Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Epizodes

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  More Rosebud - Larry Lamb, a Life Story in Poetry 15.09.2026 1h 12min

  Larry Lamb joins Gyles for a really unique episode of Rosebud. For the past few years, Larry has been telling the story of his life in poetry, and that's what you'll hear in this edition, interwoven with a Rosebud conversation about his early memories and upbringing. Larry's poetry is original, powerful and has a rhythmic punch which takes you right into the turbulence of his childhood: he was born into a loveless marriage and spent years watching his parents argue, and when he was only nine years old his mother left the family home never to return. This trauma left a lasting mark on Larry, and through poetry he has begun to make sense of the legacy of his past. This is a fabulous episode which we hope will move and inspire you. It was recorded at the Fleet Festival of Words earlier this year. Larry is appearing at the Queen's Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth this weekend. Our thanks and admiration to Larry Lamb for this tour de force. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Al Murray 11.09.2026 1h 10min

  Our guest today is Al Murray, aka the Pub Landlord and the host of We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a podcast all about the Second World War which is one of the UK's most successful history podcasts. In this conversation, Al talks to Gyles about his family history, which is steeped in war stories and tales of derring do, espionage and also some tragedy. He is also descended from the great Victorian writer, William Makepeace Thackeray, satirist and author of Vanity Fair. From this rich history emerges young Al, who tells Gyles about his unhappiness at prep school, his love of drama, and his hatred of games. He talks about going to university, and starting out as a comic on the scene in 90s London.The We Have Ways Festival takes places this weekend, in Buckinghamshire. Tickets available here. The Pub Landlord is on tour, tickets available here.Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube here. Join The Rosebud Family here. And visit our website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Gyles's Diary episode 49 08.09.2026 1h

  The year is 1979. Yes, it's another fun episode of Gyles's diaries, including a truly brilllant listener email from Darran Lingley, discussion of Winston Churchill's love of languishing at the dinner table, tales of Gyles and Michele's new boxing sessions and speculation about squirrel blood transfusions. Enjoy this.If you'd like to join the Rosebud Family, for more episodes and a wonderful community of Rosebud-loving listeners, go to www. patreon.com/rosebud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Patricia Hodge 04.09.2026 1h 13min

  We have a really wonderful Rosebud for you today, with the great actress, Patricia Hodge. In this conversation, Patricia talks to Gyles about her childhood, spent in the biggest hotel in Grimsby, observing the comings and goings of the guests, the local dockers and fishermen, and the occasional glimpses of glamour and celebrity that passed through the town. She talks about the bold and inventive move which led to her being noticed as a performer at school, and got her started in school plays. She talks about training as an actor at LAMDA, about what she looks for in a co-star, and about her love of Julie Andrews. She talks about friendship, and her long marriage. Patricia is one of the best, most talented, and most stylish actors working in Britain today and we think you'll agree that this conversation encapsulates some of her real class, intelligence and wisdom. Our huge thanks to Patricia Hodge for her company, energy and time. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud 3rd birthday "treat repeat" special - Terry Pendry, Queen Elizabeth II's groom 01.09.2026 1h 10min

  1 September 2026 is Rosebud's THIRD birthday! And to celebrate, we are giving you the chance to listen again to one of our best ever episodes: with the late Queen Elizabeth II's groom, Terry Pendry. Terry worked with Queen Elizabeth II for over 28 years, as her Stud Groom and Manager at Windsor Castle. Terry's relationship with the Queen was unique, because he rode with her every morning when she was at Windsor. This is when the Queen was able to relax, and talk about her passions - for horses, dogs, animals and the countryside. And so, this interview with Terry - which we recorded in the Royal Mews at Windsor - gives an unusual level of insight into what it was like to spend time with the Queen, and tells us all about her love and knowledge of horses. And we meet her favourite pony, Emma, who she rode for the last few years of her life. Our thanks to Terry for this wonderful conversation, for introducing us to Noble and Emma, and to Sue Pendry for her hospitality and cake.We won't need to remind you that we're also coming up to the fourth anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, on 8th September 2026. Which gives us another very fitting reason to replay this episode today.Thank you so much to all of you - our listeners. Whether you've been here since the start, or have only discovered us recently - we love having you here. We couldn't do this without you. So happy birthday to Rosebud, happy birthday to us, and happy birthday to all of you. Sit down with a slice of cake, a cup of tea, or maybe just snuggle up under the duvet and enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Geoffrey Rush 28.08.2026 1h 8min

  Geoffrey Rush: the only Australian actor to win a Tony, a Primetime Emmy and an Oscar, is our Rosebud guest today. Geoffrey tells Gyles about his childhood growing up in Toowoomba, Queensland, the son of a broken marriage, brought up by his mum and grandparents. He talks about his early memories of rural Australia - of gardens, flower festivals and fireworks - and then he tells Gyles about moving to Brisbane, and discovering his talent for performance. He talks about his work with the Queensland Theatre Company, about meeting his wife, Jane, about Shakespeare and training with Lecoq in Paris. He then tells Gyles about his big break in the Oscar-winning Shine, about winning the Oscar, and about Shakespeare in Love. He discusses his case against the Sydney Daily Telegraph, from whom he won damages in 2020.Our heartfelt thanks to Geoffrey Rush for this fascinating conversation.Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube here. Join The Rosebud Family here. And visit our website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Gyles's Diary episode 48 25.08.2026 47min

  It's another cracking episode of Gyles's diaries for you today, and Gyles is reading choice extracts from the year 1979. In which he: lets go of the family's live-in nanny and puts their pony, Tonka, out to grass; is mortified by a critical article in the Daily Mirror; and finally takes his driving test.Enjoy this, diary-lovers!Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube here. Join The Rosebud Family here. And visit our website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Nicola Benedetti 21.08.2026 1h 13min

  Our guest today is the Director of one of the world's major arts festivals: The Edinburgh International Festival. She is also a world-class virtuoso violinist. It's Nicola Benedetti. In this conversation, Nicola talks to Gyles about her remarkable parents, who migrated from Italy to Scotland and through hard work and willpower created a new life and two highly talented daughters. She talks about learning to play at the Yehudi Menhuin school, and about playing at Menhuin's funeral. She talks about practice and posture. She talks about winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and about meeting and marrying her husband, the American trumpeter and composter Wynton Marsalis. This is a fascinating and inspirational conversation. Our heartfelt thanks to Nicola Benedetti for her time and brilliance. The Edinburgh International Festival is on until the end of August 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Dreams - a Rosebud Family "Down Memory Lane" exclusive! 18.08.2026 1h 14min

  If you're a regular Rosebud listener, you'll know that we have a private members' club, called The Rosebud Family. The Rosebud Family gives anyone who loves Rosebud a range of benefits: ad-free listening to all the main Rosebud episodes, and a different, brilliant bonus episode every Sunday. We'd love you to join - it's a chance for you to enjoy even more Rosebud, and to hear some really hilarious and unguarded Gyles and Harriet chat every week. It costs £4.99 per month plus VAT to join the Rosebud Family - and we hope today's episode will showcase some of the brilliant things you'd get if you joined!And that's because, today on More Rosebud, we're giving regular listeners chance to hear the most recent special episode we released to the Rosebud Family last Sunday... The episode you're going to hear today is part of our monthly "Down Memory Lane" strand, in which we chat about a different subject each week and discuss how it has manifested itself in our pasts. The episode we're giving you today is all about dreams and nightmares, and it's a lot of fun: it takes in Gyles's most recent anxiety dreams, Harriet's erstwhile obsession with Jeremy Vine, and a romantic dream she once had about the ex-Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo.If you'd like to join the Rosebud family, you can do so by visiting www.patreon.com/rosebud, or clicking here.Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Rosebud - Special Episode brought to you in association with the Royal Horticultural Society from RHS Wisley 17.08.2026 29min

  We have a treat for you today: an exclusive one-off edition of Rosebud recorded at RHS Wisley, brought to you in association with the Royal Horticultural Society, and starring special guests RHS Ambassadors Dame Mary Berry and James Wong. In this episode, Gyles, Mary and James enjoy walking round the beautiful gardens at Wisley, and discuss the joys and benefits of getting out into gardens of all shapes and sizes. You'll find out about Dame Mary's first memory of gardening, about her love of roses, and about her long relationship with Wisley. You'll find out about James Wong's tips for making your garden more nature-friendly, and about his current pet project: growing a giant waterlily. But most of all we hope this episode will inspire you to get out into your own outside space, and - better still - to visit on the RHS's five flagship gardens somewhere in the UK.Thank you to Dame Mary Berry and James Wong for sharing what gardening and visiting gardens means to them, and of course the important role they can play in bringing people together and creating a sense of community. The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity helping people and plants to grow, so go visit your nearest garden today: there are five to choose from, RHS Wisley, RHS Hyde Hall, RHS Rosemoor, RHS Harlow Carr and RHS Bridgewater. You can visit the RHS website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Dame Maggie Aderin 14.08.2026 1h 8min

  Our guest today is the scientist, broadcaster and presenter of The Sky At Night, Dame Maggie Aderin. In this moving conversation, Dame Maggie tells Gyles about her childhood - and her parents' long custody battle, which often led to upheaval for Maggie and her sisters. She talks about her early interest in space, and joining a telescope-making club as a teenager. She talks about thinking big and not taking no for an answer. She talks about "Maggie-isms" and being unusual.This is a fabulous edition of Rosebud with one of our foremost science communicators and educators. Dame Maggie's book, Starchild, My LIfe Under the NIght Sky, is out now and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 47 11.08.2026 48min

  It's another action-packed episode of Gyles's 1978 diaries, including: fun chat from G & H about seagulls and sumo wrestlers; Gyles taking a trip to NYC to publicise his joke book; the death of Pope John Paul I; a holiday to Barbados; a disastrous after-dinner speech and perjury. Yes, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Plus an Edinburgh update, and a shout-out to some of the brilliant listeners we've met at the first couple of shows. Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported us in our show this year - either by coming along, emailing, wishing us luck or by following our journey on the podcast. We really appreciate your encouragement! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Martin Clunes 07.08.2026 1h 5min

  This is a treat: our guest today is the much-loved actor and star of Doc Martin, Martin Clunes. In this gorgeous conversation, Gyles and Martin discuss Martin's childhood - and Gyles's admiration for Martin's actor father, Alec Clunes, who died when Martin was only 8 years old. They talk about Martin's unhappy time at boarding school in the years after his father's death. They talk about a visit to a psychic, and about the importance of animals in Martin's life. And finally, Gyles and Martin talk about Martin's latest book, his life on his westcountry farm, and burials for dogs. Martin's book Training John and Murray, about training two terriers, is out now and available here. Our heartfelt thanks to Martin Clunes for this fascinating conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 46 04.08.2026 48min

  It's Tuesday, so we have another delicious slice of Gyles's diaries for you. It's 1979, and his son Benet is learning to ride his pony, Tonka; Gyles is learning to drive at the ripe old age of 30, and Michele is giving birth to their third child: Aphra. Plus some fun Gyles and Harriet chat, a brilliant email from Gemma O'Connor about nerves and stage fright, and the usual brilliant observations about British life at the end of the 20th century from Gyles's diary. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Angela Scanlon 31.07.2026 1h 10min

  Angela Scanlon joins Gyles for an open and honest conversation full of wit, wisdom and insight. Angela talks to Gyles about her childhood in Ireland as one of four girls. She remembers early attempts at individualism - styling her First Communion outfit when she was only seven. She talks about inner conflict: being both a sensitive child, and someone who had the "craic" - and how the feeling of never being quite ready led her to developing an eating disorder as a teenager. She talks about love, travel and finding inner peace. Angela's hilarious podcast "Get a Grip" is well worth a listen. Our thanks to Angela for her warmth, fun and zest - which, as you know, is a favourite quality of ours at Rosebud Towers! Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Tchaikovsky 28.07.2026 1h 11min

  This week we're delighted to be bringing you another ground-breaking conversation between Gyles and one of the world's great composers: on this occasion, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this episode, Gyles will find out about Tchaikovsky's first memory, the fragile and sensitive nature which gave him the nickname "child of glass", his early love of music, and his struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality. We find out about Tchaikovsky's musical education, his worldwide fame, and his tragic demise.  In this conversation, Tchaikovsky is brought to life by the writer and performer, Tama Matheson. What you are going to hear is a classic Rosebud interview, answered by Tama as if he were Tchaikovsky himself. Tama is a brilliiant writer/performer who has written and conceived a series of shows based on the lives of great artists - composers and poets - in which he brings these geniuses to life through performance, music, and meticulous research. Tama's show about the life of Tchaikovsky, Child of Glass, is at Opera Holland Park in London on the 13, 14 and 15 August. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Dame Elaine Paige 24.07.2026 1h 14min

  We're thrilled to announce that our guest today is Dame Elaine Paige! So many of you have told us you'd love hear Elaine's Rosebud, and this conversation will not disappoint. In it, Elaine tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up in a maisonette on Barnet High Street with loving, talented parents who always gave her the right advice. She talks about her schooldays, and how she went to school for the social life... and she talks about being sent to theatre school and modelling gym slips and swimming costumes for M&S as a teenager. Dame Elaine tells Gyles about being in the film Oliver!, about getting naked in Hair and about being auditioned for Evita. She talks about Edith Piaf and the breakdown she had and how her mother and father helped her to recover. This is a wonderful edition of Rosebud, our thanks to Elaine Paige for her time, energy and infectious laughter. Elaine's album, "Miscellaneous Paige", is out now, and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Jodie Harsh 21.07.2026 1h 6min

  Our guest today is the DJ, music producer and drag artiste Jay Clarke AKA Jodie Harsh. In this conversation, Jay/Jodie talks to Gyles about their childhood in Canterbury, growing up as a young gay man in a close-knit family with a father who struggled to accept his son's sexuality. Gyles hears about escaping from the family home down the bathroom drainpipe and going up to London, secretly, to go underage clubbing at the Astoria. And thus Jay/Jodie burst onto London's gay scene - and the rest is history. Jodie Harsh was born, went on to become one of London's best known drag artistes, friends with stars such as Amy Winehouse and Kylie, and DJ for celebrity parties and Madonna. Perhaps not what you'd usually expect from Rosebud - this is a fascinating story of excess, club culture and the search for identity. It does contain mention of drink and drugs and some sexual references. Jodie's book, You Had To Be There is out now and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Sir Geoff Hurst 17.07.2026 1h 6min

  We can't bring you an England World Cup Final in 2026 - much to our regret - but we CAN bring you a trip down memory lane with the greatest goal-scorer of our victory 60 years ago in 1966: because our guest today is Sir Geoff Hurst. In this conversation, Sir Geoff tells Gyles about his childhood, when football and cricket competed for his affections, and his footballing father encouraged his love of the game. He talks about his apprenticeship at West Ham under Ron Greenwood, who spotted his attacking ability and encouraged him to play as a centre-forward. He talks about meeting and playing alongside Bobby Moore as a teenager, and looking up to the natural leadership of the future England captain. He talks about being selected to play for England - by letter - and the culture in the team. He talks about meeting and marrying his wife, and the loss of their daughter, Claire, who died of a brain tumour at only 45.This is an unusually revealing conversation with one of the greats of the game and a fascinating reflection on the changing nature of football over the past 60 years.Sir Geoff Hurst is touring the UK with his "Last Man Standing" theatre show this autumn. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  More Rosebud - Gyles's Diary episode 45 14.07.2026 58min

  Gyles Brandreth's unique record of the late twentieth century continues, as he reads from the diaries he's kept since he was 10 years old. We're now reading from 1977 and 78. Gyles is forced to take the outrageous and unprecedented step of taking a day off a week, by his wife, Michele. He invents the Collins Academic Year Diary. He wears a novelty jumper for the first time ever. And he ponders the death of Elvis Presley. Plus chat with Gyles and Harriet about great British landmarks, dates, and being liked.Send us a postcard from your holidays! Address is to: Rosebud, JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.