I spent 30 minutes with Kemi Badenoch and I'd use these 3 words to describe her

I have always long been sceptical about Kemi Badenoch. Whenever I saw her on television, all I ever thought was: "this woman is a bit robotic, a little too stoic." I couldn't see enough emotion in her delivery to truly understand her personality. To me, she came across as overly controlled, almost detached. But after spending just 30 minutes with the Leader of the Opposition during our exclusive interview for The Daily Expresso podcast, I can firmly say I believe in Badenoch.

As she walked into her office at the Palace of Westminster, she warmly greeted me and my team, cracking a light-hearted joke about needing to "throw some make-up on." Straight away, the stiffness I had expected melted away. When I asked whether she preferred to be addressed as "Mrs Badenoch," she quickly dismissed it with a smile: "No, no, no - Kemi is fine."

We spoke about our shared Nigerian heritage, and she took a genuine interest in my career and how I became a journalist. That curiosity and openness struck me. I've met many politicians, statesmen and celebrities, and only a handful of them have that natural flair that draws you in. The charisma and charm I so often find lacking in our career MPs is present in abundance with Kemi.

Her focus and ease as we moved from subject to subject showed me someone who speaks from the heart. Her face lit up when she talked about her three children, and she didn't shy away from admitting that many in the public still see the Conservatives as irresponsible. That candour is refreshing at a time when political personalities are increasingly hidden behind rehearsed sound bites.

Unlike others who make promises they can't deliver - or flip-flop on policies depending on the day - Kemi was unafraid to acknowledge reality. She told me plainly: "I'm not going to lie to you about what we can do, but there are the things that we can't do." That kind of honesty is rare.

I left our interview feeling unexpectedly positive, with a renewed sense of pride and hope. If more MPs were as straight-shooting as Kemi, perhaps faith in politics would begin to recover. And if she can galvanise the wider public the way she did me, then I believe she stands a real chance of winning back the trust of the country.

I'm backing Badenoch.