Episodes
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, which were in the U.S. We hear about his job, teaching in a school in Baltimore, his trip to New York City to stay with some relations, his Aunt Polly's funeral, and his money worries. This episode also features another brief appearance from Joan of...
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, Humphrey Barclay, Ronnie Barker and John Sullivan, to name but a few. You'll know Sir David's television work, because it's legendary: Only Fools and Horses, Open All Hours and Touch of Frost are classics which will be watched for many years to come. ...
We'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 his ascent to genius, both aided and hampered by his encroaching deafness. In this conversation, Beethoven is brought to life by the writer and performer, Tama Matheson. What you are going to hear is a classic Rosebud interview, answered by Tama a...
It'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 there) and his wife Sarah Raven, the plantswoman and entrepreneur, who is one of the most influential people in gardening today. Sarah's garden at Perch Hill in Sussex, and the business she runs from there, have been instrumental in introducing a...
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 and Simon Cadell see Marlene Dietrich live in Golders Green and, in a moving finale, he leaves Bedales for good and gets goodbye letters from some old friends. Plus Gyles and Harriet chat. NB in this episode there is some discussion of some sensiti...
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, growing up without a father, the daughter of a hard-working and talented mother who worked in hotels and took the young Penelope along with her. Penelope talks about her school days - when she was taught by Frence nuns - and how she got into drama scho...
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 told Harriet that he thought he might still have the coat, on a clothes rail in his Jumper Room. In this episode, Harry comes to Gyles's house, and we solve the mystery once and for all. And have tea and an interesting chat in the process. This ep...
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, Jack Suchet. He finds out about his close relationship with his mother and his grandparents, and the influence they had on him. He finds out about David's schooldays, his prowess on the rugby pitch, and how a teacher at school spotted his acting ta...
Gyles's diary, episode 14: the first half of 1966 - A-levels, a trip to Paris, and the end of an era
This 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 the future with his headmaster, Mr Slack. There is the usual whirlwind of activity - somehow, while revising for his A-levels, Gyles manages to fit in two school plays, some research on the French prison system, and a trip to Paris. Plus Gyles and...
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 her 25 years ago. And this interview with Rachael is no less memorable: it's a fascinating discussion of her childhood, her complex relationship with her mother, and her parents' divorce. It's a frank discussion of her first sexual experiences and h...
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 growing up on the outskirts of Merseyside in a family tainted by tragedy, to her days at Rada and her first career as an actress, to her experiences trying to conceive and finally adopting her son - Gyles hears the full story of Lynda's remarkable life...
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... long before he became turned on to poetry by reading Ted Hughes. Gyles hears about Simon's parents, his love of indy music, and his first career as a probation officer. Gyles and Simon talk about poetry, about Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney. We hope yo...
We 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 Sally and tries to reconcile that with his endless school projects: this term he's arranging activities for the children in the younger years, to involve them more in the life of the school. Plus, Gyles's sisters have an argument and we find out mor...
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 charming, as you'll hear in this conversation - perhaps thanks to the good manners he inherited from his father. Tim tells Gyles about his childhood, his schooldays at Lancing College and how, despite his lack of ambition, he moved to London and got a...
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 successful British ballet dancers of all time. It's a fairytale that includes David Hockney, Rudolph Nureyev and Princess Diana, and much more besides. Thank you to Wayne for your time, wit and energy. Enjoy this. Learn more about your ad choices....
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 somewhat solitary. Brian talks to Gyles about his early years, the death of his father when he was very young, and his mother's subsequent struggles with mental illness and depression. He talks about his early ambitions to act, his lucky break getting ...
After 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 school bookshop and organising the cycling proficiency lessons for the younger students. He's also organising Mr Badley's 100th birthday celebrations, and putting on another successful school production. He also goes to London to be a Debs' Delight....
In 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 shot horse Noble Yeats in 2022. Sam talks to Gyles about what it takes to make a great partnership with a horse, how to find the best starting position, the challenges of the Grand National, and also about his life, which has been full of daring a...
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 at times very moving. Sue tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up in a close but slightly sheltered family in south London. She tells Gyles about being left-handed, about playing the flute and about her first boyfriend. She talks about how she...
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 dad's circus in North Kent, Harry tells a tale of dodgy doctors, depressed elephants, nefarious clowns and men with gills. We've all been there. Enjoy this special episode of More Rosebud with Harry Hill. Harry Hill is on a nationwide tour now, tick...
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 unpredictable temper. Grayson talks to Gyles about the effect this lonely and unsettled childhood had on him: this is a moving episode. Gyles also asks Grayson about his transvestism and about his art. We hope you enjoy this very interesting editi...
In 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 some chat from Gyles and Harriet and one of your emails, about synaesthesia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 leadership in 1997; to a description of what it's like to lose a seat as an MP (like being at your own funeral, apparently). But there's much more than politics, here. This is also the fascinating story of Ed himself, his humble Norfolk beginnings, his ac...
We'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 candidate. He's also appearing as Isaac Newton in the school play, taking over the school magazine, and getting his O-level results. As usual, there's never a dull moment. This episode also features an extended chat from Gyles and Harriet at the s...
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 mother, who brought up five children in the midst of loss. She talks about her move to Paris as a teenager, how she met and married her first husband, and how important her new French family became to her. She talks about her career, working with...
In 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 take a detailed look at the power of childhood memories, particularly traumatic ones, to effect our adult lives, and the benefits to be had from examining them and learning from them. Brett also tells Gyles about Freud himself, how he developed his i...
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 culture, TV, Plymouth Argyle and marbles, and about how they inspired Josh's later career as a comedian and writer. He hears about Josh's university days and how he started to do stand-up. Finally, Josh opens up about his struggles with anxiety and p...
We'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, as Gyles gets involved in a scandal at school and learns a painful lesson, with the help of his extremely understanding teachers. If you're enjoying the diaries but haven't heard them all, you can go back to the start - they're all marked chronolo...
Rosebud is thrilled to present to you one of the truly great Hollywood actresses of her generation: Sigourney Weaver. Known for her groundbreaking performances as Ripley in Ridley Scott's Alien movies, Sigourney redefined what women could do in the movies. Sigourney talks to Gyles about her fascinating parents - her father, Pat Weaver, was a leading US television executive who pioneered morning television, and her mother, the English actress Elizabeth Inglis. She tells Gyles how she came by her name, and about her first kiss, and how she struggled to get used to her height. She talks about ...
Tariq Ali is one of the most famous and recognisable figures of the revolutionary student movements of the 1960s. In his distinctive red Aquascutum mac he led marches, gave speeches and galvanised opposition to the Vietnam War and other big issues of the time. Born in Lahore just before Partition, he grew up in a prominent family of politicians and became interested in radical politics from a young age. At only 16 he organised his first strike, among the latrine-wallahs in the hill station where his family holidayed. At 18 he was sent to Oxford University, where he became president of the U...