Nicola Sturgeon on Dealing with Misogyny, Miscarriage, Gay Rumours & The Toxic Trans Debate

From a working class girl in Ayrshire, fuelled by teenage rage at Margaret Thatcher, to becoming the first female First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has one of the most extraordinary political journeys of our time. And now, for the first time, she's telling it on her own terms. In this chat with Josh recorded live at the Aye Write Book Festival in Glasgow, Nicola opens up about the crippling imposter syndrome that followed her all the way to the top, and how she learned to turn that inner voice from a handicap into a superpower. She talks candidly about navigating a world built for men, the double standards, the authority gap, and why Boris Johnson deliberately messes up his hair before going on camera. She reflects on the heartbreak of the Scottish independence referendum and what that taught her about failure, her deeply personal decision to speak publicly about her miscarriage, and the unfounded rumours about her private life that spread from social media all the way to her parents' front door. She also shares what it was really like to have audiences with the late Queen, meet Hillary Clinton on a 10 out of 10 hangover, and go clubbing at university with a certain Gerard Butler. And after a lifetime of speaking for a government, a party, and a country, she talks about what it finally feels like to speak only for herself. P.S If you are looking for even more Great Chat, Josh Smith's audiobook ‘Great Chat: Talk To Anyone, Make New Connections, Improve Your Relationships’  is available on Spotify, free for premium subscribers. Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1HH55EZsUSYtajczP6yjjJ?si=0b3ec62de57148f9⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠follow the show on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @joshsmithsgreatchatshow 📩 Business enquiries – [email protected] ──────────────────────── About Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show is a podcast built on one belief: connection comes first. After decades as a journalist interviewing some of the world’s most recognisable faces - from Jennifer Aniston to Timothée Chalamet - Josh has learned that great conversations don’t just happen. There’s an art to a truly great chat, and when you join the conversation, it might just spark something in your own life. Each week, Josh sits down with actors, musicians, athletes, creators and cultural voices for honest conversations about resilience, identity, ambition, advocacy, mental health and the moments that shape who we become. Guests drop their guard and open up about the setbacks, breakthroughs and defining experiences behind the public persona. If you’re looking for depth, vulnerability, reinvention and meaningful human connection, you’re in the right place. Fancy a chat? Hit subscribe and join us every week. Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show (@joshsmithsgreatchatshow) Brought to you by Next Chapter Studios (@theNextChapterStudios) Host: Josh Smith (@joshsmithhosts) Creative Director: Carrie Rose Head of Production: Damy McConnell ──────────────────────── #JoshSmith #GreatChatShow #Podcast #CelebrityInterviews #RepresentationMatters#Identity #SelfDevelopment #CultureConversations #EntertainmentIndustry#SocietyAndCulture #PersonalGrowth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices