Big things are coming to The Honesty Box

Here's a little teaser

DJ Paulette (left) and me, Lucy Handley, after we chatted about 30 years of DJing, Manchester’s legendary Hacienda nightclub, and her memoir about all of it.

Exciting news! Next week, I’m starting a new series as part of The Honesty Box, which I’m calling A Moment of Honesty.

Every month, I plan to interview someone I admire about a moment of honesty for them. This could be anything from realising they needed to change job or break up with someone to having a difficult conversation or hearing some honest advice from a friend. I love an honest chat, and I’m interested in what happened afterwards, how they felt and what changed.

I’m delighted to say the very first person I’m featuring is the Hacienda club legend DJ Paulette, one of only two women to have held a monthly residency at the infamous Manchester venue.

Paulette has played some of the biggest and best clubs in the world in places like Ibiza, Paris and London, but she says she’s also been sidelined as a Black woman during her career, a theme she explores in her new book Welcome to the Club: The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ.

I saw Paulette play a disco set at London’s Roundhouse last year and asked if she’d be up for an interview. She gave me an hour of her time and we talked 1990s clubbing, becoming famous, and how she feels about not having kids.

Speaking to her made me want to explore more clubs outside London, in particular the Warehouse Project in Manchester, and we also chatted about how middle-aged people (like me!) are going out more – and whether we can save the UK’s dance floors.

Anyway, you’ll get the full story next time. I’m in sunny/rainy Wiltshire today, and I’m off to walk up some hills. See you next week!