Pottering with Tom Allen

A delight this week to be joined in the garden by actor, writer and esteemed gentleman of comedy, Mark Gatiss!

You may perhaps know Mark as one quarter of The League of Gentlemen, star and co-creator of Sherlock and, most recently, the fabulous Bookish, with series two available to watch right now! 🕵️‍♂️👀

We reminisce about acting legends, Mark geeks out on all things James Bond and shares the results of his social media algorithm! We also find time to discuss the declines of linear television and phone sex, so as always, there really is something for everyone! ☎️

So, turn that jazz off, grab an umbrella and come Pottering with us. ☂️🎧

Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.🌻

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This week, I am joined in the garden by bona fide musical theatre royalty, the utterly fabulous Jenna Russell! 🎭🌿

A true West End icon, I have been a huge fan of Jenna’s for many, many years, so it was an absolute treat to sit down and talk all things theatre! From the thrill of performing live to the rather less glamorous matter of some very unexpected audience interruptions... We also bond over our shared love of Cockney Angela Lansbury and discuss the brave new world of the ‘visualised podcast’.

So, grab the Maltesers, no rustling please, take your seats before the overture, and come Pottering with us. ✨🪴

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen

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This week, I had the real treat of being joined in the garden by none other than Saturday Night Live sensation George Fouracres!

Perhaps best known for his prime ministerial impressions on SNL, George is also a master of the stage, regularly treading the boards at Shakespeare’s Globe, and a Cambridge Footlights alumnus no less! 🎭

It was a welcome surprise to discover that George and I have rather a lot in common, so expect conversations about top hats and starched collars, being eccentric teenagers, and the joy of Jeeves and Wooster. We also, of course, discuss the sublime success of SNL UK and touch upon George’s earliest memories in the garden with his grandparents. Just what kind of Irish his Grandad really is, well, perhaps we’ll never know...

So, don your top hat and tails, pull out the fine china, and let’s go Pottering.

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen

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Fresh from the Strictly ballroom and as fabulous as ever, it was an absolute treat to welcome my dear friend and Cooking With The Stars co-host, Emma Willis into the garden! 🌻
From NHS maternity wards to the Big Brother house, Emma really has done it all, so there was plenty to chat about. We covered the thrills of live television, the importance of a good bin and the undeniable power of a decent pair of Crocs, with a little sprinkling of glitterball gossip along the way, of course! 🪩✨

Now, pop the Parmigiana in the oven, pause your Paso Doble practice, and come Pottering with me. 🍆🪴

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please like and subscribe! @tomallen

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This week, dear listeners, I was joined in the garden by writer, broadcaster, musician and all-round delight, the Reverend Richard Coles! 🌿

You may know Richard from his hugely successful books, as one half of The Communards, or from his many TV and radio appearances, including, of course, a successful stint in the jungle and a perhaps slightly less successful turn in the Strictly ballroom.

Richard and I discovered we have plenty of shared eccentricities, so it was an absolute joy chatting about everything from childhood dreams of silk-lined cloaks and our mutual appreciation of the English language, to PJs (pyjamas and private jets).

So, don your kaftan, take a brief pause from your funeral planning, and join “Rev Rich” and me in the garden for some Pottering. 🪴

Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And do please like, subscribe or leave us a review!

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This week, I am joined in the garden by the wonderful Ranvir Singh! 🪴

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This week, I am joined in the garden by the utterly delightful Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins! 🌿

Mel and Sue are long-time friends, comedy partners and sure-fire national treasures! 🏆 It was such a joy to welcome them for a chat, compare tales of suburbia and hear all about their many fabulous adventures together!

We discuss tackling heatwaves in the garden, hungry cats and even hungrier beavers, and hear all about the exciting return of Win Win! 🍕🐈

So, grab your gardening gloves, jump on the nearest night bus, and come Pottering with us. 🪴🚌

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen

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This week, I am joined in the garden by star of stage and screen, Dorothy Atkinson! 

You may know Dorothy from the brilliant BBC hit series Ludwig, Mum or perhaps Mr Turner. She's also currently staring in Alan Ayckbourn’s How the Other Half Loves at the Old Vic Theatre, so please do check that out! 🎭

We chat freezing film sets, theatrical mishaps and taking Brief Encounter to Broadway, with David Bowie in the audience no less! Plus, growing up around a flower nursery. 💐

So, dig out your gardening gloves, put those cucumbers to one side, and come Pottering with us. 🥒

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please like and subscribe, @tomallen

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This week, I welcome someone particularly special into the garden, Uncle Andy! 🌿✨

A close family friend, Uncle Andy was the first person I knew who worked in the glittering world of show business and, to a tiny Tom Allen, proof that a life on the stage was possible! 🎭

We chat about his extraordinary years in the theatre, from eight shows a week with Angela Lansbury to working with THE Barbra Streisand. We also delve into Polari, the realities of being gay in the performing arts and take a truly delightful trip down memory lane. I do very much hope you enjoy!

So, curtains up! Grab yourself a freshly squeezed orange juice, settle into your finest chair, and come Pottering with us. 🪴

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen

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This week, I am joined in the garden by the wonderful JB Gill! 🚜

From boyband sensation JLS to The One Show sofa, there's plenty of reasons to know JB, and these days he’s just as at home in a pair of wellies as he is on stage! It was such a pleasure to have him pop by for a spot of Pottering. 🌱

We chat about boybands and barnyards, the beauty of bees, and teaching the next generation all about the countryside on CBeebies. We also hear about his appearance on ITV’s The Box which is all rather exciting!

So, without wanting to Beat Again around the bush, pull on your wellies, pop the kettle on and join us for some Pottering. 🪴

🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen

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