Elis James and John Robins

BBC Radio 5 Live
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Mar 14, 2025 • 1h 9min

#419 - BQWND, The Bailiff of Content and Watching Mince Defrost in Real Time

If content were a wrist, chat were the blood flowing through the veins of that wrist, and today’s episode of Elis and John were the finger, then all 3 would be in perfect harmony. For this is an episode with its finger firmly on the nation’s pulse.What else is the nation talking about than mullets, Van Morrison, dressing up your kids, and a pile of tyres on a farm near Narberth? It’s an episode that really does cover the gamut of human experience; it contains multitudes.It also contains a pink-t-shirt-wearing John Robins, who’s decided to wear a jolly colour in order to tell his subconscious that things are better than they seem. And it contains Elis going beyond the human and trying to Cymru Connect to an email.If you also have your finger on the pulse of chat and want to contribute your wares, send them to elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp the show on 07974 293 022.
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Mar 11, 2025 • 1h 7min

#418 - Pasta Joke, Quarry Stuff and Black as Sackcloth

The Cymru Connection is officially newsworthy: we said it could be significant, and boy was it.Sadly we didn’t get a 2000 word thinkpiece on whether opening with the question ‘where did you go to school?’ is actually harmful for Elis’s xC (expected connections), but we did get a 3 minute package on the nation’s favourite feature that will no doubt be talked about for decades to come. The boys reflect on their newfound cultural importance, and John discovers a hard truth about how his role on this podcast is viewed in Wales.Beyond all the excitement, there’s chat about the downsides of dressing your children for World Book Day, there’s a Shame Well that’s so shameful it leads to everyone talking French, and the boys wonder why farms always have massive piles of tyres. Your usual fare, basically.Oh, and we finally get to relive some of John's early stand up material. Brace yourselves.If you feel compelled to offer up some newsworthy items of your own, send them to elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp the show on 07974 293 022.
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Mar 7, 2025 • 1h

#417 - Sun on the Cheeks, The Nadir of the Mullet and Squatting in a Poltergeist’s World

Is John having a Pep Guardiola moment? For a man who wins a lot, he’s chalked up a lot of losses this week. Firstly there’s an unprecedented Wordle catastrophe that only the language of the great Bard can summarise. And secondly, there’s a barren month on the old PB’s (premium bonds).But worry not, for John has “lit a fire in today”. What kind of fire? A content fire. Nothing can stop the man from producing content.Elis dives once again into the annals of history to continue a comprehensive look back at John’s 20 year stand up career. And he calls on two famous friends to colour in the details.Elsewhere, a new facet of the Mad Dad is unearthed, a listener shares a Van Morrison story, and the boys have a chat about mullets.If you want to throw your 2 pennies in, email the show on elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 07974 293 022.
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Mar 4, 2025 • 1h 10min

#416 - That’s Massive For Me, The English Enigma and Wales Today

“Wales might be a country of 3.1 million people, but it seems like we all know each other. Well one broadcaster on BBC Radio 5 Live is putting that to the test.” [Roll VT]It’s a big day for Elis. This could be significant. BBC Wales are in the house to cover the local / national news stories on everyone’s lips: The Cymru Connection. The eyes of a section of the UK are on him. Can he succeed when the nation’s local news comes to town?As a result there’s not just one, but two bites at the succulent connecting cherry for you lucky rascals. Wipe those juices off your face, it's unbecoming.Plus there’s a Made Up Game that once again confounds the boys’ lowly expectations of their own creativity, whilst Elis simply cannot get his head around plot when it’s sung to him.Whilst you’re here get yourselves subscribed on BBC Sounds where you can also get Elis and John bonus content every Saturday morning! Want to connect with us via digital media? Well the best options are elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk on email and 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp.
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Feb 28, 2025 • 1h

#415 - This Is Your Stand Up Life: John Robins

“I just feel ashamed and sad now.”John’s in a bad mood. He has made this patently clear he wants nothing to catch him off guard. That’s great news for Elis when he’s got a big fun surprise for John that he’s put a load of work into. Wish him luck.Because it’s a huge milestone week for Mr Johnny JR Robins. Two decades on the circuit. And in that time innumerable regional arts centres have felt his comedic touch in that time. So many times has John won. Again. And Again. Thus now is the time to cast a wistful eye back on 20 years of John Robins stand up, warts and all. For This Is Your Stand Up Life.We also circle back around to sex clubs again. This time on The Wirral.Premium bonds are like truffles in the earth. Got any truffles that you prime hogs have dug up and now stand attentively next to, waiting for us to gather? Well send them in to elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk and 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp.
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Feb 25, 2025 • 1h 7min

#414 - Yesterday’s Bone, Book Humour and The Coalface We Call Prose

John’s currently penning something which will change global culture. But what if we lift the bonnet of his genius? That is what we find out on today’s show.For in that bonce is a V8 plucking words from the ether with such vim and vigour, and combining those words to make phrases, clauses and sentences. Word constructs which then combine to make reflections and musings that will make people go “huh, that’s profound” like nothing before.The ease with which John hammers out words at such a pace would make Jilly Cooper, professional blush causer, blush. Pages churned out with an efficiency that if this were Bob Cratchit doing office based tasks then Scrooge would offer him a raise.Elsewhere, there is combat over the combativeness of features and where the blame for that lies, whilst once again Elis is unreasonably put under time pressure to think of things. Plus, have you ever just snogged someone constantly for an hour?If you’d like to pen your own novellas (emails / texts) then get in touch through elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk or 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp.
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Feb 21, 2025 • 55min

#413 - Generation Graze, A Chunk Funk and Rustle Click Munch Ting Ting

John has eaten some chocolate just before recording and now he’s all glum. So it’s up to Elis and Dave to get him out of his funk. Their options: 1. Take his trousers off. 2. Give him a wedgie. 3. Let him tell his anecdote about going to a folk gig and sitting in front of an annoying couple. One wonders which they’ll pick?After the chunk funk (chocolate funk) has subsided, there’s more premium bond chat, and after Elis’s poor showing around Valentine’s Day last week, dating expert LalalaLetMeExplain stops by to impart some romantic wisdom.If you have any of the following: some tips for Elis’s love life, a mad dad, or a story about winning loads of money, then we want to hear from you. Send all your guff to elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp the show on 07974 293 022.
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Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 6min

#412 - John’s Pensionversary, Riffing on Togetherness and There Will Always Be More Steves

Brace yourselves, because John is about to discover something massive LIVE on the podcast. This could be significant. This could change the game. This could mean that Project 2032(TM) has come early. It’s a potentially life-changing day for Robins, and somewhat like an episode of 24, it all plays out in real time. Strap yourselves in, folks. And with John’s attention elsewhere, could this also be a game-changing day for our Elis James? Will the sense of excitement that’s pervading the studio seep into Elis’ attempt to connect to a random Welsh caller? Is a tap in on the cards for Made Up Games? It’s certainly all to play for. So sit back and enjoy some textbook Elis and John badinage, featuring a welcome return of #HotChat, and a Made Up Game that features so many brand names it’s taken the production team 2 days to fill out all the forms. Send in your reactions to John’s potentially life-changing news to elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp the show on 07974 293 022.
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Feb 14, 2025 • 1h 10min

#411 - Hayley They’ve Dropped!!, #PoorBloke and A Civil Servant For Love

Love is in the air and it’s really setting Producer Dave’s pulse racing. And not just because he’s madly in love himself. Rather it’s because Elis and John are leaning into topical content in a natural fashion without prompting. Something to get any commercial radio producer excitable.For yes, it’s Valentine’s Day. Romance is making the studio a thick humid erotic soup. Elis will send Isy a text saying “well done”. And John’s Love Heart that says “new love” on it has broken in half; a sign that pagans would have interpreted as coming crop failure.But John is in love. In love with a new beau... the Top Shows Podcast Chart. He’s also had the greatest match with a woman of all time… his mortgage broker. In less romantic affairs we ask “could you wake a baby for £25,000?” and there’s a clash of two ingredients that were just made for each other: Mad Dads and sat navs.Contact us right now you sexy lovers on elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk and 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp if you’re more of a direct message sort of person.
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Feb 11, 2025 • 1h 16min

#410 - Nepo Connectors, Keir Today John Tomorrow and Richard Herring

What do the people want? Wordle Live. What do they not want? The Cymru Connection. That’s the opinion of John Robins. Just John Robins. You thought that we were out of the Wordly woods. But no, the more concern you have for the woods the more trees John will plant. PLANT being a good starter. John wants a feature substitution and he'll wage this war on Elis, listeners and production staff alike until he gets it.Failing that, what about a daily Wordle podcast? Guys. Guys! GUUYYS!?! Don’t run off. It can’t happen anyway because they’re hard to promote and you can’t get a commercial midroll advert in if they’re too short. So it’s all fine. That door is closed.Anyway there are larks aplenty today on the show, and not the avian sort. For Richard Herring and his singular ball are in today to talk about someone who looks like Tim Key. Plus there’s a Made Up Games which really will make TV commissioners *finally* sit up and listen to the ideas machines.If there’s any format that you think has the potential to make the boys boat loads of cash then it’s elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk or 07974 293 022.

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