<p>Spending lockdown in a small flat with his elderly mum has pushed comedian Mark Thomas to reflect on their sometimes stormy relationship. It's also made him want to find out more about COVID-19. In the first of six podcasts, Mark calls frontline health workers to chat about coronavirus, end-of-life care and the importance of touch.</p>

Spending lockdown in a small flat with his elderly mum has pushed comedian Mark Thomas to reflect on their sometimes stormy relationship. It's also made him want to find out more about COVID-19. In the first of six podcasts, Mark calls frontline health workers to chat about coronavirus, end-of-life care and the importance of touch.

Episode 1: The gloves are off

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas has moved back in with his mum for the duration of the pandemic. He's 57 and she's 85. He says she's curmudgeonly; she says he's the most aggravating person on the planet. In this six-part podcast, he reflects on their lockdown life together while investigating the wider impact of COVID-19. Every night, Mark calls health and care workers across the country for a chat. Humbling and often heartbreaking, these conversations reveal what life is like on the coronavirus front line.

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Episode 1: The gloves are off

Episode 1: The gloves are off