About this episode

Shazia Mirza discusses her journey from a strict upbringing to leading a double life as a science teacher and aspiring comedian.

This week, brilliant comedian and presenter Shazia Mirza joins Ateh on the podcast. From her early days navigating a strict upbringing in Birmingham to her secret double life as a science teacher by day and an aspiring stand-up comic by night, Shazia opens up about the sheer tenacity it took to break free. Second Act is the podcast and community for women in midlife who refuse to fade into the background. Join host, midlifer, mum-of-two and divorcee Ateh Jewel as she navigates her own second act by speaking to celebrity guests about what age means to them, and how they're approaching this new phase of life. If you've got a question or dilemma you'd like Ateh, her celebrity guests and experts to answer, drop her a line at ⁠secondactpod@hellomagazine.com⁠ and make sure to tune in to hear the answer. From HELLO! magazine Producer: Millie Jackson Editor: Chelsey Ranore Executive producer: Danielle Lawler Follow @hellomag on Instagram and watch all new episodes on HELLO! magazine's YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Ateh Jewel

Guest: Shazia Mirza

Topics covered

• comedy
• personal growth
• midlife
• identity
• education

Keywords

• Shazia Mirza
• comedy
• midlife
• second act
• personal growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HELLO! magazine, Hello! Magazine Ltd.

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• Gabby Logan: My biggest mistakes and why I’m owning up to them · May 17, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Karen Millen: How I bounced back at 63 after losing everything · May 10, 2026 · 52 min

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