Alright, so this isn’t my usual kind of post, but I wanted to share something I’ve done that’s totally out of my comfort zone – my very first video/podcast interview collaboration. It’s out now – read on for more details!

When I meet readers of this blog, they often ask why I don’t post much on YouTube. The truth is, I feel pretty self-conscious in front of a video camera. Plus, I tend to waffle a lot. I’m also just a huge cigar geek with a lot to learn, so I’m not the best person to listen to on the subject. There are many others out there producing great video content who are much more knowledgeable.

Earlier this year, an email popped into my inbox asking me whether I’d be up for doing a video/podcast interview. At first, my immediate reaction was to say no, but then I thought, why not just say yes? A proper sense of anxiety came over me, but I just thought, what have I got to lose? If it goes well, I might do a couple more; if it all goes Pete Tong, I’ll never do it again and hide in a very dark corner.

As soon as I said “yes,” I immediately felt a sense of dread. I let the production company, Tactical Films, know that I was nervous about it, and they reassured me that it would be very relaxed – just a conversation.

So who was the interview with? Oris Erhuero, the British actor, producer, writer, and fashion model. After modeling for several years, he transitioned into television and film, with roles in The Adventures of Sinbad, The Bill, Highlander: Endgame, Sometimes in April, and the latest award-winning film Redcon-1, for which Oris was awarded Best Actor. Oris Erhuero owns his film production company and is the head designer of bespoke jewellery.

Oris won Cigar Smoker of the Year at the Boisdale event I attended in December 2022. So, when I found out he was involved, being interviewed by him felt like a natural step in my journey.

I even remember filming him picking up the award at the Boisdale event.

His latest project is Oris’ Sanctuary a podcast web TV series which he hosts. It focuses on the intersection of luxury, culture, and business, boasting successful collaborations with notable figures such as Juan Martinez, CEO of Joya Cigars (The Artisanal Journey of a Joya de Nicaragua), and the directors of the cigar documentary ‘Hand Rolled,’ Steve Gherebean and Jesse Maruit (The Anatomy of a Masterpiece), and Ricardo Carioni & Thomas Gryson of The Cigar Academy.

The production company mentioned that they were interested in meeting me as they were particularly interested in exploring my journey from Cigar novice to Cigar Aficionado.

So, one Sunday morning in February, I got ready for the recording—I was in London while Oris was in Oslo, Norway – so it was a remote call. I set up my laptop in my living room and even wore a smart shirt, tie, and suit. I also planned to smoke one of my Oliva cigars during the chat —being the London Cigar Smoker; I had to live up to my name!

Oris and his team were fantastic. They made me feel incredibly relaxed, and although I kept wondering what I would end up talking about, once I started, I couldn’t stop!

While I’m anxious about it being out there, I’m glad I pushed through with it. It’s just a snapshot of where I am in my cigar journey — I hope it’s useful for people to hear about my experiences firsthand. Apologies in advance if I waffle a bit too much. Like I said, I’m a bit of a geek, and I don’t have all the answers – still sh*t loads to learn about this crazy mad world of cigars!

Where to watch/listen

Watch The House of London Cigar Smoker at Oris’ Sanctuary.

It comes in three parts:

Episode 1 – July 31: 09:00 UK

Episode 2 – August 7: 09:00 UK

Episode 3 – August 14: 09:00 UK

It will also be available as a podcast on

Spotify: Listen here

Here’s the trailer:

And some of the online promo:

A big shout out and special thanks to Oris, Jean-Michel, and the rest of the production team at Tactical Films for pulling this all together and making this happen. I really appreciated it 🙏 .

And if you do decide to watch it, let me know what you think!