Art & Culture, Cover Stories

Talent, Tenacity, And Celebrity Skin Talk With Scott McGlynn

2 July

What do you get when you mix a dash of Hollywood glamour, a sprinkle of LGBTQ+ advocacy, and a dose of skincare obsession? The answer is Scott McGlynn – the multi-talent who’s making waves from the red carpet to your bathroom cabinet. In this conversation with KLAT, we tell his story from overcoming acne to creating the hit show “Celebrity Skin Talk,” and explore the importance of representation in media

When I asked Scott about balancing his many roles, he laughed and said, “I think everything I’ve done has been a challenge and all very fulfilling, “I’m a huge believer in if you want to do something, do it. We have one time to do things in our lifetime, so work hard and do the things you want, and the key thing is to enjoy what you’re doing.”

Scott’s philosophy has clearly served him well, leading him to his latest venture, “Celebrity Skin Talk.” The show fuses his love for presenting with his expertise in skincare. “I always loved presenting,” he explained. “With 5 years of doing my podcast and over 100 episodes, I felt I wanted to change and do something brand new. My Instagram was well known for my skincare tips and tricks, so I thought, let’s make a show where I bring my two passions together – presenting and skincare. That’s how Celebrity Skin Talk was born.”

The show has been an eye-opener for the influencer, revealing the diverse approaches celebrities take to skincare. “I love speaking to the celebrities because you don’t know what you’re going to get,” he enthused. “I had celebrities on who love skincare and had a 6-7 step routine, and then I’ve met some who don’t have any routine at all. I learnt that not everyone’s the same for sure, which makes me and the audience excited.”

But Scott’s not just about glamour and good skin – he’s also a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Talking about his previous podcast, “The Scott McGlynn Show,” Scott got serious for a moment. “I started my podcast back in 2017, a time when podcasts in the UK wasn’t a thing,” Scott recalled.

“I had been seeing openly LGBTQ+ celebrities who had been outed by the media, just wanting to promote their new movie or music, so I decided to create a show where people could hear them speak about their experiences coming out and how they got into what they were doing.”

It goes without saying that Scott’s advocacy stems from his own experiences with bullying, including online negativity which he detailed in his book “Out.” While he acknowledges that progress has been made, he believes there’s still work to be done. “Sadly I still don’t think it’s a safe place, there are still things happening daily around the world – hate towards the LGBTQ+ community, I have thick skin from what I’ve been through, so I can happily ignore and not react. I found this works better than replying back, and my page is all about happiness, joy, life, and skincare, so I don’t invite negativity on there.” Scott said. “But with the book I did, I shared my experience growing up and the lack of support in school at that time. I have seen charities and organisations who support LGBTQ+ young teens in schools, which is amazing! It’s just the start.”

When it comes to skincare, a topic he shared all his experiences about in his book, his advice is refreshingly simple and accessible. “The main things are to have a good cleanser, serum, moisturiser and SPF. These are the foundation products, they don’t need to be expensive either. There are a lot of great products that work for less than £10, depending on the person’s preference.”

For those struggling with acne, a battle Scott knows all too well, he offers words of encouragement. “I think acne isn’t talked about enough, how it affects our confidence,” he empathised. “Anyone who’s going through it now, I say talk about feelings, to your best friends, connect with the acne community online which supports and boosts each other, and seek advice to get the correct skincare for you and your skin. Don’t buy anything and everything you see online because it may cause more damage than good.”

Beyond his professional endeavours, Scott isn’t afraid to share glimpses of his personal life, including his relationship with his partner. “My partner is very kind, loyal and supportive,” Scott shared warmly. “He’s appeared on a few red carpets with me, he’s teaching me a thing or two about fashion – I’m very bad at that, haha!”

The couple’s love for travel has even sparked plans for a new social media venture. “Me and my partner love to travel,” Scott revealed. “Over the last year we’ve been to a few destinations. I think it’s important to have that time with your partner and for yourself to have a break from your business lifestyles, work. We have some plans to make an account together – we both love to travel so look out for that.”

Looking to the future, Scott has no plans to slow down. He is working with a few brands on exciting projects, and his hit show, Celebrity Skin Talk will be back for series 5 soon, He’s also done a few horror movies in the last 2 years, but is more excited about the Welsh online comedy series he is currently filming, stating, “There’s so much talent in Wales, it’s unbelievable.”

When asked about his dream guest for Celebrity Skin Talk, Scott didn’t hesitate: “Jennifer Lawrence. I think she’d be fun.” And for aspiring podcasters or talk show hosts, his advice is simple:

“Go for it. Plan ahead and just be you!”