British actress and comedian
POPULARITY
Enough by Dawn French Etta is sixty-eight years old. Happy, healthy and an active participant in her world, she's gathered her family together for an unforgettable weekend. Tick. At 5am that Saturday morning, Etta wakes her daughter, her granddaughter, her son and her daughter-in-law up to lead everyone down to the beach. To ‘Etta's Hollow', where a roaring fire has already been lit. Drowsy but delighted – the sun is just starting to rise for a glorious dawn – Etta's family bask in the beauty of the moment. A memory to be cherished forever. Tick. Until twenty minutes later, when Etta announces to her assembled beloveds something as shocking as it is alarming. ‘I have brought you all down to the beach this morning to tell you something important. You see, the thing is, today is my last day alive.' Boom. Over the next twenty-four hours, Etta and her family are about to have the most surprising, affecting and life-affirming day of all their lives. Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she's shocked by the victim: a well-known, well-respected judge, whose death sent shockwaves through the legal community. She's also incredulous—she's nowhere near experienced enough to handle such a high-profile assignment—but the defendant is insistent: he wants her, and only her, to represent him. Except he's refusing to talk. And if that wasn't complicated enough, Leila soon learns her opponent is the most ruthless prosecutor she's ever known: her husband. It's an impossible situation, yet Leila is determined to sway the jury to her side—until she's blindsided once again by a shadowy figure from her past. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only for her client and marriage, but also to keep her own secrets buried. And if she has to rewrite the rules to win, so be it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oliver chats to comedians Laura O'Connell and Abi Denniston about taking their budding friendship online with their podcast recommended to us by Dawn French last week.
Comedian, actor and writer Dawn French is best known as one half of one of the UK's most successful comedy double acts, and as the fictional vicar Geraldine Granger. She's also a bestselling author, and her latest book, Enough, is her fifth novel — her eighth book in total. It blends dark humour with some tougher themes she thinks are important to explore. She joined Nuala to discuss.Best known as the co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian is now turning his focus to the future of women's sport. Once overlooked and underfunded, it is now undergoing rapid change. Alexis is today announcing he's bringing his all-female track and field meet series, Athlos, to London. He tells Anita Rani why, and talks about being married to one of the most successful and well known sports stars of all time - Serena Williams.We discuss a new play that unfolds entirely in the ladies loos. April Hope Miller wrote and performs in ‘Flush', it was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and it's just opened at the Arcola Theatre in London. April and co-star Jazz Jenkins tell Nuala why the real drama on any night out is always to be found in the women's toilets. And why it took an ensemble cast of five, playing no less 16 different characters between them, to capture something universal about women's lives.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells
Comedian, actor and writer Dawn French is best known as one half of one of the UK's most successful comedy double acts, and as the fictional vicar Geraldine Granger. She's also a bestselling author, and her latest book, Enough, is her fifth novel — her eighth book in total. It blends dark humour with some tougher themes she thinks are important to explore. She joins Nuala to discuss.More than 10,000 pregnant women and girls, primarily unmarried mothers, passed through mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland from the 1920s to the 1990s. Survivors have long campaigned for compensation and have criticised Stormont's proposed redress scheme. The current bill limits compensation to the families of victims who died after 29 September 2011. Yesterday, an amendment to remove the cut-off date was not selected for debate at the Assembly. Campaigners say this excludes many women who were 'failed in life and now failed in death.' The legislation will also establish an inquiry into the institutions. Nuala is joined by BBC Ireland Correspondent Chris Page and Mechelle Dillon from the campaign group Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice.There were 35,000 assaults on staff in Scotland's schools in the last academic year, according to a BBC investigation. New figures suggest assaults by pupils have increased by 55% in just two years. Unions say the true total is likely to be far higher, as not all incidents are recorded. Nuala is joined by the BBC education and social affairs correspondent in Scotland, Lucy Adams, who's been investigating the issue, and Mandy MacDowell, UNISON Scotland's education lead, which represents support staff. Two Weeks in August is a new BBC One drama series centred on a group of old university friends who reunite in Greece for what's meant to be a relaxing holiday, but when an illicit kiss sparks escalating tensions, things unravel in unexpected, even slightly supernatural ways. Nuala is joined by its writer and creator Catherine Shepherd and one of its stars, Jessica Raine, known for Call the Midwife, Wolf Hall and The Devil's Hour.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor
The comedy legend, actress and bestselling author, Dawn French, talks to Oliver about the difficult real life backstory behind her new novel ‘Enough'.
In this episode, we sit down with Holly Matthews, self development coach, founder of the Happy Me project, best selling author, and former TV actress who went from being a child star on Byker Grove to navigating grief, rejection, and reinvention in the most public way possible. Holly breaks down why most people are terrified of success, not failure, how childhood experiences shape our adult confidence, and why wearing a mask to fit in only works until it doesn't. She explains why she started vlogging during her husband's terminal illness, how grief became the catalyst for building a business that helps thousands, and why being your weirdest self is the only way to live without regrets. Holly also reveals why she removed someone from her membership for the first time, how she uses swearing as a litmus test for whether people will vibe with her energy, and why her daughter's viral video about homelessness led to death threats, a BBC controversy, and eventually a spot on Little Big Shots with Dawn French. If you're struggling with confidence, people pleasing, or wondering whether it's okay to be unapologetically yourself, this episode will give you permission to stop performing and start living. More from Holly: Website: https://www.hollymatthews.com Instagram: @hollymatthews Hear more from the Hosts: Jack https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: Prospeo, the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at https://www.prospeo.io/wham Nooks The AI powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visit : https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting
Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton has a slew of devoted clients including Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Martha Stewart, as well as millions of Instagram followers and a regular slot offering advice on The Drew Barrymore Show. His memoir, Your Roots Don't Define You, is a New York Times bestseller. But growing up was hard on Appleton: he was the middle of five children and struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia at school. He was bullied by his classmates for being gay - something he didn't yet understand about himself. At 16, he left school to work full-time and began a serious relationship with his colleague, Kate. By 19, he was a father. In this episode we discuss imposter syndrome, the darkest moments of his life, shame and the work he's done to overcome the hurdles he's faced. And, of course, we talk about the Kardashians. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 02:33 Imposter Syndrome as Fuel 04:24 Red Carpets and Online Pressure 05:27 Hair as Celebrity Identity 07:15 Memoir and Health Wake Up 08:48 Dash the Dog and Comfort 11:02 Shame Coming Out and Healing 22:26 Kids First After Divorce 23:05 Holiday Triggers and Boundaries 24:31 Success Doesn't Heal 25:18 Inner Child Healing Work 27:22 Envy Into Mentorship 30:08 Kardashians on Failure 31:25 Hair Identity and Change 35:18 Comparison and Social Media
How does a singing teacher land a vocal coaching job on a TV drama? In this episode, Alexa is joined by vocal coach, performer and returning guest - Candi Underwood, who shares her experience coaching Matt Smith for the Sky Atlantic adaptation of The Death of Bunny Munro, based on the novel by Nick Cave. They explore how the opportunity came about, what was required on set, and which skills singing teachers already have that translate directly into TV coaching work. Perfect listening for singing teachers curious about taking their work beyond the studio and onto screen.WHAT'S IN THIS PODCAST? 5:03 What is The Death of Bunny Munro?6:42 What was the production company looking for in a vocal coach?10:59 Preparing for the job16:01 Taking a history19:12 Surprising essential skills20:30 Working on technique23:39 Keeping it professional with high profile figures28:53 Top 3 skills singing teachers needs for a TV coaching role32:12 How to get your food in the doorAbout the presenter HERERELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKSSinging Teachers Talk - Ep31. Where to Start with Digital MarketingNick CaveMatt SmithThe Death of Bunny MunroFrank SinatraSinging Teachers Talk - Ep.198 Mastering Singing for Stage, Screen & the Music IndustrySinging Teachers Talk - Ep.242 Understanding Motor Learning: How It Can Help Us Give Better Singing Lessons - Eps. 155 & 156 Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice StudiosSinging Teachers Talk - Ep.222 The Rise of AI: What It Means for Singers & TeachersSinging Teachers Talk - Ep.226 The Rise of AI: Practical Tools and Strategies For the Singing TeacherABOUT THE GUESTCandi Underwood is a professional performer, session singer, vocal coach and founder/leader of City of Stars, a group of intermediate musical theatre choirs across Sussex. With over 16 years of experience in the industry, she's been featured as both a singer and songwriter on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6Music, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Radio X, Planet Rock and more, performed at nationwide festivals and featured in TV ads; all while building a successful coaching business dedicated to nurturing healthy, resilient voices and inspiring bold, fearless performances for singers and screamers alike. Most recently she collaborated with Nick Cave and Matt Smith on Sky TV's 'The Death of Bunny Munro', coaching the former through a singing scene, and featured in the Marks & Spencer Christmas Advert with her choir alongside Dawn French.WebsiteInstagram
One of the best things about British comedy is Dawn French, half of the legendary duo French and Saunders and a comedy titan in her own right. Since the 1980s, Dawn has maintained a solo career among with her duo work and the results are stellar. Beginning with small roles In cult classics such as The Young Ones, Dawn eventually became the star of shows including The Vicar of Dibley, Ted and Alice, and The Trouble with Maggie Cole. Dawn's brand of humor can be sweet or very bawdy -- but always very funny. In recent years, Dawn has continued with standup tours and she is an accomplished author with her most recent book -- The Twat Files -- providing the theme for her most recent standup tour. As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Dawn French? Dawn is a long-time participant in the British Comic Relief benefit shows and this sketch featuring her as a shock talk show host is one of her best. https://youtu.be/HuHKpX72248?si=Pns95fTFth0mPUae Here's a fun clip package of some of Dawn's best work courtesy of BritBox. https://youtu.be/8-StYkm5CXk?si=S9rM5J3UBNG4cURg Dawn's 2020 series "The Trouble with Maggie Cole" is a gem with Dawn devouring the role of a local busybody who spills a bit too much tea about her friends and neighbors on the town radio station. https://fb.watch/ELpYG_q48h/
Matt and Dawn are joined by Sarah Kennedy to review four more shows available this week. Apple's Hijack sees Idris Elba's Sam in a perilous situation as he travels, this time aboard a train rather than the plane from the first series. Next, the trio try and get their heads around Heated Rivalry, which is the most talked about shows of the time. His and Hers is the latest airport novel type show on Netflix. Finally, Dawn French and Mark Heap star in the BBC's new comedy, Can You Keep a Secret, as a married couple who are given a life insurance payout. Lastly, to celebrate Mark Heap and Dawn French, our own Dawn tests her fellow podcasters to name as many shows the pair have starred in over the course of their long comedy careers.
We kick off the new year (for us, that is, you of course had a podcast last week) with a bevvy of guests on the show, corralling Industry showrunners Konrad Kay and Mickey Down (28:09-43:56) as well as Dawn French and Mark Heap (57:57-1:09:30), whose show Can You Keep A Secret is now showing on BBC1. Hijack gets its second outing on Apple TV this week (1:09:30), while Industry returns to the Beeb (1:24:19) and we take a trip to school among the stars with Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (1:33:37). Meanwhile, not only do the team catch up on their Christmas escapades but Kay has an announcement to make…Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Scott and Hayley join Naga Munchetty to review the week's biggest shows. This week, that features ‘Lynley' the latest crime thriller to reach BBC iPlayer, which follows aristocratic DI Thomas Lynley and his reluctant partner DS Barbara Havers as they're brought in to solve murders.BBC Sitcom ‘Can You Keep a Secret' starring Dawn French, Mark Heap and Craig Roberts, all about a retired couple - played by Dawn and Mark – who commit insurance fraud, after one of them is mistakenly claimed dead.And finally, we discuss Netflix's ‘Heated Rivalry' about two ice hockey players whose animosity in the rink turns into a secret romance off the ice. Remember you can Email mustwatch@bbc.co.uk to have your say.
Ian and Hannah review the biggest new films and bingeable shows on UK streaming services for the week beginning Friday 9th January 2026, including:Freedom isn't always on the outside. Teaching in prison, Dan obsesses over his own choices and confronts his turbulent past. Waiting for the Out is the provocative new drama on BBC iPlayer.Meet the Fendons – an oddball little family who happen to have committed massive fraud. Dawn French stars in mischievous new comedy Can You Keep a Secret? on BBC iPlayer.Two estranged spouses, one a detective and the other a news reporter, vie to solve a murder in which each believes the other is a prime suspect in new Netflix series His & Hers, starring Tessa Thompson.Two sisters' lives change forever when Lily is kidnapped by their teacher. After years in captivity, she escapes, but freedom brings new struggles as she finds everything changed. Jill Halfpenny stars in Paramount+ thriller Girl Taken.Follow Bingewatch on all major podcast players for your weekly rundown of the best binge-worthy shows across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more.Remember to leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser and Goodpods AND you can now show your support and leave a tip for Ian and Hannah.You can also stay in touch with the team via Twitter AND if you like Bingewatch but you're looking for a specific review, check out BITESIZE BINGEWATCH, our sister show making it easier to get the bits you want!Discover your next favourite restaurant with NeoTaste, the exclusive membership unlocking huge discounts at hundreds of restaurants. Get 2 MONTHS FREE on us! Simply use the code BINGE at checkout. Sign up here: https://bingewatch.captivate.fm/neotaste For ad and sponsorship enquiries, email liam@mercurypodcasts.com now!
From the dislocated, sun soaked childhood of an RAF family to a life spent shaping British comedy, Dawn French's story is one of resilience, warmth and hard won self knowledge. In this generous conversation with James O'Brien, recorded five years ago, she reflects on the moves that defined her early years, the confidence gifted to her by loving parents, and the shock of losing her father just as adulthood was beginning. She recalls her time at boarding school in Plymouth, the drama teacher who changed her life, and the year she spent in New York after winning a fiercely competitive debating scholarship.Dawn speaks openly about stumbling into comedy by accident, her early days at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and the moment living with Jennifer Saunders set the course for their four-decade partnership. She revisits the wild beginnings of The Comic Strip, moonlighting as a teacher by day and performing in a smoky Soho club by night.Along the way, she discusses the unusual pressures of fame, the introversion that sits behind the jazz hands, and the fierce, uncomplicated love that shaped her as both daughter and mother. Warm, candid and often very funny, this episode offers an intimate portrait of a national treasure who remains thoughtful, grounded and endlessly generous in spirit.
I've always been obsessed with friendship - how it shapes us, challenges us and often goes uncelebrated. In this episode, both Dawn French and Vogue Williams get honest about the beauty and the messiness of it all. Despite being surrounded by great friends, Vogue explains why she worries she's not the best friend back - although she's definitely working on it. Dawn then reflects on growing up as an RAF kid. Repeated moves meant she learned early on how hard it can be to build and keep connections. She also talks about her iconic friendship with Jennifer Saunders (which did *not* start smoothly) and the people she holds closest today. My fascination with the subject runs so deep that I even wrote a whole book about it! Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict explores why friendship matters and how it evolves over our lives. Feel free to buy a copy for you…and all your friends! Listen to Dawn French's full episode of How to Fail here: swap.fm/l/NJDrzxLKhyi6icOrxmHT Listen to Vogue Williams' full episode of How to Fail here: swap.fm/l/KdIrVp0y41qgun1oGjfR
Josh and Aaron Sarnecky are here to celebrate The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for its 20th anniversary.The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children's fantasy film directed Andrew Adamson. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, the first published volume in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. It opened in theaters on December 9, 2005.In the film, Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) and her siblings Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) happen upon the mythical realm of Narnia. The four children are destined to aid the wise lion Aslan (Liam Neeson) in his fight against the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton). Other characters include Professor Kirke (James Broadbent), Mr. and Mrs. Beaver (Ray Winstone and Dawn French), and Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy).The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was a critical success and the third highest-grossing film of 2005, making $745 million on an estimated $180 million budget. It won Best Makeup at the Oscars and was also nominated for Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. It was followed by only two sequels, leaving the film series incomplete.Josh and Aaron discuss their histories with the film and franchise before going into the movie's plot, characters, action, and legacy. Josh and Aaron also talk about Greta Gerwig's upcoming Narnia adaptation for Netflix.For another podcast on a beloved book, you can listen to last month's podcast on Pride & Prejudice.The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe is streaming on Disney+
Apologies in advance - it's a scatological start to today's episode. David decides to tell Joe about reluctantly having to do a poo on his train up to London the previous morning. It's a subject that neither of them are comfortable talking about but still manage to fill the first 20 minutes discussing. After that, it's chat about OAP cocaine users, Ben Shephard being a Chatabiscuit, meeting Dawn French, Joe being on the Lorraine show, visiting TV studio sets and being rude in a voiceover session. FOR ALL THINGS CHATABIX'Y FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE/CONTACT: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chatabixpodcast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chatabixpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatabix Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chatabix Merch: https://chatabixshop.com/ Contact us: chatabix@yahoo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's an introspective episode today as Joe and David investigate some of their numerous insecurities - such as worrying about not being likeable (both on and off the pod), very variable confidence, whether they're nice guys, low intelligence levels and having verbal diarrhoea. It's quite the therapy session! Plus, David explains how he might be meeting Dawn French soon, Joe's reveals his latest quip, there's a quick One In A Million from a friend of the pod and we celebrate our recent Instagram success. FOR ALL THINGS CHATABIX'Y FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE/CONTACT: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chatabixpodcast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chatabixpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatabix Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chatabix Merch: https://chatabixshop.com/ Contact us: chatabix@yahoo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
PAUL CHANDLER, THE SHY YETI himself, on some of his favourite female comedy performers.First broadcast on FAB RADIO INTERNATIONAL at 19:00 on November 23rd 2025.This week our friend PAUL CHANDLER, THE SHY YETI himself, returns in response to our recent edition in which we did our best to try and analyse some television comedy.PAUL noticed that much of the comedy we were talking about was focussed on the work of the male comedy performers and writers, and he, quite rightly, thought that he ought to redress the balance and talk about some of the many female comedians who he has enjoyed the work of, and who have inspired him over the years.So, whilst we start off perhaps inevitably discussing the state of TV comedy in general, once we get that out of the way we spend the bulk of the next hour talking about PAUL's favorites from, amongst others, the likes of LUCILLE BALL, ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY, BEA ARTHUR, BETTY WHITE, RUE McCLANAHAN, VICTORIA WOOD, DAWN FRENCH, JENNIFER SAUNDERS, TINA FEY, and, whilst we did at least mention her in our previous conversation, DIANE MORGAN.I think it makes for a fun, thoughtful, and inciteful hour, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.PLEASE NOTE - For Copyright reasons, musical content sometimes has to be removed for the podcast edition. All the spoken word content remains (mostly) as it was in the broadcast version. Hopefully this won't spoil your enjoyment of the show.
COFFEE MOANING the PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coffee-moaning/id1689250679ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3p6z4A1RbhidO0pnOGGZl2?si=IqwD7REzTwWdwsbn2gzWCg&nd=1HOW TO STAY MARRIED (SO FAR) the PODCASTON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/57MT4cv2c3i06ryQlIpUXc?si=1b5ed24f40c54ebaON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-stay-married-so-far/id1294257563 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Two episodes in one week!! Today starts our animation month and up first is the 2009 stop motion film Coraline. Written and directed by Henry Selick and based on the 2002 novella by Neil Gaiman, the film tells the story of a young girl discovering an idealized alternate universe behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that it contains something dark and sinister. It features the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Ian McShane. Come join us!! Website : https://tortelliniatnoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tortelliniatnoonpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TortelliniAtNoon Twitter: https://twitter.com/PastaMoviePod
FULL POD #170: Guess who hooked up with the Vicar of Dibley?!
Ben Elton was instrumental in the transformation of British comedy that took place in the 1980s. His scripts for The Young Ones and Blackadder were fresh, anarchic, rude, clever and hilarious. The people that worked alongside Ben - Richard Curtis, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders - to name but a few - are legendary. In this episode of Rosebud, Ben talks to Gyles about his parents, his father's family story - they had escaped persecution in Germany at the start of the war - and how he became interested in comedy as a young boy. He talks about the process of writing Blackadder, which was sometimes tortuous, and what it felt like to be slated by the critics when We Will Rock You first opened in the West End.Ben's autobiography, "What Have I Done?" is out now and available here. Rosebud has a new website www.rosebudpodcast.co.uk and a new Facebook group - just search "Rosebud Reflections". Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
RHLSTP #580 - Pea on the Cob - As if there weren't enough people here for the Festival, Edinburgh numbers are swollen by Oasis fans, though Rich adlibs a decent joke for once, so it's worth listening to the intro. His guest is RHLSTP favourite, Tim Key. They chat about being locked out of flats, broken cat-flaps, the year of the Herring and how much O2 paid to sponsor RHLSTP (in the golden era), Tim's appearance in the new Greg Daniels sitcom The Paper and Robert Popper's part in getting him there, 5k times and the pathetic money-making crimes that Richard never got caught for in 1989 (if you were one of the students he took to HMS Victory please get in touch for your rebate). Plus selling Dawn French a yoyo and nearly killing Michael Palin. It's another classic Key:Herring collaboration, awkward, weird, boring and funny enough to almost make Richard pass out.Buy Tim's fantastic LA Baby here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/l-a-baby-tim-key/7870201See RHLSTP live http://richardherring.com/rhlstpSUPPORT THE SHOW!Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE See details of the RHLSTP TOUR DATES Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
She was the Vicar of Dibley and he the king of Comic Relief. Together, they were the King and Queen of British comedy. Dawn French and Lenny Henry were the nation's funniest couple but behind the gags and the glitter, their marriage had ups, downs and an unforgettable night out with John Sessions. This week on The Way They Were, Chantal and Gráinne are joined by broadcaster, campaigner and author Natasha Devon to unravel the love story that made us laugh, broke our hearts, and proved that even legends can't always make it work. Want our episodes ad free and early episodes? Fancy a shoutout on the pod? Howe about special bonus episodes every other week? Get all of this and more on our Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
She was the Vicar of Dibley and he the king of Comic Relief. Together, they were the King and Queen of British comedy. Dawn French and Lenny Henry were the nation's funniest couple but behind the gags and the glitter, their marriage had ups, downs and an unforgettable night out with John Sessions. This week on The Way They Were, Chantal and Gráinne are joined by broadcaster, campaigner and author Natasha Devon to unravel the love story that made us laugh, broke our hearts, and proved that even legends can't always make it work. Want our episodes ad free and early episodes? Fancy a shoutout on the pod? Howe about special bonus episodes every other week? Get all of this and more on our Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The co-creator of Absolutely Fabulous says her remarkable career as one of the world's funniest women is all down to a series of happy accidents. When she and her great pal Dawn French were making their first series, French & Saunders, they were given complete freedom by the BBC, including the freedom to fail.Despite a few mishaps along the way and a battle with breast cancer, Jennifer now says that early freedom, risk-taking and random opportunities were the best things that could possibly have happened to them.Further informationFirst broadcast in April, 2014.You can hear Sarah's full conversation with Timothy Spall on the ABC Listen App, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can also read all about the Conversations origin story on the ABC News website.This episode of Conversations explores memoir, books, writing, TV comedy, Ab Fab, celebrity memoir, battling cancer, survival stories, breast cancer, British humour, dark humour, Black Books, the Comic Strip, Friends, Roseanne, Adrian Edmondson, Edina Monsoon, Joanna Lumley, Patsy Stone, Muppets, Spice Girls, Top Gear.
This week Loose Ends is coming from the Homecoming festival at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. Clive Anderson is joined by comedian, actor and writer Dawn French, who moved to Cornwall to give her more space to write and Fern Britton, who has written eleven novels set in Cornwall, and has lived here on and off since starting her career in regional television here in 1980. He also chats to Edward Rowe, who starred in Mark Jenkin's acclaimed film 'Bait' and who performs comedy as The Kernow King, and there's music from the Welsh-Cornish singer-songwriter Gwenno who will be performing tracks from her upcoming album 'Utopia'.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen
Chasing the shade and applying Factor 50 in the wilting heat of this week's rock and roll news turns the conversation to … … Kneecap v the Prime Minister.… will any openly anti-Trump musician find it hard to tour the States?… the girl who's listening to all 10,000 of her late father's albums, one 60-second Instagram reel at a time.… a bottle of Snoop Dogg rosé, anyone? … why Carol Kaye turned down the Hall Of Fame. … Hollywood and “the genius of the system” v the current vogue for applauding individual genius. … Lottie Golden, Laurie Styvers, Jeannie Piersol and our love for High Moon Records, the Virago of the record business. … why self-sabotage is a British institution. … Nick Cave Unisex Clogs? Pet Shop Boys chrome pepper-grinder? Brave new frontiers in pop merchandise. … Genya Ravan's I Won't Sleep On The Wet Spot No More. … Beau Dommage, Dragon's Breath, Two Left Feet … Canadian band or voguish craft ale? Also in the mix … Dawn French, Phoebe Snow, Humphrey Ocean, Alan Bennett and Bridget St John.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chasing the shade and applying Factor 50 in the wilting heat of this week's rock and roll news turns the conversation to … … Kneecap v the Prime Minister.… will any openly anti-Trump musician find it hard to tour the States?… the girl who's listening to all 10,000 of her late father's albums, one 60-second Instagram reel at a time.… a bottle of Snoop Dogg rosé, anyone? … why Carol Kaye turned down the Hall Of Fame. … Hollywood and “the genius of the system” v the current vogue for applauding individual genius. … Lottie Golden, Laurie Styvers, Jeannie Piersol and our love for High Moon Records, the Virago of the record business. … why self-sabotage is a British institution. … Nick Cave Unisex Clogs? Pet Shop Boys chrome pepper-grinder? Brave new frontiers in pop merchandise. … Genya Ravan's I Won't Sleep On The Wet Spot No More. … Beau Dommage, Dragon's Breath, Two Left Feet … Canadian band or voguish craft ale? Also in the mix … Dawn French, Phoebe Snow, Humphrey Ocean, Alan Bennett and Bridget St John.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chasing the shade and applying Factor 50 in the wilting heat of this week's rock and roll news turns the conversation to … … Kneecap v the Prime Minister.… will any openly anti-Trump musician find it hard to tour the States?… the girl who's listening to all 10,000 of her late father's albums, one 60-second Instagram reel at a time.… a bottle of Snoop Dogg rosé, anyone? … why Carol Kaye turned down the Hall Of Fame. … Hollywood and “the genius of the system” v the current vogue for applauding individual genius. … Lottie Golden, Laurie Styvers, Jeannie Piersol and our love for High Moon Records, the Virago of the record business. … why self-sabotage is a British institution. … Nick Cave Unisex Clogs? Pet Shop Boys chrome pepper-grinder? Brave new frontiers in pop merchandise. … Genya Ravan's I Won't Sleep On The Wet Spot No More. … Beau Dommage, Dragon's Breath, Two Left Feet … Canadian band or voguish craft ale? Also in the mix … Dawn French, Phoebe Snow, Humphrey Ocean, Alan Bennett and Bridget St John.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this explosive Heretics interview, TalkTV firebrand Kevin O'Sullivan joins Andrew Gold to expose the hypocrisy at the heart of modern Britain. From the burka debate in Parliament to Labour's calculated play for the Muslim vote, Kevin gives his uncensored take on how identity politics, groupthink, and fear of offence are eroding British values. SPONSORS: Struggling with anxiety, addiction, loss, relationships, cancel culture, or feeling low? Go to http://Just-Therapy.org . James' private practice: https://jamesesses.com Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/HERETICS Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at https://mintmobile.com/heretics Set up your online dream biz on https://shopify.co.uk/glassbox Go to https://TryFum.com/HERETICS and use code HERETICS to get your free FÜM Topper when you order your Journey Pack today! Go to https://freespoke.com/gold to search freely. Download app & sub for 25% off Freespoke Premium with my link.
We're back with another episode and this time the news hits so close to home. Another day another LA riot, what a great city we live in! But this time it's different as Trump is determined not to let the Democrats supervise its destruction.SocialsX: @andrewdoyle_comInsta: @andrewdoyle101Phelim's X: (https://x.com/PhelimMcAleer)Ann's X: (https://x.com/annmcelhinney)David's X: (https://x.com/daviddaleiden)And our guest this week announces the death of wokeism. In his new book comedian Andrew Doyle says activists went too far, and tells us what to expect in the counter revolution. You can buy his book here:https://www.amazon.com/END-WOKE-Culture-Expect-Counter-Revolution-ebook/dp/B0F83GZCG4?dplnkId=657ecd00-ae17-4875-98ee-c903a34cf734&nodl=1 And the Holy month of pride is upon us, and the military is celebrating by removing the name of a gay rights icon from a Navy ship. We out some of his beliefs that supporters want to keep in the closet. And the vile British comedian Dawn French mocked the October 7th massacre, but none of us got the joke. Listen to the podcast to hear the aftermath.And we love hearing from you guys. When you leave a comment on social media we will read it and may respond to it on the air. Please keep leaving the comments.Speaking of which, last week we had a lot of interest in an article from last week's guest, Wesley Smith. You can read his seminal article about euthenasia here: https://www.newsweek.com/whispers-strangers-193804
This week James O'Hagan and I chat about what makes Primavera special and some of the big moments to come out of last weekend, we discuss Tom Felton's awful red carpet answer at the Tonys, as well as what forced Dawn French to apologise this week. To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Join us in Connolly's of Leap on July 17th! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Poet, author, musician and Yorkshireman, Simon Armitage has been Britain's Poet Laureate since 2019 — so we're thrilled that he joined James Fisher on the latest edition of the Country Life Podcast.From the surprising details of what he does — or, more accurately, doesn't — have to do as part of his role, to the primary school teacher who didn't even put his Christmas poem in his class's top six, Simon shares tales of his life, his work and his inspiration.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on AudibleNature has always been a big part of the latter, and never more so than with his latest collection of poems, Dwell. The book was inspired by the time he has spent at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall — a place where he'll be back on June 21st for the Heligan Homecoming Festival, which runs June 13-22 and features guests including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Dawn French.Simon also talks about how the world — and the world of art in particular — is being changed by technology... even if what AI can create so far has been limited to verse that is, in his phrase, 'reassuringly awful'.That said, Simon also worries that 'it will only get better', something which could actually change how art is made.'I wonder if it might throw art back on some of its high-end, traditional values that are quite difficult to imitate and replicate,' he adds.'The art that will really be in trouble is sort of avant-gardism and experimentation which — dare I say it? Yes,I do — is quite easily imitated.Charming, funny, self-deprecating, Simon was a wonderful guest — enjoy the show.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Simon ArmitageEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fearne's been thinking a lot lately about how much of her life she's spent people pleasing as a result of wanting to be liked. So today, how to break free from the ‘good girl' your family, friends, colleagues, and society expect you to be...In this episode –-Louise Redknapp clarifies why being described as ‘nice' isn't a compliment and how she's gone about making people see her as a multi-faceted human-Paloma Faith pinpoints the ways women make themselves smaller in order to make others feel more comfortable-Sophie Ellis-Bextor explains how she's learnt to navigate mum guilt while not minimising the importance of her career-Natasha Bedingfield talks about the powerful effects of physically speaking your truth and voicing your needs-Afua Hirsch reflects on how colonisation in her native country Ghana has affected her notions of what it means to be good, pure woman-Florence Given explores not letting outside opinion dictate who you are and how to stop feeling the need to defend or explain yourself-Dawn French waxes lyrical about the joy of getting things wrong and embracing imperfection-Emily Atack explains how online abuse almost broke her, but ultimately strengthened her resolve to be an even bolder version of herselfListen to the full episodes here –Louise RedknappPaloma FaithSophie Ellis BextorNatasha BedingfieldAfua HirschFlorence GivenDawn FrenchEmily Atack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lynda La Plante - the writer, producer and creator of landmark dramas Widows and Prime Suspect - is Gyles's guest today. Lynda is the powerhouse behind some of the UK's most watched television, and she's also the powerhouse behind this episode of Rosebud - which is full of brilliant stories to make you gasp, laugh and cry. From her childhood growing up on the outskirts of Merseyside in a family tainted by tragedy, to her days at Rada and her first career as an actress, to her experiences trying to conceive and finally adopting her son - Gyles hears the full story of Lynda's remarkable life. Lynda's memoirs, Getting Away With Murder, are out in paperback, and the audiobook is also out now - with star turns from Dawn French and Helen Mirren. Her new novel, Crucified, is also just out. Thank you to Lynda for this wonderful interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lynda La Plante - the writer, producer and creator of landmark dramas Widows and Prime Suspect - is Gyles's guest today. Lynda is the powerhouse behind some of the UK's most watched television, and she's also the powerhouse behind this episode of Rosebud - which is full of brilliant stories to make you gasp, laugh and cry. From her childhood growing up on the outskirts of Merseyside in a family tainted by tragedy, to her days at Rada and her first career as an actress, to her experiences trying to conceive and finally adopting her son - Gyles hears the full story of Lynda's remarkable life. Lynda's memoirs, Getting Away With Murder, are out in paperback, and the audiobook is also out now - with star turns from Dawn French and Helen Mirren. Her new novel, Crucified, is also just out. Thank you to Lynda for this wonderful interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bear with us this month, listeners, as we take a left turn down Duckett's Passage to talk about something a little different from our usual classic British horror. Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst, born April 1961, is an English actor who began his career as a child actor and is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which ran from 1981 to 2003.PART ONE: Tonight's first topic covers his role as the time-travelling bigamist Gary Sparrow in the British sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. Created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran and produced by the BBC, Goodnight Sweetheart ran from 1993 to 1999, broadcasting a total of six series. The sitcom follows Gary Sparrow, an accidental time traveller living a double life through a time portal that connects 1990s London with 1940s wartime London. While the show's creators, who also made Birds of a Feather and The New Statesman, wrote most of the episodes, we chose to watch series six, episode one ("Mine's a Double") and episode five ("The 'Ouses in Between") because they had at least a tenuous link to our podcast's premise. These episodes were written by Gary Lawson and John Phelps (as a writing team) and Geoff Rowley, respectively. ‘Sweetheart featured Victor McGuire as Ron Wheatcroft, Gary's best friend in every episode of the show. McGuire is best known for playing Jack Boswell in Carla Lane's Bread. Related to our areas of interest, he appeared in an episode of Chernobyl, was a bar patron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, played Police Officer No. 1 in 2005's Hellraiser: Hellworld, and portrayed Gerald Hardy in the 2012 Daniel Radcliffe version of The Woman in Black.Dervla Kirwan played Gary's wartime love interest and later wife, Phoebe, in the first three series before being replaced by Elizabeth Carling. Carling was briefly engaged to Neil Morrissey, whom she met while both were in the oft-mentioned Boon; she also appeared alongside him in an episode of the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. After ‘Sweetheart, she released an album of wartime covers, also titled Goodnight Sweetheart. Similarly, the role of Gary's modern-day wife, Yvonne, was initially played by Michelle Holmes, who rose to prominence as Sue, one of the babysitters in Rita, Sue and Bob Too. After three seasons, she was replaced by Emma Amos, who appeared in Vera Drake, Bridget Jones's Diary, and an episode of Murder Most Horrid with Dawn French (cue Jon singing the theme tune). We've mentioned "Rear of the Year" a few times on this show, so it's worth noting that Amos was (according to Wikipedia — although Ross can't verify this) voted as having "TV's Best Legs" by readers of The Economist. PART TWO:We also listened to Channel Crossing by Rosemary Timperley. This was an episode of Haunted: Stories of the Supernatural, which ran for several years on the BBC World Service in the early 1980s and has since had a second life on Radio 4 Extra (thanks to Mysterious Magpie on YouTube for sharing some of these stories so we count listen to review it today). Rosemary Timperley was an author of over sixty novels and hundreds of short stories and feature articles, best known for her classic ghost stories The Mistress in Black and Christmas Meeting. Although primarily a mainstream writer, Timperley wrote numerous short stories that explored different aspects of the supernatural. She was well known for editing five volumes in a series of ghost story anthologies. Timperley also wrote several acclaimed radio and television scripts, and her short story Harry has been adapted to film multiple times.This episode featured Nicholas Lyndhurst as Jack, Peter Sallis as Edward, Patsy Rowlands as Frances, Gregory de Polnay as Gregory, and Sonia Fraser as Annabelle. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Campaign's editorial team take to the studio clad in Christmas jumpers and novelty antlers to chat about this year's crop of festive ads. A wave of ads have dropped over the last few weeks, including the likes of John Lewis, Waitrose, McDonald's, M&S, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Tesco and Sainsbury's.In this episode, the team discusses some standout work as well as other spots that didn't quite hit the mark. Guests also debate whether John Lewis still holds the yard stick when it comes to quality Christmas ads, argue the value of revisiting old strategies and praise the power of music.Campaign's tech editor Lucy Shelley is joined by Maisie McCabe, UK editor, Alessandra Scotto di Santolo, creativity and culture editor, and Charlotte Rawlings, senior creativity reporter.Further reading:‘Wonderful nostalgia', ‘little annoyances', ‘brilliantly chosen track': creatives react to John Lewis Christmas adJohn Lewis Christmas ad depicts 'magical journey of memories' between sistersWaitrose & Partners campaign conjures up star-studded festive mysteryMcDonald's lights up festive season with ‘satisfying' Christmas campaignSainsbury's and the BFG serve up a 'phizz-whizzing' Christmas feastGingerbread-fuelled Tesco ad touches on grief during the festive periodCoca-Cola unveils ‘Holidays are coming' ad made by AIAmazon's Christmas campaign puts theatre caretaker's talent centre stageM&S Food's Sharry Cramond hails consistency as Dawn French's festive fairy returnsM&S Clothing & Home ad imagines Christmas inside a snow globeFind Waldo in Etsy's holiday campaign Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stuart Maconie presents Loose Ends from the North Cornwall Book Festival in St Endellion. He is joined by Patrick Gale, Tom Allan, Anna Keirle and Tim Smit, and there's music from the multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison.Patrick Gale is the author of the Emmy award-winning BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt and novels including A Place Called Winter, A Perfectly Good Man and Notes From An Exhibition. He's been the Artistic Director of the North Cornwall Book Festival since it began in 2012. He joins Loose Ends to tell us all about his final year in the role. Born in Scotland and armed only with an English degree, Tom Allan turned his back on his desk-based city job and headed west, where a life out in the open air beckoned. Now a full-time thatcher and writer, Tom's book On The Roof tells tales of craftmanship from around the world and he joins Stuart to talk nitches, yealms and exactly what to do with a biddle. Anna Keirle is stand-up, writer and actor who has been working the comedy circuit for over 20 years performing from Cornwall to Edinburgh and beyond. She co-wrote and starred in Radio 4's Wosson Cornwall alongside Dawn French, and faced Anne Robinson when she took on - and won - The Weakest Link. Former archaeologist-come-songwriter-come-producer-come-entrepreneur Sir Tim Smit KBE once sheltered from the Cornish rain in an estate agents while on holiday - and ended up buying a house. After relocating to Cornwall, he came across someone who needed a little archaeology expertise for some overgrown and neglected land... and the Lost Gardens of Heligan were reborn. Spotting a disused pit a little further up the road, and - one night in the local pub later - plans for the Eden Project were formed. Opening in 2001, the Project has contributed over £1.9 billion to the Cornish economy. And there's music from Angeline Morrison, who joins us to play Fair Maid In Bedlam and the haunting Unknown African Boy. Angeline has been unearthing the voices of black ancestors whose footprint has been missing from the collected British folk history. Affectionately referred to as 're-storying', the result of her work - 2022's The Sorrow Songs - drew acclaim across the board, praising her “courage in reconstructing folk repertoire” as “truly revolutionary”. Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Elizabeth Foster Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-MillerPhoto: Drew Shearwood
Alison Moyet chats to Steve Coats-Dennis about her return to the West End stage with Smaller: from working with Dawn French and being directed by Kathy Burke to writing songs from her character and performing a Robbie Williams medley!
The Filmlosophers and Intern Amy fall down the deepest of rabbit holes as they honor and revere the anniversary of the first of many stop-motion masterpieces coming out of Laika, Coraline. With its 15th anniversary being celebrated in theaters, the ghost hosts take on the task of reliving the wonder and macabre that this family-friendly film gave. Director Henry Selick offers fans of the Neil Gaiman novella a treat for the eyes as his orchestration of the stop-motion work proved to be something that will change the industry forever. So pull up a chair, take out your pens, grab your popcorn, and tune in to this week's episode of The Filmlosophers! (Quick Edit: we had some audio issues this week, so we apologize and ask that you please mind some of the gaps and echoes. Thank you!)
We're back with another Second Helpings episode! As you know - mum's chicken soup only comes out for the big guns and this week's guest was no exception. Soup was demanded and joyfully served for the brilliant Dawn French to commence an evening of intriguing and confessional conversation. A fellow foodie, Dawn told us all about what makes the Cornish pasty, her favourite eating spots in Cornwall, making ‘breakfast cake' in lockdown and her experience of boarding school dinners and butter. We talked about disastrous auditions, a shared love of Drag race and falling in love. What a delight it was! Next week's episode is with a father and daughter duo extraordinaire! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is the writer, actress and comedian Helen Lederer. Helen began as a stand-up comedian in the “comedy swamp” of the 1980s, where women were like hen's teeth and rose to fame with her sloaney girl at the bar in the BBC Comedy ‘Naked video'. Then came Saturday Night Live, The Young Ones, French and Saunders and Bottom with Rik Mayall. But she's probably best known as Catriona the dippy journalist in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous.It was after writing her first novel, Losing It, that Helen set up the Comedy Women In Print prize to put funny women's writing on the map and help ensure the next generation wouldn't have to put up with the lack of recognition she endured. (Also, she was pissed off!)Now the woman Dawn French calls “the third funniest woman in the world” has written a hilarious and frequently painful memoir about surviving that swamp, Not That I'm Bitter. She tells truths, she names names and she gives herself an absolute hiding!Helen and I got together over a Zoom cuppa to discuss life as the lone woman on the 80s comedy circuit and why being a pioneer is all very well, but she'd rather have had mainstream success! She also talked about professional jealousy, not “being in the A team”, fear of authority, why she's spent her life on a diet (remember Limmits biscuits?!) And being tougher on herself than anyone else.* You can buy all the books mentioned in this podcast at The Shift bookshop on Bookshop.org, including Not That I'm Bitter by Helen Lederer and the book that inspired this podcast, The Shift: how I lost and found myself after 40 - and you can too, by me.* If you enjoyed this episode and you fancy buying me a coffee, pop over to my page on buymeacoffee.com• And if you'd like to support the work that goes into making this podcast and get a weekly newsletter plus loads more content including exclusive transcripts of the podcast, why not join The Shift community, come and have a look around at www.theshiftwithsambaker.substack.com• The Shift (on life after 40) with Sam Baker is created and hosted by Sam Baker and edited by Juliette Nicholls @ Pineapple Audio Production. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate/review/follow as it really does help other people find us. And let me know what you think on twitter @sambaker or instagram @theothersambaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘If you don't laugh, you'll cry', as the saying goes. These heightened emotions often sit very close to each other, and there's a split second where we can decide whether to despair, or to see the funny side of a situation. Today, Fearne revisits Happy Place conversations that highlight the crossroads where people have decided to cope with shitty incidents by laughing at them, or at themselves. Amongst other guests, Adele Roberts tells the absurd story of what happened to her stoma the night before running the London Marathon, and Dawn French chats about owning the moments you were a bit of a twat. ...and for a really good laugh, there are some behind the scenes outtakes as Fearne attempted to record some calming – and unexpectedly erotic – sleepy stories for the Happy Place app... Listen to Fats Timbo's episode Listen to Adele Roberts' episode Listen to Dawn French's episode Listen to Vicky Pattison's episode Download the Happy Place app Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Perfection has taken on a life of its own in recent years. Dawn French worries that the pursuit of perfection is stopping us from being who we are, and from making mistakes we can grow from. In this chat, Fearne and Dawn explore why when we have low tolerance for others making mistakes, we're likely judging ourselves for our mistakes too. So, in order to have more self-compassion, we have to talk about the cringey times we've held inside for fear for being shamed. They also discuss the best ways to apologise when we're in the wrong, and to allow space for robust debate that might just change our minds. Plus, why it's so important to be able to say “I don't know”. Dawn's book, The Twat Files, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy de la Tour stars in a new drama by Ian Billings about the politically volatile period that saw the rise of the alternative comedy movement.Based on true events, the story follows the fate of fictionalised comedy duo, Erica and Ernie, an anarchic, free-form homage to Morecambe and Wise, who are about to make their performance debut.Comedy Club ….. Andy de la Tour Ernie ….. James McNicholas Erica ….. Emma Sidi Tommy ….. Don Gilet Ernie's mum ….. Rhiannon Neads Ronnie Williams ….. Samuel James Chicken Shop Owner ….. Tyler Cameron Mr Melter ….. Zachary Lowe-McAlley Anthony ….. Josh Bryant-Jones Marxist Juggler ….. Ian Billings Welsh Gwen ….. Carys Eleri TV Presenter ….. Rosie MellettPiano and trumpet played by Peter RingroseDirected by Gemma JenkinsAndy de la Tour, one of the original performers at The Comedy Store, acts as a guide through this chaotic world.Deftly blended into the drama are the archived voices of: Eddie Izzard, Arthur Smith, Ben Elton, Ade Edmundson, Arnold Brown, Alexei Sayle, Harry Enfield, Helen Lederer, Cliff Shaw, Tony Allen, Pauline Melville, Jenny Éclair, John Dowie, Jo Brand, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Nigel Planer and Rik Mayall.This drama was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Yuletide greetings to all! We're back in national tredge territory for our first Christmas special of the year, as we welcome Dawn French to the Dream Restaurant.Dawn French's new book ‘The Twat Files' is out now, published by Penguin. Buy it here. Follow Dawn on Instagram @dawnrfrench and Twitter @Dawn_French Recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive.Artwork by Paul Gilbey (photography and design) and Amy Browne (illustrations).Follow Off Menu on Twitter and Instagram: @offmenuofficial.And go to our website www.offmenupodcast.co.uk for a list of restaurants recommended on the show.Watch Ed and James's YouTube series 'Just Puddings'. Watch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
CW: suicide; infertilityI know, I know, we don't normally release episodes on a Friday but when you're offered DAWN FRENCH, you release an episode on whatever blimmin' day of the week you can (and preferably all seven of them).I am so delighted to welcome the actor, comedian and bestselling author Dawn French to the podcast. She joins me to talk about being - in her words - 'a bit of a twat', anti-perfectionism, why so many comedians come from military families, how friendship doesn't mean you don't feel jealous and, of course, her lifelong professional and platonic partnership with Jennifer Sauders.We also talk about the death of her father by suicide and what this taught Dawn about grief and survival. And she opens up movingly about years of infertility followed by the decision to adopt her daughter, Billie.An amazing conversation with an amazing person. Thank you so much, Dawn.--The Twat Files by Dawn French is out now and available to buy here.Dawn French Is A Huge Twat (the live show) is touring the UK through the rest of the year. Book your tickets here.--I'm going on tour! To AUSTRALIA, mate! You can now purchase tickets to see me live at Sydney Opera House on 26th February 2024 or the Arts Centre Melbourne on 28th February 2024.--How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com--Social Media:Elizabeth Day @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodDawn French @dawnrfrench