You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Guest: London Hughes
Release Date: February 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes comedian, writer, and actor London Hughes for a conversation that is hilarious, deeply personal, and surprisingly therapeutic. Pete and London dig into issues of identity, self-worth, the Black British experience, transatlantic cultural differences, professional ambition, comedy, and reframing trauma. The episode is both entertaining and unexpectedly profound—a masterclass on confidence, vulnerability, and how to "keep it crispy."

Main Themes

• The Black British experience and underrepresentation in media
• Confidence, self-worth, and overcoming the victim mentality
• The difference between confidence and self-worth
• Cultural differences between the US and UK
• Reframing setbacks as opportunities for growth
• Manifestation, lineage, and spirituality
• Navigating relationships and self-validation

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Transatlantic Banter: UK vs US (02:35–16:00)

• Pete and London open with playful riffs about British and American culture, accents, and stereotypes.
  • “Americans are the Florida of the world” (14:32, London)
  • Discussion of how the British identity works: "British is the cake, everything else is the topping." (04:43–04:59, Pete and London)
• They joke about the origins of British dishes, spelling differences, and the legacy of colonization.

Black Britishness & Underreported Histories (16:00–24:00)

• London explains the history of Black Brits, centering on Caribbean migration post-WWII.
  • “My ancestors basically made Great Britain a superpower, but don’t benefit off of it because they stayed in the Caribbean” (18:47, London)
• Discussion on the “Windrush generation” and Britain's refusal to reckon with its colonial/slavery legacy.
• “That trauma—that’s the British experience. They did the worst things and don’t want to talk about it.” (25:12, London)
• Comparison to Germany’s “opening their can of worms” about history.

Institutional Racism and the Limits of UK Social Mobility (24:00–29:00)

• London elaborates on institutional racism in UK employment, housing, representation, and especially comedy.
• Unlike the U.S., British social mobility for Black people is far more limited; "No Black billionaires in the UK" (27:54, London).
  • “Britain doesn’t care how talented you are. You’re not going to be a billionaire if you’re Black.” (27:49, London)

The Comedy Glass Ceiling (28:00–30:00)

• Pete reflects on realizing he can only name American Black comedians; London notes she moved to LA to be authentically Black British in comedy.
  • “When you think of British comedy, you don’t think of Black people. I want to change that.” (29:25, London)

London on Confidence, Self-Worth & “Victim” Reframing (35:00–54:45)

• Pete and London unpack the crucial difference between confidence and self-worth:
  • “You have confidence, but you have low self-worth.” (37:06, London to Pete)
• London shares her experience with bullying (nicknamed "KFC" for eczema), which shaped her "victim" self-concept and drive.
  • “If I weren’t bullied, I probably wouldn’t have been a stand-up.” (53:51, London)
• The strategy for changing self-belief: repeated reframing, focusing on achievements, and ultimately believing "people love me, I make people laugh, I’m a genius." (54:11, London)
• “If you look for reasons why SNL don’t think you’re good enough, you’ll find them. But you’re just looking for them.” (55:12, London)
• The comfort (and trap) of "victim" mentality: "It’s the poison food that’s comfortable for me to eat." (55:58, Pete)

Manifesting Success, Comedy, and the Power of “They’ll See” (61:04–64:40)

• London discusses how she visualized her current life while broke, believing hard enough until the world caught up.
  • “Your world will start to reflect it.” (61:39, London)
• She emphasizes reframing low points as future chapters in her autobiography (63:16, London)
  • Pete echoes: “This will be on my TV...we’re doing it as an adult.” (63:54, Pete)

Show Business, Self-Worth, and the Role of Influencers (46:29–50:50)

• London reflects on speaking at a book festival, realizing even “talentless” influencers have self-worth she hadn’t valued: both popularity and authenticity matter.

Relationships & Self-Validation (87:17–101:17)

• London revisits her Netflix special “To Catch a Dick” and her dating outlook:
  • “I now have learned that I did not want to be dated... I didn't know.” (88:03, London)
• She explains how self-worth affects relationship choices: when you believe you’re worthy, you no longer date for validation, but for real connection.
• Discusses toxic dating patterns, love-bombing from “broke” men, and why she's now happily single until equals show up.

The Oprah Vision & Legacy (102:28–105:39)

• As a child, London was inspired by Oprah’s words: “I’d rather be Oprah than a mother.” (102:54, London)
• She wants to be a global Black British sensation—someone’s Oprah, someone’s reason to believe.
• Discusses the desire to transcend racial types in entertainment: “I want to be like Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, London Hughes.” (105:00, London)

Black British Representation On-Screen (107:48–115:48)

• London details the absence of Black British women on-screen and the lack of authentic Black British stories in U.K. (and U.S.) films and TV.
  • “We’re not used to seeing Black people like this. We want to see the stereotype.” (114:01, London on UK gatekeepers)
  • She’s writing her own romantic comedy exploring this very subject.

Spirituality, Manifestation, and What Happens When We Die (116:54–126:53)

• London describes her journey from Christianity to a broader spirituality anchored in self-belief and “the universe.”
  • “The universe is me. We are all one.” (118:16, London)
  • She attributes her success to visualizing and genuinely believing in her achievements before they arrived.
• Pete and London discuss ghosts, “night nine” in Jamaican culture, and the continuity of energy after death.

Notable Quotes

• London (14:32): “America is the Florida of the world. I'm being so serious.”
• London (18:47): “My ancestors basically made Great Britain a superpower, but don’t benefit off of it because they stayed in the Caribbean.”
• Pete (37:13): “I would agree with that [having confidence but not self-worth].”
• London (54:46): “If we all felt like that, then we wouldn’t fall victim to 'they didn’t pick me.'”
• London (61:39): “Your world will start to reflect it.”
• London (88:03): “I did not want to be dated.”
• London (102:54): “I remember watching it and thinking, I'd rather be Oprah than a mother.”
• London (118:16): “The universe is me. We are all connected. We are the universe.”
• London (121:56): “There’s a core belief in both of us that we would be where we are now. And that is why we are where we are now.”
• London (128:14): "Keep it crispy."
• Pete & London (125:27): “We both saw it.”

Memorable Moments & Humor

• London’s definition: “Black British is the cake; everything else is the frosting.” (04:43–04:54)
• “Americans are the Florida of the world.” (14:32, London) – This running gag gets repeated, to Pete's delight.
• London’s recounting being bullied and called “KFC” (50:15), and Pete explaining his school nickname “Biter Shaft” (51:35)—both a hilarious and poignant exchange on childhood trauma.
• London and Pete singing emotional “believe in yourself” road trip anthems after bad shows: “Sing to the Moon” and “Someday.” (79:45–85:37)
• Running bits on language differences (“tube” vs “chube”, “chew our chicken masala”) and spontaneous accent switches.
• London manifesting her career with vision boards, Netflix specials, and world tours.
• The show closes with the first-ever “Keep it crispy” from a Black British woman (128:14).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Cultural Stereotypes and Banter: 02:35–16:00
• The Black British Experience: 16:00–24:00
• Institutional Racism in the UK: 24:00–29:00
• Comedy and Representation: 28:00–30:00
• Confidence vs. Self-Worth: 35:00–54:45
• Reframing Trauma & Victimhood: 54:51–61:39
• Manifestation and Visualizing Success: 61:04–64:40
• Popularity vs. Authenticity in Showbiz: 46:29–50:50
• Relationship Patterns, Dating, and Growth: 87:17–101:17
• Defining the "Oprah Vision": 102:28–105:39
• Black British Women On-Screen: 107:48–115:48
• Spirituality & Ghosts: 116:54–126:53
• Outro / “Keep it crispy”: 128:12

Tone

The episode is candid, warm, and laugh-out-loud funny, but also unflinchingly honest about self-doubt, systemic racism, and the work required for genuine self-worth. London’s voice is direct, charismatic, playful yet wise, and Pete brings his trademark enthusiastic curiosity and emotional vulnerability. They create a space where deep personal and cultural insights ring out just as clearly as the best punchlines.

Summary

This episode is much more than a comedy chat—it’s an exploration of how we become who we are, and how to keep pushing, reframing, and dreaming bigger. London Hughes emerges as a force: funny, visionary, and fiercely determined to change the picture for Black British women in comedy and the wider world. By the end, you’ll be rooting for her to win her Oscar—and thinking twice about your own self-worth, too.