As she reveals Netflix drama role

Sophie Willan has admitted she took a piss in the street outside the Houses of Parliament on a boozy first date.

But it didn’t deter the bloke – who went on to become her partner and father of her seven-month-old son, Elijah.

She said she met chef Carniel Levy – who specialises in Caribbean cuisine –  after an ‘exhausting’ time on the ‘open-minded’  dating app Feeld where she wrote in her profile that she was  ‘DTF’ – or ‘down to fuck’.

‘I tell you what, I had the busiest two weeks of my life,’ she told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on their Dish From Waitrose podcast. ‘It was exhausting!

‘Then I went on the normal apps and met Carniel, which could have been a civilised date, but I actually got really pissed by accident. You know, you're a bit nervous, and I got a bit drunk…

‘Then we were walking back, and I just suddenly needed a piss, and everything had closed, and then I ran to this big building, I wasn't really looking, and I just squatted, and he went, "That's the Houses of Parliament!" 

‘I couldn't believe he called again after that. As I left, I went, "Oh, probably never see each other again, but great to meet you." Then he messaged me. So that was quite nice, actually. And now he's in the house.

‘This is the problem. You put DTF – then before you know it, you're decorating a nursery.’

Elijah was born on November 30 last year, and counts writer Lemn Sissay among his godparents.

Speaking about becoming a mum, 38-year-old Willan added: ‘I’m glad I've done it later. I think if I'd have done it younger, I'd have found it really difficult. But I'm very lucky, he’s a very chilled-out baby. I don't know where he's got that from. But he's lovely. He's got that Caribbean energy as well. So it's like a Caribbean and a northerner.’

‘There's not much sleep at the moment. But then it's difficult because we're both working. But you work it out, don't you? Last night I did the night shift. He woke up at 1am, screamed till 3:30am. He wants just comfort. You know, we all want comfort at 1am, don't we really?’

The Alma's Not Normal creator also spoke about the memoir she’s writing for Elijah to read when he is older.

‘It's a series of think pieces and bits of advice from my own personal experiences that I'd like to share with him that I can't share with him as a child – because it'd be nice for him to have boundaries.

‘I didn't have boundaries - so I knew everything. I think not having boundaries gives you a bit of a wisdom and an understanding of other people's experience – outside your own. But then it is good to have boundaries, otherwise you have to have a lot of therapy. So I want to dedicate this book to him.’ 

‘I've written a few chapters of it so far and I've planned the whole thing out. There's one, be good to the gays and the dolls, then I do a whole bit on me coming up through the queer circuit and then the pink pound and our responsibilities  as allies and all of that. I think for having a son, you do feel a responsibility to, share your perspective as a woman as well.’

The comedian also revealed she has a role in a forthcoming Netflix drama – but gave few details, other than that it was a ‘big’ show.

‘I got this Netflix series,’ she told thepodcast. It's a drama role. This is why I dyed my hair, because I thought it'd be sensible. I wanted to be a bit more serious, not Alma.   I thought it'd make me look different.

‘But that's quite a long process. That's like two-and-a-half months filming. It's a big series.’

• Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast platforms.

Published: 8 Jul 2026