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The Midlife Edit

@jonny.mcd.uk

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Jonny | The Midlife Edit.
Midlife, queer culture & conversations.
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I sat down with Pete Zias to talk about growing up shy, making videos at home and finding his own voice in comed. From New York stages to LA, Messy White Gays and Total Trash Live.

Naturally, we got into celebrity gossip, growing up gay with our mate Madonna and learning the Blond Ambition choreography.

We also discussed missing the dance floor. Neither of us has forgotten the moves.

Read our full conversation on The Midlife Edit. Link in bio.
#PeteZias #TotalTrashLive #GayCulture #Madonna TheMidlifeEdit by @jonny.mcd.uk

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2 days ago

What happens when the Madonna posters on your bedroom wall become part of your working life?

My latest interview is with Giulio Mazzoleni, author and podcaster behind Madonna Songbook, whose music industry career includes working with Mika, Take That and Duffy.

We talk about meeting Madonna, his friendship with Liz Rosenberg, and the songwriters and producers behind the records, including Stephen Bray and André Betts.

There’s also Giulio's personal story: what happens when the career you wanted stops giving you enough back, and you decide to create something of your own at midlife.

Naturally, we get into Madonna’s tours, ageing, gay community.

The full feature is now live on The Midlife Edit on Substack. Link in bio.

Which Madonna tour would you defend to the bitter end?

#Madonna #MadonnaSongbook
#music
#gayculture
#TheMidlifeEdit by @jonny.mcd.uk

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4 days ago

For my latest feature on The Midlife Edit I spoke with Uruguayan photographer Alberto León, creator of The Naked Project.

We explored why men choose to pose nude, vulnerability within the gay community, emotional intimacy, body image, masculinity, professional boundaries and the courage it takes to trust your intuition.

Are we starving in this chaotic world to be heard, to have sympathy towards one another? This isn't an interview about nudity.
It's an interview about being seen for who we are.

The full feature is now live via the link in my bio.

A huge thank you to Alberto for his openness, honesty and generosity throughout our conversation.

#photography
#lgbtq
#QueerArt
#gaylifestyle
#gaycommunity by @jonny.mcd.uk

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3 months ago

I'll be 48 in 2 months & the fitness routines that once worked for me no longer do.

Like many people in midlife, my first instinct was to think I needed to push my body harder.

But what if that's not the answer?

In my latest Midlife Edit feature, with with Los Angeles movement specialist and mobility therapist Aaron Porter, who works with players at the LA Rams, to discuss pain, mobility, nervous system health, men's pelvic health, Pilates and why the body may not be as broken as we sometimes think.

It's a conversation that has already started changing how I think about my own body and the way I approach movement in midlife.

The full feature is now live & free.

Link in bio.

#MidlifeFitness #MobilityTraining #HealthyAgeing #Pilateslife
#LARAMS by @jonny.mcd.uk

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4 months ago

Wishing everyone a safe and happy #pride2026

Why's It So Hard by @madonna has always been my anthem since I was 14. The live performance especially.

It was about bringing people together in friendships, dancing and merging in experiences.

It didn't always work out how I expected it to. But great memories were created and it was all done with love.

#lgbtq
#madonna
#pride
#pridemonth by @jonny.mcd.uk

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4 months ago

This week I dive into Midlife aesthetics with Chris Flanagan, the man behind The Aesthetics Guy NI based in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

In this interview, we discuss skin, confidence, and what it really means to age well without losing yourself in the process.

From starting his own clinic in his forties, to why natural results always win, this one is less about trends and more about doing things properly.

Full interview now live on Substack. Link in bio.

#aestheticsni #newtownabbey #TheMidlifeEdit
#northernireland
#lifestyle by @jonny.mcd.uk

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6 months ago

Creator behind icons.

Director. Choreographer. Architect of performance.

I interviewed Vincent Paterson on co-creating Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour to his collaborations with Michael Jackson and more.

Vincent Paterson helped shape the language of live performance as we know it.

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about discipline, pressure and building work that actually lasts. The Blue Print of modern pop concerts.

A Blond Ambition that set the standard.

Full interview now live. Free on Substack. Link in bio.

Photography courtesy of Vincent Paterson.

#madonna #madonnafans #popculture #queerculture #vincentpaterson by @jonny.mcd.uk

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6 months ago

Lauren Ezersky Interview: Beyond the Velvet Ropes

Before fashion showcasing became overly filtered, Lauren Ezersky was already in the rooms, asking the questions and getting the moments with her show Behind the Velvet Ropes. A show that was ahead of its time before the word vlogging became a thing.

A show that is having a resurgence on Wow Presents+ as the culture begins to look back for inspiration.

In this interview we talked about her show, New York, personal style, her iconic interviews with designers, midlife, and why real presence will always beat polished posing.

Full interview now live on Substack.
Link in bio. 🍸

#fashion #nyc #newyorkfashion #LaurenEzersky #behindthevelvetropes by @jonny.mcd.uk

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6 months ago

As I continue building The Midlife Edit, I’ve been revisiting conversations that go beyond trend and into real, practical wellness.

Many of you will know Shabir Daya, Pharmacist and Co-Founder of Victoria Health from his appearances alongside Trinny Woodall, where his straight-talking sound knowledge and approach to skincare and supplements has built a loyal following.

I originally interviewed Shabir for his knowledge on supplements, joint care, and skincare and how to support the body in a way that actually works day to day. At 47, there are changes I need to make and support is required to do that.

We covered everything from managing joint pain and muscle recovery, to magnesium, energy support, and the thinking behind his skincare lines, including DoSe by VH, effective, accessible formulas designed to deliver results without inflated pricing!!!

With so much noise around wellness, it’s conversations like this that cut through to me, ya know grounded, informed, and built on experience.

My full interview with Shabir on Substack. Link in bio.

#TheMidlifeEdit #victoriahealth
#midelifehealth
#uk
#healthylifestyle by @jonny.mcd.uk

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7 months ago

As I move further into midlife 🙄 and feel my body changing in ways I can no longer ignore, I’ve found myself coming back to conversations that actually make sense in real life.

One of those is with nutrition therapist Ian Marber.

I first connected with his work through his book Man Food, and what stayed with me wasn’t restriction or trends. It was the idea of eating in a way that supports your life, not controls it. At 47, I'm digging back into his book and the interview for support.

With the cost of living still not levelling out, it feels like the right time to bring this conversation back into focus and bust some myths on getting proper nutrition on a budget.

Because health now isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about making choices that are realistic, sustainable, and actually work day to day.

And that’s where his approach still holds.

My full interview with Ian on Substack. Link in bio.

#TheMidlifeEdit #IanMarber #manfood #gaylifestyle
#midlifehealth by @jonny.mcd.uk

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7 months ago

As we impatiently await the new Madonna era, I’ve been revisiting the artists whose voices didn’t just shape those moments, they carried something far beyond them into our culture.

Donna De Lory was part of that core.

From the Who's That Girl World Tour through to years on the road ending at the Live Earth Event, her voice sat inside some of the most defining performances in pop, rich, controlled, unmistakable.

But her story didn’t stop there.

It moved.

Beyond the stage. Beyond the structure of pop. Into something more spiritual, more expansive. Exploding sounds rooted in world music, devotion, and connection.

The same voice. The same presence. Just expressed in a different way.

Not everyone evolves like that. And not everyone sustains it.

Donna also collaborated on tour with another icon, Mylene Farmer! Live on stage singing in French!

My full interview with Donna on Substack. Link in bio.

#TheMidlifeEdit #Madonna #DonnaDeLory #worldmusic #popculture by @jonny.mcd.uk

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7 months ago

As we await the next Madonna era, I’ve been revisiting the artists whose voices didn’t just support those moments, they helped define them.

Niki Haris was that voice.

From Who's that Girl Tour to The Drowned World Tour (Niki's final outing with M), Niki stood at the centre of it, not just singing, but driving the energy of the stage alongside Madonna and Donna De Lory.

There was a chemistry there. A sense of unity. Of knowing exactly what each other brought to the moment and pushing it further while we all sat back watching the Blue Print of stage productions be reborn.

But it wasn’t easy.

She once described one of the tours as her “Muhammad Ali tour” pushing through physically, digging deep, and still delivering every night.

And the voice never dropped. Released a dance album that I still play today. Created club classic dance tunes with SNAP! As well as exploring other genres.

That’s more than talent. That’s will. That’s discipline. That’s years of showing up and holding your place in something bigger than yourself.

I speak for all of us when I say, I miss Niki & Donna on such tours.

My full interview with Niki on Substack. Link in bio.

#TheMidlifeEdit #Madonna #NikiHaris #madonnafans #popculture by @jonny.mcd.uk

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7 months ago