Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Joining us at the Audible Studios are Greg James and Chris Smith, authors of the Kid Normal books and famous as BBC Radio 1 presenters. They have taken their collaboration on air to the world of writing and audiobook narration to bring us the joys of protagonist Murph Cooper, aka Kid Normal, and the Super Zeroes. They are now on the third installment in the series: Kid Normal and the Shadow Machine, in which Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes lead the charge as supervillain Magpie declares all-out war.

Joining us for a chat is the people's poet laureate, the punk performance poet, John Cooper Clarke, who is releasing his memoir I Wanna Be Yours. Clarke, born in Salford, is well known for his classic look of drainpipe jeans, wild black hair and sunglasses, whatever the weather, something which hasn't changed since the 1970s. Being inspired and encouraged by an English teacher at school, Clarke decided that he would make a living from poetry. He performed with many hugely successful bands, such as The Sex Pistols, Joy Division and New Order.

Joining us at Audible Studios is prominent stage and television actor David Tennant, who has narrated The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells for Audible Studios. The War of the Worlds depicts the arrival of an alien vessel on Horsell Common, in Woking. The initial genial interest in the Martians quickly turns to terror as they emerge with deadly heat rays and power beyond our control and comprehension. Their ruthless disregard for human life leaves humanity under threat of extinction. As the world crumbles, a lone man sets out across the wasteland to find his wife.

Glover worked her way through the ranks of BBC Radio, starting as a filing clerk, and becoming the presenter of The Listening Project for BBC Radio 4 and My Perfect Country for the BBC World Service, besides many other award-winning projects. Garvey spent a lot of her career on BBC Radio 5 Live, being the first voice heard on the station when it launched at 5am in 1994. She presented some of its main shows such as Midday and Drive, going on to host BBC Radio 4's prestigious Women's Hour.

When life got in the way of Mortimer and Whitehouse's friendship, they found their connection dwindled to occasional catch ups and one-off phone calls. Then, conveniently, they were both diagnosed with heart disease! And they realised life is short, and they should spend it together, doing what they love: fishing. Following the success of their BBC series, Gone Fishing, Mortimer and Whitehouse have created an audiobook of the same name, which is their love letter to the joys of angling, and the simple wonder of just having a laugh with your mates.

Joining us at Audible Studios is British advertising executive Rory Sutherland, whose TED talks have been viewed nearly seven million times. He has recently released his book Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense. In many areas of our lives, reason plays an infinitesimal part. We are driven by unconscious desires. We are drawn to the beautiful, the extravagant and the absurd, such as tiny bottles of fragrance. If you want to influence people's choices, you have to bypass reason.

Joining us at Audible Studios is award winning actress and national treasure, Miriam Margolyes. Though she might be remembered for her occasional profanity on air, or crude outburst, Miriam is also loved for her theatrical skill. We'll be asking Miriam Margolyes about her new book, and second memoir, Oh Miriam! We will find out what her most important life lessons are, what she thinks of being called a national treasure, and things will get a little lewd as we discuss how she loves to see people’s reactions.

In his new book, The Fast 800, he gives recipes and meal plans to help you take your future health into your own hands. He gives scientific evidence for using intermittent fasting, tells of the power of time-restricted eating and confirms that 800 calories is the magic number for weight loss. If you can stick to 800 calories a few days a week, you will trigger desirable metabolic changes while still having enough calories to keep you sustained. We spoke about enduring diet myths that need busting, how fasting can help the brain and always trying things out on himself.

Carr, best known for his dark one-liners and signature laugh, didn't begin life as a comedian. After studying social science and political science at Cambridge, he began working for fuel company Shell. While there, he began reading self-help books and, feeling miserable, decided to make a change - he gave up his job and learned how to write jokes, got his first gig as a stand-up and changed his life!

Born and raised in West Lothian, Brady pursued a career in journalism after university, though always had an interest in comedy. After reaching the final of "So You Think You're Funny" at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brady launched her stand-up career and has since appeared on panel shows. Brady knew she was autistic as a teenager, but was told she couldn't be, as she was good at making eye contact and had a boyfriend. After finally getting a diagnosis in 2021, Brady has now penned her autobiography, Strong Female Character, which details the struggles she faced growing up with autism.

Gyles Brandreth has had a wide, varied and illustrious career as a writer, broadcaster, actor, public speaker and minister of parliament. As the honorary president of The Oscar Wilde Society, the author of the Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries and owner of over 100 books on the eminent figure, it is fair to say that he is also a committed Oscar Wilde enthusiast.

Joining us at Audible Studios is James Acaster, one of the UK's finest stand-up comedians, who has his own Netflix special, a podcast with Ed Gamble and a TV show with Josh Widdicombe. Acaster has written and recently released his second book, Perfect Sound Whatever. We spoke to James about his iPod guy, whether or not therapy was useful to him and the sheer joy he gets from recommending music.

Joining us in the Audible Studios to talk to us about his latest series, Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets, is the man himself, Stephen Fry. A comedian, actor, writer and more, Stephen has narrated the full collection of Sherlock Holmes for audiobook, was one-half of comic duo Fry and Laurie and is well known for his many years presenting QI. His list of accomplishments beyond this would far exceed the word count here! Now he lends his smarts and his voice to delving into the mysterious world of the Victorians in new series Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets.

Lucy Worsley has become a household name through our screens as a presenter of history programmes for the BBC and as an author of several best-selling books, including Jane Austen at Home. Beginning her career working for English Heritage before becoming chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces, Lucy Worsley published her latest book, a biography of Queen Victoria, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth. Lucy Worsley talks to us about our continual fascination with the monarchy, why she loves sharing history so much and how in love Queen Victoria and Prince Albert really were.

Theroux began his career in America working on Michael Moore's TV Nation, and from this sprang his Weird Weekends (1998-2000) where Theroux spent time on porn sets, with swingers, body builders and white supremacists, to name but a few. Then came the hugely popular series When Louis Met..., in which Theroux spent time with the likes of Max Clifford, Chris Eubank and Jimmy Savile.

Blue is a Ghanaian Londoner, currently residing in Essex, with a past working in therapy. Her first publication, Psychotherapy, is a collection of poetry exploring the conscious, subconscious and unconscious processes of an ex-therapist trying to leave that world behind. Bad Love, Blue’s novel debut, focuses on Ekuah’s experiences of love, success and the difficult navigation of choices between the two. We chatted to Maame Blue about writing Bad Love, her inclusion in the #TwentyIn2020 initiative and finding her voice as a writer.

Rory Stewart has had a far-reaching career over a multitude of different countries and positions. Having been educated at Eton and then Oxford University, Stewart went on to join the Foreign Office where he worked primarily in military intervention and international development, serving in Jakarta and Southern Iraq. Following these postings, Stewart walked alone across Afghanistan, relying on its people to house him on his way. He consequently wrote a book about this journey, and has gone on to become a bestselling author.

Known for his roles in Coming Of Age and Hollyoaks, as well as regularly appearing in pantomimes across the country, Tracini is well loved. When Coronavirus and lockdown hit, Tracini began making videos documenting his journey with Borderline Personality Disorder. Using comedy to portray the difficulties he suffers has enabled him to reach a wide audience with his message. And the main issue he addressed? How to not kill himself. Suicidal thoughts are something Tracini lives with every day, and so, on to the next way of ensuring he stays alive: write a book about it!

In his memoir Waypoints, Heughan digs into his Scottish heritage by hiking the West Highland Way, and along the journey he recounts the life and career events that have shaped him and his personal values. We spoke to Sam Heughan about the joys and trials of West Highland Way, his journey towards processing the absence of his dad, and how the creation of his Outlander family came at just the point he needed in his career.

Ant and Dec met on CBBC's Byker Grove and an instant friendship was formed, on and off screen. They moved from acting to music, releasing three albums as PJ & Duncan, including their still popular hit, 'Let's Get Ready to Rhumble'. From there, presenting children's TV with shows such as SMTV and Gimme 5 was the next step in their journey towards international renown. Next came primetime slots, with the duo presenting shows such as Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!