The MarshyCast

Paul Marsh

Dive into the fascinating world of entertainment, gain valuable insights into mental and physical wellness, explore the latest technological innovations, and indulge in the lighter side of life with our comedic discussions.

  1. 2d ago

    Amanda Ross on Agatha Christie, the Return of the Whodunit and Between The Covers Live

    Send us Fan Mail When you're reading a murder mystery, are you trying to beat the detective to the killer, or are you perfectly happy being fooled until the final page? It's a question I put to TV executive Amanda Ross when she joined me on The MarshyCast to talk about Between The Covers Live: Celebrating Agatha Christie. The live show brings together Amanda with author, actor and director Ben Miller, bestselling crime writer Lucy Foley and barrister, broadcaster and bestselling author Rob Rinder to celebrate the enduring appeal of Agatha Christie. Lucy also has a particularly fascinating connection to Christie's world, having been trusted by Agatha Christie Limited to write a brand new Miss Marple novel, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, 50 years after Christie's final Marple adventure was published. One of the things that struck me while preparing for the interview was simply the sheer amount of work Christie produced. How do you keep coming up with new characters, crimes, motives and twists without the creative well eventually running dry? Amanda and I talked about that extraordinary creativity and why, decades later, audiences are still fascinated by Christie's stories. It also feels like the whodunit is having another moment. Crime novels remain hugely popular, while murder mysteries have found enthusiastic audiences across books, television and film. Part of the fun is that they can be enjoyed in completely different ways. Some of us mentally pin photographs to an imaginary evidence board, suspicious of anyone who enters the drawing room carrying a cup of tea. Others haven't got a clue who did it and are having a marvellous time anyway. We also talked about what happens when you take the experience of discussing books and put it in front of a live audience. For Amanda, one of the joys of Between The Covers Live is bringing people together who share that enthusiasm for stories, characters and, in this case, the Queen of Crime. With Ben Miller, Lucy Foley and Rob Rinder joining her, I also wanted to know whether Amanda had secretly vetted everyone beforehand. After all, you don't want to discover halfway through an Agatha Christie celebration that one of your guests thinks Poirot is a French restaurant. And what about the audience? Do you need an encyclopaedic knowledge of Christie before taking your seat, or can complete newcomers turn up without doing any homework? Thankfully, Amanda explains exactly what audiences can expect. No magnifying glass required. 🔎 🎧 Hear the full conversation with Amanda Ross now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  2. 3d ago

    Sally-Anne Hayward: Why Ageing Isn’t a Crisis, It’s an Upgrade

    Send us Fan Mail Getting older gets a pretty terrible marketing campaign. Grey hairs, aching knees and suddenly making noises every time you get out of a chair. But comedian Sally-Anne Hayward thinks there’s another side to it. Ageing isn’t a crisis, it’s an upgrade. That’s the theme of Sally-Anne’s new comedy show and, when she joined me on The MarshyCast, I wanted to know what actually gets better with age. One of the biggest changes is becoming more comfortable in your own skin. There can be something liberating about reaching the point where other people’s opinions don't carry quite as much weight as they once did. We talked about whether that confidence simply arrives with age or comes from years of discovering who you actually are. But is getting older the same experience for everyone? Sally-Anne and I discussed the differences between ageing as a man and as a woman, and whether women potentially face greater pressure around appearance and expectations as they get older. There's another part of ageing that doesn't get discussed quite as much: friendships changing. People who were hugely important in your twenties might no longer be part of your everyday life years later. Careers change, relationships happen, families arrive and people move in completely different directions. Sometimes there isn't an argument or dramatic falling out. Life simply changes and people drift apart. Sally-Anne also told me that getting more experienced as a comedian doesn't mean you stop learning. She still watches other performers and notices the little things that make them particularly good at what they do. Sometimes it's something on stage, but often it's what audiences don't see: preparation, discipline and sheer work ethic. And after discussing all the wisdom that supposedly arrives with age, there was only one sensible way to finish. A game of Getting Older: Upgrade or Downgrade? Because some parts of ageing might genuinely improve your life. Others? Well... your knees may wish to lodge an appeal. 🎧 Hear the full conversation with Sally-Anne Hayward now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  3. 5d ago

    Michael Ball on Glow, Willy Wonka and Why the Fear Never Completely Goes Away

    Send us Fan Mail Michael Ball has spent more than four decades performing on some of the biggest stages in musical theatre. But despite all that experience and success, there's still a voice in his head asking: Am I good enough? It's something Michael spoke remarkably openly about when he joined me on the latest episode of The MarshyCast. Michael is heading back out on the road with his new show, Glow, including a date at Portsmouth Guildhall, and we talked about what audiences can expect and, perhaps more importantly, how he wants people to feel when they walk out afterwards. We also talked venues. Portsmouth Guildhall has welcomed some extraordinary performers over the years, but life backstage isn't always quite as glamorous as audiences might imagine. Michael recalled one particular venue where the facilities included a shower... in a hallway. Nothing says showbusiness quite like trying to wash your hair while somebody wanders past looking for the dressing room. Our conversation also turned to Michael's latest theatrical challenge: playing Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Taking on such an iconic character might be daunting for any performer, but Michael admitted that even after everything he's achieved, he can still be plagued by the fear that he isn't good enough for a role. It was fascinating to hear someone with his experience talk so candidly about self-doubt and how it hasn't simply vanished with success. We also discovered some common ground through radio. Michael has spent plenty of time behind the microphone himself, and we talked about the best interviews being the ones that stop feeling like interviews altogether. Rather than mechanically working through a list of questions, they become two people having a conversation. Which, appropriately enough, is exactly where our own chat ended up. Before Michael escaped, I had one final question. Across a career containing so many memorable characters, if he could perform just one of his previous roles again, which would he choose? His answer gives us a lovely look back at an extraordinary stage career while Glow and Willy Wonka point towards what's still to come. 🎧 Hear my full conversation with Michael Ball now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  4. 5d ago

    Judi Love on Why We're Better at Helping Others Than Asking for Help Ourselves

    Send us Fan Mail If a friend told you they were struggling financially, you'd probably tell them not to suffer in silence. But would you take the same advice yourself? That's something comedian Judi Love and I discussed on the latest episode of The MarshyCast, after research found that 70% of people are more comfortable talking about other people's problems than their own. Before getting into the serious stuff, Judi told me about her recent trip to the London Podcast Festival and what a brilliant experience she'd had. But our conversation soon turned to something affecting households across the country: the difficulty many people have admitting they're struggling financially. And that struggle doesn't necessarily look the way we might expect. We talked about how earning a decent wage doesn't automatically mean somebody is financially comfortable. Rising household costs and individual circumstances can leave people struggling to pay bills, including some of the people we rely on every day. The fact that members of our emergency services can find themselves struggling financially despite working on the front line is particularly sobering. The problem is that asking for help can feel incredibly difficult. Judi and I talked about the strange contradiction between being willing to listen to somebody else's problems, offer advice and tell them there's no shame in seeking support, while finding it much harder to admit when we need that support ourselves. Social media can add another layer. When we're constantly seeing snapshots of other people's holidays, meals, homes and apparently perfect lives, it can become easy to believe everybody else is doing brilliantly. Of course, we're usually seeing the highlights rather than the bank balance. We also discussed support available through the British Gas Energy Trust, including grants that may be available to people struggling with energy costs. Perhaps the most important part of the conversation, though, is much simpler: being good at helping other people shouldn't stop us asking for help when we're the ones who need it. 🎧 Hear my full conversation with Judi Love now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  5. Sep 23

    Mike Brewer & Elvis Priestley Take Wheeler Dealers Back Around the World

    Send us Fan Mail Buying a Honda NSX in Japan sounds like the sort of assignment most petrolheads would accept before you've even finished asking the question.  But this is Wheeler Dealers, so naturally things don't go entirely to plan.  On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I caught up with Mike Brewer and Marc 'Elvis' Priestley to talk about Season 3 of Wheeler Dealers World Tour, which once again takes the pair around the globe in search of incredible cars and the people who love them.  The new series begins in Japan with one particularly exciting target: the legendary Honda NSX.  It's a car with a huge following around the world, and buying one in its homeland should have been a dream start to the new adventure.  Then came the gearbox.  A problem with the car suddenly meant Mike and Elvis weren't simply enjoying the sights and sounds of Japan. Instead, they found themselves spending days working in a garage, with the trip even involving sleeping on floors.  Perhaps not quite the five-star international television experience you might imagine!  However, their Japanese adventure also takes them somewhere very special: Suzuka Circuit.  The famous race track has an enormous place in motorsport history, and Mike and Elvis had the opportunity to visit the circuit and meet fellow NSX enthusiasts who share their passion for one of Japan's most celebrated performance cars.  During our conversation, we talked about what happened when their plans started to unravel, the work needed to get the NSX sorted and what it was like experiencing the car culture surrounding it in Japan.  And Japan is only the beginning.  I also asked Mike and Elvis about where the rest of Season 3 takes them as Wheeler Dealers World Tour once again goes hunting for cars, stories and automotive adventures around the globe.  Because apparently travelling the world making a television programme about incredible cars isn't quite challenging enough without the occasional broken gearbox thrown in.  🎧 Hear my full conversation with Mike Brewer and Marc 'Elvis' Priestley now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Wheeler Dealers World Tour Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 9pm on Discovery UK.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  6. Sep 21

    Kate Harbour on Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom and the Art of Acting Without Words

    Send us Fan Mail How do you deliver a great acting performance when your script doesn't actually contain any words?  That's one of the fascinating things I discovered when I caught up with actress Kate Harbour for the latest episode of The MarshyCast to talk about Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.  Having recently seen the film myself, I went into this interview as a very happy customer. It's a brilliant family film, but one of the things that particularly struck me was how much there is for adults to enjoy alongside the younger audience.  Kate and I talked about that delicate balancing act and why some of the best animation doesn't really feel as though it's been made exclusively for children or adults. It simply works for everyone.  We also explored the different worlds of animation.  CGI might dominate many modern animated movies, while traditional 2D animation has its own distinctive style, but there's something wonderfully tangible about stop motion. With every tiny movement carefully created, the amount of work involved in bringing characters such as Shaun and the inhabitants of Mossy Bottom to life is extraordinary.  But there's another part of the process that viewers might not immediately appreciate: the voice acting.  With Shaun the Sheep, performers have the unusual challenge of communicating character and emotion without conventional spoken dialogue.  Kate explained how surprisingly physical that can become. A performance might ultimately be something we only hear, but creating those sounds can involve using your whole body in the recording booth.  We also spoke about the changing world of animated voice casts and what it's like when big-name actors come in to lend their voices to a production.  For Kate, though, this isn't simply about standing behind a microphone and making a few noises. It's acting, just with a very different collection of tools.  Naturally, I couldn't finish an interview about The Beast of Mossy Bottom without venturing into horror territory.  So I gave Kate a scenario: you're stuck on a farm and you're allowed one horror character to protect you.  Who are you choosing?  Her answer rounds off a conversation covering everything from the painstaking craft of stop motion to the strange art of acting without saying a single actual word.  🎧 Hear my full conversation with Kate Harbour now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  7. Sep 15

    Myleene Klass on Letting Go When Your Child Leaves for University

    Send us Fan Mail You've spent years knowing where your children are, what they're doing and, broadly speaking, whether they've remembered to eat.  Then one day, you leave them at university... and drive home without them.  On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to Myleene Klass MBE about what happens to the relationship between parents and children when they reach that next stage of independence.  Research suggests parents receive an average of 528 texts a year from children who've left for university, yet nearly half worry they're checking in too often themselves.  And it's easy to understand why.  Saying goodbye can be one of the hardest parts of the university experience for parents. Suddenly, you have to trust that all those years of advice, encouragement and occasionally wondering whether they're listening to a word you're saying have prepared them for life without you constantly being there.  Myleene knows that transition personally, with one of her own children at that stage of education, and we talked about finding the balance between staying connected and giving young people the space to build their own lives.  Thankfully, keeping in touch doesn't necessarily mean a nightly phone call home anymore.  Today's families communicate through everything from WhatsApp and FaceTime to memes, GIFs and TikToks. Sometimes a silly video sent without any explanation can effectively mean, "I'm thinking about you."  Of course, there are also those timeless communications between children and their parents.  "Can you send me some money?"  And the occasional appearance of a bag of washing probably says: "I love you, Mum" in its own peculiar language too.  But beneath the laughs is something every parent eventually has to confront. At some point, you have to loosen your grip and hope you've given your children what they need to make their own way.  I finished our conversation by asking Myleene something more personal: is she proud of the mum she's become?  Her answer was a lovely way to finish the interview, and one I suspect will resonate with plenty of parents.  🎧 Hear my full conversation with Myleene Klass now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

  8. Sep 10

    Would You Trust a Tradesperson Because They Look the Part?

    Send us Fan Mail When you're choosing someone to carry out work in your home, what matters most?  Qualifications and credentials might seem like the obvious answer, but personal recommendations, first impressions and even how somebody looks can play a surprisingly big role in who we trust.  On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to TV star Denise Van Outen and Ronan Howard, SME Champion for Gas Safe Register, about why younger homeowners can be more likely to trust a tradesperson based on appearance rather than qualifications.  It raised an interesting question during our conversation: why don't we always ask tradespeople to prove they're qualified?  In plenty of other situations, we'd expect someone to have the right credentials before trusting them to do an important job. Yet when somebody comes recommended by a friend or family member, that recommendation can quickly become the most important factor.  Then there's the first impression.  Someone arrives looking professional, seems friendly and appears to know what they're talking about. Is that sometimes enough for us to feel comfortable letting them into our home and getting on with the job?  Denise shared a cautionary story about a friend who allowed someone to carry out work on their home without realising they weren't properly qualified. The result was an awful mess and a reminder that looking the part and actually being qualified are two very different things.  Thankfully, checking doesn't need to be complicated.  Ronan explained what homeowners should do before booking someone to carry out gas work, including using the Gas Safe Register to check that the person is registered for the work they're being asked to do.  It's a simple check that could prevent a much bigger headache later.  And perhaps that's the takeaway from our conversation: a recommendation can help you choose who to call, but it shouldn't replace checking they're actually qualified to do the job.  🎧 Hear my full conversation with Denise Van Outen and Ronan Howard now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

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Dive into the fascinating world of entertainment, gain valuable insights into mental and physical wellness, explore the latest technological innovations, and indulge in the lighter side of life with our comedic discussions.