Explore every episode of the podcast Once Upon a Time

Erim Kaur — founder of haircare brand ByErim and influencer  — joins Jamie & Scott to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning grief and grace, the hard work of confronting yourself, and the search for a cultural home you weren't quite handed.

Her choices: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry's What Happened to You?, and Thoughts to Heal. Together they trace a journey from a nine-year-old reading about a motherless princess who "remains regal, humble, respectful" through hardship, to the science of staying "regulated".

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International photographer and creative director Elise Dumontet — self-taught and the woman behind the launch issue of Indian Vogue — joins Scott & Jamie for something a little different: a conversation about storytelling through images.

From being fifth assistant to Patrick Demarchelier to shooting her own Vogue pages alongside his cover, Elise traces a career built on looking — at Nick Knight's quiet reinventions, Annie Leibovitz's single-frame films, and Tim Walker's burning castles — and then turning the lens on the bodies the industry usually retouches away.

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Actress, writer and producer Sally Lindsay MBE — star of Coronation Street and creator of The Madame Blanc Mysteries— sits down with Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who she became, spanning a grandad's bookshelf, a working-class childhood in the 1980s, and the 18-year-old from Salford who changed British theatre forever.

Her choices: Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾, and Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey. Together they trace a journey from a terraced house in Gorton to the bar of the Rovers Return to the stage of the Royal Exchange.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Drag performer, horror host, and self-confessed sci-fi obsessive Bunny Galore — known for Movie Nightmares on Miami Fox Streaming and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist with Dame Nation — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning time travel, gothic horror, and falling down a very famous rabbit hole.

His choices: Terrance Dicks' Doctor Who: Robot, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

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Singer, songwriter, and vocalist Kelli-Leigh — the voice behind over a billion streams, two Grammy nominations, and debut album Legacy — sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who she became.

Her choices: Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Pam Grout's Thank and Grow Rich, and Jenna Zoe's Human Design. Together they trace a journey from a working-class childhood in South London to the uncredited vocals on some of dance music's biggest records — and the fight to step into the spotlight on her own terms.

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Actor David Ames — known for Holby City, Hollyoaks & Changing Ends — is the very first guest on Once Upon a Time. David sits down with Scott & Jamie to share the three stories that shaped who he became — spanning ancient mythology, parallel universes, and a play he read at university before he was ready to understand what it really meant.

His choices: Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, and Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Together they trace a journey from his rural childhood in Hampshire to one of the BBC's flagship dramas — and the personal journey that rang quietly beside it.

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