The former First Minister said her interview on The Assembly “sparked more raw emotion than [she] has ever shown on TV before”.
The second series of The Assembly is set to hit our screens next month and it will see Nicola Sturgeon give one of her most “unique” interviews. The former First Minister has admitted “didn’t think the tears would stop” as she opened up about her miscarriage.
The interview show, which returns to STV in April, strips away the usual protections public figures reply on. There are no pre-agreed questions, no rehearsed answers and no clear sense of where conversations might lead.
Instead, each guest is questioned by a panel made up entirely of autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled interviewers – creating a space driven by honesty and curiosity rather than media training or political strategy.
Widely praised as “the most groundbreaking TV show of the year” in 2025 and “a breath of fresh air,” the series has built a reputation for producing moments that feel both raw and deeply human.
And that is something the former SNP leader has told viewers to expect from her interview. For the politican – who spent years navigating press conferences, opposition scrutiny and tightly controlled interviews – this experience proved unlike anything she had ever faced in her career.
This interview was different to anything I’ve done before – a totally unique experience,” she said. “It sparked more raw emotion in me than I have ever shown on TV before, even in the most candid of the political interviews I’ve done over the years. There was no spin; just raw vulnerability on both sides.”
A new trailer for the second series of The Assembly has offered a glimpse into some of its most emotional and unpredictable moments. In it, Sturgeon is asked about her arrest and whether she received “special treatment”. The clip also shows Sir Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry being grilled.
Sturgeon’s appearance, which will air across the first two episodes of the new series, shows a side of the former First Minister rarely witnessed in public life.
Reflecting on the experience, Sturgeon admitted the emotional toll was significant. “I felt exhausted and really drained, but in a good way,” she said. “It was a genuine rollercoaster of emotions – one minute I’d be laughing and the next, crying.”
One moment in particular proved difficult for Sturgeon, as she explained: “There were a couple of points when I felt quite overwhelmed. For example, when I started talking about the baby I lost to a miscarriage, the tears just started to flow and I didn’t think I was going to be able to stop.”
Back in 2016, the politician revealed she had suffered a miscarriage when she was 40 years old. The story was shared in the book, Scottish National Party Leaders, as Sturgeon spoke about the loss of the baby which happened shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign period.
She explained to the author that instead of dealing with her grief at home, she attended the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster on January 3, 2011. Despite the miscarriage chat catching her off guard, she described the experience as ultimately positive.
She said: “What I took from it was how cathartic it is to open up emotionally to a group of people with no agenda other than hearing honest answers – and to give my answers totally instinctively, without first putting them through the filter of how they might translate into hostile headlines.”
Sturgeon saw her time on The Assembly as an opportunity to present a more personal side of herself, beyond the constraints of political life. She explained: “I really valued getting to open up and show a different side of myself.
“I am someone who naturally wants to wear my heart on my sleeve, but for a long time, my job and the kind of interviews I did meant that I had to be serious and guarded and keep my emotions in check. In this interview, I hope the viewer will see the human being much more than the politician.”
She also praised the panel, adding: “The Assembly members were brilliant. It’s not easy for anyone to put themselves in the TV spotlight – especially in today’s world – but the guts and the passion shown by them was incredible.”
Looking ahead, Sturgeon stated more politicians should take part in the STV series. She suggested that Keir Starmer gives the show a chance for season three, stating: “I think The Assembly is in many ways the ultimate test for a politician. Can you relate on a deeply human level or not? And if you can’t, you should probably find a new job.”
The Assembly returns on Wednesday, April 8, at 10.05pm and Friday, April 10, at 10pm on STV and STV Player, as well as ITV1 and ITVX.
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