Just Over Twenty

When you think of 2016 Black YouTube culture in the UK you think of Josiah formerly known as Mr200m. With infectious enthusiasm and a zest for life he captured the attention of University students across the UK and beyond.

Whether pursuing creative ventures or dealing with challenges while studying, he brought viewers on a journey as he navigated the ups and downs of life. Eight years later, he’s bid farewell to Mr200m and has rebranded as simply, Josiah. We speak about growing up on the internet, rebranding and what it’s really like when you push against the grain and defy people’s expectations. You are listening to Just Over Twentny and this is Josiah. 

Amassing over 355 thousands followers across TikTok and Instagram social media sensation Temwa is the marriage and lifestyle influencer this generation needs. Bringing big smiles and humor at the click of a button, her joy as she navigates motherhood and marriage in her twenties is infectious.

After having two children in a global pandemic, Temwa speaks candidly about motherhood, marriage, the importance of having a village and navigating ambition as a young mother.

In the winter of 2018, 23-year-old Kelechi would receive news that would shake her world, her dad had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. After fighting a good fight, her dad passed away on  March 5th 2019. 4 years on Kelechi speaks vulnerably about her experience with grief, honors the memory of her father, and shows how there is hope on the other side of pain.

After finding faith at age 19 Nia Cerise Conteh has been a force to be reckoned with. Boldly professing her Christian faith both online and offline she has amassed over 30k followers on Twitter, 50k on Instagram and a whopping 103.9k followers on TikTok. For 7 years she has taken people around the world on a journey of faith, speaking candidly about her life and how she believes God has transformed it. As a Cambridge University master's graduate and a recently ordained prophet who is evangelising around the world, it looks like this is just the beginning for this young Christian woman.

After developing an interest in American Football the summer before entering University, self-proclaimed sports lover and current running back for The Great Britain national American football team, known as the GB Lions, Dwayne Obi made it into his University's American Football Team in 2016. Promising his parents to secure his law degree, Dwayne balanced the responsibilities of education and his commitment to the sport throughout his 3-year University career. After making it into American Football Team the London Warriors it looked like the sky was the limit for Dwayne. However, from the unprecedented global pandemic to a serious injury, many curve balls seem to put his sporting dreams in the balance. This is a story of passion and resilience and what can be achieved when you reflect and put in the work to achieve your dreams. 

*LOVE IS BLIND SEASON 1 & 2 SPOILERS*

To kick off Season 3 of the podcast I brought on my girl Iyin to chat all things Love Is Blind. We broke down our feelings about each couple, what we thought about the decisions on the wedding days and the moments that made us cringe, scream and smile.

This is the final episode of the season and I’m so excited to bring you this conversation. I sat down with singer, songwriter, voice actor and all-around creative Tomi also known as When She Speaks and we got into it. We delved into the process of creating her summer anthem ‘Hold On’ which currently has over 8000 views on YouTube. We also spoke about how she overcame anger and the process of navigating hurt and betrayal. This conversation was a testament to restoration and the power of love to help people heal and become the best versions of themselves. 

This has got to be one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had on the podcast thus far. I spoke to Helen the Founder of Ajo Ale, a creative platform that uses arts and creative media to tell real stories about experiences lived by different Africans. The plan was to speak about African art and unpack her love for the art world.  However, the conversation panned out differently and we ended up exploring what it means to be a so-called different or alternative woman in different church spaces, and how that can impact a person’s experience in the church. The conversation was honest and the experiences shared got me thinking, what can the church do to create a safe space for individuals who don’t match the status quo?

For some school is a space where they experienced some of their fondest memories while for others it was incredibly challenging but what about those who sit in the middle. Today I speak to singer and songwriter Beth also known as Nova May as we take a trip down memory lane to reminisce about our school experiences questioning what did it mean to be popular? how did we deal with feelings of not belonging? and what was the journey like to overcome shyness?

Sometimes in order to appreciate the present, you have to reflect on the past. I hope that this episode urges you to reflect on your experiences and feel a sense of gratitude for how far you’ve come and feel compelled to work towards being your best self now.

For a lot of 2020 graduates searching for jobs in a global pandemic brought with it a unique set of challenges. With organisations juggling the hurdles introduced by the pandemic, new graduates were propelled into an unpredictable job market. Today I speak to graduate and makeup artist Deborah of Deboe Studios about the ups and downs of searching for jobs after University, what kept her afloat during times of uncertainty and learning how to work hard but play harder.

Today I’m bringing you a different kind of episode where I’ll be diving into Married at first sight UK. Reality TV shows all about love are my guilty pleasure and after Netflix show 'Love Is Blind' left a Lauren and Cameron sized hole in my heart I had to find something else to get into. So today I chat with my friend Robyn about married at first sight and we dive into the topic of what it means to be nice guys, women and accountability in relationships and whether reality tv shows are doing a good job in vetting participants. Enjoy!

A few months ago I had the privilege of interviewing the founder of The Black Curriculum Lavinya Stennett. Founded in 2019 the Black Curriculum is a social enterprise committed to the teaching and support of Black history all year round. During this great conversation, we speak about the inspiration behind the Black Curriculum, how the tragic murder of George Floyd pushed the organisation to the limelight

And also the important role rest plays in activism. Since our interview, Lavinya has secured a book deal with Fourth Estate and her debut book ‘Omitted’ which is about Black History is due to be published in the Spring of 2023 so watch this space and enjoy our conversation.

Being in your twenties often comes with a lot of life changes that trickle down and impact your friendships. However, over the past year and a half, the world has experienced one of the most unexpected changes as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. Today I continue a conversation started on my year abroad with the wise and wonderful Zibah where we explore how the pandemic has changed our friendships, the difficulties of friendship breakups and what we have learnt about friendships since our last conversation.

After months off the airwaves, this is me saying hello and giving you a brief update on what I've been up to. I'll be back to weekly scheduling with the first episode dropping this Sunday at 8pm.

After keeping their relationship largely off social media and limited to loved ones and mentors, married couple Elvis and Leah Siaw shocked their community when they posted pictures of their engagement and wedding within weeks of each other. Today we speak about social media and relationships questioning; does everything have to be shared? Is there a place for privacy in modern-day relationships? What role does transparency play when advising others? And what is it really like to be young and married?

Social media has created a platform for varied discourse, banter and at times heated debate but when we add faith into the mix some questions arise; should there be a difference in the way that Christians conduct themselves online? Can your personal feed come at odds with the faith you profess? Is there space online to grapple with Christianity’s biggest questions? Today Itunu is joined with James and Chude to talk about Christian Twitter and the importance of thinking about your witness when navigating online platforms.

In today’s culture, there is a deep interest in both fitness and weight loss. However, looking closely there are certain narratives that deserve to be challenged. Does losing weight equate to happiness? Are there healthier ways that we can think about fitness? Today Itunu is joined with the beautiful Fitness Gill. After losing 30kg in 7 months Gillian speaks about her weight loss and fitness journey and the importance of working towards better health and confidence no matter your size.

I'm back!  After a hiatus I am back with Season 2 of the Just Over Twenty podcast, bringing you great conversations about conversations that aim to challenge the way you think and bring new perspectives about a variety of topics. From politics to religion, friendship to career and some social commentary this podcast aims to facilitate deeper thinking and get into it about the realities of being in your 20s. So whether you’re just over twenty or in your twenties at heart this is the podcast for you.