Shows
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud: Chris Patten, Lord Patten of BarnesIt's More Rosebud, and our guest today is a political heavyweight. He was a member of parliament and cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, was the UK's last governor in Hong Kong, and then Chancellor of Oxford University. It's Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes. In this episode, Chris tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up in the west of London in a happy and loving Irish family with a jazz-musician father. He tells Gyles about working for Ted Heath and Margaret Thatcher, about Hong Kong and about his pride at having been involved in the Irish...2025-07-1557 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 19It's Gyles's first term at New College, Oxford, and in this episode we hear about what happens when the busiest man at Bedales takes on university life. And, needless to say, he hits the ground running. By the end of his first week he's had a few high-level meetings, met some influential and well-connected people, and had a tour of the Oxford Union. As the term progresses, he gives his maiden speech at the Union, writes his first article for the university magazine, and develops a crush on an unavailable fellow student. Plus some of your emails, some chat from...2025-07-0854 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir Gary OldmanOne of our most interesting, versatile and talented actors is Gyles's guest today: Sir Gary Oldman. In this very special, intimate and extensive conversation, Gary tells Gyles about his childhood in New Cross Gate in South London, growing up in a council flat with his sisters and his mum - his father left the family home when Gary was seven. He tells Gyles about his happy childhood, dressing up as a homemade batman and playing cricket in the streets with his friends. He tells Gyles about discovering the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and applying for drama school, and about...2025-07-041h 18
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Julia BairdIt's More Rosebud, and time for another guest with an unusual tale to tell. Julia Baird is the half-sister of John Lennon, and here she tells Gyles about her childhood, their mother (Julia Lennon, née Stanley) and what it was like to grow up alongside a future pop icon. John Lennon and Julia Baird's family was big, and complicated - their mother, Julia, was one of five girls. She met John Lennon's father, Alf Lennon, in the park when she was just 14, and the pair courted, and later married. John was born in 1940, but Alf got a job i...2025-07-0152 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 18 A treat for fans of Gyles's diaries, as this week we've got another edition of the gap year diaries... so that's two in a row! In this episode, we start off with a visit from the writer/performer Tama Matheson, who brought Beethoven to life so brilliantly on an episode of More Rosebud a couple of weeks ago. Tama tells Gyles and Harriet about his forthcoming show about Beethoven: 'I Shall Hear in Heaven', on 6 and 8 August, tickets are available from www.operahollandpark.com. Then we get into Gyles's diaries. In this episode, Gyles visits Texas...2025-06-241h 11
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 17Another bumper episode of Gyles's diaries, featuring lots of chat, more diaries, and a gorgeous listener email and poem from Alex and Isabella Porter. Gyles continues his travels around the USA - he finishes his teaching job in Baltimore, and begins travelling around the US, going to Washington DC, New York City and Canada - where he visits Expo '67. Gyles tells Harriet about his wealthy ancestor, the great Dr. Benjamin Brandreth, inventor of "Brandreth's Pills" and creator of the family fortune. This leads Gyles and Harriet to come up with their own invention... stay tuned to find out...2025-06-171h 06
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethAlison SteadmanThe brilliant actress Alison Steadman tells Gyles about her life and career. There are some really enchanting stories in this episode from her childhood in Liverpool - from the romantic way her parents met, to her adventures looking for buried treasure in the local recreation ground and her love for her pet rabbit, Skipper - this is an evocative listen. Alison tells Gyles about her childhood talent for impressions and how this led her to join Liverpool Youth Theatre and eventually go to drama school in Essex. While there, she met Mike Leigh, with whom she created many of her...2025-06-1352 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Rose BoytRose Boyt tells Gyles about her unconventional childhood, and about her experiences of being parented by - and painted by - her father Lucian Freud, the celebrated modern artist. This is an extraordinary story: even Gyles is bowled over by the twists and turns of Rose's childhood. Rose's parents were Lucian Freud and the artist Susie Boyt, with whom Freud had three other children. He also had many other children with other women - 14 children in all - and was never a conventional husband or father to any of them. But he was brilliant - dazzlingly entertaining, talented, intelligent...2025-06-101h 07
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethJoJo SiwaJoJo Siwa is Rosebud's youngest ever guest - she's only 22 years old. But she's been famous since she was 9, and a megastar since she was 12, when her first single "Boomerang" went viral. The video for that song was viewed over 1 billion times. Now JoJo is all grown up and, fresh from her appearance in Celebrity Big Brother, she has a new record out: "Bulletproof". Gyles is fascinated by child stars: what drives them, and how do they cope? In this conversation - the only podcast interview JoJo is doing in the UK - JoJo talks about...2025-06-061h 05
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 16This is a fun episode of diaries, as we hear about the gap year travels not only of Gyles, but also of Harriet too. Because she has finally dug out an old diary, and shares a few entries with Gyles at the beginning of today's show - and they're from her gap year, which was partly spent travelling in India. Then we get stuck into Gyles's travels, which were in the U.S. We hear about his job, teaching in a school in Baltimore, his trip to New York City to stay with some relations, his Aunt Polly's funeral...2025-06-031h 02
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Brandreth meets BeethovenWe've got something quite unique for you this week: an episode of More Rosebud, in which Gyles meets one of the greatest composers who ever lived : Ludwig Van Beethoven. In this fascinating conversation, Gyles will find out about Beethoven's first memory, his challenging childhood in which he was forced to play the piano by his drunken father, and his ascent to genius, both aided and hampered by his encroaching deafness. In this conversation, Beethoven is brought to life by the writer and performer, Tama Matheson. What you are going to hear is a classic...2025-05-271h 17
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 15The second half of 1966 - Marlene Dietrich, university interviews, and the final goodbyes.This is a roller-coaster episode of Gyles's diaries, which is full of incident. Encouraged by his mother, Gyles goes on a charitable summer camp to Kent and doesn't enjoy it; there is a scandal at school while he is preparing for his Oxford entrance exam; he and Simon Cadell see Marlene Dietrich live in Golders Green and, in a moving finale, he leaves Bedales for good and gets goodbye letters from some old friends. Plus Gyles and Harriet chat. NB in this episode there...2025-05-201h 05
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - The Lost Coat EpisodeIf you're an avid Rosebud listener, you may remember a listener email we read out back in episode 5 of Gyles's diaries, from Harry Scoble. Harry wrote in to say that he'd left a coat in a taxi with Gyles back in 2002 and that he'd wished he had come to collect it from Gyles's house all those years ago, but had never got round to it. Gyles had then told Harriet that he thought he might still have the coat, on a clothes rail in his Jumper Room. In this episode, Harry comes to Gyles's house, and we solve the...2025-05-1347 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir David SuchetThe great actor Sir David Suchet is Gyles's guest today: and this conversation gets behind Hercule Poirot - Sir David's most famous role - and delves into David's childhood, his schooldays and his early acting career at the National Youth Theatre and the RSC. Gyles finds out about David's difficult relationship with his father, the great doctor, Jack Suchet. He finds out about his close relationship with his mother and his grandparents, and the influence they had on him. He finds out about David's schooldays, his prowess on the rugby pitch, and how a teacher at school spotted his...2025-05-091h 08
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 14: the first half of 1966 - A-levels, a trip to Paris, and the end of an eraThis edition of Gyles's diary takes us up to the end of Gyles's final year at Bedales in the summer of 1966; so this really is the end of an era. And Gyles finds it very moving to look back at these closing moments of his schooldays. He says farewell to the 101 year-old founder of the school, Mr Badley, and makes plans for his university years and the future with his headmaster, Mr Slack. There is the usual whirlwind of activity - somehow, while revising for his A-levels, Gyles manages to fit in two school plays, some research on the...2025-05-061h 01
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRachael StirlingOur guest today is Rachael Stirling: the brilliant theatrical actress and one of the stars of BBC comedy Detectorists, who is currently on stage in London in Giant, about the writer Roald Dahl. Gyles and Rachael begin by talking about a memorable conversation Gyles had with Rachael's mother, the great actress Dame Diana Rigg, when he interviewed her 25 years ago. And this interview with Rachael is no less memorable: it's a fascinating discussion of her childhood, her complex relationship with her mother, and her parents' divorce. It's a frank discussion of her first sexual...2025-05-021h 07
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Lynda La PlanteLynda La Plante - the writer, producer and creator of landmark dramas Widows and Prime Suspect - is Gyles's guest today. Lynda is the powerhouse behind some of the UK's most watched television, and she's also the powerhouse behind this episode of Rosebud - which is full of brilliant stories to make you gasp, laugh and cry. From her childhood growing up on the outskirts of Merseyside in a family tainted by tragedy, to her days at Rada and her first career as an actress, to her experiences trying to conceive and finally adopting her son - Gyles hears...2025-04-291h 06
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSimon Armitage, The Poet LaureateIt's the week of William Shakespeare's birthday, so Gyles has poetry on his mind... and we thought we'd celebrate with a special conversation recorded with Simon Armitage, who has been Poet Laureate since 2019. Gyles finds out about Simon's childhood and early days, when he played out on the moors with his friends, watched TV and read comics... long before he became turned on to poetry by reading Ted Hughes. Gyles hears about Simon's parents, his love of indy music, and his first career as a probation officer. Gyles and Simon talk about poetry, about Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney...2025-04-251h 00
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 13: the second half of 1965 - adventures in Switzerland, school reports and a family argumentWe begin this episode of Gyles's diary in Switzerland, where he's spending the summer as an au pair to the family of the Head of the Swiss Army. He beats the President of Switzerland at cards and attends an underwhelming 'son et lumiere'. Back in England, Gyles returns to another busy term at Bedales, in which he carries on his relationship with Sally and tries to reconcile that with his endless school projects: this term he's arranging activities for the children in the younger years, to involve them more in the life of the school. Plus, Gyles's sisters have...2025-04-2240 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir Tim RiceSir Tim Rice, lyricist extraordinaire, is Gyles's guest today. Tim is one of the few people in the entertainment world to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award, and his songs for shows like Joseph, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess and the Lion King are known and loved all around the world. And yet Sir Tim remains modest and charming, as you'll hear in this conversation - perhaps thanks to the good manners he inherited from his father. Tim tells Gyles about his childhood, his schooldays at Lancing College and how, despite his lack...2025-04-1859 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethBrian CoxBrian Cox is one of the finest classical actors of his generation. Fans of Succession will of course know him for his portrayal of the ruthless media mogul, Logan Roy, but in this interview we go back to the beginning of Cox's long career, which has its roots deeply in theatre. We also go back to his childhood in Dundee, which was unusual and somewhat solitary. Brian talks to Gyles about his early years, the death of his father when he was very young, and his mother's subsequent struggles with mental illness and depression. He talks about his early...2025-04-1159 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 12: the first half of 1965 - Debs' Delights, Gyles's 17th birthday, and Churchill's funeralAfter a three-week wait, we're back with another episode of the young Gyles Brandreth's diary. In these extracts, which take us up to the start of the summer holidays, 1965, Gyles turns 17, is given a three-foot long bar of chocolate, and continues with his impressively busy school life. He's got himself an office and a few new jobs: running the school bookshop and organising the cycling proficiency lessons for the younger students. He's also organising Mr Badley's 100th birthday celebrations, and putting on another successful school production. He also goes to London to be a Debs' Delight. This is a...2025-04-0849 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGrand National special - Sam Waley-Cohen, champion jockeyIn a complete one-off, Rosebud is releasing an episode on a Saturday, because our guest is the 2022 Grand National winner, and two-times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Sam Waley-Cohen. Sam is an amateur jockey, but is one of the most successful Grand National riders of all time, and finally won the race in his last ever race with the 50 to one shot horse Noble Yeats in 2022. Sam talks to Gyles about what it takes to make a great partnership with a horse, how to find the best starting position, the challenges of the Grand National, and also about...2025-04-0544 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSue PerkinsWe're really delighted that Sue Perkins is our guest on Rosebud this week, and this is a special conversation. Gyles and Sue have known and worked with each other for years on shows like Radio 4's Just a Minute, which Sue now hosts, so this conversation about Sue's first memories, family history, childhood and student days is intimate, honest, and at times very moving. Sue tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up in a close but slightly sheltered family in south London. She tells Gyles about being left-handed, about playing the flute and about her first boyfriend. She talks...2025-04-041h 06
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir Grayson PerryToday Gyles speaks to a remarkable person: Sir Grayson Perry. Artist, presenter, thinker and fashion icon, Perry is a unique figure who has led an unusual life. Grayson was born and brought up in Chelmsford, but his father left the family when Grayson was only four years old, and his mother married the local milkman - a Tom Jones lookalike with an unpredictable temper. Grayson talks to Gyles about the effect this lonely and unsettled childhood had on him: this is a moving episode. Gyles also asks Grayson about his transvestism and about his art. We hope you enjoy...2025-03-281h 07
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud: First memories from John Humphrys, Dame Jacqueline Wilson and more...In this episode you join Gyles and Harriet at the Oldie of the Year lunch, where Harriet asks some of the guests at the event for their first memories. Including memories from Radio 4 legend John Humphrys, children's writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson, choreographer Arlene Philips, actress Nanette Newman and 102 year-old skydiver Manette Baillie. Plus some chat from Gyles and Harriet and one of your emails, about synaesthesia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-03-2533 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 11: the second half of 1964 - a road trip, election fever and school reportsWe're back, diary fans, with another instalment from Gyles's diary. This one starts in the 1964 summer holidays, Gyles is 16, and he's off on a road trip with his Canadian cousin Johnnie. Gyles is not impressed. In the autumn it's time for the General Election and, at Bedales, the school mock election, in which Gyles is running as the Conservative candidate. He's also appearing as Isaac Newton in the school play, taking over the school magazine, and getting his O-level results. As usual, there's never a dull moment. This episode also features an extended chat from Gyles and Harriet at...2025-03-1854 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Professor Brett Kahr: Freudian PsychotherapistIn another special episode dedicated to the how, what and why of memory, Gyles talks to his long-time friend and colleague Professor Brett Kahr. Professor Kahr is a practising psychotherapist and an expert on Sigmund Freud, the father of psychotherapy and the inventor of the "talking cure". In this fascinating conversation, Gyles and Prof. Kahr take a detailed look at the power of childhood memories, particularly traumatic ones, to effect our adult lives, and the benefits to be had from examining them and learning from them. Brett also tells Gyles about Freud himself, how he developed his ideas and...2025-03-1155 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethJosh WiddicombeGyles is talking to one of his favourite comedians in today's Rosebud - Josh Widdicombe. Josh tells Gyles about his early days growing up in Devon; about his charismatic father, his clever mum, and his chain-smoking grandmother who lived next-door and delighted him with tales of her acting days. Gyles hears about Josh's youthful obsessions: pop culture, TV, Plymouth Argyle and marbles, and about how they inspired Josh's later career as a comedian and writer. He hears about Josh's university days and how he started to do stand-up. Finally, Josh opens up about his struggles with anxiety and panic...2025-03-071h 01
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 10: the first half of 1964 - O-levels, A Study in Sherlock, and lessons learntWe've another action-packed episode of Gyles's teenage diary for you, diary fans. The young Brandreth continues to busy himself on multiple fronts - with drama, journalism and politics. As his form teacher says in his report: "Gyles appears to be a person of boundless energy and enthusiasm..." But all is not entirely plain-sailing in this episode, as Gyles gets involved in a scandal at school and learns a painful lesson, with the help of his extremely understanding teachers. If you're enjoying the diaries but haven't heard them all, you can go back to the start - they're all marked...2025-03-0450 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSigourney WeaverRosebud is thrilled to present to you one of the truly great Hollywood actresses of her generation: Sigourney Weaver. Known for her groundbreaking performances as Ripley in Ridley Scott's Alien movies, Sigourney redefined what women could do in the movies. Sigourney talks to Gyles about her fascinating parents - her father, Pat Weaver, was a leading US television executive who pioneered morning television, and her mother, the English actress Elizabeth Inglis. She tells Gyles how she came by her name, and about her first kiss, and how she struggled to get used to her height. She talks about beginning...2025-02-281h 07
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir James DysonSir James Dyson talks to Gyles about his remarkable journey: from academic under-achiever to one of the world's most successful inventors and businessmen. Sir James takes us back to the start, when he was a schoolboy at Gresham's School in Norfolk, the son of a schoolteacher, until he was blindsided by the tragic death of his father when he was only nine. Was it this early bereavement that set him apart, and encouraged his desire to be independent, to be different? Or was it his love of the solitude of long-distance running, or his unusual talent for art and...2025-02-2157 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 9: the second half of 1963 - Twelfth Night, Kennedy's assassination, and moreAfter the relationship turbulence of the first six months of the year (you can hear all about that in the last episode - episode 8), our hero, the 15 year-old Gyles, sensibly turns his attention away from romance and onto other things. The most pressing one being his upcoming performance in the school production of Twelfth Night. Can he follow the advice of his drama teacher and learn to act "from the inside out?" And stop putting on silly voices and being a ham? Meanwhile, there's major news on the international stage as President John F Kennedy is shot while riding...2025-02-1849 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Posting Letters to the Moon - the letters of Celia Johnson and Peter Fleming, with Lucy Fleming and Simon WilliamsLucy Fleming and Simon Williams give Rosebud a truly romantic Valentine's treat today, as they read the wartime letters of Lucy's parents: Celia Johnson, the great actress and star of Brief Encounter, and Peter Fleming, writer and older brother of Ian Fleming. The letters you hear in this episode were written from 1940 until VE Day, while Peter was away in Burma and India, working for Lord Wavell, and Celia was at home looking after their young son and becoming known as a film actress. In 1945 she plays the lead in Brief Encounter, one of the greatest British films ever...2025-02-1156 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRosebud on the Road: Mark GatissMark Gatiss: actor, writer, producer, director and creator - this is someone who makes Gyles Brandreth look like an under-achiever! From The League of Gentlemen, to Doctor Who, Sherlock and the Christmas Ghost Stories, Mark has been behind some of the most distinctive and original television of recent times. He's also an actor - recently winning awards for his portrayal of Sir John Gielgud in Jack Thorne's The Motive and The Cue. And it goes without saying that he's a fascinating person, with a fascinating story to tell. In this episode, which was recorded live at The Orange Tree...2025-02-0754 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 8: the first half of 1963 - sexual politics at Bedales and beyondYou're in luck, diary fans, as this is one of the most enthralling episodes yet of Gyles's schoolboy diaries. It's the first half of 1963 and at school, Gyles is learning that relationships are complicated things, and that it's not usually OK to love two people at the same time. Outside school, the sexual revolution is beginning and Britain is gripped by the Profumo affair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-02-0451 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethVanessa FeltzIn this episode, Vanessa Feltz wows Gyles with some of the funniest stories he's ever heard on Rosebud: from a first kiss with Pete Tong by the pool in Lanzarote, to an illicit encounter with a stranger who was bowled over by the magnificence of her bosom... this show is full of laughs and brilliant anecdotes. Vanessa takes Gyles two generations back in the Feltz family, to her grandparents and great grandparents in the tenements of the East End, and brings these extraordinary characters to life. She tells Gyles about her own childhood in the 'Beverley Hills of North...2025-01-311h 08
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Paul McKenna: Power ManifestingIn this episode of More Rosebud, the hypnotist and self-help writer Paul McKenna talks to Gyles about a subject you may have heard about before on Rosebud: manifesting. Plus he also tells Gyles about his early life, how he became a hypnotist, and he shows Gyles some relaxation techniques. So beware, this episode may make you exceedingly relaxed! Make sure you aren't driving or operating machinery while listening. Paul's book, Power Manifesting, is out now. Cue the music! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2025-01-2859 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethKrishnan Guru-MurthyKrishnan Guru-Murthy has been presenting the news on Channel 4 since 1998, but his career began long before that, when he was only a teenager. In fact, Gyles is a bit jealous when he finds out that Krishnan was even younger than him when he first appeared on TV! In this interview, Gyles also learns about the fascinating story of Krishnan's parents, how they met, and his father's inspirational journey from extreme poverty to NHS consultant. Krishnan talks about growing up in Lancashire in the 80s, his success at school and the racism in the playground, and then tells Gyles how...2025-01-2455 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 7: the second half of 1962 - summer holidays in Paris and a part in the Bedales school playWelcome to part 7 of Gyles reading from the diaries he has kept since he was 10. Gyles is now 14, and a pupil at Bedales, a progressive Hampshire boarding school populated by many CND-supporting teachers and the children of liberal-minded, artistic parents. In this episode we hear about Gyles's summer holidays, spent on his own in Paris, learning French and staying in a boarding house. We hear about his success in the school production. We hear about his teachers - many of whom are "very CND" and some of whom are, shock horror, vegetarian. We hear Gyles's review of the best...2025-01-2132 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethDame Penelope WiltonWe're honoured to have the great Dame Penelope Wilton as our very special guest on Rosebud today, in a rare podcast interview for this distinguished and well-loved actress. Penelope talks to Gyles about her happy childhood, in and around Knightsbridge and Kensington in London - we find out about her interesting neighbours, Mr Onion and the one-armed colonel. She tells Gyles about her mother's illness and her unhappy time at boarding school. She talks about her drama school days, and her breakthrough role in Harold Pinter's classic play Betrayal at the National Theatre. She talks about the roles on...2025-01-1749 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Danny BakerDanny Baker tells Gyles his extraordinary rags to riches story - from a council house in Bermondsey to partying with Elton John and Rod Stewart. He tells Gyles about his extraordinary father, Spud Baker. He also talks about getting cancer, and about getting cancelled, and how he survived both by being a "natural born Pollyanna". This story is full of wit, charm, funny stories, and Danny's characteristic ebullience. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-01-141h 01
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir Vivian RichardsOur guest today is a sporting legend, and one of cricket's all-time greats: Sir Vivian Richards. Sir Vivian talks to Gyles about his childhood in the close-knit community on the island of Antigua, the discipline and faith he was given by his parents, his early memories of practising his batting technique in his bedroom mirror and his dramatic first international match for Antigua. He tells Gyles how he made it to Somerset, about the racism he experienced and about his close friendship with Ian Botham. Sir Vivian is not only a legendary sportsman; you will meet in this interview...2025-01-101h 03
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 6: the first half of 1962 - more Bedales adventuresThis is episode 6 of Gyles reading from his schoolboy diaries. He's still at Bedales, and settling in - getting his newspaper delivered every morning, dining like a king at Sunday breakfast (soft white rolls with honey and marmite) and being entered into poetry reading competitions. He also carries on with his hobbies - theatre-going, reading and politics. We hope you enjoy these snapshots of a different time - if you've only just discovered these, go back to episode 1 of the diaries to hear it from the start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...2025-01-0737 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethDame Mary BerryWhen we tell you that today's guest brought a delicious coffee cake along to the Rosebud recording, you'll know it could only be one woman: Dame Mary Berry. In this wide-ranging and frequently very touching conversation, Gyles and Dame Mary talk about her life and times - from her childhood as a naughty schoolgirl nicknamed 'Scruffy' to her success as a cook, writer and educator. Gyles finds out about the inspirational teacher who encouraged Mary to start cooking, he hears about Mary's days starting out in her career, living in London with a flat full of girlfriends, and he...2024-12-2055 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - James Rebanks: the shepherd's life and timesOur guest on More Rosebud today is James Rebanks, sheep-farmer and writer of best-selling books 'The Shepherd's Life' and 'English Pastoral', as well as a brand new book 'The Place of Tides'. James has lived and worked on the Cumbrian Lakeland fells since he was a boy, and farms the same hillside at Matterdale as his family have for the past 600 years. In this conversation he tells Gyles about his boyhood, being inspired to read The Odyssey and Hemingway by his mum and headteacher, about dropping out of school and his rebellious teenagehood, and about how he went back...2024-12-1757 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Gyles's diary, episode 5: the second half of 1961 - Gyles's first term at Bedales.Another foray into Gyles's schoolboy diaries today, and this time it's the second half of 1961. In this chapter we find out what happens when Gyles starts at his new secondary school, Bedales, a pioneering liberal arts boarding school near Petersfield in Hampshire. How will Gyles cope with the ardous programme of 'outdoor work' which is part of his new timetable? Will he get a girlfriend? What will his new teachers make of him? Gyles and Harriet discuss all this and more... and they uncover the identity of a mysterious coat which has been at Gyles's house for over twenty...2024-12-1034 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Gyles's talk at the Henley Literary FestivalToday's Rosebud is an enormously entertaining talk given by Gyles at the Henley Literary Festival. Ostensibly about Gyles's books - Prose and Cons, a History of the English Language in Just a Minute, and Breaking the Code: Gyles's diaries from his days as an MP - this talk is actually much more than that. In true Gyles style, it is full of amazing anecdotes, beginning with some brilliant stories about Dame Maggie Smith, who died the day before this talk was given. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this fun hour with the master raconteur. Learn...2024-12-0356 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Gyles's diary, episode 4: the first half of 1961 - Gyles's last two terms at prep school.Another treat for you today, as Gyles carries on reading from his childhood diaries and discusses things with Harriet. In this chapter we join Gyles as he prepares to leave his prep school, Betteshanger, in Kent. Gyles performs in Twelfth Night, strikes up a friendship with the man who works the school boiler, becomes a prefect and spends his easter holidays being a waiter in a hotel in Bournemouth. Quite a busy schedule for someone who is only just 13! We hope you enjoy these diary episodes - we're getting a lot of great feedback - so...2024-11-2640 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMichael Ball and Alfie BoeThis week we welcome the singers Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. Ball and Boe have been singing together for ten years, and are about to release their sixth album, but in this conversation Gyles takes them right back to the beginning. We hear about Alfie's childhood, growing up as the youngest in a family of nine in a council house in the north-west, about how he was discovered as he sang to himself at work as a mechanic, about his first girlfriend and the death of his father. Michael tells Gyles about his unhappy school days, his wild years...2024-11-221h 02
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore... Elizabeth McGovernToday on More Rosebud Gyles talks to the American actress, singer-songwriter and star of Downton Abbey Elizabeth McGovern. In this conversation they talk about Elizabeth's childhood in a Bohemian and bookish household - first in Illinois and then in Los Angeles. They talk about the formative friendship of her adolescence. They talk about her sudden rise to fame: she was discovered as a teenager and cast in Robert Redford's Oscar-winning debut, Ordinary People; and they talk about the effect of fame on a young person. Gyles and Elizabeth also discuss how she met and married her British film-director husband...2024-11-191h 03
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethPrue LeithThis week we welcome the restaurateur, entrepreneur, cook, writer and judge of Great British Bake Off Prue Leith onto Rosebud. Prue tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up under apartheid in South Africa; she reveals how she joined the boy scouts, became president of the tree-climbing club, and confronted the headmistress at her religious school with a shocking revelation. She and Gyles talk about her year in Paris learning French, the lightbulb moment in which she discovered her love of food, and the early years of setting up her first restaurant in London. This is a fascinating conversation about...2024-11-1556 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud... Gyles's diary, episode 3: The second half of 1960 - Gyles goes on summer holidays to Germany and FranceExciting news: it's time for the next instalment of Gyles's schoolboy diaries. In this episode, the young GB goes on his holidays, to Germany and then, unaccompanied, to Paris. We also hear about his attempts to smuggle a copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover into his boarding school. P.S Harriet got a bit of ahead of herself and released this on a Monday instead of a Tuesday by mistake! Enjoy it a day early, your special Rosebud bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast...2024-11-1128 min
Commonwealth Poetry PodcastRemembrance Sunday Special EpisodeIn this episode we listen back to Gyles and Aphra Brandreth’s interview with HRH The Duke of Kent, former President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Royal biographer Hugo Vickers. Sharing a bonus poem read by Gyles, this is a special episode re-released for Remembrance Sunday.2024-11-1041 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethAlan TitchmarshAlan Titchmarsh has been gardening since he was a child, and in this special episode of Rosebud (recorded live in Salisbury in aid of Arundells, the former home of Sir Edward Heath) he tells Gyles about how he grew his first flowers from a packet of seeds bought at Woolworths. Alan also talks about leaving school at 15, his first kiss and the only lie he ever told. The episode ends with a treat: Alan reads one of his poems to Gyles and the audience. Alan Titchmarsh is one of our best-loved broadcasters, and this is a wonderful conversation. Enjoy...2024-11-0856 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore... Kate MosseOn today's episode of More Rosebud, we meet the bestselling writer and literary powerhouse Kate Mosse. Kate's historical novels have been global hits, and her much-loved classic Labyrinth is 20 next year. She talks to Gyles about her new book, The Map of Bones, the final novel in her series The Joubert Family Chronicles, which, it turns out, is set in a town in South Africa where Gyles once considered buying a house! But more than that, Gyles and Kate discuss Kate's first memories, her happy childhood growing up to loving and community-minded parents in a close...2024-11-0556 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethGyles's diary, episode 2: the first half of 1960 - further adventures at prep schoolIt's time for episode two of Gyles's childhood diaries. It's 1960, he's eleven going on twelve, and still a pupil at boarding school in Kent. We hear about how Gyles met T.S. Eliot and got the Archbishop of Canterbury's autograph. We hear about his hatred of games and his sudden attack of appendicitis. We also hear about Gyles's English teacher, whose behaviour towards Gyles becomes increasingly inappropriate. Listeners should be aware that there is some discussion of issues relating to the sexual abuse of minors in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...2024-10-2943 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRick SteinRick Stein is one of Britain's best-loved chefs. He's also a highly successful businessman, restaurateur, writer and TV presenter, who has single-handedly put Padstow on the map. HIs warm, down-to-earth manner and infectious curiosity about food have made him a star. What you may not know is that, surprise surprise, he and Gyles know each other - they were actually at Oxford University together in the 60s. But Rick's route to Oxford was highly unconventional, and in this conversation he tells Gyles about his lack of academic success, the death of his father, his two years spent travelling and "...2024-10-2555 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethDame Harriet WalterDame Harriet Walter is one of the UK's most distinguished stage actresses, and an award-winning star of Ted Lasso and Succession. In this candid interview, she talks to Gyles about her parents' divorce, her teenage struggles with mental health, and her famous uncle, Christopher Lee. She describes her first experiences of acting at school, and how her headteacher spotted her talent and encouraged it. Make sure you listen to the end, to hear Harriet amaze Gyles with some Shakespeare. Harriet's brilliant book, 'She Speaks' is a daring and inventive collection of speeches for Shakespeare's female characters...2024-10-181h 00
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMore Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 1: 1959 - starting prep schoolThis is the first of our episodes in which Gyles reads from his childhood diaries, and Gyles and Harriet discuss the events therein. In this episode, Gyles starts reading from the beginning: Tuesday 28th April 1959, his first day at Betteshanger School in Kent, and ends on 31st December 1959. How did Gyles settle into school? Did he get a part in the school play, Tom Sawyer? Did he like his teachers? And what were his top 10 TV shows of 1959? Listen to find out about all this and more. We'll continue with Gyles's diary in a couple of weeks' time, so...2024-10-1532 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethPam AyresGet ready for a really wonderful edition of Rosebud, with the poet and performer Pam Ayres. Pam makes Gyles laugh and cry with the stories from her fascinating life. Pam paints vivid pictures of her childhood, growing up in relative poverty in a big family in an insular village in rural Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). All the family's food was grown in the back garden, there was no hot water, the family shared beds and the toilet was a bucket. She tells Gyles about the games she played, the first boyfriend she had, and about her first job. She tells...2024-10-111h 10
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSandi ToksvigSandi Toksvig is someone we've wanted to have on Rosebud for a long time... so we're really delighted that she's today's guest! Sandi talks to Gyles about her amazing father, the most famous man in Denmark; she tells Gyles about her fascinating childhood, spent in Africa, the USA and the UK. She talks about playing hooky from school, about getting found out and being sent to boarding school, where she spent four miserable years. She shocks Gyles with her description of the prejudice she discovered was still alive and well when she was at university. This is as witty...2024-10-0457 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethTom Parker BowlesGyles's guest this week is Tom Parker Bowles, food writer, critic, son of Queen Camilla and step-son of King Charles III. Tom tells Gyles about his idyllic country childhood, being stung by wasps, eating sweets and messing about with friends. He talks about the terrible food at his prep school and the much more delicious things on offer in the tuck shop at Eton, where he went next. He tells Gyles about his new book - Cooking and the Crown - and explains how his family have managed to stay normal, despite their fame... and he tells Gyles what...2024-09-271h 06
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRochelle HumesRochelle Humes: popstar, business woman, TV personality, wife and mother. Gyles and Rochelle know each other from This Morning, but in this chat Gyles finds out much more about the person behind the success story. Rochelle tells him about her childhood, growing up in a single parent family in Essex. She tells him about her early experiences on stage in the West End, and how she auditioned for S Club Juniors and became famous as a tweenager. She talks about her time in The Saturdays and tells Gyles how she met and married Marvin Humes, who was at that...2024-09-201h 00
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethStephen FryIt's a big moment for Rosebud, because in this episode Gyles talks to Stephen Fry about his first memories. As you can imagine, this is a brilliant conversation, as Stephen tells Gyles about his parents and their remarkable marriage, his childhood, schooldays, how he went slightly "off the rails" as a teenager and then got things back on track at Cambridge. There are various detours, via Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare and Derek Nimmo's nose. Thank you to Stephen for his warmth and generosity in this chat. Stephen is doing a special one-off performance at the Royal Albert...2024-09-131h 10
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethThe Memory Man - Professor Jon Simons, cognitive neuroscientist and head of the Cambridge Memory LabRosebud is a year old, so it's time for something a little bit different: to round off our first year, Gyles is talking to Professor Jon Simons - who is a world expert in memory, and the head of a specialist research lab at Cambridge University called The Cambridge Memory Lab. What is memory? Where are memories stored, and how are they formed? Why do we remember some things and not others? How far back is it posslble to remember? And what can we do to improve our memories as we age? These, and other, questions...2024-08-301h 04
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMichael RosenMichael Rosen is one of Britain's most popular poets - his poetry is loved by children all round the world, either through Michael's brilliant performances of them on YouTube and in primary schools, or because they are classics, like 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Michael is also an old friend of Gyles's and a great storyteller, and this episode is slightly longer than our usual because it's full of such great stories. Michael takes Gyles from his childhood in Pinner, where he grew up up in a family full of jokes, mysterious Yiddish expressions and poetry, to his...2024-08-161h 08
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethAled JonesAled Jones has been famous since he was only 13, when he was a choirboy at Bangor Cathedral in North Wales with a beautiful voice. In this interview he tells Gyles about his first ever public performance, in a village hall on Anglesey; about how he was discovered and asked to record an album, and about his incredible, and rapid, rise to fame. The next 4 years were a whirlwind - trips to London to be on Wogan, best-selling albums and Top of the Pops, a concert in the Hollywood Bowl in LA, singing at Paula Yates and Bob Geldof's wedding...2024-08-091h 09
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethAnne ReidJoining Gyles this week is is one of Britain's best loved actresses, Anne Reid. Anne's long career began when a teacher at school persuaded her to apply for RADA at only 16, and after a stint in weekly rep and appearances on The Benny Hill Show and Hancock's Half Hour, she became a household name as Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street in the 60s, and then as a regular performer with Victoria Wood in the 80s. But it is arguably in later life that Anne has had the most notable, and interesting, roles in series like Last Tango In Halifax...2024-08-0254 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRichard AyoadeRichard Ayoade is Gyles's guest this week. A director, writer and actor, Ayoade is well known for his portrayal of Maurice Moss in cult sitcom The I.T. Crowd. He's also an acclaimed film director (the award-winning Submarine was his debut, and his next film The Double starred Jesse Eisenberg), a writer of books, and a TV personality. Gyles and Richard have a connection - Richard is a friend of Gyles's son, Benet, and they talk about their first meeting back when Richard was a teenager. They talk about Richard's childhood, his parents, his schooldays and how he met...2024-07-261h 01
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethIt's our 50th episode! Dame Maureen LipmanIt's a big day for Rosebud, as it's our 50th episode. No, we can't quite believe it either! We started Rosebud in September 2023 with Dame Judi Dench, and so we wanted to bring you another theatrical dame for our 50th show. And so it's with pride that we give you one of our greatest actresses, and an old friend of Gyles's, Dame Maureen Lipman. Maureen tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up in a close Jewish family in Hull. Maureen's mother used to encourage her to perform for her friends when they came over for drinks, and Maureen's gift...2024-07-191h 07
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethOmid DjaliliThe comedian, actor, star of The Mummy, and activist Omid Djalili talks to Gyles about his life and memories. From his childhood, growing up in an unconventional home in Kensington surrounded by the Iranian convalescents his parents took in as guests, to discovering his skill for comedy at secondary school, to his days at university in Northern Ireland and a scary experience being shot at on a beach, this is a rich and entertaining episode. Gyles and Omid explore faith, divine intervention, the Baha'i religion, how it's possible to have a fabulous second act... and much more. Omid is...2024-07-1256 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethKathleen StockThis week's Rosebud guest is Professor Kathleen Stock, the philosopher and writer. As Gyles says in his introduction, Stock has, at times, been a controversial figure in the debate about gender identity, but in this episode, we aim to get behind the headlines and find out about her life. The conversation takes us from her early years, playing games in the park behind their terraced house, to schooldays in Montrose, where she was the target of a long campaign of bullying, to her university days and the beginning of her academic career, to her first marriage and eventual coming...2024-07-051h 04
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRobert LindsayRobert Lindsay is Gyles's guest this week, and the conversation they have is brilliant: evocative, revealing, and funny. Robert takes Gyles back to his working class childhood, growing up as the son of a carpenter in a two-up-two-down house in Derbyshire; he reminisces about his parents' love for each other and for dancing and laughing together, and about the practical jokes they used to play on their neighbours. Robert talks about how he was encouraged to act by teachers at school, who spotted his talent and nurtured it; and about his time at RADA and the early days of...2024-06-281h 03
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethBjörn Ulvaeus - ABBA legendBjörn Ulvaeus is pop music royalty, a founder member of one the most successful pop groups in history - ABBA. So when Gyles was given the opportunity to interview him at a special event in Bridlington, the Rosebud team hotfooted it up there to record it. What you're going to hear is a very special, wide-ranging and fascinating conversation about Björn's life and his incredible career. Björn grew up in Västervik, a small coastal town on Sweden's east coast. It was a happy childhood, but he knew his future lay beyond the little town, and it t...2024-06-211h 00
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethSuzy Eddie IzzardThis week's guest is the stand-up comedian, actor, marathon-runner and political activist Suzy Eddie Izzard. Suzy tells Gyles about her new name, and why she's relaxed about what people to choose to call her. She then takes Gyles back into her childhood, spent in Aden, Northern Ireland and South Wales, until the sudden death of her mother changed everything and Suzy and her brother were sent to boarding school. Suzy talks about what made her want to perform, what gives her drive to take on new and greater challenges all the time; she and Gyles talk about...2024-06-1454 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethChris McCauslandGyles gets together with comedian Chris McCausland to record a really special episode of Rosebud. Chris takes Gyles back to his childhood days, playing football and messing about in the streets of West Derby Village in Liverpool, part of a close-knit family and friendship group. Chris talks about the beginnings of the problems with his sight, which started in childhood, how this affected his schooling and could, at times, make him feel self-conscious. He and Gyles also talk about whether Chris's sight problems affect his memories - which is fascinating. Chris tells Gyles about getting into stand-up, his best...2024-06-071h 05
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethMartin Rees, Astronomer RoyalWho is the cleverest person in Britain? When Gyles asked this question to readers of his columns last year, one name was mentioned more than any other; that of Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal. Lord Rees is one of the most distinguished scientists in the country, a former President of the Royal Society and a Cambridge fellow. He wrote the first papers on quasars (a type of black hole) and he, alongside other greats such as Dennis Sciama and Stephen Hawking, helped to develop our understanding of the origins of the universe. He is also...2024-05-3159 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethAlexander ArmstrongGyles and Alexander Armstrong reminisce about Alexander's idyllic childhood in Northumberland, the son of a country GP. They talk about his school years, when he was an 'odd little boy' who sang in the school choir and was obsessed with Gilbert and Sullivan. They discuss the joy of Evensong, and the delights of PG Wodehouse, and Gyles finds out what it was like to live on Imogen Stubbs's barge in Chiswick. This episode was recorded on a sunny day in May, and we hope you can feel the sunshine as you listen to it - enjoy. 2024-05-2457 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethReverend Richard ColesGyles meets the writer, clergyman and former member of the Communards Reverend Richard Coles. Together they talk about Richard's childhood, growing up as the musically gifted youngest son in a family of shoe manufacturers in Kettering, about how he discovered his sexuality and became part of London's gay scene in the 1980s, and about how he found his faith in the aftermath of the AIDS crisis. Gyles and Richard discuss the best way to pull a vicar, and whether a mental orgasm is better than a physical one. Thank you to Reverend Richard for his openness and for this...2024-05-171h 03
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethKatherine RyanGyles has fun talking to Katherine Ryan about her early memories and formative experiences, with added discussions about the rights and wrongs of plastic surgery, whether you should tell anecdotes during sex, and what, exactly, is phallic swagger. This is a frank, open, revealing and sometimes inspiring conversation that's possibly slightly more adult than our usual episodes. Katherine tells Gyles about her childhood in a Canadian industrial town, about her parents and their divorce, and about her student job waitressing at Hooters. Thank you to Katherine for this brilliant conversation. Learn more about your ad...2024-05-101h 03
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethJohn CleeseThis week, Gyles has John Cleese in the Rosebud hotseat. Gyles finds out about John's childhood, growing up in the Westcountry during the war, with a father whose surname was actually 'Cheese' and a mother who was suffering from post natal depression. John also shares stories about his school days, what it was like being the tallest boy in the form, and how he enjoyed being "subversive" at the back of the class and discovered his love of being funny. John also talks about Python, Fawlty Towers and his spiritual side. This is a fascinating, wide-ranging and sometimes hilarious...2024-05-0358 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethTREAT EPISODE: Dermot O'LearyDermot O'Leary and Gyles know each other from the This Morning sofa, but here they get the chance to sit down for a proper in-depth conversation. Dermot tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up in a warm and loving Irish family, and about how important his heritage is to him. He talks about his first communion, his love of poetry and Gyles finds out whether he knows the facts of life. Dermot's latest children's book, Wings of Glory, is out in paperback now: it's an exciting adventure set in WWII, starring a heroic band of birds who fight in...2024-04-2952 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethSir Keir StarmerIn this episode Gyles talks to the Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer. This isn't a political interview, instead it's an in-depth and fascinating conversation about Keir's background and personal history. Keir reminisces about his childhood in a village in Surrey; he remembers cramped car journeys in a Ford Cortina with four kids and four dogs squeezed onto the back seat. He also describes the impact his mum's serious illness had on him, his father and on the rest of the family. This is, at times, a moving conversation. Gyles also hears about Keir's university days, about...2024-04-2637 min
Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethTwiggyGyles's guest this week is Dame Twiggy Lawson, and this episode is recorded live at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Surrey. Twiggy shot to fame as a 16 year-old, when her headshots - showcasing her newly cropped hair, boyish looks and signature dark eye makeup - were spotted in a London hair salon. Within weeks her face was on the front page of the Express with the headline: "Twiggy: the face of '66". By 1967 she was globally famous, had been on the cover of Vogue in the US and Paris, and was synonymous with the revolutionary aesthetic of the 1960s...2024-04-1256 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethAnneka RiceThis week Gyles hears the reminiscences of the presenter, writer and painter Anneka Rice. Rice grew up in Surrey, the daughter of a builder and a frustrated housewife who went back to college and left 11 year-old Anneka to look after her baby sister and do the household chores. Anneka distracted herself by playing games with Action Men and dinky trucks - little did she know that these childhood fantasies would find their way into her adult life, when she donned a jumpsuit and travelled by helicopter in Treasure Hunt, and drove a truck with her name on it in...2024-04-0556 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethCharles DanceThe actor, director, and Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance tells Gyles about his childhood, adolescence and the early years of his career: which are possibly not what you'd expect. Dance was born to working class parents in the Midlands, lost his father when he was only 3, and then moved to Plymouth where he developed a stammer. He didn't train to be an actor until later, and his training was unorthodox - he was taught by two eccentric old men in the midst of rural Devon, where ballet exercises were done by holding onto the towel rail in front...2024-03-2958 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethRupert EverettGyles takes Rupert Everett back to his childhood and teenage years, and be warned: not only is this episode hilarious, but it's also slightly more adult than our other shows. And it is genuinely one of the funniest Rosebuds yet. The son of an Army Major, Rupert didn't do any of things his parents expected. He was obsessed with Julie Andrews, loved dressing up in his mother's clothes, and was the 'Mata Hari' of his prep school. This refusal to fit in carried on into adulthood, when, at 16 and a half, he became a doyenne of the gay scene...2024-03-221h 00Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethVal McDermidVal McDermid tells Gyles her remarkable story. An only child from Kirkcaldy in Fife, the daughter of a welder and a shop assistant, Val became obsessed with books after being read to by her mother as a young child and, when the family moved opposite the town's Central Library, she read every book on the shelves. It was her favourite books - The Chalet School series - that inspired her to become a writer and to apply to Oxford University, despite the fact that she'd only ever been to England once, on a family holiday to Blackpool. Val also...2024-03-1558 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethElizabeth DayThis week, Gyles talks to Elizabeth Day, host and creator of the hit podcasts How to Fail and Best Friend Therapy, and author of multiple best-selling fiction and non-fiction books, including Magpie, The Party and Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, which is released in paperback in March 2024. Elizabeth tells Gyles about her childhood, spent near Derry in the north of Ireland; her unhappy years at boarding school; her first job as a 12 year-old newspaper columnist; and her experience of living in a tower block near St. Petersburg in Russia. And Gyles and Elizabeth reminisce about the first time...2024-03-081h 02Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethRichard DawkinsGyles's guest this week is the renowned evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins. At the end of the episode, Gyles asks Richard how he would like to be remembered: "A scientist, lover of the truth, and motivated by a desire to communicate truth to others". Because of that desire for truth, this episode is unflinching. It involves some challenging subject-matter: for example, both Gyles and Richard share their experiences of abuse at boarding school in the 40s and 50s. They also discuss Richard's childhood, some of which was spent in Kenya and Malawi, and how he started out on his career...2024-02-2354 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethLuluWell, this episode has got it all: gripping stories, laughter, tears and a lot of singing. Gyles takes Lulu back to memories of her childhood in Glasgow, which was both happy and turbulent, but full of love and music. She remembers her early performances - as a very young girl at a street party for the Queen's coronation, and then as a 5 year-old, standing on a chair so she could reach the mic, in Blackpool. She tells Gyles about making it, about singing so loudly while recording "Shout" that she broke the microphone, and about meeting The Beatles. She...2024-02-0959 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethDavid MitchellGyles invites the brilliant comedian, actor and writer David Mitchell to look back at his early memories. This chat starts with David's childhood, and then broadens out into a wide-ranging discussion about history, the worst professional experiences Gyles and David have ever had and school dinners, via a heated debate about whether being a hairdresser is as stressful as being a chef and a bombshell about King Arthur. We'd love to hear what you think - please email us at hello@rosebudpodcast.com. Enjoy the show and enjoy the memories. Learn more about your ad...2024-01-261h 01Rosebud with Gyles BrandrethPatricia Owtram - war hero and centenarianIn this second of the special Rosebud Christmas Cracker episodes, Gyles talks to Patricia Owtram: the first Rosebud centenarian. Pat tells Gyles about her fascinating and long life: from her childhood in 1920s Lancashire where she was taught to speak German by the family's Austrian cook, to her schooldays and her war years. Pat did critical work as part of the Y Service, listening in on the goings-on of the German fleet. She also tells Gyles about meeting George VI and about her later career as a journalist and TV producer. This conversation gives a fascinating glimpse of life...2023-12-1350 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethAJ OduduGyles meets the host of ITV1's Big Brother, AJ Odudu. AJ tells Gyles about her childhood growing in Blackburn, Lancashire in a "bubble of love" with her 7 brothers and sisters, about her amazing parents and their arranged marriage, about her early ambitions to become a TV presenter, about playing "pass the polo" at the Waves Leisure Centre with her friends, and ends by describing the best day of her life. Thank you AJ for sharing your infectious warmth and positivity with the Rosebud podcast!Also in this episode, Gyles speaks to David Belchamber, Judi Dench's...2023-11-1756 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethAlison HammondGyles Brandreth talks to fellow star of This Morning and host of Bake Off Alison Hammond. They discuss her childhood roots in Birmingham, her incredible talent for rounders, and whether Gyles is a breast or a leg man; all while sitting on Alison's double bed. Expect laughter, warmth and Gyles attempting to do a Brummy accent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-09-0847 minRosebud with Gyles BrandrethDame Judi DenchIn this first ever episode of Rosebud, Gyles talks to someone very special: the legendary actress Dame Judi Dench. They chat about her happy childhood in York, her experiences growing up during WWII, her early forays into acting and her marriage to Michael Williams. She ends by impressing Gyles, as she recites a Shakespeare sonnet by heart. Join us again next week when Gyles will be snuggling up with Alison Hammond. To get in touch with Gyles and tell him about your first memories, email: hello@rosebudpodcast.com2023-09-0147 minRosebud with Gyles Brandreth'Rosebud' with Gyles Brandreth - COMING SOONLegendary British writer, broadcaster, ex-MP and TV star Gyles Brandreth launches his new podcast “Rosebud” on September 1st – St Giles’s Day. In this new series, Gyles will talk to famous and fascinating people about their first memories and first experiences. Expect laughter, fascinating stories, revelations and, of course, the odd name-drop from Gyles. Rosebud is a long-form interview series which takes guests back to first principles: to their very first memories and experiences. How much have these formative moments shaped them? Are they anything like they were back then? And what’s their advic...2023-08-2903 minCommonwealth Poetry PodcastCelebrating Fathers & PoetryIn this episode Gyles and Aphra Brandreth bring you a special episode celebrating Father’s Day. The father and daughter duo explore the origins of Father’s Day, and what it means to them. Remembering his own father, and his love of poetry, Gyles discusses the joy and benefits of learning poetry by heart. Poems this episode exploring fatherhood include: Only a Dad by Edgar Albert Guest; Anecdote for Fathers by William Wordsworth; My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke and To Her Father with Some Verses by Ann Bradstreet. 2023-06-1133 minCommonwealth Poetry PodcastThe Journey Begins with HRH The Duchess of CornwallPoetry from around the world! A fortnightly celebration of Poetry and The Commonwealth - the journey begins at Clarence House in London where award winning podcaster Gyles Brandreth and his daughter Aphra meet HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and Dame Joanna Lumley. Over the coming weeks Gyles & Aphra will be visiting each of the 54 countries of the Commonwealth, meeting poets, performers and people who love poetry and discovering new poems each episode.2022-06-1139 min