After a busy but very enjoyable Christmas Giles and Esther return to ponder some of the talking points of the week.

What is a work life balance and how does one get one? How do you wire a plug – why not ask one of Giles many deceased relatives. Is post war rationing the root cause of child obesity?

Finally, how to play Fagin without bowing to stereotype and… stop climbing Everest!  

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As described in the title - a fun festive quiz.

We hope you enjoy it. If you do, please share.

Merry Christmas, see you in the New Year.

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Where now for Gregg Wallace and the BBC? Esther is focused on the BBC’s HR department – what were they doing? Giles ponders the consequences of a decision made twenty years ago. And if this is the new bar for public opprobrium - who might be next?

Board games at Christmas, marvellous. All the family sat round the fire, rolling the dice…until one falls asleep, one cheats, and one gets so competitive they flip the board and it all ends in tears. Excellent, let’s do it again next year.

The governments new junk food advertising ban has caused quite a stir but what is it exactly? Have they really banned porridge, have they actually banned anything? Time for some clarity, insight and war time meal planning. 

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Giles thought he was going to be cancelled due to his last two rather edgy pieces. One was about an Israeli restaurant and the other took a big bite out of the super-woke Jaguar re-brand. But, the total opposite happened and everyone loved them. It’s all in danger of going to Giles’s head and he toys with leaning in and becoming the UK’s answer to Joe Rogan. 

If the culture war is truly over, what happens next? And where does it leave a country that has just elected a government that is now totally out of fashion? 

Meanwhile, British Airways spends millions on doing up their First Class cabins rather than "...fixing their p***poor app."

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After a very quick diversion round rats learning to drive this week’s episode begins with a debate over farmers and inheritance tax – a tax dodge for the affluent or a hit to hard working farmers? Giles leans on his knowledge of the French Revolution and his own experience of tax ‘manoeuvring’. 

Zoe Ball is stepping down from the Radio 2 breakfast show. Is it really to spend more time with her family or is there more to it than meets the eye? Could the North Koreans be involved...?

A possible tip for Apple Inc – admit you were wrong then make more money.

And lastly, by eck! What a repertoire of accents. Sadly, not all are allowed past the censor.

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As the Archbishop of Canterbury resigns Giles asks the key question - does anyone care?

Following Donald Trump’s election victory there is a rumour doing the rounds that some rich celebrities plan to leave the US for Britain. Do we want them, does anywhere want them? Might they be in for a surprise with the reality of modern London not quite matching the dream…

How does one deal with a moth infestation? Top tip: cedar wood, moth balls or sue the house seller for 30million pounds!

Finally, what do you get if you cross a Slovenian girl done good, chat GPT and a White House? A FLOTUS memoir – simples! 

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What do Kamala Harris and QPR have in common? Giles and Esther react to the breaking news that Donald Trump is back as the American President. They ponder the reasons and how to break the news to a despondent teenager.

Any mood can be lifted by a good cheese trolly, some people can even build a career off the back of a cheese trolly. Can being married also keep one chipper? Depends on who you’re married to!

Finally, if you own an air fryer it might be spying on you – it’s your own fault. And what is a double dip..?

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Is Kemi Badenoch rude, or just straight talking? Esther has changed her ways and now plays a very polite tactical game; Giles on the other hand takes too much pleasure in expressing his true feelings in glorious technicolour. Who cares if its rude.

It’s all change at British Airways as they switch from lunch to brunch on many flights; Esther isn’t sure what all the fuss is about…

How do you get a nickname and what does it say about you if you don’t have one? Pee-the-pants and Pester discuss.

After the break the decline of the golden arches. As McDonalds’ sales dip Giles considers where the burger giant is going wrong.  

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Tomorrow is the big day! Budget Day looms, and we're bringing you a special feature from The Times' brand new show: Feel Better About Money.

In her inaugural money chat, Holly Mead is talking about budgeting and the budget. She looks at the many different aspects of money to help you make better financial decisions about pensions, mortgages, investments. With so many suggestions, rumours and supposed leaks about the upcoming budget, what should we be preparing for now and how? 

Find the new show here: https://shows.acast.com/times-money.

Regular Giles programming to resume later in the week.

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Are Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Raynor following in the footsteps of The Coren's builders – telling you how bad the previous tradesmen were?

Who is in charge around here? Giles has a boomer bee in his bonnet and wonders if they’re just struggling to accept their waning influence in society. He takes to the comments to do battle; but he certainly doesn’t call them c…. !

Ozempic may be a miracle drug for those overweight, but it is a killer for restaurants. Fear not Esther can save the day.

Would you pass a ‘real world’ maths test? Would you pass a dad maths test? Time to find out… 

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