Pottering with Tom Allen

Sara Cox 28.05.2026 1j 4min

The superb Sara Cox joins me this week for another day of sun in the garden! ☀️🌻Presenter, author and radio extraordinaire, Sara is such a joyful and calming presence, and we had a glorious time chatting about everything from the Radio 1 fax machine to the backside of a bird, and, the sometimes rather arousing, writing process. 👀Sara’s new book The Truth of Us is available to preorder now, and we'll soon all be waking up to a nice cup of tea, perhaps an omelette, and the Sara Cox Radio 2 Breakfast Show! What a treat! ☕🍳🌷 So, skip the marathon training for today, pop the kettle on, and let’s go Pottering. 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura Checkley 21.05.2026 1j

This week we welcomed the wonderful Laura Checkley in to the garden! A glorious actor and brilliantly funny, you’ll know Laura from King Gary, Action Team, Screw, Detectorists and, well, so many things besides! 🎬 🪴 We chat firing guns in Bulgaria, neighbourhood Facebook groups and what growing up gay did to our wardrobes. My bathroom birdsong also gets another mention, what a successful purchase that has turned out to be! 🐦‍⬛ So, stick on that little beanie hat, grab yourself some chicken wings and let’s go Pottering. 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🌷 Please do like and subscribe as they say! 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code tomallen at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/tomallen⛵ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alan Carr 14.05.2026 52min

Oh, what a joy it was to welcome my dear friend Alan Carr into the garden for a spot of Pottering! 🌻 Comedian, presenter and turret-loving TV sensation, Alan is always a delight! You’ll know him from the brilliant Changing Ends on ITV, his Mediterranean makeovers with Amanda Holden on BBC One, BAFTA-award winning The Traitors, and of course so much more besides. We shoot the breeze (or should that be the trout?) about Alan’s brand new castle, our favourite National Trust spots, and being shamed by national treasure Dame Mary Berry. Much to enjoy! 🏰🍷🦜🍾 So pop open the bubbles, grab those birdwatching binoculars, and perhaps change out of that Poirot outfit, just in case, as you come Pottering with us.🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, perhaps leave us a review, it's very much appreciated, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cariad Lloyd 07.05.2026 58min

Joining me this week in our little Pottering oasis is the delightful Cariad Lloyd! Comedian, author and podcast sensation, Cariad is co-host of the brilliant Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club with Sara Pascoe, and part of the all-star improv show Austentatious, which is in the West End and on tour throughout 2026, so do check that out! 🌷🎭We chat nineties nostalgia, the wonderful world of improv, yes and hear all about Cariad’s amazing children’s book Where Did She Go? Both proud members of the Dead Dad Club, Cariad has such a wonderfully honest way of chatting about death and grief. If the conversation intrigues you, please do seek out her books, and take a listen to Griefcast, (once you’re all up to date and subscribed to Pottering, of course!) 😉💕🌹 Now, put a bookmark in that copy of Sense and Sensibility, dust off your old DMs, and let’s go Pottering.🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carol Klein 30.04.2026 40min

Oh what a treat it was to chat with true gardening icon Carol Klein! Presenter, author and gardener extraordinaire, Carol is so gloriously entertaining and a true horticultural hero of mine and so many others. It was an absolute pleasure to chat with her, even if the spring sunshine soon swapped out for sleet! ☂️❄️🌸 We discuss the promiscuity of the primrose, the dangers of the Chelsea Flower Show bar and even, briefly, bathing with John Lennon. 🍷🍇If you’ve enjoyed the conversation, I’d highly suggest seeking out Carol’s books, in particular her perfectly named Hortobiography and, brilliant news, the new series of Greatest Gardens with Diarmuid Gavin and Carol Klein is available on BBC iPlayer right now, please do take a look!Now, pour yourself a glass of crisp rosé, pop open those umbrellas and come pottering with us. Quick! Before the sap rises!🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ashley James 23.04.2026 48min

Joining me this week in the garden is the delightful Ashley James! Broadcaster, campaigner and Sunday Times Bestselling author, Ashley's debut book Bimbo is out right now! 🌸 We chat about turning our hands to gardening, sometimes at the expense of Dad’s daffodils, the surprisingly fascinating origins of the ‘Crazy Cat Lady’, and the highs and lows of being a woman online. 🐈 🌻 So, switch off This Morning, grab a little sachet of wildflowers, and come pottering with me. 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonny Hincks 16.04.2026 52min

This week joining me for some Pottering is Horticultural Hercules, social media sensation and author of Garden Yourself Happy, Jonny Hincks! 🪴 It was a real delight to have a true green-fingered great in the garden, and we had a lovely chat about the intoxicating smells of nature, the power of planting for our health and wellbeing, and Jonny’s lessons for lawns: don’t go too short! ✂️ It's rather a different story when it comes to fashion. So, lucky YouTube and Spotify viewers, please do enjoy a closer look at our legs. 👀 Oh, the joys of a visualised podcast! Now, stick on those Daisy Dukes, grab your trusty trowel, and let’s go Pottering... 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Hadland 09.04.2026 1j 1min

Oh what joy to have the marvellous Sarah Hadland joining me in the garden this week. 💃🏼🪩 Strictly sensation, such fun sitcom star and a truly fabulous actress, soon to be lighting up the London stage in The Truth.🦊 We chat fox poo, the perils of Slip 'n' Slide and, of course, getting pissed with Alan Titchmarsh. And stay tuned to hear all about a rather alarming encounter with a bull in East Croydon!So, get a sink at the ready (just in case), don those Strictly sequins, and do please join me for some Pottering.🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And please do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lou Beckett 02.04.2026 52min

Umbrellas at the ready, dear listeners, as the brilliant Lou Beckett joins me in the garden on a rather dreary spring morning. ☔But fear not, spirits remain undampened. We chat reality television, the delightful side of social media, and, with plenty of thoughts on motherhood along the way, discuss Lou’s wonderful new book, Lessons from a Default Parent. Out right now! 👈So, pause Real Housewives, don't you dare forget your waterproofs, and come pottering with us... This way, mind the urn.🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.And do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Amir Khan 26.03.2026 50min

Oh hello, and welcome back to the garden, lovely listeners. 🌱 Spring has sprung, the daffodils are doing their thing, and the doctor is in! Yes, joining me this week is the ever-delightful Dr Amir Khan. 🩺 We had a lovely chat about grief and gardening, his work with the RSPB, and what it’s like being the nation’s favourite GP. Plus, listen in to discover why a rather unfortunate rash brought Amir’s garden centre visit to an abrupt end... 👀 Now, put down that cheeky little rascal, apply your ointments, and come pottering with us... It’s very good to be back. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code tomallen at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/tomallen⛵ 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And do like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Clippings: Part 3 19.03.2026 1j 13min

Whilst Pottering is taking a little break, we’re bringing you some of my favourite moments from the first series, some Clippings if you will. 🌱 Join us this week to hear from Jo Brand, Gareth Howells, Phil Dunning, Fay Ripley, Angela Scanlon, Amy Annette and Giovanna Fletcher. Expect chats about ghosts and gravy, Edinburgh Fringe adventures and fancy dress, hun culture and hypnosis. Yes, Pottering really does have something for everyone! So, turn that slug light up to maximum, grab a bowl of those delicious homegrown tomatoes, and join me once more for some Pottering. 🍅🍅🍅 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Clippings: Part 2 12.03.2026 1j 13min

Whilst Pottering is taking a little break, we’re bringing you some of my favourite moments from the first series, some Clippings if you will. 🌱Join us this week to hear from James Acaster, Kerry Godliman, Nish Kumar, Jess Wright, Amy Gledhill, Harry Hadden Paton, Charlie Baker and Sam Battersea. A truly glorious collection of guests. Expect National Trust nostalgia, Catio chat, and plenty more besides.So, dust off that trowel, set aside those very important diaries, and join me once again for some Pottering. 🪴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Clippings: Part 1 05.03.2026 1j 9min

Whilst Pottering is taking a little break, we’re bringing you some of my favourite moments from the first series, The Clippings if you will. 🌱Join us this week to hear from Rob Beckett, Suzi Ruffell, James Gill, Gabby Best, Phil Wang, Lee Peart and Natalie Cassidy. A truly glorious gathering for the garden. We cover everything from Christmas chaos to cocktail creation, with a few horticultural musings along the way, naturally.So, pop on those wellies, pour yourself a Martini, and join me once more for some Pottering. 🌿🍸 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Message From Tom 26.02.2026 2min

Hello lovely listeners. Pottering with me, Tom Allen, is taking a short intermission. Yes, I’m stepping away from the garden for a few weeks, swapping my much loved Crocs for something altogether more seaworthy as I step aboard the West End stage in Titanique! But fear not. We shall return, and when we do there are plenty more delightful guests lined up, which I am very much looking forward to. With any luck we may even be greeted by a little Spring sunshine. Now, wouldn’t that be nice? In the meantime, do pop back next week for some of my favourite moments from the podcast so far, some Clippings if you will. And you can always head over to my YouTube for a nosey at my giant urn and to watch our wonderful guests in full. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie Baker and Sam Battersea 19.02.2026 59min

What a treat it was to welcome the glorious Sam Battersea and Charlie Baker into the garden for this week’s episode. An entertainment power couple and long time friends of mine, we share our gardening secrets, chat the world of TV acting, and get a glimpse into Charlie's superb showbiz knowledge, covering everything from Pat St Clement to Lionel Bart! Arriving laden with gifts for the garden, Sam’s acting career has taken her from the corridors of The Mill Health Centre (Doctors) to the grand ballrooms of the ton (Bridgerton). She can currently be seen in the BBC sitcom Can You Keep a Secret?, so please do take a look! Charlie will be familiar to many from TalkSport and Virgin Radio, his roles in EastEnders and Doctor Who, or his excellent stand up comedy, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement on that very soon! Now, please do dust off that shovel, pop on your top hat and tails, and join us in the garden for a spot of Pottering. Did you know you can also watch the podcast on Youtube? Just search for @tomallen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gareth Howells 12.02.2026 59min

This week, founder of Hunsnet and meme extraordinaire Gareth Howells joins me in the garden for a delightfully fun, and occasionally naughty, chat I am very much looking forward to taking Benidorm by storm with our Pitbull / Steve McFadden tribute act. Watch this space. Warning. There is some choice language in this episode, so perhaps best saved for the greenhouse, away from younger listeners. We chat nightlife nostalgia, the Bromley gay scene (my mum’s friends), and the rights and wrongs of the jukebox musical. I also ask Gareth about his gardening obsessions and we explore the garden accessories of a Hun. Clue, it may involve a Lazy Spa. So slip into your Anne Summers bodice, pop on a felt cowboy hat, and let’s go Pottering with Tom Allen. Did you know you can also watch the podcast on Youtube? Just search for @tomallen. And please do like and subscribe (is that what I'm meant to say?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy Gledhill 05.02.2026 58min

Joining me this week among the perennials is the fabulous Amy Gledhill! An Edinburgh Award winning stand up, actor and writer, Amy recently appeared in Netflix hit Run Away, and is very soon to be the star of Last One Laughing UK and Taskmaster! Yes, she is very busy, which makes me even more grateful she popped by for a chat. Melancholically meandering from Dungeness to dungeons, we chat the terror associated with Aled Jones, the infectious nature of the rumba, and fancy funeral plans! So pause that episode of The Demon Headmaster, reach for the boot polish, and join me for another episode of Pottering. Did you know you can also watch the podcast on Youtube? Just search for @tomallen. And please do like and subscribe (is that what I'm meant to say?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Giovanna Fletcher 29.01.2026 1j 1min

Oh it was truly a delight to have the wonderful Giovanna Fletcher join me in the garden. Actress, author, podcaster and gardening enthusiast, Giovanna is an absolute joy and it was a real pleasure chatting about mulch, motherhood, and most things in between. We discuss the correct way to deal with slugs, late night compost purchases, and the anomaly of audiobook accents. Once again the gazebo made an appearance, but spirits most definitely were not dampened. Please do seek out Giovanna’s brilliant books, her podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby, and the incredible work she does as a patron of CoppaFeel! Did you know you can also watch the podcast on Youtube? Just search for @tomallen. So pick up your umbrella, get your hands on a bowl of cucamelons, and come Pottering with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil Dunning 22.01.2026 48min

The brilliantly talented and very funny Phil Dunning joins me this week for a drink and a chat in the rain. A wonderful friend, superb stand up, and creator and star of BBC hit sitcom Smoggie Queens (series 2 on the way very soon), Phil is a complete delight. It was an absolute joy chatting with him, as always, even if we were both slowly soaking through. Listen in as Phil gives us the recipe for the iconic Chicken Parmo, reveals all about working in London's glittering West End, and yes, we do eventually touch on gardening. Phil also very kindly helped me plant some bulbs, although it was dark and raining, so we await the results on those, watch this space! Now, don your head torches, grab a handful of posh crisps, and join us for another episode of Pottering. Did you know you can also watch the podcast on Youtube? Just search for @tomallen. And please do like and subscribe (is that what I'm meant to say?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gill 15.01.2026 44min

Another week, another fabulous guest to get us through these winter months! ☃️ This time it was the turn of the ever-so delightful James Gill to join me in the garden. Superb comic, podcast host and founder of the unbelievably brilliant Always Be Comedy, as I say in the episode, they're truly the best comedy nights in London so do check them out! Our conversation takes us down memory lane, via Hollywood and Penge, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I hope you will too. Filmed a little while ago, James kindly helped me with my wisteria whippy bits, we chat surprise Santas, mowing 'me-time' and of course indulge in some baldness banter. Don't forget, you can also watch the podcast on Youtube - just search for @tomallen. So grab your toupee, wrap up warm and come Pottering with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices