“It all feels quite optimistic, which I do think we all need right now because it’s really, really hellish,” Paloma Faith teases of her upcoming seventh album.

Eager to embrace her new era and recapture the “camp joy” that defined her debut, she’s first pausing to bid farewell to her sixth album, The Glorification of Sadness, with an accompanying concert film. Premiering 22 February, the global virtual watch party unites fans for a setlist that fuses album six with powerhouse classics including ‘Can’t Rely on You’, ‘Upside Down’ and ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’. (You can buy tickets here — use FAITH26 for 20% off!)

Since her last album, Paloma has also launched her debut podcast, Mad, Sad & Bad, sitting down with guests from Trixie Mattel to Samuel L. Jackson to unpack their most human moments. She also appeared on the first season of The Celebrity Traitors, where she was memorably “murdered” by her best friend Alan Carr.

Paloma discusses all of the above with Gay Times, as well as her dream podcast guests, the queer fans who tell her she was their gay awakening, and her early days in East London’s queer scene. Meanwhile, Heated Rivalry mania shows no signs of fading, as she enthusiastically champions the beloved MLM hockey romance. Teaser incoming: “Svetlana is so hot, isn’t she?”

Paloma! How are you? 

I'm very good. How are you?

Surviving. 

Surviving! In an awful world with loads of reasons to be miserable. 

It’s my go-to response. What else is there to say? 

Anybody who's not absolutely depressed is weird.

Like, what the fuck is wrong with you? 

You're not a good person.

First of all, how has life been for you recently? What has life looked like in the aftermath of The Celebrity Traitors?

Well, there's no question – you can't not love Alan Carr. It's been great for my social media following! I find forgiveness easy as a person. I was upset, of course I was, but I'm fine now and I love him to bits. 

Did you ever get revenge on Alan? 

No revenge, but we did make quite a few hilarious reels and TikToks and stuff, which was fun. But he disappears, he's very busy. I feel like he got revenge on me because of a food poisoning incident years ago. He'd never let it go.