S1E4: Jill Nalder
From the Pink Palace to a Fight for Care
Actress and campaigner whose activism during the AIDS crisis inspired the Channel 4 drama It’s a Sin, and who has long championed awareness, compassion, and support for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
We sit down with the activist and actor, Jill Nalder, whose real life shaped the TV series It’s a Sin, to uncover how a makeshift home in London became a blueprint for chosen family, mutual aid, and relentless care during the HIV crisis. From youth theatre in Wales to drama school in the city, Jill shows how safe spaces grow courage and how that courage fuelled nights of laughter, emergency phone calls, and the kind of honesty that saves lives.
Jill opens up about the disorienting early days of HIV: rumours framed as “gay flu,” weeks-long waits for test results, and government messaging that stoked fear instead of clarity. She explains the grassroots network that filled the gap—helplines, the gay press, hospital leaflets, and blunt, shame-free sex education. Then the West End stepped in. Drawing inspiration from Broadway Cares, Jill and friends launched West End Cares, transforming late-night cabarets and bucket collections into hardship grants and research support. Actor, curtain calls, and queues at venues raised cash and delivered real change.
Jill’s reflections on “going home,” chosen family, and the ethics of care show what happens when art becomes activism, bringing with it compassion, courage and hope.
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Jill's book, Love from the Pink Palace, available now.
This episode was hosted by Jonathan Chambers and James Alexander
Editing by Hannah Stewart
Music: Mystify created by AlterEgo