Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 42 02.06.2026 58min

We're entering the long, hot summer of 1976, and Gyles is moving into a big, new house with his young family and still forging ahead in his life and career. He is embarking on a second Oxford Theatre Festival, with his friend Noel Davis (who likes the start and end the working day with a stiff drink, and have a couple more over lunch); he is celebrating Michele's birthday in style at the Ritz, and he is attempting to break the record for the longest after-dinner speech. It's another action-packed year, diary fans! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Self 29.05.2026 1h 7min

The writer, satirist and urban explorer Will Self talks to Gyles about his childhood, his career and his life now. From his boyhood as "little Willy", the apple of his mother's eye, who was both enfolded and smothered by her love; to his adolescence when he began smoking, drinking and experimenting with drugs earlier than most; to his student days when his good looks meant he found it easy to get women into bed... this is an absorbing, entertaining and sometimes surprising episode, full of laughs, and full of astute observations (as you might expect from one of our foremost satirists). Will also talks about taking heroin on John Major's plane, being on Shooting Stars and his illness and recent stem cell transplant. Our thanks to Will for his dazzling conversation, and for being such charming company. And thank you, too, to his wife Nellie for coming along! Will's new book The Quantity Theory of Morality is out now and is HIGHLY recommended. You can buy a copy here. Enjoy this... we're sure you will. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Rosebud - Matt Haig 26.05.2026 1h 17min

Matt Haig, the international best-selling author of books such as The Midnight Library, Reasons to Stay Alive, and his new release The Midnight Train, is our guest today. And this is one of our most in-depth and fascinating ever discussions of mental health and the true nature of depression. Matt's observations are genuinely illuminating, and full of hope and advice for anyone who has experienced despair. Matt also talks about shop-lifting as a teenager, being ADHD and autistic, and the first book he fell in love with. He talks about meeting his wife, going to Ibiza, and getting drunk in his French oral. He talks about why he writes. This is a refreshing and open conversation, full of wisdom and perception. Our thanks to Matt for this brilliant conversation. Matt's new book The Midnight Train is out now, published by Canongate. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anne-Marie Duff 22.05.2026 59min

We're lucky to have the talented actress Anne-Marie Duff (St.Joan, The Magdalene Sisters, Shameless, Bad Sisters, The Virgin Queen) as our guest today, taking Gyles back to her happy childhood in a tight-knit community in West London, where she lay in bed hearing the sounds of piano from the local pub wafting in through the windows, and heard her father singing love songs to her mother. She talks about being a shy and bookish child, sometimes feeling as if she was "on the wrong planet" and finding confidence at a drama group. She talks about her early fascination with theatre, training at the Drama Centre London, her experience playing St Joan at the National Theatre and stage fright. She talks about love, grief, and caring for her brother, Eddie, who had early onset Alzheimer's and sadly died earlier this year.This is a fascinating, heartfelt and moving interview, full of wisdom and insight. Enjoy this - we know you will. Our thanks to Anne-Marie Duff for her time, energy and for telling her story so beautifully.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.

More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 41 19.05.2026 44min

It's 1975 and new father Gyles Brandreth is multi-tasking, like any young parent. One day he's feeding the ducks in Regent's Park with his new baby, the next, spearheading the campaign for Britain to remain in the European Common Market. He's also planning his next Oxford Theatre Festival, learning to play bridge, and being interviewed by the Mail. Plus Gyles and Harriet chat about their favourite day of the week, and snoring. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ralph Fiennes 15.05.2026 1h 3min

At Rosebud we know how lucky we are to meet and talk to so many talented and fascinating guests. And this week we are especially lucky, as our guest is one of our greatest living actors: Ralph Fiennes. In this conversation recorded at the Haymarket Theatre (where Ralph is currently appearing with Miranda Raison in the David Hare play Grace Pervades), Ralph talks to Gyles about his childhood. He talks about his parents - the writer and artist Jennifer Lash, and the farmer-turned-photographer Mark Fiennes - their strengths, their challenges, and their love. He talks about the unusual and artistic home they made for their six children, and the legacy of hard work and creativity that has given him and his siblings. He talks about his mother's illness and death. Ralph also talks about becoming an actor and about the great Victorian actor Henry Irving - who he's playing in Grace Pervades.This episode was recorded on Shakespeare's birthday at the Haymarket Theatre. Our thanks to the team there.Ralph Fiennes is appearing in Grace Pervades until 11th July. It tells the story of Sir Henry Irving and his relationship with the great actress Ellen Terry - and is highly recommended. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Rosebud - Dame Rachel De Souza, the Children's Commissioner 12.05.2026 54min

Our More Rosebud guest today is the Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel De Souza. Dame Rachel advocates for children in parliament, and on May 8 published a major survey of 1 million children in the UK - entitled "The Big Future". The children she's surveyed are especially those who are hardest to reach, living away from home, with disabilities, or in care – and the survey provides an urgent and definitive state of the nation of childhood, at a time when children are facing numerous challenges. Regular listeners to Rosebud will know that we're particularly interested in childhood, and the huge impact the memories of our earliest years have on us. A childhood lasts a lifetime. And that's why Gyles is talking to Dame Rachel today - to ask her about the state of childhood in the country today, and to find out about her own story. Rachel tells Gyles about growing up in a working class family in Scunthorpe, about studying theology, and about becoming one of the most successful headteachers in the country. Thank you to Dame Rachel De Souza for this frank and fascinating conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosebud Live at Riverside Studios - Sir Lenny Henry 08.05.2026 1h 12min

Our guest today is Sir Lenny Henry, the pioneering comedian, entertainer, actor and campaigner, who tells Gyles his story, and it's an impressive one: from the streets of Dudley in the West Midlands, to winning New Faces at only 16 years old, to an acclaimed run as Othello at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Lenny brings his childhood home to life - his mother, a gifted preacher who came to the UK from Jamaica, and whose formidable personality was a huge influence on Lenny. His dads - Winston and Uncle Albert. The "tall food". The park. The mood board on his bedroom wall. This is an evocative, fascinating and very funny edition of Rosebud.This episode was recorded at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith in London, in front of a live audience, as part of Riverside's 50th birthday celebrations.Lenny Henry is on tour nationwide, tickets are 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.

More Rosebud - New York City Diaries with Gyles and Harriet, and Tales from Broadway with Josh Ellis 05.05.2026 51min

Rosebud has been on its first international road trip, to New York City. In this episode, Gyles and Harriet chat about their trip... about how they gossiped for 15 hours straight on the flight over, about being guests of the Queen at the New York Public Library and seeing Pooh Bear, Kanga, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet and the new Roo, and about Anna Wintour giving Gyles an unexpected compliment. In the second half of the show, Gyles talks to Josh Ellis, one of Broadway's most distinguished Press Agents, who worked on productions such as 42nd Street, Into the Woods, The King and I, The Elephant Man and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He tells Gyles insider tales about some of the stars he worked with during his long career, including Yul Brynner, Rex Harrison, Katharine Hepburn, Eartha Kitt, Cher, David Bowie and Ethel Merman. It's fascinating, and gives a real flavour of life at the heart New York's theatre land.Our thanks for Josh Ellis for this fun and fascinating conversation. Our thanks to New York City for being fabulous. And our thanks to you for listening. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Corbyn 01.05.2026 1h 13min

Jeremy Corbyn MP is our guest on this May Day morning. Now an independent MP and the leader of Your Party, Jeremy has been in Westminster for 43 years - for 41 of those as a Labour MP. He was leader of Labour Party from 2015 to 2020, and fought two general elections in 2017 and 2019. He talks about this to Gyles in this episode, and about the bitter divisions and recriminations that followed the final defeat. He also talks about his childhood, growing up in Wiltshire and Shropshire, with free-thinking parents who encouraged him to make things and gave him a lot of freedom. He talks about being an academic under-achiever, his formative experiences with VSO in Jamaica as a teenager, and travelling in revolutionary South America. He talks about being awkward, his love of reading, and his continuing commitment to making the world a better place. Whatever your politics, we hope you find this an inspiring, interesting and illuminating listen with one of the longest-standing and most committed of our politicians. With our thanks to Jeremy Corbyn for his time, energy and conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 40 28.04.2026 50min

An action-packed edition of Gyles's diaries, from 1974 and 75. Gyles masquerades - very convincingly - as the European Monopoly Champion, and wows the crowds in New York City. He tosses the world's smallest pancake live on television. Margaret Thatcher is elected Leader of the Conservative Party, and on the domestic front, Gyles and Michele become parents for the first time. It's a momentous year, and it's why the Rosebud Family love tuning in on Tuesdays for Gyles's diaries!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India Hicks 24.04.2026 1h 9min

It's the second of our guests this week with a royal connection: India Hicks. India is the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten - the last Viceroy of India who oversaw the transition to independence, and his fascinating wife, Edwina Mountbatten, who was rumoured to have had a love affair with Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. India tells Gyles about this, and about her experiences of the day Mountbatten was assassinated in 1979. India is the daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II, who was actually with Princess Elizabeth in Kenya on the day she heard that her father had died and that she was to be Queen. India tells Gyles about this. India is also the goddaughter of King Charles, and they discuss his thoughtfulness, and her experiences of being a bridesmaid at his wedding to Princess Diana in 1981. All in all, this is a fascinating episode, full of stories of royalty, but also wisdom about life, duty and the importance of good manners.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.

More Rosebud - Major General Alastair Bruce 21.04.2026 1h 20min

Today - Tuesday 21 April 2026 - would have been Queen Elizabeth II's 100th birthday, and we're marking the occasion with two regal Rosebuds. Our guest in this episode is Major General Alastair Bruce, the former Army Reserves officer and governor of Edinburgh Castle who is now a respected royal expert and commentator for Sky News. Alastair talks to Gyles about his family, and how they got to know the Queen and Prince Phillip in Malta. He talks about his unusual childhood passions of dressing up like an admiral and making models of the crown jewels. He talks about his experiences as an officer in the Falklands War, when he lost one of his men to sniper fire. And he talks about commentating on the Queen's funeral and a moving moment from that day.This is a fascinating discussion for anyone interested in British military or royal history. Our thanks to Alastair Bruce for being our guest on Rosebud.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.

Hayley and Juliet Mills 17.04.2026 1h 19min

On Hayley Mills's 80th birthday weekend, Gyles speaks to the legendary actress and her sister, Juliet Mills, about their remarkable lives and careers. They talk about their parents, Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell. They talk about their famous godparents, who included Vivien Leigh and Noel Coward. They talk about their first acting jobs - Juliet on stage, and Hayley in Tiger Bay. They talk about taking a Pekingese to a meeting with Walt Disney and about losing Oscars. There are moments of great insight and wisdom - it's worth listening for Juliet's philosophy of a happy marriage, and for Hayley's life lessons. This is a very special, star-studded, and very touching episode of Rosebud, and we're honoured to bring it to you.Happy birthday Hayley Mills!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.

More Rosebud - Gyles's Diaries episode 39 14.04.2026 53min

Gyles continues to have success, failure and everything in between with the Oxford Theatre Festival... and even gets to open some plays in the West End. We hear from a listener in a far-flung location, and we chat about the upsides and downsides of going out without your underwear on. All human life is here! It's Gyles's diaries. Enjoy this.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.

Amol Rajan 10.04.2026 1h 16min

In this episode, Gyles is charmed and fascinated by Amol Rajan, the podcaster, broadcaster and host of Radical and Radio 4's Today programme. Amol tells Gyles about his family background - his parents moved to the UK from India when he was three years old. He talks about his father's insatiable love of English literature, his mother's brilliant cooking, and his own love of cricket. He talks about decline and opportunity, and why he has chosen to leave Radio 4. And finally, Amol and Gyles discuss bereavement, grief and Hamlet.Amol Rajan's podcast Radical is available to download 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.

More Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 38 07.04.2026 51min

Yes, diary fans, it's a big one, because this episode describes some of the most stressful months of Gyles's life. It's spring 1974, and he's desperately trying to put together a stellar line-up of plays and stars for his Oxford Theatre Festival, but all around him are obstacles. Trying to raise the money is challenging. Trying to find a play Celia Johnson will agree to is a struggle. And trying to get Rita Tushingham to make a firm commitment is almost impossible. Buckle up for an episode which will make you realise your day job is a walk in the park!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.

Monty Don 03.04.2026 1h 18min

This week's guest is the utterly wonderful Monty Don, and this is one of our warmest, richest, most delightful and most touching episodes yet - full of insight, wisdom, stories, laughter and - of course some tears. This is Rosebud, after all.Monty tells Gyles about his childhood, which was partly idyllic, but partly overshadowed by the presence of his rather frightening father, a former Army heavyweight boxing champion suffering from PTSD. Monty talks about his unhappy time at boarding school, and his treatment for cancer when he was only ten. He tells Gyles about his university days, about meeting his wife, and about their jewellery business... and he talks about his experience of depression. Plus, of course, he talks about gardens - what gives them charm, and which is his favourite garden in the UK.Monty's beautiful new book, British Gardens, is available here.And finally, Happy Easter to all of you from us at Rosebud!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.

More Rosebud - Jean Campbell 31.03.2026 58min

Our guest today is the model and podcast host Jean Campbell, who talks to Gyles about her wild Scottish childhood and about her experience of living with chronic pain as a result of hip dysplasia. Jean tells Gyles the dramatic story of how her hip condition was discovered - as a result of a serious skiing accident when she was a teenager. She talks about the long and arduous treatment she received, and her eventual decision to try and live with and manage the pain. And she talks about the brilliant podcast she hosts all about pain, which is called "I'm Fine", and is available to download here.This is a fascinating episode, and - particularly - if you have experienced long-term pain or ill-health, it's highly recommended listening. Our thanks to Jean Campbell for sharing her story on Rosebud. And our thanks to you for being our lovely, loyal listeners - our Rosebud Family!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.

Tom Allen 27.03.2026 1h 10min

Our guest today is the comedian, author, actor and presenter Tom Allen. And this is a truly charming edition of Rosebud. Tom tells Gyles about his childhood in suburban Bromley and opens up about what it was like to be an eccentric child who refused to follow the crowd and liked dressing up as an emperor. Gyles and Tom bond over some mutual passions, including Noel Coward and stationery. And Tom talks about coming out and his first kiss.Tom is currently in Titanique in the West End of London. His new novel, Common Decency, is out in May and is available to pre-order 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.