01:01Frankie Grande joins me now in a very demure outfit.
01:05Can we have a little look at that?
01:07Oh, glory.
01:08Yes, Dan.
01:08Oh, very demure, very mindful.
01:10It's very Jerry Halliwell, isn't it?
01:12Back in the day, the Spice Girls.
01:14They've heard that.
01:15Oh, my goodness, I love the Spice Girls.
01:17So, you know, I thought I'd, you know, honor where I am right now.
01:19I'm applying for my citizenship.
01:21Oh, brilliant.
01:22You have it from us.
01:24It is wonderful to see you hosting Pride alongside Shaka Khan.
01:28Wow.
01:29I know.
01:30Stuff of dreams.
01:31It really, truly is.
01:32Ever since I've heard her go, Shaka Khan, you know,
01:34the Whitney Houston track, like, I've been obsessed with her.
01:36So it's been, it's very exciting to be able to be here,
01:39especially on Pride, you know?
01:40On Pride.
01:41It's like such a joyful time of year.
01:43And, I mean, everything I do is, you know, for the gays, as they say.
01:46Yeah, you're out there and proud.
01:47But, look, it's really fascinating.
01:49We'll talk a bit about Ariana, obviously, because I know you adore each other.
01:53I do.
01:54You're ten years older than Ariana.
01:56Yeah.
01:57But you've got millions of followers yourself.
02:00You've got your own, you've been on Broadway.
02:02You've got all this going on.
02:04But you're one of those people who never seems to worry about that kind of comparison or anything.
02:09Right.
02:10You seem to be completely embracing and proud of each other equally, almost.
02:15Yeah, no, it is true.
02:16And it's like, listen, I remember when I was on Big Brother, they said, like, Frankie, one of the zings that I got for being on the show is that I'm surprised you're so tan when you're always standing in your sister's shadow.
02:27And it's a joke.
02:28I mean, it's a joke, but I do understand, like, my sister, like, is such an unbelievable megawatt of a star.
02:35And I'm so proud of her because I helped raise her.
02:40Yes.
02:41Like, I was there for all of that.
02:42So, like, you know, I got to be part of her story from the very, very beginning to now.
02:46So it's like to think of jealousy when it comes to her is a ridiculous.
02:50Yeah, you just love her completely.
02:51It's never been the thing.
02:52I love her so hard.
02:53And it's such a two way street between the two of us.
02:56So, like, if she is the sun, then great.
02:57I'll be Jupiter.
02:58Do you know what I'm saying?
02:59Yeah.
03:00It's beautiful.
03:01It's great.
03:02I'm so thrilled for her.
03:03And the thing is, you know, your personal story has some dark moments in it.
03:08You've been an addict and so on.
03:09And that is actually what Hotel Rock Bottom is about.
03:12Just talk us through this fabulous album.
03:15But it feels so sort of light and frivolous and gorgeous.
03:18But actually, its basis is some really difficult times about alcoholism and so on.
03:23Yeah, so when I sat down to write, it's interesting writing an album at 42 years old.
03:28Because you have so much ground to cover.
03:30And so if you go chronologically through the album, it starts in my messy party days.
03:35You know, like, the song Messy is a true thing about me just being like, I just want to go to the club.
03:39I don't want to look pretty.
03:40I want to be a mess.
03:41That is my goal for the evening.
03:43Then you have Hotel Rock Bottom, which was in London, actually, after the One Love Manchester concert.
03:49I had to make a choice of whether I wanted to check out of this hotel or check out of life.
03:54I checked out of the hotel and I went to rehab.
03:56And so it being the title track is beautiful and poignant and necessary.
04:01Because nothing in my life, including the rest of the album or me sitting here with you today, would have been possible had I not hit my rock bottom.
04:10And catapulted myself from that position.
04:12Like a trampoline, if you will.
04:14And so the rest of the album is sobriety and husband and puppy and dog and life.
04:19Yeah.
04:20And what's lovely is that, you know, on your Instagram, there's a lot of your mom involved as well.
04:23Yeah.
04:24As Ariana's mom, too.
04:25Yeah.
04:26What was she feeding you kids?
04:27I mean, how did she do this?
04:29Pasta.
04:30We're Italian.
04:31I guess that's the secret.
04:32Do you must, like, talk to each other and go, well, what happened here?
04:36Like, how did we both arrive?
04:38I mean, she's obviously incredible and you are incredible in your own right.
04:41I mean, what is the secret to the talent in the family?
04:44You know, she raised us on arts and culture.
04:47So, like, as a very young kid, I went to Madonna when I was seven years old.
04:51I went to the Blonde admission tour.
04:52Wow.
04:53I saw Elton John and Billy Joel when I was eight years old.
04:55Do you think it was a new?
04:56I mean, she had to kind of a little bit.
04:58You know what I'm saying?
04:59I saw Phantom of the Opera ten times by the time I was ten years old.
05:02So, she was just such a supporter of the arts.
05:05So, I think it just, like, it went into us.
05:07And then, of course, when Ariana was young, I was in plays.
05:10She came to see me in all the, like, you know, my middle school shows and my high school shows.
05:14And we went to go to see Wicked together.
05:17And we saw, you know, like, it's just like...
05:18You went to see Wicked together?
05:19Yeah, of course.
05:20That was hilarious.
05:21I came home from college and I had just seen it with my boyfriend at the time.
05:25And I was like, you guys.
05:26You mean the stage show?
05:27The stage show.
05:28Yes.
05:29I was like, I was 20 years old and I was like, you and Ariana was ten.
05:31And I was like, you, we're going to New York.
05:34Well, you have to see Wicked.
05:36So, it's, I mean, very full circle moment.
05:38And at age ten for her, were you aware of her talent as a singer?
05:43Yeah, absolutely.
05:44Oh, my God.
05:45Eight years old, she played Annie.
05:47And I've never heard the song Come Up Tomorrow song better by anyone, ever.
05:51She sang My Heart Will Go On, just for fun in our living room.
05:55And sounded just as good as Celine Dion at eight years old.
05:58Oh.
05:59Now, can we expect a duet from you and Ariana, then?
06:01Oh.
06:02And have you already done, I mean, presumably privately, you do a lot of karaoke together,
06:05I imagine, but what?
06:06I mean, it's possible.
06:08Oh, there's something, is there something in the pipeline?
06:11Listen, I'll say what I said to my husband when my husband asked me something.
06:15I said, let's just find out together, shall we?
06:17You keep secrets from your husband about your musical career?
06:19No idea.
06:20Sometimes I just don't want to answer him.
06:21I'm like, honey, well, let's just find out together.
06:25You know, he asked a lot of questions.
06:27I'm taking this as a yes.
06:28Yeah, I think you'll find out soon.
06:31That's beautiful.
06:32There's a surprise that's in the works.
06:33Well, that's lovely.
06:34So your album, debut album, Hotel Rock Bottom is out now.
06:38Yeah.
06:39And then you and Shaka Khan on stage, hosting the whole of Pride.
06:42It's going to be so fun.
06:43Well, they are lucky to have you, might I say.
06:45What a ray of sunshine and energy you really are.
06:47Thank you so much.
06:48Congratulations on all the dark times and coming through the other side.
06:51It's really powerful.
06:52And if there's anyone out there that's struggling, just ask for help.
06:54That's what I did.
06:55It's the hardest thing you'll ever have to do is actually ask for help.
06:58But as soon as you do, you would be so surprised how the people flood you to be there for you.
