GENERAL INTERVIEW

Sliding Doors reaches 100 episodes!

Published on October 10, 2024

The 100th episode of Jennie Becker’s Sliding Doors podcast is being released today, and to celebrate the milestone, we caught up with Jennie to learn more about her experience creating the podcast, her favourite moments since its creation, and how she’s celebrating hitting 100 episodes!

Your podcast Sliding Doors is about to reach a big milestone – 100 episodes! Congratulations! For those unfamiliar, could you tell us a little about yourself and the podcast?

Thank you so much! I am Jennie Becker and three and a half years ago I founded the podcast Sliding Doors. Ever since I was 11 years old and used to go to the video shop on Saturday nights and rent the film Sliding Doors, I’ve been fascinated with the moment when Gwyneth Paltrow did and didn’t catch the train, and how we can have those what if moments in our lives. So when I decided to start a podcast, it was only fitting that I called it Sliding Doors and decided to delve into the Sliding Doors moments in people’s lives.

Have you ever had a sliding door moment – a decision or opportunity that could have gone either way that leads to two very different futures? Everybody has a sliding door moment in their lives – they don’t have to be big or flashy – but they can send you down a unique path you never expected…I’m fascinated by ‘what if’ moments – what they look like, what we can learn from them – and how we can begin to embrace them.

Since I started the podcast I’ve been on an incredible journey helping guests join the dots on the small decisions or moments that made a big difference and built the path of their lives.

From Olympians to presenters, actors to entrepreneurs (and even the cast of the movie!), each episode I get to meet amazing people and ask them what could have been, if they’d chosen differently…

Jennie Becker

In the Sliding Doors universe, you’re living the version of events where you started the podcast but on the flip side, in the timeline where you didn’t start the podcast, what do you think you would be doing now? Would you have started a different podcast instead?

That is such an amazing question! I can’t even begin to think of a world without having Sliding Doors in it! The podcast has not only changed my life but it’s changed me as a person so much over the past three and a half years. It has made me more confident; it has taught me so much, it has given my life inspiration and it has made me feel like I have a purpose in life. To be honest I feel like if I had started a podcast on anything else but Sliding Doors I don’t know how committed I would’ve been to it, but also I don’t know if I would’ve thrived off the interviews and enjoyed it as much as I have and really pushed through to consistently keep going for three and a half years. When it comes down to it, the reason why I keep going as an independent podcaster is because of my love of the conversations that I have and the sliding doors moments I get to delve into and dissect. To answer your question, I just think I’d be unhappy in my job in my life and still searching for something that gave me joy and filled my cup.

100 episodes is a great accomplishment! Can you tell us the most important things you’ve learnt from creating the podcast?

I think for me the most important thing is perseverance and consistency. The podcast world is so big and there are so many shows, but if you really believe in your ability and your premise you’ve just got to keep going at it. I know that the reason why I do this is because of the great conversations that I have. So for me, I think I’ve really learnt that. It’s really important to have something that feels like it’s my own. I think I’ve also learnt so much from my guests over the years and how certain things can happen in life and you have to believe in the decisions that you make and the path that you take. It’s going to lead you to where you’re meant to be and I’ve taken so much inspiration when I’ve had hard times in my life from listening to my guest stories and being able to look into the ‘what ifs’ of their lives.

What have been some of the highlights for you, over the course of your podcasting journey?

My biggest highlight was writing and producing the Sliding Doors 25 podcast documentary with all the cast and crew from the film. I created a four-part documentary series where I told the story of how the film was made. I got to interview a lot of the cast and crew and had some really great celebrities to tell their best Sliding Doors moments! The highlight for me was bringing everybody together at the electric cinema in Notting Hill watching the film, interviewing the writer and director and being able to celebrate the film that changed my life.

Sliding Doors 25

Do you have a favourite episode of the podcast, or one you are proudest of?

I get asked this question all the time and it’s so hard for me to answer because I genuinely come off most interviews so full of life and enjoyment after our chats! But I think for me the one that I am most proud of is my hundredth episode with Tony Blackburn, because it was such an amazing milestone and it was so great to meet him in person, as someone that not only I have loved listening to, but my family have for such a long time. If you had told me three and a half years ago, I would’ve been really proud.

Who would be your dream guest for the podcast?

I think Gwyneth Paltrow has to be one of them, but I also love Fearne Cotton and she’s one of the main reasons why I got into podcasting as I love her as an interviewer.

But I’d also love to interview Paul McCartney as I’m such a big fan of the Beatles and have so many questions I’d love to ask him.

Tony Blackburn on episode 100!

Is there an episode that you think is a great starting point for new listeners?

This is another great question…I would say out of the 100 episodes that I’ve done the best place to start (although you can really listen to any of them in any order), is Rachel Stevens, Bradley Walsh, or Andrea Mclean…some of my favourite moments!

Can you tell us anything about the 100th episode? Are you doing anything exciting to celebrate?

I am so excited to launch my 100th episode! As I mentioned it’s with the legendary broadcaster Tony Blackburn and we recorded in person which was just amazing and it’s a brilliant way to celebrate this milestone for me. I am launching new podcast artwork which has been really exciting to put together. And I’m also going to be doing a little celebration with some of my podcast guests, and people who helped me and worked with me, and my friends of the podcast, as I think it’s so important to celebrate milestones. I really feel like this is just the start of a new journey for me and I’m really excited to get it out there and also for everyone to see my other guests for this monumental series.

What are your future plans for Sliding Doors?

I just want to keep bringing out brilliant stories and interviews with some amazing guests and I would love to do more live shows to connect more with my audience and really start to build a community with the people that love listening to Sliding Doors but are also fascinated with the Sliding Doors theory…watch this space!

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you and the podcast?

You can find out more about me on Instagram @jenbecks28 and @slidingdoorspod and you can keep up-to-date with all the things that are going on for Sliding Doors and look out for some community news coming very, very soon!