Loose Ends

Stuart Maconie is joined in Salford by master of mind control and psychological illusion Derren Brown who is currently touring his latest show 'Only Human'. Stand up Maria Shehata moved to the UK for love, but the course of true love did not run smoothly and the relationship ended soon after. She explores her decision in a new Radio 4 stand up special 'Maria Shehata is Wisdomless'. Alison Larkin turned her one woman show 'Grief … A Comedy into an unusual memoir that sees her guided by the presence of her late fiance. And there's music from the Peter's Field - a musical ode to the victims of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 and a celebration of men and women who championed votes for working people, written by Sean Cooney who performs alongside Sam Carter and Eliza Carthy.

And there's more music from Francesca Pidgeon aka Dilettante

Presenter: Stuart Maconie

Stuart Maconie soaks up Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

He is joined by comedian Alana Jackson who went viral with her stories of Glasgow funerals, took home the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? award in 2024, and took time out of her line dancing schedule last year to enjoy a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival.

Plus stand-up Sam Lake, who asks guests on his podcast - I've Had A Rosé, Let's Talk About Feelings - to join him on a deep chat with a beverage of their choice. But why did jelly change the way he flies forever?

Writer and restaurant critic Candice Chung delves her relationship with her family and how food says things that words can't in her memoir - Chinese Parents Don't Say I Love You.

With music from Vitamin String Quartet, whose classical pop-covers help bring the world of Bridgerton alive, and the cast of One Day: The Musical share a track from the new production.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

Comic, Strictly winner and Live Comedy Day ambassador Chris McCausland joins Kiri Pritchard-McLean for a chat about siblings. Chris remembers pitched battles aged 11 with his then four year old sister over TV rights.

Comedy cabaret duo Flo and Joan are sisters Rosie and Nicola Dempsey who do perform songs about slipping each other poison in their tea. But we think that's a joke.

The Orielles too are a trio made up of the Hand-Halford sisters who bumped into guitarist Henry at a party aged 9 and are are now on their 4th record.

The best selling thriller writer Dorothy Koomson admits to writing anybody who crosses her into her books, complete with sticky ending.

And the space historian and broadcaster Dallas Campbell explains why the astronomer Galileo may have shopped in a 16th century middle aisle.

Presenter: Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Clive Anderson is joined by The O.C star Mischa Barton who is in a new production of Double Indemity. And it's a double dose of murder and intrigue as we're also joined by best-selling crime writer Ava Glass with her new book 'The Hiding Season'. And from death to life, since we're very grateful comedian Emmanuel Sonibu survived his near fatal heart attack and is here to tell the tale in his stand up show 'Life After Near Death'. Squeeze are back with their first album of new material in 8 years, 'Trixies', as well as Samantha Crain who brings us even more intrigue with her new album 'Gumshoe'.

Presenter: Clive Anderson

Stuart Maconie talks to the Riot Women and In The Thick Of It actress Joanna Scanlan on her lastest project, Mercy - a dark comic thriller.

Faye Tozer is perhaps best known as part of the crowd pleasing, hearts and flowers pop band Steps, but now she's joining the cast of Mean Girls the musical - what does she make of the world of queen bees and "plastics".

Fascinating Aïda's Adèle Anderson on staying fierce and fabulous while on tour with Priscilla Queen of The Desert the musical without her caberet co-stars.

Plus music from smokey-voiced, Americana-inspired English singer song-writer Elles Bailey and BBC Introducing NorthEast indie pop singer ERNIE.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie

Joining Stuart for this week's Loose Ends are...

Comedian and actress Lucy Beaumont on the play that, 40 years ago, inspired her mum to become a writer. It also features a chip-eating Alsatian.

Chef and broadcaster Gizzi Erskine with tales of members of The Damned being left with Courtney Love's baby.

Comedian Alasdair Beckett-King on the good old days of landline phones and pop tarts.

Jonny Balchandani, known to his huge social media following as the Bearded Plantaholic, tells us how he covertly turned his wife's office into a living, breathing jungle.

And there's music from Jesca Hoop and Lail Arad as they perform Morning Morgantown and Big Yellow Taxi from their show The Songs of Joni Mitchell.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie

Stuart talks to the award winning writer and composer of Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots - Tim Firth - about his latest stage creation, The Ladies Football Club. Can the man who got his break with a play about two yucca plants strike fresh gold with this tale of the women who began to play football whist working in Sheffield's munitions factories during World War I and end up playing to many thousands in a South Yorkshire women's league.

Taskmaster and Mr Bigstuff star Fatiha El-Ghorri says she's ironing her swaggest hijab to head out on her debut stand up tour - Cockney Stacking Doll. She'll also have the story of her journey out from divorce and back on the dating scene in her new Radio 4 comedy - A Match Made Inshallah.

Tom Hodgkinson's the editor of The Idler and author of books such as How to be Idle, The Idle Parent and - here's the outlier - The Ukelele Handbook. So perhaps busier than he makes out? His new book is a fresh look at one of the world's oldest philosophies - How to Live Like A Stoic. Stoicism is having a moment in the manosphere but he explains how "bro-ism" has got stoicism all wrong.

With music from the cast of the smash hit musical Operation Mincemeat and from BBC Introducing "one to watch" , Lois.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie

Joining Clive this week are the actress and singer Keala Settle, who's starring in a newly re-imagined production of John Ransom Phillips' Mrs President.

Presenter Michaela Strachan is heading off across the country with her show Not Just A Wild Life, to celebrate 40 years of her career in television.

Comedian Ross Noble joins us mid-tour to delve into his Cranium of Curiosities.

Star of stage and screen Melvyn Hayes brings along his new autobiography It Ain't Half Late Mum.

And there's music from Beverley Knight, who's about to grace the stage in the West End premiere of Marie and Rosetta.

Presenter: Clive Anderson

Stuart Maconie is in Glasgow for the city's annual folk, roots and world music festival - Celtic Connections.

He's joined by comedian Marcus Brigstocke, whose tour Vitruvian Mango sees him trying to figure out what it is to be a man, and why he feels like more of one when his wife asks him to reach something from a high shelf.

Ashley Storrie will be chatting all about the new series of her award-winning BBC show Dinosaur. Autistic palaeontologist Nina is knee-deep in mud on an Isle of Wight dig site, living the dream. Well, either that or she's desperately missing reality tv marathons on her own sofa with some sausage rolls.

In writer Louise Welsh's latest novel The Cut Up, Glasgow auctioneer Rilke is once again drawn in to drama, murder and detective work, as he curses his very loyal but very troublesome friends.

With performances from Newfoundland folk band Rum Ragged who are keeping the music of their Canadian island home alive. Plus Glasgow-based female and non-binary music collective Hen Hoose share a track from new album The Twelve.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

Joining Stuart for this week's Loose Ends are actor Nigel Havers, who tells us about his remarkable shepherd's pies and the sex appeal of Mrs Thatcher.

Comedy writer and performer Rosalie Minnitt on how dreaming of cows and seeing moonlit owls doesn't bode terribly well.

Comedian Mike Wozniak on how a luxuriant moustache can help balance out an underdeveloped lower face.

And there's music from Dan Gillespie Sells, performing a song by his band The Feeling, and Liverpool's electro-pop trio Stealing Sheep, with their track GLO.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie