Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Tom Walker, the creator of the fictitious British news reporter Jonathan Pie, drops into the Audible studio to talk about his new book, Jonathan Pie: Off the Record. Tom’s viral videos, featuring the incensed news reporter ranting about the state of today’s politics, have amassed millions of views worldwide. In character as Jonathan Pie, Tom has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, done a UK tour and recorded a DVD at the Shepherd Bush Empire. We find out how much he agrees with his own creation and whether - in any remote way - he is optimistic about the future of humankind.

Known for his deadpan humour and sarcasm, Jack Dee is a regular on our screens and airwaves. After his first ever stand-up, Jack Dee was encouraged to tour the circuit, and after winning the Best Stage Newcomer awards in 1991, Dee began to grace our screens with The Jack Dee Show. Since then, Dee has performed sell-out stand-up shows, written and starred in sitcoms such as Lead Balloon and hosted shows such as I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and Have I Got News for You.

Joining us from home to chat about her debut book, No One Can Change Your Life Except for You, is television and radio presenter Laura Whitmore. We spoke about how to channel our optimistic side, techniques to build self-belief, how to better give and receive compliments and lots more.

Joining us at Audible Studios is James Windust, writer, public speaker and model. Windust graduated from UCA Epsom with a degree in fashion management and marketing and within six months of their graduation was named as one of London's 1,000 most influential people by The Evening Standard. Windust is a freelance writer and has written pieces for British GQ, Gay Times, The Independent and many more. As well as being a writer, Windust is also a public speaker and has spoken at events for Tommy Hilfiger and TEDxLondonWomen.

When Covid struck and the country entered lockdown, Widdicombe and Beckett were stuck at home and the reality of parenting young children without the escape of work hit hard. They decided to start a podcast, Lockdown Parenting Hell, which meant they could go upstairs, leave the children for a while, and moan about the difficulties of being a dad, which over 2 million people a month started listening to! With the success of the podcast, Beckett and Widdicombe decided there was plenty they hadn’t covered that would make a great audiobook.

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!

You might think that a discipline as serious and complex as psychiatry has no place for humour, but Waterhouse has proven with his sell-out shows at the Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe festivals that they actually go hand in hand! His memoir, You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here looks at his struggles as a frontline NHS doctor in an underfunded sector, and navigates how he ended up in the profession in the first place.

In April 2019, Stokes was named in the England's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and after a sensational win was declared Man of the Match, an accolade he has been awarded many times before, such as a record-breaking three times within fourteen games in 2017. The World Cup win, alongside the 2019 Ashes, has been brought to life in On Fire: My Story of an Unbelievable Summer for English Cricket, Stokes’ newest book.

Kaur has always had a passion for education and social justice. She has an academic background in history and gender studies, and has worked as a secondary school teacher across London. She’s known for using her poetry to tackle tough topics such as gender discrimination, mental health and other taboo issues within the South Asian community. We'll be talking to Jaspreet Kaur about her latest venture, her debut non-fiction book Brown Girl Like Me. We'll discuss microaggressions, menstruation and mental health, as well as how to build a foundation of self-love.

Choosing to pursue a career in journalism (rather than being a footballer) has paid off for Dan Walker. Having previously released his book Remarkable People, Walker is following it up with Standing on the Shoulders, another collection full of inspiring people: the heroes that he doesn't want history to forget. We'll be talking to Dan Walker about the stories he tells, what inspires him, and how difficult it is to have a last minute toilet break on Strictly Come Dancing.

Joining us at Audible Studios is actor and writer Obioma Ugoala. Ugoala trained at and graduated from the Drama Centre, London, and spent the beginning of his career touring and performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has played the role of Kristoff in London's West End Frozen show, Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical, and George Washington in Hamilton. Ugoala also provides workshops and outreach programmes to BAME students in Greater London, and has most recently written a book, The Problem With My Normal Penis.

Joining us at Audible Studios are Mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region respectively, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram. Andy Burnham has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, and as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary and Health Secretary among other roles during his extended political career. Steve Rotheram has served as Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017 and like Burnham, has long supported the Labour party.

Joining us in the Audible Studios is radio and telly presenter, Nick Grimshaw. Known to us affectionately as Grimmy, he has been a part of our daily lives since reaching his childhood dream of presenting on BBC Radio 1 in 2007. Having hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show, taken over the Drive Time slot, and appeared on our screens in The X Factor and Gogglebox, Nick Grimshaw has become a household name.

Known for hosting live TV coverage of international events such as the Six Nations rugby, the World Cup and the Olympic Games, Logan is one of Britain's best loved broadcasters. Starting out on Sky Sports, then working for BBC and ITV, as well as hosting shows on BBC Radio, Logan's career has been illustrious. Being a woman in the arena of sports broadcasting hasn't always been an easy ride, but Logan has not let it hold her back, and has changed the face of women in sport, receiving an MBE for her Services to Sports Broadcasting and the Promotion of Women in Sport.

Robert Peston is the presenter of ITV's politics show, Peston, and has been ITV News' political editor since 2015, having previously worked as BBC's business editor for a decade. We spoke with Peston about his latest venture, a novel titled The Whistleblower, his first work of fiction. Holly Newson asked him about this foray into fiction and his everlasting interest in the world of politics, and heard which parts of the book are based on his own life.

We'll be asking Kate Muir about Everything You Need to Know About the Pill (But Were too Afraid to Ask), debunking myths, discovering why women are often given the wrong advice, and the prospects of a male pill. Muir worked for seven years as chief film critic for The Times before turning more towards investigative journalism. She has written three novels but her more recent works have looked at the hormonal issues that women face, often needlessly. She has produced documentaries on the menopause, as well as becoming an expert public speaker.

O'Leary began his career in broadcasting over two decades ago, starting out as a disc jockey and runner, before appearing on screen in Channel 4's T4 and Big Brother's Little Brother. He has since hosted shows for BBC and ITV, such as and The X Factor, The One Show and This Morning, as well as presenting charitable events such as Comic Relief and Children in Need. O'Leary is also a bestselling author of children's fiction, with his critically acclaimed series, Toto the Ninja Cat, based on his own blind cat.

Joining us at Audible Studios is comedian and teacher, Shabaz Ali. Better known as @ShabazSays, or ‘#King of the Povvos’, Shabaz Ali has amassed over 1 million followers on Instagram and 1.8 million on TikTok with his caustic take downs of the mega-rich. In the name of the cost of living crisis, Ali mocks those who spend their fortunes on designer bags, aesthetically pleasing fridge re-stocks and needlessly priced useless items. When he’s not making viral reaction videos, he can be found teaching chemistry at a school in Blackburn.

Having spent 2011-2022 as a part of Little Mix, one of the most popular girl bands in the world, Pinnock is no stranger to fame. She went from working at a Pizza Hut to becoming an overnight sensation after winning The X Factor with bandmates Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson. During their time touring the world, however, Pinnock was never completely happy – she struggled to find her identity while encountering racism in the music industry. Now, having gone solo, starred in a movie and even narrated The Little Mermaid for Audible, Pinnock has found herself, and her power.

Joining us at Audible Studios is author Kit de Waal. Growing up in poverty in Birmingham, de Waal was exposed to many challenges as a child. Being British, Irish and Caribbean, she experienced many aspects of racism, and her chaotic home life was both a comfort and a difficulty. We'll be talking with Kit de Waal about her newest book, a memoir titled Without Warning and Only Sometimes, and asking why she turned the lens on herself, how her love of reading began, and how it felt to have Armageddon hanging over her as a child.