View From My Sofa

For this very special, bonus episode of the Radio Times Podcast, I, Kelly-Anne Taylor am joined by Oscar-winning Hollywood A listers, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. They both grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and have been friends since childhood. Their teenage years were spent travelling to New York to auditions – and both eventually dropped out of university (Matt from Harvard, and Casey from Columbia) to pursue acting full-time. And – it paid off. Matt rose to fame, writing and starring in Good Will Hunting – and went on to carve out a rich and brilliant career, with movies like The Martian, The Talented Mr Ripley, and Jason Bourne. Similarly, Casey Affleck, the younger brother of Ben Affleck, has also made his mark – winning an Oscar for his turn in Manchester by the Sea. Now, the pair have teamed up for Apple TV’s action-packed heist drama, The Instigators. They play two strangers from different walks of life, thrown together to rob a corrupt politician. In this episode, we talk about how they met, handling fame and press intrusion – and, how being behind the screens has given them greater autonomy over their careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, for our series finale, I, Kelly-Anne Taylor, bring to you our Olympics special – it is an interview with the most successful British gymnast of all time – the six-time Olympic medallist, and the most successful pommel horse worker in the Games’ history – it’s Max Whitlock. In this episode, we reflect on his career – how he started gymnastics, his training regime during his teenage years (which hit highs of 35 hours a week – alongside school!) and competing in London in 2012. We also talk about a period of low mental health that he experienced after the Tokyo Olympics – and how having his daughter Willow, altered his approach to the sport. Plus, he talks about preparing for the Paris games and reveals why he has chosen to retire now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I, Kelly-Anne Taylor, am joined by the best-selling author, Emma Gannon. She began her career working in magazines – she’s written columns for The Telegraph and The Sunday Times and was the Social Media Editor at Glamour. She created the hit podcast, Ctrl, Alt, Delete which racked up over 13 million downloads and saw her sit down with the likes of Elizabeth Gilbert, Lena Dunham and Gillian Anderson to talk about their work, wellbeing and creativity. She is also the writer behind The Hyphen on Substack, a six-figure business – which is described as ‘a cosy, online space for curious readers’. On top of that – she has written six best-selling books to date including The Success Myth, and, her debut novel Olive. Now, she is releasing A Year of Nothingness – a memoir, focusing on her time spent doing nothing following a period of burn-out. In this episode, we talk about the joys of slowing down, the beauty of cold water swimming, the power of slow news – and learning to say ‘no’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whilst I, Kelly-Anne Taylor, was away, reporting from the field at Glastonbury – RT had the incredible opportunity to interview Diane Von Furstenberg for the podcast. Despite my absence, I didn’t think it was fair – that our lovely listeners should miss out on an incredible episode with an incredible guest and so I recruited, my Smart TV co-host, the wonderful Caroline Frost, to take-over for this episode! Diane Von Furstenberg – you’ll know as the iconic fashion designer who created the wrap-dress. But, she is also a lady who has lived and a new documentary, Woman in Charge on Disney+, gives us a glimpse into her fascinating life story. She was born and raised in Brussels in 1946. Her mother, only 18 months before Diane was born, had been imprisoned at Auschwitz. Diane’s mother left a lasting impact and influence over Diane – which she talks about with Caroline in the episode. Diane entered high-society when she married a German Prince, Egon von Furstenberg. They moved to New York and this is when Diane kickstarted her fashion career. It was the 70s and life was governed by hedonism – in this episode, she talks about turning down a threesome with Bowie and Mick Jagger and rubbing shoulders with the greats. She also reflects on the highs and lows of her life, her sensuality and how it defined her brand and breaking glass ceilings as a woman in business. I hope you enjoy this episode and I’ll be back next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining me, Kelly-Anne Taylor, for this very special bonus episode of the Radio Times Podcast is the phenomenal actress, Emma Myers. Born and raised in Orlando in America, Emma had an eclectic childhood – she was one of four and was homeschooled, often spending her days roaming the Disney theme park local to her house. Dance was her initial passion – but, after her family moved to Atlanta, she began to pursue acting. Her life changed forever, when she was cast as Enid Sinclair in Tim Burton’s Wednesday – Netflix’s second most watched show of all time. In this episode, we talk about starring in Wednesday – and how she went from having 900 followers on Instagram to just under 12 million in a matter of weeks – and how she dealt with that explosion in popularity. Plus, we talk about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – in which she stars as Pip, a precocious teenager who decides to investigate the unsolved murder of a young schoolgirl. It’s a delightful bonus episode – I really hope you enjoy it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining me, Kelly-Anne Taylor, for the first episode of this brand-new series of the Radio Times Podcast, is the Scottish actress who took Hollywood by storm, Karen Gillan. Born and raised in Inverness, she moved to London aged 18 to pursue acting – after two weeks at drama school, she dropped out and worked in a pub until she was cast in a role that would change her life – the brilliant Amy Pond in Dr Who. Since then, she’s conquered Hollywood with her role as Nebula in the Marvel film franchise. In this episode, we discuss losing your anonymity, the pressures placed on women’s bodies and her brand new show Douglas is Cancelled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining me, Kelly-Anne Taylor, in the studio is the actress Suranne Jones. Born and raised in Greater Manchester, she first rose to prominence playing Karen McDonald in ITV’s Coronation Street. After leaving the soap, she has cemented herself as one of Britain’s finest actresses – winning a BAFTA for her performance as Gemma Foster in Doctor Foster, and critical acclaim for her role as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack and Amy Silva in Vigil. In this episode we discuss the early days of her career – and how press intrusion and the era of lad mags, impacted her relationship with her body. And, she talks bravely about her mental health breakdown in 2018 – and the coping mechanisms and boundaries she has put in place since then. Plus, we also discuss her brand new documentary Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining me, Kelly-Anne Taylor, this week is the writer, director and actor, Dolly Wells. She grew up off of Kensington High Street in London – the youngest of six children. Aged 18 – she discovered that her stepfather was actually her biological father – the great comic actor, John Wells. In her 20s, Dolly worked as an actress – but also as a photographer’s assistant, she had a stall in Portobello Market and wrote book reviews for the express. It was only when she had her daughter in her 30s that she really decided to go for it. Since then, she’s made her mark – and there seems to be very little that she can’t do. She’s played a vampire-hunting nun in Steven Moffat’s Dracula, a woman locked in a basement with David Tennant in Inside Man and an incompetent assistant in the Sky comedy Doll & Em (which, she co-wrote with her best friend, the actress, Emily Mortimer). Now, she turns her hand to directing BBC3’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – which follows a bright-eyed, precocious teenager Pip (who decides to investigate the unsolved murder of a schoolgirl. In this episode, we talk about the beauty of ageing, her life-changing friendship with Emily Mortimer, and how female directors are changing the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is the TV presenter and reality TV star, Rylan. He grew up on a council estate in East London – with his mum, Linda, his nan and older brother. It was the era of reality TV – and Rylan decided that was the way to make his fame and fortune. In 2012, aged 23, he appeared as a contestant on X Factor – and his emotional reaction at the judges houses and his live show performances made him an X Factor icon. He turned his moment in the limelight, into a longstanding career – pivoting into the world of presenting. In this episode, he reflects about his time on X Factor, receiving death threats and handling overnight fame. Please note that this episode contains strong language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first episode of The Radio Times Podcast in 2024! Joining host Kelly-Anne Taylor, this week, is the comedian – Ed Gamble! He first ventured into comedy whilst studying at the University of Durham and quickly made a name for himself on the London comedy scene – juggling part-time jobs with late-night gigs. A regular on panel shows, Ed Gamble has also found success talking about food – he is a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu and host of the chart-topping food podcast, Off Menu – alongside James Acaster. In this episode, he talks about how losing 7 stone in his early 20s impacted how people treated him and why, as a type 1 diabetic, he hates dieting brands using medication intended for diabetics to promote weight-loss. Plus, he talks about the return of The Traitors and unpicks why everyone is obsessed with the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is Hollywood A-Lister, Nicole Kidman. With a career that spans over four decades, Kidman has starred in almost 100 TV and film projects and picked up all of the most prestigious awards including, an Oscar, Bafta and six Golden Globes. She was born in Hawaii to Australian parents: her father was a biochemist and later a psychologist, and her mother was a nurse educator. Aged 3, she moved to Australia, and it was there, that she found her love of acting. She headed to Hollywood at 20 for a starring role opposite Sam Neill in the psychological thriller Dead Calm – and she quickly made her mark. She has since forged a very successful career – in an industry renowned for its fickleness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week joining Kelly-Anne Taylor, in the studio, is the British actress, presenter and author, Joanna Lumley. Born in India, in Kashmir, Srinagar – she was brought up in the Far East, coming to the UK, aged 8, to attend boarding school. She went on to work as a model and actress, living in London in the Swinging Sixties – and made her name starring as Purdy in The New Avengers. She boasts a successful career – spanning over 6 decades – she had audiences in hysterics as Patsy in hit sit-com Absolutely Fabulous, has presented wonderful travel programmes – and, of course, captured the nation in Jan Etherington’s radio show, Conversations From A Long Marriage – in which she stars alongside Roger Allum. In this episode, she talks about why she doesn’t have a mobile phone and how difficult she found it to shed the ‘pretty girl’ stereotype when she moved from modelling to acting. Plus, she talks about raising a child as a single mother, how playing Purdy in The New Avengers changed things financially for her and why she wishes sex scenes would be cut from TV and film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is the actress, Tamsin Greig. She grew up in London with her parents, two sisters – 5 lodgers and a handful of cats. Her mother had been in amateur dramatics – and Tamsin, absorbed by osmosis, the yearning to perform at a young age. She graduated from the University of Birmingham with a first-class BA in Drama and Theatre – and then, worked at the Family Planning Association – before getting her foot in the door with her role as Debbie Aldridge in The Archers. Since then – she has had a glittering career on both the stage and on television. She has starred in some of Britain’s most loved sitcoms – from Black Books to Green Wing – and most recently, Friday Night Dinner. In this episode, she discusses what it’s like to juggle parenthood with working life, her love of trampolining and playing a baddie in Paramount’s new drama, Sexy Beast, based on the cult-classic gangster film of the 00s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by the actor, Theo James. He grew up in Buckinghamshire, the youngest of five siblings, and dreamed of a career as a musician. After reading Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, he segued into acting, enrolling as a student at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. He catapulted to fame when he landed the leading role of Four in the YA Hollywood hit-series, Divergent. Since then, he has starred in The White Lotus, Sanditon, The Time Traveller’s Wife – and, most recently, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman. In this episode, he talks about the harsh realities of overnight fame, how the Me Too movement has shaped films sets and how his latest role exposes Britain’s class system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the season finale of the podcast, Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by Adam Buxton. The actor, comedian and podcaster attended Westminster School – where he befriended future-documentary-maker Louis Theroux, and Joe Cornish, who he would later star alongside in Channel 4’s The Adam and Joe Show. His podcast, The Adam Buxton Podcast, has been a hit – featuring conversations with everyone from Zadie Smith to Robbie Williams to Paul McCartney. In this episode, Buxton discusses the sacrifices his parents made to send him to public school, how he felt when Louis Theroux decided to launch a podcast and which interviews have been his best… and worst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this special episode of the Radio Times Podcast, Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by the conservationists Chris Packham and Megan Mccubbin. Packham was born in Southampton in 1961 and spent much of his childhood exploring the nature he found at his doorstep. As a teenager with autism, he was picked on at school – his solace was the outside world. After studying Zoology at the University of Southampton, Packham found himself in the world of television and film, taking still photographs – but it was his audition for The Really Wild Show which kickstarted his career. Today, he is recognised as one of Britain’s most prominent wildlife TV presenters. He joins the podcast, alongside his step-daughter the conservationist and TV presenter, Megan McCubbin. In this episode, we discuss the perils of activism, the everyday changes everyone can make to fight climate change – and, the beauty of watching telly together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by the popstar-turned-actor Lily Allen and the TV presenter Miquita Oliver. They grew up in Ladbroke Grove, West London, in creative households, spending much of their youth roaming Portobello market and flunking school. Allen’s mother is the film producer, Alison Owen, and her father is the actor, Keith Allen. Oliver was raised by her mother, the broadcaster and chef, Andi Oliver. Both Oliver and Allen made their name at a young age – Oliver as a TV presenter on Channel 4’s music show Popworld and Allen for her debut-smash-hit Smile. In this episode they talk about the perils of fame and how they handle trolls. Plus, they reminisce about the hedonism of the 00s and reveal why they never listened to the advice imparted by their famous family members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s episode Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by the journalist, best-selling author and mental-health advocate, Bryony Gordon. Gordon grew up in London in a family of journalists. Her mother is the former gossip-columnist Jane Gordon, and it was thanks to her address book that Gordon landed her first journalism gig. Since then, she has carved a successful career – known for her trademark honesty. In this episode she talks about the ups and downs of life, sobriety and being mates with Prince Harry. Plus, they discuss Gordon’s eighth book, Mad Woman, in which she writes about her experiences with binge-eating disorder, the menopause and OCD. Please note that this episode includes conversations surrounding eating disorders that some listeners might find triggering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by the Scottish actor, Martin Compston. Born and raised in Greenock, Scotland – he first made his name starring in the Ken Roach film, Sweet Sixteen (which won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival). It was his role as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty that made him a household name. In this episode, he talks about how that role changed his life, what it’s like living in Vegas – and why he’s doing less on-screen nudity. Plus, he chats about his latest travelogue Martin Compston’s Norwegian Fling and what it was like running with wolves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode host Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley! From Broadchurch to The Crown to The Favourite, Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman has become a staple of British film and television. And Irish co-star Jessie Buckley boasts an impressive CV herself, starring across the big and small screen in projects like War & Peace, Chernobyl and Wild Rose. As a pair, Colman and Buckley previously worked together on Netflix movie The Lost Daughter – they played the same character at different ages and were both nominated for Oscars – and now share the screen again as warring neighbours in Wicked Little Letters, a comedy about a real-life poison pen scandal that shocked 1920s England. In this episode, we talk about sexism in the film industry, the importance of equal pay, the female-led films dominating the box-office and they share what they’ve learnt from their worst auditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices