Jameela Jamil on why New York will always have her heart...

..and her stomach. The actor and activist shares her favourite brunch spot, a secret bar and her brownstone fantasies

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What did you do on your last visit to New York?

I have started a company called Move for Your Mind, encouraging exercise for mental health, rather than weight loss. Walking is by a mile my favourite fitness activity, but I don’t feel safe doing it by myself at night after work, which is when I most need it. Most women I know feel the same, so I decided to throw an event in NYC where we had a member of the Secret Service come and teach hundreds of us some basic self-defence, then we all went for a long, late-night walk. Hundreds of women, empowered, having the most fun pounding the pavements of Manhattan. I realised it was the first time I’ve ever felt truly, fully safe on a walk and it allowed me to relax and take in the city.

My lasting memory of New York is...

I was on a stress walk through Manhattan after the 2020 election. We didn’t know who had won and the air was thick with this grey, tense, sombre atmosphere. Suddenly the sun came out, cars started honking, and people burst out onto their balconies to bang pots and pans, and everyone started dancing and singing together in the street. It became clear Joe Biden had won. It felt like a very on-thenose scene in a musical. I had never seen New Yorkers so smiley. They normally present as very stoic, tough and nonchalant. This felt like an insight into how warm and hopeful they really are. I will never forget that.

The best thing about the city is…

The food. I only ever travel there with loose clothes because I always plan to come back a dress size bigger. Everything is sensational. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The best place to stay is…