People Just Do climate activism: ‘We don’t have to all be Greta’s level – but we can make small changes’
David Attenborough has warned us. Scientists have long been warning us. Prince Charles has warned us, and Greta Thunberg and even Leonardo DiCaprio, too.
Now, it’s the turn of Allan “Seapa” Mustafa and Hugo Chegwin – better known as everyone’s favourite pirate radio broadcasters MC Grindah and DJ Beats, from Brentford’s Kurupt FM and the hit, BAFTA-winning mockumentary series People Just Do Nothing – to step up and raise awareness of the climate crisis facing the planet.
The pair recently released a special edition of their podcast, Chattin’ Sh*t, to highlight the problem, and say they want to encourage others who might feel overwhelmed by the noise to find out more about the small changes everyone can make.
The stars were joined by Francisca Rockey, Gen Z climate activist and founder of Black Geographers, for the episode. Pic: Anthony Upton/PA
Speaking to Sky News, they are the first to admit they might be unlikely poster boys for the issue, but hope they can perhaps offer a different perspective to the politicians and experts who made headlines during the COP26 summit.
“It was a good opportunity to actually learn ourselves and make [the discussion] slightly more relatable,” says Mustafa, on recording the podcast. “In my circle, anyway, it’s not a subject that you sit and talk about, but you do realise that you have to make little changes – like people using metal bottles now, not using plastic. There’s all these little things that it’s just generally become part of normal everyday culture to think about more.”
Chattin Sh*t To Save The Planet features the pair talking to Gen Z climate activist Francisca Rockey and learning about the effects of everything from fast fashion to food consumption. The episode came about following research by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Global Action Plan, which found that many young people – and young men in particular – feel excluded from the conversation on climate change or are reluctant to engage online, as they don’t feel knowledgeable enough to get involved or worry about being judged for their views.
“I guess it’s people not wanting to get things wrong, people not wanting to make themselves look stupid,” says Mustafa. “And now to add to that is, if you’re looking at public platforms, people not wanting to get cancelled, ousted for having the ‘wrong’ information, the ‘wrong’ opinion.
“I just feel like you’ll never learn unless you try to talk about it. And it’s not [necessarily] about making a conscious effort to sit down and stage a conversation, but just making it a normal thing that’s part of your everyday life so you start talking about it naturally.”
Chegwin admits to having been “naive” about climate change in the past, and in the episode is subject to some teasing from Mustafa about changing his habits.
Over Zoom, he proudly holds his metal water bottle aloft. “It’s small changes,” he says. “It’s getting an understanding. I’m naive to all of this stuff but now I do want to make a conscious effort. I do recycle.”
People Just Do Nothing moved to the big screen with their first film, Big In Japan, earlier in 2021. Pic: Universal Pictures
“We joke about the fact that Hugo doesn’t care and I do,” says Mustafa. “Obviously that’s just two best mates like terrorising each other. Really and truly, we’re both learning at the same time and trying to do what we can.”
But it’s this kind of conversation that is likely to encourage people who might feel they cannot relate to politicians and scientists, or feel preached to by mega-rich stars for whom money is no object.
“I think it’s good for anyone to talk about it,” says Mustafa. “But when you put the news on you [can] feel like you’re getting ploughed with all this information in a language that’s almost designed to alienate people, that’s what I don’t like. That’s what makes it sound like this [issue] that doesn’t relate to us, but it’s not – it’s something that humans have been doing to destroy the Earth slowly, and we are part of that, so we need to look at that and talk about it.”
Hopefully, Chegwin says, they can get the message across to an audience that may not otherwise be engaging. “We don’t all have to be on Greta [Thunberg’s] level,” he says.
“It’s a massive problem that’s affecting all humans,” says Mustafa. “You shouldn’t have to have PhD-level information just to talk about it, but that’s sometimes how you’re made you feel.”
When Chegwin posted details of the podcast to almost 100,000 followers on his Instagram account, one of the first comments that comes up underneath falsely claims that “climate change is a scam”.
“That’s precisely what I’m talking about,” says Mustafa. “In their mind it’s the government and in their mind it’s a conspiracy, and it’s not on.”
Climate change is undeniable, says Chegwin. “It’s obvious. There’s fires, the weather is… the seasons are dramatically different. I don’t think that’s a conspiracy. Unless [the government] has got a weather weapon, which I doubt.”
So what advice do the People Just Do Nothing stars give?
“It’s the obvious, really, like recycling,” says Chegwin. “Be conscious of plastic use, also things like fast fashion – don’t feel pressure from Instagram, the online world, that you can’t wear the same clothes again.”
“We’re not the all-knowing gods on this subject,” says Mustafa. “So start looking into it yourself, you know? But it’s stuff like, cycle when you can, walk… plastic is a huge [issue], just be conscious of it.
“I think it’s just little things that you can do, but I say make your own education on it, man. This is just a gateway.”
Chattin’ Sh*t To Save The Planet with Virgin Media O2 is available now on Apple, Acast and Spotify
Johnny Depp has said he tried to talk the director of his new film out of casting him in one of the lead roles.
The Hollywood star plays France’s King Louis XV in historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, and attended the UK premiere in London on Monday evening.
Depp, 60, made his return to the red carpet for what is his first feature film since the conclusion of his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard in the US in 2022.
The film follows the life of Jeanne, a working-class woman who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the social hierarchy, eventually landing on the radar of the king. The character is played by French actress Maiwenn, who is also a co-writer and the film’s director.
Depp stars as King Louis XV. Pic: Stephanie Branchu/Why Not Productions
Depp spoke on stage at the premiere, saying he was surprised when he was approached about the film.
According to Hollywood trade publication Deadline, the actor, who is from Owensboro, Kentucky, told the audience: “Instantly what happens in your brain is that you go back to eastern Kentucky… you realise that you come from the ‘ombelico’, ‘nombril’, the belly button of nowhere, and you’re playing the king of France.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Johnny Depp reading at MacGowan funeral
“It made no sense to me, I tried to talk her out of it. She wasn’t hearing it, and she had great courage to take me into her cast.”
Jeanne Du Barry received a seven-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The film is Depp’s first major on-screen appearance following his lawsuits against Heard and the publishers of The Sun newspaper in the UK.
In 2022, he successfully sued Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.
However, his UK case two years earlier was not successful, with a High Court judge finding that Depp had assaulted Heard during their relationship.
Entertainment
Hannah Waddingham hits back at photographer over ‘show leg’ request on Olivier Awards red carpet
Olivier Awards presenter Hannah Waddingham has made headlines for hitting back at a photographer who appears to have asked her to “show leg”.
In a video posted by a fan on X, Waddingham, 49, was heard scolding a photographer over a comment which cannot be heard but is inferred to have been a demand for her to show more skin.
“Oh my God, you’d never say that to a man, my friend,” the Ted Lasso actress said, before adding: “Don’t be a dick or I’ll move off. Don’t say, ‘show your leg’.”
Waddingham walks off before turning around and pointing her finger saying: “Have some manners”.
The incident happened as Waddingham posed on the red carpet ahead of the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night.
According to the person recording the incident, “Hannah was being her gorgeous self” when the photographer “made some comment about her leg”.
They added: “Well, the video speaks for itself. This woman is a role model. Always, always call pricks out on their bullshit.”
‘What a queen’
Fans heaped praise on the actress, with one commenting on the video saying: “What a queen – just when I thought I couldn’t love her more!”
Read more on Sky News:
Murder of WW2 veteran solved – 56 years after he was shot
World’s oldest conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell die aged 62
One Ted Lasso fan commented on Waddingham’s rebuke of the photographer’s apparent demand saying: “This is boss.”
Another X user praised the actress for her “class” saying it “will always stand out, well done Hannah”.
Waddingham, whose own work on the West End received three Olivier award nominations, presented the prestigious theatre awards for the second year in a row.
Olivier award winners
Sunset Boulevard dominated the Olivier awards, winning seven of its 11 nominations at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday night.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Among the show’s triumphs were the best actor and best actress in a musical awards for its leading duo Tom Francis and Nicole Scherzinger, the former Pussycat Doll and Britain’s Got Talent judge.
The Best actor award went to former Sherlock and Game Of Thrones actor Mark Gatiss for his role in Jack Thorne’s The Motive And The Cue.
Succession star Sarah Snook beat fellow nominee Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker to take home the best actress award for her West End debut performance in The Picture Of Dorian Gray.
It started with a gentle “I need your participation, please”, as Blur frontman Damon Albarn sought an audience singalong during a Coachella performance.
But as the British rock band were consistently met with near-silence, an increasingly frustrated Albarn eventually remarked: “You’ll never see us again”.
The English band have released nine albums since its formation in 1988, seven of which reached No 1 in the charts, including their latest record, The Ballad of Darren, which was produced following an eight-year break.
But some of their hits did not seem to resonate with audiences at the world-famous Coachella festival, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, over the weekend.
During their Saturday slot, the group, part of a star-studded line-up, performed a host of their hits including Song 2, Beetlebum and Tender.
As the band struck up the chords to their 1994 hit Girls & Boys, lead singer Albarn, 56, tried to encourage the crowd to sing along to the chorus, saying: “I need your participation, please.”
In videos shared on social media, he can be seen attempting to engage the concert-goers a number of times, telling them “you can do it better than that”, but his efforts continued to receive a lacklustre response from the US crowd.
Damon Albarn of British band Blur performs during the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California in 2013. Pic: Reuters
The musician appeared to get increasingly frustrated until he told the audience: “You’ll never see us again so you may as
well f****** sing it.”
Read more:
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spotted at Coachella
Shakira announces world tour during surprise Coachella appearance
Dressed in a white suit and a black T-shirt paired with a pair of black sunglasses, Albarn led the band, which also includes guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree.
Blur have released nine albums in total, including 1994’s Parklife, 1995’s The Great Escape, 1997’s Blur, 1999’s 13, 2003’s Think Tank and 2015’s The Magic Whip – which all went to number one in the charts.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The group helped pioneer the Britpop genre, fiercely competing with rival band Oasis in the charts over the years.
They went on hiatus after their 2015 Magic Whip tour, but came back last year with their first record for eight years, titled The Ballad Of Darren, which soared to number one.
Singer-songwriter Raye and dance outfit Jungle were also among the British acts who took to the Coachella stage over the weekend.
London-born Raye teased her next music project during her set, the follow-up to her award-winning debut album My 21st Century Blues.
Last month, she overtook Blur, Harry Styles and Adele by picking up the most Brit awards in one year during the 2024 ceremony.
-
Sports1 year ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Environment11 months agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports6 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Technology3 years ago
Game consoles were once banned in China. Now Chinese developers want a slice of the $49 billion pie
-
Politics2 years ago
Have the last few wobbly weeks seen a turning point for Johnson as PM?