Clive Anderson and Athena Kugblenu are joined by Gordon Buchanan, Soweto Kinch, Juliet Cowan and Shamim Sarif for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.  With music from Soweto Kinch and Enny.

Gordon Buchanan, Soweto Kinch, Juliet Cowan, Shamim Sarif, Enny, Athena Kugblenu, Clive Anderson

An eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Stuart Maconie is joined by Sacha Lord who offers some Tales from the Dancefloor, Julie Hesmondhalgh talks about the impact of a single punch which is considered in a new play by James Graham at the Nottingham Playhouse. 
Dr Benji Waterhouse, a frontline NHS psychiatrist, discusses his new book You Don't Have to be Mad to Work Here and there's music and chat from Fairground Attraction and Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand.

Julie Hesmondhalgh, Sacha Lord, Eddi Reader, Benji Waterhouse, Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand, Fairground Attraction

The comedian Rhod Gilbert gave up touring and TV appearances last year when he got cancer. Now he's back - a newly focussed man - with a show called 'Rhod Gilbert & The Giant Grapefruit',  all about the big bitter diagnosis he had to swallow; the best-selling novelist Kathy Lette's latest book is called The Revenge Club and is based on a real life career setback - we want to hear all; Poet and stand up comic Luke Wright on managing to combine humour and pathos on the page and on the stage and 25 years on from her breakout role in Queer as Folk, the actor Carla Henry tells Stuart about her latest role in the gritty and prescient drama Sweat. Plus music from The Zutons and Bryony Jarman Pinto.

The Zutons play for Stuart Maconie with Rhod Gilbert, Kathy Lette, Carla Henry, Luke Wright and Bryony Jarman Pinto

Stuart is joined by multi instrumentalist and singer of hits like Electric Avenue, Eddy Grant; comic-turned-author Natalie Haynes on putting the feminisim into Greek mythology; actress Adelayo Adedayo on her upcoming second series playing the rookie cop in the hit BBC police drama The Responder and Comedian Richard Herring on finding the humour in his testicular cancer diagnosis. Plus performance from the only band fronted by the poet laureate Simon Armitage - LYR and the soul singer Nectar Woode. Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Olive Clancy

Stuart Maconie with Richard Herring, Adelayo Adedayo, Natalie Haynes, Nectar Woode

The astronaut Tim Peake joins Clive to talk about life on and off Earth, and he's joined by the acclaimed guitarist Phil Manzanera who tells us about the astonishing life he led en route to joining Roxy Music. Helen Lederer discusses her new memoir and recalls formative days in The Comedy Store and Jess Fostekew talks footie in her new podcast. We've music from Michele Stodart and Geejay. Presented by Clive Anderson
Produced by Kevin Core

Tim Peake, Helen Lederer, Phil Manzanera, Jess Fostekew, Michele Stodart and Geejay.

Stand up comic Al Murray on 30 years of his outspoken stage persona The Pub Landlord and his more recent side-hustle as a history podcaster; Actor Lesley Sharp on playing a spy in her high octane thriller set on a London to Beijing flight and called Red Eye; Historian Bettany Hughes on her new series of Treasures of the World, this time heading along the Silk Route to Estonia, Bulgaria, Georgia and beyond; Restauranteur Nisha Katona on giving up being a barrister only to end up being a judge - on the Great British Menu and Guy Chambers on co-writing some of pop's greatest hits like Angels and Milennium with Robbie Williams and getting back together to record with his band The Lemon Trees. Plus performance from rising stars of British Country The Wandering Hearts. Presented by Clive Anderson
Produced by Olive Clancy

Gordon Buchanan, Soweto Kinch, Juliet Cowan, Shamim Sarif, Enny, Athena Kugblenu, Clive Anderson

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