Great Company with Jamie Laing10 Joulu 2025

MARY PORTAS: My Mother Died, My Father Disappeared & I Was Left Homeless At 19

Mary Portas is a retail expert who has built her career on instinct, creativity and a drive to do things differently.

She redefined Britain’s shopping culture in the 1990s, transforming Harvey Nichols from a tired department store into the ultimate shopping destination and later, became a household name through her hit TV series, Mary, Queen of Shops.

I first met Mary a few months ago and she completely blew me away. What I didn’t know then were the circumstances that pushed her into retail in the first place. By 19, Mary had lost both her parents and found herself homeless, suddenly responsible for supporting herself and her younger brother. What began as a search for a ‘proper’ job turned into the beginning of an extraordinary career.

We cover:

Losing both her parents by the age of 19
Becoming homeless and finding her unexpected start in retail
Her game-changing years at Harvey Nichols and the magic behind her iconic shop windows
How her brother, Lawrence, became the biological father of her son
The significant loves of Mary’s life

In this conversation, Mary reminded me that identity isn’t inherited, it’s created. And sometimes it’s only after losing everything that you learn how to build a life that feels like home.

Mary Portas is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:

Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast

TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk

THE CREDITS

Executive Producer: Jemima Rathbone

Producer: Helen Burke

Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins

Editor: Dan King

Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett

Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(157)

NICK MOHAMMED: How Comedy & Magic Helped Me Survive the Playground Bullies

Nick Mohammed is a man of many talents. He's the comedian behind the iconic character Mr Swallow, an Emmy-nominated actor best known for Ted Lasso, Slow Horses and Intelligence and, an amazing magicia...

14 Heinä 53min

JILL SCOTT: What Football Can Teach Us | GREAT MOMENTS

IT’S COMING HOME! After seeing off Norway at the weekend, the England Men’s team are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Let’s frickinnn’ gooo! As the team gets ready to face Argentina, there...

12 Heinä 14min

SNAP CEO EVAN SPIEGEL: How I Took a College Idea & Became the World's Youngest Billionaire

Evan Spiegel, the co-founder and CEO of Snap, launched Snapchat in 2011 while he was still a student at Stanford University. Since then, he’s built one of the biggest social platforms in the world, us...

9 Heinä 51min

ANASTACIA: Michael Jackson Tried To Sign Me After Seeing Me On TV

Anastacia is the American pop-soul superstar with one of the most recognisable voices in music. She’s had an incredible career spanning over 25 years, sold more than 50 million records and given us hu...

7 Heinä 1h

HARRY HILL: Life's Too Short to Be Serious | GREAT MOMENTS

There's a strange kind of pressure that comes with being an adult. We’re encouraged to take things seriously and to have it all figured out. But what if being silly is one of the most important things...

5 Heinä 13min

LINA NIELSEN: I Was Paralysed at 17 - Then I Won an Olympic Medal

Lina Nielsen is an Olympic sprinter and hurdler who has overcome incredible challenges to reach the top of her sport.Growing up in East London, Lina got the chance to be a kit carrier at the London 20...

30 Kesä 1h 1min

DR JULE: The Relationship Advice You NEED to Hear | GREAT MOMENTS

Are you struggling to communicate with your partner? Or falling out with the same friend over and over again? This Great Moment is for you.Dr Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist and bestselling aut...

28 Kesä 16min

GRACE BEVERLEY: What I’ve Learnt From Building TALA & Overcoming Burnout

Grace Beverley has spent the past decade building a career most people can only dream of. At just 18, she started her first business from her university bedroom. Since then, she’s gone on to build thr...

23 Kesä 1h 15min