Sophie Duker

Yeah, I was... I was making ventures into the big city.

I was drinking, like, Alka-Pops in, like, Finsbury Park.

LAUGHTER

But I don't think I was setting forth to be the pride or like the hope of my family.

I don't think I was entering any beauty contests.

I had quite bad acne.

I mean, it's like I know that the actual reality is probably quite bleak in some cases, but I feel like it's such an amazing setting for a YA novel.

I bet there's so many YAs written about this.

I mean, if you're hot, you're banking on that.

Okay.

Nine ranks of empress concubine.

Yes.

Okay.

It's like sets in maths.

And is her promotion completely at the discretion of the emperor?

10 other girls.

Yes.

And I'd be ranked at six there.

this feels very much like lots of tiktok format the emperor's gonna pop a balloon if he doesn't like me i think i think i would be like okay everyone everyone here's really pretty yes maybe i've got like an additional maybe i can soothe him so maybe i can like i can sing like that's i'm saying hypothetically i would do that if i was to sing it would not be soothing um but

Maybe I would like sort of try and show him some of what I've learned outside so that he knows that I'm intelligent and useful as well as pretty.