Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

• Josh Widdicombe

  Gyles is talking to one of his favourite comedians in today's Rosebud - Josh Widdicombe. Josh tells Gyles about his early days growing up in Devon; about his charismatic father, his clever mum, and his chain-smoking grandmother who lived next-door and delighted him with tales of her acting days. Gyles hears about Josh's youthful obsessions: pop culture, TV, Plymouth Argyle and marbles, and about how they inspired Josh's later career as a comedian and writer. He hears about Josh's university days and how he started to do stand-up. Finally, Josh opens up about his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and talks about the things that helped him to feel better. Josh is on tour from September 2025, and tickets are available now at www.joshwiddicombe.com. Thank you to Josh for such a warm, open and funny conversation. Enjoy this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  1:09:06
• More Rosebud - Gyles's Diary, episode 10: the first half of 1964 - O-levels, A Study in Sherlock, and lessons learnt

  We've another action-packed episode of Gyles's teenage diary for you, diary fans. The young Brandreth continues to busy himself on multiple fronts - with drama, journalism and politics. As his form teacher says in his report: "Gyles appears to be a person of boundless energy and enthusiasm..." But all is not entirely plain-sailing in this episode, as Gyles gets involved in a scandal at school and learns a painful lesson, with the help of his extremely understanding teachers. If you're enjoying the diaries but haven't heard them all, you can go back to the start - they're all marked chronologically and begin with episode 1. We'll be back with more diaries in two weeks' time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  58:11
• Sigourney Weaver

  Rosebud is thrilled to present to you one of the truly great Hollywood actresses of her generation: Sigourney Weaver. Known for her groundbreaking performances as Ripley in Ridley Scott's Alien movies, Sigourney redefined what women could do in the movies. Sigourney talks to Gyles about her fascinating parents - her father, Pat Weaver, was a leading US television executive who pioneered morning television, and her mother, the English actress Elizabeth Inglis. She tells Gyles how she came by her name, and about her first kiss, and how she struggled to get used to her height. She talks about beginning acting at Stanford and later Yale, and how her confidence was knocked by her Yale tutors. She talks about working with Woody Allen and on the set of Alien. Halfway through the show, Sigourney and Gyles are joined by a special guest - an Oscar-winning British actress who Sigourney has loved since she was a child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  1:14:53
• More Rosebud - Tariq Ali

  Tariq Ali is one of the most famous and recognisable figures of the revolutionary student movements of the 1960s. In his distinctive red Aquascutum mac he led marches, gave speeches and galvanised opposition to the Vietnam War and other big issues of the time. Born in Lahore just before Partition, he grew up in a prominent family of politicians and became interested in radical politics from a young age. At only 16 he organised his first strike, among the latrine-wallahs in the hill station where his family holidayed. At 18 he was sent to Oxford University, where he became president of the Union and impressed people with his brilliance at public speaking and debating. He tells Gyles about all this and about some of the amazing people he met along the way - including Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Marlon Brando and Malcolm X. If you aren't familiar with Tariq Ali's story, this is really worth listening to for a fascinating insight into the radical and optimistic days of the late 60s and early 70s, when anything seemed possible. Tariq's memoir, You Can't Please All, is out now, published by Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/authors/ali-tariq?srsltid=AfmBOorNoyy2ZaKtYHa5Zay30ii1E1ieQJ76ERKTHvDgvfIEB9t-zreO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  1:07:23
• Sir James Dyson

  Sir James Dyson talks to Gyles about his remarkable journey: from academic under-achiever to one of the world's most successful inventors and businessmen. Sir James takes us back to the start, when he was a schoolboy at Gresham's School in Norfolk, the son of a schoolteacher, until he was blindsided by the tragic death of his father when he was only nine. Was it this early bereavement that set him apart, and encouraged his desire to be independent, to be different? Or was it his love of the solitude of long-distance running, or his unusual talent for art and design? In this fascinating conversation, recorded at Dyson HQ in Wiltshire, Gyles goes behind the legendary inventions to the man and his beginnings. Thank you very much to Sir James for taking the time to record this with us, to to all the team at Dyson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  1:05:27

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