Hellish

Episodes

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  Joel Morris, comedy writer (& paranormal investigator... or is he???) 26.10.2026 1h 27m

  Comedy writer and Broken Veil investigator JOEL MORRIS chooses the five tracks he will meet in Hell!It's Halloween, so Joel told us all about his folk horror podcast Broken Veil, which led to a conversation about paywalls, and how everything started going wrong for the arts when everything became free. (Support Hellish on Patreon here, and support Broken Veil on Patreon here.) We also discussed harmony singing; hippies; being proud and embarrassed at the same time; and how Joel inadvertently helped Daniel pay for his wedding.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Lulu Allison, writer & maker 18.10.2026 57m

  Writer & maker LULU ALLISON chooses the five tracks she will meet in Hell!Lulu tells us about her latest novel, Beast, which takes the Faust myth and applies it to a modern day female rock musician, making it perfect for Hellish!We also discussed Lulu's time in Germany, secular hymns, mental health, chocolate advertising, and ballast.You can get hold of Beast by Lulu Allison direct from the publisher, Bluemoose Books, if you want to help out an indie publisher. Just go here. (It is of course available everywhere else too.)FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Caroline Sullivan, music journalist 11.10.2026 1h 8m

  Music journalist CAROLINE SULLIVAN chooses the five tracks she will meet in Hell!Caroline is an incredibly well respected and experienced music journalist, and as well as writing for publications like The Guardian and Melody Maker has also brought her skills to bear on biographies of some of the biggest pop stars in the world, including Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, and now Harry Styles. We talked about losing out on a number one, writing the obituary of your favourite pop star, what Taylor Swift wanted to be when she was little, and the greatest named drummer of all time.We had a horrible tech issue with this episode, which meant we had to record on Microsoft Teams. Naturally, that did not make for great audio. We've done our absolute best to fix it, hopefully you can forgive us if it's not quite up to the usual standard. (Daniel had mic/computer issues!)Caroline's new book, Harry Styles: The Stories Behind the Songs came out last week, so you can buy it now. That, and her other books, are available from the Hellish bookshop.Read the obituary Caroline wrote for Vicki Wickham here, and Les McKeown here.The Michael Ian Black piece Daniel mentions is here, and the John Moe piece he reads from is here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Hannah McElroy (The Sewing Club), musician 04.10.2026 54m

  Musician HANNAH McELROY of The Sewing Club picks the five tracks she will meet in Hell!Hannah tells us about the origins of The Sewing Club, and how they came to make their first album, Sew, which came out on October 2nd. She also tells us about growing up in China as the daughter of missionaries; the passive aggressive boyfriend who posted songs on Instagram instead of actually talking to her; and we chat about whether or not the Strokes owe us anything.The Sewing Club's awesome debut album, Sew, is out now. Get it from Bandcamp. (You can get it from lots of other places as well.)The Sewing Club are touring the UK and Europe.Oct 15 The Shacklewell Arms LONDONOct 17 The Lanes BRISTOLOct 18 Yes MANCHESTER (Daniel will be at this show fyi)Oct 19 Nice n' Sleazy GLASGOWOct 20 Headrow House LEEDSOct 21 The Hope & Ruin BRIGHTONOct 22 Left of the Dial Festival Rotterdam, NetherlandsOct 27-29 Supersonic Paris, FranceOct 29 Mezz Breda, NetherlandsFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Nick Abadzis, comics creator & Angela Watson, therapist 27.09.2026 1h 15m

  Double trouble this week as NICK ABADZIS and ANGELA WATSON give us the NINE tracks they will meet in Hell!Comics creator Nick and therapist Angela have just released My Beloved Other: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Optimism in a Time of Denial, an incredible comic book about their thirty+ year relationship. They tell us all about the process of creating the book, what it is like collaborating with your partner on a creative project, and they reveal two particularly horrible past jobs...Get My Beloved Other here.Hear Ray Heffernan's episodes of Hellish: Part One is here and Part Two is here.Watch Bowie and Jagger without music here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Bonus Mini Episode: Ari & Ad Fix Your Life 23.09.2026 5m

  Hello!Today we're putting out a five minute mini-episode, culled from the cutting room floor of our episode with Ariane Sherine Juniper.Ariane was our guest on episode 78, which you can listen to here. During our chat, we talked about her new podcast, Ari & Ad Fix Your Life, and a bit about podcasting in general. The original idea was that Ariane's episode would go out at the same time that Ari & Ad Fix Your Life debuted, but for boring logistical reasons that wasn't possible and so we cut the chat from the original episode. But Ari & Ad Fix Your Life is out now, wherever you get your podcasts, so here's a bonus five minutes of Alex, Ariane, and Daniel chatting.Enjoy!Hellish with Ariane Sherine Juniper is here.Hellish with Adam Juniper is here.Ari & Ad Fix Your Life is here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Adam Juniper, tech journalist 20.09.2026 1h 11m

  Tech journalist (and now podcaster) ADAM JUNIPER chooses the five tracks he will meet in Hell.Adam becomes our first guest to be reunited with his wife in Hell: he's married to episode 78's damned soul, Ariane Sherine Juniper! (Listen to Ariane's episode here if you haven't already.) Adam and Ariane have teamed up for a brand new podcast, Ari and Ad Fix Your Life, in which they field listener queries and try to fix their lives. Episode one came out mere days before this episode drops, so you can grab it NOW. (Or actually, after you've listened to this episode.)Adam is also the editor of Digital Camera World, and so we talk about tech reviews, creepy drone blokes, and the glory days of Future Publishing's video game magazines. (Shout out to Super Play)Listen to Ari and Ad Fix Your Life hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Tom Turner (The Failing Writers Podcast), podcaster & voice artiste 13.09.2026 1h 8m

  This week TOM TURNER of the Failing Writers Podcast gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell!Tom tells us all about his multi-award winning Failing Writers Podcast, in which two struggling writers – Tom and co-host Jon Rand – learn everything there is to know about writing. They talk to best-selling authors, screenwriters and poets in order to help their listeners achieve their writing goals. Tom also tells us about his day job as a voiceover artist (artiste), which has seen him lend his voice to a number of high profile brands; AND we get into politics, gravelly voices, and musical onanism.The Failing Writers Podcast is available here.Learn more about Tom's voiceover work here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Liam Higginson, writer 06.09.2026 1h 13m

  Writer LIAM HIGGINSON gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell!We talk about Liam's debut novel, the excellent rural Welsh folk-horror The Hill in the Dark Grove. We hear about its origins as a lockdown project, how it was acquired in a four way auction, and what it has to say about the modern world. We also talk arcade games, the nightmare that is the UK immigration system, and Ireland's legendary Great White Horse.Get hold of a copy of The Hill in the Dark Grove here.You can watch footage of the vintage arcade game we talk about here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Ariane Sherine Juniper, writer 30.08.2026 1h 14m

  Writer ARIANE SHERINE JUNIPER gives us the five tracks she will meet in Hell!As well as her Infernal Playlist, Ariane tells us about her many adventures, which include: nearly being in a massive pop band; winning then writing for a massive quiz show; getting hate mail for suggesting that existence of God is unlikely on the side of a bus; her teenage friendship with one of the biggest bands in the world; making her debut as a solo pop artist in her forties; and writing out labels for videotapes. And that's just the stuff we had enough space to keep in the edit. (Patreon listeners get a much longer episode - patreon.com/hellishpod)Ariane's debut solo album, Better, is available to buy here or you can stream it on Spotify and everywhere else.The Real Sinéad O'Connor, Ariane's biography of the singer, is available here.Ariane's novel, Sh*tcom, is available hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  RJ Barker, writer 16.08.2026 1h 15m

  Sunday Times bestselling author RJ BARKER magics up the five tracks he will meet in Hell!RJ tells us about his latest smash hit fantasy novel, Mortedant's Peril, and we discuss its unusual main character. Alex gets to chat about his love of David Gemmell, we listen to the greatest earworm in the history of the podcast, a popular thing that nerds like is simultaneously celebrated and given a kicking, AND Daniel issues a challenge to the pop star YUNGBLUD.We also get to hear about A Numbers Game, RJ's first crime novel which is being published this week under the name RJ Dark. Get that here.Check out Mortedant's Peril here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Anchoress, musician & producer 09.08.2026 1h 8m

  Catherine Anne Davies, aka THE ANCHORESS, produces the five tracks she will meet in Hell!Catherine tells us all about the new Anchoress album, As We Once Were, including how she made it with Pete Townshend's vintage synth collection, and the surprise audio rediscovery that inspired it. We also hear about music video mishaps, sibling rivalry, what Catherine would do if we made her cover a track off her infernal Playlist AND Catherine tests Alex's songfacts abilities live on air!The new album by the Anchoress, As We Once Were, is out now. You can get it everywhere, but the best places are either The Anchoress Bandcamp or direct from the label, Last Night from Glasgow.In the interview, Catherine talks about how she isn't touring the album this year. Your one chance to see her live is at London's 100 Club on August 28th. Tickets here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Gary Panton, writer 02.08.2026 1h 10m

  Writer GARY PANTON gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell!Gary tells us all about his Laugh Out Loud award nominated children's book series, the Notwitches. We also get to hear about writing for Bluey, Hey Duggee, and the Beano; making the switch from writing for hire to creating your own characters; and Gary puts two tracks in Hell that could get him thrown out of Scotland.Vote for the Notwitches at the Lollies here: https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/lollies (it's on the 6-8 Shortlist. You can also vote for our former guest Catie Wilkins on the 9-12 shortlist!)FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Jodie McNee, actor 26.07.2026 1h 11m

  Actor Jodie McNee gives us the five tracks she will meet in Hell!We talked to Jodie about the first production of the Broadway musical Fun Home, in which she plays legendary cartoonist Alison Bechdel. We also discussed taking jobs that make you uncomfortable, how an actor knows when something is good or not, fake tan, and whether anyone wants any wine.This week we have decided to give you, the non-Patreon listeners, the gift of the Patreon content this week. We only do this once a season, and Jodie has some pretty interesting things to say, so we thought we'd let EVERYONE hear them. If you want this sort of extended amusement and wisdom every week then please consider subscribing to the Patreon, or you can still do us a huge favour by tipping us at www.ko-fi.com/hellishpodFun Home is currently on at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (if you are reading this in the week the episode goes out). These performances are left:Tue 28th 18:00Wed 29th 14:30 & 19:30Thu 30th 19:30Fri 31st 19:30Sat 1st August 14:30 & 19:30Get your tickets hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Rachel Fairburn, comedian 19.07.2026 1h 10m

  Comedian RACHEL FAIRBURN gives us the five tracks she will meet in Hell!We are back after four weeks away, and who better to drag you all back to Hell than top comedian Rachel Fairburn? Rachel tells us about her new show, Vexy Beasts, and making the switch between character comedy and stand up. We also talk about working in a library, how Rachel's hit serial killer podcast, All Killa No Filla, increased her confidence as a comedian, and discuss whether Liam Gallagher ever calls his mum after a gig.Rachel is about to appear at the Edinburgh Festival. She's at the Monkey Barrel from August 6th - 30th, tickets for that are here.Then, in October and November, she takes Vexy Beasts on a tour of Great Britain. Dates and tickets can be found here.Watch Rachel in action for free! Rachel's show, Showgirl, is on YouTubeRachel's short story podcast, Harpurvale, is available here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Hellish presents ... MAKING TROUBLE WITH MOLLY NAYLOR 12.07.2026 1h 11m

  Hellish has been taking a break for the last few weeks, but as we didn't want you to be without something to listen to we called in some of our top podcast pals to help us out. We've been running a mini series we're calling 'HELLISH PRESENTS ...' Each week we've introduced you to a podcast we love: there's a short intro from Daniel, and then a whole episode of the show of the week.This week is our final 'Hellish presents ...' and we're presenting MAKING TROUBLE WITH MOLLY NAYLOR. Molly was our guest on episode 56 in September 2025, and she's very kindly loaned us her episode with podmaster ADAM BUXTON. If you're not already a troublemaker, this will make you into one. You're gonna love it.Listen and subscribe to MAKING TROUBLE WITH MOLLY NAYLOR here.Hellish is back next week with episode 72!FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Hellish presents ... THE WELSH MUSIC PODCAST 05.07.2026 1h 1m

  Hellish is taking a break for the next few weeks, but as we didn't want you to be without something to listen to we've called in some of our top podcast pals to help us out.We're running a mini series we're calling 'HELLISH PRESENTS ...' Each week we're going to be introducing you to a podcast we love: there will be a short intro, and then we'll let you enjoy a whole episode of the show of the week.This week we're bringing you THE WELSH MUSIC PODCAST. In this show, James Cuff and Neil Collins usually invite a guest to nominate an album by a Welsh artist for inclusion in the Welsh music Hall of Fame. HOWEVER .... in the episode they've given us for your listening pleasure, they present a documentary about the Super Furry Animals album Mwng, with contributions from members of the band!Listen to more of THE WELSH MUSIC PODCAST hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Hellish presents .... STARSHIP ALEXANDRIA 28.06.2026 55m

  Hellish is taking a break for the next few weeks, but as we didn't want you to be without something to listen to we've called in some of our top podcast pals to help us out.We're running a mini series we're calling 'HELLISH PRESENTS ...' Each week we're going to be introducing you to a podcast we love: there will be a short intro, and then we'll let you enjoy a whole episode of the show of the week.This week we're bringing you STARSHIP ALEXANDRIA. In this show, Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky take it in turns to recommend a work of sci-fi or fantasy to each other, all from the comfort of the titular spacecraft. There are complex narrative reasons, Emma and Adrian will explain when you hear the show! The peiosde you're about to hear features a discussion on 1980 sci-fi spectacular Battle Beyond the Stars.Listen to more STARSHIP ALEXANDRIA hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Hellish presents ... SONGS FROM A PADDED ENVELOPE 21.06.2026 1h 23m

  Hellish is taking a break for the next few weeks, but as we didn't want you to be without something to listen to we've called in some of our top podcast pals to help us out.We're running a mini series we're calling 'HELLISH PRESENTS ...' Each week we're going to be introducing you to a podcast we love: there will be a short intro, and then we'll let you enjoy a whole episode of the show of the week.This week we're bringing you SONGS FROM A PADDED ENVELOPE. In this show, Ben Clay and Steve Swindon talk to their guests about their old demo tapes. They've had loads of awesome guests, including Stuart Braithwaite, Mike Peters, and James Acaster. The episode you're about to hear, however, has two guests you will all be very familiar with: us.Listen to more SONGS FROM A PADDED ENVELOPE hereFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  John Osborne, writer & storyteller 14.06.2026 1h 19m

  Writer and storyteller JOHN OSBORNE gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell!Music is a massive part of John's work as a writer and performer: his career kicked off with a Edinburgh show called John Peel's Shed, and he's also written and performed work called The New Blur Album, and My Car Plays Tapes. As well as getting him to select his Infernal Playlist, we talked about the eighties cartoon that has no lore, working with Craig Cash (Early Doors/The Royle Family), 'Three Lions' and why it shows the UK is unfair (again), and the nature of truth when creating something that is presented as autobiography. John also relentlessly tries to make everything into a positive, and Alex and Daniel do their best to foil him. This is Hell, after all.John's Bandcamp, where you can listen to many of his shows, is hereJohn's new poetry anthology Sandy Arse is out now. John says: "it's the first publication from a brand new (tiny) publishing company I have set up with Katie Cooper called Paper Boat ... [it's] a collection of seaside poetry. It has poems from some of our favourite poets, including Salena Godden, Inua Ellams, Luke Kennard, Ella Frears, Joe Dunthorne, Luke Wright, Henry Normal, Phill Jupitus, Martha Sprackland and Anna Jordan." FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.