Elis James and John Robins

Leonard I. Sweet once proclaimed "The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create", and as BBC Radio 5 Live's premium purveyors of content Elis and John are already hard at work creating a future full of japes, jokes and jolly's, they don't have time for nostalgia; their eyes are firmly fixed on what's up next for them... and they NEVER dwell on the past.That said, here's a show purely dedicated to looking back at their best moments from 2022.There's been highs (Elis watching his beloved Wales qualify for the World Cup), there's been lows (John having a sardine-induced breakdown in Scotland) ... and prose that Wordsworth himself would be proud of (Producer Dave rhyming 'ineffective' with 'Pigeon Detectives').See you next year!

Games. Some of us love them, some of us take them far too seriously, some of us make them up... and this very special edition of the Elis James and John Robins show celebrates those games that have been created by you, the listener: but with a festive twist. That's right, it's Elis and John's Made Up Games Christmas Special!Recorded in front of a live studio audience at the BBC Philharmonic Studios, this episode sees Elis and John compete against each other to accrue as many points as possible in order to claim the title of Made Up Games Christmas Champion. However, they're not alone: Producer Dave acts as the iron-fisted quizmaster, members of the BBC Philharmonic provide a live music soundtrack, and the guys are joined by two VERY special guests. So don your Christmas jumpers, pull a cracker, and settle in for an hour of pure festive Made Up Games!

It's the last Friday before Christmas. You're counting down the minutes until you can leave work. Out of office turned on, fax machine turned off; you're ready to hit the road... and in front of you is a mammoth 195 mile journey from Gloucester to Hull.It's a scenario familiar to millions, but thankfully Elis and John are here to help those of you heading home over the festive period; and on today's show they were looking to accumulate a billion miles worth of journeys around the country. How far are the people of the UK travelling? Who are they with? And most crucially of all, what are they driving? Yes: we're Driving Home For Christmas.The guys also speak to a positively festive Unsung Hero, Santa's Head of Logistics drops by... and the joke writing skills of two of the UK's premier comedians are put to the test in a very special Made Up Game.

Today, a new geo-triumvirate was born, as content proceeded to explode across the airwaves from central London (Elis), BBC Bristol (John) and Salford’s Media Citeh (Producer Dave).And with a smorgasbord of content covered including (but not limited to) bean shots, Clarence Seedorf, toilet seats, Chinooks, Pokemon cards, potatoes, Roy Keane, Larkin and Scottish weather, maybe long-distance ISDN-supported broadcasting is the future for our digital-terrestrial protagonists?Either way, good show.

With something called the 'World Cup' still holding a monopoly over the airways Elis and John were shunted into an hour long quarter final shaped siding of a show today. But the presence of neither Croatians or Brazilians on the schedule could cramp their style. John took his seemingly talking big coat out for a spin, Elis channels Brando and fans of Wareing, Wallace, et al. will be pleased with a tasty Made Up Game.

The spinning mule. Fred Dibnah. The Wigan kebab. Many things have rocked Greater Manchester, but none have made quite the impact as today's broadcast from Media Citeh. A quiet gasp went around the building as the revolving doors revealed that the Big Wigs were in town for their approximately annual away day to the Salford Riviera."Is that Britain's premier professional football fan and Amersham's 1,232nd golfer?" they whispered as John sipped his long black and Elis took off his million pound jacket ready for an hour of gonzo radio the UK hadn't heard since the days of Producer Dave was larging it in Fifth Avenue. The result for the non-live listener is 79 podcast minutes of birds, receipt repartee and generic catalogue oriented fun.

You may have heard that something called the ‘World Cup’ is currently taking place in Qatar, and due to 5 Live’s commitment to bringing coverage of EVERY game throughout the tournament there was no live Elis and John show this week. However, there’s no way we couldn’t provide you with your weekly dose of chat, so we’re happy to share some bonus #content with you. Think of it as a vibe symposium, the Yolta of ‘chat’, a meeting of minds… Essentially, it’s Elis, John and Producer Dave having a good old catch up. Elis discusses his journey to Qatar to watch Wales at their first World Cup since 1958, John talks about his journey to the car (with his beer fridge), and Producer Dave alleges that he's currently at his heaviest. Enjoy!

After recovering from the career-threatening injury he sustained whilst playing dodgeball last week John was able to make it into the studio for today’s show… and when he put his cap on five minutes before the mics went live Elis and Dave just knew that it was going to be a good day. However, when the cap ended up coming off there were concerns that the radio wheels might fall off. Thankfully John didn’t lose the metaphorical dressing room, and battled through to score radio goal after radio goal.The guys speak to an Unsung Hero who’s out in Qatar with the Welsh national team, John does a good (but weird) impression, and there’s one of the funniest Made Up Games of all time.

There’s nothing worse than a sportsman sustaining an injury before a big event. Months of preparation hang in the balance, opportunities of a lifetime potentially lost forever… and just like Gareth Bale ahead of the upcoming World Cup there were questions about whether John would be able to present today’s show after sustaining an injury to his calf. But you know John… he’s able to power through ANYTHING, and fresh from a long bath he rolled back the months and presented the show from home - with only minor miscommunications with Elis!Despite being miles apart the show was an absolute triumph! The guys were joined by a cricketing Unsung Hero, Tanya from YouGov dropped by to discuss how the people of Britain recite phone numbers, Tony Livesey talked about his solitary news reading appearance and Elis went barmy thanks to a Made Up Game.

Every once in a while Elis and John will pull a topic out of thin air that causes the text console to explode; and their ability to engage the nation is something they take pride in. However, today it was the turn of listener Ian to grab the nation's attention with his submission to Petty Parliament… and what a topic it was (caution: you WILL have your own opinion on it).We speak to an Unsung Hero who plays a very important role in the world of Strictly Come Dancing, there’s a Made Up Game that was probably a bit too far in John’s wheelhouse, Producer Dave tells us his story of Squandering Extravagance and the guys share a live announcement (massive it is).