Best Erik Wesley Podcasts (2025)

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CEDIA 2025 Recap 2:27:31

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2h ago2:27:31

2:27:31

This week, we’re switching gears for a special CEDIA 2025 recap episode. It’s a more relaxed conversation, more like a roundtable hangout, and we’re joined by a few friends we caught up with at the show: Don from Horizon Home Theater, Ike from EasyHT Tech, and Paul from Brews and Views. CEDIA is one of those events that’s hard to explain unless you…

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Greatest HIts - 'It Took Almost 30 Years Before I Actually Transitioned' - with Amethysta Herrick 59:25

1h ago59:25

59:25

This episode first appeared in 2024, and here's what I had to say... There's one question that gets asked in this week's episode that’s really stuck with me and that I continued to ponder even after we'd said our goodbyes and turned our microphones off... And that question is: how do you know when you have become the person that you’re supposed to …

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Greatest Hits - "'Love Is Love' - Until You're Black, Trans, Disabled, Non-Binary..." - with Andrew Gurza from Disability After Dark 49:26

9d ago49:26

49:26

This episode was first shared in 2024, and here's what I had to say: I know there's always the risk with this show of completely romanticising queer spaces as these glistening oasis' of tolerance and acceptance.But, that's really not the case - despite how wonderful and freeing they can be, they can also be a bit shitty and exclusionary. And I was …

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Greatest Hits - 'Disco 2000 Was The Hub Of The Club Kids Scene' - with Abdi Nazemian 1:05:46

8d ago1:05:46

1:05:46

I first shared this episode in 2024, and here's what I had to say: So, if you were to ask me to overly generalise and boil down the types of experiences that guests on this show have had when first accessing a queer space I'd say they neatly fit in to two categories: 1) there are those who feel instantly at home and like they've arrived. 2) there a…

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HDMI Part Two: Because One Episode Wasn’t Enough 1:12:28

7d ago1:12:28

1:12:28

In Episode 7 of The Front Row Podcast, we’re back with part two of our deep dive into HDMI with James Chen, Managing Director of Kordz. Last episode, we set the stage by unpacking the fundamentals, from pin layouts to protocols like TMDS and FRL. This time, we’re going further down the rabbit hole. We start by breaking down HDMI 2.2 and what it act…

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Greatest HIts - 'For Me, Drag Always Was Like A Political Act' - with Lil' Miss Hot Mess 42:24

13d ago42:24

42:24

This episode first featured in 2022, and here's what I had to say: On this week's show we're talking to Lil Miss Hot Mess, who is as fun to talk to as her name is to say! Coming up in the San Francisco scene, Lil Miss got started at the legendary T-Shack, a night held at The Stud, which unfortunately we lost at the beginning of the pandemic. And, y…

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Greatest Hits - 'When I Was a Young Teen Transsexual in Toronto' - with Morgan M Page 54:02

20d ago54:02

54:02

One of the things I love doing most about this show is, obviously, getting the chance to learn about different people's experiences and circumstances. But, within that, there's often a really nice reminder of how nobody's journey is the same. There are so many ways to come out, there are so many ways to fall in love, and there are all of these diff…

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Everything You Didn’t Know About HDMI (But Probably Should) Part One 1:28:38

1M ago1:28:38

1:28:38

In Episode 6 of The Front Row Podcast, we’re joined by James Chen, Managing Director of Kordz, for a deep dive into HDMI—what it is, how it works, and why it’s been both a blessing and a headache. In Episode 4, we laid the foundation by explaining the basics and frustrations around HDMI. This one peels back the layers and gets into the engineering …

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Greatest Hits - 'I Saw Gay Men Everywhere. Gay Women? Not So Much...' - with Jaimie Kelton from The Queer Family Podcast 51:21

1M ago51:21

51:21

This episode was first shared in 2023, and here's what I had to say: You know how sometimes these conversations are only very, very, very tenuously linked to a queer space, and in the intro I try and come up with some justification for why we didn't talk that much about it to prepare you for the episode ahead? Well, dear listener, this week I'm not…

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Greatest Hits - 'The First Gay Place That I Went Inside...' - with Alex Iantaffi from Gender Stories Podcast 56:58

2M ago56:58

56:58

This episode first featured in 2024, and here's what I had to say... The lyric to that very famous 80s TV theme song is 'sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name'. Whilst I think that's true I also think there are times where you want to go where nobody knows your name and where there's absolutely no risk of running in to anybody th…

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Projectors (Almost) 1:39:15

2M ago1:39:15

1:39:15

Episode five of The Front Row Podcast is here, and this week we’re sitting down with the one and only Rob Brennan. He’s the Technical Account Manager at Epson and someone who’s been around the industry for a long time. Some of you probably remember him from his Sony days, and let’s be honest, Rob knows his stuff! We all know projectors are awesome,…

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Greatest Hits - 'I don’t think anyone thought I was full-hetero' - with Lori Bell 52:48

1M ago52:48

52:48

This episode first appeared in 2021, and here's what I said: It's our very first visit to the city where I grew up…. Adelaide! I got to sit down with the comedian Lori Bell to talk all about her experiences on Adelaide’s queer scene (all two venues!)… We talk all about first times, blow jobs on the dance floor, and I find out what the difference is…

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Greatest Hits - 'Lean Into My Transness' - with Simona Castricum 41:52

2M ago41:52

41:52

This episode first appeared in 2021, and here's what I had to say about it: Simona Castricum is a musician, DJ and producer based in Melbourne, Australia. We caught up to talk about Hugs and Kisses, a night that ran in the 2010s and took advantage of the looser licensing laws that applied to the venue it was based in, which created this wonderful, …

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Greatest Hits - “Where Are All The Lesbians?” - with Lisa Haas 46:50

2M ago46:50

46:50

This episode first appeared all the way back in 2021, and here's what I had to say about it: Have you ever had someone try to coax you out of the closet by asking the seemingly innocent question ‘is there anything you want to tell me?’? Do you remember the anguish and pain of simply muttering the 3 or 4 words needed to just confirm their suspicions…

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HDMI - Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It 1:30:23

2M ago1:30:23

1:30:23

This week on The Front Row Podcast, we’re joined by Eric Bodley, founder of Future Ready Solutions and a well respected voice in the AV industry. Eric’s career spans over four decades and includes everything from launching Monster Cable programs and developing the Perfect Path brand of locking HDMI cables, to training hundreds of installers through…

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Greatest Hits - 'There Weren’t That Many Out Gay Actors Playing Out Gay Roles' - with actor David Paisley 1:04:35

2M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

This episode first featured in 2021 (!), and here's what I had to say about it then: This week we are talking to David Paisley, a Scottish actor known for roles in soap operas Holby City, and River City. He is also a tireless LGBTQ campaigner, recently being acknowledged with an Attitude Pride Award for his campaigning against the trans-exclusionar…

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The Path From 1080p to HDR Is More Layered Than It Seems 1:45:44

3M ago1:45:44

1:45:44

In Episode 3 of The Front Row Podcast, we’re back with part two of our conversation with Jason Dustal, who brings over 25 years of expertise as an ISF trainer, Level 3 calibrator, CTS certified professional, CEDIA certified instructor, and Certified for Envy Product Specialist. This time, we dig deeper into the video technology and how we went from…

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Greatest Hits - "I Never Really Came Out To My Mother... She Read My Diary..." - with Sheria Mattis 43:59

2M ago43:59

43:59

This episode first appeared in September 2023, and here's what I had to say about it: Sometimes I feel a bit dumb (or maybe just a bit sheepish) about some of the revelations I have through doing this show, especially since we're so close to 200 episodes (eek!) and I feel like I should know it all by now... But, then, on the other hand, the fact th…

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Greatest Hits: "You're Gay And Gothic... And You're A Christian Now?" - with Chris Conde 40:05

3M ago40:05

40:05

This episode was first shared in 2023, and here's what I had to say about it: You know, in all of the time that we've been doing this show we've never featured a sauna... but that's about to change! Our very first sauna is ACI, which was in San Antonio, Texas. And, showing us around is the subversive queer rapper Chris Conde. Now, Chris was a milit…

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Greatest Hits: "Are You 'In The Life'?" - with Phil Corin 56:32

3M ago56:32

56:32

Greatest hits episode! This conversation was first shared in 2023, and this is what I had to say about it: One of the things that I've noticed is fairly common in people who come out later in life is just how much of a hurry they are in to experience ALL of the queer shit they've missed out on... And that is what happened to this week's guest, podc…

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From CRTs to Calibration and Everything in Between 1:25:49

3M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

Welcome to episode two of The Front Row Podcast, and the first where we sit down with a guest - Jason Dustal! As a well-known and highly respected figure in the AV industry, Jason brings over 25 years of expertise as an ISF trainer and Level 3 calibrator, CTS certified professional, CEDIA certified instructor, and Certified for Envy Product Special…

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Greatest Hits: 'I'd Never Seen Any Lesbians... And Then I Saw ALL The Lesbians...' -with comedian Naomi Mourra 1:00:52

3M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

Greatest hits episode! This conversation was first shared in 2023, and this is what I had to say about it: So, you know I love me a story about someone running away to figure out who they are. And, this week we have a doozy. Naomi Mourra, who is Sydney’s only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness, comedian, first came to London in the late 90s wh…

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Greatest Hits: "The Very Beginnings Of My Actual Gay Life..." - with comedian Jacob Trueman 50:18

3M ago50:18

50:18

We're revisiting some of my favourite/most memorable/most impactful episodes throughout June! Sometimes I'm really taken aback by what an absolute privilege it is to do this job, and how people can be so open and honest with me. And I think it's a real honour that I get to help amplify the stories, and get the opportunity to really examine my own q…

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Where Our Home Theater Journey Began - The Front Row Podcast Episode 1 1:14:19

4M ago1:14:19

1:14:19

In case our written reviews and video content weren’t enough, AVSForum has officially entered the world of podcasts! Say hello to The Front Row Podcast, hosted by Erik Wesley and Ryan Charpentier. In our very first episode, we talk about what the podcast will focus on, how often you can expect new episodes and why we think it’s worth tuning in. We …

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'I Can't Imagine Not Being Gay' - with author Troy Ford 1:01:27

4M ago1:01:27

1:01:27

It’s entirely possible that it’s just the contrarian in me, but I kind of love when I am talking to a guest who is like ‘been there, done that, do not want to go back’. Because, yes, I love hearing about queer nightlife, and how accessing those spaces helps you tap into something bigger than yourself, but it’s important not to over romanticise them…

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'A Gay Kid Trying To Fit In' - with Brian Gryphon 39:52

4M ago39:52

39:52

Ok, so this just might be the most obvious statement that I've ever made. And, that's really saying something, considering all of the clangers that I come out with... But... it's kind of incredible how much our family and our early years define us. Like, so much of who I am is because of who they are. And, vice versa, I suppose. But, there's someth…

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'Single and Celibate for Jesus' - with Alex Gay 47:00

4M ago47:00

47:00

Have you ever decided that you were going to go celibate and swear off sex forever? Probably. It happens. Now, my follow up question - have you ever promised that you'd go celibate to... oh, i don't know, let's say,,,, thousands upon thousands of evangelical christians and then felt the weight of all of their expectations upon you whilst you're sti…

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'The Part I Couldn't Stand About The Lesbian Community' - with comedian Glo Butler 1:02:58

4M ago1:02:58

1:02:58

Do you remember the person that you were before you first had your heart broken? How you moved through the world? How you approached relationships and falling in love? Do you ever miss that person? This week I caught up with comedian Glo Butler, and though we sat down to talk about the Fab Lounge, a lesbian bar in Washington DC, what we talked abou…

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'Oh, You Know, The 'Gay' Thing' - with actor Paul Cram 54:11

5M ago54:11

54:11

This week's episode feels like a bit of a culmination of different thoughts that have been bubbling up from recent conversations on the show. First, there’s my realisation that I’m more of a sponge than an island — and I know that sounds cryptic, but it’s really not. It's just this idea that who we are is shaped as much by what’s going on around us…

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'It Validated That I Am Gay' - with Greg R Baird 48:29

5M ago48:29

48:29

This week it's the story of The Copa, a club that was found (across two different sites) in Flint, Michigan between the years of 1980-1995 But, really, it's a love story. And the first scene in this love story just happened to be at The Copa. And, who is here to tell us all about it? Why, it's the self-proclaimed 'professional homosexual' Greg R Ba…

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'Experiencing Gay Culture For The First Time...' - with drag queen Tita Baby 54:00

5M ago54:00

54:00

Subscribe to my newsletter Queer Word, where we explore and unpack a different queer word every week. You know how we talk about queer spaces as a place where you can just be yourself? And we talk about how liberating and exciting and freeing that is? Well, what if the opposite is also true? What if being someone else in a queer space is also reall…

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'The 'Gay Age'' - with Koby Falks 51:46

5M ago51:46

51:46

Have you ever heard of the concept of a “gay age”? If not, here's the gist: the idea goes that we each have a gay age, which starts from the moment we come out. So, that means if I came out yesterday, I’d be zero. If you came out a decade ago you’re ten years old in gay years. It’s a really fascinating concept, but the more I sit with it, the more …

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'A Queer Kid In A Small Town' - with comedian Sunny Laprade 1:01:23

6M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

Sometimes when you live in a small close-knit community there is nowhere to hide. No where to disappear to. It can feel like you're always on guard, always wearing the false smile and maintaining the pretence for everyone else around you. So, what would happen if you found somewhere that you knew no one else was going to be? Somewhere that you coul…

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'I Don't Do Very Well With Binaries' - with drag king Mr Wesley Dykes 47:52

6M ago47:52

47:52

We talk a lot about — and when I say 'we,' I mean the wider queer community — how upsetting it is that queer bars and clubs are closing at an accelerated rate. But I think the bigger tragedy is the disappearance of queer cafés. And maybe it’s wrong to pit them against each other, but queer cafés offer that beautiful intermediate step. They’re not a…

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'I Didn't Know Any Other Gay People' with Steve Whiting from Hey Queer London 1:01:40

6M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

I've always struggled with the word community, because it's something that I've desperately wanted - I've wanted to belong, and I've wanted to feel a part of something bigger than myself. But, at the same time, how do you measure those things? How do you know that you belong? What does that feel like, and how do you measure it? And, I think someone…

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'A Way I Could Express My Queerness' - with drag king Erik Sjon 53:12

6M ago53:12

53:12

There's a reason that the theme song to the Golden Girls hits so hard for me. And, I think it's because I've always valued friendships over all other types of relationships. There’s just something magical about having that person who eggs you on, pushes you out of your comfort zone, and encourages you to be bolder than you ever thought possible. So…

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'Darling, You're Gay...' - with Michael Bach 56:12

7M ago56:12

56:12

So, usually we talk about a bar or a club or a coffee shop… or some kind of building, at least. But this week we're doing something a little bit different. We're talking about a set of steps. Yes, you heard that correctly. But, these weren’t just any set of steps. They were the legendary, and imaginatively titled, Steps that were found in Toronto's…

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'I Was With My People' - with Brad Shreve 53:24

7M ago53:24

53:24

Coming out can be both thrilling and exhilarating… but also kind of dangerous. There’s something about that first rush of freedom that makes you feel invincible—like you can throw yourself into any and every experience, consequences be damned. Which brings us to this week’s guest—Brad Shreve. Now, you might already know Brad as an author and the ho…

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'I Thought I Was God's Gift To Drag' - with Jackie Daniels 50:56

7M ago50:56

50:56

Ugh, I can't believe that it's been almost five whole years since the Covid-19 pandemic came along and turned all of our lives upside down. Five. whole. years. Doesn't that make you feel old? I still don’t know if the pandemic changed my life for better or worse, but for this week’s guest, it was the unexpected catalyst that kick-started their drag…

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'Just Seeing Two Guys Dancing Cheek-to-Cheek...' - with Frank Akinsete 45:40

7M ago45:40

45:40

This week's episode could very well be titled 'The Many Lovers of Frank Akinsete', because we somehow manage to cover off about half a dozen love affairs during our conversation! And if you’re a longtime listener ofLost Spaces you already know that we love a good detour here. Honestly, I think those are the best episodes, where we get to truly know…

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'Being In A Room Full Of Queer People Has Such A Power' - with author AJ Romriell 57:20

8M ago57:20

57:20

So, Mormonism doesn't have the best reputation on this show. And honestly, given their policies toward queer people, that's not exactly surprising. But, there are some people working within the religion trying to make it more inclusive and open-minded. One of these groups is Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship - or USGA - a support group …

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'I Was A Fat Guy Living In The Gay World' - with Dan and Don from The Big Fat Gay Podcast 59:28

8M ago59:28

59:28

So, we're over 250 episodes in to this show, and on some days when I'm feeling particularly cocky I'm like 'oh, yeah, I think I've learnt everything there is to know about being queer', and then on other days I'm like 'actually, I know nothing about the human spirit and the resilience of queerness despite the odds.' (Ok, that was a little dramatic,…

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'People Are So Gay Now!' - with author Frank DeCaro 53:34

8M ago53:34

53:34

So if I were to tell you that this week's guest had just published a new book titled 'Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania Under the Mirror Ball'* you'd be expecting some spectacular stories of glamour and debauchery, right? Well, I'm pleased to say that author Frank DeCaro did not disappoint! We caught up to chat about the lost legendary Chicago space …

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Introducing 'Sex Ed With Tim' 1:08:57

8M ago1:08:57

1:08:57

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ We are back to our regular programming next week! But, for our final pod-swap I am sharing the conversation I had with Tim Lagman (registered sexologist, don't you know!) on his show Sex Ed With Tim. Tim was also a guest on Lost Spaces all the way back in 2021, and that conversation can be found ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ C…

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Introducing 'Dennis Anyone' 1:11:34

9M ago1:11:34

1:11:34

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠⁠ This week we have ⁠Dennis Anyone⁠, hosted by Dennis Hensley, as our special podcast-swap episode! Dennis was also a guest on Lost Spaces all the way back in 2022, and that conversation is can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Ti…

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Introducing 'The Queer Family Podcast' 52:03

9M ago52:03

52:03

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠ Share your 2025 plans/resolutions with me: [email protected] Over the holidays I'm going to share episodes from other podcasts that I've guested on throughout 2024, talking about lost spaces, queerness, and the weirdness of life. This week we have The Queer Family Podcast, hosted by Jaimie Kelton! Jaimie…

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Introducing 'Gender Identity Weekly' 1:08:52

9M ago1:08:52

1:08:52

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter Over the holidays I'm going to share episodes from other podcasts that I've guested on throughout 2024, talking about lost spaces, queerness, and the weirdness of life. First up we have Gender Identity Weekly, hosted by Amethysta Herrick. Amethysta was also a guest on Lost Spaces this year. If you want to go an…

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'Queerness As A Kind Of Attitude' - with Emma Frankland 40:50

9M ago40:50

40:50

Lately I keep thinking about that phrase "the past is a foreign country", and how sometimes a space doesn’t have to disappear to feel lost to us. And I know that sounds like a bit of mumbo jumbo, but stay with me! Queer spaces are always evolving and changing, and if we don't evolve and change with them, or if we're not there at the time they are e…

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'A Lot Of Gay Men Were Kind Of Rude' - with Matthew Hays 32:58

9M ago32:58

32:58

I've been getting increasingly sappy with you recently, and I'm not sure whether that's because I'm just getting softer in my older years, or if there's just an accumulation of gratitude that's bubbling to the surface, but... well, either way, just giving you the heads up that this intro is a bit sappy! So, what am I sappy about? Well, I just love …

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'Oh, So You're A Lockdown Queen?' - with Jens Radda 46:37

10M ago46:37

46:37

Sometimes when I'm putting this show together I like to imagine that someone has somehow found this show in 50 years time and are having a good ol' giggle at how quaint and ol'timey the things we are talking about are. And if you are one of these people from the future it's probably worth me telling you about a little thing called the Covid-19 pand…