No Funny Business

Rich Hall is a comedy legend. His career stretches from Saturday Night Live and The David Letterman Show in the 1980s to decades of appearances on British television, including QI, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He was on the Gilded Balloon stage this Fringe with his new show, Chin Music, which he’s currently touring. He’s also one ofKaren’s oldest friends and he joined us in the shed. Listen to find out:

·     Why building a wall made of cornflakes is amistake.

·     Who takes the blame for burning down the firstGilded Balloon.

·     The pitfalls of booking male strippers.

·     How not to win a Perrier Award

Plus, we update our insider Traitors’ chat and delve into the depths of the diary.

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

NEWS FLASH For the first time you also SEE this episode - and loads of other great Gilded Balloon content - on our YouTube channel here - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GildedBalloonEdinburgh⁠⁠

Find more about Rich Hall’s tour here - https://www.offthekerb.com/on-tour/?otk_artist=Rich+Hall&otk_postcode=&otk_date=

 Get tickets for Mhairi Black: Difficult Second Album here - https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:7152/

Tix for The Big Comedy Roadshow here - https://bigcomedyroadshow.com/

Find more information about all our shows here https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

 We would love to hear from you. Email us on [email protected]

Follow uson Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/⁠

Musiccomposed by Lily Koren.

No FunnyBusiness is made for Gilded Balloon by Podcart.  ⁠https://www.podcart.co.uk/⁠

 The producer is Jayne Morgan.

Celebrity Traitors 2026 is rammed with comedians. Alan Carr won last season. What is it about being a stand-up that gives you an advantage in the castle? What gets in the way? We have insight. Rob, Romesh, Joe and Joanne are So You Think You’re Funny alums. We lift the lid on what makes them tick and why we think they’re going to sink or swim. Plus, what does it do for a comedian’s career when they branch out into this kind of mainstream entertainment? It’s not always a good thing. This is top quality Traitors insider tea. We also have exciting news about some upcoming gigs and a surprise celebrity cameo (listen to the end!).

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Gettickets for The Big Comedy Roadshow here - https://bigcomedyroadshow.com/

Alan Davies' Think Ahead here - https://www.alandavies.live/

Find moreinformation about all our shows here https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

You can also find us – and loads of other great Gilded Balloon content - on our YouTube channel here - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GildedBalloonEdinburgh⁠

We would love to hear from you. Email us on [email protected]

Follow uson Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/⁠

 Musiccomposed by Lily Koren.

No FunnyBusiness is made for Gilded Balloon by Podcart.  ⁠https://www.podcart.co.uk/⁠ The producer is Jayne Morgan.

Maisie Adam won Taskmaster, killed on Last One Laughing, slays on her football podcast Big Kick Energy – and NOW she’s talking to Karen and Katy Koren. She has truly arrived (she also won So You Think You're Funny in 2017). She’s now one of the UK’s most successful comedians and is touring the UK and Europe with her brilliant new show, Whatsherface.

Find out, amongst other things:

• The trauma of not making Romesh Ranganathan laugh
• Why her Dad thinks it’s OK to pee in front of her husband
• Why football and comedy have a LOT in common
• Why there was a VERY awkward aspect to her wedding (Dad involved again)

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

00:00 Podcast catchup and planning

02:27 Meet Maisie Adam in the shed

04:52 Fringe grind and finding your voice

09:57 Whatsherface and football fandom

19:28 Women in comedy bias

20:36 Football parallels and pay gap

22:35 Gatekeeping and live hosting

25:24 TV shows and future plans

Find out more about Maisie’s tour here https://www.maisieadam.com/

You can also find us – and loads of other great GildedBalloon content - on our YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@GildedBalloonEdinburgh

We would love to hear from you. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is produced for Gilded Balloon by Podcart.  https://www.podcart.co.uk/

What do Lee Mack, Aisling Bea, Sarah Millican, Romesh Ranganathan, Josh Widdicombe, Peter Kay and Maisie Adam have in common? Not just that they are some of the most successful comedians in the UK today. They also all entered the So You Think You’re Funny comedy competition - started by the one and only Karen Koren in 1988. Every year we hold the Grand Final of the competition on the last Thursday of the Fringe. In this episode, we find out what's happened in the life of last year's winner, Madeleine Brettingham. Plus we hear from celebrity judge, Nina Conti, and reveal who romped to victory in 2026 - could you be listening to the next Dylan Moran?

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Check out the finalists on our YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@GildedBalloonEdinburgh

Find out more about the competition including how to enter andprevious winners/finalists.

https://soyouthinkyourefunny.co.uk/

We would love to hear fromyou. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is producedfor Gilded Balloon by Podcart.

Fiona Allen is one third of the Emmy-winningand Bafta-nominated TV sketch show, Smack the Pony. She’s also been in Shameless,Skins, Waterloo Road and EastEnders on TV and her filmsinclude 24 Hour Party People, Fat Slags, Gladiatress and FindingEmily. In 2023, she brought her show On the Run to the Fringe and thentoured the UK. This year, she’s back with White Lies, all about making up anexcuse to avoid a neighbour’s party. She joined us in the shed to share what it’slike learning to be a stand up, the early days of sketch comedy and the inside track on falling in love with a bull that’s the wrong colour!

Exactly.Why would you miss it?

⁠The Fringe is still on tillMonday 31st August 2026. Find the Gilded Balloon 2026 programme –and book tickets – here –⁠⁠ https://gildedballoon.co.uk/⁠

We would love to hear fromyou. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is producedfor Gilded Balloon by Podcart. Find out more here https://www.podcart.co.uk/.

Jamie Kilstein is a comedian, writer, actor and radio host. He’s back at the Edinburgh Fringe with Can’t Tie Knots —a show that explores the death of his friend and mentor, Robin Williams; how he dealt with a very public mistake; his controversial spat on Joe Rogan’s podcast - with Joe Rogan; and what it means to carry on when life takes an unexpected and painful turn. It's quite a journey - with, surprisingly, lots of laughs. Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Book tickets for Can’t TieKnots here https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jamie-kilstein-can-t-tie-knots

Find the Gilded Balloon 2026programme – and book tickets – here – https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

We would love to hear fromyou. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is producedfor Gilded Balloon by Podcart.

Legendary Scottish comedian, Jack Docherty, joins us in the No Funny Business shed to talk about how his new show – Butterfly – got off the ground, why his mother probably shouldn't come and see it, what's next for The Chief and why he's not too sure about social media. Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Book tickets for Butterflyhere https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jack-docherty-butterfly

Find the Gilded Balloon 2026programme – and book tickets – here – https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

We would love to hear fromyou. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is producedfor Gilded Balloon by Podcart.

We have a cheeky dressing room chat with Graham Norton and Maria McCerlane moments before their VERY FIRST WangingOn audience show (part of the Gilded Balloon 2026 Fringe programme).

Listen to discover, amongst other things:- Why hasn’t Graham done a Fringe show since 1997?- Are organ transplants funny?- What was Maria’s best entrance ever?- Why Wanging On won't do the Albert Hall?

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Find the Gilded Balloon 2026 programme – and book tickets – here – https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

We would love to hear fromyou. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is produced for Gilded Balloon by Podcart.

Do you have a wondering womb? Do you fancy ice-cold water up the rectum? No to both? Women have been faced with (mainly male) misunderstanding and misdiagnosis of the menopause for centuries. Top broadcaster, Mariella Frostrup, and her friend, actress Gina Bellman, are bringing their show Cracking the Menopause to the Gilded Balloon and Mariella tells us all about what she’s doing to redress the balance.

Plus, Karen and Katy have a LOT of experience between them so, whether you’re a punter or a performer, they’re giving their top tips for a successful Fringe.

 And, listen to discover – amongst other things:- What is a third party Klanger?- Who frightened Karen backstage at Late and Live?- Why did two mild-mannered New Zealanders got a Koren telling off in the street?

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Find out more and get tickets for Cracking the Menopause here - https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:7133/

 Find the Gilded Balloon 2026 programme – and book tickets – here – https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

We would love to hear from you. Email us on [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is produced for Gilded Balloon by Podcart.

Amanda Knox got world famous for being wrongly convicted for killing her roommate in Italy. This is not your average life experience and she’s dealing with it - how else? -by doing a one woman show - Cartwheel. Some people are outraged, some are fascinated. Listen to our frank, surprising, moving and, yes, amusing conversation with Amanda ahead of her run at Gilded Balloon.

Plus, another Fringe first-timer from foreign parts is the woman behind HR:The Musical, Amy Mansfield. The show throws proper shade at all the ridiculous things that happen in the workplace and does it through music – including Latin plainchant dealing with passive aggressive emails and a Kraftwerk-type number consisting entirely of real LinkedIn posts.

Plus, listen to discover – amongst other things:

• How many tickets we should have sold by now?

• Why your postcode could mean savings?

• What did Rich Hall give Karen as a 'thank you' present (it wasn’t Lindt but did involve balls)?

Exactly. Why would you miss it?

Find out information and tickets for Cartwheel here - https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:7075/

Find out information and tickets for HR: The Musical here - https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:7088/

Gilded Balloon 2026 programme – and book tickets here – https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

We would love to hear from you. Email us on [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @nofunnybusinesspod or https://www.instagram.com/nofunnybusinesspod/

Music composed by Lily Koren.

No Funny Business is produced for Gilded Balloon by Podcart. https://www.podcart.co.uk/