29||Season 1, Ep. 4
    Fashion stylist, broadcaster and national treasure Gok Wan — the man who taught a generation to love what they see in the mirror — joins Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became, spanning identity, belonging and the power of how we present ourselves to the world.His Choices: Prick Up Your Ears by John Lahr, Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey, Bedtime Stories by Viktor & Rolf (Autumn/Winter 2005)