Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

It's Gyles's first term at New College, Oxford, and in this episode we hear about what happens when the busiest man at Bedales takes on university life. And, needless to say, he hits the ground running. By the end of his first week he's had a few high-level meetings, met some influential and well-connected people, and had a tour of the Oxford Union. As the term progresses, he gives his maiden speech at the Union, writes his first article for the university magazine, and develops a crush on an unavailable fellow student. Plus some of your emails, some chat from Gyles and Harriet and well wishes for Marie "Mimi" Unsworth - get well soon from Gyles and Harriet! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our most interesting, versatile and talented actors is Gyles's guest today: Sir Gary Oldman. In this very special, intimate and extensive conversation, Gary tells Gyles about his childhood in New Cross Gate in South London, growing up in a council flat with his sisters and his mum - his father left the family home when Gary was seven. He tells Gyles about his happy childhood, dressing up as a homemade batman and playing cricket in the streets with his friends. He tells Gyles about discovering the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and applying for drama school, and about getting his Equity card. He talks about Joe Orton, Paul McCartney, Malcolm McDowell and why he'll never play Hitler. Gary also talks about the perpetual feelings of insecurity which drive him. This is a fascinating conversation with a wonderful actor and we're thrilled to be able to give Rosebud listeners the chance to hear it. Enjoy this.This podcast was recorded at Gyles's house. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's More Rosebud, and time for another guest with an unusual tale to tell. Julia Baird is the half-sister of John Lennon, and here she tells Gyles about her childhood, their mother (Julia Lennon, née Stanley) and what it was like to grow up alongside a future pop icon. John Lennon and Julia Baird's family was big, and complicated - their mother, Julia, was one of five girls. She met John Lennon's father, Alf Lennon, in the park when she was just 14, and the pair courted, and later married. John was born in 1940, but Alf got a job in the merchant navy and from then on was seldom home. After that, Julia had three more daughters with two different partners, but her family did not approve and John was taken to live with his aunt, Mimi. However, John and his mother never stopped seeing each other, and never stopped loving each other - and this is the story Julia Baird tells to Gyles in this episode. She also tells Gyles about John's success, about the band's rehearsals in her mum's kitchen, about John and Cynthia, and about going to see the Beatles play in Liverpool and the early days of Beatlemania.This really is a must for any John Lennon fans who want to know more about his childhood.Julia Baird's book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon is available here. Tickets to Live Odyssey, an immersive exhibition about British music and featuring a new John Lennon exhibition, are available here.This episode was recorded at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. Thank you very much to everyone there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Archer is one of the best-selling writers in the world, and he is our guest today. He talks to Gyles about his childhood in Weston-Super-Mare, his indomitable mother, his wicked granny, and how he was fired from his job at the local cricket ground for his entrepreneurial afternoon tea scheme. He tells Gyles about his university days, about meeting his wife, Mary, and about meeting the Beatles. He talks about his career as an MP, how he almost became bankcrupt and started writing novels. And, of course, he talks about going to prison for perjury and the lessons that experience taught him. Plus he talks about Margaret Thatcher and the qualities that made her such a successful politician. This is a fascinating interview about a truly fascinating life. Jeffrey's new book, An Eye for an Eye, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A treat for fans of Gyles's diaries, as this week we've got another edition of the gap year diaries... so that's two in a row! In this episode, we start off with a visit from the writer/performer Tama Matheson, who brought Beethoven to life so brilliantly on an episode of More Rosebud a couple of weeks ago. Tama tells Gyles and Harriet about his forthcoming show about Beethoven: 'I Shall Hear in Heaven', on 6 and 8 August, tickets are available from www.operahollandpark.com. Then we get into Gyles's diaries. In this episode, Gyles visits Texas and Louisiana, and is shocked by the racial inequality he sees all around him. He goes to San Francisco and LA, and is intrigued by the hippies. And he eventually flies home, where he is greeted by a new baby niece and Sally, his girlfriend. Gyles tells Harriet about his x-rated, secret diary, and about his thoughts on Fifty Shades of Grey. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an exclusive, and more or less uncensored, interview with the journalist and media powerhouse Piers Morgan, who Gyles spoke to live at the Bridlington Business Day this year. Piers talks to Gyles about his childhood, growing up above a country pub in Sussex, about his schooldays being a "buffoon", and about how peach brandy helped to secure him a job editing the News of the World. PIers talks about Meghan Markle, his thoughts on "woke", and his chequered relationship with Donald Trump. He talks, briefly, about phone hacking and the importance of safeguarding free speech. This is a frank and sometimes provocative conversation with someone who has been at the centre of the media landscape since the 1990s. This interview was recorded at Bridlington Spa and was a keynote speech at the Bridlington Business Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another bumper episode of Gyles's diaries, featuring lots of chat, more diaries, and a gorgeous listener email and poem from Alex and Isabella Porter. Gyles continues his travels around the USA - he finishes his teaching job in Baltimore, and begins travelling around the US, going to Washington DC, New York City and Canada - where he visits Expo '67. Gyles tells Harriet about his wealthy ancestor, the great Dr. Benjamin Brandreth, inventor of "Brandreth's Pills" and creator of the family fortune. This leads Gyles and Harriet to come up with their own invention... stay tuned to find out what it is! Enjoy this episode, have a lovely sunny day wherever you are - and please email us at hello@rosebudpodcast.com if you want to tell us about your younger days. Or about anything else, for that matter! Recorded at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on Park Lane in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The brilliant actress Alison Steadman tells Gyles about her life and career. There are some really enchanting stories in this episode from her childhood in Liverpool - from the romantic way her parents met, to her adventures looking for buried treasure in the local recreation ground and her love for her pet rabbit, Skipper - this is an evocative listen. Alison tells Gyles about her childhood talent for impressions and how this led her to join Liverpool Youth Theatre and eventually go to drama school in Essex. While there, she met Mike Leigh, with whom she created many of her best-known characters, from Beverley in Abigail's Party to Candice-Marie in Life is Sweet. Alison also talks to Gyles about the Singing Detective and recites a poem she wrote during lockdown. This is a treat, enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rose Boyt tells Gyles about her unconventional childhood, and about her experiences of being parented by - and painted by - her father Lucian Freud, the celebrated modern artist. This is an extraordinary story: even Gyles is bowled over by the twists and turns of Rose's childhood. Rose's parents were Lucian Freud and the artist Susie Boyt, with whom Freud had three other children. He also had many other children with other women - 14 children in all - and was never a conventional husband or father to any of them. But he was brilliant - dazzlingly entertaining, talented, intelligent and inspiring - and Rose experienced this at first hand when she was painted by him for a nude portrait which is the starting point for her book, Naked Portrait. Rose also spent a year living on a cargo ship in the Baltic, DJ'd with Neneh Cherry, and was briefly engaged to Andy Warhol. This is a fascinating interview about Rose, about Lucian Freud, about the artistic life, and about alternative ways of living and looking at the world.Rose Boyt's book, Naked Portrait is out in paperback, published by Picador. It is highly recommended.This episode was recorded at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JoJo Siwa is Rosebud's youngest ever guest - she's only 22 years old. But she's been famous since she was 9, and a megastar since she was 12, when her first single "Boomerang" went viral. The video for that song was viewed over 1 billion times. Now JoJo is all grown up and, fresh from her appearance in Celebrity Big Brother, she has a new record out: "Bulletproof". Gyles is fascinated by child stars: what drives them, and how do they cope? In this conversation - the only podcast interview JoJo is doing in the UK - JoJo talks about her early years, growing up in Nebraska and competing and winning dance competitions under the tutelage of her mom, and Abby-Lee Miller, her dance instructor. She talks about the fire she had to succeed, and about how it felt to become super famous at 12. She talks about discovering her sexuality, and tells Gyles an amazing story about falling in love with her first girlfriend on a cruise ship. And then she talks about now: about her recent experience in Celebrity Big Brother, and how she met and fell in love with the reality star Chris Hughes while she was in the house. JoJo shows Gyles her tattoos. And Gyles and JoJo talk about the origin of the word "serendipity".JoJo's single "Bulletproof" is available to stream now. This interview was recorded at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.