I’m Dawn O’Porter, AMA

I'm about 6544 comments behind Keanu Reaves when he did this...ten minutes left...come on lets catch up!

Erm, does O'Porter have a family coat of arms?

It's in development

Do you love Kettle Crisps or Chris more ?

dont put me in this position!!!!

Because of your name, did you ever feel that you were doomed to work the early morning shift at a hotel?

Yes, I still do. It's a constant pull. I should be in the elevator with the bags, but here I am at my computer denying who I REALLY AM.

Dawn!

When you lived amongst the polygamous families, were there moments when you feared for your safety? How did the wives treat you during your stay?

P.S Major crush on you for years.

No I never feared for safety but I did think they would kick me out. The wives were mostly really nice to me, I especially bonded with one. But they still kicked off a bit when they saw the show, but I think I was very fair about their way of life.

why did you turn Chris down first?

I didn't know who he was, he was just some guy on Facebook who kept asking me to go bowling. I'd never heard of him.

Dawn how excited are you and your hubby for the baby coming?

very

What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Vanilla!

Hi Dawn! I recently found the podcasts on iTunes that you did years ago with your friends from LA, and they are hilarious! Do you have any plans to do more podcasts like that? If not please do!

God that was SO long ago. No I wont be doing anymore quite like that, although they were really fun!

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I know. Whatever anyone thought of her at the tie she has the right to live a normal life now. But her name was damned forever and I think that is very unfair when he continues to be a hero.

What's your advice for attempting a vintage look without looking like you're trying too hard?

Mix your decades so you dont look like your in fancy dress (although I do), and make sure whatever you buy you are comfortable in. That is the rule for ALL fashion, when you don't look comfy you look silly or like you tried too hard.

How did you and Chris meet?

He approached me on Facebook and asked me out. I said no. Then he approached again. Then invited him to my 30th birthday party. He came, I fancied him, I accepted his advances.

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My superpower is that I can eat a massive packet of Kettle Chips and not feel remotely guilty. And tights, always. Sod looking sexy I need a gusset!

My gf always talks about dressing with a more vintage style but never does.

What is something none expensive that i can get her as a gift ?

Oooooooo, good question. You can get really fun vintage jumpers. REALLY fun for this time of year then she can just wear her jeans x

I follow you on Twitter and a lot of your tweets are food related (not a complaint, I love foodporn) how do you keep your amazing figure?

I go up and down like everyone else. But even though I eat a lot I am pretty healthy. I have treats and I keep active. I walk my dog loads, I swim. And I eat SOOOOO much good stuff. I only tweet about the naughty stuff because that's fun. No one wants to hear that lunch was a red pepper, two carrots and a pot of humous. they want to know that dinner was CHIPS.

What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?

I pooped in a plastic bag when I was at university. I'm still traumatised but I had no choice.

What would you rather: have fingers as long as your legs or legs as long as your fingers?

Also I know you're busy with books and babies right now but any plans for documentaries in the future? Loved your shows on Mail Order Brides and Free Love communities!

I'd have legs as long as fingers. I could sit and write all day. I need my fingers as they are. And no documentaries in the pipeline right now, I'm all focused on books and dresses.

Once the baby is here, would you consider doing a "You Deserve A Drink" with Mamrie Hart? That would be soo good!!!

Make it happen!!

Yes SHE is my HERO and I need a drink!

Hi Dawn,

My girlfriend really likes you and your programs. She's not here right now, but wanted me to ask you 'how does she get her hair so nice and shiny?'

Obviously, I'm dying to know too.

Thank you.

Sure ''my girlfriend'' whatever! Ha, I have no secret. I change shampoo all the time. I think it's because I eat a lot of avocado. Honestly, that must be it.

Hi Dawn! I'm a huge fan of you and your documentaries, and I'd highly recommend watching any of them. Which of your documentaries would you say you are most proud of?

ooooo, well the first one Super Slime Me got me started so I have a real fondness for that. I think we nailed the stunk/journalism and humour in that film. I also loved the Polygamy one, I felt like I was really at the heart of something there, making a program no one had seen before.

Who would you like to talk to via Reddit AMA? (Alive or passed...)

Oooo GREAT question. I'm boring though maybe. I'd like Yves St Laurent, Dior, Chanel...the old fashion greats.

Have you ever noticed the picture of your ideal man you drew at the end of Dawn gets a Man looks strangely like Roy from the IT crowd?

I know, we laugh about that a lot. I guess I just knew...

Regular potato fries or sweet potato?

Regular, 100% regular. With mayonnaise, OH MY GOD I AM HUNGRY.

Will you and Chris be giving your child a crazy celeb name like Zoolander Albatross the third?

Just a symbol, like the Artist who used to be known as Prince but is now something like *>>?£

I loved your Channel 4 documentaries, especially the polygamy one. Which one is your favourite and why?

I just answered this....scroll down...but the Polygamy one was definitely one of my favs. thanks so much!

Did I miss anyone?

Can you explain the name change when you were married, was it just to add a bit of Chris to you without losing your identity? Whatever the answer, I like the idea.

Yeah, I was lucky there was a little something to take as i didnt want to lose Porter. We mocked up two covers of Paper Aeroplanes and I thought O'Porter looked better. So that made it official for work, now it's on my passport. I love it !

Dawn! I think you are truly fabulous and I was wondering if you plan on coming back to Scotland any time soon? I know your next book isn't out for a while but even if it just for a chat about food.

I have no plans at the moment, but Chris is in Glasgow in a few weeks on his book tour, so go see him!

Would you like to see your books adapted for TV or film?

Yes of course...there is talk!

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Lying with my mum on a sun bed reading her Jack in the Beanstalk.

Is your husband Chris O'Dowd privately the same as he is publicly?

Kind of. Apart from that he wears dresses and calls himself Sandra.

Can you please describe the ideal pizza for you?

four cheeses, basil, tomato, some kind of meat, GARLIC!

I don't really have a question but just want to say I am a huge fan of your books and loved "this old thing" on channel 4. I'm totally a Flo and I know you have said before that you are a Renee. Do you find people come up to you and tell you which character they without you asking?

YES and I love it. Writing relatable characters has been the absolute highlight of my career. I LOVE that people see themselves in the girls.

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I sat, I told myself I could do it, I cried a bit, I ate A LOT, I drank a touch too much, and then I just bashed the bloody thing out!

What was the hardest part of created BOB?

Relying on other people to do jobs that I myself don't know how to do. You employ the people you think will be able to do it, and then you hope you were right.

What's your role in your new clothing line?

I own it, I run it, I design the clothes and source all the vintage that we sell. I am BOB.

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I LOVE IT, although I havent been watching this episode. It's my guilty pleasure though, but I live in LA and can't get into it when I'm out the country.

Dawn, I am a massive fan of yours and I'm really hoping to take a better look at your BOB stuff soon! What inspires you to keep such vintage style, and how are you (or are you at all!) finding vintage maternity pieces?

Also, do you hope that your child is a Renee, or a Flo? Even if it's a boy!

What inspires me is that I continue to find clothes that i think represent my personalty, that is the joy of vintage. And I've been buying big stuff and having it tailored to suit a bump. And I want my kids to be like either of them, but maybe more like Renee because I like people who dont think before acting...they are fun!

Where did you come up with the name for your clothing line?

very early on. Its an iconic hairstyle from the 60s..it's my hairstyle. I like the word, how it sounds and how it looks. So BOB it was!

Does Chris fix your computer when it breaks?

you know Roy isnt a real person, dont you?

Any thoughts on Breaking Bad?

BLOODY LOVE IT....I inhaled it. Gus was the best character of ALL time.

Hi Dawn, I think you're great, lots of luck with the clothing line and your baby! I'd like to know who your feminist icons/idols are? Or just women you find inspirational in general?

God, so many. I always feel bad picking out individuals when so many women who are not well known inspire me. Anyone with kids and a career inspires me. Anyone who pushed through tough times to achieve success, both at home and in work. I could literally list hundreds of women I admire.

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I have been very welcomed, and I had the lot of them out to LA for Christmas last year and we had a ball!

Can you tell us about publishing a YA novel in the UK vs. the US?

Well the US market is just so massive, it's VERY exciting. But I have more of a profile in the UK so I guess for me that felt easier, but so far so good with the US. My publisher is awesome and people seem to like the book!

Who did you sell your soul to for that amazing hair?

And also what inspired you to create BOB? I'm so excited for it!

I woke up like this!

Are you in LA for good now? Or just for a few years for Chris' career? Are you ready for your kid to have an LA accent and be obsessed with tanning?

I lived in LA before I met Chris, he moved in with me! I'm not just there for him. It's where I want to live, and I don't know how long we'll be there for yet.

What's your guilty pleasure food?

Been a big fan of yours since your "Dawn..." series, loved it!

Any form of friend potato

What was it like to see your book on shelves for the first time? What bookstore were you in?

The best feeling EVER. I was 26, it was my first book and I walked in and it was just there. I was alone. i took a thousand photos and then went to Starbucks and say grinning like a fool as I had tea and cake. I saw Paper Airplanes in Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and had a very similar moment...I cant imagine it will ever feel normal.

Hi Dawn, big fan of your work, my question is do you feel differently about giving birth now than you did when you made Dawn gets a baby or are you still terrified?

Also if I can ask a second question, whats the last great book you read?

Very much so. I wasn't ready for kids so the idea of it was hideous. I am now, I feel oddly excited about the birth. BRING IT ON.

Last great book I read was...hmmm....Maybe Steppenwolfe, Herman Hesse. Twisted and weird.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a writer?

write!! Too many people say this to me, I've asked them what they have written and they have nothing to show me. Write write write and blog it all out !

Do you read print or eBooks?

Both. I read so much quicker on a Kindle and travel a lot so it's handy. But I luuurrrrrvvvveeeeeee books.

Hi! What's your favorite place to write? And did you have a specific ritual when writing? Besides the booze, food and tears I mean.

ha. I LOVE writing on my bed propped up by pillows. But if I keep on with that I'll be a hunch back by the time I'm 40. I have a desk too, I like it there, and I love sitting in restaurants and cafes. I like having people around that I dont have to speak to.

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Nora Ephron, Eleanor Bergstein and...hmmm, who gets third place? Fuck it, Beyonce.

Where did hotpatooties come from I've always wondered?

Meatloafs song from The Rocky Horror Picture show, which I LOVE!

Who gets to choose your baby's name? You or Chris? Also have you picked one yet?

I mean, you do that kind of thing together, right? And maybe...

Are you still based in the US? What do you miss the most about the UK? What do you miss the least? If you could raise your child(ren) anywhere in the world, work etc aside, where would it be?

Yes we are out there for the time being but I am in the UK a lot, so I dont get much time to miss much I still feel very involved. I miss dinners with my friends, and that sort of thing but I can't complain. And I can get MArmite out there so what more could I want!

Where to raise kids isnt something I know the answer to yet, luckily I am a way away from that!

I would just like to say how much of a fan I am of your documentaries and shows. I thought your books were really great too. What would you say kick started your career?

Thanks so much! Hmmm, what kick started my career? I think the documentary Super Slim Me where I tried to starve to a Size Zero. I think that proved I was fearless and willing to throw myself into my work

Dawn, do you floss regularly?

not as often as I should, I am rubbish at teeth.

Is it true you farted on Dennis Quaid?

YES, how did you know?? NO!!!!!