The weather might have been subpar in the Cotswolds for the first day of GQ Heroes 2024, but the vibes were anything but. Our annual ideas festival – once again hosted at Soho Farmhouse, a bucolic little spot in the Oxfordshire countryside – kicked off with talks from Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, football legend Ian Wright, menswear maestro Sir Paul Smith and women’s rights activist Taban Shoresh.
A little mist of rain couldn’t dampen any moods. Just ask Crowe, who arrived at Heroes just days after playing Glasto (he’s a rockstar, too). “What a nice spot for a chat,” he said, taking to the stage with GQ deputy editorial director Adam Baidawi for the first of the afternoon’s talks. In a conversation covering everything from the time he almost got poisoned to death by a tarantula to reworking the “fuckin’ rubbish” Gladiator script from the ground up, he was at his blunt, says-it-how-it-is best.
So the bar was set high – truly, what an unenviable act to follow – but Sir Paul Smith and GQ editorial director Will Welch killed it in an energised conversation about the fashion legend’s life and career. (Smith even nicked a roll of orange tape from our tech crew, doing some on-the-spot designing to give his trousers a signature pop of colour). The 77-year-old capped off his spirited talk with some valuable life advice: “Fashion is not that serious: it’s not saving lives; it’s not heart surgery,” he said. “Have a great day, every day.” And on that note, he was off.
Next, we took a sober beat with activist Taban Shoresh, who spoke passionately about the present-day plight of refugees escaping war-torn countries. “Imagine if something just happened now and you had to flee. You’d be forced to flee with nothing,” Shoresh told Choose Love CEO Josie Naughton. “You lose your home, most of your family members, your access to anything… you’re invisible overnight.” She closed on a call for empathy for those who have escaped political violence – strong stuff, particularly in a week in which Britain is electing its new government and the plight of refugees has often been used as a political football.
Ian Wright was the last to step up to the spot, breaking down the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, England’s woes at the Euros, and his support of women’s football with his friend, the actor Vicky McClure (appearing in full Wales Bonner x Adidas drip). “I’m disappointed that there’s not more male allies in the game, because the game is for everyone,” Wrighty said. “It’s for everybody, and everybody has the right to play.” By the end of his moving, impassioned talk, you could hear a pin drop. Trust Uncle Ian to put the world to rights.
A few hours to decompress followed. Some took in the country air, stretching their legs across the expansive grounds, others paused for a quick cocktail at the Main Barn. It was there GQ managed to grab a follow-up with McClure to ask the question all British TV fans want to know: will there be another season of Line of Duty soon? She could neither confirm nor deny. However, McClure did tell us she'd be well up for “pulling for Doc Martens back on” to reprise the role that made her famous, Lol, if Shane Meadows ever wanted to make another This Is England. Shane, if you're reading, please do it
Then it was down to Pen Yen for a pre-dinner drink. (Here’s a tip that has become something of an unspoken rule for staff at GQ Heroes: picantes are king.) Wrighty chatted with friends and made a handful of Arsenal fans’ dreams come true with a jovial selfie. Elsewhere, Deadpool & Wolverine star Emma Corrin caught up with GQ associate editor Olivia Ovenden before their day two talk, where the actor shared that they had surprised themself by knowing all the lyrics to Keane at Glastonbury over the weekend.
As guests settled down for dinner, New Zealand Australian singer-songwriter Jordan Rakei had us all swooning with his ode to parenthood “Hopes and Dreams.” Soon, the sushi was dished out – divine, no notes. As the night hit a comfortable, adequately booze-lubricated simmer, A Quiet Place: Day One star Joseph Quinn joined Clara Amfo on stage for reflections on his recent shoot to stardom, but not before the two could cheers over a hot toddy. (You’ll forgive him for having kept largely shtum on his big new Marvel film Fantastic Four.)
Before long, it was time to catch the next milk float home, as the Heroes community filtered out at (mostly) respectable hours. After all, day two was just around the corner.
Day two of GQ Heroes 2024 began with what can only be adequately described as a mega slay. At 10 am, Anya Taylor-Joy took the stage clad in a striking leather fit as appropriate for a Brooklyn warehouse rave as it was the day’s opening talk.
The actor walked GQ associate editor Olivia Ovenden through a barnstorming action scene from her new post-apocalyptic blockbuster Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – which took eight months to shoot – and further detailed her working relationship with Aussie auteur George Miller. “The thing is, the best idea should always win,” she said of their creative process. “That’s how I’ve always felt. If you bring ego into it, you’ll just have a terrible time.” Stripping back ego in service of a greater good? Now there’s some sterling advice for the politicians battling it out back in London.
Next up, BMW’s Dr Stella Clarke and tech entrepreneur Suhair Khan spoke to Wired deputy global editorial director Greg Williams about AI, innovation and inspiration in the tech sphere, and in particular Clarke’s Bond-like colour-changing car on show outside. “To me, innovation is the creation of something that… brings a smile to you,” Clarke said. Suhair was similarly optimistic. “It’s OK to appreciate the fact that technology can push us forward in ways that are meaningful.”
Look, we all had long nights, so you’d forgive anyone for flagging – cold brews from the Sunday Riley coffee hut were very much in order. But before we could flock to the promised land of caffeine and pastries, Formula One legend Jenson Button took to the stage with GQ lifestyle director Mike Christensen, where they detailed the staggering rise of TV’s hottest motorsport in the age of Drive to Survive. The coup of the talk? That Button is planning to get back on the track for a forthcoming BBC segment, driving his original F1 car. A trip down memory lane right enough.
Espressos, Americanos and long blacks in hand, guests then took to the wind-battered Sperry Tent for the rest of the morning’s sessions. First, Emma Corrin talked about their new supervillain era, taking on Deadpool & Wolverine’s mega-baddie Cassandra Nova, and dodging period dramas in the wake of The Crown. “A lot of the chat I had with my team [after playing Princess Diana] was ‘How do we avoid being typecast?’ Because industries love to pigeonhole you,” they said. Which is broadly to say don't expect any more beleaguered wives in Corrin’s immediate casting future.
Thereafter, Sunday Riley joined GQ’s host with the most, fashion editor Angelo Mitakos, for riveting lessons from a skincare icon. She was followed by famed health guru Professor Tim Spector, who talked us through his top tips for eating well and living longer. The top notes: ditch calories, embrace food quality and take in at least three fermented foods a day – tougher advice for the lactose intolerant in the room, but hey, at least we’ve got kombucha. The Sperry Tent sessions concluded with a class on making the perfect margarita – such is the cornerstone of any balanced diet.
After an hour and a half break for a delicious steak lunch – GQ’s diligent staffers kept it mostly sober, but there were more than a few Aperol spritzes knocking about for those off the clock – it was back to the Hay Barn for the final sessions of the day, hosted by GQ associate editor Ben Allen.
Things got off to a bang with a four-way conversation on navigating the tricky waters of modern dating with author Dolly Alderton, Big Boys writer and actor Jack Rooke, pro matchmaker Paul C Brunson and activist and model Munroe Bergdorf, trading (hilarious) dating horror stories in a valiant display of social solidarity. Then came a listening session with musician Jon Hopkins, whose tracks banged well and proper on the Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem – glancing around the room, not a single head wasn’t bopping. GQ’s features editor Oli Franklin-Wallis teed up the next talk by asking Depop founder Simon Beckerman, who sold the app to Etsy for £1.25 billion in 2021, a question we’ve surely all pondered: when you sell your company for the big bucks, does somebody turn up with a big cheque? They were joined by Trip’s Olivia Ferdi to discuss the new rules of entrepreneurship and the importance of keeping your mental health in check amid mega-money deals.
A sober hush then fell on the room when GQ deputy editorial director Adam Baidawi was joined on stage by Dr Seema Jilani, a paediatric specialist who has visited some of the world’s most devastating war zones, and had recently witnessed first hand the horrors taking place in Gaza. Their deeply affecting conversation was as much a call for empathy as it was a rallying cry for talking through difficult topics in our present moment of political polarisation. “You have to sit in discomfort to grow,” Jilani said. “Have the hard conversation. Don’t look away.”
Tech figureheads Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno were up next in the first of the afternoon’s three final talks, going against the doomerist grain by talking up some of the benefits of the big AI boom. The session included a demonstration of their Humane AI Pin, which the Apple alums hope will replace smartphones. After that, Alex Scott mediated a conversation about levelling the playing field for women athletes – joined by football legends Steph Houghton, Eniola Aluko and Olympic gold medal–winning ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero – following which she offered her thoughts on the coming men’s game against Switzerland at the Euros with your GQ correspondent.
“It’s been hard to see the performances, because you know these are players full of talent and they’ve had amazing [club] seasons… and it’s like, ‘Why are we not seeing the same from them?’” Scott told us. “You have to ask a number of questions: are they being asked to execute a gameplan that [isn’t] for their individual skill sets, but is for the greater good of the team?”
Our shared doom and gloom comes with an important caveat: we are still in the whole thing. After her portrait shoot, Scott gave us her verdict on Saturday’s game against Switzerland. “I think this game is very different to all of the ones that we’ve had, because we’re actually facing a very good team, I feel like we do have to be more defensive-minded. I think Gareth Southgate will start very cautiously – we know he’s like that anyway – but I think it’s about those moments when you look to your bench to come on and win the game for us.”
The final session of GQ Heroes 2024 was incredibly special and deeply moving. Miranda Sawyer was joined on stage by Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was murdered last year in a case that shook the nation and caused an outpouring of grief around the world. Ghey wore a billowing pink dress on stage in tribute to her daughter; pink was Brianna’s favourite colour, and after her death, Ghey and her daughter Alisha would go for mindfulness walks in the spring, surrounded by pink cherry blossoms. Through the amazing charity she has established in Brianna’s memory – Peace and Mind – Esther’s goal is to get mindfulness training into schools across the country, making a real and lasting difference to young people’s mental health. “It’s about being able to sit with your emotions, understanding them and knowing that it’s OK to feel sad, it’s OK to feel angry,” Ghey said. “I’m such an advocate for mindfulness. It builds emotional resilience and it builds empathy. I’m so passionate about it.” Ghey’s tireless campaigning has found support across the political spectrum and left everyone in the room in no doubt of what real heroism looks like.
Then it was time for the final night. GQ’s Heroes reassembled for cocktails next to the Sperry Tent, before taking their seats for dinner: negroni-cured salmon for starters, followed by veal chops, wood oven potatoes and seasonal vegetables (once again, the meat reigned king – five stars, no notes). But before the nosh came a dazzling acoustic set by south London’s own Rachel Chinouriri, whose cheeky Union Jack–emblazoned fit had more than a little Spice Girls about it. Tim Spector politely fielded requests for nutritional advice, confirming that red wine is the best alcohol for your gut microbiome (phew). Joseph Quinn chatted away to his seat partner Ed McVey, and others took the gaps between courses to bum a cigarette or three – including this writer, who never smokes. But hey, when at Heroes.
And then it was time for the final night. At the peak of the evening, with bellies full, livers pickled and throats well and truly raspy, GQ’s deputy global editorial director Adam Baidawi took to the stage to express his gratitude to all involved and toast all the wonderful speakers. “I need to end on a moral obligation. [There have been] a lot of great privileges at this event, and a lot of things that made me very proud and very excited,” he teased. “But we’re gonna end with another great privilege: Charli XCX.” Cue screaming. “This is just about the most dominant cultural figure on the planet right now, and she’s chosen to be in the English countryside with us. So, from me to you… text your family, text your crush, text your ex. Let ’em know that you’re going to see Charli XCX do her DJ set, or regret it forever.”
Yeah, that’s right: Charli XCX, at the peak of Brat Summer, came to play us out for an hour of bangers, from noughties garage (nothing warms up a crowd like Sweet Female Attitude’s “Flowers”) to her own season-defining scorchers. Jack Rooke cut it up at the front of the crowd; a little before Charli got behind the decks, she shared a few cigarettes with Quinn in the adjacent courtyard. Ncuti Gatwa and Jeremy O Harris were among the throngs throwing shapes. An extremely good time was had by all, as news of a change of government filtered its way to the farm. As the last afterparty stragglers made their way back to their piglet huts for a nap before checkout, the sun rose through the clouds. For our bleary-eyed Heroes, it was a bright new day indeed – and for breakfast? A bacon bap, two aspirin and a ginger shot. Until next time!
