Description

"Thank you very much..."

Ask Elvis was one of the most popular features on one of the most popular radio shows - Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2.

Running from about 2005-14, a mystery voice brought back the omniscient Elvis to solve listeners' ailments, questions on quantum physics, advanced cookery, language issues... It was Encyclopaedia Brittanica meets the King.

Well, mystery no longer, as comedian and musician Mitch Benn lifts the quiff and the sunglasses to reveal the true identity behind Ask Elvis, readying for an Edinburgh Fringe show (and previews across the country through June and July) called Asking Elvis, with tales, revelations and re-enactments of those halcyon days when Elvis knew all.

In this extensive chat, we also look at Mitch's time on The Now Show and his involvement with The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

And your host Paul on his medical ups and downs - a stroke - that's delayed some of the research, but not for long. We're back in our 1920s timeline soon, or perhaps next time there'll be other events you can go to this year, from The Archers Live at 75 with Angela Barnes, to Prof John Wyver's early television conference in July, to Paul Kerensa's An Evening of (Very) Old Radio hitting Weston-super-Mare and other places. Links in the shownotes to these and more - do browse,

Now is a better time than usual to join our Patreon page. Why better? Well better for this podcast! Post-stroke, Paul's had to cancel  a lot of live events - the bread-and-butter of his work. One thing he can switch to is this podcast. So if you're on the fence about joining for £5/month, you'll help fund future episodes and keep Paul from having to retrain as a stick insect keeper (or something). Link in notes below - do consider joining us, and writings/videos/warmy fuzzy feeling of supporting this podcast and its research will all be yours!

And go and see Mitch this June-August 2026...

SHOWNOTES:

• Original podcast music is by Will Farmer. 
• Mitch Benn's show is Asking Elvis. Details of where/when and how to submit a question to Elvis on Mitch's website: https://www.mitchbenn.com/asking-elvis
• We don't include Ask Elvis clips, as it's the BBC's and it's recent. But I highly recommend you hear a bit, in clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FF3pn3YtKc&list=PLVp7MOaNulw5ROdpiC41yN4dL3BikL8OA
• Here's when your host Paul was a guest on Steve Wright in the Afternoon - it's Christmassy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06vzj2c
• We also mention The Archers Live at 75, on tour around the UK this year: https://www.fane.co.uk/the-archers
• And we mention Prof John Wyver's conference on early television, 2-3 July 2026 in central London: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/events/the-cultures-of-early-television
• See Paul on tour in An Evening of (Very) Old Radio (inc Westbury Festival on Thu 23 July and Blakehay Theatre, Weston-super-Mare on Wed 29 July) - or book it: paulkerensa.com/tour
• Our latest Substack: paulkerensa.substack.com
• Our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/bbcentury
• Find us on BlueSky: bsky.bbcentury.social
• Find Paul on Instagram: instagram.com/paulkerensa
• Join Paul's mailing list
• This podcast is not made by today's BBC. It's just about the old BBC.
• Support the podcast by joining as a Patreon subscriber - for extra videos, writings, readings etc: patreon.com/paulkerensa - £5/month, cancel whenever.
• Or support this project without that regularity, with a one-off tip: ko-fi.com/paulkerensa
• Please share/rate/review this podcast if you have a mo - it all helps.

Next time, Episode 122: We MIGHT be back in our chronological retelling in Nov 1923, launching the BBC's first relay station, Sheffield 6FL. Pending stroke recovery. Doing ok. But let's see. Or hear, next time on the podcast.

More on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio