Nella Rose, Mariam Musa and Adeola Patronne on their new PRESSED podcast

Nella Rose is clear about where she wishes to be in five years. “Rich. Naked. On my own island,” she says. As I cackle loudly, each word is punctuated by affirmative sounds by her best friends, fellow full-time influencers Mariam Musa and Adeola Patronne. The chemistry between them is the backbone for BBC 1Xtra’s new weekly podcast PRESSED.

With a combined social media following of over two million, Mariam, Nella and Adeola have already taken the content creation game by storm. Their names are synonymous with Black British YouTube, and over the past few years they have built a loyal fanbase who tune in regularly to catch up with their shenanigans.

Lifestyle, beauty and fashion influencer Adeola Patronne rose to YouTube fame with her slick street style and down to earth advice videos. Nella Rose is known for her meme-able one liners, fun-loving personality and curve-friendly fashion hauls. When she is not showing her following how to embrace their bodies, Nella’s filming vlogs having fun with her friends and interviewing some of the biggest names in entertainment alike. Meanwhile, Mariam Musa is one of the UK’s top fashionistas. 2020 saw her launch her first collection with online retailer ISAWITFIRST, making Mariam the first female Black British influencer to have her own collection with a major UK fast fashion brand. Although their platforms continue to thrive, the three expressed a sense of fatigue at content creation in lockdown. “It was really hard to be creative,” Mariam admits. So, emerging from their cocoons with a new interactive show which asks audiences what has them “pressed” each week has been reinvigorating.

“It’s the kind of stuff we talk about on our group chat”
Mariam Musa

Cue voice notes from listeners about Love Island bonnet discourse, how “fragile” guys are when it comes to cheating, and their inability to “shake their Black batties” abroad given all the UK red tape around travel. “It’s the kind of stuff we talk about on our group chat,” Mariam explains. The PRESSED podcast gives fans the ability to hear from the trio on topical goss and their opinions on current happenings. With 12 no-filter episodes, this series promises us a candid insight into the girls’ innermost thoughts and feelings.

Lockdown has been a time of experimentation for the trio. Adeola says it’s where her journey really began. “I have just been watching myself develop more and more and it is overwhelming.” Nella notes that the time was not good for her mentally she just needed to “get out of her box”.

Collaborating together as best mates on PRESSED has been “so much fun”, says Adeola, while doing a happy dance in her chair. Nella agrees. “It has just been so natural. We’re just living and loving life.”

Each of them brings a unique quality to the show – Nella says Adeola has “crazy stories”, meanwhile Adeola describes Mariam as the nuanced voice (“she likes to look at things from different points of view, she’s very patient and understanding”), and Mariam believes Nella is the humour. “She’s savage and we need that sometimes,” she adds.

It shows as Nella reveals what irks her about her colleagues-slash-besties. “Let me tell you what makes me PRESSED about Adeola. A time and a place is a time and a place!” she exclaims while Adeola sheepishly tries to defend her timekeeping.

Throughout our whole conversation, there are pauses for words of encouragement towards one another, giggles and incredulity at their own private jokes that as a viewer makes you feel like an ecstatic fourth wheel. Tune in to get the full experience.

Catch the girls on Fridays over on BBC 1Xtra.