It's the last-ever It's Friday so Jim White and co-hosts Jaci Stephen, Adrian Thrills and Claudia Connell muse on their favourite movie and TV endings (and look back over a year of the podcast). Plus, Jim White interviews Lord Michael Cashman o

Kiki Dee on still sounding good in your 70s (and why she always kills Elton John's Christmas presents)

Aug 13th, 2020 23m 4s

Soul singer Kiki Dee gives Jim White the lowdown on her duets with Elton John and why she still sounds good after a career spanning six decades. Plus, as Ant and Dec return to our screens, Jim White, Adrian Thrills and Claudia Connell debate th

Thriller king Mark Billingham on his 20th novel (and his band the Fun Loving Crime Writers)

Aug 6th, 2020 23m 4s

Jim White talks to thriller writer Mark Billingham on taking his detective back to the 90s for his latest novel, and the surprising success of the band he formed with crime writers including Val McDermid and Chris Brookmyre. Plus, Jim, Jaci Ste

Comedian Ian Stone on how The Jam electrified a generation

Jul 29th, 2020 23m 57s

Jim White talks to comedian Ian Stone about his book, To Be Someone, which takes a sideways look at growing up in '70s Britain and listening to The Jam. Plus, Claudia Connell, Jaci Stephen and Adrian Thrills chew over this week's best music, fi

Queen of crime Val McDermid on how lockdown inspired her next novel

Jul 23rd, 2020 24m 10s

As Ronan Keating returns with a new album, Jim White, Claudia Connell and Brian Viner discuss the time Claudia met him (and was very disappointed). Jim speaks to crime queen Val McDermid, who has sold 16 million novels and inspired TV series su

Nigel Planer on how lockdown has devastated Britain's theatre industry

Jul 16th, 2020 22m 25s

Jim White talks to actor Nigel Planer about how lockdown has destroyed the lives of self-employed actors, and about his early days in comedy clubs where people didn't boo... they threw ashtrays. Plus, Brian Viner, Claudia Connell and Jaci Steph

Peter James on why he follows Hemingway’s advice: ‘Write drunk, edit sober’

Jul 9th, 2020 40m 57s

Jim White talks to crime author Peter James about his ‘back to front’ writing technique where he sits down to write at 6pm with a vodka martini. Plus, as Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher finally bury the hatchet, Brian Viner, Adrian Thrills a

Jenny Eclair on her new book on surviving the menopause (and why life is better in your 60s)

Jul 2nd, 2020 44m 10s

As cinemas reopen (minus the pick 'n' mix), Jim White, Claudia Connell and Brian Viner look at the entertainment on offer and wonder whether it will be enough to tempt Britain back away from the sofa. Plus Jim White talks to Jenni Eclair about

Thriller maestro Harlan Coben on suddenly having three hit Netflix series at once

Jun 25th, 2020 47m 38s

With no Glastonbury this year, Arian Thrills, Claudia Connell and Jim White revisit some of the best (and most excruciating) moments from Glastonbury past. Jim White interviews thriller king Harlan Coben, who has 70 million books in print, on h

Historian Bettany Hughes on losing her pants overboard while filming her new series in Greece

Jun 18th, 2020 51m 22s

As Britain bids farewell to music icon Vera Lynn, Jim White and Daily Mail music reviewer Adrian Thrills explore why the singer's popularity endured for nine decades. Plus, the ultimate summer films to stream as the weather (hopefully) warms up

KT Tunstall on why lockdown has made her reconnect with her fans

Jun 11th, 2020 48m 33s

Why have some TV shows adapted to lockdown gracefully (like Emmerdale), and then others turned into slow-motion car crashes (like Have I Got News For You?). Jim White, Brian Viner and Claudia Connell navigate the strange new landscape of televi

Peter May on 'Lockdown', his pandemic novel rejected for being 'too far-fetched'

Jun 4th, 2020 44m 7s

From the grim (but inspiring) Chernobyl to THAT proposal on Gavin and Stacey, this week's BAFTA nominations showcase a great year in telly. But have they got it right? Jim White, Brian Viner and Claudia Connell chew over this year's nominations

Is Thanos really the scariest screen villain of all time? No, Mr Bond...

May 28th, 2020 45m 6s

As a new poll wrongly suggests that Thanos from the Avengers is the best screen villain of all time, Jim White and guests dig deep to find some truly chilling screen baddies, from James Bond's Goldfinger to the icy Nurse Ratched from One Flew O

Artist Axel Scheffler on how his creation the Gruffalo beat Harry Potter

May 21st, 2020 46m 38s

His eyes are orange, his tongue is black... and he's been translated into more languages than the Harry Potter books. Jim White meets Axel Scheffler, the artist who drew The Gruffalo (and finds out why his original vision of the hirsute beast w

Author Ann Cleeves on her detective Vera Stanhope (and why Brenda Blethyn is ‘too good looking’)

May 14th, 2020 47m 33s

Eurovision’s been cancelled, but the international festival of pop cheese lives on online, and Jim White and guests Adrian Thrills and Claudia Connell are reliving some of the best (and most awful) moments - plus Father Ted’s timeless ‘My Lovel

Jeff Wayne on the return of War of the Worlds… and why we’re all still afraid of Martians

May 7th, 2020 47m 20s

It’s VE Day so Jim White, Brian Viner and Claudia Connell have the (metaphorical) bunting out and are digging in to a feast of World War 2 entertainment on our screens this weekend, from The Longest Day to ‘Allo ‘Allo. Jim White speaks to War o

Ruby Wax on the reason Donald Trump threw her off his private jet

Apr 30th, 2020 47m 30s

With no sign of a release date for lockdown Britain, Jim White, Adrian Thrills, Brian Viner and Claudia Connell are hunting for the best ways to enjoy entertainment together, from lockdown festivals to film-watching parties (and Brian recounts

As Britain binges record amounts of streaming TV, we sniff out the best lockdown comfort viewing

Apr 23rd, 2020 49m 51s

With no end in sight to Britain's lockdown, Jim White, Claudia Connell and Brian Viner turn to classic TV shows given a new lease of life on streaming services, and hunt down the perfect lockdown comfort viewing. Plus, comedian and author Viv G

The celebrities entertaining us in lockdown and the ones getting it VERY wrong (sorry, Naomi)

Apr 16th, 2020 46m 35s

We're nearing a month in lockdown, and Jim White, Claudia Connell and Adrian Thrills are marking off time in their domestic prisons by rating celebrities offering lockdown entertainment, from the inspiring... to the excruciating. Plus, author a

Thriller king David Baldacci on going from trial lawyer to writing 47 hit novels

Apr 9th, 2020 47m 57s

Jim White and guests Adrial Thrills, Brian Viner and Claudia Connell are banishing lockdown boredom by enjoying DIY entertainment, from virtual pub quizzes to a family that belt out Les Mis together. Jim interviews thriller maestro David Baldac

How to enjoy theatre, culture and walking tours... without ever leaving your sofa

Apr 2nd, 2020 46m 49s

Jim White and guests Claudia Connell and Brian Viner take a delightful walking tour of Paris, and then sit down for an evening of theatre... all without stirring from their sofas. Friday Night Dinner provides some much-needed laugher, and Jim i

Thriller king Linwood Barclay on why self-isolation is normal (if you're a novelist)

Mar 26th, 2020 44m 44s

After a week of self-isolation, Jim White and guests Claudia Connel and Brian Viner pick out the oddities and gems of entertainment they've found to stream online in these strange times. Plus thriller maestro Linwood Barclay reveals what noveli

As the world becomes obsessed with virus films, our critics pick the classics

Mar 19th, 2020 44m 43s

As 2011's Contagion becomes Warner's most-downloaded film (beating Harry Potter), Jim White and guests Brian Viner and Baz Bamigboye pick out the best fictional epidemic films. Plus, the best films to download while you self-isolate, and QI elf

Bill Oddie talks about life after the Goodies and dishes the dirt on his departure from Springwatch

Mar 12th, 2020 40m 51s

Jim White & guests Baz Bamigboye, Brian Viner & Claudia Connell on the hilarious trend ‘spoiler trailers’. Plus is Julian Fellow’s ‘Belgravia’ the new Downton Abbey? And Adrian Thrills on his best music picks this week.See omnystudio.com/listen

Griff Rhys Jones on still missing Mel Smith (but why his comedy partner's death came as no surprise)

Mar 5th, 2020 40m 25s

Jim White and guests Brian Viner and Claudia Connell on the growing trend of resurrecting dead A-listers for new tours and films (but should some stars be left to rest in peace?) Plus, is Military Wives the feel-good British film we all need ri