Dan Gillespie-Sells Makes an Italian Open Sandwich (And Plays Piano Really Fast)

Singer, song writer, activist, and Anna’s former landlord, Dan Gillespie-Sells, is the guest on this

week’s The Filling with Anna Barnett. Catching-up in Dan’s Victorian pub home in east London, the

old friends chat through Dan’s musical journey from attending the Brit School at 16, forming his

band The Feeling, learning his craft performing 10 shows a week in the Alps, and diversifying into

musical theatre. As Dan’s pub is where Anna lived for 10 years, they also remember the many pop-

ups Anna catered there. But did the guests come for Anna’s food or Dan’s Christmas carols?

TOP QUOTES

“Isn’t it funny – all these blokes in dresses … and Anna.” Dan

“I can’t tolerate much spice – I have an Irish sphincter.” Dan

“The fight continues but so does the joy, celebration and solidarity.” Dan

“We wanted to sound like E.L.O. from the 70’s – soft rock – when everyone else wanted to sound

like The Strokes.” Dan

“If you don’t go for things, you don’t fail; if you don’t fail, you don’t learn.” Dan

“I’m greedy and I want a meal deal.” Anna

RESOURCES

www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk

www.thefeeling.com

www.brit.croydon.sch.uk

www.tayyabs.co.uk

www.akt.org.uk

ABOUT THE GUEST

Ivor Novello award winning singer-song writer, Dan Gillespie-Sells, was born in London in 1978. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the group The Feeling. In addition to his work with The Feeling, Dan has written songs for Sophie Ellis-Bextor. He co-wrote and co-performed the theme tune to BBC drama, ‘Beautiful People’, collaborated with choreographer Javier de Frutos on a ballet piece for The London Coliseum, and most recently wrote the music for the stage show and, soon to be released, film, ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’.

ABOUT THE HOST

Anna Barnett (www.annabarnettcooks.com) is a chef and food writer. She moved to London to work in TV and enjoyed a career at both MTV and Channel 4 before moving into fashion. Life has always been experienced through the lens of good food, however, and she released her debut cookery book ‘Eat the Week’ in 2015, after which she spent several years writing ‘The Reluctant Vegetarian’ blog for the Independent newspaper whilst also contributing to Vogue magazine. She went on to write the food pages for Grazia magazine; she now has a weekly column writing for The Evening Standard online. In 2019 Anna wrote and styled ‘How to be Gluten Free and Not Lose Friends’, her second cookery book. Anna regularly hosts pop-up restaurants, collaborates with brands, caters private events as well as hosting cookery classes at her home in east London.

Instagram: @annabarnettcooks