Loose Ends

The comedian and actor John Bishop is about to head off on a tour celebrating 25 years in stand up - a quarter century since he took to the stage on a whim and ended up one of the UK's favourite stars. The explorer Lucy Shepherd is more likely to be found fighting off venomous spiders than hecklers. For her latest TV series she's embarked on a never before completed journey across Guyana. How did she cope with the threat of trench foot, zero daylight and the ominous warnings from the locals - "don't go, you might not get back"? The Comic and podcaster Grace Campbell is also one for exploration but hers involve the world of dating and parties in her tour - On Heat. She'll be competing on tall tales and ominous warnings, no doubt. And broadcaster and columnist Adrian Chiles will cast a cool eye on proceedings as he does in his much-shared newspaper articles on chewy topics such as home urinals, favourite spoons and the biggie - we can go to the moon, so why can’t we stop my glasses sliding down my nose? With mu

Monty Python star and king of the travel documentary Michael Palin has just published the fourth volume of his best-selling diaries. In 'There and Back' he covers the years 1999-2009. He joins Clive to talk about how the 21st Century has treated him.The actor and Call The Midwife star Jessica Raine is soon to return to our screens in the second series of 'The Devil's Hour' where she plays Lucy Chambers, the insomniac social worker who wakes every night at 3.33am.Susan Wokoma has just finished playing Charlotte in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing at the Old Vic and she will soon be back as Fola in the BBC drama Cheaters, which starts its second series later this month.The WAEVE are a collaboration between Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and singer-songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall. They perform a track from their new album City Lights.And there's more music from the London based Jazz musican Ashley Henry who has just released his sophmore album 'Who We Are'Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen

Loose Ends is at the Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival and Stuart Maconie is joined by Harriet Walter, who has played many roles at the RSC in Stratford and has just published 'She Speaks!', a book imagining what Shakespeare's women might have said if they'd been given half a chance. John Douglas Thompson is one of America's finest classical actors, now playing his first role on the main stage at the RSC. He is returning to the role of Othello, 16 years after first taking it on. Comedian and writer Robert Popper created the beloved sitcom Friday Night Dinner and has been the scourge of many with his 'Time Waster Letters'. He's back writing letters again, this time as Elsie Drake (104 years old). Jessica Hepburn is an 'arts adventurer', and the only woman to have swum the English Channel, run the London marathon and summitted Everest. She might also be the only person in the world to have listened to every available episode of Desert Island Discs...And there's music from Emily Burns and Wes FinchPresenter:

Stuart is joined in the Loose Ends Salford Studio by comedian, musican, actor and Strictly winner Bill Bailey. His new book is 'My Animals, and Other Animals: A memoir of sorts'. It's the story of his life through the creatures who have meant something to him, and a celebration of how animals bring us joy. The Yorkshire Shepherdess, Amanda Owen, talks about her latest Channel 4 series - Our Farm Next Door - where she and her large family adapt a ruined farm for a show described as Grand Designs meets Our Yorkshire Farm. In 2022 the comedian and podcast host Kiri Pritchard-McLean hosted a Radio 4 programme Egg-sistential Crisis, exploring her decision not to have children. In her new stand up tour, Peacock, she continues her story now that she and her partner have become foster carers. Maya Sondhi played the hapless PC Maneet Bandra in Line of Duty and Shazia Khan in Citizen Khan. But she is also the writer and creator of ITV’s police thriller DI Ray starring Parminder Nagra who describes her role as “a femal

The poet Pam Ayres, author of Oh, I wish I'd looked after Me Teeth - which was voted one of the UK's top ten comic verses - joins Clive to discuss almost half a century of writing and a new volume of her collected works - Doggedly Onwards. Dawn O'Porter was once the journalist behind documentaries on topics from extreme dieting to poligamy and even the movie Dirty Dancing. Now she's a bestselling novelist and her latest work Honeybee is the taboo-tackling tale of twentysomething friends Renee and Flo who grew up, like Dawn herself, on Guernsey and seem to be failing at life. The comedian Ahir Shah went to Edinburgh festival last year with a work-in-progress show about family, immigration, Rishi Sunak and baked beans. He came home with the 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Award. Now that show is on Netflix and he's taking off on a UK tour. And Poppy O'Toole, a Michelin-trained chef who's become a TikTok sensation with the moniker "The Potato Queen" on gadgets and keeping eating interesting. Plus music from soul singer D

Stuart Maconie presents Loose Ends from the North Cornwall Book Festival in St Endellion. He is joined by Patrick Gale, Tom Allan, Anna Keirle and Tim Smit, and there's music from the multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison.Patrick Gale is the author of the Emmy award-winning BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt and novels including A Place Called Winter, A Perfectly Good Man and Notes From An Exhibition. He’s been the Artistic Director of the North Cornwall Book Festival since it began in 2012. He joins Loose Ends to tell us all about his final year in the role. Born in Scotland and armed only with an English degree, Tom Allan turned his back on his desk-based city job and headed west, where a life out in the open air beckoned. Now a full-time thatcher and writer, Tom’s book On The Roof tells tales of craftmanship from around the world and he joins Stuart to talk nitches, yealms and exactly what to do with a biddle. Anna Keirle is stand-up, writer and actor who has been working the comedy circuit for over

Nihal Arthanayake presents Loose Ends from the third annual Morecambe Poetry Festival. He's joined by Henry Normal. Henry is a writer, poet, TV and film producer who has been involved with many of our most loved comedies, such as The Mrs Merton Show, The Royal Family, Gavin and Stacey and Alan Partridge. He's a prolific poet, and his latest collection is 'A Moonless Night'. He also presents the occasional 'A Normal...; series for Radio 4 combining stand-up, poetry and stories about his life and family. Henry explains how, prematurely old at 23 he turned his back on a traditional career path and entered the worlrd of comedy and performance. Donna Ashworth's lockdown poetry went viral in 2020 and her popularity has been credited with 2023 being the best year for poetry sales in Britain since records began. Her new collection is 'Growing Brave'. She tells us about her days as a Butlin's red coat, celebrating overlooked kinds of bravery, and her dogs Dave and Brian. Mike Harding is a stand-up comic, musician and

The tenor Russell Watson's remarkable career took him from playing from working mens clubs in Salford to performing at the Vatican. But his life hasn't been completely charmed - he discusses the brain tumour that threatened his life as well as his voice and how he found his way back to centre stage.Jackie Kay is one of the UK's most lauded poets who turned to writing as a child as a sanctuary from the difficulties of life as an adopted, if much loved, half-Nigerian child in Scotland. A new BBC One documentary tells her story "In Her Own Words"; we'll be asking why she wanted to do that. Doctor-turned-comedian-turned-author Adam Kay’s first book This Is Going To Hurt sold over 3 million copies and was adapted into a multi award-winning TV series. Now he's taken another career turn into children's fiction with a new character – Dexter Procter, the ten year old doctor. As an actress Deborah McAndrew played Angie Freeman on Coronation Street in the 1990s. She left the Rovers Return behind long ago for a caree

From Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in Stirling. Richard Armitage’s CV is already packed with roles, including a string of stellar acting credits in the likes of The Hobbit, North and South, Robin Hood, and Spooks. Now he’s added author to the list with his debut novel Geneva. Ambrose Parry is not one writer but two – it's the penname of internationally bestselling and multi-award-winning Chris Brookmyre and consultant anaesthetist of twenty years’ experience, Dr Marisa Haetzman. The married couple write books inspired by the gory details Marisa uncovered during her History of Medicine degree. One of the writers on this year’s Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year shortlist is Suzy Aspley. She started her writing career at the festival when she won its Pitch Perfect competition, and released her spooky novel Crow Moon earlier this year. With music from Scottish singer-songwriter Rianne Downey, and Chloe Matharu who is both a Merchant Navy Navigational Officer and singer-songwriter and h

Sir Ian Rankin’s much-loved detective Rebus has had a big year, with a fresh BBC TV adaptation in the summer, and now a return to the stage. Clive Anderson hears about new play Rebus: A Game Called Malice which was written by Sir Ian and Simon Reade, it's touring the UK. Michelle McManus chats to poet and women’s rights advocate Len Pennie who rose to fame on social media during the pandemic when she shared her Scots words of the day. Her first book Poyums is a collection of funny and fiercely feminist poems. Northern Irish comedian, actor and podcaster Shane Todd has a loyal fanbase as the host of the Tea with Me podcast and with sell out shows across the world, including opening for the likes of Kevin Hart. He’s currently embarking on his eleventh solo show – Full House. With music from musician and singer Kim Carnie, whose newest project is documentary Kim Carnie Out Loud which explores her experience of hiding a six year same-sex relationship. She meets other LGBTQ+ folk and creates songs around their

Elaine C. Smith has delighted audiences for decades, including work on TV shows like BBC Scotland’s Two Doors Down. In her latest project she joins the touring cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and takes on a character that used to terrify her - The Childcatcher. Claire Love Wilson is a Scottish-Canadian theatre-maker, actor, and singer-songwriter whose semi-autobiographical show Morag, You’re A Long Time Deid is inspired by the story of a grandmother she never met, and explores queer history from fragments of a recently forgotten past. Glaswegian stand-up Christopher Macarthur-Boyd had a total sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 and 2024, and is about to take his Scary Times show on tour across the UK and Ireland. With music from Irish country sensation Nathan Carter, and soul and pop singer Becky Sikasa.

Actress and singer Su Pollard’s new tour Still Fully Charged celebrates her 50 years in showbiz – she catches up with Michelle McManus about what keeps her hooked, and being beaten by a dog in a talent competition. Clive Anderson chats to comedian and actor Chris Grace. He’s returned to Edinburgh after his sold-out 2023 run, this time with a packed out performance schedule including his new show Sardines (A Comedy About Death). Award-winning non-fiction writer Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel Hagstone sees an artist discover a commune of women on a remote island – she discusses the inspirations behind it. With music from comedian and actor Catherine Cohen, and Irish singer and musician Camille O’ Sullivan. Presented by Clive Anderson Co-host: Michelle McManus Produced by Caitlin Sneddon

Clive Anderson is joined by comedian Jason Byrne who returns to Edinburgh for his 28th consecutive Fringe with No Show, a performance that will be totally new each night. Playwright and actor David Ireland’s award-winning plays Cyprus Avenue and Ulster American have had success across the world. His latest play The Fifth Step stars Jack Lowden and Sean Gilder as they navigate the road to recovery. Shetland comedian Marjolein Robertson’s show titled O is full to the brim with blood as she explores her fascination with her own funeral and her near death experience. My English Persian Kitchen is the true story of losing a homeland, and building a new life and community around the tastes and aromas of an Iranian kitchen. Isabella Nefar chats about starring in the play, and cooking on stage. With music from Scottish violinist and composer Catriona Price and Two Hearts, AKA New Zealand's hottest comedy pop-music duo Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore. Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Caitlin Sneddon

From the Edinburgh Festivals, Clive Anderson and Michelle McManus talk to actor, comedian and family favourite Bobby Davro about his beginnings in TV entertainment, his acting journey and finding comedy through tough times – something he explores in his show Everything is Funny...If You Can Laugh at It. Lara Ricote, a former winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer prize, chats about her Fringe run of Little Tiny Wet Show (Baptism) which looks at the complexities of relationships. Plus Australian actor, writer, and director Virginia Gay – she's a familiar face on the small screen down under, and makes a return to Edinburgh with her gender-flipped version of Cyrano. With music from critically-acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk, and a performance from gig-theatre production A Giant on the Bridge – featuring Jo Mango and Louis Abbott (of Admiral Fallow), alongside fellow Scottish musicians Raveloe, Solareye and Goodnight Louisa. Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Caitlin Snedd

This week Stuart is joined by Jon Holmes who's producing a new play at the Edinburgh Festival - which explores what happens when the camera moves on from a relationship forged on a Love Island-style reality show.And there are definitely some strained relationships in the second series of House of the Dragon - but they're more the kind that result in being run through with a sword. Breakout star Ewan Mitchell tells us about working on the blockbusting Game of Thrones spin-off. Julia Fordham joins to perform for us and share some of her insights into the relationships that are meant to last - and Kym Marsh talks about bringing a classic Disney villain to the stage in a touring production of 101 Dalmations. Presented by Stuart Maconie Produced by Kev Core

Clive Anderson and Emma Freud present Loose Ends from Latitude Festival in Suffolk. They'll talk to the actor-turned-musician Damian Lewis who will discuss his latest album Mission Creep and why he's chosen to go back to his musical roots when he could have rested on his Hollywood laurels as the star of Homeland and Billions. The UK's favourite choirmaster Gareth Malone on a new tour of Sing-Along-A-Gareth and his special connection to Latitude. The director Rachel Ramsay on her Grierson award shortlisted documentary - The Lost Lionesses - about the 1971 unofficial Women's World Cup which was watched by record audiences but subsequently largely erased from sporting history. And the comic Elf Lyons who studied at a Parisian clown school where she learnt the fine art of "bouffon" - a performance style based around mockery - that she works into stand up shows that have been hailed as "unhinged brilliance". Plus, as we're recording at the BBC Introducing stage, we have fresh new music from Indie pop sibling duo

Clive will talk monkeys, masks and improvisation with comic Nina Conti who is honing a brand new show Whose Face is it Anyway? and about to release her directing debut a feature film called Sunlight; Chef Tom Kerridge's been on a culinary tour of the UK for a new cookbook and TV show and has plenty to say about our food, farming and how to pronounce "scone"; Actress Samantha Spiro stars in an acclaimed new RSC production of "Shakespeare's sitcom" - The Merry Wives of Windsor - where the women get the last laugh; Best selling crime writer Donna Leon on her much-loved detective hero Commissario Brunetti and why she's been moved to become an "eco-detective" herself. With music by Braimah Kanneh-Mason and Plínio Fernandes ahead of their appearance at the BBC Proms and from That Woman, aka Josie from Oh Wonder who is realeasing a solo album. Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Olive Clancy

The actor, producer and now memoirist Griffin Dunne on growing up in Hollywood in a family of literary stars including his aunt Joan Didion, on his own screen success opposite Madonna in Who's That Girl and in After Hours and the real-life tragedy that changed his life forever. Soft Cell front man Marc Almond on his early days as a subversive performance artist, mellowing into music that showcases his voice and his trip to the palace to get his OBE. In the decade since publishing her first psychological thriller, Ruth Ware's become an international best-seller, with her stories optioned for Hollywood movies and published in 40 languages. Now she's curated Harrogate Crime Writing Festival and has plenty to say about new trends, the enduring popularity of the genre and the forthcoming Netflix movie of her book The Woman in Cabin 10 starring Kiera Knightley. The comedian, Taskmaster champion and Celebrity Mastermind Sophie Duker advocates self delusion in her new show - But Daddy I Love Her - arguing that we sho

Stuart is joined in the Salford Loose Ends studio by the Welsh Sprinter Iwan Thomas, who held the UK 400m record for 25 years. His new memoir 'Brutal', tells his story - one of speed, the drive to succeed and an extremely high tolerance for pain. . Comedian Chloe Petts is gearing up for the Edinburgh Fringe, and in perhaps the ultimate highbrow/lowbrow combination; she's just presented a series on Radio 4 on the history of the toilet. Raghu Dixit is an independent Indian artist, soundtrack composer and former Microbiologist. His new album 'Shakkar' has been inspired by his personal struggles, but spreads a message of joy and kindness. Kiiōtō is the new project by singer songwriter (and former Lamb vocalist) Lou Rhodes and musician and songwriter Rohan Heath, formerly of the Urban Cookie Collective. They are just about to release their debut album 'As Dust We Rise'. Anna Ptaszynski joins us for some sport fact ephemera and Lottie Gross talks about where to take your dog on holiday. Presenter: Stuart Maconie P

An eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy