An Enfield podcaster is flying high after signing a deal with Virgin Atlantic which will see her hit celebrity interview podcast made available across the airline’s fleet. 

Genevieve Hassan, of Winchmore Hill, is the creator and host of nostalgia podcast Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did in which she interviews TV, film and music stars from the '80s, '90s and 2000s about their lives after finding fame. 

The deal means all episodes of the podcast will be available as part of Virgin Atlantic’s inflight entertainment, with new episodes added as they are released. 

Genevieve said she is “so proud to have my podcast played at 30,000 feet on Virgin Atlantic planes around the world”.

Since its launch in July 2020, the podcast has been streamed in more than 195 countries and has reached the number one spot of the Apple TV/Film podcast charts in 12 countries, including the UK.

Previous guests have included actor Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), director Dexter Fletcher (Bohemian Rhapsody) and pop group Steps. 

Genevieve said it is “unusual” for an independent podcast produced by one person to “have the sort of traction and interest that my podcast has had” as most podcasts are made by large and well-funded production companies.

She said making the podcast has been “a massive exercise in rejection and perseverance”.

Genevieve is a former BBC news entertainment journalist - who did work experience with the Barnet Times as a teenager - and self-funds the podcast through a part-time cat-sitting job.

She attributed the success of her podcast to her relaxed interview style and extensive prior research, which she says encourages guests to discuss “stuff they don't normally talk about”. 

“There are some stories that I have got out of my guests that people probably wouldn’t otherwise know," she said.

 

The fifth series of Celebrity Catch Up has just begun with Star Trek legend George Takei. Upcoming guests include singer Paul Potts, winner of the first season of Britain's Got Talent, actor Andre Royo, best known for playing Bubbles in The Wire, and '80s pop star Tiffany.   

A select number of episodes have been available on Virgin Atlantic flights since October 2021. The deal, announced this week, extends the selection to the podcast’s entire back catalogue.