Ramses Alexandre in conversation with Michelle DeSwarte, star of the nw BBC TV series Spent
“It’s all about Jamaican food! Curry goat, rice and peas, mac and cheese, coleslaw, some plantain and a dumpling … a light nibble.”
Ahead of the release of Michelle DeSwarte’s new series Spent on BBC Two & BBC iPlayer, we got a chance to sit with the supermodel turned comedian, for an exclusive interview to chat about the brand new show, her fascinating life, music and, of course. food!
Self labelled “Good-eater of food”, with no interest in cooking, as that’s not what brings her joy, Michelle frequents local Brixton eateries like True Flavours Caribbean Cuisine on Acre Lane to satisfy her voracious appetite.
When invited to parties at her sister’s house, where she knows the food will be slammin’, she arrives prepared with a container and lid to take plates full for her at-home leftovers. Classic!
There’s no competition for Michelle between Brixton and Brooklyn when it comes to beef patties.
Living in New York while pursuing a career in the fashion industry, she got to really discover how similar the two cities were to each other.
“Brixton Tube station is like Barclays Center, Flatbush Avenue. People always ask me, “what’s the difference between NY and London? and I think when you first go to a place all you do is see the differences and then after a while you’re like, all I see is the similarities …our patties are better though.”
As someone who moved to NYC in the early 2000s, Michelle acknowledges the way she was received as a person of colour was not the typical experience one would associate with gentrification.
Being from a place where she knows exactly what that problem looks like, she didn’t shy away and stay on the periphery of what those areas signify culturally.
“Brixton has always been a diverse area, with everyone integrated and that unfortunately isn’t the case now,” she says.
Raised in a Jamaican-Jewish household, Michelle recognises that there is an alarming disparity because “now there are two sets of people that don’t seem to integrate and that wasn’t the case 20 years ago. People are not embedding themselves into the actual community”
Her new series, Spent covers the highs and lows of an out-of-work model, struggling to make ends meet while living completely beyond her means and having to return to Brixton after falling into debt and landing herself virtually homeless on the streets of London.
Drawing from elements of her own lived experience, the show, a mix of comedy, drama and romance features Brixton in a way we rarely see projected on such a mainstream platform. A real homage to the city and streets that raised her.
“Shooting in Brixton was amazing” While filming scenes for the series, she found the experience to be quite magnetic, with the curiosity of the locals asking for selfies and “when’s it gonna be out?,” the vibrance of shooting on location adding an authenticity to the picture and elevating the perception of the neighbourhood.
When asked what a potential solution to the issue of haves vs. have nots in Brixton, the clear answer for Michelle is “money needs to be invested back into the community.”
As a teenager, Michelle was part of a youth club for underprivileged kids, where she got to experience trips outside of her everyday life and when she first started becoming successful in the modelling world she worked with a charity to pay it forward by doing the same for under-served youth in Brixton.
“Knowing there is life beyond where you grow up is massive, it’s life changing. Travelling is key. When you grow up in place where the politics of that area are weighing so heavily on you, it’s really hard to see beyond those borders. If you’re a young kid going into gang life in Brixton, even going to Peckham is a big deal.”
On travel, Michelle recommends Alaska for adventure, Lisbon for club nights with her DJ bestie, (@megatronicuk) or a peaceful train ride to North Wales.
“There’s great places to travel in the UK where I think you can get a nice mental reset without having to leave the country. There’s a sort of great brain palette cleanser about sitting on the train, looking out the window and seeing nature fly by.”
Inspired by hip hop’s legendary storytelling, Michelle sees a crossover with stand-up comedy. “I always loved Busta Rhymes, he’s an hilarious hip hop story teller. And I didn’t know why I loved him so much because it was way before I started comedy.
“As a grown woman I shouldn’t have been so invested in the beef between Kendrick and Drake, but nothing has entertained me more since when I was kid. I was here for tea. A comedy roast-battle.
“Can you imagine? Me, at this age with a Dennis Gross Light LED Mask, saging the house cause I’m like I don’t want a bad vibe!”
From Top Model to Top Secret and The Moth Club, and with a stand-up tour slated for 2025, Michelle is set to take the world stage with her sharp, honest and uniquely witty comedy style.
Stay locked in for her upcoming dates and exclusive clips by following Michelle on Instagram (@michelledeswarte) and watch Spent on BBC Two or BBC iPlayer NOW!!!
