Jameela Jamil calls out vitriol Jacinda Ardern is receiving after resigning as New Zealand PM: ‘Two old men in England resigned because they…’ | EasternEye
Popular actress and activist Jameela Jamil has called out the backlash that Jacinda Ardern has been receiving after announcing her resignation as the prime minister of New Zealand.
The Good Place actress posted a screenshot of an article by BBC news titled, Jacinda Ardern resigns: Can women really have it all?
Jamil wrote in text on the picture, “Yeah women can have it all. She had it all, did it all, smashed it all, and now has even more because she has the agency to decide when she is done on HER time. She may not be prime minister anymore but she was always a queen.”
Captioning the picture, the actress said, “5 years of being revolutionary, and leaving on her own terms. That IS having it all. Two old men in England resigned because they were so despised by the country and had FAILED so colossally… And no headlines from the BBC about “can Men really have it all?” The woman led the only perfect pandemic response and is WELL OVERDUE a break. She’s handing over one of the only countries still intact over to someone else who hasn’t just carried a country through a fucking 3 year global crisis. “Love her forever and ever amen.”
Ardern, who became the youngest female head of government in the world when she was voted to power as New Zealand’s prime minister in 2017, aged 37, is quitting ahead of this year’s election saying she no longer has “enough in the tank” to lead.
“With such a privileged role comes responsibility — the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also when you are not,” she said in a surprise announcement on Thursday. “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.”
Romesh admits he’s aware of possible overexposure but says he chooses work based on gut feeling and quality.
He makes his West End debut opposite Sheridan Smith in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind.
The play runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 9 December to 28 February, then in Sunderland and Glasgow in March.
Romesh will play Bill, the doctor who links Susan’s real and imagined worlds.
He balances television, radio, and stage work by turning down offers he doesn’t think he can do well.
Romesh Ranganathan says he knows the word “overexposure” follows him around and he’s decided it’s a risk worth taking. The comedian, who is making his West End debut, told the BBC he deliberately turns down roles at times but will say yes when a job feels right, putting “overexposure” and the play’s pull, plus the chance to work with Sheridan Smith, at the centre of his decision. This new stage turn comes as Romesh juggles television presenting, radio, and touring stand-up, and it is also his first proper stage role since primary school.
Romesh Ranganathan makes his first West End appearance in Woman in Mind alongside Sheridan Smith Getty Images
What does Romesh mean by overexposure?
He’s not talking theory. He’s talking experience. Romesh openly acknowledges people tell him “you’re on everything,” a phrase he quotes, not hides from. His defence, though, is practical. He asks whether the project is something he’d watch, whether he can do it justice, and yes, whether there’s a fee. That’s his filter. Plain as that.
Romesh portrays Bill the doctor linking Susan’s real and imagined worlds on stage Getty Images
Why take the West End risk with Sheridan Smith?
Because the role felt right. Romesh will play Bill, the doctor connecting Susan’s two worlds, in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. Sheridan Smith leads as Susan, and Romesh says working opposite her is “exciting and intimidating.” He’s honest about nerves; that’s part of the point. He wants the challenge, even if it raises his profile further.
The production runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from 9 December until 28 February, followed by dates at Sunderland Empire and a run at Theatre Royal, Glasgow, in March 2026 (Glasgow 10–14 March; Sunderland 4–7 March). The revival is directed by Michael Longhurst and keeps close to Ayckbourn’s original while offering a fresh staging.
How Romesh is balancing television, radio, and theatre
Romesh fronts shows including Parents Evening and hosts a BBC Radio 2 slot, plus podcasts and tours. He’s selective, he says. He’ll keep doing varied work, including television, radio, and stage, but only when he feels it’s the right fit. If the public tires of him? He joked he might go and work in a café. For now, he’s stepping on stage.
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