Loose Ends

Jack Docherty has entertained audiences in eight series of BBC Scotland’s mockumentary police show Scot Squad, as Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson. He returns to our screens in new spin-off The Chief. Writer Kirsty Logan has written on witches, mermaids, and motherhood. Her latest collection of dark tales of love and desire is No & Other Love Stories.Comedian Larry Dean is bringing his acclaimed stand up show Dodger on tour. It explores identity, his grandmother's dementia diagnosis, and a love of Elvis Presley.After big 40th anniversary celebrations last year, Pat and Greg Kane - AKA pop duo Hue and Cry - are set for a year of touring. They share a song fit for Valentine's Day weekend. Cellist Su-a Lee performs a track from her solo album Dialogues which celebrates decades of folk music friendships. She's joined by composer and pianist James Ross.

Kevin Clifton entertained the nation for years on Strictly, now he can often be found treading the boards instead – and is currently starring in Chicago as it tours the country. Poet and former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead talks about her collection of poems A Handsel ahead of her appearance at the Winter Words Festival in Pitlochry. Coinneach MacLeod, best known as The Hebridean Baker, has found a global audience for his Scottish recipes. His latest release is The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook. Olivier Award-nominated Dawn Sievewright’s next project is Wild Rose, a stage musical adaptation of the 2018 film. She shares a track from the show ahead of it’s premiere in March. Jazz/soul ensemble Mama Terra perform from their new album Chameleons: Live Interpretations of Herbie Hancock.

Natural history presenter and cameraman Gordon Buchanan’s new book In The Hide is a look back at some of his greatest adventures across the world, from Mumbai to Mongolia. In 2015 Mhairi Black became the youngest MP elected to the House of Commons since the 1800s. After stepping down at the 2024 General Election, she turned her mind to her tell-all comedy show Politics Isn’t For Me which took last year’s Fringe by storm. She's now taking it on tour. Cal MacAninch is well known for roles in Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge, Vigil and Wild At Heart amongst much else. He plays Banquo in a production of Macbeth that has wowed audiences at the Donmar Warehouse and the West End and can be seen in cinemas in February. Edinburgh’s Makar Michael Pedersen writes about friendship, grief and pretending to be a cat. The newest addition to his expanding body of works is his debut novel, Muckle Flugga.Tunisian singer-songwriter EMEL has performed across the world, and rose to fame with her protest song Kelmti Horra which became an anthem for revolution. She performs from her latest album is MRA. Irish-Scottish contemporary folk duo LÉDA share a new track ahead of their debut album launch later this year.

Clive Anderson celebrates Scotland’s Bard with a special Loose Ends Burns Supper.Comedian Susie McCabe is back with her new show Best Behaviour. The Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award-winner and host of the smash-hit podcast Here Comes The Guillotine is headed for Glasgow Comedy Festival.Meredith Brook stars in new BBC ALBA drama An t-Eilean (The Island), the UK’s first high-end Gaelic drama series which is set on the Isle of Harris. Franco-Scot poet Paul Malgrati’s book Robert Burns and Scottish Cultural Politics – The Bard of Contention (1914-2014) explores Rabbie’s influences around the world. He shares why the poet still means so much to modern audiences across the world, and what it was like learning Scots as a French-speaker.Carina Contini discusses cooking up the perfect Burns Supper and her showcase of the rich variety of Italian recipes The Contini Cookbook.Plus Isle of Lewis trio Peat and Diesel bring a bit of island spirit to Glasgow.

This year the Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue celebrates 40 years together. Not only is the band going strong – so is the marriage bringing together its lead vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh. They both join Nihal Arthanayake to reflect on four decades of music-making.Paul McKenna’s career has taken him from radio DJ to stage hypnotist to self-help book author. His latest offering – Power Manifesting – explores how he’s used manifesting to achieve his goals. He looks at how super-achievers praise this technique and explains how he uses the toolkit in day to day life.Julie Wilson Nimmo is a star of Scottish TV classics like Balamory, Chewin’ The Fat and Scot Squad. Her current role is slightly different as she and fellow actor and comedian husband Greg Hemphill set off to the Scottish islands to dip in their beautiful seas. Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim sees the couple enjoy the invigoration of cold water swimming, along with chats about mental health, the menopause and much more.Indie-folk pop singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni shares music from her latest release – no way blues. And singer-songwriter Jon Muq who was born in Uganda and has forged a career in Austin, Texas. He performs from his album Flying Away.

Loose Ends is in Hebden Bridge this week, a town made famous by the BBC drama Happy Valley, but you might also recognise the place and its glorious scenery from Last Tango in Halifax, Gentleman Jack or The Gallow's Pole. Clive will talk to local resident and bestselling novelist Joanne Harris, maybe best known for Chocolat which was adapted into an Oscar nominated film of the same name. Her latest book The Moonlight Garden is a fantasy set in a "long ago and far away" version of London and fits right into the wildly popular "romantasy" genre - a good fit for a town renowned for its quirky ways and alternative lifestyles. Also in the show, the acclaimed comedian and actor Richard Blackwood, best known for roles in Hollyoaks and EastEnders as well as on stage, is out on the road and passing through town on a stand up tour promising heavyweight laughs and no messing. TV presenter, GP and host of Europe's most popular wellness podcast Dr Ranjan Chatterjee will be easing us all into the New Year, just about the time when we all begin to fall off the New Year resolutions wagon and we'll be hearing about what happened to his own long held ambition to be Jon Bon Jovi. And award wining stand-up comedian and Hebden resident Nina Gilligan will explain why her new show is called Goldfish. Music from former I am Kloot frontman John Bramwell and band The Full Harmonic Convergence and also from all female Indie-folk band The Deep Blue. Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Olive Clancy

Loose Ends is kicking off the year with a special recording at the Salford Lad's Club. If your New Year's resolution is to listen to music we've got you covered as Stuart Maconie will be joined by Stockport's finest, Blossoms, performing songs from their fourth UK number one album 'Gary'. We also have the powerhouse vocals of Rowetta, who will also talk about her time with the Happy Mondays and we have Graham Fellows, who celebrates 40 years as John Shuttleworth. Journalist Miranda Sawyer is the author of 'Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in Twenty songs'. She tells us about her 90's, and perhaps finally get to the the bottom of who came up with the term 'britpop'.Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Jessica Treen

Wayne Sleep, Ben Miller, Rosalind Eleazar and Lou Conran join Stuart Maconie for this week's Loose Ends, with music from The Lottery Winners.Dance icon Wayne Sleep waltzes in to tell us stories of his life - all detailed in his new autobiography, Just Different. Tales of his friendships with Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, David Hockney and fellow ballet legend Rudolph Nureyev intermingle with insights into his working-class upbringing and the difficulties of trying to make it as the shortest principal dancer ever to get into the Royal Ballet. Told he would always have to spin twice as fast and jump twice as high to succeed, Stuart hears all about the trials, tribulations and backstage gossip that make up Wayne’s world. With notable appearances in Slow Horses, Howards End, Rellik and the Personal History Of David Copperfield, as well as striding such prestigious stages as the Royal Court and the National Theatre, Rosalind Eleazar is set to return to the small screen this New Year. Starring in the Netflix production of Harlan Coben’s Missing You, filmed across the north west of England, she’s here to tell us all about her new role as Detective Kat Donovan. Award-winning comedian and writer Lou Conran has been storming stages up and down the country since 2005 with her innate brand of sharp wit and honest and open humour. 2025 will see her twenty year anniversary as a performer and off the back of a sold out UK tour, she’s about to embark on a tour of New Zealand, and joins Stuart to tell us about the year ahead. The actor and comedian Ben Miller is of course known for The Armstrong & Miller Show, the Johnny English and Paddington films, Death in Paradise, Bridgerton - but over recent years has turned his hand to writing children’s books. From his Elf series to the recent The Night I Met Father Christmas, he joins Stuart to talk about his new character – Robin Hood…aged 10¾. And we’ll hear all about his new TV series Austin which will be on our screens in 2025. Robbie Williams, Noel Gallagher, Boy George, Shaun Ryder and Frank Turner are just some of the huge names The Lottery Winners have in their phonebook. Formed in the mining town of Leigh 15 years ago, The Lottery Winners set out to work the UK gig circuit and perfect their now acclaimed stagecraft. And it all paid off when their last album went to No.1 in the UK. Their fourth original album KOKO is due out in February with a tour closely following…and another one with Robbie Williams following that! They join Loose Ends to play two songs - Superpower and Worry. Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Elizabeth Foster Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-Miller

It's a glorious fusion of nostalgia, tinsel and song this week in a show recorded with an audience at the BBC Radio Theatre. Clive talks to punk princess Toyah Willcox about her Xmas Party tour with King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and a blistering year that's seen her perform at Glastonbury, take part in Strictly Come Dancing and join the cast of Now That's What I Call a Musical. To celebrate 30 years since boyband East 17 scaled the charts with Stay Another Day - songwriter Tony Mortimer performs the song with Edele Lynch of B*Witched for a boy and girl band treat. Find out the true origin of the song and why it almost wasn't released. There's bromance, baubles and banter with a pair of Edinburgh Comedy Award winners - Adam Riches and John Kearns - who this year are collaborating on a "once in a lifetime, yuletide extravaganza" show at the Soho Theatre.And the columnist, broadcaster and newly-announced MasterChef host Grace Dent - who knows a thing or two about comfort eating having written a book about it - on creating Christmas food memories, including loading up on yellow-stickered trophies at the supermarket late on Christmas Eve. Plus in this 40th anniversary year since the release of Wham's Last Christmas we have a gorgeous soulful version from singer and former UK Jazz Act Of The Year - Georgia Cecile. Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Olive Clancy

Stuart Maconie is joined in the Salford studio by Sheffield's finest, Richard Hawley, playing tracks from his latest album 'In This City They Call You Love', and by comedian and podcaster Cariad Lloyd on her Christmas book for children, The Christmas Wish-tastrophe. Seema Pankhania is on a quest to cook the national dish from every country around the world and she's documenting her journey on her popular Youtube and TikTok channels. She's just pusblished her first cookbook 'Cravable: All I want to eat, big flavours for every mood. Tim Clare takes gaming very seriously in his book 'The Game Changers' - a history of tabletop game playing, and Katy Stephens stars as The White Witch in a new version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Leeds Playhouse. Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Jessica Treen