The Rosie and Roula Show

106: Can You Be More Than One Version of Yourself? Alter Ego Talks

• Roula Abou Haidar and Rosie Burrows

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Do You Have an Alter Ego? 

This week, Rosie and Roula dive into a question they weren't quite ready for: What even is an alter ego? 

From Sasha Fierce to Ziggy Stardust, we explore the fascinating idea of creating a different version of ourselves. But is an alter ego just for performers? Or do we all have one hidden somewhere—maybe in our wardrobe, our attitude, or how we show up in different parts of our lives? 

The conversation takes unexpected turns: Roula confesses her love for 1940s fashion (hello pin-up chic), and Rosie wonders whether our everyday code-switching is just a softer version of alter ego-ing. 

This episode explores: 

  • What an alter ego actually is 
  • Why some people need one to express hidden parts of themselves 
  • How we shift who we are depending on the context 
  • Whether dressing up, acting out, or toning down is still “us” or someone else entirely 

A meandering, unfiltered chat that starts with confusion—and maybe ends with a little clarity. Or maybe not. You tell us. 

Takeaways 

  • An alter ego can be an alternative persona or who you aspire to be. 
  • People often present themselves differently in various social situations. 
  • Adapting to different environments can be seen as a form of alter ego. 
  • Famous alter egos often represent a more extreme version of a person's identity. 
  • The concept of alter ego can lead to discussions about identity crises. 
  • Dressing differently can also reflect a person's alter ego. 
  • Public personas may differ significantly from private selves. 
  • Alter egos can be a way to compartmentalize different aspects of oneself. 
  • Personal reflections on alter egos can lead to deeper self-discovery. 
  • The conversation highlights the fluidity of identity and self-expression. 

Keywords 

alter ego, identity, persona, self-expression, famous alter egos, personal reflection, creativity, self-discovery, public persona, private persona 

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Rosie (00:01)
You pulled a face then, Roula.

Roula (00:04)
I have an episode, but I don't really know. ⁓

to know what would be our alter ego?

Rosie (00:17)
Okay, okay, okay,

Roula (00:19)
But I'm not going to do this, Rosie

Do you have things to talk? Have you? Because I have zero idea what to think about this topic.

Rosie (00:26)
Well

maybe we just make it up. Because... yeah? Okay, alright. So what's the question?

Roula (00:29)
Okay. Yeah. Okay.

The question is there are few artists that have alter ego or even I don't know if other than artists. And I don't know what do they mean with alter ego? What is an alter ego? Do I have one? Do you have one?

Rosie (00:59)
was about to ask you that.

Roula (01:03)
What is an alter ego?

Rosie (01:06)
You know, my first thought was, well, an alter ego is almost the opposite of who you are, but I'm not sure that's quite it. It's perhaps an alternative persona or it's who you want to be, but you don't feel you are that person yet. So you adopt your alter ego to.

present yourself in a certain way. Am I close?

Roula (01:35)
But

how does this work? How does if a person is a person, how can they step into another personality and believe it?

Rosie (01:46)
Well, how about this? Do you act differently with me than you do with your husband in terms of your personality?

Roula (01:48)
Yes.

No, I'm

saying no, you have to ask him, but he listened to our podcast and he knows this is who I am.

Rosie (02:02)
You think no. You will talk to him like this. You will banter and bicker and talk over each other.

Roula (02:11)
No, no, we have a different style.

Rosie (02:12)
Well, there you go. Well,

see, that's what I mean. You present yourself differently. I don't know what I said. Well, you behave differently.

Roula (02:17)
Repeat.

Rosie (02:25)
You're still Roula, you're still the same person, but you present differently.

Roula (02:34)
Okay, that's a difficult topic for me. I don't even know why I started with it because I still don't get it. I don't. I think those who have alter egos have identity crisis because if you can't be your authentic self and adapt to the situation. So why do you need a whole? Yeah. I thought that alter ego is a whole different personality.

Rosie (02:38)
Are you having an identity crisis?

You just said adapt. Is adapting not an alter ego?

Roula (03:03)
So from being a shy person and reserved, for example, who likes writing, the alter ego is looking like a rock star and being loud and just being out there and extroverts, let's say. I see alter ego as the extreme of who the person is. As you said, it's

Rosie (03:29)
⁓ the extreme.

Roula (03:31)
the

opposite but then the extreme. And I wonder...

Why does it have to be an alter ego? Why can't it be same person without naming it alter ego?

Rosie (03:46)
I think it is.

Yeah.

I'm actually lost for words because I'm not sure. I'm not sure what to say,

Roula (03:58)
Yeah,

don't have things to say anymore. I just don't like it. It's okay. We can learn on the job.

Rosie (04:04)
Don't see you. You're adapting a different persona.

cause I wouldn't call it an alter ego too, either, but isn't, isn't changing how you present yourself. Isn't that an alter ego? Or is it not? I think it kind of is. Alter ego does sound so extreme, but I think if you bring it back to the everyday.

It's how we manage to get through situations, how I present myself.

in a social setting, it's quite different to when I'm hanging out with Tilly in the van or when I'm talking to you compared to when I meet a new person. I'm going to be a lot more reserved if I'm meeting a stranger with you. don't give a crap because I'm not worried about you judging me. Like you'll judge me, but I don't, it doesn't bother me because I feel comfortable with you.

Roula (05:00)
Does this involve dressing differently and presenting oneself also differently? Alter ego?

Rosie (05:03)
Boom.

I think so. ⁓

Well, maybe, yeah. Like if you were attending a wedding, would you wear what you're wearing now?

Roula (05:18)
things require different styles, but not different personality.

Rosie (05:25)
I don't fucking know. Listeners, let us know what is an alter ego? I'm confused. I'm fricking confused. But what I will say is we do adopt different personas. And you, Roula, said you weren't different when you're with me compared to your husband. That's load of bullshit. So go reflect on that.

Roula (05:28)
you

We're stuck here.

No,

no, that's easy because I am who I am with my husband. Maybe with other people I'm different, but not with my husband.

Rosie (05:57)
So you're not your true self with me?

Roula (06:03)
I am. More and more. The more we record episodes, the more you're getting to know me.

Rosie (06:06)
⁓ True?

I don't know. This is difficult. You're asking a really deep question there, but let us know. Do you have an alter ego? Like Beyonce, Sasha Fierce. What's another example of an alter ego of a famous person? Okay. I'm holding.

Roula (06:15)
Mmm.

Hold on. ⁓

Yeah, read it. Maybe this will help us to.

Okay, Beyonce comes on. ⁓ David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust.

Nicki Minaj,

Roman Zolanski.

And this we haven't heard of it. So, for example, Beyonce, Sasha fears to embody a more aggressive and sensual stage persona, which she used particularly during performances. But I think she's continuously presenting. She's hers. That's her. I mean, I don't follow her that much, but whatever I see from her. Yeah.

Rosie (07:07)
to say.

Yeah, but that would be her public persona. In private, she's probably different.

Roula (07:18)
Yes and I feel

Rosie (07:18)
Is alter ego a thing?

Roula (07:21)
like David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust this is the epitome of alter ego and no one can beat it. This now I understand why alter ego is but maybe for your exactly exactly I think for you maybe Beyonce is more relatable ⁓ because with David Bowie you see the difference when he's not performing on stage he's not wearing all this makeup

Rosie (07:30)
I don't because I didn't even know Ziggy ⁓

Roula (07:46)
wearing clothes like us. And when he's on stage, he is like an extraterrestrial person.

Rosie (07:48)
Hmm.

He's pretty out there, hey, yeah. He's still alive, is he still

Roula (07:56)
Yeah, he becomes with his makeup, with his hair.

No, he passed away.

Rosie (08:01)
So he was, he was pretty out there, yeah. It's iconic.

Roula (08:06)
⁓ Even for

writers, JK Rowling is Robert Galbraith.

Rosie (08:13)
true, yes, she published books under a different name. There's a word for it, but yeah.

Roula (08:22)
Sasha Baron Cohen, Ali G.

Rosie (08:24)
True, yes!

Roula (08:28)
And now it's making sense. But you see, Rosie, this means that they are transformed, even their looks. But these are mean, these are famous people. Yeah, their style. Yes. What they wear, how they walk. No. I do have an alter ego. If we want to talk about this, if if if this is reality.

Rosie (08:29)
It is making a bit of sense.

Maybe it's a part of them that's hidden. It's part of them that's hidden and they just want to let it out. But they don't want to be it all the time because that's just, they don't want that. So they want to compartmentalize. Sometimes I'm going to be this, sometimes I'm going to be, ⁓ yes, sure.

I think.

Roula (08:58)
Okay, my alter ego is that I love to dress like women from the 40s.

Rosie (09:07)
I can see that! Yeah!

Roula (09:10)
So that could be my alter ego because when I wear this kind of clothes and go out there, I do feel that I'm different. Sometimes I wonder if I should go out there wearing this dress or the outfit. And I feel like I'm a totally different person.

Rosie (09:23)
Mmm.

We should give your alter ego a name.

Roula (09:36)
Yeah, I need to dig into this alter ego of mine more. But then I think but it means that I'm going to have cherry, cherry liquor at lunch. Start smoking again.

Rosie (09:39)
Okay, sounds.

Why not?

Roula (09:51)
do all the house chores myself because you know in the 40s women did everything bake d the whole day and this is not what I want I only want the style but yes yes when I dress there was a period that I was I had tons of clothes just inspired from the 40s and I was wearing them constantly ⁓ I think that was my alter ego

Rosie (09:54)
Yeah. Yeah. No.

I probably have one but I don't know so maybe I need to go away and think of that. PINNUPS!

Roula (10:22)
fuck the pinup style. I love pinup

style. Yes. That's my alter ego. ⁓ goodness. No, but that's it. That's it a little bit the same style. Okay, goodness.

Rosie (10:28)
can see that too! You've got multiple alter egos.

Okay, all right. That was interesting.

Don't know how I feel about this episode, but you've definitely got me thinking. You got the cogs turning.

Roula (10:51)
Yes, Okay, listeners, we rambled. I don't know. We brought a topic. We're not ready for it. And we brought it to you like this.

Rosie (11:02)
And sometimes it works,

sometimes it doesn't. And in this case, I don't know, you tell us, did it work? Did it not?

Roula (11:08)
That's a good ending. We ended it well. I mean, you're going to look for your alter ego and I think I know what's mine. So we're done.

Rosie (11:12)
if you say so.

So maybe when we record episodes

next week, you can come dressed in your 40s attire. And I need to think of my alter ego. We can surprise each other.

Roula (11:28)
Actually, I have a party on Saturday and it's old glamour Hollywood and my style is going to be 90s 40s. I'll take a picture, but I won't be wearing like this in our recording.

Rosie (11:30)
Mm!

Yeah, I love that. Yes!

fine. Okay, that takes the pressure off me. I can just rock up in my Rosie and Rula show t-shirt. Alright.

Roula (11:46)
We can, yeah. I

hope I have my Rosie Arula shirt to wear it then.

Rosie (11:51)
Yeah, get on with it. You're just slack. Bye everyone.

Roula (11:54)
All right.

Thank you. Bye.