#johnnie walker x diet paratha

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"The spirit of Bold Steps encourages people to rise up in ways they may never have thought possible. Its incredible to see such a boundary pushing talent within my community. Kushiaania's design speaks to all of us- that instead of dimming our light we should be proud to walk into a world that we create for ourselves"

~ Simone Ashley for Johnnie Walker

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There were moments I felt like I had to apologise for myself or dim my light a little to make others around me maybe feel a bit more comfortable but I realised if I’m an inconvenience to them then it’s not really my problem - Simone Ashley

[dailybridgerton]

SIMONE ASHLEY — photographed by Myles Drury for Johnnie Walker x Diet Paratha

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Simone Ashley | Johnnie Walker x Diet Paratha | January 20, 2023

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Simone reflects on how seeing other women of colour in the entertainment industry thrive, inspired her own journey. She explains, 'I think it's really important for the entertainment industry - especially for women of colour - to just be like, "Look, we're a community, and let's welcome each other in whether you've been in here for years, or if you're new, or wherever you've come from, we're here to do this together and to support each other. There's a seat at the table for all of us."

-Simone Ashley for Grazia

[dailysimoneashley]

Actress Simone Ashley, 27, grew up in Surrey before moving to Los Angeles alone at 17. She found fame starring in Netflix’s Sex Education, watched by 40 million in its first month. She starred in season two of Bridgerton, which became Netflix’s most watched show in English in its first week. She lives in London ~ Times UK

Teachers called me “the brown girl” at school. I remember if I ever failed a test or misbehaved, the teachers would say, “Which one? Oh, the brown girl.” My first kiss was with a really popular boy in primary school but he denied it to our friends and said, “I would never kiss the brown girl.” I don’t speak about it much because I don’t want it to sound like trauma porn, but it is very real.

I didn’t grow up in a world where people would say, “You’re brown and beautiful.” I have always loved the colour of my skin. But the more I work in this industry, I look back and think no young person should ever feel discriminated against like I was.

We had champagne after we finished the sex scenes in Bridgerton. It felt like we’d done the hardest bit of the whole 11-month shoot. We did all of our intimacy scenes in one week. It’s a lot, gearing up for that every day and making sure you have enough sleep, doing whatever you have to do to make you feel ready. I am confident in myself and my body.

Therapy helps me clear my head. It can be a bit of a circus in this industry. There have been times when it was overwhelming, lonely and all a little bit crazy. The worst thing to do is to feel like the world is against you. Therapy has helped me learn how to communicate better, control my emotions and find useful skills for when things feel overwhelming. It means I can not take life so seriously and just enjoy it. If you can afford therapy, it’s an interesting way to learn more about yourself. Taking responsibility for yourself and who you are as an adult is important.

Corsets push everything down to the bottom of your stomach. That means when you take them off, you’ve got a little bump. I hated wearing those corsets filming Bridgerton. They’re so beautiful, but I hate them – never again! Luckily, we’re allowed to wear bras now instead and that has changed everything for me. I can do a 12-hour day and feel comfortable.

Going to an all-girls’ school made me grow up late. I was late to the part where I was interested in boys, and other parts of being a teenage girl. I was very much still a child when I was 14 or 15.

My mum tried to teach us Hindi and Tamil, but we grew up watching Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. Growing up between England and California, it was hard for me to tap into that. My mum would speak on the phone in Hindi, or talk to us in it, and I understood it. That ability has gone now, but I feel at home when I hear other people speaking it. Because I left home so young, I didn’t have the means or freedom to spend much time with my family in India. My mum also made me play French video games, so I learnt bits of French.

I wasn’t happy in England as a teenager. All of us have had a bit of a rough time at school. But I felt happy in California, where I spent a lot of time as a kid.

I want to give more people tattoos. When I was bored in Los Angeles in lockdown, I did lots of stuff like tie-dying and learning a language. Then I realised how easy it was to get a rotary tattoo pen, found a nice design and gave myself a tattoo. On some sets that I work on, people are like, “Cool, when we wrap, give me a tattoo.”

My white male counterparts have had it very differently from me. They have more of a voice. I have had to work harder to have that kind of equality. I have learnt to have my own power. I might be different, but if I respect myself and use my voice, eventually the people around me will give me that same treatment.

Empowering a minority shouldn’t be taboo. Especially in the UK, we love Indian food, we watch so many movies inspired by Bollywood music. The people from that community deserve to be empowered and loved. It shouldn’t be a taboo thing to say, you’re brown and amazing.

Simone Ashley stars in a short film for Johnnie Walker’s Bold Steps campaign with Diet Paratha

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Simone Ashley for Johnnie Walker x Diet Paratha

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“It’s so meaningful to have the support of Simone, especially to help advance the creative future of our community,” says Anita. “It was inspiring to work alongside someone who is such a key public figure for smashing through cultural barriers that many of us face, who’s gone on to achieve high levels of success. [She is] truly the best type of role model.”

- Anita Chhiba in Bricks magazine

[dailysimoneashley]

Simone Ashley And Diet Paratha Are Partnering With Johnnie Walker

“I am proud to join Anita, Kajal and the Johnnie Walker team to lift up the community that I am part of—and to keep the door open for the people that follow,” says Ashley. "I was drawn to the ‘Bold Steps’ initiative as I know the power of seeing others who look like me at the table and in the room.”

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📰 | Wonderland Magazine:

Simone Ashley discusses working with Johnnie Walker and Diet Paratha on a campaign championing British South Asian creatives.

Johnnie Walker is ready to unveil the limited edition bottle, bringing its Bold Steps campaign to life with illustrator and graphic designer Kushiaania’s bespoke design. The powerful visual was selected by an independent judging panel for its impactful celebration of inner strength and joy. When speaking of the artist, Simone Ashley told Wonderland: “I was really inspired by her work. It’s a really vibrant, powerful expression of feminine strength. She embraced South Asian culture and tradition in a modern gaze, fitting the bottle as well. I’m just really excited for everyone to see the work that she’s done — for her to have her well deserved moment, for it to be on the shelves, and for everyone to see it"

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Bold Steps sees the Diet Paratha community and Simone Ashley address conversations on South Asian representation within British culture

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📰 | HyperBae:

Simone Ashley on the Importance of Representation and Giving Back

"We weren’t really having as many conversations [about representation] as we are now. I think maybe it was more of a taboo subject. And in a way, it still can be. I think it’s about giving people the confidence to know that they are worthy, just like their other peers, no matter what culture they’re from, or their heritage. Representation is so powerful because it’s important for people to see themselves and to know that they belong and that they’re capable. It wasn’t as loud when I was starting out, but it’s getting louder now, which is a really positive thing"

[dailysimoneashley]

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A post shared by Diet Paratha (@diet_paratha)

#AD We are honoured to bring you the fourth round of the Diet Paratha Family Tree Mentoring alongside @JohnnieWalker and @SimoneAshley - as part of #BoldSteps celebrating those making positive change in their community.

Applicants based in GB, who are 18 years of age and over, are invited to submit a design for limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black bottle inspired by their own creative expression. One winning applicant will be chosen to receive:

* £5,000 to put towards their creative practice in 2023


* Their winning design to be sold on a limited-edition bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky

* Exclusive 1-on-1 mentoring with Art Director Manu Pillai (@haiimmanu) Go to www.dietparatha.com for full terms and conditions, more info and to enter.

Drinkaware.co.uk.

#Over18sonly #pleasedrinkresponsibly #KeepWalking

[experienceandobservation]

Simone Ashley | Johnnie Walker x Diet Paratha - Behind The Scenes | January 20, 2023