Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

To end our second year of Rosebud, we have one of our most charming, talented and brilliant theatrical dames: Dame Eileen Atkins. Dame Eileen is a uniquely talented writer and actor, both on stage and screen - from Cranford, to the RSC, to The Killing of Sister George on Broadway, to Upstairs, Downstairs and The House of Eliot (which she co-created), to Mrs Dalloway (for which she wrote the screenplay). And this is one of our most entertaining interviews yet, with stories from Dame Eileen's long life and career . From her early years in Tottenham, when a gypsy going door-to-door prophesied that the three year-old Eileen would be a world-famous dancer, to her career as a child performer playing the working men's clubs, to her school days in Edmonton - the anecdotes from Eileen's life are brilliantly told. We then hear about her days at drama school, her friendship with Sir Alec Guinness and a couple of very funny stories from her working life. This is a fitting end to a fabulous two years for our podcast. We're very proud of the show we've created, and of our community of listeners - we're grateful to each and every one of you for your emails, your ears, your reviews, and your time. Thank you so much for being here with us! And thank you to Dame Eileen for this special conversation. Here's to many more years of Rosebud to come. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gyles is back at Oxford after the summer... with a bang, of course. His long-awaited pantomime, Cinderella, opens at the Playhouse, with Sir Michael Redgrave reading the Prologue (and getting stage fright in the wings before the show). Plus Gyles sees James Robertson Justice naked, goes on TV again and forgets his lines for Twelfth Night. Yes, it's another great episode for you, diary fans! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a broadcasting legend for you today on Rosebud, as Gyles interviews the creator and host of In Our Time and The South Bank Show, Melvyn Bragg, Lord Bragg of Wigton. Melvyn takes Gyles back to his roots in Wigton, a small town in Cumbria, in which his parents ran one of the local pubs, and the young Bragg played all day long in the streets, making bows and arrows from trees overhanging the river. He tells Gyles about his schooldays, the brilliant teachers who guided him and there's a really interesting discussion of the unexpected mental health problems he had as a teenager. He takes us to Oxford University, where he fell in love with cinema, and was encouraged to apply for a BBC traineeship. And we hear about some of the landmark interviews of his career, with Francis Bacon and Paul McCartney. But its Bragg's evocation of his working class childhood which will really stay with you - this is a journey to a special time and place which no longer really exists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful conversation, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria and cousin of Prince Philip, shares captivating memories from his aristocratic upbringing. He recalls growing up in a grand home akin to 'Downton Abbey' and the challenges of his complex family dynamics, including the death of his father at a young age. Ivar candidly discusses coming out as gay, marrying his husband James Coyle, and his experience on the US version of 'Traitors,' providing a unique glimpse into royal life and personal identity.

The sun is out and our guest this week is a ray of sunshine. It's the unique British comic actress and fashion icon Su Pollard. In this brilliant conversation, Su tells Gyles about her childhood in Nottingham, how she got the bug for performing when she was still in the infants and used to go to school dressed in wild outfits that made her look like a morris dancer. He hears about her parents, Don and Hilda, how her father liked to garden in his shirt and tie and their impressive work ethic. He hears about Su's first boyfriend, her first professional role and her first meeting with the Queen. And he hears about Hi-de-Hi and how Su sometimes answers the front door as Peggy. This is a unique conversation with one of the true originals of British showbiz. Su is currently on a nationwide tour called "Still Fully Charged". Tickets and info available from supollardlive.com.Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, Gyles's diary continues to wow Harriet - and all our lovely listeners - and this week is no exception... Because at the height of the Cold War (it's 1968 and the USSR have just invaded Czechoslovakia), the young Mr Brandreth goes off on a research trip to Moscow. And it is truly fascinating - a snapshot of Soviet life with all its surveillance, austerity and difference. Back in the UK, life is as busy as ever - preparations for Cinderella continue, the relationship with Michele is flourishing, and Gyles meets Jack Profumo. Plus a fantastic listener email from Amelia Stay. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A best-selling novellist with a life story that reads like a best-selling novel... our guest this week is Anthony Horowitz. In this absorbing and - at times - moving and shocking conversation, Anthony tells Gyles about his young life and upbringing, which is extraordinary. Born to wealthy parents into a very large home of extreme privilege, Horowitz's childhood was cold, lonely and lacking in love and affection. His father was critical and prone to cruelty, his mother was stifled. The teachers at his prep school were brutal and abusive. So it's not surprising that Anthony looks back at this childhood with ambivalence, anger and regret, and that it's found its way into many of his books. Anthony also tells Gyles about how he found his voice as a writer, about meeting his wife, Jill Green, and their brilliant partnership, and about his hatred of writers' routines. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special episode of More Rosebud today with a great poet, and filled with great poetry. Roger McGough tells Gyles about his striking first memories, his childhood in Liverpool, and interweaves this with some readings of poems inspired by his life. Roger remembers his hardworking father, the long line of men who came to the house to pay their respects to his father laid out in the coffin after his death, meeting Philip Larkin at Hull University, and then his early days performing poetry and sketches in clubs in Liverpool in the sixties - which led to his fame as a poet and as an unlikely pop star in the group The Scaffold - with hits like "Thank You Very Much" and "Lily the Pink". Plus Gyles and Harriet enjoy a poem written by a Rosebud listener. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kemi Badenoch is the Leader of the Conservative Party and the current Leader of the Opposition, a job often described as the toughest in British politics. And in this interview with Gyles, Kemi talks about her upbringing and how it gave her the toughness she needs to survive in the ruthless environment of Westminster. Born in a hospital in Wimbledon in 1980, but brought up and educated mainly in Lagos, Nigeria, Kemi's story is one of contrasts: her family were middle class and affluent, but eventually they lost their money and Kemi was sent to the UK at 16. There she got a job in McDonalds and studied hard at school, working part-time to support herself. Kemi also tells Gyles about her miserable time at federal boarding school in Nigeria, she talks about her favourite foods, her dreams, her grandparents and a moment of joy she remembers from her childhood. This is a chance to get behind the politics to the origin story of one of the UK's most prominent and successful politicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard to believe how much Gyles packs into his summer term at Oxford: he's filming with the BBC, he's casting his first Oxford University Dramatic Society production, he's looking for a girlfriend, he's going to numerous balls and parties, he's in the newspapers... so this is a long and action-packed episode of the diaries. Harriet and Gyles discuss some of the changing attitudes of the times. They also talk about phobias, dahlias, stamps, cape-wearing, and read out some brilliant listener emails. If you want to get in touch, email us at hello@rosebudpodcast.com. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.