Best Mealey Podcasts (2025)

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You were born with football boots and a sun tan complexion 40:52

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2d ago40:52

40:52

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment. The Early Doors podcast with Phil Mealey. In this episode Phil and Ben discuss series two, episode five. But only to a point. The conversation kind of went on a bit. So we're putting it out in two episodes this time. There's a lot of set up in this episode getting ready for Mel's 21st. There's plenty of talk ab…

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136: Steve Irwin- Animal Sixth Sense 1:08:47

17d ago1:08:47

1:08:47

Send us a text Today we are discussing the life of one of the most legendary Australian figures ever, Steve Irwin-the fearless wildlife warrior whose passion, curiosity, and boundless energy reshaped the world’s relationship with animals. From his early days growing up in a reptile-loving family to the rise of The Crocodile Hunter phenomenon, we ex…

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135: MYTHOLOGY: Four Chinese Symbols- Guess the Element! 42:45

24d ago42:45

42:45

Send us a text The sky has always told stories and in ancient China, four mythical beasts ruled the heavens. This episode uncovers the origins and legends of the Four Symbols: the wise Azure Dragon, fiery Vermilion Bird, fearless White Tiger, and steadfast Black Tortoise. Join us as we unravel where these cosmic mascots came from, what they symboli…

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134: The Affair of the Poisons- Stinky French Palace! 48:47

1M ago48:47

48:47

Send us a text The 1600s were wild, but France took things to a whole new level with The Affair of the Poisons, a scandal packed with fortune-tellers, cursed powders, secret love affairs, and enough arsenic to make an entire monarchy sweat. This week, we dive into the darkly hilarious and genuinely unhinged story of a poison panic that rocked Louis…

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Do You Like Circuses? 52:31

1M ago52:31

52:31

Well... do you like circuses, they're great for kids aren't they. Welcome to To The Regiment and our review of series two episode four. This week we ask the big questions, go for a chippy tea, pay the phone bill with a lump in your throat, and Tommy get's a new job. Sorry for the little delay on this one. Let's blame tech. See you soon for a episod…

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133: American Lobotomies- Making Humans....Bland 55:19

1M ago55:19

55:19

Send us a text WE ARE BACK! We decided to focus on a topic from America today. Mental health has come a long way (thank God). America once decided the best way to handle big feelings was… well… sticking a metal rod into someone’s brain. In this episode, we dive into the wild, chaotic, absolutely unhinged era of American lobotomies- complete with do…

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Happy Mondays: a brand new story narrated by Phil Mealey 36:47

2M ago36:47

36:47

*Brand New Story Alert* Caimh is back with some updates, including a sort of 'live reaction' section of the podcast with a man looking at stuff that is on-sale in his own shop! More importantly, the superb Phil Mealey is here to read a brand new Stranger Times Short Story.By C.K. McDonnell

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When's That Pickles Question Ken? 51:27

2M ago51:27

51:27

It's quiz night. The Grapes is banging, well there's three extra people, and John Leslie is the talk of the town. Hello and welcome to To The Regiment. This week Phil and Ben are talking about episode three of series two. We're at the quiz and this is rambling conversation about this episode, the background to it, and putting the world to right a l…

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Eggs in a Cup 44:39

2M ago44:39

44:39

Hello and Welcome to To The Regiment: The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. In this episode Phil and Ben talk about series two, episode two. So expect, eggs in a cup but don't rub on your chest, jury duty that we can't talk about, someone on 40 GRAND, and our first Fray Bentos pie. Quite a lot happens in this one that sticks in The Grapes lore.…

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The Front Room Files - Brendan and Caimh Volume 1 39:27

2M ago39:27

39:27

In this 'special' episode narrator Brendan McDonald and author Caimh have a chat while also drinking. The results are a rambling shambles that you may love or hate - both are valid responses.By C.K. McDonnell

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Smile Like You Mean It 44:12

3M ago44:12

44:12

BRAND NEW STORY ALERT! That's right, the wonderful returning narrator Ruth Cockburn narrates a brand new Stranger Times story called Smile Like You Mean It, and Caimh gives a quick update on all the news about the impending launch of Ring The Bells, as well as explaining the closest thing he's seen to actual magic in real life. Spoiler: It involves…

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Unnecessary Ken 50:19

3M ago50:19

50:19

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment. In this episode Phil and Ben are back at the Grapes to talk about the first episode of the second series. We speak about changes in the writing, the personal, and why certain things feel a little different. No spoilers but there are some very interesting nuggets, as ever. Thank you for listening and as mentione…

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Season 5 offically starts - if it hasn't already 35:24

3M ago35:24

35:24

I'm not sure if the last ep or this ep counts as the start of season 5, but we can all agree it's definitely started now. Also - news on events in THREE countries plus Brendan McDonald reading an exclusive preview of Ring The Bells.By C.K. McDonnell

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Special Guest - Susan McArdle (Part Two) 27:00

3M ago27:00

27:00

Hello and welcome back to our conversations with the lovely Susan McArdle. Right, let's just get back into it. Thank you for listening and continuing to support the podcast. To The Regiment... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Special Guest - Susan McArdle 32:39

3M ago32:39

32:39

Hello and welcome to series two, episode two of To The Regiment: The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey... and some bloke from Newcastle. In this episode we are pleased and overjoyed to go through the 1966 England team with the wonderful and glorious Susan McArdle. This is part one of our conversation with Susan (as we spoke for quite a while). W…

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We're Back Baby!!! 42:21

4M ago42:21

42:21

Hello and welcome back to The Grapes. Phil and Ben are back for series two of To The Regiment. Yes we know. It's been a while. But you can't rush brilliance. In this episode Ben asks the questions and Phil gives us the answers of what happened in between series one and series two. We've got some great episodes coming up this series, and some great …

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Two brand new Stranger Times Releases 51:12

5M ago51:12

51:12

Roll up, roll up. roll up - the Stranger Times is back with two releases - Tales From The Stranger Times, a collection of the short stories all narrated by the wonderful Brendan McDonald, and Ring The Bells - book 5 in the series. Catch up on all the news and then hear Brendan performing a Stranger Times banger! https://whitehairedirishman.shop/col…

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35: A Flipping Good Time with Dr. Jody Weir 35:12

8M ago35:12

35:12

Marine biologist and primatologist Dr Jody Weir has extensive expertise on marine animals, specifically: fur seals, dolphins and turtles – all things finned and beautiful. Jody has also researched lemurs in Madagascar, bears and wolves in Canada, and turtles in Barbados. Learn about her exciting and varied career in our latest episode. The audio at…

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Christmas Special Episode Four 41:43

1y ago41:43

41:43

We go again, day four, episode four, of Christmas Treats. This time Phil and Ben are talking to radio's very own Mark Radcliffe, and Manchester music scene's Paul Langley, also known as UNE. They are also know for creating our theme music. In this episode we hear about the beginnings of their friendship, their music UNE, and the Devilled the song y…

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Christmas Special Episode Three 37:41

1y ago37:41

37:41

Hello and welcome... you've read this part before. Anyway, here we are with part two of our chat about the Queen of Sheba. This time Phil and Ben get into the episode, a bit like the Early Doors episodes we do. There's a lot of love to the wonderful acting, great writing, and quick cameos. We hope you enjoy this episode and we will back, again, tom…

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Christmas Special Episode Two 37:51

1y ago37:51

37:51

Hello and welcome to day two of the To The Regiment run of Christmas Specials. In this episode Phil and Ben talk about Phil's time working on the Bafta winning Queen of Sheba for The Royle Family. This is just part one, so we only go through the background to Phil working on it and some stories from the set. We hope you enjoy this little change of …

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Christmas Special Episode One 34:59

1y ago34:59

34:59

Hello and welcome to... To The Regiment - The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. This is the first episode in a short run of extra bonus Christmas treats, with very little if anything to do with Christmas. In this first episode Phil and Ben talk about some of the stories that Phil has from his time in the entertainment business, the people he's …

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2024 Christmas Advent - Trailer 1:48

1y ago1:48

1:48

Surprise... We've been away but not for long. You can't keep a good podcast down. Here is a little trailer of what is to come next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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34: Better unguLATE than never with George Ledgard 43:01

1y ago43:01

43:01

George knows everything there is to know about hooved creatures that walk on their toes—ungulates, for those in the know—and he’s a keen hunter as well as a technical advisor on the topic of wild animals. Hear about where we’re at with hunting and wild animal control, from one of our foremost experts who is also a hunter. George wears all the hats.…

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132: Jesse James Pt. 2- Real Life Western Movie 51:12

1+ y ago51:12

51:12

Send us a text We are going into more depth this week about Jesse James and all his crimes as an outlaw. There's lots of trains, robberies, murder, and even a love story. Support the show Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok @thepastmademedoit Email us at [email protected] Want to support us? Click here! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1786843/s…

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131: Jesse James Pt. 1- Robin Hood? 41:05

1+ y ago41:05

41:05

Send us a text It is time to talk about another OUTLAW! Jesse James is one of the most popular for many reasons. The Wild West was a wild time in America due to all the different outlaws. This is just part one of two where we talk about what led up to him getting involved in crime. You will have to wait til next week to hear all about the crimes! S…

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Time please (Just for Now) 16:23

1+ y ago16:23

16:23

Hello and Welcome to... To The Regiment. This week we are saying goodbye to series one of the podcast and series one of Early Doors. Phil and Ben have a little round up but also just a general chat. Thank you to everyone who has listened, told everyone to listen, been a guest, got it touch, asked a question. We will have mini series around Christma…

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130: Mary, Queen of Scots- Lavish Prisoner 45:59

1+ y ago45:59

45:59

Send us a text Not only are we diving into who Mary, Queen of Scots was but you will also see who Queen Elizabeth really was! Hint: she is a savage. As we know, the royal family is basically all just related to each other. Poor Mary couldn't find true love and had a tragic ending to her life. Support the show Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok @the…

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33: Pen(guin) pals with Cassie Mealey 45:04

1+ y ago45:04

45:04

Cassie has the most interesting answer possible to the question ‘what do you do for fun?’ She rehabilitates penguins. As one of our technical advisors specialising in fauna, in addition to running swim practice for penguins in her backyard, Cassie has a lot of wildlife rehabilitation stories and tips. Listen to this unmissable episode now. The audi…

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129: The Great Emu War- Terrifying Birds Everywhere 40:01

1+ y ago40:01

40:01

Send us a text It all started with World War 1. Australia was not able to support the men who fought for the country so many men were struggling hardcore afterwards. The locals and population were angry but the men knew they had to do something. They turned to farming and everything was looking up....until the emu birds came. Then it was all chaos.…

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Special Guest - Peter Wight 48:07

1+ y ago48:07

48:07

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment. The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. This week we have our last interview and last full episode of series one. But don't worry we will be back next week for a round and what's coming soon. But in this episode we are thrilled to have our other boy in blue Peter 'Nige' Wight. Phil and Ben caught up with Pete…

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Big Boys Beano 53:02

1+ y ago53:02

53:02

Hello and welcome to... To The Regiment, the Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. This week Ben and Phil talk about the last episode of series one. But don't worry it's not the last episode of this series of the podcast. So this is the episode, well the day out, we've been leading up to. All the talk of the Big Boys Beano and it's here. Breakfast …

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128: Glasgow Ice Cream Wars- Syrup on Windshields and Surprise Attacks 51:46

1+ y ago51:46

51:46

Send us a text We start today's episode with a quick announcement. Kiley is pregnant! And she is not looking forward to the hot summer without air conditioning. Speaking of summer, have you ever gotten excited when hearing the ice cream man turn the corner? We did too until we heard about this case. The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars was not a fun baking s…

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Fan Questions 37:27

1+ y ago37:27

37:27

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment (apologies for the slight delay this week). In this episode we got some questions from you, the listeners, from Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram. Some we may have covered but we cover in more detail or some Ben had just missed. We will be doing this again soon because these questions came in before we even rel…

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127: MYTHOLOGY: Medusa- Tangled Up Snake Hair 27:53

1+ y ago27:53

27:53

Send us a text If you've ever wanted to see what it is like to turn into stone, all you have to do is look Medusa in the eye! But honestly the snake hair seems pretty cool. We are bringing another Greek Mythology tale to you as we discuss this Gorgon. Support the show Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok @thepastmademedoit Email us at thepastmademedo…

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32: Parrot patter 33:37

1+ y ago33:37

33:37

Terry is an expert in all kinds of parrots, specifically kākā, kākāriki karaka/NZ parakeet and kākāpō. He’s spent a lot of time catching and monitoring birds, studying them, and advising on the impacts of predator control on non-target species. Plus, he has some field stories that are so incredible, you’ll think he’s lying. At first, we thought he …

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Number Two, Go on Treat Yourself 51:10

1+ y ago51:10

51:10

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment. The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. In this episode Ben and Phil have a daft laugh going through episode five of series one. Maybe the sun was out or it was a Friday when the episode was recorded but they seemed very 'ready for the pub'. They look at episode five of series one which has a lot of Ben's two…

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126: History of The Sims-So Many Ways to Die 43:37

1+ y ago43:37

43:37

Send us a text Jamie and Kiley are obsessed with The Sims franchise! They have been playing the games for a few years and find themselves bringing it up in conversation often. The history is interesting as the landscape of video games was changing. The creator wanted to focus more on having a game that isn't a competition and doesn't have an end go…

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Special Guest - Maxine Peake 46:55

1+ y ago46:55

46:55

Hello and Welcome to To The Regiment, the Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. This is one of our special guest episodes and we are thrilled to welcome Maxine Peake to the podcast. Maxine played Janice in the first series, the cool, street wise, tantastic, and baby mamma (apparently) of a little tremble in Ladbroke's doorway. We speak to Maxine ab…

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125: Leonardo da Vinci- Always Staying Curious 39:29

1+ y ago39:29

39:29

Send us a text Jamie talks about the life of multi-talented artist, da Vinci. He was a painter, architect, scientist, and so much more. He sure knew how to keep himself busy! Support the show Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok @thepastmademedoit Email us at [email protected] Want to support us? Click here! https://www.buzzsprout.com/17868…

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124: Clara Bow-Hollywood's First It Girl 37:14

1+ y ago37:14

37:14

Send us a text Taylor Swift's new album inspired Kiley to dive into the life of Clara Bow. Old Hollywood stories are always wild and full of drama but Clara's life is absolutely heartbreaking. She had a terrible home life and her experience in Hollywood was not always positive. Her name needs to be known for the incredible talent she had and the le…

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When they don't want to dance 52:37

1+ y ago52:37

52:37

Hello and welcome to To The Regiment, the Early Doors podcast with Phil Mealey. In this episode we're back looking at each episode getting the inside look with Phil. The Grapes itself in this episode is a completely different place. For one, it's packed. But it's a Friday night, Joe and Duffy are standing at the bar (and we discover why), Winnie is…

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123: Disneyland RERECORDED-Unexpected Disaster 51:24

1+ y ago51:24

51:24

Send us a text We recorded another one of our old episodes! We are talking about our favorite place and the story of its creation. The opening day was WILD. Jamie also dives into the impact Disneyland made and the way it inspired the other Disney parks! Support the show Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok @thepastmademedoit Email us at thepastmademe…

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Special Guest - Susan Cookson 59:46

1+ y ago59:46

59:46

Hello and Welcome to, To The Regiment: The Early Doors Podcast with Phil Mealey. This week we very excited to welcome another guest to The virtual Grapes. We are very excited to welcome the delightful and lovely Susan 'Tanya' Cookson to our show. The love interest of our favourite show. Phil, Ben, and Susan talk about Susan landing the role, being …

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31: All things kākāpō part 2 21:15

1+ y ago21:15

21:15

Part 2 of our special with kākāpō scientist, Dr. Andrew Digby. We ask listeners’ questions about kākāpō, talk about some of the biggest wins and disappointments in kākāpō management, and learn new facts about this rare, unusual species. Transcript and shownotes at www.doc.govt.nz/podcastBy Department of Conservation