Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Productions / Keep It Light Media

Who is the cleverest person in Britain? When Gyles asked this question to readers of his columns last year, one name was mentioned more than any other; that of Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal. Lord Rees is one of the most distinguished scientists in the country, a former President of the Royal Society and a Cambridge fellow. He wrote the first papers on quasars (a type of black hole) and he, alongside other greats such as Dennis Sciama and Stephen Hawking, helped to develop our understanding of the origins of the universe. He is also, Gyles discovers, a man of incredible modesty who just got into science because "he wasn't much good at anything else".

This is a wide-ranging conversation which takes in not only Rees's childhood in Shropshire and early academic career, but also includes discussions of the big bang, the future of the earth, and what happens to scientists when they get old. Plus, there's a bombshell revelation about Sir Isaac Newton. This is one of our most profound and intelligent Rosebuds yet: which isn't surprising, given our guest. Thank you, Martin Rees.
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Gyles and Alexander Armstrong reminisce about Alexander's idyllic childhood in Northumberland, the son of a country GP. They talk about his school years, when he was an 'odd little boy' who sang in the school choir and was obsessed with Gilbert and Sullivan. They discuss the joy of Evensong, and the delights of PG Wodehouse, and Gyles finds out what it was like to live on Imogen Stubbs's barge in Chiswick. This episode was recorded on a sunny day in May, and we hope you can feel the sunshine as you listen to it - enjoy.
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Gyles meets the writer, clergyman and former member of the Communards Reverend Richard Coles. Together they talk about Richard's childhood, growing up as the musically gifted youngest son in a family of shoe manufacturers in Kettering, about how he discovered his sexuality and became part of London's gay scene in the 1980s, and about how he found his faith in the aftermath of the AIDS crisis. Gyles and Richard discuss the best way to pull a vicar, and whether a mental orgasm is better than a physical one. Thank you to Reverend Richard for his openness and for this wonderful conversation.

Our other big news is that this week is our sponsor Grosvenor House's 95th anniversary. To hear Gyles interview Stuart Bowery, the Manager of the hotel, all about Grosvenor House's fascinating history, go to https://grosvenorhousecasts.podbean.com/.
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Gyles has fun talking to Katherine Ryan about her early memories and formative experiences, with added discussions about the rights and wrongs of plastic surgery, whether you should tell anecdotes during sex, and what, exactly, is phallic swagger. This is a frank, open, revealing and sometimes inspiring conversation that's possibly slightly more adult than our usual episodes. Katherine tells Gyles about her childhood in a Canadian industrial town, about her parents and their divorce, and about her student job waitressing at Hooters. Thank you to Katherine for this brilliant conversation.
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This week, Gyles has John Cleese in the Rosebud hotseat. Gyles finds out about John's childhood, growing up in the Westcountry during the war, with a father whose surname was actually 'Cheese' and a mother who was suffering from post natal depression. John also shares stories about his school days, what it was like being the tallest boy in the form, and how he enjoyed being "subversive" at the back of the class and discovered his love of being funny. John also talks about Python, Fawlty Towers and his spiritual side. This is a fascinating, wide-ranging and sometimes hilarious conversation. Thank you, John.
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Dermot O'Leary and Gyles know each other from the This Morning sofa, but here they get the chance to sit down for a proper in-depth conversation. Dermot tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up in a warm and loving Irish family, and about how important his heritage is to him. He talks about his first communion, his love of poetry and Gyles finds out whether he knows the facts of life. Dermot's latest children's book, Wings of Glory, is out in paperback now: it's an exciting adventure set in WWII, starring a heroic band of birds who fight in the Battle of Britain.
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