What is the work of a middle-aged man? To improve himself and help those around him contribute to a fairer, more tolerant society. Mark is a digital producer with a coaching mindset. Brendan is a home remodeler with plans to become a men’s health coach. As men entering their second phase of life, they push each-other to be better and achieve more, without the hustle and grind mindset of the Internet bro. They also do battle with music, writing original songs on the topic of the day.
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Private detective Molly has an eye for detail and a strong moral compass. She's also a rabbit. Her newest case involves a number of disappearing hamsters, but hot on their trail are Roscoe and Bailey, two of Fogsworth's finest police detectives... who, it should be mentioned, are cats. Lurking in the shadows are the retired military minds of the town, including an obese pug and his colourful canine henchmen, who serve a sinister mastermind. Molly must team up with the cats and build new frie ...
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Legendary British writer, broadcaster, ex-MP and TV star Gyles Brandreth hosts “Rosebud”, in which he talks to famous and fascinating people about their first memories and first experiences. Expect laughter, nostalgia, memorable stories, revelations and, of course, the odd name-drop from Gyles. We want to hear about your first memories - email us at [email protected] And you can follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @therosebudpod Artwork: Freya Betts. Music: Phil Lepherd. Producer: H ...
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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 fo…
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Mark ran his first community singing group session, Brendan had a chat with his pasta/pastor, and we get to hear the full extended mix of Frank Turner's Get Better, by a dapper wizard.By Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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This is an exclusive, and more or less uncensored, interview with the journalist and media powerhouse Piers Morgan, who Gyles spoke to live at the Bridlington Business Day this year. Piers talks to Gyles about his childhood, growing up above a country pub in Sussex, about his schooldays being a "buffoon", and about how peach brandy helped to secure…
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Another 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 '6…
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Brendan is holding space and being held up by many hands. Mark is done with giving 120% and is ready to ut bak on some stuff (not this podcast, though). Links Drop the Dead Donkey The Chimp Paradox, by Steve Peters Self-Compassion, by Kristin NeffBy Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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The 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 li…
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Rose 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 who…
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Brendan returns to Darkenshrub, and Mark gets grumpy in London.By Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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JoJo 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 ou…
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This 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, wh…
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Mark is almost at a podcast conference. Brendan is juggling men's retreat options. And together they plot to save the world.By Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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This week, Gyles is joined by very special guest Sir David Jason, who talks about memories of his career: how he started out in his local theatre group in north London, and progressed through amateur dramatics, to rep, and finally to the West End and television. There are, of course, a few cameos and helping hands along the way: Brian Epstein, Hump…
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More Rosebud - Brandreth meets Beethoven
1:17:24
1:17:24
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1:17:24We'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 …
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Mark has an idea for an app, Brendan had a revolution while dancing, and the boys have some advice on mopping. Links Simple Marketing For Smart People, by Billy Broas, Tiago Forte & Ali Abdaal Moral Ambition, by Rutger Bregman Pulp – Common People Quotes by Alan WattsBy Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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Rosebud at Sissinghurst - Sarah Raven and Adam Nicolson
1:11:36
1:11:36
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1:11:36It's Chelsea Flower Show in London this week, and at Rosebud we're celebrating - with this special episode recorded at one of the most beautiful gardens in the world: Sissinghurst Castle in Kent. At Sissinghurst Gyles meets the writer Adam Nicolson, grandson of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson (who famously conceived and designed the garden …
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The 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 …
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Brendan be dodging balls, Mark be watching The Pitt, they both be watching Sinners, and Michael B Jordan.By Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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If you love British comedy, you'll know and admire our guest this week: Dame Penelope Keith. The characters she played - Margo Leadbetter and Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton - are two of the best-known and most distinctive characters in sit-com. And this is a rare chance to hear an interview with Dame Penelope. Gyles talks to her about her childhood, growi…
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If 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 …
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Brendan moved his mum into a new care facility, Mark reconnected with his therapist, and the pair reflect on creating intentional routines, reducing digital distractions, and their dreams.By Mark Steadman & Brendan Hutchins
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The 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, Ja…
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Gyles's diary, episode 14: the first half of 1966 - A-levels, a trip to Paris, and the end of an era
1:01:59
1:01:59
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1:01:59This 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 …
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Brendan and Mark have questions and thoughts around moderation, and Brendan has questions for Mark on his sleep. (00:00) - Stumbling into failure (00:07) - Mark is weirdly on his shit (00:52) - Brendan is on his shit (04:25) - Brendan has thoughts on moderation (14:28) - Mark has a pending relevation (25:12) - Brendan doesn't trust the messages his…
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Our 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 he…
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Lynda 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 growin…
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The boys mostly talk about sugar, both in chocolate form a la Easter, and in pill form via placebo. (00:00) - The most thing is sugar (01:17) - Brendan describes needing a hug (03:18) - Mark describes his norming (06:10) - Mark mourns a friend (10:30) - Brendan and Mark spoil an episode of Black Mirror (16:57) - Mark describes a book (18:51) - Mark…
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It'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... lon…
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More Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 13: the second half of 1965 - adventures in Switzerland, school reports and a family argument
40:51
40:51
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40:51We 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 Sa…
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Mark and Brendan figure out how to talk to people in real life. (00:00) - Is this what normal people do? (00:19) - Brendan got a visit from his mom (03:00) - Mark dreamt of Brendan (06:03) - Brendan went to a trade show (27:07) - Mark recounts his public speaking journey (45:07) - Mark reckons with his unlikeability as a child (56:46) - Mark makes …
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Sir 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 char…
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Wayne Sleep was once called "the finest virtuoso ballet dancer the Royal Ballet has ever produced" by the founder of the company, Ninette de Valois. In this episode, Wayne tells Gyles his remarkable story - raised by his single mother in Plymouth and Hartlepool, Wayne overcame poverty and his short stature to become one of the most well known and s…
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Mark encourages Brendan to make short-form video... not at all because he has started making his own. (00:00) - Y'all are welomed to the show (03:42) - Mark wouldn't call a dude "love" (05:19) - Mark says "y'all" ironically (08:28) - Undo is now monetised (17:17) - Brendan's killing it running a meditation group (22:25) - David chimes in (23:16) - …
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Brian 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 somew…
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More Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 12: the first half of 1965 - Debs' Delights, Gyles's 17th birthday, and Churchill's funeral
49:45
49:45
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49:45After 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 sc…
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Grand National special - Sam Waley-Cohen, champion jockey
44:57
44:57
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44:57In 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 …
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Mark opens a can of worms full of aspartame, and Brendan has both joined a dodgeball league and started a meditation circle. Now who's being a productive dynamo!? (00:00) - Now I have a bag of pegs (00:42) - Dopamine Nation (07:52) - Does Mark trust Brendan? (19:09) - Mark pokes the bear on aspartame (38:47) - Brendan brings up the Potato Famine (4…
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We'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 …
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Today's More Rosebud is an unexpected April treat from the great comedian Harry Hill. You'll know Harry from his brilliant TV shows like TV Burp and Alien Fun Capsule or his podcast Are We There Yet? but you won't know about his incredible life. In this episode Harry tells Gyles his scarcely believable story - and what a story. Growing up in his da…
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Brendan and Mark kind of have a fight a little bit. In as much as two enneagram 9s can. (00:00) - We're senseless to our selves (00:59) - Mark's chat history (05:22) - Brendan and the holy trinity (13:59) - Mark gets triggered by the word "recover" (27:56) - The tug of war (38:33) - Another parable of the blind man (43:05) - Part 1 of Mark trying t…
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Today 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 …
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More Rosebud: First memories from John Humphrys, Dame Jacqueline Wilson and more...
33:00
33:00
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33:00In 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 s…
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Playing myself at Magic the Gathering
1:09:40
1:09:40
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1:09:40Our heroes navigate freelancing and money, and Brendan has an update for Mark on fasting, courtesy of everyone's favourite large language model. (00:00) - Playing myself at Magic the Gathering (00:12) - Brendan consulted ChatGPT on fasting (06:16) - The YouTube diet (12:31) - The forthcoming men's group (14:11) - Make a plan B (19:25) - Just exist …
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Gyles really enjoyed meeting this week's guest, Ed Balls, because he enjoyed bonding over their shared experience of Westminster. And the political gossip and insight in this chat is fascinating - from a very funny behind-the-scenes account of the famous dinner at Granita in Islington at which Tony Blair and Gordon Brown thrashed out their leadersh…
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More Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 11: the second half of 1964 - a road trip, election fever and school reports
54:04
54:04
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54:04We'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 …
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Somebody learned something at some point
1:09:35
1:09:35
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1:09:35Brendan's not eating again, and Mark has opinions about education. (00:00) - Cheesecake (04:46) - Brendan is not eating (17:32) - Teaching by experience vs study (19:47) - Profit vs compensation (28:20) - Study vs experience revisited (47:04) - Finding intrinsic confidence in your work (01:09:12) - Only Correct Links Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, by …
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Dame Kristin Scott Thomas is one of our best, most distinctive, and most watchable actresses, and we're delighted that she's our guest on Rosebud today. Dame Kristin tells Gyles about her childhood, which was at times idyllic but was coloured by the tragic deaths of both her father and step-father. She talks about her impressive and highly talented…
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More Rosebud - Professor Brett Kahr: Freudian Psychotherapist
55:06
55:06
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55:06In 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 tak…
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Mark's vibrating internally but has got some funky stuff cooking, and Brendan still wants Mark to stop using TikTok. (00:00) - Brendan's tree joke (00:20) - Manic Mark (03:18) - Undo update (08:52) - It's all coming together (22:17) - Big changes and ADHD (25:32) - Pathologising a good time (29:59) - r/blocked (38:48) - Brendan tries to deprogramme…
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Gyles 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 cul…
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More Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 10: the first half of 1964 - O-levels, A Study in Sherlock, and lessons learnt
50:41
50:41
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50:41We'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, …
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