Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. As we head into the final month of 2023, I definitely felt the Christmas spirit bubbling away. So here is what I got up to during this week.
Monday: To kick off the new week as always I watched the rest of Strictly Come Dancing. I knew as always who was out (which I was quite surprised at but at this point anyone could leave) but it definitely set me up for the day as always. And work itself was alright. Not as good as most days but I made it through which was good. When I left, I had the most annoying task of rebooking my Covid jab as it got cancelled just as I was about to finish. I don’t know why but it was just one of those things.
As soon as I got back, I budgeted my table (where I soon knew that we were living in a cost of living crisis after what I spent so far) and had my usual nap. This was then followed by walking my dog and catching up on I'm A Celebrity whilst I had some lunch. I must say that whilst I was tweaking it, Tony Bellew is quite the character in there. I can tell he’s just annoyed when he had to do the trail, as he looked as though he literally couldn’t be bothered lol! but he got it done and that was the main thing. And the next episode consisted of him going into his journey. And do you know what he’s actually a decent guy. I think it’s the Scouse accent that I like the most, as I feel you know when you’re going to get proper entertainment, both good and bad.
After planning tomorrow and briefly watching a trailer for the winter period of Hollyoaks (which did leave me open mouthed in some areas) I moved onto doing some yoga. I needed it after the day I had, and I’m glad I had it with me as my best friend, as it helps me find peace in areas where I struggle to find it.
Later on after I had a delicious dinner above, I had the first read through for the film. It didn’t get off to the greatest start as I had an argument with technology and also with abit of confusion at the beginning, I had to take a breather. But I found my rhythm and we managed to have a good time. there weren’t many people but they all had my back no matter what. I then knew that this would be the moment we move forward from there.
After that hectic meeting I had abit of my sweet treats from yesterday whilst watching abit of I’m A Celebrity from tonight. All I can say on that score was that I wasn’t surprised with what happened with grace, as she didn’t look great and I think she was really struggling. But good on her for putting her wellbeing first, as if you’re not there mentally it’s going to be even harder. And with regards to Sam, I hope he knows what he’s doing as team leader. But with Marvin by his side I’m sure he’ll be a great leader.
I then ended the day with checking my socials and learning some Korean. I also rescheduled the next day after the meeting, as I felt the sooner we can make the edits the sooner people can get the new versions of the script.
Tuesday: To start the day I watched the rest of I’m A Celeb from the previous night, where I think that Tony is not going to be best pleased when he has to spend a trial with Sam. But I’m already looking forward to it.
I then went to the gym, where I only had to wear my joggers I wore for a film I was in a year ago due to my shorts being in the wash. Not the best scenario but I got through it and did a good workout. On the way there I drafted some emails to more casting directors which I later tweaked when I got home. And I’m glad I did when I did, especially when I had to tweak my day just to go through the edits of my script. On the way back I rehearsed my lines for my song to put on my spotlight profile and also did a vocal warmup, so that when I got back I was fresh and ready to go.
Soon after taking my dog for a walk, I then filmed my song (which had a good few goes so they need to be looked at seriously before I send them off to the musical theatre casting directors), my panto land song (where I think I knew which one I was going to go for) and redid my impressions video. I wasn’t going to originally but I noticed a slight error in the original, so are-record was important.
Soon afterwards I caught up on my actors workshop recording (where I finished the last few minutes later on). This was in prep for tomorrow’s session and whilst I was watching it, I noted some ideas down of my own on what I liked. There were a few key moments that had me chuckling and also some ideas based on what my teacher suggested it gave me an idea or two.
During lunch, I then watched Doctors from 23rd November. It seemed to me that Zara and Joe seem to have found a common ground, and that Rhuma and Jenny didn’t get the result they wanted. I did feel sorry for Sian though as even though she has a duty to do it, may have been just as hard for her to tell them the decisions. I also admired Jimmi for helping a women tell her that she can achieve anything she wants, and it seemed to have paid off at the end. This was then followed by watching Doctors from 27th November (where I watched the rest of it after an act on this podcast), where a friend of a mature student did something horrible just so she didn’t feel lonely. I get that she didn’t want to loose her friend, but that was just too far. I also don’t think Nina will not be able to get out of head what she has seen at home, and something tells me that she doesn’t seem to like the idea of Suni and Scarlett being an item.
To kick off this afternoon, I listened to an Act on This podcast with casting director Amy Jackson. I saw her on a podcast before, but I didn’t reach out to her as for me personally the shows she was casting didn’t fit the roles I wanted to play. But after the announcement of looking for disabled actors and with an upcoming comedy coming up, that changed everything. So as long as I get an email sent in by Thursday I’ll be all good.
I then moved onto looking through my scripts highlighting bits I like from one of the writers section. I can see what he meant by wanting to flesh out the characters and I do agree. But because of the timings of the film and needing it to be 15 minutes maximum, I couldn’t add in all of it. But I highlighted some key points in it which I liked and fingers crossed it’ll be slotted into the script nicely.
I then relaxed by doing a couple of surveys and learning some Korean. I got quite abit done and managed to reach my daily goals. And that was an achievement for me. This was then followed by taking my dog for a walk. Although I think she’s got abit of an upset tummy, but she still seemed like her normal regular self (as she couldn’t help but bark at everyone else lol). My guess would be that she’s coming into season again, and like many females, when we’re “due on” it can affect us differently. As long as she knows she’s loved then that’s all that matters.
I then caught up on the rest of Coronation Street from 24th November and also all of last nights meaning I’m now up to date. All I can say on those is, now I can see why Peter wants to leave (as Chris Gascoyne’s exit is coming soon), and that mason is just getting more and more horrible by the minute. I also think that Ed now realised the extent of his gambling after his relapse after failing to pay the builder on several occasions. I’m just glad he’s now getting the help he needs.
After quickly nipping to the shops, I also realised I had some more time on my hands when I got back, so I decided to do a head start in gathering some day player roles and scenes from Doctors and Hollyoaks. Some of the full episodes of Hollyoaks were now on the YouTube channel, so I copied and pasted them so that if there’s a scene I wanted to refer back to, I had the link on my iPad to save me time from going to catch up tv.
I then watched the start of I’m A Celebrity. I was surprised that Tony, Sam and Marvin didn’t pick an item which I really hope they would get, but I guess it’s their decision at the end of the day. I also admired Nella’s personality when a passing comment from Nigel was said, as yes it offended her, but the way she carried herself afterwards was brilliant. Although I have a feeling that she and Frankie may not do so well in the trial. But I decided to skip it and watch abit of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.
I then of course checked my socials and posted my impressions of ant and dec. I’ll admit it still needs some work but I’m proud of myself for posting it. And the first one is always going to be bad/not great, but with everything you get better through effort.
Wednesday: To start the day I watched the rest of I’m A Celebrity from the previous night. I was surprised that Jamie Lynn didn’t react badly to not getting her luxury item, but she was right in saying that if they get 1 they had to get them all. Which was fair enough I suppose. It then cut off which didn’t show who was doing the next trail, but thanks to the power of social media it gave me the information I needed.
I then made my way to the gym. I definitely stretched myself, as I upped my weights in one area and I did abit of boxing to let out any unwanted tension. And whilst it made me abit sore to begin with, it definitely felt good mentally. I know I’m not cut out for the ring, but the roundhouse bag will do me just fine. On the way back and with my headphones finally working I listened to the rest of the podcast with Jim Kwik, which was much needed. I also saved some of the podcasts I would listen to in the next few weeks, so I can press play when I’m ready.
I had a very productive morning when I got back to say the least. After walking my dog as always I posted my review of Hobsons Choice (which i then posted on my socials later on, you can see a direct link here: LINK) and I applied for both day jobs and some acting jobs. For the day job, I needed to take my time as I had to think about the question in full detail. And as it was linking to wildlife and with it being a work from home job, it would save me a fortune on taxis.
During lunch I watched Doctors from the previous day, where a shocking lie was made and Scarlett made a big decision. And I don’t think that her friendship with Luca will ever be the same. I then watched the start of episode 2 of Time. It definitely started to get somewhere, and I did start to see a different side to “the bad girls”. And I'm also glad that Kelsey has a good support system in the unit. One of which I recognised from Ridley.
As the afternoon kicked off, I finalised the edits I need for the next read through, and I then watched more of the AW recording from last week. I made some notes throughout it as usual and there were moments that stuck out to me so much. These included certain phrases, the characters people played and thought outside the box. This will definitely come in handy for later on and I can't wait to see how it pans out. I then had my usual wind down routine by first of all starting a new book. Again this was in the form of a comic book, and already I’m hooked onto it. This was then followed by learning some more Korean and then gathering some scenes and day player roles from Coronation Street and Doctors. I’m now officially up to date with the soaps, and I’m pleased with how far I’ve come.
Before my class I then watched the rest of Time episode 2. My goodness me the ending of that episode was just insane. So much drama, high stakes and above all an entertaining and thrilling piece of drama. And with the ending more or less happy, I now can’t wait to see how the last episode plays out. This was then followed by watching the start of Doctors from today after taking my dog out for a walk. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the episode plays out after Nina learns more about Betty’s past and why she wanted a special item Nina was intended to buy. And I’m also intrigued to see it suni will buy something as I know he only came because Nina insisted.
I then had my acting class, where I continued to rehearse for the livestream which as I’m writing, this will be in 3 weeks time. I feel I definitely stepped outside of my comfort zone, as I did a game where I thought I would be good at but I found that I actually wasn’t so bad at. But the main event was doing the “introduction” in our characters, and some of them were priceless. As one character just really couldn’t be bothered to be at our company, which made it even more funny. Now I can’t wait to bring this to life on the night.
I then watched I’m A Celebrity, where it had a lot of emotions to it. Whilst Nigel didn’t do well in his part of the trail, Nick smashed his side, and with him mentioning that he does a lot of swimming as well, it sure came in handy. I was gutted when Jamie Lynn left, and whilst some may find it silly as they knew what they signed up for, when you’re a parent it hits differently. And when the day of me being a parent comes, I’ll soon find out for myself. I also admired Frankie’s story of building his career up as a jockey and how the littlest things could cost you a race.
I then ended the day with checking my socials which was then followed by scheduling the next day and drafting a script for a self-tape. This was inspired by a storyline on Coronation Street, and how a sibling of a character could make a first appearance. In other words something that fits my character to give myself that extra mile to be in the show is what I’m doing. But the likely hood filming and sending it won’t be until after Christmas. I know that there is no perfect time but at the same time I don’t want to get overwhelmed. But at least I’ve written it and ready to film in the new year.
Thursday: To start the day I watched Mondays addition of Hollyoaks. And following the aftermath of Tom and Yazz, I start to feel she may have regretted her actions. And sienna may have discovered something that could change everything. I also admired Vicky's passion to bring Scott back to the youth centre, knowing how much everyone loves him.
I then went to the gym. I didn’t get a chance to do any boxing due to a private session, but I still had a good workout. And on the way there and back I recapped a Steven Bartlett podcast with Gary V. It’s been a while since I caught up and now I’ve got 20 minutes of it left. There was one moment in particular where he mentioned about wisdom years but it did trigger me slightly. I think I mentioned it before on this blog, but the thought of death scares me as we don’t know what comes afterwards. But I’m just learning to enjoy the moment as I can. And that’s good enough for me.
After I took my dog out and listened to a TED Talk on autism, it inspired me to free write the start of my own TED talk. I'm not expecting it to be perfect by now, but having something to get out of your system did wonders for me. This is why I love the creative arts, as you can express how you feel in different ways. This then moved onto me cooking tea with the help of my nan. As always we made too much lasagna but it did look good, and I knew it would go down well with my dad and sister. During the cooking process, I managed to squeeze in some more emails to casting directors and other creatives, which included what I've been up to, my updated showreel and livestream. I don't know how many people will tune in, as I know they are very busy people, especially now that's its nearer Christmas, but even if they do miss it live they can simply catch up on the replay which was one good thing that came out of the pandemic.
I then watched the rest of Wednesdays Doctors where Nina helped Betty to get the support she needed, and also Tuesdays addition of Hollyoaks. I think the community festival may have helped bought Yazz and Tom back together (or at least put them on good terms again). I also start to wonder what Sienna is thinking, as with two men wanting to marry her, I wonder if she’ll go with her head or her heart. This was then followed by the start of Sex Education whilst I had my lunch. I'm on episode 5 now, and I plan to watch the rest of the series by Christmas. This one was emotional, as Maeve and her brother found out some horrific news, and that after their date not going to plan, it looks like Jean finally gets the chance to meet Maeve in person.
Before I started work I noted some jobs on Spotlight to nudge my agent on when I finish. This was the second time I did this and if I keep implementing it, I may get a good shot at getting a self-tape from one of them at the very latest. I already received two in 2 months, which for me is a big step. Now it's time to keep hustling, rinsing and repeating information, updating my profile so that something amazing will come along. I then started work, where for the whole night we simply reduced everything. This time, I felt the tiredness more than ever (and I don't think the weather helped), but I got through it and I thought I managed to do a great job.
As soon as I got back I watched the rest of Sex Education whilst I had my tea which was then followed by the start of I’m A Celebrity from tonight (which Margo was definitely interested and so decided to snuggle up to me whilst we watched it together). The trail the first 5 celebrities did had to be the toughest one of all, so I don’t blame josie for bowing out, and she did genuinely look shook up. But I’m glad she was okay and she was even able to help her camp mates out, so in fact it was abit of a silver lining. I also admired Sam being so one about his ADHD, but Marvin was right as it’s made Sam the lovable person he is today and wouldn’t want anything differently.
To end the day I checked my socials and learnt some more Korean. It’s getting to the point where I just want to go to bed and not go to work tomorrow, but a good nights sleep should do the trick. Butt that didn’t stop me from planning my day where after work the only productive thing I’ll do is get everyone ready for belvoir castle whilst I listen to an act on this broadcast. I even filled up my advent calendar before bed, which is definitely a sign to say that Christmas has already begun!
Friday: To kick off the day I watched the rest of I’m A Celeb from the other night and nudged my agent on a spotlight job. And I think that the tensions are rising after someone mentions about not doing their job properly. I’m just interested to see how it pans out.
I then went to work and it was an interesting day to say the least. During it I managed to rehearse some lines for a self-tape I wrote myself and I also posted my monologue from The Hunger Games onto my socials (Please see a direct link for the piece here: https://youtu.be/9n1-g_8CEzs?si=kTYwzCiWl8iWBw6n). But I had to pair it on TikTok later on as for some reason it took at while to upload at my workplace. During my shift as well I got questions asking about an actors list and also schedules for filming. At this point the pressure really felt on me, and with also getting a cold as well it didn’t do me any favours. So I made a promise to myself that I would get it done by the next rehearsal. And as soon as I can confirm dates of filming at the venue I’ll add it to the document. I’m really trying and pushing myself so I’m hoping this’ll pay off in the long run. But the best part about that day was that someone said I had nice hair, which definitely made my day.
As soon as I got home, I started by listening to an act on this broadcast from 20th November whilst I prepped everything for Belvoir and noted some jobs on Spotlight. I wasn’t going to do much that night, so I thought they would be the perfect task. This was then followed by walking my dog and doing some yoga, which was only for 10 minutes as after originally planning to do 15 minutes, I narrowed it down to 10 which was the best idea.
After checking my socials, I moved onto watching episode 6 of Sex Education, knowing that I wouldn’t get time to watch it on Saturday. I was pleased for Jackson when he got the result he wanted and after Otis helped Maeve during a tough day, I feel he still has some unresolved trauma he needed to face. With it coming to the end of the final series, I’ll be interested to see what it so that’s holding him back.
I then rounded off the evening by watching Wednesdays addition of Hollyoaks. Now that Tom and Yazz have talked things through, I’m so pleased for them that their marriage is back on track. I also feel that even though Sienna might have things going her way, an even bigger secret may be on the cards, which I’ve seen the trailer for and still shocked to this day. I then checked socials and did abit of Korean. I really wasn’t in the mood to do a full on session though as I wasn’t well. So an early night for me it was in prep for a busy day.
Saturday: To kick off a very busy day I watched Thursdays addition of Doctors. This focused on Luca helping a HIV positive patient, and how he can help a colleague spread awareness without getting in people’s faces. I also hope Jenny is okay after being diagnosed with a condition I had back in 2015. This time it didn’t make me panic as much as even though I do wonder if I could have a relapse, I know that I’m treated and that as long as I continue living a healthy lifestyle I’ll be okay. I then went to work. But I had to take a few minutes to relax due to me feeling the full throttle of my cold and also waking up in the middle of the night because of it . But a couple of paracetamols and some clips of the chuckle brothers did the trick just fine and I persevered until the end of my shift.
After I finished work I made my way to Belvoir Castle where pinky made her Christmas return once again in Santas (49559. It was so much fun, and despite having a cold and some interesting questions from the children, it was a brilliant day. This was one of my the many reasons why I love this industry, as it brings a smile on so many peoples faces, and with some parents telling my previous elves of something that’s more sentimental, it also shows that sometimes presents don’t matter and that the biggest gift of them all is being around your loved ones. That’s something to truest hold onto, and I can’t wait to see what my next shifts have to offer.
It was safe to say that I felt deflated when I came back, and so I started my evening with watching last nights I’m a celeb and the first 5 minutes of strictly. It was clear that after Nella was made camp leader, it caused a lot of tension, but I love the female empowerment. And even though I only watched one dance of musicals week, it was the one dance that really made my night. I can’t wait to watch the next few tomorrow and Monday morning to help me get energised for the day ahead.
I then moved onto watching Thursdays addition of Hollyoaks. This included Peri being caught up in the past, and that I don’t think Romeo is truly over Rayne after frightening peri. I won’t say what happened but maybe they need to have a rethink on their relationship before they take things further. This was then followed by Gogglebox, where I saw them reacting to “Toy Hospital”. Whilst it seemed abit silly at first, I’m surprised how emotional it was after the sentimental value from the owner of the toy.
I then ended the day with checking my socials (but not all of them as I was up for 12 hours and I needed to get to sleep) and learnt some Korean. During the sessions I’ve noticed that some of my pens went missing, so I wasn’t sure if I dropped them and left them behind at the castle. But I know the place I need to go to if I did loose them for good.
Sunday: To kick off the day I watched more of Strictly Come Dancing musicals special. I was sad to see Nigel out as even though I do have my favourites to win it, going out because of an injury is never the nicest thing to have. But all I can say is I’m glad they didn’t have an elimination just to make it fair. But I’m so pleased that Layton finally received a 40 for his Paso doable to moulin rouge. And having been in the bottom 2 last week that is how you make a come back. This then followed by me going to work. It was a good shift and I managed to get through it despite my cold. But I knew I wanted to get home where I could just relax.
During my lunch I watched last nights I’m A Celebrity. Tony did a brilliant job at his trial and Nigel gave some very interesting facts about the House of Lords, which includes the surprising price of a slice of toast. But the way he and Fred were watching over Josie during the cooking felt intimidating to me. But Fred’s face when she cooked the breakfast was priceless lol! And it was that time again where there vote offs were happening. I can’t believe it’s that time again, as these 2 weeks have just flown by. I have my guess on who will leave, but I’ll keep it to myself as it may seem abit controversial.
The afternoon consisted of multiple things. This included making a start on my film schedule (whilst my dog was looking all cute). I still haven’t got any official dates yet, but as long as I set up a template and then slot in the dates when I she them then it saves me from getting overwhelmed. I then moved onto gathering some more day player roles from the soaps and looked through abit of my recording from my previous acting class. I didn't want to overwhelm myself once again, so I simply looked at our improv section and noting down some of my favourite points. Some of them weren't as funny the second time but I was still laughing at them abit, which was the main thing.
Following that I then brain dumped all the stuff I need to do next week and listened to more of an Act On This broadcast. I somehow struggled with brain dumping and scheduling again, as part of it was due to the cold, but also with my project in particular I wasn't sure what needed to be done. But no doubt that Steve will remind me so I can slot it in. It's a good job I have people like him to help me, otherwise I would be screwed. This was then followed by walking my dog and doing some yoga to help me settle in for the evening.
I then winded down by watching the last 2 episodes of Coronation Street from Wendesday and Friday. I admired George for telling his experience with bullying, although it didn't do much help when Gary checked in on him. Fingers crossed it'll gradually come to an end for him. I also think that Gemma is being treated unfairly after the incident with Joseph. I know she didn't do what she did on purpose, and I get that it's standard procedure, but it couldn't have come at a worse time. they should've let her spend their early Christmas before the process happened. But how it will unfold is another question. I then ended the evening with watching the start of Fridays addition of Hollyoaks. It was all happening to say the least, and with Lucas' behaviour being a problem again and a shock confession from Peri, it'll only just get more juicier by the minute.
As always I then wrapped up my day with checking my socials and learnt one Korean session. This was then followed by purchasing the Mandy membership with the deal and upgrading my Act On This membership. Even though I had to pay the yearly fee due to my card going wrong again, it would mean I saved 0.75 a month. It may not seem like a lot but overtime it would build up. This would also mean I get access to the ultimate contact databse, where if wanting to write to new casting directors, it would save me lots of time. It would also means who's in each office, so at least I don't have to get it wrong.
What have I learnt this week? What adversity you have thrown in front of you, there’s always a way around it. It’s how you deal with it that counts.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is the autistic actress signing off :)
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