Sisters of Defiance

Sindhu Vee has one of the most impressive but unexpected CVs in British comedy - she’s been an academic at Oxford University, an investment banker at a global company, became an award-winning standup after having 3 children and has even pivoted into acting. One thing is true; she has never wanted to fit into a box.
In this episode, Sindhu joins Anita to talk about the importance of culture, growing up with a stammer, refusing an arranged marriage and learning from an early age how to see men as her equals. She shares what it was like taking on men in the boardrooms and on the trading floor, leaving everything to become a mother and making the unlikely leap from finance into comedy.

Through it all, she reflects on the rebellious streak that has always been part of who she is - and why following your own intuition is so important.

You can see Sindhu live on her UK tour Swanky here

If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Sindhu - @sindhuvee

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com

00:00 Coming up
00:59 Introduction
02:51 Sindhu questions her defiance
06:11 Growing up in India and breaking the rules
11:03 The scholarship interview
18:28 Sindu's upbringing and family expectations
29:05 Refusing an arranged marriage
38:33 Ancient & Brave ad
40:49 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual
44:46 Leaving academia for investment banking
49:23 Navigating a male-dominated workplace
54:19 Overcoming a childhood stammer
59:01 The cost of motherhood
01:06:48 Sindhu’s Swanky tour
01:07:34 What’s next for Sindhu
01:11:53 Library of Wisdom
01:13:55 Dance playlist
01:14:34 Through the portal
01:16:18 Quickfire questions
01:18:48 Outro
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sisters, we are so back! Sisters of Defiance, nourished by Ancient + Brave, returns for Series 2, with 10 more extraordinary women joining Anita in her home for honest, funny and emotional conversations about the moments of defiance that have shaped their lives.
There are some very special Sisters lined up for this series, with plenty of stories of courage, rejection, reinvention, resilience and finding the confidence to do things your own way.
Series 2 returns Tuesday 20th October, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.
In the meantime make sure you:
Follow us on Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dame Zandra Rhodes is one of Britain’s most iconic designers, who has shaped the worlds of fashion, art and culture for more than six decades.
In this week's episode, Anita sits down with the woman who's dressed everyone from Freddie Mercury, Diana Ross and Lauren Bacall to British royalty. Zandra reflects on risking everything to chase her dream in America when nobody believed in her, opening her own museum, being a proud workaholic, finding the love of her life in her fifties, and why, even at 85, she still won't leave the house without her makeup.
This is a joyful conversation about living life with creativity, choosing colour over conformity, and having the courage to follow your dreams.
If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Zandra - @zandra_rhodes_

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Davina McCall has spent decades in the nation's living rooms. From Big Brother to becoming one of Britain's most trusted voices on menopause and women's health, she's built a career on warmth, honesty, and an extraordinary ability to share and make people feel less alone.
Recorded live at Love Supreme Festival, Davina joins Anita for a deeply personal conversation about what happens when life forces you to stop and take stock. From undergoing brain surgery and breast cancer, to facing her own mortality, finding love again, and embracing the possibility of marriage for a second time, she reflects on the moments that have changed her perspective forever.
Together, they discuss the profound impact of losing her sister, why Big Brother will always hold a special place in her heart, and how speaking openly about menopause helped dismantle shame for millions of women. Above all, Davina shares why she's never been afraid to talk about the things so many of us keep hidden - and why finding joy in the everyday has become her greatest act of resilience.
This is a conversation about vulnerability, choosing honesty, and living life to the fullest even in life’s hardest moments.

Content warning: This episode contains discussions about cancer and addiction. We know these experiences can be difficult to hear about, so please listen in the way that feels right for you. If you need support, or if this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, you'll find details of organisations that can help below.
Macmillan Cancer Support - 0808 808 0000 - macmillan.org.uk
Samaritans - 116 123 - samaritans.org
NHS Alcohol support - NHS Alcohol support
NHS Drug support - NHS Drug support
If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Davina - @davinamccall

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rose Ayling-Ellis has become one of the most influential voices for disability and inclusion in Britain. After rising to fame playing Frankie Lewis in EastEnders–the soap's first deaf character to use British Sign Language–she became a household name after winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, where her silent dance with Giovanni Pernice became a huge cultural moment. Since then she's taken on her first lead TV role in ITV's Code of Silence, won a BAFTA, and received an MBE for services to the deaf community.
But none of it came easily.
In this episode, Rose joins Anita to talk about a lifetime of fighting to be heard. From advocating for herself in the classroom as a child to challenging discrimination in the TV and film industry today, she reflects on the barriers she's faced, the assumptions people still make, and why she's refused to let other people's limitations define her.
Together, they explore the loneliness of feeling caught between worlds - not "deaf enough" for some, yet constantly navigating a world that isn't built with disability in mind. Rose opens up about imposter syndrome, feeling unworthy of milestones like her BAFTA and MBE, why she's so often underestimated, and her determination to live life on her own terms. They also discuss why the fight for true representation is far from over, and why diversity must be intersectional.
This is a conversation about resilience, breaking systems and refusing to let anyone else decide what you're capable of.
If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com
Rose - @rose.a.e
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.