Pause. And Rewind... with Charlie Craggs | What You Gonna Do?

“Behind the clapback queen, I just want a soft life. I'm actually meant to be a really nice person, but we're not allowed to be soft because the fucking world is so hard on us. And we've had to make these bravado kind of characters to defend ourselves.”

Wrapping up ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ for the year with Charlie Craggs (she/her) was an absolute TREAT! Charlie is an award-winning content creator, activist & campaigner. She’s been described as “a powerhouse transgender activist” and British Vogue labelled Charlie as “the voice of the community.” When she set up ‘Nail Transphobia’ back in 2014 - an outreach project tackling transphobia through manicures and the power of conversation - it was picked up by Vice Magazine. Despite her initial reluctance, the subsequent article massively boosted her profile and over the last 10 years, Charlie has published a book, fronted a documentary, featured in numerous brand campaigns & partnerships, built up a huge following, made her debut acting appearance in the Dr. Who audio series and much more. All whilst relentlessly advocating for the Trans+ community.

Little Charlie was a sweet, soft kid and the topic of softness comes up a lot during this conversation as well as resilience. Growing up on a council estate and going to an all-boys Catholic school in West London, as an out teenager, Charlie experienced bullying from both fellow students and teachers. We reflect on a shared need to fight back at a young age and a refusal to be victims.

Charlie opens up about the ongoing challenges & fears of being an influencer, public speaker & freelancer and shares some great advice for anyone in a similar situation - particularly when it comes to the fickle nature of working with brands. She reflects on how Big Brother’s Nadia Amalda & Pete Burns and shaped her as well as her acceptance of being Trans, being an anti-hero, future career & life ambitions and the return of her Charlie’s Angels self defence classes.

There’s so many laughs & touching moments right here for you to listen too. And on Charlie’s social media platforms too. Check it all out & ENJOY!

PLEASE NOTE | We cover a range of topics in this episode that some listeners may find triggering including bullying, physical assault & online harassment & the current landscape for Trans+ folk so please take care of yourself whilst listening.