Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson

Episode: "A Great Place with Jameela Jamil"

Released: August 18, 2025
Guests: Jameela Jamil (with Oliver Hudson leading most of the conversation)

Episode Overview

In this relaxed and deeply personal episode of "Sibling Revelry," Oliver Hudson is joined by actress, writer, and outspoken advocate Jameela Jamil. The conversation ranges widely—from sibling bonds, family traumas, and British vs. American beauty standards, to Jameela’s unorthodox entry into the entertainment industry, her relationship with musician James Blake, and the importance of irreverent humor and honesty. Listeners get an intimate look at Jameela’s vivid storytelling, her bold takes on activism and cultural identity, her health challenges, and the profound influence her brother has had on her life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Controversy, Activism, and Authenticity (08:02–11:09)

• Is Jameela Jamil Controversial?

  • Jameela openly acknowledges she’s seen as controversial but believes she simply refuses to shy away from difficult topics:

    "I'm just unafraid of controversy rather than literally courting it." (08:08)

  • She sees herself as someone who challenges systems and institutions, and that the backlash is a sign of her effectiveness:

    "I threaten massive institutions...I inspire other people to also use their voices and that can be very dangerous." (09:01)

• Distinguishing Activism from Advocacy

  • Jameela is clear-eyed about her place in public discourse and critical of celebrities co-opting “activist” status:

    "To deem myself an activist when I'm posting from my movie trailer is foul business, it's foolery." (10:48)

  • She prefers the term “advocate,” reserving “activist” for people organizing and risking without privilege:

    "I would call myself and the rest of us privileged fools advocates." (10:34)

• Oliver’s Admiration

  • Oliver:

    "There's no hypocrisy with you in any way." (11:09)

2. The Pressures of Appearance: US vs. UK (12:09–14:35)

• The duo riff on the different beauty standards in LA and London. Jameela jokes about LA being "airbrush city," contrasting it with the roughness and authenticity of London:

  "In England we all look sort of more haggard and very emotive...I think it's still frowned upon to be concerned with your appearance." (13:22)

• On cultural snobbery around looking too polished:

  "To be polished is to be boring." (13:05) — Jameela

• Hilarious take on British eating habits and lack of “movie flossing”:

  "We don't even perform flossing, it's not a part of our culture. We're all toothless, we're all hungover, we don't eat right, we order fries with every single meal including breakfast." (12:17)

3. Jameela’s Unplanned Showbiz Origin (15:01–16:36)

• She never aspired to entertainment and was “street-scattered” (scouted) in a bar to be on British TV, prompted by a lucrative offer:

  "He said it was a thousand pounds a day and without hesitating I was like please give me the email." (15:09) — Jameela

• Started as an English teacher, never formally trained in acting before starring in "The Good Place":

  "I'd never acted before I did 'The Good Place.' That was my first time on set." (15:54)

4. Sibling Bond – The Heart of the Episode (20:18–27:36)

Jameela’s Relationship with Her Brother

• Jameela has a half-brother, ten years her senior, who became her “gift” and best friend growing up:

  "He just loved the out of me the second I was put into his arms...I'm certain that the reason I know how to act now is because my entire...childhood was spent making up characters to entertain my brother." (21:12)

• On their separation when her brother left for Spain:

  "I threw a tantrum that has never been seen before at Heathrow...I lost my . It was like he was never...going to see him again." (22:11)

• On reconnecting as adults and finding each other as chosen family:

  "Sometimes you don't have any chemistry with your sibling and sometimes you just do, and it's like the universe just plopped one of your soul mates...into you." (26:42)

Notable Story:

• Her brother’s elaborate, creative games, like simulating time travel and pretending their parents were aliens.
• He once ran into a burning room to save her:

  "My parents didn't [save me from fire]—he did." (25:53)

5. Childhood, Cultural Identity, and Family Dynamics (27:36–30:06)

• Jameela describes her family as “socially bohemian but academically strict.”

  "We were very much...steeped in white British culture and American culture." (28:28)

  • Her parents avoided teaching her and her brother their original language, trying to assimilate after facing racism.

• Underlying sadness and emotional challenges:

  "I come from a family of mentally troubled, abused people...I knew that being funny or making them laugh or making them proud created just a little respite." (29:02)

6. On Romantic Relationships (35:51–43:46)

• On Her Relationship with James Blake

  • Oliver observes their relationship appears easy and balanced.

  • Jameela on the “team” mentality:

    "We are a full team and we've been a team pretty much since the minute that we met." (36:19)

  • She credits her brother for raising her expectations for a respectful, gentlemanly partner.

  • They started as friends; James came to visit for 5 days and “stayed for ten years”:

    "We did kind of accidentally move in with each other because he came out to Los Angeles just to visit for five days...and then he stayed for ten years." (38:36)

  • On not marrying and being inspired by Goldie Hawn:

    "I told you that your mum inspired...one of my favorite songs of his...She said, 'I don't want to get married because I want to choose him...’" (40:35)

• On Marriage and Superstition

  • Jameela expresses a quirky superstition that marriage tempts fate:

    "It's like please don't send me, you know, someone tempting—just leave me alone and we've been thus far left alone." (43:23)

7. Spirituality and The Meaning of Life (43:50–46:16)

• Jameela has a pragmatic (and comedic) approach to spirituality:

  • Believes in karma "because I love revenge," and in God only "when I'm at the dentist." (43:50)
  • On the concept of "pronoia" (the opposite of paranoia):

    "Anytime anything goes wrong...I go, 'that probably protected me from something else.' Burnt toast theory, sliding doors...I always believe I'm on a timeline." (44:55)

• She and Oliver agree they’re not “deep thinkers.”

8. Health Struggles: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (46:43–49:01)

• Jameela candidly describes living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome:

  "It's a lack of collagen in every cell of my body, which means that I'm like an elastic lady...I dislocate all the time...my skin will never age...but my insides are of like, probably a hundred-year-old." (46:43)

• Shares stories of working through extreme pain, her commitment to professionalism, and a new, bizarre Canadian health mishap:

  "I got a hernia working out with one of our co-stars...in my esophagus because I'm so weak." (47:53)
  "I got bitten on the eye by a meat-eating fly called a black fly...My eye fully swelled up like a testicle." (49:05)

9. Ambition, Fun, and Creative Identity (50:11–53:47)

• Jameela discusses her aversion to ambition in showbiz:

  "People will be so guarded around me...but whenever anyone actually then works with me, they're like, oh wow, she really is just showing up for a vibe." (50:25)

  • For her, fun is the true metric of success:

    "I'm gonna make my metric of success fun—not awards, not followers, not money." (51:17)

• On writing, podcasts, and her observational style:

  "I think I'm a good essayist...I love the truth of human beings, I'm obsessed with our motivations, why we do things." (52:33)

10. Gossip as Social Glue (53:47–55:19)

• Both hosts delight in the joys of eavesdropping and gossip:

  "I love gossip, I love it...My hair is so long because it's full of secrets." (54:43)

• Jameela humorously admits:

  "I never give away the secrets of my friends, I give away the secrets of my enemies. But could you destroy people's lives with the things you know? One hundred percent—I can't wait to get dementia." (54:56)

11. Jameela’s Comedy Podcast: Wrong Turns (55:34–57:01)

• Jameela plugs her new podcast "Wrong Turns":

  "It's a comedy disaster podcast...about all of the disasters that have happened to me and all of my favorite funny people...the worst decisions we've made...that have no silver lining, no great pearl of wisdom." (55:41)

• Notable guests have divulged confessions never previously shared.

  • Oliver is set to be a future guest and feels nervous about his story:

    "I've got to think about what the hell I'm gonna talk about because you have a lot, I have some stuff." (57:01)

12. Closing Reflections on Friendship and Acting (57:13–58:48)

• Jameela and Oliver express mutual respect and affection as scene partners and aspiring future collaborators:

  "You're genuinely one of my favorite scene partners I've ever had...Every so often I get sent really good humans that make it really fun and remind me why I love it, and you're one of those people." (57:13)

  • They joke about developing a comedy about a gossip-loving couple.

Notable Quotes

• On controversy and activism:

  "I think I just fly a little too close to the sun, but that's okay, I never planned on this career anyway." —Jameela Jamil (09:37)

• On creative process:

  "I'm a good essayist...I love the truth of human beings, I'm obsessed with our motivations, why we do things." —Jameela Jamil (52:33)

• On sibling bonds:

  "Sometimes you just do, and it's like the universe just plopped one of your soul mates into...out the same puss, you know." —Jameela Jamil (26:42)

• On gossip:

  "Let's go home and talk shit about everybody...his favorite moment of any party is when we get in the car and gossip." —Jameela Jamil (54:07)

• On marriage:

  "I feel as though James and I are flying under the radar, keeping a low profile, not tempting the universe." —Jameela Jamil (43:23)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• Jameela on controversy & activism: 08:02–11:09
• On British vs. American standards: 12:09–14:35
• Showbiz beginnings: 15:01–16:36
• Sibling stories: 20:18–27:36
• Childhood/culture/family: 27:36–30:06
• Relationship with James Blake: 35:51–43:46
• Spirituality and karma: 43:50–46:16
• Living with Ehlers-Danlos: 46:43–49:01
• Career philosophy: 50:11–53:47
• Podcast plug/wrap-up: 55:34–57:01
• Mutual appreciation & comedy idea: 57:13–58:48

Tone and Atmosphere

Warm, irreverent, honest, and full of laughter. Both Oliver and Jameela embrace candid vulnerability and wit, trading stories of failures, family, and fleeting fame against the backdrop of real talk and cultural critique.

For Those Who Haven’t Listened

This episode offers an in-depth, unfiltered, and in many places hilarious exploration of Jameela Jamil's life and philosophy. It is as much about family pain and healing as it is about pop culture, showbiz myths, and the little disasters that make us human. The rapport between Oliver and Jameela creates a safe space for confession and self-mockery, making for a lively yet deeply poignant listen.