Pottering with Tom Allen

This week, dear listeners, I was joined in the garden by writer, broadcaster, musician and all-round delight, the Reverend Richard Coles! 🌿 You may know Richard from his hugely successful books, as one half of The Communards, or from his many TV and radio appearances, including, of course, a successful stint in the jungle and a perhaps slightly less successful turn in the Strictly ballroom. Richard and I discovered we have plenty of shared eccentricities, so it was an absolute joy chatting about everything from childhood dreams of silk-lined cloaks and our mutual appreciation of the English language, to PJs (pyjamas and private jets). So, don your kaftan, take a brief pause from your funeral planning, and join “Rev Rich” and me in the garden for some Pottering. 🪴 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And do please like, subscribe or leave us a review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, I am joined in the garden by the wonderful Ranvir Singh! 🪴 You’ll know Ranvir from Good Morning Britain and beyond, and it was an absolute pleasure to swap the television studio for the slightly calmer surroundings of the garden for a spot of Pottering. We chat about her incredible trip to the Galápagos Islands, from blue-footed boobies to shark tales! Ranvir also takes us back to where her broadcasting career began, we discover a delightful shared connection to Lancashire, and we hear all about taking on ITV’s The Box. Very much looking forward to that one. 🦈 So, grab your binoculars, tell the builders next door to take a break and come Pottering with us. 🌿 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, I am joined in the garden by the utterly delightful Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins! 🌿 Mel and Sue are long-time friends, comedy partners and sure-fire national treasures! 🏆 It was such a joy to welcome them for a chat, compare tales of suburbia and hear all about their many fabulous adventures together! We discuss tackling heatwaves in the garden, hungry cats and even hungrier beavers, and hear all about the exciting return of Win Win! 🍕🐈 So, grab your gardening gloves, jump on the nearest night bus, and come Pottering with us. 🪴🚌 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, I am joined in the garden by star of stage and screen, Dorothy Atkinson!  You may know Dorothy from the brilliant BBC hit series Ludwig, Mum or perhaps Mr Turner. She's also currently staring in Alan Ayckbourn’s How the Other Half Loves at the Old Vic Theatre, so please do check that out! 🎭 We chat freezing film sets, theatrical mishaps and taking Brief Encounter to Broadway, with David Bowie in the audience no less! Plus, growing up around a flower nursery. 💐 So, dig out your gardening gloves, put those cucumbers to one side, and come Pottering with us. 🥒 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And please like and subscribe, @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, I welcome someone particularly special into the garden, Uncle Andy! 🌿✨ A close family friend, Uncle Andy was the first person I knew who worked in the glittering world of show business and, to a tiny Tom Allen, proof that a life on the stage was possible! 🎭 We chat about his extraordinary years in the theatre, from eight shows a week with Angela Lansbury to working with THE Barbra Streisand. We also delve into Polari, the realities of being gay in the performing arts and take a truly delightful trip down memory lane. I do very much hope you enjoy! So, curtains up! Grab yourself a freshly squeezed orange juice, settle into your finest chair, and come Pottering with us. 🪴 🎧 Watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And please do like and subscribe, or leave a review! @tomallen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices