Michelle de Swarte on modelling at 14, Epstein’s house and landing a Netflix show: PARENTAL GUIDANCE

Michelle de Swarte left school at 14 with no qualifications, working as a bartender, cleaner and market stallholder before being scouted as a model at 19. She spent two decades on runways for Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace - until it all fell apart. In this month's PARENTAL GUIDANCE, Michelle sits down with Sydney Lima to talk about rebuilding her life and career from nothing, and how that collapse led her to stand-up comedy and eventually to writing and starring in her own BBC series, Spent. A raw, funny conversation about class, reinvention, and what it really takes to start over. Hosted by Sydney Lima, journalist, filmmaker and founder of Rich Parents Club, supporting working class creatives. 0:00 Introduction and background 1:43 Early life and modeling 5:33 Navigating the fashion world 10:48 Transitioning to standup 15:19 Writing and creating Spent 21:28 Overcoming creative obstacles 28:18 Resilience and career strategy 33:35 Q&A and final reflections