Kemi Badenoch Reveals Personal Side In Radio Interview

Kemi Badenoch, the current leader of the Conservative Party, has never been one to shy away from candor—especially when it comes to her personal journey and motivations. On a recent episode of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Badenoch gave listeners a revealing look at the soundtrack to her life and the experiences that shaped her, from her school days in Nigeria to the upper echelons of British politics.

Among her musical selections, Badenoch’s choice for her wedding first dance stood out: “Love Is All Around” by Wet Wet Wet. The 1990s hit, itself a cover of The Troggs’ 1967 original, holds deep sentimental value for her and her husband, Hamish, whom she met on the Conservative campaign trail. "Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet is a '90s song that I really love, and which my husband also really loved, and so we picked it for our wedding as our first dance," she told the BBC. "And I think it is very romantic, you know, it talks about, there's no beginning, there'll be no end to the love. You know, I love you, I always will. And that is what I would want to say to my husband, that you know, I love you, I always will. He's an amazing man."

Badenoch’s musical picks didn’t stop at romance. She also selected two tracks from the hit musical Hamilton: “The Story Of Tonight” and “Dear Theodosia.” The former, she explained, is closely tied to her first bid for Conservative leadership in 2022—a contest in which she was the most junior MP and, against the odds, finished fourth out of twelve candidates. “12 people threw their hat in the ring. I was the most junior, the newest MP and I came fourth, which was a brilliant result,” Badenoch recalled. “And when it was over, apart from the relief, I looked around and I had this group of, you know, four friends who'd been with me. It was a special moment and because I do believe in freedom, and I do believe in taking risks, and you never know, things might go well, they might not go well. The Story Of Tonight is very evocative for me for 2022.”

Those friends, she said, had resigned from their ministerial posts out of frustration with the state of politics at the time, urging her to stand for leader. “They said you've got to stand, you're the only one that would do well and we will support you. And I said, this is a mad idea. It's not going to work and they said, don't worry, we're all in it together and if we look stupid, we'll all look stupid together.” The camaraderie and risk-taking spirit of that period, she suggested, continues to inform her approach to leadership today.

Her choice of “Dear Theodosia” was equally personal. In Hamilton, the song is sung by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to their children, expressing parental hopes and dreams—a theme that resonates deeply with Badenoch, a mother of three. “They're talking about how they are in politics for them, which is how I feel. And they talk about all the wonderful things they're going to do. And, of course, in reality, we know that things don't end well for either of those children. They both die before their parents in terrible circumstances. And there is a tragedy in such a beautiful song, hearing these parents' hopes and aspirations, and knowing what is to come.” She added, “It is a tragedy, but it's also a song of hope and it's a song that explains why many of us who go into politics, even though it is a crazy career, do what we do, and it is for our kids.”

But Badenoch’s path to politics was not always driven by such lofty ideals. In a refreshingly honest admission, she told Desert Island Discs that she initially joined the Conservative Party in 2005 for the social scene. “I joined the Conservative Party in 2005 for the party aspect of it—socialising, drinks, hanging out with other young people. And it was amazing because that's where I met my husband.” At the time, her friends had scattered across the globe after university, and the party offered a sense of community and fun.

Her journey from social club member to party leader has not been without turbulence. The interview, recorded on January 19, 2026, came just after three high-profile Conservatives, including former minister Robert Jenrick, defected to Reform UK. Badenoch addressed the issue head-on, telling the BBC, “I think defections are part of the ship being steadied. And while it is always sad to lose people who used to be on the team, losing people who were not team players and were more focused about their own personal ambition rather than the country's ambition is actually helpful for showing what kind of party we are.”

Her leadership tenure began in 2024, following the Conservatives’ worst-ever general election defeat. Since then, the party has continued to struggle in the polls, overtaken by Reform UK and suffering further losses in the 2025 local elections. Badenoch, however, remains undaunted. “The Conservative Party had been around for more than 200 years and that after being elected leader in 2024 her 'mission' was to 'make sure that we didn't just disappear.'” She acknowledged the road ahead would not be easy: “Quite often, the thing you're doing for the long term is not that helpful in the short term.”

Her other musical selections reflected her pragmatic outlook. Baz Luhrmann’s 1997 spoken word song “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” made the list for its timeless advice. “It says 'accept certain inalienable truths—prices will rise, politicians will philander and you too will get old.' I always thought about that as being very helpful in thinking about life going quickly. I will get old too. What do I want?”

Badenoch’s upbringing was as varied as her playlist. She was born in London but spent much of her childhood in Nigeria and the United States, where her mother lectured. Her time at Nigeria’s Federal Government Girls College left a lasting impression. “I was so excited because it was a boarding school and I’d been reading lots of Enid Blyton books. I thought it would be like Malory Towers. It was not like an Enid Blyton boarding school. It was more Lord of the Flies or a borstal. It was very much survival of the fittest.” She added, “All of the girls had a hoe and a machete to cut the grass, because there were no lawn mowers. There weren’t any labourers or cleaners. The pupils had to do it.”

Her self-identity as an “Essex girl” is another point of pride. After winning the Essex seat of Saffron Walden in 2010, she charmed local Conservatives with her honesty. “They tell me that I was funny, I was very honest, I wasn't trying to be something I wasn't. I started off by saying I could pretend that my family has been here since, you know, the Battle of Hastings, but I don't think anyone here would believe me—and they just burst out laughing. They said later on that this is someone who's just herself. And Essex is like that. Essex is very much my personality—I call myself an Essex girl.”

Family plays a central role in Badenoch’s story. Her father, who passed away in 2022, was proud of her political aspirations, telling her, “I know you're going to go all the way.” Her mother, on the other hand, was initially skeptical, worried about the unglamorous reality of political life. “She had a very, very dim view of politicians thinking they were all out for themselves... so I think part of what I'm trying to do now in politics is to prove to her that politicians can be good people.”

From wielding machetes at boarding school to navigating the stormy waters of party politics, Badenoch’s journey is anything but ordinary. Her story, as woven through her musical choices, is one of resilience, honesty, and hope—even when the odds seem stacked against her.