Pause. And Rewind... with Andrew Flewitt | Unapologetic. Proud. Love.

“To blend is not something I want to do.”

And this certainly shows with this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’. Whether it’s through their creative outlets, owning their queerness as a superpower or busting out nail polish that matches the front cover of their debut book, Andrew Flewitt (he/him) is passionate, unapologetic & ambitious. He’s the host & producer of the podcast ‘Queer I Am’, now approaching its sixth season, public speaker and now author.

In our conversation, Andrew reflects on his twenties as a period where he did blend having followed a fairly heteronormative approach to life - something he didn’t realise at the time but that he’s definitely not following now!

Andrew’s life has been massively shaped by loss. It’s the centre of his newly published book ‘Do You Believe in Life After Loss: Queer Stories of Loss, Hope & Resilience’. It’s a topic the book, & this conversation, dives into. Through interviews with those featured in the book as well as his own experiences, Andrew is changing the way we look at & talk about loss because essentially, as he states, “we all lose”.

From the death of one of his best friends at 26 and his father several years ago through to the breakdown of his relationship, & subsequent reconciliation, with his partner Theo, Andrew shares it all. He also reflects on the importance of walking from toxic family dynamics - an experience that resonates deeply with me - and how this is often best for everyone.

We discuss how Little Andrew LOVED Tina Turner & was a bit of a dreamer as well as his early working life as a hotel receptionist & the insurance industry before establishing a career in HR. Having chased success, he admits it’s a role he enjoys - that’s ultimately led him to where & who he is now - but it’s his creativity that’s his true passion. Pursuing that came later in life with a growing confidence & life experience.

“I love a lot. I love hard.” This is also pretty clear when you get to Andrew so listen in & enjoy… Oh & go grab a copy of his new book from your local queer independent retailer & download ‘Queer I Am’.