All My Clothes Need Burning (formerly Television Times)

Andrew P. Stephen and Steve Otis Gunn have been friends since 2001, toured India together with The Woman in Black, and recently Andrew toured China performing Shakespeare.Andrew P. Stephen is a British actor whose career spans decades of theatre touring and recent screen work, including Apple TV+'s Silo and the horror thriller Dark Game.The day trip to the Taj Mahal that broke down on the way back — a minibus, an open sewer, a man with a big spanner, and a director who nearly fainted after the ordeal.Smoking cigars in a high-rise Singapore hotel and playing billiards in Raffles.Woman in Black in India: stagehands eating samosas in the wings, the ghost unable to get through the auditorium, and the company manager holding the door shut.Andrew in China touring Shakespeare — including an unrehearsed performance in front of 5,000 people.Connect with Andrew here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Lockhurst is back on the podcast with plenty to catch up on. Fresh from her parents' 50th wedding anniversary in Mexico, she's been busy with auditions, filming, and a growing list of projects.Megan Lockhurst is a Canadian actress based in the UK, who recently starred in Murder at the Highland Manor, appeared in Havoc, and continues to build an impressive career on both sides of the Atlantic.The commercial audition she went to at 16 — a long trip to Toronto, hours of waiting around, and a memorable introduction to the realities of castingMurder at the Highland Manor — what it's like to lead a TV movie, and read reviews of your own performanceWhy social media feels completely unnatural to her, regardless of the necessity to engageWhy elevators can be the scariest places of allConnect with Megan here:InstagramTikTokWebsiteIMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A 50-degree heatwave, a rusty shower in a converted Indian palace, a chilli that nearly took Tony's face off, and a moped chase through Vientiane — this is the unaired adventure stories collection, and it's about as un-PC as the podcast gets.Television Times Presents: Adventure Stories Vol. 1, a full-length episode pulled together from unused travel story segments recorded during the show's brief run as All My Clothes Need Burning. Steve is joined by his friend Tony P for stories that didn't quite fit the regular format — and some that probably shouldn't fit any format.Delhi, 1999: rickshaw scams, a hedgerow hideout, and a tale that's hard to look good inThe converted Indian palace with two showers in one room, one producing nothing and the other producing pure rust — and the brine-pickled chilli that nearly demanded a second toiletA local "currency collector" on the road to a shipyard inspectionA moped chase through Vientiane after two masked men on a scooter sliced off Steve's wife's bag, followed by an encounter with a police officer who tried to fine them for reporting the crimeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the news of Keir Starmer's resignation, I wanted to jump on the mic and share a few thoughts on why these moments feel like television events in their own right, especially after seeing that bloody lectern again!I also look back at my brief involvement in Labour politics during the 2010 leadership contest and recount my own encounter with Andy Burnham. Having met various political figures over the years, I explain why I think Burnham could make a compelling future Prime Minister.This isn't a political podcast, and it certainly isn't a conventional bonus episode, but when the nation's eyes are glued to the screen and history is unfolding live on television, it feels very much in the spirit of Television Times.Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cal was doing impressions in the playground before he knew it could be a job, appeared on Britain's Got Talent (twice), and is currently touring a show featuring 100 impressions in 60 minutes — and if you catch him at the Edinburgh Fringe, you'll get 101!Cal is a comedian, impressionist, and pantomime regular from the North East, known for his appearances on Britain's Got Talent and a magnificent touring show that is exactly what it says on the tin.How Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire made him realise that doing voices could be a jobWhy learning an impression is easier now than ever — and conversely, why finding someone worth impersonating is harder than it's ever beenWhy Jeremy Vine is more fun to impersonate than Piers Morgan, and why mimicking Donald Trump is the exception to every ruleWhy, if you were famous in the 70s, you're famous forever — and why those names still get a bigger reaction than anyone who went viral last weekConnect with Cal here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meka Mo grew up in Queens, worked on Wall Street, watched the Miracle on the Hudson happen from her office window, lost a South London church basement crowd the moment she swore in front of some Jamaican grandmas, and has never once been pickpocketed anywhere in the world. She's been navigating cultural minefields ever since — and making it look easy.Meka Mo is a New York City-based comedian, host of the emotional wellness comedy podcast We're Done Here, and a regular on the international comedy circuit. Her new show, New York City Dreams, will be playing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. Why performing internationally means constantly working out which jokes travel and which ones don't Why she's never been pickpocketed anywhere in the world — and the flatmates who kept getting robbed in LondonThe Columbus Day joke that went badly in Las Vegas Watching the Miracle on the Hudson happen in real time from her office window on Wall Street.Connect with Meka here:InstagramYouTubeWebsiteGet tickets for Meka's Edinburgh Fringe show here: NewYorkCityDreamsFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve returns to the microphone to explain why his brief podcast rebrand has already been abandoned, why Television Times is back, and what he learned from watching listener numbers dwindle.In this short bonus episode, he talks honestly about burnout, second-guessing three years of work, and the surprisingly emotional experience of trying to rename something that people already know and trust.Why the rebrand to All My Clothes Need Burning lasted only a handful of episodes before being reversedThe listener reaction that convinced Steve he'd made a mistake — and the awkward task of re-editing episodes and contacting guestsWhat three years and 120+ episodes have taught him about podcasting, branding, and knowing when to stop fighting your audiencePlus, an adventure story from Thailand in 1999 featuring malaria tablets, questionable holiday hair braiding, and a brief encounter with the Thai police that could have gone very differently.Normal service resumes shortly. Television Times is back, and Steve will now try to refrain from starting any more unnecessary rebrands.Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dewey Gaedcke was in Hawaii as a last-minute concierge favour when a friend told him about a volcano worth seeing at night. Five days later, he was rescued by a teenager in a tourist helicopter. The park service had already told his family he was probably dead.Dewey Gaedcke is known for surviving one of the most extraordinary ordeals in recent memory — five days lost on a remote lava field in Hawaii without water, proper footwear, or any idea where he was.The small decisions that compounded into a survival situation — an hour-and-a-half hike, a pair of jogging shoes, and no waterWhat it actually feels like to be lost with no landmarks, no path, and no signalHow he kept himself alive in conditions that should have killed himThe footage he recorded for his daughters in case he didn't make itHow a teenager in a tourist helicopter found him after the park service had already told his family to prepare for the worstConnect with Dewey here:FacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Scott has been doing stand-up since 1999, accidentally said "Brexit" at a Yorkshire corporate full of insurance folk, co-wrote a Japanese animated drama, and once did a gig in Budapest that he's fairly certain was arranged for the Russian mafia. He also wants to go back in time and hang out with Bowie in Berlin, but then again, who doesn't?John Scott is a comedian, scriptwriter, and host of The Scottish Sweary News, known for his sharp, laid-back delivery and a career that has taken some genuinely unexpected turns.The Budapest gig — flown in, flown out the same night, performing to a room full of salespeople who were, he strongly suspects, selling to some very dodgy people indeedWalking on stage at a corporate event and saying the one word he'd told himself not to sayHow a pandemic freelancing site led to co-writing a Japanese animated drama — and what it taught him about storytellingHow The Scottish Sweary News started as an accident — and suddenly gained thousands of followersWhy he's stepped back from the Edinburgh Fringe — and why he thinks it stopped being a viable career step a long time agoConnect with John here:InstagramTikTokYouTubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seymour Mace spent time as a clown in Japan, did a Fine Art degree during COVID, built a potter's wheel in his back garden, got a first, and somewhere in the middle of all that did some stand-up. He's fine.Seymour Mace is a British comedian and actor known for his surreal, offbeat humour and cult status on the UK comedy circuit, best recognised for his role in the BBC series Ideal.How he ended up working as a street clown in Japan in the '90s — and how he nearly stayed on as Big Bird at Tokyo DisneylandWhat doing a Fine Art degree during lockdown taught him about creativity — and why the education system quietly beats it out of most people Comedy courses and clown schools — why Seymour thinks the best training is just being around funny people and working out why they're funnyThe freedom of not chasing fame, and why, with no mortgage or anyone to answer to, he's essentially living like a rich person without having to be a c**t Connect with Seymour here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Howard J Ford has stared down a four-ton boulder held up by a single pebble, sat on funeral pots containing the dead while eating lunch, been lifted off his feet by hundreds of people in Burkina Faso, and walked out of a Mississippi murder house that nobody could bring themselves to buy. All in the name of independent filmmaking.Howard J Ford is a British filmmaker, director, and cinematographer whose films include The Dead, Never Let Go, The Ledge, River of Blood, Dark Game, Escape, and Bonekeeper — out now on Prime Video & Apple TV. His new action thriller Zipwire is heading to Cannes, and if his track record is anything to go by, it won't be long before it lands on your streaming service of choice.Why filming Bonekeeper in real caves in Wales and Herefordshire meant learning to light absolute darknessThe Burkina Faso incident: filming in a village with no electricity, sitting on pots containing dead relatives, and being swept off his feet by hundreds of people at the end of the shootThe haunted house in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where both Howard and his producer felt something was seriously wrongThe screenplay Howard wrote, which Morgan Freeman once wanted to star inWhy boredom is the starting point for everything — and how every film begins as a blank void before thousands of images and a story slowly emerge from nothingThe cannibal on a bicycle who stayed to watch the shoot — and why he was laughingConnect with Howard here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something's changed — and it's bigger than just a name.After four seasons as Television Times, the podcast has a new title: All My Clothes Need Burning. Steve explains why the change makes sense, where the title came from, and what Season 5 is going to look like.Why Television Times always felt like a TV listings show to people who'd never heard it — and why that got oldWhere the title All My Clothes Need Burning comes from — and why it was too good to keep in a drawerThe new format: funny stories from the road, the set, the tour bus, and the moments that didn't go to plan — from guests and from Steve himselfFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Critoph returns for the annual TV debriefPaul Critoph is an actor and regular friend of the podcast, joining Steve for the third consecutive end-of-year television review — the one where they figure out which shows they've actually both watched.Why Alien Earth started brilliantly and then made its xenomorphs bulletproof in broad daylight — and why that ruins everythingSquid Game 2 and 3: the hide and seek episode that was genuinely brilliant, the policeman on a boat for far too long, and why the ending made them angry instead of emotionalThe Summer I Turned Pretty — a show aimed at teenage girls that Paul's wife binged entirely while Paul occasionally wandered in to ask who Conrad and Jeremiah wereWhy Andor is the best Star Wars thing since The Empire Strikes Back — and why it's really a show about fascism and how it gets its tendrils into communitiesBlack Mirror's return to form — and why the Bandersnatch multiple-choice situation still annoys SteveThe Bear: essentially someone chopping a radish very slowly while looking moody, for weeks on endConnect with Paul here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve empties the whiteboard, clears his head, and has an honest conversation about what making this podcast actually feels like from the inside — the burnout, the uncertainty, the ads he hates, and why he's seriously considering living in the woods.This is a bonus solo episode featuring no guest, one very good cup of coffee, and more honesty than most podcasts manage in a full series.A full rundown of every podcast Steve actually listens to — from Memory Lane and Parenting Hell to The Rest Is Politics, Louis Theroux, What Did You Do Yesterday, and why Bill Maher is simultaneously brilliant and infuriatingWhy the end of a season brings on the funk — and what it's like running a podcast entirely solo with no producer, no team, and no idea who's listeningThe comedy character he's been developing in his head for years: a sound engineer with a broken mixing desk, a Mick Hucknall lyric, and a show provisionally titled Knob JokesThe treacherous taxi ride at 3,000 metres in the Bolivian Andes to reach the schoolhouse where Che Guevara was killed — and the song he eventually wrote about itFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The co-creator of Red Dwarf wrote a number one single in five minutes, turned around a failing Spitting Image, and had his brand new Red Dwarf movie cancelled because it was the BBC's only successful comedy. You couldn't write it. Well, Doug could.Doug Naylor is the co-creator and writer of Red Dwarf, which has run for 12 series and continues to find new audiences decades on. He co-wrote the Chicken Song (number one, 1986), was script editor on Spitting Image, and wrote for Jasper Carrott, Cannon and Ball, Ken Dodd, and numerous others. His children's book Sin Bin Island is the Financial Times Children's Book of the Year.The casting sessions where Alan Rickman, Hugh Laurie, and Alfred Molina all auditioned — and why Danny John-Jules, half an hour late in his dad's old suit, got the Cat after the very first auditionHow Craig Charles pestered Paul Jackson until he said "just see him to get him off my back" — and why Doug originally didn't like himThe BBC cancelled the new Red Dwarf movie because it was the only successful comedy they commissionedThe fake Duke of Manchester, who offered £12 million, sent a fax with his bank balance Tipp-Exed out and the amount typed in — and was later sent to prisonConnect with Doug here:FacebookinstagramFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two lads from the North East of England built props that ended up purchased by Disney for actual Mandalorian productions — and they're still not entirely sure how to feel about it.Luke and Paul from Orbital FX are a North East-based practical effects and prop-making team whose work spans Star Wars replica props, Marvel productions, Disney theme parks and events, including a full-size Millennium Falcon build and components used in the Ant-Man quantum experience filmed at Pinewood.Why Lucasfilm's relationship with its fan community is completely unlike anything else in Hollywood — and what George Lucas apparently told Disney when they bought Star WarsThe story of restoring the original Boba Fett blaster from The Empire Strikes Back in five daysWhy making props for convention costumers is actually harder than making them for filmsHow the carbon fibre Darth Vader helmet came about — and why cutting 40% of the weight is, apparently, a genuine game changerThe day Steve introduced himself to George Lucas at a bankrupt Fashion Café in London with broken speakers, dodgy lights, and a Tandy mixerWhy practical effects never really went away — and how Star Wars single-handedly reinvigorated an entire generation of model makers and creature shopsConnect with Orbital FX here:InstagramFacebookWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olaf Falafel gaslit his own mother into believing she had a serious wind problem using a remote-control fart machine with a subwoofer — and has somehow turned that energy into an award-winning career in children's books and stand-up.Olaf Falafel is a comedian, illustrator, and author known for his Edinburgh Fringe shows, the Dave Funniest Joke at the Fringe 2019, and children's books including Old MacDonald Heard a Fart, Poo on a Pogo Stick, and the Trixie Pickle Art Avenger series. His new graphic novel The Far Out Five is out now, and his family show — Olaf Falafel's Stupidest Super Stupid Show, is currently on tour.Why comedians make better children's authors than celebrities — and why the crossover is more natural than the publishing industry admitsThe origin of Old MacDonald Heard a Fart — how singing it on the school run with his daughters turned into an actual book dealHow to achieve the perfect duck fartWhy winning the Dave Funniest Joke at the Fringe brought death threatsWhy Lost is the show he'd erase from history — and the years he spent downloading it on Limewire before the ending stole everything backWhat it means to draw 200-page graphic novels while watching Liam Neeson films as background noise — and why Taken is genuinely one of his favourite moviesConnect with Olaf here:InstagramYoutubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Naylor spent years travelling the world making Barclaycard ads with Rowan Atkinson, gave Ben Miller his first comedy gig, wrote the first ever Tony Blair sketch on British television, and is now taking a play about Elton John's battle with the Sun newspaper to New York. And he can do a very good Scooby Doo.Henry Naylor is a playwright, writer and comedian whose credits include Spitting Image, Dead Ringers, the 3D animated sketch show Head Cases, and multiple Fringe First-winning plays. His play Monstering The Rocketman — about Elton John and Britain's largest ever libel settlement — sold out Edinburgh, has a London run and is heading to New York.How 17 Barclaycard commercials took him to Bora Bora, Luxor, Sardinia and Elba — and what it was like to watch Rowan Atkinson go from recognisable to A-lister in real timeHow he gave Ben Miller his first comedy gig at university — and how he felt when Ben's agent rang up about the Johnny English movieWriting the first Tony Blair sketch for Spitting Image when nobody knew anything about himWhy the Jeffrey Archer puppet was deliberately withheldHead Cases: the 3D animated sketch show that had DreamWorks calling, but was cancelled when ITV nearly went bankruptConnect with Henry here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Mear CBE has choreographed for Broadway, the West End, the Royal Albert Hall, Rhys Ifans in an Oasis video, a dancing dog-head Goldfrapp video, and Victoria Wood's Christmas specials — and he only found out he was dyslexic somewhere in the middle of all of it.Stephen Mear CBE is one of the UK's most celebrated choreographers and directors, with credits spanning five Broadway shows, multiple West End productions including Mary Poppins, Chess, Sunset Boulevard, and Shoes, television work with Victoria Wood, and a decades-long career that has taken him from Sheffield to LA to the Metropolitan Opera.What it was like opening The Little Mermaid on Broadway with the New York press already against Disney before a single rehearsalHow he got Rhys Ifans through the entire Oasis All Around the World video by standing next to him and counting throughoutThe Goldfrapp dog-head video — why the heads could only turn certain ways, and why the whole thing would take ten minutes with AI nowWhat it was like getting the cast back on stage at the Royal Albert Hall for the first post-COVID show — everyone drenched in sweat behind masks, praying nobody rang in sickMiriam Margolies discussing OnlyFans around the dinner table — and why she is the funniest person in any room she walks intoConnect with Stephen here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen White started stand-up at 50, dropped the C-bomb early doors to dispel any assumptions, came second in a gong show in South Shields, and is now getting theatre gigs. Nobody saw any of this coming — least of all Helen.Helen White is a Geordie comedian based in Middlesbrough, known for her sharp short-form material, a deadpan delivery that wrong-foots audiences from the first line, and a late start that has clearly not slowed her down.Born in West Germany, raised in a Northern Irish army barracks, moved to Newcastle aged six, and had a Geordie accent within a weekWhy starting comedy at 50 was exactly the right time — and why the creative curse of leaving it too late turned out not to be a curse at allThe Raleigh Shopper birthday bike that looked like it belonged to a 40-year-old woman doing her groceriesGrowing up in a house where nobody could cook — TV dinners, chip pan lard, and not encountering rice or pasta until universityWhy 90 Day Fiancé is genuinely compelling television — and why she follows the cast on InstagramConnect with Helen here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia and New Zealand have been quietly producing some of the funniest people on the circuit for decades — and this episode rounds up the best of them in one place.A compilation episode featuring Steve's favourite moments from his conversations with Sam Simmons, Daniel Muggleton, Robert Morgan, Mark Trevorrow (a.k.a. Bob Downe), Harry Jun, Stephen Curry, Dane Simpson, Jenny Tian, Ange Lavoipierre, Nick Schuller, Phil Hammond, Tom Ballard, John Robertson, Jarred Christmas and Nic Sampson.Why Antipodean comics consistently punch above their weight on the international circuitThe shared sensibility — and the crucial differences — between Australian and New Zealand humourWhat it takes to build a comedy career when you start 10,000 miles from the main marketsWhy absurdism, deadpan and chaos seem to be the default settings down underFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evelyn Hollow grew up in a country embedded in mythology, studies the paranormal for a living, and has seen the Night Night Man. She's also remarkably calm about all of it.Evelyn Hollow is a Scottish writer and paranormal psychologist with a Master of Research in Paranormal Psychology. She appears as a paranormal expert on the BBC's The Battersea Poltergeist, The Witch Farm, and Uncanny, as well as Spooked Scotland and Spooked Ireland, and is the author of Atlas of Paranormal Places.Why growing up in Scotland — a country embedded in mythology — shapes the way you think about the unexplained before you've even encountered itThe fine line between science and the supernatural — and why the value of an experience often lies in personal comfort rather than scientific proofEvelyn's personal struggle with sleep paralysis — and what it taught her about the edges of consciousnessThe "digital necromancy" of AI and the uncomfortable questions it raises for anyone who studies what happens after deathSteve's kettle switching itself on in a darkened room, and Evelyn's sightings of the Night Night ManWhy the unknown continues to fascinate us — and whether understanding it would actually make it less frighteningConnect with Evelyn here:TikTokXInstagramFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Morgan has ridden horses through the Australian desert with Ray Winstone, filmed in the wilderness of New Zealand alongside Florence Pugh, navigated the culture shock of working in Beijing, and is about to play Burgess Meredith in a Sylvester Stallone biopic. He calls this a career.Robert Morgan is a Welsh-Australian actor, writer, and former boxer known for The Proposition, The Accountant 2, Landman, High Country, and Hacksaw Ridge. He has worked alongside Brad Pitt, Jason Isaacs, and Guy Pearce, and continues to champion emerging talent.The physical endurance required to film The Proposition in the Australian Outback, where the environment was as brutal as anything in the scriptFilming in the New Zealand wilderness alongside Florence Pugh — and the reality of being an Australian actor constantly in transitWhy playing Burgess Meredith in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone biopic, I Play Rocky, required a completely different kind of preparationThe art of being a "good bastard" — and why that philosophy has kept him working across four decades and multiple continentsHis passion for independent film and the emerging talent he keeps going out of his way to supportRob does not engage in social media, but you can see what he's up to here:IMDb ProfileFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Smith filmed a sitcom in the middle of a desert, debuted on Have I Got News For You, and has strong feelings about dental mouth-guards. A career on the road will do that to you.Ian Smith is an award-winning stand-up comedian, writer, and actor from Yorkshire, known for The News Quiz, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Popatron, and The Ark. His Edinburgh Fringe shows include Crushing and Foot Spa Half Empty, and he co-hosts the popular podcast Northern News with Amy Gledhill.The logistical nightmare of filming The Ark in the middle of a desert — and what that does to a cast and crewWhat it actually feels like to debut on Have I Got News For You with no safety netThe stamina required for early sitcom work — and why nobody warns you how relentless it isThe bizarre realities of life on the UK tour circuit that don't make it into any brochureConnect with Ian here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve interviews Steve — and gets more out of it than either of them expected.In this solo episode, Steve Otis Gunn turns the microphone on himself, exploring the creative mind behind the podcast, the personal tenacity required to keep making things, and the gap between idea and execution that most people never cross.The "nutty" reality of maintaining a long-term creative project entirely on your ownWhy commitment to any project eventually starts to feel like a personality disorderWhat the gap between idea and execution really looks like — and why most people stop thereWhy talking to yourself is, it turns out, genuinely useful if you do it properlyFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Milo Edwards moved to Moscow to work in financial services, ended up performing stand-up on Russian television, and has been explaining that sequence of events ever since.Milo Edwards is a stand-up comedian and podcaster from Essex, a former Cambridge Footlights member who moved to Moscow in 2015 and performed on Russian TV before making his mark on the UK comedy scene with his Edinburgh Fringe shows. He hosts the podcasts Trashfuture, Masters of Our Domain, and Glue Factory, and has written for Mock The Week, The News Quiz, Private Eye, and The New Statesman.How a job in financial services became a back door into Russian stand-up televisionThe immense resolve required to navigate Moscow's bureaucracy as an expat comedianWhy the discipline of working in a completely alien environment makes you a better performerThe unexpected skills that transfer from finance to comedy — and the ones that really don'tConnect with Milo here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Lexx went from optimising search engines to commanding the stage on Live at the Apollo — and has been unapologetically honest about everything in between.Laura Lexx is a critically acclaimed comedian, writer and podcaster known for sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows, Live at the Apollo and Celebrity Mastermind. She is the author of Klopp Actually and Pivot, and hosts the podcast Comedy Bureau.How working as a search engine optimiser accidentally prepared her for stand-upThe immense persistence required to navigate the early years of the comedy circuitWhat the cramped rooms and chaotic logistics of the Edinburgh Fringe really teach youThe things about TV production that drive Laura genuinely mad — and why she keeps doing itWhy a willingness to be completely honest on stage is both the biggest risk and the biggest rewardConnect with Laura here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Robertson accidentally won awards for a kids' show that was never meant for children, has been pitching television ideas to networks that find him simultaneously fascinating and baffling, and does all of this on a voice that should probably be rested more than it is.John Robertson is an Australian comedian, writer, and creator of the cult live-action video game comedy show The Dark Room. A veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe and international festivals, he is known for his booming voice, razor-sharp crowd work, and chaotic energy across stand-up, Twitch streaming, and multiple TV development runs.Why maintaining a voice-shredding performance schedule requires a level of preparation most people don't expectThe constant cycle of pitching TV ideas — and the even more constant cycle of those ideas not quite happeningWhat the cult success of The Dark Room revealed about what audiences actually want from live performanceHow comedy anarchy differs from just being chaotic — and why the difference matters enormouslyConnect with John here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokTwitchFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Ballard started doing stand-up at 14, burned out completely by his mid-twenties after yelling excessively every night across Europe, and came back with something much more interesting to say.Tom Ballard is an award-winning Australian comedian, writer and broadcaster, known as co-host of Triple J Breakfast and host of the late-night ABC series Tonightly with Tom Ballard. He has also acted in Deadloch and Fisk, and has become one of Australia's most distinctive comedic voices through sharp political commentary and fearless humour.Why a gruelling tour through London, the UK and Europe left him with nothing left to say — and what he did about itWhy stepping back from the annual festival treadmill was the best creative decision he madeThe difference between comedy that reacts to the world and comedy that tries to understand itWhat slower, more deliberate creative work produces that the relentless festival cycle never couldConnect with Tom here:InstagramYouTubeTikTokFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sharlene Hector has performed for festival crowds at Glastonbury and Mount Fuji, toured internationally with Muse and Alicia Keys, starred in a Coca-Cola advert seen around the world, and then discovered during a global pandemic that what she really wanted to do was act.Sharlene Hector is a British singer, performer and actor with a career spanning over two decades. She has toured with Basement Jaxx, Gorillaz and Michael Bublé, sung backing vocals for Muse, Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé, and in recent years has moved into musical theatre with acclaimed roles in Dreamgirls, A Strange Loop, Standing at the Sky's Edge and Hercules.What the grit of international touring teaches you that nothing else does — and how it compares to the disciplined world of musical theatreThe story behind her iconic Coca-Cola advert — and what happened in the aftermathHow lockdown became the unlikely moment she discovered a genuine passion for actingWhat performing for massive festival crowds at Glastonbury and Mount Fuji feels like from the stageThe leaps of faith and pivots that have defined a career built on saying yes to things that terrify youConnect with Sharlene here:InstagramSpotifyFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Casio MT100 keyboard, a mate called Des, the streets of Peterborough, and a pop duo called Wolfgang that the world never heard — until now.Wolfgang was an unknown pop duo formed in 1985 in Peterborough by Steve Otis Gunn and Desmond Pye. This bonus episode finds them back on the streets where it all started, working out what they actually remember and whether any of it matches up.How a humble Casio MT100 keyboard and a school friendship became the unlikely foundation of a pop duoWhat life looked like in the 1980s when you were leaving home and making things up as you wentThe unexpected places the conversation goes — ghosts, religion, AI, and the nature of nostalgiaWhy recording on the very streets where it all happened makes for a completely different kind of episodeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Parsons turned a real East London lock-keeper's cottage into a pop culture laboratory, invented a show watched by a billion people, and spent years watching imitators make money from it. Now he's doing it all again — in theatre.Charlie Parsons is a British television producer and format innovator, co-founder of Planet 24, and the creator of The Word, The Big Breakfast, and Survivor. Today, he produces theatre, including Girl from the North Country and upcoming stage adaptations of The Hunger Games and A Knight's Tale.The wild, chaotic origins of The Big Breakfast — and how a real lock-keeper's cottage in East London became one of TV's most iconic setsHow Survivor evolved from a strange idea into a worldwide phenomenonThe court battles and imitators that came with inventing a genre — and how Charlie fought backWhy the entertainment landscape shifted from daring commissioners to algorithms — and what was lost in the processWhat drives him now, and why the immediacy and unpredictability of theatre feels like the closest thing to what he loved about televisionCharlie keeps a low profile online, so why not check out his IMDb page instead:IMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew O'Connor was a frustrated magician who went looking for "a mind-reading David Blaine" — and found a then-unknown Derren Brown instead. That decision alone reshaped British television.Andrew O'Connor is a British actor, magician, impressionist, game show host, and award-winning producer. He co-founded Objective Productions and helped shape Peep Show, Derren Brown: Mind Control and Star Stories, with a career spanning light entertainment, theatre, and groundbreaking television.How early frustrations as a performer led to founding one of British TV's most influential production companiesThe tip that led him straight to Derren Brown — and what he saw immediately that nobody else hadHow Peep Show was built from a simple idea into a groundbreaking comedy on a tiny budgetThe strain of touring musicals and what the realities of that life taught him about the gap between ambition and logisticsThe Hollywood years — directing movies, navigating the system, and the projects that never saw the light of dayAndrew isn't one for Social Media, so instead, check out his IMDb page here:IMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ignacio Lopez grew up in Mallorca, spent his British holidays on rainy Welsh caravans, and has been finding the comedy in the gap between those two worlds ever since.Ignacio Lopez is a Welsh-Spanish comedian known for his clever, culturally layered humour and appearances on Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News For You. He performs in English, Spanish and Welsh, and is a familiar face on the UK comedy circuit and television.Why growing up between Mallorca and Wales gives you better comic material than either place aloneWhat rainy holidays in Wales reveal about the British relationship with optimismThe chaos of TV quiz shows — from the insideHow dubbed films shaped the way Ignacio thinks about language, timing, and performanceWhy blagging your way into work is a legitimate career strategy — and why the right mattress matters more than you thinkConnect with Ignacio here:InstagramTikTokYouTubeWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moe Singleton left New York, moved to Berlin, and discovered that Seinfeld had quietly prepared him for all of it.Moe Singleton is an American comedian known for his smart, deeply relatable style across continents and cultures. He is the creator and host of the Thoughts For Your Thoughts podcast, where he interviews comedians about their origin stories, early bombs, and breakthrough moments.Why Berlin turned out to be the right city for a comedian who needed to start overWhat leaving New York actually costs — and what it gives backHow Seinfeld quietly shaped an outlook that travels across cultures and continentsWhy simplicity — a good chat, no agenda — is more radical than it sounds in the age of social mediaConnect with Moe here:InstagramTikTokYouTubePodcastFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Kent-Walters trained at a clown school in Paris, created a cult character, won the Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Award, and has been throwing himself around stages in dress shoes ever since.Joe Kent-Walters is a British comedian best known for his larger-than-life alter ego Frankie Monroe, blending physical theatre, absurdism and punk cabaret in a way that earned him the Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Award in 2024.What a Parisian clown school actually teaches you — and what it definitely doesn'tHow Frankie Monroe went from a Fringe experiment to a cult phenomenonThe physical toll of performing high-energy character comedy every night on the roadHow late-night comedy culture shapes the kind of work you end up makingConnect with Joe here:InstagramWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darren Harriott describes himself as a "click-your-fingers celebrity" — famous enough to be recognised, not famous enough for anyone to be entirely sure why. He's made peace with that, moved back to the Black Country, and is now living near some greenery.Darren Harriott is an acclaimed British stand-up comedian, writer, and presenter, and a two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee known for his smart, honest, high-energy comedy and sharp takes on class, race, and modern masculinity.Why he's stepping away from late-night gigs — and what the circuit costs you if you don'tThe reality of working with Richard Osman and the behind-the-scenes world of The Wheel and Michael McIntyre's Big ShowWhy the Midlands won the argument over Kilburn — and what that decision changedThe vintage tech obsession and Gen Z nostalgia that connect in ways he didn't expectConnect with Darren here:InstagramTikTokYouTubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl Donnelly started the conversation with parenting chaos and sniffles, and ended up somewhere between veganism, biohacking, Irish summers, and the ethical implications of Star Wars.Carl Donnelly is a comedian and writer known for his thoughtful, warm approach to stand-up, blending sharp observational humour with personal storytelling. A regular at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, he's equally at home with identity, culture, and the philosophical implications of a galaxy far, far away.Why becoming a parent reshapes your relationship with the stories you grew up onHow veganism changed his relationship with food, identity — and other vegansThe biohacker rabbit hole and how far down it you can go before it becomes a personalityWhy Irish summers contain multitudes — and why they keep ending up in the materialWhat Star Wars looks like when you watch it through the eyes of a small child who has absolutely no context for any of itConnect with Carl here:InstagramTikTokWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sikisa is an immigration lawyer who does stand-up about hustle culture, grew up between Stockwell and Barbados, and has strong feelings about Peggy Mitchell. She has approximately no patience for any of it, which is exactly what makes her so funny.Sikisa is a comedian, writer, and immigration lawyer known for her laugh-out-loud sets, thoughtful storytelling, and social commentary. A regular on the UK comedy circuit, she is also a wrestling aficionado, pub veteran, and proud South Londoner.Why the rising cost of the Edinburgh Fringe is quietly pricing out a generation of comediansWhat hustle culture looks like from inside a profession that runs entirely on itGrowing up between Stockwell and Barbados — and the comedy that sits in the gap between those two worldsThe burnout that comes with constantly creating in the age of social mediaWhy Peggy Mitchell is one of the great unsung cultural figures — and what she representsConnect with Sikisa here:InstagramTikTokWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Lockhurst worked on Havoc with Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has strong opinions about cinema, and grew up in a Canadian childhood that felt exactly like Stand By Me — from the inside. She also has thoughts on dill pickles that are difficult to argue with.Megan Lockhurst is an actress and singer-songwriter whose work spans screen, stage, and microphone, known for her grounded presence, playful perspective, and a deeply held belief that physical media still matters.Why 4DX cinema is either the future of moviegoing or a complete disaster, depending entirely on the filmThe Canadian childhood that felt exactly like a 1980s coming-of-age movieWhy practical effects, Blu-rays, and fresh air are all part of the same argument about what makes film worth caring aboutWhat the future of cinema looks like when AI and streaming are reshaping every part of the industryConnect with Megan here:InstagramTikTokWebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Nicoresti can move from the decline of Blockbuster to the philosophy of gendered spaces to the ethics of true crime podcasts in a single breath — and makes it all feel completely connected.Sam Nicoresti is a British comedian, writer, and performer blending surrealism, satire, and political commentary in their stand-up and filmed work. Their recent filmed special, drawn from their Edinburgh Fringe show, has been hailed as a smart, subversive take on gender, media, and millennial weirdness.What makes a comedy special, actually special — and why most of them aren'tHow HMV's pivot away from physical media became a metaphor for something much largerWhy true crime podcasts are the new voyeurism — and what that says about all of usThe class constraints that shape which comedians get to tell which storiesConnect with Sam here:InstagramTikTokYouTube SpecialFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Fleischman has been shaping how films feel for over four decades — and most people have never heard his name, which is exactly how he knows he's doing it right.Tom Fleischman is an Academy Award-winning re-recording mixer whose credits include Goodfellas, The Irishman, School of Rock, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Devil Wears Prada. He is known for decades-long collaborations with Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, and Robert Redford, and a craft that is equal parts science and intuition.How emotion in film is built as much through sound as through image — and why audiences never consciously notice when it's workingThe evolution from splicing tape by ear to digital mixing suites — and what was gained and lost in the transitionWhat a decades-long collaboration with Scorsese looks like from the insideWhy even a single vowel can be surprisingly difficult to perfect — and why getting it wrong changes everythingConnect with Tom here:BlueskyIMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea Birkby is an award-nominated comedian who blends mentalism with existential dread, is very good at horse impressions, and has found genuine comfort in not always knowing, which turns out to be a surprisingly powerful comic position.Chelsea Birkby is an award-nominated comedian known for her smart, sensitive, and sneakily philosophical comedy. Her debut show, No More Mr Nice Chelsea, was critically acclaimed at the Edinburgh Fringe, and she continues to tour the UK, support major acts, and develop new work blending stand-up and existential dread.Why Milton Keynes is actually funnier than people who've never been there thinkThe odd comfort of not knowing — and why certainty is overrated as a comic premiseWhat The Traitors and The Simple Life reveal about what we actually want from reality TVWhy generational slang and brainrot are both a window into culture and one of the most reliable sources of materialConnect with Chelsea here:InstagramTikTokYouTubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cat Miller designed the props that make Severance feel like a nightmare you can't quite name — including the deliberately wrong technology that nobody in the show is allowed to explain.Cat Miller is a seasoned property master whose credits include Severance, Russian Doll, The Affair, Uncut Gems, and Confess Fletch. With a background in professional dance and a deep-rooted family history in the film industry, her props don't merely adorn the background — they shape the world they inhabit.How vending tokens and deliberately wrong technology create a feeling of control and claustrophobia without a single line of dialogueWhy a background in professional dance informs a meticulous approach to physical objects on screenThe storytelling power of a single carefully chosen prop — and how easily it can be lost in a bad editWhat the challenges of prop design in comedy reveal about how differently tone works across genresThe invisible integrity required to build a believable world that an audience never consciously analysesConnect with Cat here:InstagramIMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Thomas has spent most of his career looking like he's on the verge of a breakdown — and it turns out that's been very useful.Joe Thomas is an English actor, comedian, and writer best known for his iconic role as Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners, and for his work in Fresh Meat, White Gold, and The Festival. A former Cambridge Footlights alumnus and Taskmaster contestant, he is now forging a new path in stand-up comedy.What life looks like after a show as culturally dominant as The Inbetweeners — and how long it takes to work out what comes nextWhy the leap from scripted sitcom to live stand-up is much harder than it appears from the outsideWhat Taskmaster is actually like to film — and why the best moments happen when you stop tryingWhy embracing discomfort, on stage and off, has become the most useful thing Joe has learnedConnect with Joe here:InstagramIMDbFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Curley once had to persuade J.K. Simmons to wear a microphone for Whiplash — and that's not even close to the most difficult thing he's had to do on set.Tom Curley is an Oscar and BAFTA-winning production sound mixer with over two decades of experience, known for Whiplash, Yellowstone, Documentary Now! and CSI: Vegas.What guerrilla filming in Seoul with a leading Korean director actually involves — and why preparation only gets you so farThe chaotic Nevada shoot that was interrupted by wild donkeys — and how it still made the final cutThe surprising discovery that some overseas actors on an American production weren't American at all — realised only after filming had wrappedA close BAFTA encounter with Harvey Weinstein — and what happened nextConnect with Tom here:InstagramFacebookBlueskyFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Donald started Viz in a Newcastle bedroom in 1979, created some of British comedy's most enduring characters, and spent years watching people fail to understand why it was funny — including some of the people who tried to put it on television.Simon Donald is a British comedian and co-founder of Viz, the satirical comic magazine that became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and 90s. His creations include Sid the Sexist and Roger's Profanasaurus. After leaving Viz in 2003, he transitioned to stand-up, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe and comedy clubs across the country.What starting an underground comic in a Newcastle bedroom in 1979 actually looked like — and how it became what it becameThe challenges of bringing Viz to the screen — and why translation from page to television is never as simple as it soundsHow the magazine's irreverent humour did and didn't survive contact with the film and television industryWhat stand-up teaches you about timing that comic strip work never quite doesConnect with Simon here:YouTubeFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graham Fellows accidentally became Jilted John, accidentally became John Shuttleworth, and has spent several decades building one of the most quietly inventive careers in British comedy — largely by following things to see where they go.Graham Fellows is a British actor, comedian, and musician best known for creating Jilted John and John Shuttleworth. As Jilted John, he scored a late 70s hit that thrust him into the spotlight; as Shuttleworth, he developed one of British comedy's most beloved characters — a middle-aged suburban man with a deep love of music technology and dry wit.How John Shuttleworth came into existence following a publishing deal — and then refused to leaveWhat appearing on Top of the Pops in the early 80s was actually likeThe shifting world of 1980s and 90s television — Saturday Night Zoo, The Paradise Club, and what that era made possible for comedyWhy following an accidental creation wherever it leads is a more reliable creative strategy than planningConnect with Graham here:InstagramFacebookYouTubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Patrick puts people to sleep for a living and wakes them up on stage — and says there's more overlap between the two than you'd think.Ed Patrick is a comedian, author, and NHS anaesthetist known for his appearances on British panel shows, such as Have I Got News For You. He hosts the Comedians' Surgery podcast, which opens up honest conversations about health in the comedy world, and is the author of Catch Your Breath: The Secret Life of a Sleepless Anaesthetist.How working as an anaesthetist and working as a comedian require the same kind of calm under pressureWhat a recent appearance on Have I Got News For You actually felt likeWhy television viewing habits are changing in ways that directly affect what comedy gets commissionedWhat honest healthcare communication and good stand-up have in commonConnect with Ed here:InstagramFacebookAmazon Author PageFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Critoph returns for the annual TV debrief — Steve attempts to review 2024's television while answering the door to impromptu Christmas deliveries, and somehow they still cover most of the important ground.Paul Critoph is an actor and regular friend of the podcast, joining Steve for the second consecutive end-of-year television review — the one where Paul also played Santa at a secret location earlier the same week.Why John Mulaney looked so noticeably different in his Netflix show, Everybody's in L.A.The blurred lines between reality and drama in Baby Reindeer, and why it made everyone uncomfortable in different waysThe case for Jilly Cooper's Rivals — and why it was the unexpected televisual pleasure of the yearWhat The Fortune Hotel with Stephen Mangan reveals about the post-Traitors reality TV landscapeThe Bear season 3 — essentially someone chopping a radish very slowly while looking moody, for weeks on endConnect with Paul here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.